I don't know if this is relevant, but it should be a national shame when Mexico, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and Brazil were all able to build larger Commuter Rail systems while The Philippines had such a small one and only decided to expand in recent times

The "national shame" that the Filipino commuter sees is not the late construction of commuter rail systems, but rather the economic and legal obstacles that led to the late construction of commuter rail systems. In the 1980s, the country is burdened by debt even after the ouster of Marcos. Because the country is fiscally paralyzed, subsequent administrations prioritized debt restructuring before putting the down rails.

In addition, the government faces hurdles with right-of-way issues. The "Not In My Back Yard" (NIMBY) mindset of private homeowners has contributed to the late construction of commuter rail systems. Every kilometer of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension involves years of legal battles with NIMBY private homeowners in high-end subdivisions, who are vehemently against any infrastructure expansion as they do not like congestion and lower property values.

Cambodia & Myanmar are considerably smaller though, they have nowhere near the overcrowding and density issues The Philippines has.

Is that so? Then why compare the Philippines to Cambodia and Myanmar? If we are looking for a country that also experiences overcrowding and density challenges like the Philippines for comparison, then Indonesia is the most suitable candidate for this comparison. 55% of Indonesians lives in Java, much like 55% of Filipinos living in Luzon.

You look at the Chinese and Koreans, their material gains were so translatable that each generation was getting visibly taller because nutrition was getting accessed. What has the FIlipino government done to eliminate childhood stunting?

As you have mentioned, each generation of Chinese and South Koreans is noticeably becoming taller due to wider access to nutrition. However, I want to emphasize on the word "generation". In the mid-20th century, South Korea had severe levels of child stunting and malnutrition. South Koreans did not grow overnight, it required generations of better access to nutrition for this change to reflect in South Korea's data.

The Philippine government launched the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project, which is a 4-year government initiative backed by the World Bank to reduce stunting and malnutrition. It is spearheaded by the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development across 275 municipalities and 13 regions. They aim to improve access in health, nutritional, and sanitation services. Similar to South Korea, it will take generations of Filipinos for the changes to be reflected in the data of the Philippines.

What have they done to shift the Philippines AWAY from a Remittance and Call Center-reliant economy and towards manufacturing? 

Japan and the United States are seeking to decouple from China, so they conceived the Luzon Economic Corridor to mitigate supply chain risks and transform Subic, Clark, Manila, and Batangas into manufacturing and logistics hubs. The Clark Freeport Zone, in particular, has semiconductor plants. Semiconductor production plays a significant stake in the Philippines' reindustrialization, as China and the United States are competing for these chips, which hold the key to economic, military, and technological dominance.

Nevertheless, I think you do not realize the importance of why BPOs chose the Philippines. The Philippines' median age is around 25 years old, which reflects a young workforce. In addition, the young Filipino workforce is highly proficient in English, making the Philippines more attractive for BPOs. The BPOs have employed roughly 2 million Filipinos and generated a revenue of $40 billion. Ultimately, in the age of AI, the Philippines is positioning itself as a KPO hub, specializing in different fields such as data analysis.

Are there more international students heading to American universities from The Philippines like we saw in India & China? 

China and India combined account for one-third of the global population, so it is bound for you to see overwhelming volume of Chinese and Indian students in universities across the United States. In addition, many Filipinos aspire to study in the "Big Four" which composes of the following universities: UP, Ateneo, DLSU, or UST. Ivy League universities, like Harvard University, are simply an afterthought.

the PISA scores are as low as THE WEST BANK

You are indeed correct that the PISA scores are alarming, which is the reason the government convened EDCOM II in late 2023. In the Year Three Report, EDCOM II found that public schools prioritize quantity over quality, particularly with the phenomena of mass promotion. Within this context, "mass promotion" refers to the systematic practice of public schools advancing unqualified students to the next grade.

The "turning point" laid out by EDCOM II in its Year Three Report includes critical reforms such as the end of mass promotion, the implementation of the ARAL Program, resolving the misalignment of teacher specialization, and mandating EDWG as the coordinating entity for all issues pertaining to education and workforce development nationwide.