The model for the public intellectual includes, preeminently for liberals, I think, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Sad news that he’s passed away. I’d only started the reading the first volume of his autobiography, “A Life in the Twentieth Century : Innocent Beginnings, 1917 – 1950″ (Jr.”, Arthur M. “Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. Schlesinger), a kind of human monument to the liberal life, who, as Taylor Marshal points out, didn’t vote for Jimmy Carter because he found him too conservative (and the best the conservatives can do is promote Conservapedia).The classical historian Michael Meckler wishes Schlesinger had been more grounded in classical antiquity. A fond appreciation by Evan Thomas comes out in Newsweek. An anecdote from 2004 from Josh Marshall -how he tried to explain what a blog is to Schlesinger.
Perhaps trumpeting everything is peachy was a bit premature. After some bargain hunting yesterday, the market decided to drop some more, today. The peso, too, continued its slight dip. Is it just me, or is government’s pointing to OFW remittances and downplaying the overall importance of the stock market, a bit of a retreat from its past talking points?
(Here’s hoping consumer groups monitor power rates to see if rate drops last as long as guaranteed: 10 month in Luzon, 18 months in Mindanao, visayas for 3 months, and at the biggest drop, 31 centavos per KWH, seems to me pure electioneering in the President’s bailiwick right there).
Slate Magazine tries to pin down the causes for the selloff in the US market, and it thinks it wasn’t really about China:
U.S. stock markets have routinely shrugged off negative information during the recent bull run. What made yesterday different? This time, the signs of a slowdown – not a recession but a slowdown – are clearly evident. The plunge in durable goods orders indicated that the manufacturing sector may be in danger of recession. (Thankfully, the U.S. economy relies less and less on manufacturing for growth, which is why a manufacturing recession may not trigger an economy-wide one.)
And the twin turbines that have driven the U.S. economy in recent years are clearly sputtering. When housing is doing well, it stimulates a great deal of economic activity, creates jobs, and makes people feel wealthier – and hence more likely to spend. When housing is doing poorly, the opposite holds. And as today’s new home-sales report confirms, housing is still struggling. Prices and home values are down marginally, but when assets are encumbered with huge amounts of debt – as houses are – it doesn’t take much of a decline to make an impact. (If you put 10 percent down on a house, and it declines 10 percent in value, you’ve lost your entire investment.)
Second, and more important, there has been a precipitous decline in the business of housing-related credit. In recent years, cheap and abundant mortgages have allowed people to buy ever-more-expensive homes with little money down and to borrow against homes they already own to expand and renovate, thus fueling consumer spending. The huge volume of so-called mortgage-equity withdrawal, Alan Greenspan and his Federal Reserve colleague Mark Kennedy have argued, has been a significant contributor to the late consumer-spending binge.
Here, too, the trend may no longer be the economy’s friend. Interest rates are still low. But with subprime-lending operations failing, and with big banks taking big hits to their mortgage portfolios, pressure is mounting among regulators and investors for lenders to become more parsimonious.
Anyway, in finally accepting an opposition challenge to debate, the administration wants to keep the discussion to the economy, while denying the other side any opportunity to discuss inconvenient truths (that the opposition would do well to focus on). This is typical (and comes from an appreciation on which side its bread is buttered). As the Inquirer editorial today puts it (referring to something else),
The thing is, the President could answer all of these questions with grace and intelligence, but she always chooses to question the motivations of those posing them, always espying dark shadows behind the queries, and always demanding that the questions be made along her own line of inquiry, which is predictably favorable to her government. She does not only want to be President, she also wants to be stage manager.
Meanwhile, the Vice President is methodically, but quietly, building his own power base for 2010. JB Baylon points out the attractiveness of Ang Kapatiran.
WTF Department: Danton Remoto, according to an interview he had with Twink Macaraig, didn’t file his candidacy for senator. So he can’t run for senator. And the Comelec has rejected Ang Ladlad’s bid for party list accreditation. Which leaves Danton mulling over running for congressman in the 3rd congressional district of Quezon City. So that leaves me and faithful reader of this blog in the lurch, doesn’t it? Neither of us can vote for Remoto for senator. Which leaves me back to voting for Kiko Pangilinan, I guess…
Technorati Tags: Blogging, elections, history, ideas, philippines, politics, president, Senate
blockquote>Ca T, the UNDP’s Human Development (HDI) Index is computed as a composite of objective measures which include (1)life expectancy at birth, (2) Adult literacy rate, (3)combined primary, secondary and tertiary gross enrollment, and (4) GDP per capita. These statistics can be cross-checked and verified so the scenario that you paint where “ respondents are afraid for consequences if they tell the truth in the surveys†is improbable.
Get this scenario in China where the one child policy is being enforced. Many violation of this policy is not reported for fear of being persecuted. The local government therefore missed these in their reports to the central government. Now tell me, are the population statistics correct with the withholding of these information?
What are affected?
The number of the total population
the number of people falling under certain brackets
the number of people falling categorized according to gender.
