Even as GMA touts more China deals, predictions of the status quo being maintained in the House of Representatives may end up unfounded after all: Full-blown GMA-JDV war seen.
It’s all about the tactical implications of two moves: the Oliver Polido impeachment complaint (endorsed by Marcoleta San Luis) against the President on one hand, and Graft raps filed vs Speaker, son at Ombudsman on the other.
Here is the Pulido so-called impeachment complaint:
Here is the Pulido so-called anti-graft complaint:
Even as Impeachment bid vs Arroyo doomed – Puno, and Opposition solons not supporting impeach complaint vs Arroyo (not least, I’d guess, because it’s a familiar strategy, the crudeness of which is only surpassed by the idiocy of those trying to dangle inducements: Solon bares P2-M bribe to endorse Arroyo impeach rap), since anything is possible in politics, it does make sense to point out Impeach plot may backfire on Arroyo — solons.
This is the gambit unfolding before us, folks:
1. The “nuclear option” any Speaker has, against any President, particularly when presidents leave herding the members of the majority coalition in the hands of the Speaker or allows the Speaker to maintain a constituency of his own, is that a Speaker can repeat what then-Speaker Villar did to then-President Estrada. Suddenly transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.
2. To head off this “nuclear option,” or the option of an impeachment complaint getting off the ground, if you’re an uneasy President, then encourage an ally to file a flawed impeachment complaint. This can then go through all the necessary rigamarole in the House, and expands your delaying tactics and political options there.
3. If the complaint’s really, really bad, it won’t gain any steam; if it’s so bad but you’re so unpopular it might gather steam, you can defuse the situation anyway, by giving and denying pork barrel funds; in these a friendly Speaker can help you, an unfriendly Speaker hinder you; but if the complaint originated from you, the President, then your ally or enemy, the Speaker, has suddenly found his options limited. He can kill the impeachment complaint, which insulates you, the President, from having to take the heat of another complaint for at least a year; if the Speaker decides to send it upstairs to the Senate, flaws and all, anyway, then you can maneuver the Senate into acquitting you because the charges were bogus or fatally flawed, anyway.
It would take a Speaker who’s a wizard at parliamentary procedure to find a way out of this kind of trap. It’s possible, but requires nerves of steel and a reliable set of clever parliamentarians.
Meanwhile, the Speaker’s camp now has to wage its own battle: Hand of ‘higher ups’ behind graft complaint–De Venecia son. All the Palace’s guns are trained on the Speaker and his son, because they have to be destroyed during the vacation the Senate started a week ahead of schedule. There are still enough dangling threads for a Senate to continue weaving a rope with which to hang some of the President’s men. As smoke asked in her blog,
If the ZTE contract was all-wrong, why not go after the guy who signed it, Leandro Mendoza?
If the ZTE contract was founded on a concept so wrong-headed as a broadband backbone for government despite the existence of commercial backbones, why not put the thumbscrews on the guy who cleared the concept, Romulo Neri (props to Mar Roxas – otherwise a retard – for focusing on Neri)?
Yeah, why hasn’t anyone gone after Secretary Mendoza? After all, it takes two to tango, Mendoza was invited to that breakfast, and they kept meeting… and meeting… and meeting… and then de Venecia is told to “back off” by the President’s husband (out of concern for JDV3, he said), but then why didn’t he also tell Mendoza to “back off” since Mendoza works for Arroyo’s wife?
And what about the thumbscrews for Neri? Ah- there’s the brouhaha about that executive session in the senate. It struck too close too home, maybe? So its potential result had to be blunted with a clumsy move (the allegation that Andaya intimidated Neri)? And a future possibility it might be repeated headed off (by means of this: Arroyo confirms Neri report of bribery, muzzles Cabinet)?
