Why I still prefer the Filipino manager

Much has been said about the quality of Philippine education and how the system is breeding a workforce far less competent than their regional counterparts.

- ANDREW J. MASIGAN

In fact, I was one of those who sounded the alarm on the education crisis way back in 2018.

While there is no denying that young Filipino learners have become perilously deficient in reading, math and science, I maintain that the Filipino worker - particularly those in the supervisory and managerial levels — are still better than their foreign counterparts. This is especially true in the aspects that matter, as I will explain more below.

As many of my readers know, I am a business owner outside of being an economist and political pundit. From humble beginning in the 1990's, our company has grown to employ a significant number of people today. About a quarter of our workforce play supervisory and management roles. Suffice it to say that I have personally witnessed how the deteriorating quality of education has affected the work outputs of Filipino managers across three decades. I have also observed, first hand, what makes the Filipino worker distinct from others.

But first, let me make a caveat. My assessments in this piece are borne not from a scientific study but from my personal experiences. With that, let me start with my observations.