Watch Orion Perez Dumdum’s full episode on PGMN’s Youtube channel .
“The ‘Filipino First’ policy is quickly becoming ‘Philippines last’”—and we have no one to blame but ourselves because we locked the restrictions into our own Constitution, says political commentator Orion Perez Dumdum.
The constitutional reform advocate launched into a scathing critique of the Philippines’ economic policies in his latest episode on Peanut Gallery Media Network’s Youtube channel. He argued that the country’s self-imposed economic restrictions have crippled job creation, suppressed wages, and forced millions of Filipinos to seek work abroad.
According to Perez, the very policies meant to protect Filipino businesses have instead weakened the country’s ability to compete globally.
Perez painted a grim picture of the economy, emphasizing its reliance on overseas remittances. “We are a hopelessly impoverished, hopelessly pathetic country,” he said. “We rely on exporting our people abroad as OFWs… seafarers, nurses, engineers, IT professionals, architects, cooks, waiters, domestic helpers, bar girls, prostitutes, and even DRUG MULES.”
He argued that the country’s failure to create enough jobs has left its workforce with no choice but to leave in search of better opportunities.
According to Perez, massive unemployment is at the root of the country’s economic struggles. He dismissed official figures placing the unemployment rate at 3.2 percent, claiming the real number is closer to 40 percent. “If we were to be really honest about it, I think the real unemployment rate in the Philippines is around 40 percent. OR PROBABLY EVEN MORE!”
He pointed to rural areas where many families survive solely on OFW remittances, with jobless household members appearing active simply because they manage small sari-sari stores or engage in informal work. These cases, he argued, mask the true scale of joblessness in the country.
He blamed this economic stagnation on restrictive policies that discourage foreign investment. “It is this policy, nay, mindset that is the basis for numerous anti-Foreign Direct Investment Restrictions,” he said, criticizing the “Filipino First Policy” for driving potential investors away. He stressed that no other Southeast Asian nation has similar economic restrictions embedded in its Constitution. “We are the only country in the region that has all those anti-Foreign Investment Restrictions in the Constitution.” He argued that this effectively eliminates the Philippines from consideration when multinational companies look to expand in the region, depriving the country of much-needed capital and employment opportunities.
Perez contrasted the Philippines’ situation with that of other nations, particularly Singapore. “Job openings far outnumber the number of local citizens looking for jobs,” he said, pointing out how foreign investment has contributed to a thriving labor market and higher wages. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, job scarcity allows employers to suppress wages and impose excessive hiring criteria. “When there are way too many job-seekers and too few jobs available, we end up with extremely low wages,” he explained. Because so many people compete for limited positions, employers can afford to set unrealistic qualifications—college degrees, extensive work experience, age limits, and even a “pleasing personality”—for jobs that pay the minimum wage.
Beyond unemployment, Perez warned that economic stagnation has created deeper social problems. “Massive unemployment… causes so many other problems and symptoms,” he said, linking joblessness to corruption, crime, and the continued rise of political dynasties. He argued that a desperate job market fuels vote-buying and patronage politics, as many Filipinos rely on government handouts and political connections to survive. Without stable employment, people become more vulnerable to exploitation by corrupt politicians, illegal recruiters, and even human traffickers.
For Perez, the solution is clear: constitutional reform to remove foreign investment restrictions. “If you don’t want the Philippines to remain a pathetic and hopeless country, let us all please correct the Constitution and get rid of all anti-Foreign Investment Restrictions in it,” he urged. He insisted that opening the economy to global businesses would create millions of new jobs and offer Filipinos real economic opportunities at home instead of forcing them to leave.