Good afternoon! Below is my Call to Arms Speech. Sorry I am using my work email address because I'm sending it from my work computer.
Inclusive growth. This is one of the legacies which the current administration wants to leave behind. Inclusive growth, means equal opportunities for all participants in a growing economy and the benefits being reaped by all sections of society. It simply means everyone is included. Not just the super rich, not just the middle class, but also the poorest of the poor. What drives inclusive growth? Is it the multinationals? Is it good education? Is it the OFWs? Yes these all drive the growth of our economy, in one way or another, but these are not what drives inclusive growth. The multinationals and big corporations do not employ the illiterate. It is a fact that good education is not accessible to all. The poorest of the poor cannot be uplifted from poverty by your conditional cash transfer program. "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day". Teach a man a skill and give him a job, you feed him for a lifetime. This is exactly what SMEs can do.
Each country has its own definition of a Small and Medium Enterprise, but the general idea is that well, they are small. Here in the Philippines, the government calls it MSMEs (wherein they added "Micro"). According to the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises, MSMEs are businesses whose capitalization is from Zero to not more than Php60m. These are your local basket weavers, handicraft makers, sari-sari stores, start-ups, bed and breakfasts, bakeries, and etc. According to the DTI, as of 2012, there are 944,897 business enterprises operating in the Philippines. 99.58% of these are MSMEs, while only 0.42% are large enterprises. Within these numbers, the jobs they generated total to 4,930,851 versus 2,658,740 jobs generated by large businesses. That is 65% of the total jobs in the Philippines as of 2012.
Are you surprised with these numbers? Most people would think that the big electronics companies or the bpo industry employ the most number of people. What they fail to realize is that there are more people who do not meet the qualifications of these large companies. The MSMEs employ those who cannot read or write, persons with disabilities, those who are deemed "too old" by big businesses, the marginalized.
If you would really like to help our country, patronize your local businesses and products. Inclusive growth begins with all of us. We cannot just depend on our government, with all the red tape and bureaucracy that block and contradict their goals. Buy from that small coffee shop rather than from Starbucks. Start your own small business and see how you can help a marginalized community by giving them an opportunity to earn income. Just like Rags to Riches who help the women of Payatas provide for their families by making hand made fashion accessories from rags. Of course, it doesn't have to be as fantastical as that. Your support for inclusive growth can be as subtle as buying that skirt from forever21 that says "Made in the Philippines".
Thank you!
MM Leader Erika Manrique
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I've been hearing inclusive growth from Sen. Grace Poe in her pursuit to presidency. Masarap pakinggan ang "walang maiiwan, lahat uunlad." This is something born out of clear awareness of poverty and injustice in our society. I think we have a long way to go in making our country poverty-free but I admire the sincerity of the good Senator in advocating inclusiveness- belongingness. Sama-sama tayo. Lahat may part na dapat i-play. Let's start that with the ONE GOOD VOTE next year!
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