As there is understatement of population ,the per capita is overstated.
That is only for primary data.
For secondary data, the respondents are people in some agencies whose release of information is subject to authorization. So if they do not want to release the statsitics that are below the poverty level, can you fault these people? If the government do not want info that would discredit the government, would you know?
Try looking at the CIA fact of Cuba, it has no data for poverty.
per capita GDP for PHils is 4,600
Cuba is 3,900. Which is higher.
Literacy rate for Cuba is claimed to be 97 per cent.
Literacy rate for Philippines is 92 per cent .
Which would you believe?
Abe, I have to agree with you that we are generally not a very imaginative nor original people. I feel as though we are copying everything, from tv game shows to socio-political/economic systems. I can hardly think of anything totally indigenous Filipino achievement that really shook the world and made significant impact to global thought and way of life.
It seems that we are always measuring our worth as a people in terms of other nation’s experience, always on the lookout for something we can imitate in an effort to become acceptable, if not respectable. If we are taken for granted because we can show nothing besides being good copycats, we are hurt and offended and oftentimes blame that which we copied.
So the Americans showed us their “way” in 1900 after being “freed” from centuries of Spanish colonial rule. The 1935 Constitution, an almost exact replica of the U.S. Constitution, was “imposed” by the conquerors and by means of ingenuously-crafted provisions and bilateral agreements, effectively restricted our right to self-determination. We got stuck with the American Way, but we prospered and grew until massive corruption and greed and home-grown despotism reared its ugly head, and continued to reign for over twenty years.
Come 1987, we achieved real political independence with the unrestricted right to determine our political fate. The overwhelming evidence is that we miserably failed to draw a better blueprint for our future as a nation and made a worse mess of what was already frayed to begin with. As MLQ3 said and I agree, it was a “missed opportunity”.
We are a young democracy of 50 years or thereabouts. It took America over 100 years, and a costly fratricidal war, to make its system viable – still a work in progress even now.
It seems that we not only lack imagination. We are also terribly impatient as Mita pointed out above. We are ready to discard and replace something the moment we encounter difficulty with it. A wise man (I can’t remember the name as I write this) once said: “the trouble with democracy is that it has never been tried”.
Like it or not, the American brand of democracy and free enterprise is ingrained in the Filipino soul. It cannot be erased without overhauling the national psyche – an exercise that is too difficult to carry out, if it is at all possible.
justice league, in evaluating whether to adopt a policy such as trade and labor liberalization, we have to look at it from the point of view of the greater good. There will always be a group of people who will be at put at a disadvantage, but we cannot proceed on the basis of satisfying everybody or else nothing can be done.
Free trade is an extension of market-based exchange, with all the advantages (and disadvantages) that come with it. Post World War II data show that countries that are more open have been known to grow faster than those who haven’t. As i mentioned, we still should fight to open the other country’s markets for our exports, but if they do not do so, in the end it’s also their loss and our gain.
Ca T, precisely what’s worth considering is that Cuba has a lower GDP but ranks higher in terms of human development index. Compared to us, they are able to spread the benefits of whatever little they have.
cvj,
so you’re still missing the point eh.
So would you like to adopt Cuba’s rationing system of food regardless of your status in the society?
Baka lalong magtatalak kayo.
Because that ‘s the only way Cuba made the benefits trickle to the poor?
But even the system is starting to erode as food shortages
are felt by Cuba. The more privileged people resort to blackmarket.
Before the downfall of the Soviet, Cuba was subsidized by communist countries.
Did the Philippines experience this?
If your subsistence come from a repressive government, your employment is provided by the state, would you attempt to say negative about this government ?
Then answer me why the people have to inform and ask the government if they want computer. Internet access is not allowed except for foreigners and only in area where the controls are possible.
Can you ask any Cuban that you may encounter in the web, how life is in Cuba?
Do you experience it here in the Philippines?
Count your blessings, man.
For both the Philippines and Cuba, the goal of “..a chicken in every pot” remains unfulfilled. So it is definitely true that computers-and-internet-access in every high school is a goal, not a reality.
However, Cuba is much much more repressive than the Philippines, and cvj is prime evidence. CVJ : an OFW who, like any other Filipino who can get a job in Singapore (or Dubai or the UK) will be allowed to leave the country. Cuba, on the other hand, has many more doctors-per-capita, and a major reason is that their doctors can NOT leave Cuba even with jobs waiting in Florida or in Texas.
Cuba does spread the misery around. [However, some are less miserable than others, for example the Castros and their kindred-in-power who has not really been elected to decide how to spread the misery around.]
AND to the best of my knowledge, if a Muslim family wants to move to Quiapo to escape the violence in Jolo, they can just pack up their bags and move without asking the government for permission. You’d think this freedom of movement is equally available in Cuba, right?
cvj,
Some of the provisions of the Philippine Constitution that I believe are relevant to the issue:
Article XII- National Economy and Patrimony
Section 1. The GOALS of the national economy are a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth; A SUSTAINED INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF GOODS AND SERVICES PRODUCED BY THE NATION for the benefit of the people; and an expanding productivity as the key to raising the quality of life for all, especially the under-privileged.
