“If you stay here in the Philippines, you’ll never be rich.”
Those words came from my cousin who is a seaman.
When I was a kid, I was determined to become a seaman. Well-meaning as they truly are, my elder folks back home somehow led me to believe that it’s the only way you can become rich at the cheapest amount of investment in school. And from my observations of my own family and close relatives, it’s not difficult to tell who from among them has fattest wallets. I was convinced. I have to be a seaman.
I have two close friends — a couple — who are overseas workers. Every time we meet when they are back home in the Philippines, the husband would always say there is “no hope” for anyone to become rich here in the Philippines.
“Look at the salaries of your employees,” I remember him say. After a long pause and some kind of mental calculation, he continued, “I could earn at least 10 times as much if I do the same thing abroad.” That is, his one month salary abroad is equivalent to a year’s hard work here the Philippines. What a magic geography can do!
Do you agree? Isn’t it ironic why every Filipino’s dream is to flee from the Philippines?
I beg to disagree. That’s why I decided not to become a seaman. I could go on arguing why such kind of thinking is fundamentally flawed, but I’d rather not elaborate it here.
Suffice it to say that it is highly possible to become rich in this country. It can be done. A lot of people are doing it already. You, too can make it here!
Let me show you some of the ways.
1. Be Born Rich
Some guys are lucky to be born to a rich family. There is nothing wrong about this. If this is you, you owe it to yourself and your parents to keep the family wealth, preserve it, and let it grow for the future generations.
2. Marry Rich
Everybody loves shortcut. When it comes to wealth transfer, the marriage certificate is the ultimate shortcut ever devised by mankind.
“If thy marry for money, thy surely will earn it.” –A wise, anonymous lady.
3. Enter Showbiz
A lot of Filipinos could sense it already. That’s why when an audition for a talent search is conducted at some place in the country, people would flock to go there, endure the hardships just to get their ration of riches and fame… even just temporarily.
“The celebrity syndrome. When people forget who they are and start to believe what other people say about them.” –Paulo Coelho, The Winner Stands Alone
4. Become A Boxer
A Wanna Be A Billionaire So Freaking Bad
Just make sure you know how to get the attention of Bob Arum and insist on fighting in the land of the free, home of the brave. That’s where big bucks are coming from.
But here’s the trick: you have do the boxing there (therefore, earn there) and live here in the Philippines. That’s like becoming an OFW, but you only have to really work hard for 1 month out of 12. And your earning potential? That’s directly proportional to how many elite boxers you can knock on the floor in the early rounds.
Let’s get ready to rumble?
5. Play Lotto
The game of chance is as old as mankind. In the Philippines, there are two kinds of gambling: legal and illegal — talk about double standards. If you should try to make it, you have to know the difference. Lotto tops the list of my recommendations.
6. Fool The People
If it already runs in the family or you’ve got the right connections, this route is either easy or bloody. And those who have taken the journey could tell you how good it is to be in power.
Tell the people that your main vocation in life is to become their servant. Plus, you love the poor, too. But never, ever tell them the ultimate truth: you don’t want to become one of them, or live where they live, or eat what they eat.
You only have two potential enemies here: your own conscience and the other guy who is always planning to kick you from your sit.
7. Own A Business
Seriously, this is the best chance left for most of us Filipinos to make it financially. You can’t be re-born to a rich family; at least not in this lifetime. Marrying a rich guy/gal is really like playing the lottery. Most of us don’t have a remarkable talent we could proudly take outside videoke bar. And we would rather just watch boxing over cable TV than actually be in the ring.
Business… Let’s give it some thought.