THE CONTEMPORARY

WORLD
 Why do we have to study the
Contemporary World?
The first reason is to open the horizons and be able to explore the world thereby curing
parochialism or an outlook that is limited to one’s immediate community. The second reason is
by studying the world you can learn more about yourself. When you familiarize with other
countries it allows you to compare the society you are in with others. Experiences of
communities outside our country may provide solutions to many current problems we are all
facing. Lastly, you need to study the contemporary world because sooner or later you will be
interacting with it. Do you know that thousands of Filipinos go abroad each year to work as
OFWs? However, those who choose to work in the Philippines must be knowledgeable about
globalization basically because many of you will be working for foreign companies operating in
our country due to the mushrooming of call centers and the business process outsourcing
(BPO). Many Filipinos are really aware of the interdependence due to internet which gives
cheaper travel costs and the large trade of goods and services.
Now let us define globalization. There are many definitions of the term globalization.
However, we have to agree on a specific working definition of this term. How would define
globalization?
Globalization is the growth of international trade, investment,
technology and information all over the world. It is the merge of
all Asian countries with each other. Technology is a big factor of
globalization. The advanced and modern technology can help
each nation to access borders and top increase the economic
growth of each country. Globalization expands more in terms of
the social, cultural, legal, and political. Each country has its own
cultural globalization and they represent and exchange it to
other countries about the new ideas and values of their country.
They also share the development of their country and help some
country if needed.

https://lookupgrade.com/en/blog/english-the-impact-of-
globalization-in-the-philippines/
Globalization is the spread of products, investment and technology across
national borders and cultures. In economic terms, it describes the loosening
of barriers to the international trade.
(www/Investopedia.com/terms/g/globalization.asp).

According to Cambridge English Dictionary Globalization is the increase of

trade around the world especially by large companies producing and trading.

Wikipedia defines globalization as the process of interaction and integration

among people, companies and governments worldwide. It is a complex and
multifaceted phenomenon, is considered by some as a form of capitalist
expansion which entails the integration of social and national economies into
a global, unregulated market economy.
Most accounts view globalization as primarily an economic
process. But actually it is not only economic but a lot of aspects
such as political, social, technological as well. It usually refers to
the integration of the national markets to a wider global market
signified by the increased free trade.

Ohmae in 1992 stated that “globalization means the onset of the

borderless world”.
Ritzer (2015) defined “globalization as a trans planetary process
or a set of process involving increasing liquidity and the growing
multidirectional flows of people, objects, places and information
as well as the structures they encounter and create that are
barriers to, or expedite those flows.
Manfred Steger described globalization the as “the expansion and
intensification of social relations and consciousness across world time and
across world space”. He means that expansion refers to both creation of
new social networks and the multiplication of existing connection that cut
across traditional political, economic, cultural and geographical boundaries.
Steger emphasizes that these various connections occur a different levels. A
good example there is the social media which establishes new global
connections between people. Intensification on the other hand means the
expansion, stretching and acceleration of these networks. This means that
there is multiplication of global connections and they become more closely-
knit and expanding their reach. A very good example for this is the strong
financial market connection of London and New York. Through electronic
trading the volume of trade increases tremendously since traders can now
trade more at higher speed. This connection becomes accelerated and as
the world becomes more financially integrated, the intensified trading
network of London and New York may expand and stretch to cover more
cities. This implies that more and more countries will be involved because of
what we call free trade.
To sum it all globalization is actually a concept that is hard to define
because in reality it has a rapid nature. Its complexity and
multifaceted nature can be influenced by the people who define it.

We can see clearly that globalization is a real. It is rapidly changing

as human society develops. It has happened in the past and
happening today, for sure it will happen in the future.

