Some of my educated Filipino friends were aspiring poets, but their aspirations were all in the direction of the United States. They had no desire to learn from the bardic tradition that continued in the barrios. Their ideal would have been to write something that would get them to Iowa, where they would study creative writing.

-James Fenton

-x-

Stop. I can just hear you shouting ‘But that’s just the same damn plan you had in the original timeline, Crisostomo!’

Shut up, Doggol. The scale matters, all right?

“We are not just talking any regular school here though. It is a ladder school – from childhood to young adult, designed specifically to churn out qualified workers in specific fields. It is a school of the practical arts, not designed to compete against established collegias like Santo Tomas and San Juan de Letran.

“It lacks prestige. But that is fine.”

Click. PART THREE OF THE WEALTH CREATION PLAN -

Click. The screen shifts to a perspective view of the school instead of a top-down schematic. It is an E-shaped building of three stories.

“And when I say ‘such as the world had never seen’, I mean architecturally. Look at these girders and beams.”

Click. A cutaway view of a wing of the school.

“As you can see, they are but a series of metal arches. The concept itself is proven – arches are fundamentally how tall cathedrals work. But what we are doing here is moving the emphasis from verticality into horizontality. Speed of construction.

“Without any external façade, the building would look like a greenhouse. Unlike stone houses, all the weight is supported by these steel frames.

“Unlike stone and brick, the walls support none of the weight of the structure. The structure is immensely strong. Geometrically it is the most stable possible thing. Look at this.

“It’s basically an upside down boat. Earthquakes? HAH! Typhoons? HAH! Flooding? HA HAH!" I jab my fingers towards the side of the structure. "Whoosh. Whoosh. Everything just slides off. It is as immune as anything could possibly be made against any and all natural disasters."

Click. A comparison of the walls of a COLLEGIO PRACTICAL DE SAN DIEGO compared to that of a stone church.

“Every church is a fortress. Look at the thickness of those walls. But the steel frame of the college is self-reinforcing. Relatively thin walls make for no good redoubt, but excellent as a hospital or evacuation center in an emergency. Steel flexes rather than shatter, and diagonal cross bracing transfers the force of the earthquake back into the ground.

“Because it does need to support much weight, a steel frame structure can be built with base isolators – here. See these spring-like structures at the foundation? Moment-resisting frames enable buildings to withstand excessive horizontal movement.

“And compared to any other structure, like say a wooden building… it’s not like you can just take easily take apart half of a wooden frame building like that to perform maintenance and repairs, you know? The flexibility of wood the weight of the roof itself has to be balanced to prevent wooden frames from sagging.

“But a metal frame with each segment being self-reinforcing could be taken apart in sections as needed. Any damage will only be to an easily-repairable façade.”

Click. A front view of the arch, with expansion options both horizontally and vertically.

“And you can enlarge or extend the structure at any time.”

Click. A side view of the structural frame with floors and potential exteriors.

“And because the walls support very little weight, you can have the façade be anything you want. Want it to look like it’s made of brick? Then go ahead, a single outer layer can still look heavy and imposing. An old-fashioned castle? Go ahead, build your fantasy. Glass, like the Crystal Palace in London’s Great Exhibition of 1851? The concept of load-bearing steel structural framework was proven there!”

Click. A photograph of a steel hulled ship under construction.

“And so you may ask – but wait, Don Crisostomo? Where are you even going to get those structural frames? No one here knows how to build with steel!

“And then answer is: Japan. I have already placed orders of the structural frames. Steel is actually surprisingly cheap if you get it in bulk, the steel plants were just falling over themselves to fulfill such an order. All that is needed is to ship the frames and assemble it here.

“And… yes. We do know how to build with steel. Puente de Colgante, the first steel suspension bridge in Asia, built by Ynchausti and Company headed by the honorable Don Jose Joaquín de Ynchausti, remember? Construction on it began in 1849 and was completed in 1852.

“This is the main reason why I don’t fear anyone taking my ideas. These Philippine Isles have a lack of qualified workers. If you happen to build things faster than me, that’s great! But even learning on the job has a bottleneck for expansion. If ever in the future you need personnel of good character, you will come to me. A slice out of a hundred pies is better than one whole pie.

“Industrialization, my friends! It cannot be done alone. Like waves on the shore, like a mountain stream eating into bedrock, we can only chip away at the barriers in the way.”