The State shall promote industrialization and full employment based on sound agricultural development and agrarian reform, through industries that make full and efficient use of human and natural resources, and which are competitive in both domestic and foreign markets. HOWEVER, THE STATE SHALL PROTECT FILIPINO ENTERPRISES AGAINST UNFAIR FOREIGN COMPETITION AND TRADE PRACTICES.
…………..
Section 13. The State shall pursue a trade policy that serves the general welfare and utilizes all forms and arrangements of exchange on the basis of equality and RECIPROCITY.
Section 14. The SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT of a RESERVOIR of NATIONAL talents consisting of Filipino scientists, entrepreneurs, PROFESSIONALS, managers, high-level technical manpower and skilled workers and craftsmen in all fields SHALL BE PROMOTED BY THE STATE. The State shall encourage appropriate technology and regulate its transfer for the national benefit.
The practice of ALL PROFESSIONS in the Philippines shall be LIMITED to Filipino citizens, SAVE IN CASES PRESCRIBED BY LAW.
Section 22. Acts which CIRCUMVENT OR NEGATE ANY of the provisions of this Article SHALL BE CONSIDERED INIMICAL TO THE NATIONAL INTEREST and subject to criminal and civil sanctions, as may be provided by law.
Article XIII- Social Justice and Human Rights
Health-
Section 11. The State SHALL ADOPT an INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the under-privileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers.
Section 12. The State shall establish and maintain an effective food and drug regulatory system and UNDERTAKE appropriate health, MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT, and research, RESPONSIVE TO THE COUNTRY’S HEALTH NEEDS AND PROBLEMS.
The applicable law is R.A. 2382 which is obviously the Medical Act and also its amendments.
Article III- The Board of Medical Examiners; Registration of Physicians
Section 8. Prerequisite to the practice of medicine. No person shall engage in the practice of medicine in the Philippines unless he is at least twenty-one years of age, has satisfactorily passed the corresponding Board Examination, and is a holder of a valid Certificate of Registration duly issued to him by the Board of Medical Examiners.
Section 9. Candidates for board examination. Candidates for Board examinations SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING qualifications:
(1) He shall be a citizen of the Philippines or a citizen of any foreign country who has submitted competent and conclusive documentary evidence, confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs, showing that HIS COUNTRY’S EXISTING LAWS PERMIT CITIZENS OF THE PHILIPPINES TO PRACTICE MEDICINE UNDER THE SAME RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CITIZENS THEREOF;
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Section 12. Limited practice without any certificate of registration. Certificates of registration SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED of the following persons:
(a) Physicians and surgeons from other countries called in consultation only and exclusively in specific and definite cases, or those ATTACHED to international bodies or organization assigned to perform CERTAIN DEFINITE work in the Philippines provided they SHALL LIMIT their practice to the SPECIFIC WORK ASSIGNED to them and provided further they shall secure a previous authorization from the Board of Medical Examiners.
(b) Commissioned medical officers of the United States armed forces stationed in the Philippines while rendering service as such only for the members of the said armed forces and within the limit of their own respective territorial jurisdiction.
(c) Foreign physicians employed as EXCHANGE PROFESSORS in special branches of medicine or surgery whose service may in the discretion of the Board of Medical Education, be necessary.
(d) Medical students who have completed the first four years of medical course, graduates of medicine and registered nurses who may be given limited and special authorization by the Secretary of Health to render medical services during epidemics or national emergencies whenever the services of duly registered physicians are not available. Such authorization shall automatically cease when the epidemic or national emergency is declared terminated by the Secretary of Health.
————-
I’ll try to explain the possible relevance of some of the aforementioned some time later.
oh please stop with the Cuba Goody-Goody endorsement…they’ll be back to democracy and the open market system soon as Castro dies.
Cuba is just a shell of a country – it’s heart is in Miami..
No, but it would be good to adopt a policy that ensures that no Filipino will go hungry in his own land. I’m not sure why you and UPn are turning this into an all or nothing debate about Cuba. Just like you, i watch TV so i’m aware that many risk their lives in small boats just to get to Florida. We don’t have to adopt any other country’s system lock stock and barrel (either American-style capitalism or Cuban communism). What we can do is to open our eyes and adopt its good aspects and learn from its failures. The Human Development Index points to something that Cuba is doing right, given its limited resources. Their abundance of doctors is also something to be commended. If you can get over your pathological fear of Communism, you will see that even Cuba has positive lessons to teach.
I can understand your sense of affinity with the Cuban exiles.
sus! affinity with Cuban exiles? how’d you read that into one statement?
I still say Cuba will be back to democracy and the open market. What Cuba has is a well-entrenched dictator (never mind communist) even Death won’t take…this is what you want for our country? Eh Gloria lang hindi na makaya…oh the hypocrisy!
Mita, you may find this article on Castro interesting.