The Inquirer editorial yesterday delves into the real issues at hand that won’t go away:
There are questions, too, concerning what transpired in the Senate’s executive session in which former Neda Director General Romulo Neri (now CHEd chair) was supposed to have been given the chance to explain why he had invoked executive privilege. He never got to it–from what the public knows so far. The allegations surrounding the failure of the executive session to achieve its purposes have been used to raise questions about media’s lawful right to protect their sources, thus shifting the focus away from the real issue, which is, the allegation of pressure brought by the executive department upon a witness summoned by the Senate, a clear invasion by a co-equal branch into the workings of another. Whether a senator, in effect, has been implicated in aiding and abetting executive interference further complicates the issue.
Since it has been proposed that the Senate, in the interest of its institutional independence, should get to the bottom of the allegations, and since Neri himself may not have even disclosed anything because the disclosure was made impossible by pressure being brought to bear by a Cabinet member, the Senate, not the media, holds the key. It can vote to allow every senator present to disclose what really transpired. And it begins with the senators figuring out if, legally speaking, an executive session even really transpired.
And then, there is the question of whether executive privilege can be used as a means of enabling officials to thwart Congress’ duties or, possibly, to obstruct justice, hide crimes and cover up misdemeanors.
Executive Order 464 covering civilian officials, now has a counterpart covering the military–Administrative Order 197. The President has made a categorical statement to the effect that her subordinates will be invoking the notorious EO 464 in future Senate inquiries. We can confidently predict AO 197 will be used to similar ill-effect by the AFP brass. Even administration ally Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has said that she expects this will end up in a case before the Supreme Court–the same place any challenge to invocations of executive privilege in Senate inquiries should end up.
As for the new Arroyo-Enrile tandem, Amando Doronila has some tart words for Senator Joker Arroyo in particular:
When the inquiry resumes, the Senate will find itself deeply divided on the issue, with no witness to provide it with the “smoking gun” to pin down the President.
But the resolution to hold reporters in contempt if they did not reveal their sources inside the executive session who leaked the story of Neri’s appearance is a live issue.
Senator Arroyo said he would pursue his ethics complaints against certain senators who leaked the details of the closed-door session. He does not need a battle with the press over an issue he cannot win — the right of the public to know.
It is so unnecessary. It is so unlike him to be on the side of a cover-up. It’s not worth covering up for the administration, especially on the involvement of the President’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo.
A contrary view of the above is in Philippine Commentary.
The President’s risk-taking makes sense if you consider how damaged she’s been because of the Senate investigations, and how, if she can buy herself a year of breathing room, she can then mount an offensive against all possible rivals. The end game? Tony Abaya thinks the President will pull a Putin:
It has been rumored that all these shady transactions were/are meant to raise money for Kampi (Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino, or something like that), the political party headed by President Arroyo. That is not improbable.
During its “party congress” in February 2005, then Rep. Ronaldo Puno, at that time Kampi’s president, expressly set the goal of Kampi becoming the biggest political party in the Philippines by the year 2007.
In an earlier article, I had asked why Kampi, then a miniscule grouping, would want to become the biggest political party in the Philippines only three years before President Arroyo’s non-extendable term as president expires. I concluded that President Arroyo wanted to remain in power beyond 2010, as prime minister…
The subsequent maneuvers to shift to a parliamentary system of government, in the Lower House and through a so-called people’s initiative, confirmed my prognosis. Though both efforts were stymied, it does not mean GMA and Kampi have given up.
We can expect Speaker Jose de Venecia to be deposed from his position soon, especially after the expose by his son Joey on the NBN deal. Does Kampi have the numbers? Probably not. But the question should be rephrased, does Kampi have the money to buy all the opportunistic trapos waiting to be bought? To which the answer is probably, Yes.
A model may soon emerge in, of all places, Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was first elected in May 2000 from a field of ten candidates, with the support of the outgoing president, the late Boris Yeltsin. In March 2004, Putin was re-elected president with an astounding 71% of the votes. His presidential term ends in March 2008 and he is barred by the Russian Constitution from running for a third term.
