The Philippines is Changing for the Worse

 Comment on Why Would Anyone Invest in Asia's Fastest Growing Economy?yes, change--- change for the worse. I readily acknowledge that...why do you trumpet the Bugle motto of "it is what it is" when you ignore all reality? That is editorial dishonesty, in my opinion...why don't you tell it like it actually IS? Last Sunday's editorial page on the PhilStar had many columns (per usual) on the horrible state of affairs with the Philippine economy--the sick man of Asia--yet you somehow and for some reason continue to engage in wishful thinking, happily ignoring the truth as acknowledged by experienced commentators who happen to be highly educated and concerned Filipino citizens lamenting the situation...you can post your statistics and juggle the math and whistle in the dark, rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic, but the fact is that the rich are getting more rich and the poor are getting poorer...and the already too small middle class shrinking...and that doesn't even BEGIN to touch on the pork barrel scandal, a cancer that has metastasized at all level.

From the Bugle: Getting worse? We assume you are a newcomer to this country. If you were here in the 80s, when the country was racked by non-stop coup attempts, or the 90s when a series of corrupt governments dragged the economy to new lows you would realize it is better now and this isn't editorial dishonesty and it isn't this blog saying this. This is what the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, New York Times, S&P, Moody's, and many others are saying. The Philippine Star is right to point out problems. (That's how newspapers work, they point out problems.) But the situation is improving in the Philippines. That's the facts, at least according to just about every international outfit looking at this country. But maybe the world's experts are wrong and you are right!