GANIBAN, GIL RAPHAEL L.

FILIPINO IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD

1. How is development connected with the entrenchment of local and global

hierarchies?
Throughout history, the definition of development changes along with the
evolution of people. For instance, in the colonial era, development was defined as a
power for global change through colonization. Colonizers exploit resources, avert
superiority, and spread their culture through the country they are trying to colonize.
However, in the development project era things were different. Countries were helped
by others for them to stand-up on their own and be self-surviving states through the
strength of their markets.
Local and global hierarchies are relevant to development. In every
development of someone or something, they move up while those who do not develop
just stay behind them. In the stages of development identified by James Fowler, the
hierarchal stage is one that contains stages too. Each stage is more complex than the
one before it which then pulls together the qualities of those stages. It’s like a
competition where we must overcome a certain stage to move to the higher level. If
the factors or variables of the competency in each stage is gone or lost, then the
developmental sequence will collapse. We need a prior stage or basis to support the
one after it. Let’s use the advancement of smartphones for example. If you think about
it, we never just jumped straight into iPhones or straight into a touch screen phone
without going through gigantic cell phones with a battery so heavy it’s impossible to
carry all day with you or not even cell phones, but telephones or payphones. This
analogy makes it easier to understand the natural presence of hierarchy in
development. The notion of development and transformation is clearly hierarchal
which others find difficult to comprehend or just could not accept it.
Viewing hierarchies in the local and global perspective, it does seem unequal
or unjust, but the best way to see things is to understand that these things are present
as moving on to the next stage or an upgrade with purposes. The definition of
development is the process of creating growth and progress. Both of which signifies
moving upwards thus being proof why hierarchies are inevitable.

2. As a Filipino in the contemporary world, what do you think is the most viable
way to minimize, if not eradicate, such structures that seem to pose large
problems surrounding development.