History and Underdevelopment

 By B.P. Familara (2013)

After World War 2, most of the countries in Asia, America and European countries were destroyed. Far East Asia and the Pacific territories were greatly affected as the bombing persist decades long. Major cities were bombed like Hiroshima, Pearl Harbor and Manila. Korea and Vietnam were in great tension when the spread of communism spreads and civil wars broke in. This was the darkest time in eastern and south eastern part of Asia.

Before the war, there were only few countries developed faster in terms of economy; Japan who leads in Asian industrialization, China who leads in wide range trade across Asia, Europe and Americas and Philippines that has a strong tight to its central government, the United States.

Philippines used to be one of the most powerful countries in Asia next to Japan. Korea was stocked on a very traditional country as well as Vietnam and Thailand. After the mass destruction of the main cities and the collapsed of the economic foundation resulted by the aftermath of the war, each countries had a hard time to re-establish it. Series of trials of different economic ideals and theories were tried. Some, closed its doors to the world and some let it opened so many foreign direct investments would come to aid the large scarce of the resource, the funds.

During Marcos time, The Philippines was one of the leading countries that can cope up and re-established its economic foundations. With the help of his wife, got very strong ties to the Arab countries that main product is oil. He successfully invited many foreign investors and the economy float.

Fifty years have passed; this was altered when series of unhealthy government and weak governance took over the country. The Philippines was left behind from its neighboring country. China, South Korea and Japan are now the largest manufacturers of electronic devices that is being used around the world. Thailand and Vietnam surpasses Philippines in terms of Economic advancement which are still stocked on agricultural economy.

There are many factors to consider why this event happened. First, the culture, does the history of the country affects the attitudes of the people? My answer is yes. It is because for almost 400 years, the Philippines were under many colonizers like Spain, Britain, Japan and America. We were taught to be workers and the idealism of pwede na yan were e inculcated to our mind that hinders perseverance in terms of development.