Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts

The Brewing Trouble between Iran and Iraq

Will Definitely Crunch the Philippine Economy

By Apolinario Villalobos

A statistician’s mind is not needed to understand the negative effect of the trouble between Iran and Iraq to the Philippine economy which is founded on her export of labor to other countries, especially, the Middle East. Even a simple pedestrian will not think deeply what the OFW Filipinos will do in beleaguered Iran and Iraq now that they are at war with each other. Rather than be trapped, they will of course come home - back to joblessness. Worse, the government has not even decided on putting a stop, albeit, temporarily to deployment of OFWs to those countries. As usual, the government waits until the situation becomes uncontrollable and millions will be spent again for the hasty evacuations, and for failures, expect finger-pointing….again.

The government is inutile such that it has not come up with fallback programs for situations like this. What OWWA offers as its livelihood program in the form of loan is not reliable. A success story from this venture is yet to be heard or read or viewed.

The agriculture sector which should have been given attention very long time ago yet, is practically gasping for breath. Literally, it is dying, as the once rice and corn fields are converted now into golf courses and subdivisions. Had these lands been preserved, they could have been used as fallbacks for displaced OFWs. In the first place, the reason why they left the country is to seek a greener pasture, as they say, because they are exploited by loan sharks that control the price of their farm products. This fact is known even by a high school student. Why can’t the appropriate government agency or agencies do something about this problem?

Self-reliance in agriculture has never been in the priority list of the government. A very clear manifestation of this negligence is the unabated importation of agricultural products from other countries. And, the situation is aggravated by smuggling that further chokes the local farmers. There is no effort in improving the agricultural products such as vegetables and rice to make them competitive with those from other countries. Ironically, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) the cradle of knowledge for high-tech rice production is located in the Philippines, particularly, Los Baἧos, Laguna, where rice technicians of other countries learn the rudiments of high-tech rice farming. Yet, the Philippines imports rice from the countries of these foreign scientists!

Trading as a gainful venture in the country is left in the hands of foreign businessmen whose stalls cram the mushrooming malls. What is left to the Filipinos are the “bilao and bangketa” business, in which merchandise are patiently arranged in piles in the round bamboo winnower and sidewalk, or the “sari-sari store”, a hole-on-the-wall “grocery”. And, this is what the OWWA expects the displaced OFWs would do with their pittance capital that it loans to them.

It is a shame that despite the availability of funds that were exposed to have been just pocketed by the corrupt in the government, the Filipinos are left with nothing, especially, for the so-called new heroes of Philippine economy, the OFWs.

Expect again the Philippine government to promise labor contracts sought from other “safe” countries…but for how long will this exportation of labor go on? Why can’t the government do something about the home-based industries and revive agriculture which was the country’s primary revenue earner? Is corruption blocking the way?....your answer is good as mine!

Though how Progressive a Country is, there will always be

Poverty because of Corruption

By Apolinario Villalobos

Perfection should be ruled out in the reckoning of a progressive country, because there will always be poverty due to corruption somewhere in the system of governance. In other words, the glitter of progress cannot hide poverty. For ultra-progressive countries, the signs may be insignificant as they try to blend with the glamour of urbanity. But in other countries, especially, the third-world, the signs are very prevalent, so that there is always a massive effort to cover them up occasionally, literally, as it is done every time there are special occasions such as visits of foreign dignitaries. This practice is successful in the Philippines.

Practically, poverty is the shadow of progress, and literally, too, as where there are looming high-rise buildings that are pockmarks of progress, as not far from them are slums or homeless citizens who huddle together under bridges and nooks. These are misguided citizens who flock to the cities after selling their homestead, that have been farmed for several generations, to deceitful land developers, at a measly price. These are the urban squatters willing to be relocated but found out that the promised “paradise” do not even have a deep well so they go back to their sidewalk “homes”. These are contractual workers who have no job securities as they earn only for five to six months, after which they leave their fate to luck while looking for another job.