Click. A photograph of San Diego from a high place.

“Land is the first and most expensive part of setting up a school. This is the main flaw of such a construction, in that it has an inefficiently large footprint compared to a straight tower. But considering I practically own half of San Diego outside the población, this is a solved problem. It is a matter of deciding which forest to clear.

“Instead let us now speak of specifics in the curriculum.”

-x-

Click. The screen shows another bulleted list.

· Construction Business

· Food and Hospitality Business

· Entertainment Business

“There are three endeavors which if you are wise, there is zero possibility of losing money.

“And you might say – hey wait a second, Don Crisostomo, a lot of these businesses go bankrupt very easily, what are you even saying? And you would be right. Because a lot of people are not wise.

“But properly set up and maintained, these businesses are those that can support your family for generations. Landowners have the problem in that their land can’t move, and so as a business their options for expansion are limited.”

-x-

Click. A painting of road workers laying down a MacAdam road. “Boonsborough Turnpike Road” by Carl Rakeman 1823 depicted workers laying down a bed of gravel over leveled dirt, with other workers sitting over the side of chipping down rocks to a size that wouldn’t exceed two ounces in weight or pass through a two-inch ring. There was no need to lay down a stone foundation like the Romans did.

“The first… it’s obvious why that is so. Construction is a civilizational necessity. We need roads and buildings and we can’t keep on just waiting for the polos and forty days just to get things done.

“You may be thinking – that’s just dumb labor, Don Crisostomo! Why would anyone need to go to school for such a thing?

“And the answer is: Don’t forget that all construction is ultimately a contract. And a well-trained team is the key to getting things done on time and under budget, all the time. You don’t need to ask who would want a construction company that can perform well at affordable rates without any excuses or delays, for the answer is also everybody.

“You know of the Ferrocaril de Manila, right? Construction just started a year ago, and the steam trains have already arrived. I applaud that endeavor. I have many interests in Pampanga however, so I can’t really afford to wait years for the line to reach San Fernando Station.

“Also, the maintenance of steam engines, the construction of boats, carriages, and prefabricated homes. The Philippines was once known for the building of Galleons, but for the collapse of the Galleon Trade we have forgotten how to build ships. Small trade ships are necessary – there is also no losing money in import/export as long as you are wise.

“The left wing of the school shall therefore teach [CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING]. Factories and road builders can hope to find reliable teams ready to go to accomplish any construction contract.

“I would say the Left Wing is the most important because they would be immediately employed building the rest of the school as soon as they are trained.”

-x-

Click. A photograph of Hotel de Oriente, a two-story building fronted by arches, layered with a white plaster façade and gold accents on the first floor and robin blue on the second.

“I have already spoken to you of the demand for Manila stewards, cooks, and waiters. But that is just one part.

“We, the Philippines, are a coaling station. This is the only reason many steamships even bother to dock in Manila on the way to Shanghai or Tokyo. Tourists complain there is very little to do around Manila, and call it a boring old city of regular streets in a chess grid.

“And that is… fine? For a Christian country that tries to avoid immorality. But that doesn’t really bring in that tourism industry income, you know? Like, charity is one thing, but having more people gainfully employed does a larger moral good than teaching them to just sit around and beg as if wallowing in misery was somehow equivalent to virtue.

“The [FOOD AND HOSPITALITY] industry is one where the Filipino can easily excel in. It has tangible goals. It is one where you can’t just cut corners in. It is working outside of the sun. The quality of their efforts immediately apparent. It is a type of work in which they can naturally arrange themselves into their own caste system where grubbing for power and influence means the one who pleases the boss the most.

“Which you can transform into a meritocracy because inevitably one of those little shits is going to get uppity and sabotage the work of people under them rather than allow anyone to show any excellence in their work and get a well-deserved promotion.

“You can’t just control the indio with just the carrot but sometimes show the stick, yeah?”

I see them nodding. Yep. Sounds legit. Sadly this is probably the best I can do to even approach 20th century workplace ethics. 1800s people, why are your lives exactly like a telenovela?

“Apart from the service industry, we have the manufacturing industry. Canning and packaging. Anything that can be shipped out is great. Like how Switzerland doesn’t grow any sugar or cocoa but makes some of the best chocolate in the world. The convenience of canned food cannot be overestimated.

“Anything value-added to raw resources can double or triple the income.”