We have given many definitions of globalization and these gained

various views from many authors and scholars. These diverse
definitions can affect how one can appreciate globalization as a
process.
Globalisation

Globalisation
could involve
all these
things!

http://www.bized.co.uk
 The advantages of Globalization:
Globalization can have more opportunities to increase in employment. This
advantage of globalization can help the Philippines to increase the
employment of Filipino people because of the opportunities that many foreign
countries put up a business here and many job vacancies for Filipino are
available. There are a lot of multinational companies who really open up
business in the Philippines and hire many Filipino people to work at their
companies. Also, globalization has an advantage in opening jobs in abroad.
There is a lot of overseas Filipino worker who is work abroad and can be
successful in working in another country.  Because of the World Trade
Organization of the nation, each person can work in a different country and
have the opportunity to live there and be a citizen in the country they live in. In
the Philippines, foreign companies are build up here and many Filipino is now
working in foreign companies. This means that globalization really affects
positively to the Philippines and to the economy of the Philippines.
 The advantages of Globalization:
Globalization can also help the Philippines education to improve more.
In the Philippines when it terms of education we improve more and we
offer higher education and skilled people. The education in the
Philippines is now recognized outside the country. And many
foreigners are going here to study because the quality of education is
higher while the cost is lower and can accommodate all foreigner who
wants to studies in the Philippines. One reason also is the lower cost
of living while studying here. The Filipino people are smart and can
communicate well to other foreigners. Speaking English in the
Philippines is a natural language of Filipino because it is one of the
subjects of all schools. At present, the Philippines has a large
outsourcing foreign companies, especially in Metro Manila.
 The advantages of Globalization:
Globalization improves the flow of information technology. When
in terms of information technology of the Philippines it flows very
well and help the Filipino to have knowledge and updates about
the latest technology that all countries use. The impact of
globalization in the Philippines technology brings more positive
effect because it helps to increase the economy of the
Philippines. Because of the information technology with the latest
and modern use, it improves the flow of all company products and
also it minimizes the work of every Filipino.
The advantages of Globalization:
Globalization improves the quality of goods and services. Being
connected to other country means good to our country. It helps
to do good quality and give the best services to them so that we
bring dignity to the Filipino people. Improving our services and
give more quality goods and products to other countries can
boost the Philippines and its nation. The Philippines can offer a
good quality product outside the country and Filipino people can
serve their best to others. Through globalization, the service of
goods and product is easily served and done to deliver it to each
respective destination.
The Effect of Globalization in the Philippines
Globalization can help Filipino people The impact of globalization in the
to know the international status and Philippines changes a lot in terms of
rights of each country nationwide. the culture, values, and economy. It
The Philippines are also been friendly also helps the improvement of
to the foreign country and they now infrastructure in the Philippines. It
stay connected in terms of exchange gives more opportunities to all
of product and some investment. Filipino to work abroad and help
Globalization has also a big part in each country to stay connected.
the improvement of local and social Globalization has also helped to let
culture in the Philippines. It also know the people about global
connects relationship in other warming, climate change, and the
countries through investments and natural resources of the Philippines.
some business opportunities.
• The effect of globalization can help a flexible communication
and greater understanding in terms of improvement and
development of each country condition. It also helps the local
and international market to create flexible labor across the
miles. Globalization affects the international market and
enhances economic growth.

