Ending a year of plunder and disasters

The year 2025 ends at midnight today, with a national debt of P17.56 trillion, a population of 117,300,00 Filipinos and counting, more than one half of whom are very poor, with a nominal per capita income of only $4,350.

- Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez

Among the ASEAN 11, we are second to Indonesia in population, but we are only fourth in Agriculture GDP, fifth in industry GDP, and also fourth in service GDP.The Philippines, despite having more educated people, shows a very poor economic performance, while Singapore, a tiny city state with a population of about less than six million, and whose economy is fueled by the talents of foreign workers, mostly Filipinos, has a whopping nominal per capita income of $92,930, Brunei has $34,970, Malaysia has $13,140, Thailand has $7,770, Indonesia has $5,030, and Vietnam is edging us out with $4,751. If we do not get our act together and shape up, even Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Timor-Leste may give us a run for our money.