BBC 3's Blood, Sweat and Luxuries

[RickyR]

The Philippines is one of the wealthiest countries in South East Asia, with a pretty extensive rich list when compared to other countries. It's Call Centre outsourcing industry is growing by the day, primarily to the US but also the likes of HSBC in the UK and Virgin Mobile. The country just needs some good leadership to take it forward, the previous president has held the country back.

One thing that should have happened is that Terminal 3 should have become the major terminal in Manila, and the LRT 1 line should have been extended straight into it. It would make an unbelievable difference.

[somebody]

To develop tourism you need a forward thinking government to put the infrastructure in place.Sadly, its the same old political elite or film stars that get elected to plunder the finances leaving the country to stagnate. Every one of my in laws would leave if they could for one reason only, to earn money, but they all love their country.
They really do deserve better politicians.

What a pity we did`nt get round to colonising the P.I. as almost every country we did has been left with the infrastructure in place to succeed.Could you imagine the P.I. with a railway system, it would be great.

We might be going the same way now with our own corruption as it seems British politics is full of thieves and sexual deviants standards have gone down the pan

Well the Brits were in mnail for three years but before we have invented trains

In the Wifes town is a railway track I have no idea where it goes but does seem odd neither the spainish or yanks at least in the areas around manila and elsewhere didn't have train lines or did they?

[somebody]

The Philippines is one of the wealthiest countries in South East Asia, with a pretty extensive rich list when compared to other countries. It's Call Centre outsourcing industry is growing by the day, primarily to the US but also the likes of HSBC in the UK and Virgin Mobile. The country just needs some good leadership to take it forward, the previous president has held the country back.

One thing that should have happened is that Terminal 3 should have become the major terminal in Manila, and the LRT 1 line should have been extended straight into it. It would make an unbelievable difference.

True it does have many wealthy businesses and people. but like so many countries much of the wealth is with the top so many percent and most of the rest are far behind. It seems most countries truly see a difference when they have a middle class like the Uk and Europe developed in the 20th century.

I think they in a catch 22 in phill if they let the ecomony develop now which it is from what i see in and around manila many of the Wifes friends have good jobs and supporting their families still living in Phil to a decent level. They are all what we would recogonise as middle class house owners. While many of these could working in the UK make more money in a lesser job in the Uk for now. As the exchange rate changes and Asia powers forward it may not be benifical to do in the long term.
But then thers a problem as the UK and the west found many factories had to close as labour to expensive will phill find the same for call centres? THe pace of change is so much faster it wont take decades it will be counted in years maybe less depending on worldwide events..
If the phil encomony takes off and peoples wages rise to high they will lose out to China and other nations with low labour costs. Many of the young people i recognise that and worry a lot about it. Already many factories are feeling the pinch i understand competing with both asian and african companies

Many feel very frustrated by it

Im amazed how many chinese speak perfect english of course many i have met are the elite who travel to the Uk but from what I have been told they have so many studying english they could match the UK and Phill in a few years and not long after that possibly the US.
Then what will happen to the Call centre trade if the west's demand for outsourcing drops off the edge? i know its the international language but so many nations have growing numbers of English speakers it may not be the advantage Phill and India had in the past. Why would countries not much richer than phill want to outsource to them?
Lets be honest for many western countries it may be far cheaper to pay people in the country with the way cost of living and exchange rates is going..

Tourism is not the answer but at least gives phill another string to its bow

[Pete/London]

In the Wifes town is a railway track I have no idea where it goes but does seem odd neither the spainish or yanks at least in the areas around manila and elsewhere didn't have train lines or did they?

Where my wife lived in A.C. there is also a disused rail line at the end of the road that`s been built over by squatter shacks. I think there was a line that ran from La Union to Bicol years ago so I think a system could work that would cover Luzon down to Matnog for Samar and then onward from there.
I suppose it could happen,unlikely but you never know if oil prices go higher and higher.

[bornatbirth]

I'm just trying to imagine how you are going to link up all the islands with railway bridges

heard of the euro tunnel?

[darren-b]

heard of the euro tunnel?

Yup, the one that cost a massive amount of money to build...

Train tunnels under water are probably more complex and costly to build. My point really was that a country with so many islands spread out over a large area isn't the idea place for a national railway system.

[johncar54]

Quote : Somebody , "Im amazed how many chinese speak perfect english"

I read somewhere that within a few years there will me more Chinese speaking English than the rest of the world combined !

(this is of course no reflection on the influence of England but that it is the international language of business)

I am always surprised that so many nations have failed to accept this reality and still insist that their nationals must speak minority languages.