Fish Bowl Theory Applicable to the Philippine Economy

( ~ C-Perspective on Life )

This day my "Sociology with Family Planning" professor who is Mr. Luisito de la Cruz impart another knowledge and issue to be concerned of with regards to the economic status of the Philippines.

He quoted a term used by a Sociologist that commented about the Philippine Economy back in the Corazon Aquino Government Regime and is still the status of the economy of the Country... "The Fish Bowl Theory"

The illustration of the Fish Bowl Theory is basically a Fish Bowl with few big fishes swimming near the top of the water; a group of average size fishes (numbers greater than the top fishes)swims in the middle; and finally at the bottom of the bowl are numerous small fries (greater than both of the top and middle fishes).

Basically the Big fishes represents the big companies or those who belongs to the rich/elite state of living; the middle fishes represents those who are in the middle/working class; and finally the small fries are the (majority)Filipino mass those who're near/below the poverty line.

Ever wonder what is the big fuss on President's Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo State of the Nation Address every year about the economy of the Philippines growing and everytime she and her speakers are proud of ? It has something to do with the GDP. By definition GDP...

stand for Gross Domestic Product with some definitions as:

- The sum of the economic value added by all resident producers of a country, plus any product taxes not included in output. GDP per capita is total GDP divided by the midyear population of a country.

- The value of all goods and services produced within a nation in a given year.

The PP(Philippine President) always use this GDP as a basis for the improvement of the economy of the Philippines and in accordance, the lives of the Filipinos. Going back to the Fish Bowl theory, The PP's much proud of GDP are the services given/budget that is somewhat distributed to the Filipino people which represents as the "FOOD" of the fishes in the Fish Bowl.

Some services included in this "Food" includes security, clean, safety, maintainability and sustainability of life here in the Philippines. The means that is used for acquisition of the said "FOOD" are the TAXES that every working Filipinos are imposed to pay to.

The Fishes are fed by the Government of Food, immediately the food is gobbled up by the top big fishes and as they became full some of the munch food descends to the middle fishes and the small remains of the large amount of food is already short but is also gobbled up by the numerous small fries.

Another example is given as one of my professor's student who was about to pay for her final exams got her cell phone and the money for the tuition robbed(snatched her bag) by a child around the age of twelve. If that student's parents were one of those Big Fishes, there is no problem in filling that lost property, but what if it wasn't. If the family of that student is from the middle class type of living whose parents are working hard to earn that money, then it is is a big issue for them and maybe unexpected outcomes might root from that event... and guess on what class is that thief child belongs to?... the lower class (small fries) who are desperate enough to maintain their lives.

My professor is really flamed up to discussed about it and is infuriated to those big Fishes or Upper/High class people who receives all the grace of the GDP and they(some may) are so twisted enough to avoid their responsibilities by not paying the right amount for their taxes by avoiding, evasion, and bribing officials. Like if these big companies needs to pay 100 billion for their taxes they bribe officials or sometimes consults their attorneys to hack and bribe officials to cut this 100 billion to 10 billion, see? They already corrupted (oh!), I mean save 90 billion on their taxes responsibilities. People who are in the middle class are paying for their taxes responsibly while you are swimming in your riches cheating away that responsibility? Way to go!.. to Hell that is (if they believe in God?)

Infuriated to the small fries (the mass that belong near/below the poverty line) for asking too much for the government to sustain them but do they do anything to get out from that way of living? No! They sit the whole day putting out their hands, rubbing their fat (in worms) or slim (in hunger) tummies asking for the necessities but never doing a thing(like apply for a job?).

One example is people who are in the province and left that kind of living to gamble their luck on Manila ("the city" / considered a place for opportunities) but eventually having a bad luck and unable to return home; grabs a wife(same state as they were); makes children (unplanned number of children) that later they are having problems feeding and educating; and finally squating (building huts of old wood and metals as shelters) on clean parks, riverbanks, squatters area then when they are ask to leave the place they are arrogant enough to ask for a house and supplements from the government, which my professor condemns because if there is some one who could ask for a new house it is him (belonging to the middle class) that is a responsible tax payer unlike these dimwits who doesn't know how to get out from that way of living.

I somewhat incorporate his belief with my perspective on that matter but I am not generalizing all who are in the lower class, (I know my family is in the working middle class) I know there are those aspiring Filipinos who are like me to make it big someday, striving and doing everything at their power (in a good/clean way) to get away from the state they are in... and I am proud to those industrious, striving and courage enough Filipinos.


My professor told us that his parents were once on that poverty line (small fries) but his parents worked, and worked hard to get out from that. With that he was able to finish a Cum Laude at San Beda College and his brother finishing up two courses on University of Sto. Tomas, he then told us that his mother were very proud of him as they climbed the stage with him as a cum laude... we observed that tears almost poured out his eyes, then he immediately gave us a 15 minute break. We somewhat understood why.


For Reference I visited the following links:

For Upper Class
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_class
For Middle Class
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_class
For Lower Class
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_class