Independence Day 2007 may be weeks old but the burning fire of Filipino pride is continuously ablaze in our hearts. I’m sure our country will still be tops in the hearts (and mouths, tongues and bellies) of Pinoy Bloggers in Taste Asia.
The Macalua started this as a response to Anton’s post. Though many of the other Feels Great to Be Pinoy entries focused on the bigger, grandiose things, I will digress and look at the small things and are closer to home (meaning me).

Why would these little things make me feel proud and give me hope for a better Philippines in the future? Would they solve the unemployment, lack of classrooms, corruption (just feel free any negative thing here, I will not waste good space for them)?

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point, he tells stories about how small changes and unseemingly related events or actions create the necessary force until they become the tipping point - gaining unstoppable momentum. My list is a samplings of such events which may lead to the tipping point of progress in the Philippines.

1. Learning is in our hands. My nephew Kirby is what you may call my apprentice . He is studying photo editing, website design - and blogging - on his own - through the computer and the internet - that’s e-Learning. Non-traditional, by-himself, non-time-bound. He is also taking up tutorial classes (computer related). By his own admission increased his knowhow by 30% after two weeks! If he is a sampling of at least 20% of our youth, I am hopeful and positive for the future. Now if I can only convince my mother to blog like her.
2. More people thinking Entrepreneurship. My brother is a budding entrepreneur. When the company he used to work for closed, he opened a shop. Ordinarily, people would be looking for work, a stable source of income. My bro took a risk and put up a food business in the province. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well. Though it cost him a fairly good amount, the lessons he learned are now ingrained in his psyche. With the sting still fresh, I’m sure his next endeavor will be better. He is now studying his next move as we speak.
3. We have a more positive outlook. This meme for starters. My dream of creating a free online school. Dreaming of building our very own satellite. You thinking: “I think this article has a point.” =)

I’ve always believed that the three main factors our country needs to become first world are Education, Entrepreneurship and a Positive Attitude. More learning, knowledge and skills - and not just in schools or the academe; more businessmen, products, services, work, startups, (And profits of course, distributed to more people); and more hope, dreams and visions.

Though I’ve cited just a few specific examples, I know that there are more people who:

• are take their education in their own hands, continuously learning (with or without school) through people, book and the internet.
• are having an entrepreneurs mindset, starting their own businesses, small, micro, medium or large-scale. The proliferation of franchise exhibitions, entrepreneur groups and meet-ups, brisk sales about starting a business, both local or otherwise are proof of the interest in “being your own boss”. We have been infected by the my own business” bug. We will soon see a pandemic.
• think positive. They act positively. They are aware of what’s happening, they know the situation. Yet they know that no matter what happens around them they have the power to make things better. (Are you one of us?)

Small positive bits, summed up together will create a great momentum with an unstoppable force.

Let me hear and read more good news, today and every day!