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070101faessay86104/julia-e-sweig/fidel-s-final-victory.html
cvj… I think that mita hit the issue right on the nose. The major issue with Cuba is dictatorship (under the guise of “for the common good”). Now Castro was legitimately chosen by the Cubans, but that was way back in nineteen-forgotten, and my perception is that he (and his brother) has lost legitimacy decades ago.
And I sense that many of the good things you praise (e.g. high doctors-per-capita ratio) are unintended (and unearned) consequences of the Castro dictatorship.
There is no escape taxes and death, and the carpetbaggers will swarm Havana soon enough.
so what do you think is Cuba doing right?
Benefits to the poor in exchange of their freedom of expression and restricted lifestyle.
Eh kayo ang malakas ang sigaw against dictatorial goverment.
UPn Student, what is the basis of your sense that the high doctor-per-capita ratio is an unintended consequence? On the matter of dictatorship, i think we’ve had this discussion before – the one where you alleged that i wanted to set-up Arroyo as a dictator. This is what i told you then:
If we were to map the various combinations of democracy/dictatorship and elitist/populist arrangements, i would rank the following from best to worst (with corresponding role models identified) as follows:
1. Populist Democracy – the ideal arrangement from a political and economic standpoint. Possible Role Models: India, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia etc.
2. Populist Dictatorship – good track record for economic take-offs Possible Role Models: China (Phase 1 Mao’s revolution, Phase 2 Deng’s reforms) and Vietnam (Phase 1 Ho Chi Minh, Phase 2 ‘Doi Moi’ Reforms). Negative Role Model: Zimbabwe under Mugabe
3. Elitist Democracy – where we are now. Other countries: Russia
4. Elitist Dictatorship where Gloria and her middle class supporters want to take us. Role Model: Singapore. IMHO, this option sucks.
Not the ideal situation, but it’s better than today where the benefits are going to those in power in exchange for the poor’s freedom of expression and restricted lifestyle. If this were Cuba, we would still be living in Fulgencio Batista’s time, which explains Mita’s affinity with the Cuban exiles.
Justice League, i’m looking forward to your further explanation. In the meantime, here’s my take on the Article XII clauses:
On Section 1, more often than not, Protectionism does not result in a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services produced by the nation. Free trade increases the odds of achieving such a result. As to the clause the state shall protect filipino enterprises against unfair foreign competition and trade practices, how do you define unfair? If things are really cheaper to produce in China (because of lower wages or greater efficiency), would you consider that unfair competition?
On Section 13, the reciprocity guideline can be interpreted in the spirit of furthering the general welfare. Reciprocity for its own sake, especially the kind that is detrimental to the general welfare, is contrary to the spirit of this section. If we badly need doctors to save our healthcare system, then why does it matter that Pakistan/India or Cuba will not accept ours?
On Section 14, the entry of foreign talent does not necessarily contradict the development of local talent. In fact, as in the case of Singapore, both can complement each other. The mentoring and over-all professional interaction that has taken place between foreigners (like me) and locals over here has accelerated learning of everyone. The clause…
…is self-defeating and behind the times. We need to prescribe the necessary laws to open up the professions.
I thoroughly agree with Article XIII (Section 11 and 12) and i don’t think opening up the professions to foreigners necessarily contravenes this section.
The restrictions in R.A 2382 should be reviewed in light of the local shortage of medical professionals.
“Try looking at the CIA fact of Cuba, it has no data for poverty.”
An intelligence office without data on poverty–and you buy this incredulity? HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO???
don’t use china as red herring. someone supplied you with objective measures already. nuf said.
O ayan isalaksak mo diyan sa inudoro mo. BTW, alam mo ba ang ibig sabihin ng NA?
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
at para naman matuto ka namang magrsearch at gumamit ng mga statistics bago ka magngagawa,ito ag link. Marunong ka bag maginterpret ng statisticS?
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cu.html
cvj, you can throw veiled insults at me but it will always reflect on you…time and time again.
See this is the thing…if you want a Cuba, you’ll have to contend with a Castro for 50 years – 5 decades. Not to mention an armed revolution, human rights violations as a calculated, systematic means of cowering the population into submission, mass exodus of the citizens AND ramming one man’s rule and ideolgy down your throat? Do you really think Filipinos will stand for that – again?
Does the end justify the means?
Look at yourself in the mirror…this is the absolute, ultimate level of hypocrisy.
mita, the funiest thing is that if it’s all up to him, he would not allow PGMA to finish her term for a mere two more years. Hypocrisy? Big time!
pusang gala:
problema na ng cia yon if they can’t supplant their na%. and if you think their stat is trustworthy, what does their gdp per capita tell you compared to us. it only validates that indeed undp’s finding are valid and reliable. magbasa ka!
cvj… did you just say that there will be occasions where you will approve the Philippine government to put limits to freedom of expression?
When will you let GMA do this… put limits to freedom of expression?
Or… if not the GMA-administration, which administration?
then we go back to the question of how reliable are those reports when the country refuses to provide the answers.
