It’s an interesting time to be in the UK, where the Mother of All Parliaments, the House of Commons, has been roiled by infighting and discouraging economic news.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer ignited a firestorm of protest last week: see Chancellor Alistair Darling warns slump could be the worst for 60 years, precipitating a slump in the Pound Sterling and a furious debate over whether he acted irresponsibly or not. In many ways the entire thing -including debating whether government ministers ought to be blunt or Pollyanna-like in their official statements, the reliability or unreliability of official statistics, the question of whether the chief executive should take the fall to prevent the decimation of the party- sounds eerily familiar and because of that, oddly comforting.
The Brits are working through issues not very different from our own and it seems to be there isn’t all that much of a difference between the way British and Filipino politicians are trying to do damage control: orare ignoring public opinion altogether while politicizing previously relatively partisan-free civil service institutions.
The Times in a recent editorial (which came at the heels of the paper’s report that a sacking was in the offing), The twilight of Sir Ian Blair, looked at the controversial head of Scotland Yard and took him to task in all-too-familiar (for Filipinos) terms:
His responses are by now well practised. He believes that near-constant pressure to quit is an occupational hazard to be shrugged off if not actually ignored. And he believes mutinous disloyalty from senior colleagues is an inevitable result of radical reforms of which he is fiercely proud.
The trouble for Sir Ian is that his reforms have not made him indispensable. Nor can he be sanguine any longer about the calls for him to go. His support from the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office has crumbled: his contract will not be renewed in 2010. This makes him a lame duck not only in the view of his many critics, but in fact. If his record were spectacular, this newspaper would back his bid to stay in office until the 2012 Olympics and beyond. Unfortunately, it is not.
What sets the British media apart from our own is the deeper sense of memory, whether institutional, national, and personal, that the media, the politicians, and commentators have. For example, Libby Purves in Why did Alistair Darling choose 1948? points out a fascinating detail, concerning 1948 as a watershed year for Britain despite postwar austerity:
The disreputable anomaly of plural voting was abolished – previously university graduates could vote in two places, and business owners had an extra vote at their place of work.
The odd thing of course being that there are frustrated middle and upper class Filipinos who continue to think plural voting might be a good thing.
The business and finance media, too, write clearly and informatively, something hardly ever seen at home. The Business Editor of The Times pens an analysis: This slowdown has a long way to go yet — so just look forward to the sales. And there are short, but richly informative reports that contextualize the economic news. An article Is the party over for pubs? points out British pubs are closing at the rate of four per day and also ties in the various economic trends (crashing property prices, increasing food and labor costs, etc.) into the uncertain future of a British institution.
In Britain 2028: we need ten new cities, please, Camilla Cavendish looks at the immigration policies of the UK, something that ought to be of interest to Filipinos living and working here.
Just today, Gordon Brown to increase Holyrood’s tax powers focuses on the great Labour project of restoring the Scottish Parliament and increasing its powers over taxation and budgeting: again, this ia a debate erupting in Britain which should be interesting to proponents of Federalism.
Update: Only Blair could save Labour now provides an insight into how more “mature” democracies factor surveys into the political situation, and how past and present leaders can add and detract from their party’s future prospects.
A great pleasure is reading the obituaries published in the British papers. See K.K. Birla: industrial tycoon and philanthropist.
wow, people are still falling over themselves with this ‘identity’ thing.
Going back to 1521, 1565, 1898, 1946, 1972 will not change anything. Filipinos should learn to overcome any regrets that they may have about the choices that their leaders made for them.
nash,
I agree. But like it or not, identity is with us and confronts us in the face. The recent problem in Mindanao associated with the aborted MOA (with the MILF) is in fact a manifestation of this. Just listen to what Amina Rasul wrote in Manila Times (“Are we all Filipinos?”, Sept 7, 2008).
supremo,
yeah, nothing will change after those years. we can’t go back in the past.
but we can avoid a bad future. we better not wait for those leaders to make wrong choices again, if we could do something right now.
yes, precisely.
who is filipino, who is not, who is moro, who is not, who is igorot, who is not….ek-ek..serve to divide us all if taken to the extreme.
this mindanao problem is compounded by the so-called mindanao ‘royalty’ too. now these guys take their ‘identity’ waaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. rather than emphasizing that it should all boil down to basic human rights (right to abode…right to self-determination which applies to all, whether gay muslim or straight muslim or christian nutter, or visaya etc..) it has to be justified in terms of ‘identity’ ekla-chu chu.
IMMIGRATION:
It’s been reported in these columns and elsewhere that the dysfunctional U.S. immigration system contributes to labor shortages in agriculture. Less well-known is that low green card quotas have also left the U.S. with an undersupply of nurses that threatens patient care.
“The ageing U.S. population and low domestic production of nurses in the U.S. has created a nursing shortage that carries deadly consequences,” says a new study by Stuart Anderson of the National Foundation for American Policy. A shortage of nurses at U.S. hospitals is leading to increased death and illness for Americans.”
