Island Nation
When you think about it, one of the main reasons our economy has never improved or reached its true potential (aside from corruption and bad business practices), is the inherent difficulties in communication and transportation through our islands. I’ve always thought that we would have been more successful if we were one landmass, where governance would be easier. The most obvious example of this is the war in Mindanao. Few of us living here in Metro Manila have a clue about the real situation in Mindanao, and frankly, do most of us care?
The Philippines, at times, feels more like a disjointed alliance of small territories rather than an island nation. Governors rule these territories like fiefs, observing no law but their own. Provinces seem extremely underdeveloped as well. People seem to know little about other provinces or regions. Even with the advent of inter-island transportation and communication, the earlier limitations on these left a lasting impression on the political and economic landscape. Maybe it’s time to think of the Philippines as a single nation.