Next time when you argue with me, be sure you have your fingers in reearch mode.
Personally, i’m for democracy, which is why i consider Hello Garci such a big deal. However, i recognize that there are people who have said that “we are prepared to lose our freedoms and our rights just to move this country forward. “. We even have industry leaders such as Washington Sycip who wishes for some sort authoritarian rule which is a half-baked version of what China went through. With the above list (popular democracy, popular dictatorship, elite democracy, elite dictatorship), i would like to convey that if, for some combination of events, we again stumble into a dictatorship, then this time it must be worth the human costs. To me, the only valid use of a dictatorship is to break the power of the oligarchs and warlords. In contrast, a dictatorship sponsored by the Manila Hotel-going crowd of Gloria Arroyo just preserves the status quo, and does nothing for the greater majority. If we are to have a dictatorship, it has to be one that can be defended in Plaza Miranda.
A dictatorship that can be defended in Plaza Miranda – the old bastion of freedom of speech and democracy of the country…aahhh…excuse me…there seems to be a disconnect here!!!!!
paki-connect lang ulit please…
cvj,
In the opening statement of my last post; I stated that the following provisions of the Charter and law are what I believed as “relevant†to the issue. I promised in the end that I would try to explain their “relevanceâ€Â.
But I see that you saw it fit to respond and have given your “take†on the related provisions and law. You therefore acknowledged their relevance and so have released me from that burden.
If you would care to review all my posts in this thread; you might notice that I never said anything against your statement that “Cuba can teach us how to train more doctors.â€Â
Silently, I would have waited for you to develop, sell, and defend that idea.
It was your remark of getting physicians from Cuba that I reacted to.
To another poster you responded with “Have you seen how rule of law(and the other Governance indicators) has deteriorated since Gloria took over?â€Â
I might be wrong but I seem to remember that you are one of those who stood for the preservation of the present Constitution.
May I be so bold as to ask if you are (A) one of those who advocate that the law/Constitution be followed or are you (B) one of those who advocate that the law/Constitution be followed “only†if the same happens to be along your vision?
For as long as the law/Constitution hasn’t been amended/repealed/suspended; shouldn’t it be followed as is?
I have shown you the pertinent provisions of the Constitution and law.
Whether it was deliberate on my part or not; you had the chance to seize the moment and proclaim that your idea of “Cuba can teach us how to train more doctors†fits within Article XII of the Constitution.
You could have claimed that “Cuba can teach us how to train more doctors†would fulfill the Goal of a SUSTAINED AMOUNT of INCREASE in (medical) SERVICES BY THE NATION. But you did not!
You could have claimed that “Cuba can teach us how to train more doctors†could lead to a SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT of a RESERVOIR of NATIONAL talents consisting of PROFESSIONALS (physicians). But you did not.
You could have claimed that “Cuba can teach us how to train more doctors†could lead to MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIVE TO THE COUNTRY’S HEALTH NEEDS AND PROBLEMS. But you did not.
It’s as if sometime after 12:03 AM of March 5,2007, you inadvertently hit your head on a wall and developed amnesia on that. Or is the more proper thought is that you ABANDONED that idea when I revealed that foreign physicians were being considered to practice medicine here?
But you’ve had your chance! It’s too late for you to clarify your stand. Why should we give you the benefit of the doubt now?
You considered the idea of foreign physicians and arrayed it against Sec.1 of Article XII and wrote nothing except Protectionism.
I considered the idea of foreign physicians and the plans of the government and arrayed it against Sec.1 of Article XII but I saw nothing beyond taking in foreign physicians.
The government had no plan with corresponding action for a sustained amount of increase of medical service by this nation!
The exodus of Filipino physicians continues. A few hundred foreign doctors will not be enough and the government will be taking more in, which no doubt you will wholeheartedly endorse again as the government has no plan with corresponding action beyond that.
Unless you are of set (B); shouldn’t you advocate that the Constitution be fulfilled in that provision unless or until that provision is removed?
You considered the idea of foreign physicians and arrayed it against Sec.14 of Article XII and wrote nothing but that foreign talent does not necessarily contradict the development of local talent and how they can complement each other in Singapore.
I considered the idea of foreign physicians and the plans of the government and arrayed it against Sec.14 of Article XII but I saw nothing beyond taking in foreign physicians.
The government had no plan with corresponding action for a sustained development of physicians!
Fewer and fewer students are taking up medicine. Fewer and fewer newly graduate physicians are taking up residency courses. The foreign physicians are likely to mentor to no one!
Unless you are of set (B); shouldn’t you advocate that the Constitution be fulfilled in that provision unless or until that provision is removed?
You looked at Section 11 and 12 of Article XIII and all you wrote about was that opening up the professions to foreigners doesn’t necessarily contravene those sections.
I looked at Section 11 and 12 of Article XIII and wondered where was the integrated and comprehensive approach to health development and where was the undertaking by the government of manpower development that was supposed to be responsive to the country’s health needs and problems.
