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Sometimes we tend to complicate life. We work so hard looking for things we do not have and ignore those that we actually have. I understand why some people look for happiness by acquiring wealth and material possessions. As a young boy living in poverty in Tondo, I realized early on the joy in earning money to be able to provide for your family. Years later, as an entrepreneur, I gained an appreciation of the pride of having to create wealth through hard work and perseverance.

The 7.4-percent expansion of the Philippine economy in the second quarter of the year came as no surprise to me. Robust corporate earnings in the April-to-June period, a booming travel sector and energetic consumers visiting and dining in the malls are telltale signs that the economy is powering through the headwinds.

When his parents gave him the name Fidel, they probably saw something in him that told them he was going to be great someday. Fidel is a name that was derived from the Latin “fidelis” which means “faithful”. And that embodied what Fidel Valdez Ramos turned out to be: dutiful, steadfast, and, dependable.