How does corruption ever be involved in the sad fate of the exploited? Simply, by the government’s negligence  in providing decent relocation sites with job opportunities and basic facilities to those uprooted from their city abodes for more than so many years; by its cuddling of the spurious contractualization perpetrated by greedy employers; by its failure to guide and protect the rights of farmers who sell their rice fields to subdivision developers at measly prices that are not even enough to sustain them for six months; by its failure to provide the citizens with the basic necessities as funds are allowed to be pocketed by corrupt officials; and practically by looking the other way despite the availability of laws against vote buying.

Third- world country leaders should stop using the word “progressive”, but instead they should use “surviving” to describe their respective economy. If a country’s economy cannot sustain, much less, provide a “comfortable life” to majority of its citizens, then it is still “ailing”…hence, expect poverty to be trailing behind, just a few steps away from the pretentious allegations!

Ang Hindi Kapani-paniwalang Pag-asenso ng Ekonomiya

at  Totoong Pagdoble ng Badyet ng Pilipinas

ni Apolinario Villalobos

Kanit anong pagpipilit ni Pnoy na talagang umasenso ang Pilipinas, marami pa rin ang ayaw maniwala, lalo pa at ang mga report ay ginawa ng mga banyagang researcher. Kinokontra naman kasi ang mga ito ng mga report tungkol sa mga tunay na nangyayari na ang gumawa ay mga Pilipino. Ganoon pa man, ang talagang totoo ay ang pagdoble ng pambansang badyet na mula sa 1.5 trillion ang badyet noong unang taon ng panunungkulan ni Pnoy ay naging 3 trillion na ngayon. May balak ang gobyerno na taasan pa ang badyet sa susunod na taon, at ito ang nakakagimbal!...dahil, siguradong ang panggagalingan, maliban sa mga uutangin pa ay mga ordinaryong Pilipino na lalong pipigain upang makuhanan ng karagdagang buwis. Pasok ang planong ito sa loob ng mga nalalabing mga buwan ng panunungkulan ni Pnoy.

Ang pinakamagandang gawin ng gobyerno ay magpakita ng listahan ng mga totoong proyekto na ginastusan ng mga karampatang halaga at dapat ay tumugma sa taunang badyet. Kasama ito dapat sa accomplishment report ni Pnoy dahil magtatapos na ang kanyang panunungkulan. Ang problema nga lang ay siguradong mahirap pagtugmain ang inilabas na mga badyet sa mga totoong ginastos dahil bistado namang pinagkitaan ng malaki ng mga kurakot sa gobyerno.

Ibig ko lang linawin na tanggap ang katotohanang “halos” wala nang natirang malinis na opisyal sa gobyerno. Kaya hindi tama ang madalas itanong na, “sino ba sa kanila ang hindi nangurakot?”. Ang punto ko ay hindi dahil alam nang may kurakutang nagaganap sa gobyerno ay dapat tumahimik na ang lahat tungkol sa bagay na ito. Hindi pwedeng itago ang mga impormasyon dahil lang sa katotohanang, “halos” lahat naman ay gumagawa nito. Kawawa naman ang mga hindi gumagawa dahil nadadamay sila sa mga pangkalahatang akusasyon.

Kaipokrituhan kung sasabihin na hindi tanggap ng pandaigdigang lipunan ang nagaganap na kurakutan sa gobyerno. Alam na ng lahat ng mga tao, saan mang panig ng mundo na sa mga gobyerno nila ay may ganitong ginagawa. Ang masama lang,  sa Pilipinas ay “sobra-sobra” o “labis-labis” ang ginagawang pangungurakot na pagpapakita ng lakas ng loob ng mga walang kaluluwang mga opisyal sa gobyerno. Dahil sa ginagawa nila, sino ba namang nagugutom at naghihirap na Pilipino ang hindi magkaroon ng sama ng loob at mainsulto?

