The Myth of the Brain Drain

The Asian Development Bank, in a recent study, warned that the sustained export of skilled Filipino labor could eventually end up discouraging foreign investments if the local talent pool continued to decline. "Brain drain has an impact on foreign direct investment as capital will flow only into economies with perceived adequate supplies of skilled labor in key sectors," it said, adding further that "One of the greatest concerns about brain drain is that the continued migration of skilled workers reduces overall productivity."

For all their talk about free trade and globalization, they seem miss the point.

Just two things to think about:

1. It's not a zero sum game. Conrado de Quiros gets it in part when he says that we can now use information technology to bring the world to us. And in fact, the seeds of doing this are already being sown. GILAS and Last Mile Initiative-Philippines, are two of numerous efforts to provide all Filipinos with access to information and communications technologies.

The key, however, is not just access. The key is actually using the technology for productive purposes. So when our more than 10 million bagong bayanis send their more than $10 billion back here every year, do we use them just to buy stuff or to make stuff? Do we use them to play games or to program games?

There's nothing wrong when government proudly recognizes the role of OFWs, but government should remember that it's not there to clap. Government has to do more with the gift that OFWs give each year - and in simple terms, that's to equip and encourage those who stay to make productive use of this gift (through education and by making it easy to set up businesses)... and then get the hell out of the way.

2. And second, if other countries are taking away our brains, then why can't we take theirs? Sure, first world citizens may think twice about coming here, but it seems to me that a bright and educated Vietnamese or Indonesian or Indian or Chinese might just as easily give us ideas or capital or jobs...

We shouldn't be afraid of the competition they will bring to local folk... just as we're asking Americans not to be afraid of the nurses and teachers and virtual labor we send over there.

Come to think about it, maybe it's time we open the door to foreign coaches for our basketball (gasp!) and soccer programs. Vietnam and Thailand already are, and look how far their football programs are compared to us. Or look no further than Manny Pacquaio - he's got an American trainer - do you think he'd be the global phenomenon that he is now without him?

It's time for Juan de la Cruz to realize that it's a new world. In a globalized economy, there is no drain, there's just one big bathtub.

P.S. The painting is entitled "Technological Society" by Filipino artist Norman Dreo. A hopeful and positive representation of the ubiquituous role of information and technology in the Philippines today, Dreo won the Asean Art Awards (Juror's Choice) for this work a few years ago.