My two centavos side B

AS I wrote in the last column, a country's power and global positioning are basically determined by two major elements: economy and culture. To achieve significant stature in the growth and development of a country, economics, both micro and macro, global, regional and local, need to be on the upside. But for a nation, culture and economics must exist side by side to achieve its goals. No nation rose up the global ladder through good economics alone. Its culture is a necessary determinant, one cannot exist without the other.

A sound economic program makes a country competitive in the world market, if not the regional market alone. A solid cultural program makes the people proud of their heritage, making them more confident in dealing with other cultures, making them stronger spiritually and psychologically. These, then, must be part of our initiatives.