There was a Filipino-American immigrant, who decided to put up a simple restaurant. The eatery catered to the community and soon it was making a name in dishing out (pun intended) excellent Philippine recipes.

The entrepreneur of an immigrant decided to train one of his Filipino-American employees as an all-around assistant. He hoped that someday the trainee would become the general manager of his business. But after learning the trade and ins-and-outs of the operation, the trainee decided to open a similar enterprise. And he ordered a big sign that proclaimed, "The Best Filipino Restaurant in Los Angeles."

The former trainee, who now owned what was supposedly the best Filipino eatery in the city, employed his brother as a chef. After a year or so, the younger brother decided that he no longer wanted to be a mere cook; he wanted to become also a business owner. So, he decided to open a restaurant of his own just a few blocks away from the first two Filipino eateries. Then he called his business, "The Best Filipino Restaurant in California."

Then the younger brother (the former chef), who now operated what was called the best Filipino restaurant in the State, got divorced. Probably out of spite, the former wife opened her own Filipino restaurant three blocks away from her ex-husband’s eatery. (She did not have any equity in the former husband’s business per stipulation in a prenuptial agreement.) Then she called her restaurant, "The Best Filipino Restaurant in America."

Then the new boyfriend of the now-divorced wife got into an ugly argument with her. He then decided to open a fifth Filipino restaurant six blocks away on the same road where the four other eateries were located. The boyfriend called his restaurant, "The Best Filipino Restaurant in the World."

After two more years, the original Filipino restaurant retained its status as the number-one eatery. Slowly, its four other competitors folded up. At last, the biggest Filipino-American association in the neighborhood decided to give an award to the immigrant who founded what was the only surviving Filipino restaurant in the area for his being a "success story." At the awarding ceremony, the emcee asked the honoree what was the secret behind his restaurant’s success. The immigrant said that he did not even put up a banner to promote his eatery because everybody knew that his place was "the best Filipino restaurant in the street."

The moral of this story? Perhaps we should all remember that while we should think globally, act we must locally?

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