But — surprise! surprise! — he announced last Monday, Oct. 01, that he will run for a seat in the Russian parliament in the coming parliamentary elections on December 2, and that, as head of the ruling United Russia party, he had a “realistic” chance of becoming prime minister.
This announcement, made during a pre-election party congress in Moscow, brought “hundreds of delegates to their feet with a roar of applause,” according to the French news agency, AFP. This is not political hyperbole. Putin is genuinely popular for having brought prosperity (through the high price of oil and gas) and law and order to a formerly impoverished and chaotic Russia. The latest public opinion surveys give Putin an approval rating of more than 70%.
So, if he wins a seat in parliament in December — and no one doubts that he will – Putin will be both president and prime minister for several weeks or months, until he names a presidential successor to take over in March 2008. In those weeks or months, the Russian Constitution will no doubt be amended to shift from the presidential to the parliamentary system of government, to allow the popular Putin, who is only 55 years old, to remain in power almost indefinitely, as long as his party retains majority in parliament.
Can our resident dominatrix, who has a net approval rating of negative 11% in the latest SWS survey, pull off a Putin here? Why not? The party in power — Kampi plus the usual opportunistic turncoats from Lakas and other parties – always has a built-in advantage over a divided and leaderless opposition, plus the cash from all those kickbacks to buy everyone with..
It is not improbable that another maneuver towards parliamentary will be railroaded soon, followed by elections for seats in an interim parliament, the original game plan of Speaker JdV to become the country’s first prime minister. But he’s out of the loop now. As in Russia after December, we could have both president and prime minister in one person, for a few weeks at least, until the shift to parliamentary is finalized and complete.
As long as the economy is doing fairly well, it would be hard for Loren or Chiz or Manny or Ping or Mar or whoever to successfully raise the moral issue against President Arroyo because the perception is rife and widespread that they are all crooks anyway – or would be beholden to another set of crooks anyway – and nothing is going to change if any of them were to take over through another Big Money-dominated election.
But to do that, she needs to take down the Speaker, now, and wall off the Senate.
More on Putin. Last year, a media critic of the Russian President died, or more accurately, was murdered, and in Pajamas Media, a closer look at Putin and his nemesis is taken by Kim Zigfeld, while a portion of Perry Anderson’s article on Russia in the Age of Putin is reprinted in Harper’s.
My column today is Calabasa meets the Force (You can find the Yoda quotes here that used, I have).
Technorati Tags: Blogging, constitution, elections, House of Representatives, impeachment, journalism, law, media, philippines, politics, president, Senate, society
davocate,
methinks, US forces will be spent on theats to its survival. RP is too sensitive a spot for the US not to spend its forces on to keep it from a very dangerous enemy.
Indeed, a very interesting scenario.
Dark days ahead indeed…Will the Ewoks (meaning the opposition) take part in the melee or will they wait till the smoke settles and take care of the stragglers?
Ramrod, most of the ewoks are eagerly awaiting to whom they would surrender their freedoms to.
cvj the hut,
Methinks you have the hots for Princess Karah.
Ramrod, not too sure about that, but i realize that i do have masochistic streak.
mlq3, cvj, ramrod,
I chanced upon a blog,RP-China Agreements http://rpchina.blogspot.com/
see how Gloria is selling RP to China, at wholesale prices
ramrod,
Each one will have to take sides.
Pete, thanks for the link. What you unearthed is the price of Austero’s (and some other ewoks’) bargain. I think China classifies us along with Burma and the African countries as a supplier of resources and a market for their loans. Easy to do given a corrupt leadership.
…and a docile citizenry.