(https://lookupgrade.com/en/blog/english-the-impact-of-
globalization-in-the-philippines/)
Other advantages:
BPO is a major revenue earner
Without OFW remittances the country would be significantly poorer
Knowledge transfer including both technical and soft skills. This occurs both
through inward investment and OFW when they return home
Opportunities for major Filipino companies to grow internationally
FDI which brings jobs, infrastructure, goods and services
Competition means that companies have to provide good products /
services at reasonable prices
Opportunities
Greater competition in areas such as telecoms where a duopoly is harming
the country
Improved banking including lower interest rates on debt and / or higher
interest rates on savings
Increased corporate social responsibility
 The disadvantages of Globalization:
Global economic instability. A financial crisis in one country easily affects the economies
of countries close to it. Look into the Asian financial crisis of 1997 for a dramatic
illustration of this. Also global recessions are more common under globalization for the
same reasons.
In some area, if there is the advantage of globalization there is also a disadvantage of it.
Some of it is the distraction of the Philippines environment and the effect on human
nature. Globalization is not also good terms of exporting rice product in the agriculture
sector. Because we all know that Filipino farmers can produce much rice if the
government will help them in providing a modern technology that can create or produce
as many rice grain in every quarter of the year. The Philippines has a lot of natural
resources and if the government teach all Filipino how to value and preserve our natural
resources we don’t need to export some product to other countries. Filipino are talented
and hardworking if one of each Filipino support the government of the Philippines we can
be the number one of the richest country in Asia. But the effect of globalization
sometimes helps Filipino people to be lazy and not productive because of the modern
technology it has to give.
 The disadvantages of Globalization:
Also when in terms of Filipino who work Because of the globalization, the effect
abroad there are many Filipino workers of these to all Filipino people sometimes
who have faced many problems and they is not good especially in the health of
are stranded to a foreign country and far Filipino like the rapid spread of AIDS that
away from the support of the Philippine mostly comes from the outside the
government. country. Filipino who have a sexual
Some effects of globalization to the intercourse to a foreigner sometimes gets
Philippines is the lack of Filipino traditions this kind of disease it can spread fast to
and values that most younger Filipino other people without their knowledge.
don’t appreciate and they don’t even Social media has also a big side effect in
practice it to their daily life. They become the Philippines when it comes to
more familiar with Western mentality cybercrimes and the increase of sex
than being a pure Filipino. videos.
 The disadvantages of Globalization:
The standard of living of a Global political instability. See
Filipino has a negative effect World War 1: the nightmarish
because of the globalization. Like culmination of the world’s first
some moral values that most attempt at globalization.
Filipino has was forgotten. Some Increased Co2 emissions. More
young Filipino is now liberated like production means more emissions
other countries in the way of their which means more climate change.
living. A lot of them especially Climate change is a global
those couples are living in with externality which unfairly affects
marriage. the countries that have the most to
gain from development.
 The disadvantages of Globalization:
Increased inequality within developed countries. Social disruption for the working classes in
Employers and investors find better returns in emerging developed countries. Factories move away and the
markets where labor is cheaper and growth rates are new jobs pay less and are easily replaced by
higher. This tends to hurt domestic economies in rich immigrant labor. This leads to social dislocation of the
countries and leads to greater disparities between the working class who may lash out politically by electing
social classes. unqualified demagogues.
Global currency devaluations. Countries all try to Increased immigration to developed countries
become net exporters which leads to currency
creates social tension. Immigrant labor competes with
devaluations, either intentionally (e.g. quantitative easing)
or through paying lower wages in order to sell goods and a downwardly mobile working class creating tension
services cheaper abroad. This creates asset bubbles as and resentment toward immigrants. Immigrants that
the money supply is out of wack with the real value of are culturally, religiously, or ethnically distinct from the
goods and services (See Great Recession 2007- 2009). majority of the domestic population engender in the
majority a sense that their dominant culture is under
Difficulty imposing regulations. The wealthy can transfer threat. (David Mitnick. Policy Analyst, book lover,
their savings to a tax haven; a big polluter can jump January 2018)
borders if hit with burdensome environmental regulations,
etc. Governments compete to woo corporations who are For more information of this topic please visit this site:
in turn disincentivized to act responsibly. https://sites.google.com/site/lindsiewasadoptedbyphilip
pines/home/globalization-of-the-philippines
 References:
1.Claudio Lisandro E. and Abinales Patricio
N., The Contemporary World. (2018) C and E
Publishing, Inc. Quezon City

• 2.Aldama, Prince Kennex Reguyal, The

Contemporary World, First Edition, Rex Book
Store Inc., Sampaloc Manila (2018)