Click. A waxed paper snack packet.

“Case in point – ampaw, or sweet puffed rice snack. It keeps well. Its volume is mostly air. But package it properly and ship it out, you’re making like a ten times profit over cooking a single cup of rice. As a sweet, it pairs well with tea or ginger brew.

“Rice. Coconuts. Cocoa. Corn. Wheat. Potato. Garlic. Pepper. Peanuts. The difference between a street vendor and a millionaire is a matter of packaging. Just keep producing and markets will keep buying. Snacks are a sort of low-cost but high volume good that is at the reach of anyone’s ability to afford.

”Garlic and chili roasted corn or peanuts. Mixed nuts. Potato crisps. Corned Beef. Tomato and sardines. Fruits in syrup. Anything that can be fried or canned. Whoever first builds a cannery or packaging plant will never run out of money. That’s just… obvious.

“So in summary – the Center Wing of the this COLLEGIO DE PRACTICAL deals with everything related to food and comfort. I expect nothing but excellence from this trade, because it one that rings true to the heart of every Filipino. You’re not one if you don’t like to eat and take your ease.”

-x-

Click. The screen states a question: WHAT IS THE BUSINESS WITH THE HIGHEST RATIO OF CAPITAL TO PROFIT?

“Before anyone says ‘renting property’, no – the land and buildings themselves are a very high requirement of capital. I’m talking something that has at least a hundred times profit.

“And before anyone says… ahem. Prostitution, that doesn’t count either. Sugar daddies don’t give away money that grows. It all just drains away. Also, immoral.

“Food business is close. You get from twenty percent to a fifty percent profit depending on what you sell. Sadly, high end restaurants and hotels only eke about twenty percent profit margin after all expenses are paid.

“Anyone?”

“Doctors and lawyers!” someone shouts.

“Very good. One is being paid only for their time. But apart from the costs of schooling, the fact that it is time being paid for means that expansion of one’s business if very limited. No one becomes a millionaire by being a doctor or lawyer, but owning a hospital or a firm, and the profits far pale below owning a factory.”

“Being a government official!”

I laugh. “… I’m tempted to say yes, but that’s not even a business.”

“Investing in the stock market!”

“Capital.”

“… Art!” someone screams.

Click. A photo of an art gallery.

“Very good. For the price of a piece of cloth, some wood, and paint – an object abruptly becomes one thousand times more valuable. Talent is something indefinable… a unique way of seeing the world and transforming what’s in their mind into reality.

“Artistry is a gift of God and can fall upon anyone.

“There are a lot of starving artists however, and their works make the most money when they’re dead. That’s just sad, but that’s how the world works. It is a competitive industry like no other.

Click. A book.

“Writers however, have a slightly more rosy outlook, though the ease of production compared to the craft of painting and sculpting also means having to sift through more dross. Still, it is an easier way to make a living for comparatively little labor. Once the manuscript is done, just wait for the money to come in.

“Which of course leads me to the next point. That’s not a business either.”

Click. A photograph of a printing press.

“Once you have a printing press, your base materials are merely ink and paper. The value of these things are almost zero, but books and other media can be sent to anywhere in the world without spoiling.

“A newspaper is limited to its immediate locality. Book printing services sometimes have to eat a loss from books they can’t sell.

“Therefore, there are two requirements:

a) Find and encourage talent that may have worldwide appeal

b) Serve advertisements.

“Anything past that is just pure profit.”

Click. A photograph of an ad page in a magazine.

“This is how media thrives. You can collect and offer the works of creativity at a low price or even for free, because all you need to do is to build an audience. Advertisers will then flock to anything that gets the most eyeballs.

“There is the continual effortless profit of a media mogul. Your ability to shape public consciousness and political influence is just a happy side effect.”

Click. A illustrated view of the school again.

“Therefore, the Right Wing of the SAN DIEGO COLLEGE OF PRACTICAL ARTS is all about [ARTS AND MEDIA PRODUCTION]. Not just training artists, dancers, singers, sculptors, writers, but also managers and publicists and advertising work.

“It’s kind of important in this modern, steadily interconnecting world of ours.”

I choose not to mention radio because that’s my business. If anybody wants to set up a weekly comic book anthology, that would be just fine. I’ll enjoy it.

Click. An illustration of the COLLEGIO PRACTICAL DE SAN DIEGO from the front. The façade of the building has a vaguely Mexican step-pyramid mixed with Versailles feel to it.

