Philippines: The way I see it

 There is a common maxim in criminal justice for crime fighting and finding the truth...follow the money.  As this relates to the circumstances in the Philippines to follow the money.  The Philippines is a cash economy and not an investment economy. That is a cause and effect of corruption and hinders economy growth in the country.  Most of this corruption starts from  the very top of the government to the ordinary street vendors.  This is not a criticism of the people, it's the culture.  The Filipinos people I’ve come to love.  When I say follow the money.  Here are some examples.  Nothing is done without money exchanging hands.  For instance, the pharmally scandal and the investigation by the senate surrounding the billions of pesos supplying PPE, masks and shields to the government for the pandemic, etc.  The China connection.  In My opinion, quarantine hotels and test every traveler who enters the country.  The underworld of acquiring visas. The corruption in the Bureau of Custom and Immigration. The payoff of low level government employees.  All of these examples have hand-to-hand cash transactions.  There are no short or long term incentives to stop it, because it is built into the culture.  If the Filipino’s people elect competent leaders and society develops a fair equitable tax system...very few pay taxes. Perhaps I am a skeptic of real change.