Philippines is least competitive nation in Southeast Asia

[DEDixon 39]

RP is least competitive nation in Southeast Asia

07/13/2009 | 09:13 PM

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MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is the least competitive country in Southeast Asia after it fell by three notches in an international competitiveness ranking.

Insufficient infrastructure, lower productivity and efficiency and deteriorating quality of education, among others, were cited as the reasons why the country’s competitiveness declined, the latest World Competitiveness Scoreboard 2009 said.

The study, led by the International Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness (IMD), placed the Philippines 43rd among 55 countries, lower than last year’s 40th place.

In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines was the laggard, with Singapore ranking 3rd; Malaysia, 19th; Thailand, 26th; and Indonesia, 42nd.

Indonesia was the among the biggest gainers, advancing 10 spots owing to its “reformist" government, Alberto Lim, Makati Business Club executive director, said.

“Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was a reformist," Lim said. “He is sending to jail all these people even those who are close to him. Governance is the key factor in improving our competitiveness."

The competitiveness ranking was based on four major factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure. Each factor has five sub-factors.

Some 329 criteria – two-thirds of which covered hard data and one-third opinion survey – was also used in the study, which was released locally by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center.

Despite this bleak picture, government officials still belittled the report, saying it could not have captured the total picture of how the country fared in attracting foreign investments.

The Philippines may move up in the competitiveness rankings next year as the government has been expediting the needed infrastructure projects, Elmer Hernandez, Trade undersecretary for Industry and Investment, said.

"The Philippines is on its way to competitiveness recovery," he said, noting that the IMD's data were based from 2008 and the previous years.

"The study was made in 2008, so many of the data were not available at that time," he added.

For her part, Lilia de Lima, Philippine Economic Zone Authority chief, noted that the study was done with only one city out of 135 cities in the Philippines as a respondent.

"Have they interviewed the locators in the PEZA? Maybe they had not interviewed the right locators? " she asked.

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Government officials in denial, of course.

Pretty bad considering the RP has more English speakers than any country in SE Asia.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The government is riddled with backdoor deals and favoritism...pays lip service to the impoverished but serves the rich and powerful.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I thought Cambodia was the poorest country in the IndoChina region.

[SMOKE 1,426]

The government is riddled with backdoor deals and favoritism...pays lip service to the impoverished but serves the rich and powerful.

sadly very true.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The government is riddled with backdoor deals and favoritism...pays lip service to the impoverished but serves the rich and powerful.

sadly very true.

So the right and left in America can come together... on the Philippines issue??

We're fvcked.

[Niels Bohr 72]

The government is riddled with backdoor deals and favoritism...pays lip service to the impoverished but serves the rich and powerful.

sadly very true.

So the right and left in America can come together... on the Philippines issue??

We're fvcked.

I prefer a woman.

[SMOKE 1,426]

I prefer a woman.

have you been hanging around with eric again?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I prefer a woman.

have you been hanging around with eric again?

If he did, he'd be into #######. Thankfully, he still likes (or claims to like) women.

[SMOKE 1,426]

I prefer a woman.

have you been hanging around with eric again?

If he did, he'd be into #######. Thankfully, he still likes (or claims to like) women.

i know. it just sounded 'stealty'

[Niels Bohr 72]

Hmm...That didn't came out right.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I don't know why, but it reminds me of an Army saying, "Don't let your rank get confused with your authority."

[alienlovechild 75]

In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines was the laggard, with Singapore ranking 3rd; Malaysia, 19th; Thailand, 26th; and Indonesia, 42nd.

Those aren't the only countries in SE Asia. Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma. . . they all beat the Philippines?