In their interviews, many of the technologists showed a sense of pessimism. They struggled to come up with optimistic scenarios because they were always thinking practically, constantly considering difficult living conditions in the country. In contrast, it was easier for them to come up with pessimistic scenarios because they were often not far from their current realities; for instance, engineer and manager Sofia only struggled to envision a pessimistic future for local transportation because currently reality is already “the worst we have right now”.
According to product designer Selina, it is hard for Filipinos to envision future improvements because they believe such advancements would not be feasible in the Philippines:
…I'm a Filipino. So I don't think too highly about [the] tech things that will happen to us. Because if I were American, I would assume that I would imagine all of the possible things that could happen because technology can do it...But because I'm a Filipino, and I'm also someone that's more rooted in reality, I guess…[I'm more pessimistic] because of how bleak things are...I struggle to think of possible optimistic or even realistic changes for the Philippines, because...we're [currently] not very innovative. We are being held back systemically, not just individually. Because individually, there is a lot of innovation that's happening. But then it gets put down because the system is shit….it's so hard to grow, unless you leave [the country].
SELINA
PRODUCT DESIGNER
This pessimism can also be seen in the general public’s resistance towards innovation. For instance, the mistrust of financial institutions and concerns about security make Filipinos stay wary of digital banking applications, leading them to stick to cash. Hence, the interviewees foresee that emerging technologies would face similar levels of resistance. For example, even if a digital identity system would be beneficial for the country, many Filipinos would steer away from registering for one, similar to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy:
…[I]f you get a digital identity, I [would] compare it to a vaccination where...you're protected and you're good. You can do lots of things now...But if you don't have it, then you're gonna get sick and you might die…[But] it is a mystery as well [with] what they're gonna do with your identity…[In this case, the equivalent of anti-vaccine Filipinos] would probably be like: "I'm never submitting my identity to the government because the government is gonna take everything I have or take all my identity."...they don't trust it. So they're just gonna keep avoiding it at all costs, and probably isolate themselves, which is really unfortunate that they won't have access to the ease of getting a loan…
JAY DEMETILLO
DESIGNER & CONSULTANT
This response may be seen as a symptom of anti-intellectualism; however, an anonymous interviewee argued that what it really shows is systemic failures:
…The COVID vaccines are like the perfect [example]…where...all these educated people are always saying like..."Why are you so stupid? Just take the vaccine; that's like science approved..." But we don't take into account the...very valid sentiments of people who've been failed by the health system, people who have been failed by other...government initiatives like the dengue vaccine…People who have been failed by modern medicine, not because they don't work, but because there were many circumstances that led to unfortunate incidents of death or sickness, etc…[T]here's also...Big Pharma. There's a lot of conspiracies, we know that it's for-profit, a lot of these medicines. So these are all…factors…[leading to] the beliefs that we have
ANONYMOUS INTERVIEWEE
Thus, Filipinos’ lack of belief in innovation is really a lack of belief in the government. It not only lacks the knowledge and expertise to adequately handle emerging technologies (like AI), but also discourages innovators through endless red tape. For instance, entrepreneurs (particularly foreigners) struggle to start new businesses in the country; global superapps like Gojek have been unable to enter the Philippine market due to stringent regulations. Moreover, the widespread corruption of the government further exacerbates the public’s mistrust. In summary, innovation cannot be disseminated without addressing these flaws in the system.