Why buy Pinoy? How buying locally-made products helps the country, Part 1

 ”Why buy Pinoy?” is both a simple and complex question, with both simple and complex answers.

It’s a simple question because it’s straightforward, direct to the point, and asks a meaningful question. However, depending on the context in which the question is asked, it becomes quite complex.

In some situations, asking the question “Why buy Pinoy?” implies a certain preconceived notion or prejudice about locally-made products. For example, growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, I was surrounded by so many people who preferred to buy imported (usually Made in USA) products, and would always assert that “Imported products are of better quality than local products. So, why buy local?”The early 1990 PX/Duty Free craze is testament to that mindset. My family would actually troop en masse to Subic and Clark to buy PX goods. American-made Ovaltine, Tang, Planters Cheez Balls, and 100% US cotton bedsheets were part of my childhood.

In the same way, answers to the question, “Why buy Pinoy?” can be both simple and complex. They can be simple because we can point to certain generalizations and patterns–the economic benefits of buying locally-made products, its effects on our economy, on the labor force, on preserving and creating jobs, generating more tax revenues, and creating a vibrant local economy. On the other hand, we can’t deny the effects that globalization has taken, which makes the whole situation of the local economy far more complex. Sure, by buying local products, we support local manufacturing businesses–but don’t importers and distributors of foreign-made goods generate jobs and income as well? Don’t they pay taxes, too?

On top of everything else, I’m not at all close to being qualified to talk about things like the economy, globalization, and things like that. I have to admit that it’s nowhere near my area of expertise. 

At the same time, though, as someone who advocates buying Philippine-made products, the question does need to be asked, and answered. Why do I feel so strongly about buying locally-made products, in the first place? Where does this strong opinion and sentiment come from, on my part?

So, this will be the first post in a series, sharing and explaining–not in technical terms, but in human, experiential terms, the basis for my opinions and sentiments about buying local products.

I’d also love to hear from you, what your opinions are on the matter.

Today, though, I’ll start with something very simple: the nascent beginnings of my desire to buy locally-made products: the Proudly Philippine Made campaign.

(image from http://www.konkaplastics.com/)

Even though US-made consumer products and going to PX stores were part of my childhood, it didn’t make as big an impact as the logo above did. For some reason, that TV ad campaign was so effective, so much so that the logo is still imprinted vividly in my mind. I don’t remember the particulars of the TV commercials themselves, but I remember the core message loud and clear:

Philippine-made products are of world-class quality, and we can be proud of it.

(Whoever was in charge of this advertising campaign should be proud–it damn sure worked.)

After seeing all of those commericals on the tube, it struck my childhood self–why buy imported products, when similar, local products are of world-class quality? Why buy into the (false) opinion that US-made products are of superior quality?

I remember telling this to my parents while we were at the grocery one day. I must have been nine years old. And my parents, who always encouraged me to form my own opinions, asked me why I came to this conclusion. I mentioned the advertising campaign, I’m sure, but I also mentioned other things, like how locally-made shampoos worked better than the big White Rain bottles we would get in Balikbayan boxes or from Duty Free (which gave me dandruff). Not exactly the most scientific data, I’m sure, but from then on, my parents encouraged me to buy Philippine-made goods when we went grocery shopping.

And that’s where it all began for me.