Unless you are of set (B); shouldn’t you advocate that the Constitution be fulfilled in those provisions unless or until those provisions are removed?
Without appropriate government plans and corresponding action on the aforementioned provisions (we don’t even know if the government is trying); we are CONSTRAINED to hold that taking in foreign physicians to service our medical needs (as beneficial as the plan may be) is but an act to circumvent or negate provisions of Article XII.
Hindi lang sa Plaza Miranda kundi pati sa Korte Suprema ay lalaban kami.
UNLIKE YOU, WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET THIS GOVERNMENT’S INDOLENCE PASS WITHOUT A FIGHT!!!
cvj,
Section 13 of Article XII is comprised of only one sentence. There is not a single comma in it. There is not a single “or†in it but only “andâ€Âs.
Section 2 of Article VII states: No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.
If anyone was to use your manner of interpretation of the Constitution; a foreigner who is a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election for the Presidency may be elected president of the Philippines.
Unless you can show us a Supreme Court decision employing your manner of interpretation of the Constitution; I advise everyone to reject your manner of interpreting the Charter.
Mita, thanks for your comment. As to your perception that I am equating soldiers’ salaries with militarization I did not meant it to be. Far from it, – What I am trying to evoke is the parody that there were several salary increases made in the armed forces (and several components) by I think as much as 50% or double the pay of their basic sometime in 2002. Same time GMA announces this coming July, or to be discreet, after the election of PHP 1,200 addition in their allowances. To all these, they deserve it well and I salute them. But what I am trying to point out, which is the crux of the matter, is that our civilian (government) employees especially in the rank and files have never tasted any salary increase during the term of GMA with the exception of a measly PHP 1000.00 addition in their cost of living allowances. Also contrast this at the same time this coming July of a 10% basic salary increase for our government workers many among them are getting PHP 9000.00 a month basic. That’s only an additional of 900.00 far from the PHP 3,500.00 across the board many of our government unions are demanding just to ease them out of the pain of hunger and poverty. Wage/salary increase among our civil servants has always been a grave issue. This is the reason why the ultimate dream our (govt.) nurses and would be to go to America or UK and teachers contented in becoming domestic helpers. Such is the pity of our professionals whose basic pay is at their lowest level. This is where I wish to emphasize. Improving the welfare of our soldiers is a positive step. But this is also a knee-jerk reaction of this administration of its constant fear of “military adventurism†or coup d’etat to be blunt. GMA should not resort to Machiavellian tactic reminiscent of Marcos rule nor kow-tow to the dictates of those around her. We are on the verge of militarization by observing the ff:
1.Entrenchment of too many (now for me a good few is quite okay!) retired military officers to civilian posts at the secretary, u/sec, ambassador and govt. corporate levels.
2.Excessive deployment of troops on patrol in Metro Manila and peripheral provinces.
3.Melo report largely blaming scalawags in the military for some of the political and extra-judicial atrocities.
I agree with you that we are making some headway in a two-fronged fight against leftist insurgency and Islamic-extremist terrorists. That is the good news part, I salute our soldiers.
Ok, since you requested, let me make try to make the connection clearer:
1. Time and again, i’ve heard certain Filipinos say that democracy has not worked for us. Some have gone to the extent of concluding that the only way for us to move forward is to submit to some form of dictatorship.
2. Personally, i favor a democracy, because the alternative can be costly in terms of human lives. However, i can see where they are coming from. After all, successful economies, like China, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan are (or were) under an authoritarian form of government.
4. So, if we are to follow the path that these countries took, we have to make sure that the benefits are worth the costs. An important criterion to consider in this regard is who will be the beneficiaries of such a dictatorship.
a. If the beneficiaries are the current elite, then such an arrangement is hardly worth the trouble since it just means more of the same.
b. If, on the other hand, the powers of the dictatorship can be used to address existing inequalities, then this proposition might be worth considering. After all, it worked for South Korea and Taiwan and it seems to be working for China and Vietnam.
That’s how such a proposition can be defended in Plaza Miranda.
Just to be doubly clear, as I’ve said more than once, i’m for democracy, which is why i believe that Gloria Arroyo should step down because of issues having to do with her legitimacy.
Cvj,
Dumping is unfair.
The relevant definition here is that it is the selling of goods abroad at a price that is lower than what it is being sold in the domestic market where it is coming from.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7845- AN ACT RATIONALIZING AND STRENGTHENING THE PROVISIONS ON ANTI-DUMPING, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 301, PART 2, TITLE II, BOOK I OF THE TARIFF AND CUSTOMS CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS AMENDED.
“Sec. 301. Dumping Duty. –
“a. Whenever the Secretary of Finance or the Secretary of Trade and Industry (hereinafter called the ‘Secretary’) receives an anti-dumping petition from the domestic industry or the Secretary has reason to believe, from any invoice or other document or newspaper, magazine or information or translation thereof by any reputable language translator made available by any government agency or interested party, that a specific kind or class of foreign article, is being imported into, or sold or is likely to be sold in the Philippines, AT A PRICE LESS THAN ITS NORMAL VALUE, the importation or sale of which MIGHT INJURE, or RETARD the establishment of, or is LIKELY TO INJURE an industry producing like articles in the Philippines, the Secretary shall, within twenty (20) days from receipt of such petition or information, determine a prima facie case of DUMPING.