Sa darating na eleksiyon, malinaw na gusto talaga ni Pnoy na manalo si Roxas na pag-asa niya upang maipagpatuloy daw ang “pagtahak sa tuwid na daan”. Hindi naman bobo ang mga nakakaunawang Pilipino na gusto lang niyang manigurong hindi siya makakasuhan ng mananalong presidente na kontra-partido. At dahil gusto niyang manalo si Roxas, pati suweldo ng mga government employees ay kinasangkapan dahil itataas daw ito. Ginawa niya itong pangako dahil alam niyang mismong mga empleyadong gobyerno ay nangangampanya laban kay Roxas. At, ang ipinangakong suweldo, ayon mismo sa lider ng mga empleyado ay madadagdag na naman sa marami nang ipinangakong hindi natupad.

Hanggang ngayon ay problema pa ang maliit na sahod ng mga health workers, mga gurong hindi pa lisensiyado subalit ang trabaho ay hindi naman naiiba sa mga lisensiyado na, mga nurses at doctor na noon pa dapat tinaasan ng suweldo, at allowance ng mga sundalo. Idagdag pa diyan ang isa pang papoging pangako na dalawang libong pisong dagdag sa pension ng mga retiradong SSS pensioners, na pagkatapos banggitin ay kinalimutan na. Bakit hindi paghihinalaan ngayon na ang ginawang bagong pangako ng pangulo ay may kinalaman sa darating na eleksiyon? Dapat mag-isip ng mas magandang ilalaman sa mga talumpati ni Pnoy ang mga gumagawa nito upang may mabago naman sa pandinig ng mga Pilipino para hindi siya mag-tunog sirang plaka na paulit-ulit ang tinutugtog.

Kung manalo man si Roxas sa susunod na eleksiyon, at kahit sinasabi pa na halos wala naman talagang maayos na pagpipilian, kasama na siya, dapat lang na kahit papaano ay may malaman ang mga Pilipino kung anong klaseng tao o mga tao ang kumikiling sa kanya. Manalo na kung manalo si Roxas pero dapat mabigyan ng babala ang mga Pilipino sa inaasahan nang mangyayari dahil halata namang nakaplano na.

The Deceitful “Growth” of the Philippine Economy

by Apolinario Villalobos

When President Pnoy Aquino made reports about the “phenomenal” growth of the Philippine economy under his administration, many shrugged their shoulders, as the latter believe otherwise in view of the very obvious poverty that scars the economic landscape, like a creeping amoeba. Pnoy sincerely believes the “truth” in the result of the surveys, which many times have been proven unrealistic, hence, unbelievable. Development should result to fair and real benefits for the appropriate parties. So, whether the Filipinos are, indeed, benefiting from these foreign investments in the country or not, still remains a big question that Pnoy should answer – truthfully.

The Filipino industry is dead long ago, when the country joined the global commerce that enslaved it to one-sided provisions due to quotas involved, favoring giant industrial nations. The Philippines has become the dumping ground of cheap products, especially, those from China and the United States, and woefully, even garbage from Canada! Not even the agriculture industry is spared, as rice and corn fields gave way to subdivisions and business centers. The forests are exploited by loggers financed by foreigners, and so are the mining areas. Manufacturing in the country has become the exclusive venture of foreign investors with Filipinos slaving it out along the length of the assembly lines, and tied to 5-month contract for a measly wage.

The volume and the gross monetary returns of these investments get reported, but the details of the “real profit” are not, because they are hauled back to the countries of the foreign investors. Meanwhile, the only tangible and direct benefit from contractual employment which is the measly wage, is what’s left to Filipinos!...yet, the President Pnoy has the courage to report that the country under his administration has “moved forward” on his “tuwid na daan” (straight path), and that poverty has been decreased!...and very proudly at that!

Pnoy Aquino should stop warbling about “developments” under his term, so that he will not be overwhelmed with criticisms, as he is just basing his claims on questionable survey results. He should not worry, because presidents who preceded him are equally guilty. Just like him, they forgot that the Philippines, is first and foremost, an agricultural nation, yet, this particular segment of the economy was woefully neglected. Instead of preserving what remained of the dastardly exploited natural resources since the American regime, these are left to be further exploited not only by corrupt government officials but by foreign financiers through their dummies, as well.

