OVER the years there were several opportunities that came my way to move out of the country. They were enticing offers that would have allowed me to earn big and have careers that potentially could have really been exciting and fulfilling.

But guess what? I chose to stay in the country.

Why? Because I am a Filipino, and I love our country. Call me a closet nationalist or whatever, but I believe we should do our own small bit in whatever form for our country.

Despite the pollution, traffic, garbage, crimes, floods and everything else in between, a person just has to look at the smiles of the people around to believe that there is a lot of hope that remains for our country.

In my previous columns I have told stories of foreigners who are here in the country, how they became part of the country, eventually falling in love with the Philippines, and choosing to stay here long term.

These people, just like a lot of our countrymen, have seen through the chaos and discovered the beauty of the Philippines. In fact, these expatriates are now the ones pushing and making a case for the country abroad.

They see the country as an ideal investment destination. They see Filipinos as some of the most talented and skilled individuals in the world. They are now seeing progress in the country. They see good governance starting to take over.

But the reality still remains. And, yes, you do not even have to read it in the newspapers or watch it on the evening news. You just have to be observant. Corruption still exists in many forms. It is like the big white elephant in the room.

This is why both the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) and the Makati Business Club should be lauded for having the Integrity Initiative project.

It has been three years since they started the project, which seeks to assist the government in combating corruption, provide a level playing field for investors, and minimize unemployment in the country.

It is, as stated in their web site, “a multisectoral campaign towards the re-establishment of acceptable integrity standards among various sectors of society—business, government, judiciary, academe, youth, civil society, church and media.”

Companies from across all industries, big and small, along with key government branches and agencies have signed into the Integrity Initiative. Again, let me reiterate, there is really a lot of hope for our country.

But do not take it from me. Below is the speech of ECCP President and Co-chairman of the Integrity Initiative Michael Raeuber during the announcement of the third Integrity Summit, dubbed “Building A Nation With Integrity.”

“The Integrity Initiative project we started in 2010 was just one among the 39 projects around the world supported by Siemens through its $100-million Integrity Initiative fund. The Philippine Integrity Initiative project is taking the lead in establishing integrity standards for business and government to support the creation of fair market conditions and to sustain the good standing of the Philippines as a preferred business destination.”

“This integrity drive is important if the Philippines can engage the international market more significantly and continue to enjoy the attention of international investors. It is clear that if the Philippines is seen as a country administered by a government with integrity and supported by businesses that are ethical, investors—both local and international—will find the country a safer place to do business in, a business destination where less harm can be done to their business.”

“While the global corruption baro-meter index released by Transparency International this July showed the Philippines as one of the few countries surveyed where corruption has declined, the survey also revealed that only 37 percent of the respondents saw corruption declined and that there are still many people, 31 percent of the respondents, who are witnessing rising corruption. With this result, obviously, our work is far from done.”

“Although much has been achieved in the three years of implementing the Integrity Initiative in the Philippines in order to drive the country toward a culture of integrity, much still needs to be done to show more dramatic results. The integrity drive requires an unrelenting effort to create a culture change in the country, and for this reason our call in 2013 is to establish an ‘integrity nation now’!”

“By getting more stakeholders together, both local and foreign, to support this call, we hope that we can tilt the scale in favor of ethical businesses.”

“Our continuing vision remains—and that is to see more companies, more government agencies, more private and public leaders, and more people sign the integrity pledge as a commitment to follow, promote and live a culture of integrity.”

If you have the time, I sincerely hope you can drop by the third Integrity Summit on September 19, 8 a.m., at the Makati Shangri-La. After all, the word integrity starts with the letter “I”.

• If you have suggestions, comments, or reactions, I can be reached at raalzona@yahoo.com.

Source: Business Mirror(www.businessmirror.com.ph); News; 15 September 2013