Americans Celebrate 239 Years After the Revolution That Changed the World

Freedom is a big deal. It’s crazy to think that 239 years ago (which isn’t very long ago) the idea of a self-governing people, not ruled by a single government, monarchy, or oligarchy was considered to be extreme.

Still today around the world, it is hard for those under rulers to grasp the concept of true liberty. The global economy provides each and every one of us to showcase the empowerment freedom gives. In the USA, we’ve had a hundred year head start over fallen monarchies, and failed attempts at democracies & republics who have come and gone over the decades since.

We Should ALL Celebrate Independence Day

I invite all people to celebrate in one of the most pivotal points in the history of the world. Since the fall of the Roman Empire, yet has a people been successful to rule themselves as long as the United States of America.

In my travels around the world, and particularly in the Philippines, you can see the impact of having a free market over those with more limited markets. The Philippines is a new government – of course the country has had many challenges of the recent decades, invasions, conquest, terrorists, the government even made the mistake of granting “autonomous” regions in the southern parts where they people are allowed to let their religion rule the lands (Shariah Law) rather than the liberty to believe whatever you want or say whatever you want freely.

Don’t Take Freedom For Granted

You see, before America’s independence in July 4, 1776, you could be sentenced to death for speaking against the government. Well, people forget, that if you’re in the majority of the world today – you still can.

The Power of the Free Market in the Philippines

Freedom and Liberty is a never-ending battle, the power to pursue your goals, and have the power to create wealth as an individual through trade is something we all take for granted. We come up with innovation and technologies that are valuable to those all over the world. In the Philippines, most will never know what it’s like to own an iPhone, at a sticker price at over $1200 dollars in the Philippines. Even today in agricultural, non-metro areas of the Philippines the minimum wage is about $5 dollar a day, and in Metro areas like Makati City it’s about $10 dollars a day.

Now with the lease alone for our Penthouse in Makati it’s over 120 times the daily salary of the Metro Filipino. We’re an open company here, it’s no surprise that we’re paying much more than the minimum wage there in the Philippines. Most of our team supports not just their own family, but multiple generations of their family.

With the increasing internet bandwidth, the Filipinos have an international market where being a Virtual Assistant is more valuable. Working with us here in the USA, UK, Australia and other countries around the world with rising labor costs, it’s no surprise the Filipinos are taking the opportunity to step in and offer to do it for a great price, and take the time to develop and educate themselves. The Philippines people have voted to make English the national language, and while Tagalog is the mostly spoken language of many there, English is the common denominator that sets the youth apart from the past generations.

Filipinos LOVE American Culture

I’ve never seen as many American Flag T-Shirts or other apparel as the times I spent in the Mall of Asia browsing the many shops over the past two years in downtown Manila. They have every store you can imagine there, and the people’s median income is rising drastically due to the quality of labor in the Philippines with the cost of off shoring.

America must embrace the global economy and use the market to spread freedom around the world to empower those with opportunities to have amazing partnerships. I’ve been fortunate enough to develop such great relationships with my friends in the Philippines, and provide great services at Virtual Assistant Staffer that businesses really need to grow, but can’t afford to hire someone in-house to do.

The Benefits of Philippines and American Partnerships

You know, I get questioned a lot over the years about how we’re “hurting American jobs” working with overseas staff. That couldn’t be farther from the truth – I have dozens of business owners we help today that have testified that they couldn’t have afforded to grow their business without the help of our team.

What Does This Have to Do with the American Independence Day?

As we bask in the sun, blowing up stuff, doing all the ceremonial things that make us forget the real reason behind our independence – we must at some point realize that Freedom is the core essential component behind our success. Without it, we wouldn’t have the ability to create amazing content, products, and services that provide value to our clients, our customers, and our readers.

Our team of 20 in the Philippines are the bread winners for their families, most have the highest income of their family, the demographic is about 70% female, mostly moms that can’t go to work at a “place” because they’ve got responsibilities at home. In an age where women go to college, and are more educated than their male counterparts (much like the USA), we’re able to provide amazing Stay-At-Home jobs for about 70% of our workforce. The others work in an amazing Makati Penthouse that I’m excited to stay in with my wife when I come to visit in August for most of the month.

This would not be doable without a free economy, this would not be doable without the freedom to dream, to achieve, and to work without boundaries in the cloud.

I wish you all a very safe, happy, and prosperous fourth of July.

God Bless,

J Hunter

VA Staffer Founder & Social Entrepreneur