Pete, thanks a lot for the link, this is what I’d been looking for a long time. If these projects go through, then we can start learning Cantonese or Mandarin for we will be considered a mainland province just like Taiwan. If US by way of Monsanto have India as a testing ground for their Frankenfood, China will use Philippines, Burma Vietnam and Africa. This is bigger than the current NBW/ZTE scandal. The whole nation should wake up and stop this from happening.
cvj, totie,
from the start I had said that the ZTE deal is plainly and simply treasonous.
at https://www.quezon.ph/?p=1513 I had posted a series of comments touching on areas of concern re the china deals I had been hoping that this be focused upon,
“As an off-shoot of the Senate’s ZTE investigation, I suggest the creation of the Philippine-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
To monitor, investigate, and submit to congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the Phillippines and the People’s Republic of China, and to provide recommendations, where appropriate, to Congress for legislative and administrative action.”
cvj, totie,
please review my short comments above, the national security and geopolitical implications of the EVENTS AT HAND must be considered very carefully,
we might miss a crucial life-defining turn at this crossroads
Pete, cvj
Yes indeed. The unfolding events appears nothing but a smoke screen of the real situations. Look what is happening while the whole nation’s attention is diverted to all these controversies.
White Boys Agenda:
a) Military – Visiting troops will eventually have their permanent post in Mindanao? Malaysia? (If the intent is pure trainign, why are they concentrated in Mindanao? why not in Cagayan, Sierra Madre or in Quezon?)
b) Food Supply: Control Seedling Bank by ensuring that only their seeds can be planted legally. Destroy the seedlings supply and replace with sterile seeds. How? Actively securing patents/license for the GMO seeds, as well as claiming ownership to pig/hogs genetic makeup through the BFAD. Should this happen, todas na tayo. There is an organization in New York based in Staten Island, that collects un-modified plant seedlings to ensure supply in the event of a widespread destruction.
China’s Agenda
a) Take as much agricultural land as they can so that they can plant and test their own Frankenfood. They wanted to beat the white boys in the battle for Frankenfood production. Of course at our expense. Look at the Bio Fuel, they will farm the land with the Frankenvariety not suitable for human consumption, what do you think shall be the long term effect to our regular plants. In addiition, what are they going to feed these Frankenplants? Fertilizer, chemicals???
If Chinese gets those big chunks of farm lands, who wins? Where will Monsanto plant their patented seeds? If local farmers use US Frankenseeds and by act of nature cross pollinate with the Chinese farms own Frankenvariety, where do you think this will end? Check how Monsanto entered and controlled the Canola plants in Canada?
b) Aqua Culture or what? – if they be given the right to fish can that privelege also be used for activiites other than fishing? You connect the dot. The White Boys may have the South but Chinese covers North and South by way of their aqua culture/fishing operations.
c) Public Utilities: Power supply, telecommunications. NBW? is this really for the government use only? Or? I never in my wildest dream, believed that Gloria made the decision to cancell or suspend the deal unless an initiative was received from China. Olympic is right around the corner.
Look how cool they get the approvals, very smooth like a Trojan Horse.
The question is what the entire nation needs to do?
Totie, Pete,
Before we answer the question of what the nation needs to do, i think we have to separate the following:
1. From the economic/environmental point of view – the benefits/damage these arrangements would cause.
2. From the legal standpoint – violations of existing laws.
3. From a social equity standpoint – distribution of compensation to the right parties (e.g. the intended beneficiaries of CARP and not the brokers within the government and business community).
A post-Arroyo government does not necessarily have to automatically rescind all the above MOUs, but rather, renegotiate them to remedy for the above.
totie, cvj,
globalization? or multi-national colonization of the Philippines?
stopping just one of those activities you mentioned that are damaging to our country and that endanger the livelihood and well-being of our people for generations is enough reason why GMA must be urgently impeached, be forced to resign or be forced to atleast take a leave.
cvj,
if i’ll pick one or two top priority for immediate moratorium 1) GMO propagation 2) mining, these two cause irreversible long term damage.
Pete, cvj
Globalization in line with the New World Order.
Immediate Action: TRO and conduct a full Risk Assessment covering three areas, Financial, Legal, Reputation, Environmental preferably by a 3rd party. Balik agriculture tayo. Di na baleng gumastos at least we can be sure that all is well if it is.