……..
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“1. Verify if the kind or class of article in question is being imported into, or sold or is likely to be sold in the Philippines at a price less than its normal value;
“The normal value of an article shall be the comparable price in the ordinary course of trade for the like articles when destined for domestic consumption in the exporting country which for purposes of this section MEANS THE COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION OR MANUFACTURE.”
Whether it is cheaper to produce a product in China because of lower wages or greater eficiency is inconsequential with regards to “dumping”.
If it is to be/being sold here at a lower price than it is being sold in the markets of China that will injure an industry here; that is “dumping”!
So high how is that threshold of yours for what you would consider as “dumping”?
John, Kicking Gloria out is the best way forward – agree; she’s kicked every single decent letter in the book of good governance, she doesn’t deserve a minute in Malacanang.
She and her co-bansot, Singson deserve a cell together in the national penitentiary.
i wasn’t requesting, just being sarcastic. but since you obliged i have to say your defense is weak. dictatorships cannot be defended…least of all in the Philippines where we’ve experienced it. you should’ve used another word…but then, you were endorsing the Cuban experience and that includes Castro…
gloria pa rin? *ubo* *ubo*
issues na yan dumaan na sa kongreso ng hindi lang isa, kungdi dalawang beses. pati yang resign kahit anong sigaw hindi naman nag-resign. paulit-ulit na lang…sa tingin ko huling sigaw yan kung wala nang masagot eh. that’s not just beating a dead horse – that’s riding it too!
pero 50 years of castro is okay huh?
now please oblige Justice League…i think he wants to hear from you more than I do…
hey adb, youre still alive? we’ve gone this road before but you seem to have forgotten. who would you have as PGMA’s replacement? Party-pooper Joma Sison with Ara Mina as first lady? I think you would make a good minister of hate and torture, if not director of foul languages.
Justice League, you’re right, i completely forgot about my initial statement that ‘Cuba can teach us something about training enough doctors‘. Thanks for calling attention to that and i believe your ideas on how the Cubans can help by training our doctors as a fulfillment of the provisions of the Constitution are excellent ones which i strongly endorse.
Your suggested training program can nevertheless exist side by side with the policy of importing Cuban, Pakistani, Indian, Iraqi, Lebanese and whoever foreign doctors are willing to come here to practice. After all, it takes some time for the educational system to churn out doctors so we would still need to address the immediate labor shortage.
The above do not have to be mutually exclusive alternatives.
That’s because i consider protectionism detrimental to the goals stated in Article XII.
I’m not sure if your asking whether i subscribe to (B) is just a rhetorical device, but i’ll take it as such. I have given my reading of Article XII, but if the restrictive interpretation of ‘reciprocity’ is the one that is upheld by the Supreme Court, then we just have to live and bear with its consequences until such time that provision can be ammended in the proper manner (once we no longer have Gloria and kindred trapos as the main issue).
Suppose the above Constitutional provisions were ammended such that impediments to foreign labor are removed, would you still have objections to bringing in Indian, Pakistani, Iraqi, Lebanese and Cuban doctors?
I guess that is what’s called ‘speaking from both sides of the mouth’.
From the above, it seems that the ‘country of production or manufacture’ refers to the country from which the goods originate (i.e. the ‘exporting country’ which in our example is China). This is reinforced by the succeeding paragraph in the same section.
“If the normal value of an article cannot be determined, the following rules shall apply:
“If the like article is not being sold in the ordinary course of trade in the domestic market of the exporting country or if the sale does not allow a fair comparison or if the normal value is not available or unreliable because of association or a compensatory arrangement between the exporter and the importer or a third party or the agency providing the normal value is state-controlled or jointly owned by the state or the exporting country, or where products are not imported directly from the country of production then, the normal value shall be based on the higher of values determined from any of the following methods, such as but not limited to, the normal value of like articles in a proxy country at the same stage of development of the industry producing like products, or the cost of production in the country of production or manufacture or on the estimated landed cost in the country of production or manufacture which is based on C and F price of such articles including duties, surcharges, and taxes when imported by an importer in the country of production.
…in which case, lower prices due to efficiency and lower wages are consequential.
As i understand it, what is stated in the law is my threshold.
Bencard,
I take it you don’t agree that Gloria and Chavit Singson deserve a cell in the national penitentiary? And pray why not? Oh yeah, because they ain’t been proven criminals yet… ah the joy of wearing blinkers, blinders…
Do tell me, why do you envy Joma Sison so? You… a what again? An intellectual? Whoa, that’s a big word for someone who uses his knowledge of family law to go about lecturing on why Bansot’s ability to twist the law is reason enough to judge her not guilty of whoring to stay in Malacanang.
