Summary of What if we built an economy based on the heart? | Gina Lopez | TEDxADMU

00:00:00 - 00:20:00

Former government official Gina Lopez argues that love should be the foundation for economic growth and social justice is key to achieving peace. She gives examples of successful projects, such as investing in surfing in Sorsogon and spelunking equipment in Palawan, which had positive impacts on the economy and the community. Lopez emphasizes the importance of nurturing natural resources and prioritizing the well-being of people and the planet over profit. She proposes the idea of building an economy based on love and creating models of love in the country to create a better future.

• 00:00:00 In this section, former government official Gina Lopez discusses how money alone cannot make a difference, as it requires people to care for it to be well-used. Lopez argues that love is crucial for economic growth and development, and urges people to realize that it is a force, not just an emotion. She highlights the negative impacts of the Philippines' reliance on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to fund the country's economy, which often results in broken families and a lack of love and care. Lopez believes that social justice is key to achieving peace and emphasizes that love should be the foundation for economic growth.
• 00:05:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the concept of Area Development where the strengths of a particular area are identified and nurtured to benefit the people of that area. She shares a successful example in Sorsogon, where the locals were poor, but had beautiful surf. With a 1.5 million pesos investment, the government provided surfboards, a multi-purpose hall, glass-bottom boats, and other necessities for tourists. Commitment to values, such as integrity and working together, was crucial in ensuring the success of the project. The result was a net income of 5.9 million pesos, 80 jobs created, and the creation of jobs for farmers, fishermen, t-shirt printers, souvenirs makers, and massage therapists.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Gina Lopez talks about how she implemented values in the economy of places like Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines. With love as the driving force, she invested in spelunking equipment and zip lines in Palawan, which caused the area to flourish from 30 families to 300. She explains that love is a continual process of growth, and the objective for growth shouldn't be just money, but the happiness of the people. Gina compares the economy of Bhutan, which is based on gross national happiness, and has free health, education, and low crime and poverty, to show that love is everything and that we should prioritize our emotional and spiritual needs.
• 00:15:00 In this section, the speaker highlights the importance of love and the wisdom of the heart in making decisions about the economy, particularly in the context of mining and biodiversity. She emphasizes that we should nurture what God has given us, such as our natural resources and endemic species, instead of risking them for the profit of a few, and that we should prioritize the well-being of our people and the planet. The speaker also argues that love is not only about compassion and harmony but can also have a tangible impact on our economy, such as through compassionate entrepreneurship and investing in our people.
• 00:20:00 In this section, Gina Lopez proposes the idea of building an economy based on love and creating models of love in the country. She questions why we have to die to go to heaven and suggests bringing a piece of heaven to the earth by living and embracing love. Lopez believes that if we all work together with a decision towards love, we can create a much better country.