Re: CVJ 3 points
1) Economic / Environmental: Economically short live one to five years and then the environmental damage will start to feel the negative effect. Considering it is a 25 years contract.
2) Legal Standpoint – lack of transaparency in a cross boarder contract. I am not so deep within the local regs but common sense dictates, if the net effect is not favorable to the nation, it should be deemed, economic treason or what?
3) Very easy. Structure the transaction as if it is one big company and each farmers land contribution shall be issued with a shares of stock or certificate. There should be a 3rd party oversight that will serve as control. A single farmer with a seven hectare wont be able to farm the land effectively.
We did a study on the Philippine condition taken from the context of commercial farming of 3 crops, Sweet Potatoe, Peanuts, and Sugar Cane, we found out that the economic benefiits for the investors, land owners as well as the community are amazing. Imagine from the 3 basic crops, it can produce a lot of products all organic. Sweet Potato Flour, Animal Feeds or Fodder, Dairy Products from milk, cheese, butter, Sugar, Sugar cane juice and many more.
My two cents on Mining specially if it is by foreign companies should be subjected to the highest standard, for it is common sense, the only thing they care for is what they can extract. They could care less what will happen 5 – 10 – 20 years.
How many jobs do this industry create compared to the long term or permanent damage to the environment. The government should encourage the development of agriculture and modern food technology. The organic food market is a global niche for a lot of people are now becoming health concious.
Though I can source any amount of fertilizer any buyer needs, but my heart still calls for organic farming.
pete, totie,
On the question of environmental damage because of mining and genetically modified crops (aka franken-foods), do you think it’s possible to continue with these activities in a more environmentally friendly manner or do you believe that no amount of environmental or other safeguards would make these worth going into? I ask because i haven’t kept up with studies on this area.
Consciously or unconsciously, the GMA administration has chosen a ‘going back to the land’ economic development strategy which other countries that have similarly failed to use industrialization as the engine of growth have adopted (as pursued by China, Korea, Taiwan and India). So right now, we’re in the company of Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, the African Countries and Russia as resource providers.
Since it looks like her admin will stand or fall depending on the rate of economic growth, Arroyo will unlikely deviate from such an approach. I also suspect that a future post-Arroyo administration will also latch on to this strategy, unless of course, they get someone like hvrds to advise them.
Totie, i agree with all your points #1 to #3 especially #3. I’m not that familiar with organic farming, although it sounds good, i’m worried that the yield per hectare won’t be as high as an approach that involves traditional fertilizers. That means that we will have to consume more land for farming which is also not good for the environment.
totie,
:”The government should encourage the development of agriculture” Check!
in fact:
ARTICLE XII
NATIONAL ECONOMY AND PATRIMONY
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.
http://www.chanrobles.com/article12.htm
If only this administration will abide by the constituion …
But it is violated even starting from the preamble…
As if an occupying force has taken over our government …
Our problem with GMA is not about incompetence anymore, not just about corruption, not just about illegitimacy anymore. She is destroying the very foundation of this nation, putting to waste all that our heroes have fought and died for; endangering the lives of Filipinos in this and the next generations. We are being sold as slaves, subjects of foreign masters; our natural resources, patrimony, pillaged and plundered, our sovereignty is worthless; worst of all she has plundered our hope.
Pete, that provision ‘sound agricultural development’ can be interpreted in more than one sense. It can even be argued that Chinese foreign investments (as specified in the MOU) is part of the Admin’s agricultural development strategy. From browsing through the link you provided, what she is reported to have violated is the provision on Agrarian Reform.