Anyway, am not surprised by your take that Gloria is the rightful president – coming from a two-bit lawyer (divorce lawyer for Pinoys in the US I take it?) like you who can’t seem to get it into your thick un-travelled head why Malacanang party-pooper, Gloria bansot refuses to push for and sign an extradition treaty with the Dutch to get Joma Sison?
She’s been quacking her ugly mouth against Sison yet refuses to get him? Could it be because she knows she’s not serious about Sison? That she’s merely using him as some kind of punching bag?
There’s no more obstacle for her to get Sison but instead of acting, she’s quacking – you reckon that’s the right thing to do Bencard, the moral thing to do?
Not to worry Bencard, even if you specialize in divorce law, you may still be helpful to her when she’s finally indicted for crimes that you believe she hasn’t committed…
Give her your two-bit counsel, will you?
Justice League, i just re-read your post on dumping (at March 7th, 2007 at 11:59 pm) and it seems that we do have the same understanding of its definition so my preceding reply (at 4:27am) is superfluous. I’m in agreement with the law.
As to foul words, Bencard, don’t be such a frigging shit – why can’t you be truthful. I’ve seen more of ’em in your posts than in any of the posts of commenters here. You become livid and pepper your diatribes with foul words, directing them at every single person whom you feel does not agree with you.
You’ve been extremely foul and objectionable with cvj who’s been level headed in all the discussions with you while you spew your uncontrolled rhetoric.
Wonder why you can’t seem to control your temper – you sure you ain’t got prostate problems or something?
Trying to get on a high horse Bencard doesn’t make you higher – you will just be some two-bit divorce lawyer trying to show off. The minute you started defending the undefendable Arroyo, telling every one here why she is great and why she should remain, that she’s not lied, cheated or stolen, you join her and her coterie of moral wannabes. You are absolutely morally clueless, Bencard.
I think you are right to stay closeted in your dreary little universe wherever you are and devote whatever time you have to your keyboard fights in this arena – Manolo’s blog – because your kind is actually useless anywhere else.
Don’t bother to reply to my post because I can tell you, your obnoxious whimperings will fall on deaf ears.
Grow up Bencard, travel… there’s a whole world out there so you can actually learn a bit more that there more to life than Gloria. Don’t be a loser, if you see what I mean.
Folks, did you see what I mean? She also sounds like a witch with a mirror that reflects evil whenever she looks at her face in it.
granted that you dire so admire the cia report: what does its data say about the per capita income of cuba? that’s almost 4x that of our country; indeed inferential analysis will tell you that relative to cuba’s standing, the phil is way far from its level. which would further tell you which country has far greater level of poverty incidence, wouldn’t it? or would you rather interpret cia’s n.a. as not available to mean non-existent, which all the more validates the conjecture that cuba is far better off than us.
research mode? heck, ask any self-respecting academician this: between which of the two reports they’d rather cite for reference, one prepared by an agency that is deep into intelligence reporting, or one which is into country developmental promotion? and remember this index in question: poverty incidence.
and oh, we’re you not the one who is so fond of citing from wikipedia? and you call that in-depth research?
cvj, yun na lang yon? dalawang beses dumaan sa kongreso diba?
bencard, “your kind” daw – how trite and how easily people fall into such obvious traps…
OMG yes, i clearly see what you mean – thanks for the laugh!
Dalawang beses pinagtakpan si Gloria Arroyo ng kaniyang mga ka-alyado sa kongreso.
at dalawang beses din napalusot ng oposisyon ang mga ka-alyado ni gloria…
cvj,
Just so everybody gets a clearer picture on the matter; the impediments to foreign labor aren’t the only problem anymore (I did mention that there could be many and like I stated before, I couldn’t put my finger on it then though I had a strong feeling that there were).
I think what you mean is that not only is the reciprocity clause gone but also the sustained amount of increase of service by this nation, the sustained development Filipino professionals, etc…. are no longer mandated by the Charter.
At that point then, whether I have objections or not won’t matter Constitutionally anymore.
Justice League, once the restrictive interpretation of the reciprocity clause is discarded, then it would be easier to justify that liberalizing the entry of foreign labor is not necessarily contrary and in fact complementary to the sustained amount of increase of service by this nation, the sustained development Filipino professionals, etc.
cvj,
That is something you will have to expound.
Justice League, professionals benefit when there are others like them around. This is because they tend to learn from each other in the course of their interaction (whether formal or informal). As you pointed out above, the doctor-trainees would benefit from having experienced mentors around. Same goes for young inexperienced doctors starting out in the field. Incoming foreign talent would partially offset the brain drain due to the OFW phenomenon.
mita, the trouble with “these” people they love to dish it out (with all the mean spirit they could muster) but they couldn’t take it. Thanks to MLQ3, this blog is not an exclusive forum for PGMA haters, otherwise, he would just be preaching to the choir.
bencard, i think the one thing we can agree on is that the problems of the country are larger than any single leader, and that the start of any solutions lies beyond any single leader, either. and i do think that there will still be more that unites us, than divides us.