Industry sector just a memory

Once a beacon of manufacturing prowess in Southeast Asia, the Philippines is watching its “made in” label vanish from global shelves. Nosy Tarsee noticed that products that once proudly carried the Philippine stamp are now sourced from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and, of course, the juggernaut that is China.

The vanishing Philippine-manufactured goods are a stark indictment of a nation grappling with political dysfunction, where political “geniuses” prioritize endless quarrels, hearings, and corruption over genuine progress.

The majority of politicians aren’t serving the people — they’re lining their own pockets. The real tragedy? Our grandchildren will inherit a future overshadowed by these failures.

The heartbreaking brain drain has intensified. Highly skilled professionals, including engineers, have been fleeing since the 1970s, drawn by better salaries and opportunities abroad.

At the University of the Philippines (UP), a cradle of engineering talent, most graduates head overseas post-commencement.

Take Rubberworld Philippines, a key player in the rubber industry that was shuttered in the mid-1990s amid relentless strikes and a severe financial crisis.

The closure, triggered by labor disputes that led to picket lines and welded gates, displaced designers and technicians, many of whom relocated to China.

Companies like Anta Sports Shoes absorbed former Rubberworld staff, while Xiamen ABB and other multinationals in China welcomed Filipino engineers with open arms. The numbers paint a grim picture: In 2023 alone, 2.16-million Filipinos deployed overseas, many in engineering and healthcare.

“We educate these talents at home, only to let other countries reap the rewards,” a veteran engineer lamented to Nosy Tarsee.

He added, “This is the real situation as the Philippines brags about its overseas Filipino workers, whose remittances bolster the economy — rising to $3.2 billion in August 2024, up 3.3 percent — as local industries lose skilled workers.”

But this narrative glosses over the real toll: broken families, emotional scars, and societal fractures.

“Instead of bragging about OFWs — with plenty of broken families — we should give our talented people opportunities to work in and help the Philippines,” the engineer explained.

Studies reveal the psychological impact: in many cases children of migrant parents show poorer well-being, linked to conduct disorders and emotional issues.

Yet, findings are mixed. Some research indicate children in transnational households fare no worse, or better, in terms of disorders.

Still, reliance on remittances fosters materialism and reduces local labor incentives, exacerbating the cycle.

Why is China surging ahead in AI, manufacturing, and beyond? It’s not just ambition — it’s smart policy. Chinese scientists and engineers return en masse, enticed by government incentives that prioritize national growth.

“China is progressing very fast because most of their experts go back to work there,” the engineer told Nosy Tarsee.

Chinese programs like the Thousand Talents Plan (now evolved) offer generous funding, housing, and salaries to lure back top talent.

This “reverse brain drain” has accelerated, with US-based Chinese scientists returning at a 75-percent higher rate post-2018.

A brake lining manufacturer in Laguna fled strikes just six months after a collective bargaining agreement, relocating to China where the government offered free land and financial incentives.