Public lands were sold, supposedly for their revenue to be used in upgrading government facilities, such as those in the Armed Forces, but nothing happened of it. So, today, the archipelagic Philippines is a miserable sight in the eyes of other nations due to her Navy’s rusty and outmoded ships; the Army’s doleful and inadequate arms and ammunitions; and, the Air Force’s shabby picture with its rickety aircrafts. There are reports that acquisitions have been made…but similar reports were made many years ago…and, remained as just reports.

By the way, though known to be a dictator, Ferdinand Marcos , at the early part of his first term as president, was honest enough to admit the sorry state of the nation with its deteriorating economy. Nobody among the rest of the presidents, including Quezon, the Commonwealth president had the courage to do it.

The situation today is worsened by the obvious cover-up of what are really happening, a gross act of dishonesty. Meanwhile, the country still wallows in the corrupted government system that benefits only a few.

The Planned Loan from the Asian Development Bank

…and its impending further bleeding of the Filipinos!

By Apolinario Villalobos

Months ago, at least two surveys reported that the Philippines has been recovering from its economic woes, with the figure of unemployment reduced, rice in abundance, etc. Yet, it was followed by the “fluctuation” of the peso due to underspending of the government and of course, the people who has nothing to spend, anyway, then the announcement that the government is importing rice to buffer its stock to prevent hunger. Lately, the confusing scenario is worsened by the joint statement of ADB President Takehiko Nakao and Philippine Finance Secretary that Asian Development Bank, based in Metro Manila is ready to increase loans from USD1.8 billion for 2015-2017 up to USD 3billion from 2016 to 2018, and as based on the country’s latest accountability, would be about 66 percent increase!

The series of loans shall purportedly continue to “support the country’s infrastructure needs, programs to strengthen high school education, job creation for the youth, social protection and development in the southern Philippines.” Purisima added that support from ADB “ is crucial and quality education and infrastructure are needed to fuel growth beneficial to all.” Wow!...what a mouthful avowal!

The country is now wallowing in debt renewed every year for the same reasons but no tangible result can be seen. The glaring example is the K-12 program which has been haphazardly launched without the needed preparation due to the “lack of fund”!...no materials, no teachers appropriately trained, lack of rooms – the same problems since after the Martial Law! What is funny, even with the billions of donations for the rehabilitation of the Yolanda typhoon (Hayan) victims, not a single statement from the government about its progress is heard. So, what “funding” can the government honestly handle, when even the mentioned donation is being viewed as mishandled…and with so many questions about it left unanswered?

And, what infrastructure is Purisima talking about?....the “built and destroyed” roads for what reason, the people already know, if not due to poor quality of materials used by contractors?....there are many government structures that need refurbishing but are left untouched! Purisima should go out to the countryside to validate his statements that indeed, the loans are being used for the building of infrastructure – check for himself, the length of highways and roads already built, number of bridges already finished, and most especially, farm to market roads that have been "really” built!

On tourism, what has the government done? If not for the initiative and resourcefulness of the local facilities and tour operators, the industry would have gone down the drain due to neglect. What little historic remains of the once hated Spanish colonialism are left to rot due to non-availability of funds but the Filipinos are surprised at the notoriously hefty amounts of money that have gone to the pockets of the unscrupulous government officials…that is why, there are cases being investigated now. What a shame!

The Philippines is a sucker to what ADB keeps on telling the world that its economy has grown rapidly for several years and expanded 6.1 percent in 2014, forecasting still, that by the end of 2015, it will rise to 6.4 percent, and 6.3 percent in 2016. Are the ADB people serious about their revelation? Where did they get their information?...from paid survey firms? What economy is this bank talking about with the practice of the five-month contractual employment going on?...the decline of agriculture industry?...the mining industry given on silver platter to the foreign miners, especially, Chinese?.... the poor Filipinos left with the sidewalk vending business while decent ones are left to the Chinese and Koreans in malls that these same foreigners built? Are these foreign “investors” expected to invest further in the country, as common sense dictates that they should bring back to their country what earnings they have sucked from this ailing country?

