Business Week: Is The Philippines Turning Around? :-)

As an entrepeneur working in the Philippines, I'd like to clarify that I work and live here by choice. I love it here. I'd encourage you all to visit us sometime. It's certainly a country of contrasts - on the one hand, there's poverty mixing with peculiarly posh circumstance, on the other - we have pristine beaches offering as much excitement as our busy cities. But we have a peculiar contrast I'm particularly proud of - we face adversity with hope and humor. Not bold perhaps, like say the conqueror tradition of the western and north eastern cultures, (though I'd like to think I take exception to that) but certainly bold in its own way - one that's certainly made our people a peculiarly happy lot despite the lack of the beholden trappings of modern luxury and privilege.

And just to make a note of it for you peculiar travelers, I think that influences (or alternatively -is reflected in) the exceptional quality of Filipino Hospitality. And no, for the most part - we're not hospitable because of the cynical reasons Westerners might pressume to reason.

So it pleases me a great deal to find this interesting article from Business Week. Not exactly a golden endorsement, but it's lovely anyway.

(so busy, i'll try to get a groove of posting everyday back)