“Which leads to my final point.”

-x-

Click. The screen is a flat white, which illuminates most of the room.

My workers slowly work to turn the other lights back on. Teacher Navidad at the projector was sweating like a pig and almost cooking himself from the warm of the projector, now finally he almost collapses in relief. The carbon-arc lamp backing the projector dumped so much heat out into the air around it, but he had to stay nearby and alert to switch plates.

“What do I want from you? For what reason do I reveal my plan when I could have done it all and served a monopoly from the start? Are there shares to purchase? Why should I share the glory?

“The answer is: your cooperation. As much as the Great Filipino Worker is supposed to be reliable but completely politically disinterested, so must the Collegio Practical be completely politically neutral.

“I have work to do, I can’t be bothered to deal with bothersome things like that, and neither do you. We are not the merely wealthy, but the wealth creators. If necessary, I could just pay for all of this out of my own pocket – it’s just two hundred thousand pesos. I have that much right here, right now.”

I walk to the front and center of the room and the wooden chest that in the dark no one had noticed until now. I open the chest and the glint of silver reflecting the light bouncing off the main screen is almost painful.

I reach down for a handful of coins and let it tinkle down. Clink. Clink. Clink.

“A school is only as good as its teachers. Who do you think I am? Do you think I can't afford to hire the best?! Teachers from Germany, America, London, and France have already been contacted. A diverse mix with that will not present any outside agendas.

“I shall build not just an academy, but a nearby Teacher’s Village. It is not for little reason that I speak so much about tourism income, because that is also an intended sideline of this endeavor.

“A school for the indio obviously cannot price its tuition out of their reach. Most will have to do with scholarships and a pay cut to cover their student debt once they graduate. But since it is a ladder school that guarantees employment, many would fight for the chance to get in. Filipinos of higher status need not be ashamed, for here they get immediate practical experience in running their own business and managing workers.

“And enough of you fathers don’t want any more spoiled brat parasites just wasting the fortune you built up! Wealth usually does not last three generations – one to build it, another to coast along not understanding the effort it took to create it, and the third completely ruining the company. None of that nonsense!”

I vehemently slam the chest of silver Alfonsino pesos shut.

“I could have a monopoly, yes – but better not to unnecessarily step on any toes. All who deserve, all who have the nerve and the guts to work for it, it get their fair share of the future. From you I seek only cooperation in building new businesses, or at worst, an understanding that we don’t interfere with each other’s roads to wealth.

“A school that guarantees employment needs employers willing to take a chance. If you want to establish a new business – well, I am not a bank, but for a circle of friends there certainly are… options.”

I turn back towards them and smile. “SO! Already the center of the Collegio Practical has been reserved as DON SANTIAGO HALL. One million. That is the total value of shares and voting rights up for grabs, with guaranteed five percent dividend twice a year.

“I am retaining forty percent of shares and voting rights for this school’s Board of Directors and the Corporation. Five percent is… reserved. Another five percent… is Maria Clara's. The last five percent I am offering as a charitable tithe, the dividends going directly to the good works of the Church and its voting power representative of students and employees. Forty five percent available. But more importantly, naming rights to floors and buildings and streets are up for grabs. I shall invest in any business formed out of graduates and by graduates!”

I open my arms out, and throw my head back slightly.

“Before January the Thirty-First is your last chance to get into the ground floor. Men who build the nation! If you are afraid or easily intimidated, then happily I would rather not have you among this group.”

I laugh. “Kaya mo ba to? Kaya mo ba to? Wag maging bato, para magpatalo.”

I shout “DO YOU HAVE THE BALLS?!”

I exhale deeply and bow. “I am finished.”

I am exhausted.

I glance aside towards the Governor-general Terrero and John Foreman. They are frowning. Padre Sybila of the Dominicas catches my eye and smirks. He puts a finger to his lips coquettishly.

Then I glance towards Capitan Tiago. He too is scowling.

But the young men now rise up and shout -

“Don Crisostomo! You said you would answer questions!”

“Don Crisostomo – construction, hospitality, and the arts! Are you also sponsoring artists?!”

“Don Crisostomo, what is the minimum to be allowed to name a hall or a room?!”

“Don Crisostomo, I have an idea for a business that will employ many-!”

“Don Crisostomo -!”

-x-