pete, cvj, totie
Speaking for our industry, the forest, packaging, and paper products, it is inevitable that China will become a gigantic economic player not just in the region but globally. European multinationals (our company included) has infused millions of Euros in infrastructure and technology to set up a regional base in China. European and even US companies are finding it less viable to supply Asia and surrounding regions due to rising costs. Along with these companies will follow other companies that supply them, the machines suppliers, this will increase China’s consumption of metals also. The direction is “local supplier” or “Asia for Asians.” The US economy as it is, if we look at their multinationals also, is still very weak. China is not alone, it is buoyed also by a very strong European economy. Even as we blog, Chinese culture is being promoted in our mills across Europe, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain, UK, Russia, and others. Our target start of operations for these infrastructures is before Beijing ’08 Olympics. The only way we can come out of this “unscathed” is for our government to study the contracts with the Chinese well and make sure we are not on the losing end (or exploited) and to import “sustainability” know how from the Europeans. Our website: http://www.storaenso.com
Totie,
Greenpeace and national social action-cbcp campaign for your advocacies.
Cvj,
On safe GMO, EU and US tests “indicate correlation between damage to cow intestines and bt corn consumptionâ€Â; must undergo “satisfactory†tests before commercialization/propagation. Monsanto claims no proof that gmo is harmful; but the burden of proof must be on Monsanto that it is not harmful. But Monsanto campaign obviously is successful. Bt corn is being propagated in many provinces, next is GMO rice. Google “GMOâ€Â.
GMA’s agri dev program is dictated by foreign interests. I favor ex-DA Panganiban’s “community-based agricultural development†and promotion of organic farming.
On “sound†agricultural development, we have to define “sound development†in our own terms, not according to the dictates of others. Even if there are differences among us, what’s important is that the truth comes out and let the people decide on this and other issues.
GMA is accelerating economy to prop up her admin. The extra push this three remaining years is to show enough accomplishments to justify an extension : “to preserve our economic gainsâ€Â, “to keep the momentum of a growing economyâ€Â.
Next admin, next gen dev plans will be amidst a flux of global financial and economic uncertainties. Mismanagement of the last decades will impact on the next. If we were to avoid the problems we have now, the adjustments should have been done a decade ago. Even if we find the right leader with the right plans, our over-all situation will get worse before it gets better. What more if we have leaders like GMA – accelerating development in the wrong direction!!
pete,
I was fortunate to attend a meeting with Monsanto 5 years ago specifically on their corn strains. There were strains for all anticipated agricultural challenges like corn borer worms, weevils, even strains that survive certain types of soil (the ones normally found in the Philippines), and weather conditions, and this includes strains that mature earlier and strains that produce more yield. I took the liberty of asking if these were “GMO?” They said they weren’t genetically modified or engineered, what was used was cross – breeding. They looked for “traits” that were ideal and developed strains that manifested these traits.
If we’re afraid of GMO, the chicken used by Jollibee and McDonalds, (and others) mature in less than a month. Traditionally chicken reach “harvestable” levels in three months. This also goes for the “beef” in our burger patties, etc. Or haven’t you noticed the children of this generation, they are bigger (and fatter) than the previous ones. Are we indirectly ingesting the “growth hormones” that are an integral part of the animal feed?
CVJ, Totie, Ramrod,
While it is true that the organic yield compared with the high yielding Frankenfood, is relatively lesser, at the end of the day it will level off financially because of the higher price that organic produce commands. Imagine seeing in the label “Produced in the Philippine by Organic Farming”.
Ramrod mentioned the chicken that Jolibee and McDonalds used, I totally agree with that, for when I was still working in one of the biggest financial firm in Wall Street, one of my friend from the Investment Banking team made a plant visit to a poultry farm, chicken are harvested two weeks (14-15 days). Since then my love affair with chickens somehow change. Again case in point, you noticed the kids there who has been eating this Jolibee and McDo, more so with the kids here in the States, puberty at a relatively younger age. How come there are so many cases of cancers and sickness here.
There are responsibile farming techniques combined with modern technoligies that can maximize farm yeild. e.g. Sweet Potatoe if plant alternately with peanuts, there is no need for chemical fertilizer as evidenced and proved by Dr. Sepulvedas in a the test he personally conducted. The test was monitored by an independent party, no chemical fertilizer and yet the yield per hectare was more than double. The same holds true with Sugar Cane, where no chemical fertilizer was used. . So it is in the technique being used and the proper matching of crops to the farm soil.
