Some good news, at last

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Probably the most heartening development in the past few months when our country had been beset by such calamities as floods, landslides, earthquakes, accidents and fires, is the report that the Philippines had gone up several notches in the list of the world’s most competitive countries.

As announced by the World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness report for 2012-2013, the Philippines is now Number 65, out of 144 countries ranked this year. This shows a jump from its number 75 position last year, that had already been higher than those of previous years.

No wonder our economic and finance officials are exulting. Number 65 may not seem too high, compared to those of other countries, but the report also shows that we are among the few countries that have managed to move up in the listing.

Now they are hopefully projecting that we could attain a much higher place in the next four years, to rank among the first third among those being rated.

And it is interesting to also note that among the areas where we showed improvement were in trust in politicians, corruption perception and red tape that, it said, are being addressed decisively, even if they still persist.

Unfortunately, the area in which our country did not show improvement was in health and primary education. This, we hope, may be addressed, too, especially with the recent announcement of our Education secretary about the plans and budget for schools, especially.

Let us prepare to hear from the usual doomsayers who will probably belittle the significance of this accomplishment. But let us not be distracted from being upbeat, because such indicators mean that we are getting somewhere, after being in the doldrums for so many years.*