Chinese billionaire Jack Ma says Filipinos have a “heart to serve.”
The 53-year-old Alibaba Chairman, an icon in the technology sector stressed that Filipinos are poised to weather the automation wave that has the potential to displace jobs in manufacturing.
“Artificial intelligence, robots will kill a lot of jobs for manufacturing but the services industry will always be the key,” Ma said to students of De La Salle University in Manila.
“Filipino people have the best heart (for) service. It takes centuries to build up the heart to serve the people. The Philippines has great talent, great capabilities. No other country in the world has that,” Ma said.
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The Philippine outsourcing industry, a key driver of employment growth, is retooling its workforce to adapt to the use of artificial intelligence.
The founder and executive chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba came to the Philippines as De La Salle University bestowed a Doctor of Science in Technopreneurship Honoris Causa on the Chinese billionaire.
SECRETS TO SUCCESS
Ma said successful people chase their dreams, no matter how foolish, and complain only about themselves without blaming others.
The founder of the e-commerce giant said successful people possess “IQ, EQ and LQ” or intelligence, emotional and love quotients. An intelligent person, he said, would not succeed if he or she does not know how to deal with other people.
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Ma said he was considered a “crazy guy” when he was starting an internet-based business in China.
“Is that a silly dream? Believe (in) something that you are really passionate about. Don’t believe it because other people think it’s important,” Ma said.
“Be simple, stay foolish and no matter what, just continue,” he said.
People who fail always complain about others, Ma said.
“Only those people who check their own problems, these people survive, these people succeed,” he said, adding, “If there is no solution, don’t complain.”
TECH REVOLUTION
Ma, the world’s 23rd richest man according to Forbes Magazine, with an estimated net worth of $38.3 billion said the Philippines, with its high mobile phone penetration, was poised to ride the new technological revolution, as he urged brick and mortar enterprises to embrace e-commerce.
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He joked that his mobile data connection was “not good” when he arrived in Manila, but this provides the government and carriers the opportunity to “work together.”
“You have the opportunity, so many mobile phones, mobile phone coverage anywhere,” Ma stressed.
“We should make the Philippines a cashless society. Cashless society, no corruption. Life is easier,” he said.
Ma said “dreamers” would lead the “third technological revolution” by building services on internet technology.
Ma stressed that Asia was at the forefront of what he calls the third technological revolution.
Ma’s Alibaba is listed on the Nasdaq Exchange in the US. His company has a controlling stake in internet marketplace Lazada, which has up to 10 million customers in the Philippines. His Ant Financial has a strategic partnership with Globe Telecom.
(Story collated from ABS-CBN Business)