Another example: Technology that we acquired, cattle fed by different herbal plants has the capability and ability to gain up to a kilo a day. No medicine and or hormones. We will be implementing this venture early this year in Indonesia. We can do this in the Phils but the cost of establishing business here is so high due to excessive toll fees.
I have to agree with Totie that “organic” farming is the way to go if we are to preserve the environment (no toxic residues from nitrates), increase even lengthen the productivity of the land, and avoid side effects like cancer. Our company has been working closely with Green Peace, no choice since these guys can actually shut you down in Europe, and came up with SUSTAINABILITY programs. The initial costs are quite high and the commitment level required is equally high but the company is looking at the long term. Green Peace can actually lead the way here, unfortunately the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, molluscides, weedicides, fungicides, etc. is big business also and our agricultural sector has been “brainwashed” since the so called “Green Revolution” to short cuts.
I don’t have the figures but I hear that breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and intestinal cancer cases here in the Philippines are at a record high and those are just the reported cases. On paper, the gains made by these agricultural short cuts will definitely look good but the unseen repercussions will eventually negate all this – unfortunately what matters to most businesses here is only the bottomline (politicians also, somehow they manage to make money from all this).
Totie, Pete, Ramrod, thanks for the information on GMO and organic farming. I agree that one worthwhile long term vision for the Philippines is to make it an environmental sanctuary. This is especially important given the rate of environmental destruction that is taking place in Mainland China.
I’ve googled ‘GMO’ and my impression is that the debate is clouded by the fear of the unknown. I believe genetic modification is just like any other technology that we should learn to master. I wouldn’t necessarily close the door to Genetic modification of crops, animals or even humans but perhaps you’re right that this has to be done on our own terms, i.e. out in the open and validated by our own R&D which in turn would await a government that has the welfare of Filipinos in mind.
hey guys,
Can you help me come up with a list of major recent/upcoming political events in the Philippines? Its the time of year when country reports are dear…
Ramrod:
Now considered to be a manufacturing power house, backed by a constantly evolving and improving business structure as well as its modern infrastrature there is no place better to outsource a company’s manufacturing need than China. As a result of the different products manufactured within China, they also becomes a center hub for other products raw materials. Its unbelievable how modern and advanced their their facilities are, thanks to the technology transfer brought by the foreign investors during the early years. How I wish we can replicate that same process in the Philippines, but unfortunately, we cant because of our political structure.
Are these the other reasons why your company established a regional operation in China: a) No or cheap Health Care Insurance b) No Labor Union c) Cheap and abundant labor supply d) Longer Working hours (12) e) availability of the raw materials e) Chinese membership to the WTO.
These short list alone could already guarantee a low production cost which will eventually translate to a nice dividend. Negatively, investors industry at home are destroyed.
Hey guys thanks a lot for the nice welcome, I am new to blogging, nag start ako few week ago sa Ellenville. At any rate, check this site, very informative:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=theme&themeId=24
Ramrod, some dates:
October 13 to 14 – End of Ramadan.October 29 – Synchronized Baranggay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
November 29(estimated) – release of 3rd quarter 2007 GDP report.
December 26 – 39th anniversary of Communist Party of the Philippines.
cvj, ramrod, totie,
Your views are very well articulated.
Thanks Totie for the link. The website gives a global view of controversial globalization issues.
Globalization is overwhelming. But the real battle that rages in the world today is a clash between two cultures — “the culture of death against the culture of life” (please google)
Ramrod:
We will be opening our airship manufacturing facility in China in conjunction with the UK facility and looking forward to the first roll out production in time for the Olympic 08. Check our website in UK http://www.worldskycat.com. Of all the projects that I got involved with, this is my favorite, this will revolutionize a lot of things.