The presence of the BPO outfits in the country should not be relied on to bolster its economic foundation. These are service-oriented companies that can easily be pulled out anytime, just like the factories. They rely on service output that can be done anywhere with cheap labor. Try to imagine if these BPOs and factories suddenly transferred their companies to neighboring Asian countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam or Cambodia, because of unrest in the country, and what do we get?...ghost economic processing zones of Cavite, Baguio, Cebu; empty commercial buildings vacated by BPOs, and unemployed four-year course university and college graduates – call center agents, gawking at emptiness pitifully left with developed vices of smoking and drinking!

The government should wake up to the reality that the country’s economy is crucially hinged on remittances of OFW, toiling pitifully, some even in inhuman situations, in countries  some of which are already feeling the pang of economic adversity that is slowly gripping the world.

The government should never mention quality education to bolster its “accomplishment”, with the yearly tuition increase that its concerned agencies are tolerating. The situation is worsened, again, by the K-12 program that has become the dead- end for the aspirations of the youth, who cannot even afford a backpack for school materials and a decent pair of shoes, much more a breakfast of gruel before going to school.

So, if the loan from the ADB materializes, the guess of my dumbfounded compatriots about this shocking revelation, as to where the money shall go…is as good as mine! …nothing has changed for our beloved country, despite the proliferation of university-educated officials that hold its reins…some even claiming to be descendants of historic political figures! 

Kawawa naman ang Pangulo

…naniniwala pa rin pala sa mga maling report sa kanya

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Sa kanyang talumpati sa Japan noong June 3, sinabi ni Pnoy na nabawasan na daw ang nag-aabrod upang magtrabaho. Isa daw itong indikasyon na umaangat na ang ekonomiya ng bansa. Kawawa naman siya, dahil hanggang ngayon ay naniniwala pa rin pala sa mga pambobola ng mga tao sa kanyang gabinete na pinagkakatiwalaan niyang magbibigay sa kanya ng mga impormasyon.

Pagkatapos niyang magtalumpati sa Japan, sa parehong araw pa rin, lumapag naman ang isang eroplano sa Manila galing Saudi Arabia at mula rito ay nagsibabaan ang maraming Pilipino na dineport ng nasabing bansa dahil sa programa nilang Saudization. Madadagdag sila sa mga Pilipinong hindi makakapag-abroad dahil walang panlagay sa mga switik na recruiter, at mga libo-libo o baka milyon na, na naipong mga graduate, at kung ilang taong nang nakaistambay. Ang maswerte sa kanila, kahit papaano ay nakakakuha ng contractual na trabaho sa loob ng limang buwan. Yan ang tunay at kalunus-lunos na kalagayan ng kakapusan ng trabaho sa Pilipinas!

Ang mga nabanggit ba ang indikasyon na umaangat ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas? Anong pera ang gagamitin ng mga istambay upang magastos, na siya sanang magpapausad ng mga negosyo, ganoong wala naman silang trabaho o pirmihang trabaho?

Sa susunod, sana huwag nang magsinungaling ang pangulo upang maiwasang siya ay mapulaan o pagtawanan. Kung wala siyang masabi, magkuwento na lang ng iba…tulad halimbawa ng pagbalik sa serbisyo  mula sa anim na buwang suspension ng kanyang best friend na si Allan Purisima. Pwede rin niyang ikuwento ang pagtakbo ng mga questionable na mga kalihim niya  sa election 2016, na ang infomercials ay umaarangkada na sa TV at radyo – ginastusan ng milyones na pera ng bayan. At lalong maganda kung kanyang i-enumerate ang mga anomalya na naipon ng kanyang administrasyon – sa mga ganyan siya pag-uusapan…kung yan ang gusto niyang mangyari. Baka mailagay pa siya sa Guinness Book of World Record!

