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BusinessMirror Editorial
Duterte wants government contracts aboveboard
Among the working papers published by the Institute for International Law and Justice, the one written by Kevin E. Davis (“Civil Remedies for Corruption in Government Contracting: Zero Tolerance versus Proportional Liability”) narrates an experience peculiar to Third World countries.
Climate-proofing PHL agri sector
Less than two weeks after the state weather bureau announced that the Philippines will experience a full-blown El Niño, the Department of Agriculture reported that the weather phenomenon has destroyed crops valued at P150 million (See,
“Initial damage to farms from El Niño hits P150M,” Business-Mirror, March 4, 2019). The value jumped to P1.3 billion two weeks after the DA first came out with its damage report (See, “Losses from El Niño now P1.3 billion,” BusinessMirror, March 20, 2019). The figure will be updated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which indicated that the weather phenomenon’s damage to crops rose to P2.68 billion (See, “El Niño farm damage doubles to P2.68 billion,” BusinessMirror, March 28, 2019).
Colonies and colonizers: It’s complicated
This past week, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico wrote to Spanish King Felipe VI and Pope Francis urging them to apologize for the abuses of colonialism and conquest.
‘Duterte is borrowing P20 billion? OMG!’
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte created a firestorm with her comments about honesty in politics and the honesty of political candidates. We would not presume or even speculate on what any “hidden meaning” might be behind her thoughts, unlike many commentators.
What debt trap?
More than four decades ago the administration of the late President Ferdinand Marcos borrowed money from western lenders to build the 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. Built at a cost of $2.3 billion, the BNPP was set for commercial operations in 1985. On April 30, 1986, the late President Corazon Aquino ordered the project mothballed. Since 1986, the Philippine government had spent a total of P64.7 billion—P43.5 billion for principal amortization and P21.2 billion in interest—for the unused nuclear plant. Filipino taxpayers managed to fully pay the BNPP loans 12 years ago (although the government is still spending P27 million a year for the nuclear plant’s upkeep).
Threat to PHL food security
Nothing has changed nearly seven years after the government sounded the alarm that Filipino farmers are aging and the youth are not interested to go into agriculture. The current average age of Filipino farmers is 57 years old, prompting some lawmakers to call farming a “dying profession.” Who can blame those who are not keen on tilling the land? Farming in the Philippines is usually a backbreaking work that offers little reward.
More than words
Why is it that despite the frequent anti-illegal drugs operations of the police, where many suspects have gotten killed, drug traffickers, pushers and couriers, both foreigners and Filipinos, still continue their illicit trade?
Political opinion polls are necessary
ONE of the most iconic moments in American politics occurred on November 3, 1948, the day after Harry S. Truman was reelected president. Truman was photographed holding a copy of that day’s Chicago Daily Tribune with the banner headline “Dewey Defeats Truman”.
The plastic pollution problem
IT is unfortunate that protecting the environment is clouded with much in the way of political agendas and fear mongering. It is often difficult to separate the hype from the reality of the problems. Further, the attitude of many of the environmental groups is: “We are right, end of discussion”.
What it takes to bring back Manila Bay’s glory
To sustain the momentum of cleaning up the Manila Bay, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has ordered local chief executives of 178 cities and municipalities inside the Manila Bay Watershed Area to see to it that all business establishments in their respective areas would comply with the provisions of environmental laws, including the National Building Code, the Fire Code, the Code on Sanitation, and other related laws, regulations, and policies. Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año issued a memorandum directing all mayors in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon to revoke the business permits of establishments violating environmental laws.
Safeguarding PHL farm goods
When the Philippines joined the World Trade Organization in 1995, it removed the import restrictions on most crops except for rice. This was a signal to WTO members that the Philippines was ready to do business with the world within the parameters of the multilateral trade agreement. All WTO members observe the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which also prescribed safeguard measures that countries may tap to deal with import surges or price falls.
Big in Japan
In 2005 some 82,000 Filipinos working in Japan as Overseas Performing Artists (OPAs) sought the help of the Philippine government to help convince the Japanese government to reconsider its new visa requirements that affected their employment status.
Neda should be the ‘boss’
The current water shortage in Metro Manila has in turn created incredible inconvenience, endless finger-pointing and even conspiracy theories as some sort of an election ploy. However, the underlying reason for situations such as this is a failure by the Philippine government.
Vaccinate your children now
WE accept the reality that the government can tell us who is eligible to drive an automobile. The government does not hesitate to tightly regulate the sale, possession and use of tobacco, let alone other “medicinal herbs.” We consider it important that the government not only examine but also make sure that we are informed about the ingredients and nutritional quality of the food we eat.
Boracay: ‘The best beach in the world’
‘Calm, warm waters, gently sloping sand. Very relaxing. Possibly the most beautiful beach in Asia.” That’s how Boracay was described in the TripAdvisor’s 2019 Travelers’ Choice Awards, which cited 24 others in its Asia’s Best Beaches category. Surprisingly, Boracay only bagged the ninth spot among the region’s top 25 beaches. The Radhanagar Beach of Havelock Island in India topped the list, while Yapak Beach, the second-largest beach in Boracay and named after the prevalent white puka seashells, was listed last at 25th.
El Niño’s daunting challenges for government
The state weather bureau said the latest El Niño episode is “weak,” but it has already destroyed millions of pesos worth of crops. If it will not rain in the next few weeks and water in Angat Dam—the main source of drinking water for Metro Manila—falls to a critical level, farms in Bulacan and Pampanga will stop getting irrigation water. Metro Manila households are prioritized over agricultural land whenever El Niño, which causes below normal rainfall, hits the country.
Wanted: Real political parties
“One of these things is not like the other, which one is different, do you know? So tell me which of these things is not like the other, and I’ll tell you if it is so.”
Is there a foreign press agenda?
IF you want accurate information and analysis about the Philippines, probably the last place where you can find them is in the foreign press. Yet, the amount of analysis and information about the Philippines —written in English—is many times higher than for our neighbors, such as Thailand and Indonesia.
US hard place; Chinese rock
The Philippines cannot seem to get out of an awkward position between China and the United States, and may never be able to extricate itself from there. There’s no doubt that part of President Duterte’s intention to form a more balanced foreign policy was an attempt to do that, and it was successful to a certain extent.
The real meaning of public service
Public utilities like power distribution companies are given franchises to serve the needs of the people in their constituent communities. As such, they render service in the public interest. But the “public” in “public service” turns into a joke when utility
companies start making people’s lives miserable. This happens when they put their business concerns before the public’s interest.