#AmbisyonNatin: What is your personal vision for a better PH?

MANILA, Philippines –The success of one Filipino is the success of the Filipino.

The relationship between a country and its citizens is a symbiotic one. In the same way that each individual contributes to his nation’s growth, a conducive economic landscape can encourage every individual to strive harder and achieve more. 

This is a new form of bayanihan: for all Filipinos to be united towards the goal of uplifting the Philippines.

With the 2016 national elections happening in less than a month, there is no better time to remember the value of citizens working together for the greater good. Policies for education, employment, economy, health, and housing can all come from our future leaders’ promises. But this doesn’t mean that ordinary people don’t have the power to change things. An individual’s initiative to become a good citizen can inspire others to do the same.

With the intention of crafting a long-term vision for the Philippines, which is anchored on a vision genuinely owned by its citizens, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) undertook a series of public consultations nationwide through focus group discussions (FGDs) and a national survey. The youth, those belonging to marginalized sectors of society (including fisherfolk, formal workers, farmers, urban poor, disaster survivors, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, families of overseas workers, families displaced due to local conflict), and government workers all took part in this study.

On the basis of the FGD findings, a survey questionnaire was devised. The national survey was commissioned with a sample size of 10,000 (Filipino males and females aged between 15 and 50 years old) from ABCDE income homes in urban and rural areas of the country to ensure that the results are nationally representative. 

Among the key findings were:

• More Filipinos aspire for a simple and comfortable life (79%) than a rich (4%) or affluent (17%) one.
• Majority of respondents want to own a house, a vehicle, and enough money for day-to-day needs, as well as for unexpected expenses.
• Filipinos’ aspirations are family-centered. Even children aspire for a life that includes their parents. 
• Filipinos want to be educated and productive members of society. 
• College education is still high on the Filipino’s priority list with most aspiring for a college education and aiming to provide the same for their children. 
• Filipinos want decent jobs with good income, benefits and incentives (particularly insurance and retirement benefits), and strive to be stable or secure.
• A business is seen as a key to progress, with most Filipinos aiming to open their own business.
• In terms of vision for the country, for majority of Filipinos, the most important economic goal is the eradication of poverty and hunger.
• 88% believe the country will benefit from people staying in the Philippines instead of leaving to work in other countries. 

Do your personal ambitions match the findings above? What is your roadmap for success in the next 20 years? How would you link it with your vision for the Philippines?

Last Wednesday, April 20, people shared their personal dreams and how they intend to translate them into goals for a better nation. Using the hashtag #AmbisyonNatin, we talked about how we can activate bayanihan in the modern age for a better Philippines. 

View the highlights of the Twitter conversation below. – Rappler.com