The Irony of the Philippines’  “Tiger Economy”

by Apolinario Villalobos

The Philippine government untiringly and proudly tweets the “tiger economy” of the Philippines that has finally risen from its miserable state in the past. But, is the rising economy real? Clearly, poverty is still very prevalent. For the doubting Thomas, the government asks for an allowance of a little time for the benefits to be enjoyed….until when? Yes, there is an influx of investments from outside, but their returns are also brought out of the country and deposited in the countries where they came from, so nothing is left for further investment in the country, supposedly for its development. These investors come to the country because of the cheap labor, period! They even have the temerity of quarrying the minerals and bring them by shiploads back to their country to be manufactured as important components of gadgets that flood the local market later as finished products. Is that progress?

The government perceives the employment of Filipinos as sales clerks in malls, hotel staff, call center agents, drivers, maids in condos of foreigners as the country’s economic benefits. Ironically, these contractual jobs with pittance pay may be called “benefits” – that last for as long as the contract stays, the longest of which is five months! After that period, the poor Filipino is again out in the streets looking for meagerly paying jobs offered by foreign investors.

In the desire of the Philippine government to leap-frog the economy, it gave priority to the easy revenue that comes every 15^th and 30^th day. Along this line, it disastrously came up with the K-12 education program to purportedly prepare the youth for the future -  as exported migrant workers in other countries, with their skill as driver, manicurist, hairstylist, cook, housemaid, hotel staff, etc. In its enthusiasm, the government forgot that the educational system is not even prepared for the massive unemployment that will result, as well as, confusion that will prevail due to the absence of modules and facilities such as rooms, teaching materials, etc. This effort simply shows the short-sightedness of the government…its utter lack of foresight.

The agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry which are supposed to come up with back up programs for the sustenance of the country are now hideously perceived with disrespect due to corruption that has practically eaten up their foundations. Not only the two agencies have questionable integrity, but other agencies, even some branches of the judiciary, as well, and worse,  many local officials. Practically, from below up to the top levels of the government, corruption prevails. Is this the country with a “tiger economy”?

There was a time when a reputable international dictionary came up with the definition of the “Filipina” as “domestic helper”, but fortunately, it was checked in time and scrapped. Woefully, despite the talents of the Filipino in other fields, these are overwhelmed by the stigma brought about as his being an “overseas Filipino worker” which has more negative connotations than positive. In this regard, a Thai who works in Manila, even has the gall to call Filipinos as “toilet lickers”.  In other words, not even a Lea Salonga or a Manny Pacquiao or a Charisse Pempengco, or the beautiful faces and wits of international Filipina beauty titlists, are able to erase this horrendous image. The Thai has boldly shown that our pride as Filipinos can be trampled right in our country. The Thai has lost his respect to us…can we blame him, as corruption has practically become part of the air that he breathes while working in a multi-company in Manila? The government should take this latest incident seriously, as it has clearly signaled the decadence of a once respected race in this part of the world!  But, has the government booted out the Thai because of his overly ungrateful post on his facebook that has international viewership?...I really doubt!

Economic declarations are based on reports, and figures on papers can be shrewdly crafted to suit their purpose. If the world will be made to believe about the rising economy of a country, then, its image must be cosmeticized with nice figures in a report to show its “rising economy”. On the other hand, the report encourages the sucker government with inflated ego to seek more loans, as it can “afford” to pay anyway. So, the blacker the figures are presented, the more loans that the country can get….and the deeper it gets down the muck of indebtedness!

It is funny how a country can be called an “economic tiger” when even its toothpick and cotton balls are imported from China and its rice perpetually imported from struggling Asian countries whose economies are proudly founded on agriculture! And, yet such country delights for being called a “tiger” when it cannot command even a slight respect from its neighbors due to its stark pathetic state….and as to its leadership?...well……….