Why is the RP taking so long to catch up with the rest of Asia ???? 3 Words or less.

The comparison is a good one, seeing the positions where they started from and certain striking parallels in their historical pathways, including American-backed anti-Communist military-backed dictatorships, participation in & benefit from the Vietnam War, crony capitalism mega-corporations and sudden transitions to Asian-style democracies.

You are right that the vast ideological and practical-behavior difference between Catholicism and Neo-Confucianism can explain one big part of the difference of what happened.

Also, however, there is just the historical accident of the difference in personal character between the dictators they had -- Philippines having bad luck with such a total jerkoff as Marcos & family who simply looted the country and left it deep in debt with little real development to show for it (fairly standard for dictatorships around the globe).

While Korea had some amazing and rare GOOD luck in the dictator who seized power just a relatively short time before Marcos -- indeed grabbed hold of all the nation's money and resources, but then invested them all in national infrastructure development while putting relatively very little in the pockets of family or cronies (virtually none into his own pockets -- he died broke!). A rare case of a badass bloody-handed military dictatorship that actually benefited its nation in the long run.

 

apathy, procrastination,corruption

 

Slightly off-topic, but I saw something on CNN last month predicting that by 2050 the Philippine economy will "leapfrog 27 places to become the world’s 16th largest economy", ranking right behind Russia. I have a hard time envisioning how that is going to happen other than by sheer population growth.

World’s top economies in 2050 will be...

 

The Philippines could jump up quite a bit in standing if a few common sense laws were passed. Allow foreigners to own land and own a business. It could even be limited so that foreign development business's cannot own or buy land to lower the risk of the Philippines being foreign owned. But think of all the expats who would think of opening a business if they could own the land and the business fully along with foreign investor groups finding the Philippines far more desirable. A few other things could make a significant difference as well. But the problem is its not likely in this political climate.

 

Out For Lunch

 

Rich and poor see a total different picture of the Philippines.
With a population (91 million) expected to double in 15 years, there is a need for new infrastructure.
-Airlines are buying new airplanes very fast.
-Private schools are expanding at a speed never seen before.
-San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is investing in a multi billion new international airport for Boracay. The first private owned airport in the country.
-All big retailers (SM,Ayala,Robinson’s,Gaisano) are engaged in real estate projects with their own constuction company.
-If you go to Cebu you see a new High Rise Building project every hundred meter and tens of new gated comunity’s are prepared at the outskits of the city.
The rich see a bright future and a big secret dollar-account.

Hopefully the poor have a cup of rice tomorrow.

 

Catholicism does not advocate sitting on your butt and not working.

The population tally in PI per se is not the core of its's lagging behind the rest of Asia

 

True, but Catholicism does, in practice, expect financial offerings to be made by even the poorest of the poor and will berate them if the collection is too small. I have seen this happen last Easter in the south of the island.

When was the last time you saw a hungry priest or a skinny nun.?

 

do this two count?​

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Oh my !!!l I could almost be persuaded to convert. :D