Universal Healthcare by Obama? No way. lol
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118955908785924562.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks
Crisis Management: Demand side
The Philippine has many options for its unemployment crisis. While waiting for US Immigration policy to lift its restriction or quotas since 2006. The Philippines has other options. But why is it being delayed?
“France is just awaiting the Philippines to act on a bilateral agreement that would allow skilled Filipino workers — particularly nurses, caregivers, and information technology professionals — to work in the tourism capital of the world”
“We still need an answer from the Philippine government,” Chesnel said, expressing confidence the immigration deal would be beneficial to both countries”
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080411-129809/France-awaits-Philippine-OK-on-immigration-deal
Do you think UE-RM, UP-Diliman and De La Salle college will be sending some of their employees to Paris? Notice what France requires:
Under the new immigration system in France, the Filipino workers will leave 20 percent of their salary with either their employer or government and to get them later when they return home.
“leave 20 percent of their salary with either their employer”
it will still be beneficial . the more employment options we have the better. besides, france is a beautiful country to visit and work for a year- then backpack and travel around Europe. It’s good for the adventurous , young filipino . I used to work in France for a project. Work is work… It must be done and one has to prove his/herself. i had fun and I get to see France and Europe… there’s a positive side not just sending money home but it’s the travel, experience and exposure. why not?
France disclosure to hold 20% is honest. An american working for a cruise, gets’ paid at $12.00 a hour. that’s about $ 1920 /month at least, plus tips. Pinoy working at the cruise ship like disney cruise, caribbean and many other cruise lines.. get’s paid about $ 1000.00 plus tips. The cruise companies are taking almost 50% of actual salary in return for a valid visa.
which job should I take in terms of personal economics? especially to those who are waiting for their visas to go to england, canada or USA?
It’s an opportunity.
hawaiianguy (at 4:00 am), thanks for the pointer to Nick Joaquin. As this discussion is related to this previous one, i’m linking to it for reference.
how can a filipino from outside manila feel the progress(if any) the country has if very little or none at all makes it to his province.
manila takes the biggest piece of the cake and the rest just crumbs. you cannot blame those people from mindanao to feel neglected by the central government. mindanao after all has one of the richest natural resources and are being taken advantage of(even by their own politician). it is a shame that decades of war seem to never end in mindanao. you think if mindanaoans gets its fair share in terms of progress and developments they would still go to war? this is not about being a muslim or christian if you look closer. it is actually about social justice. however, killing each other will not solve it either.
it’s a shame because mindanao is a very beautiful place and lots of nice people.
Universal Healthcare by Obama? No way. lol Another lunacy….
The debate in the U.S. is about uninsured medical insurance. It is also about wheter the government should come in and offer universal medical insurance or partial or simply let the private sector do it alone. That is what the policy choices are about.
Everyone is guaranteed medical care in the U.S. even without universal medical insurance.
The crisis is in the increasing cost of medical treatment and quality of care.
The causes for this are many. Demographics, inflation, corporate greed and the probelm of torts in medical malpractice suits that have discouraged doctors.
This is a complex probelm and not simply a debate on universal health care. There is universal health care in the U.S. by statute. The isseu like always is about the cost and wheter socializing the cost would be a better idea.
Pensions are not a human right but the state has legislated a retirement pension. Medicare kicks in after one retires which also is an entitlement tax with future benefits.
The problem begins with the fact that there will be more people retiring than there are working and paying into the tax.
the probability is very high that this Medicaid benefit will be substituted with universal health care paid for by unversal insurance. Taxes will have to go up…..Anyone who denies that fact is simply playing with themselves.
leytenian, you have been there in tate for a while right? i hear that the new wave of nurses coming to america is not as skilled as ones who came ahead of them, like ones who came a decade ago. i would hear stories that they are not proficient in english, written and spoken. clinical skills are also not up to par.
also, filipino doctors who took up nusring to get to tate i hear, doesn’t seem to get it that they are now nurses and not mds.
you think there is a problem quality of nursing education in philippines as new nursing schools open every year in the philippines to take advantage of the demand for nursing education? is our philippine government or philippine nurses assoc. even doing something about it?
the demand for nurses will always be there because people now live longer and the population will just get bigger and they will always need someone to take care of them.
also, to me universal healthcare or socialize healthcare doesn’t seem as bad as you think it is. canada has socialize healthcare and they are doing pretty well. maybe it just corporate america scaring american into thinking that universal healthcare is bad for them.
the probem with ss/medicare running out of money is i think when it was legislated into law, then life expectancy was at 55 or 60 years old? now with the advances in science and life expectancy stretched longer, the expenses take care of a baby boomer becomes more expensive. thus draining ss cofer. plus fraud and high cost of care, corporate greed.
there is very little they can do about ones extended life expectancy but they can fix the problem with insurance/medicare fraud. high cost of care that is corporate greed.
this not a perfect world but they can do something to fix this one. but the question is are they gonna bite the hands that feeds them. corporate america are the biggest contributor to both democratic and repuclican parties. i don’t care how they say they are for change, both obama and mccain, the people around them still if not them are beneficiaries of corporate ameica’s monies. i guess it’s all rhetorics!
saying what people wants to hear and in the end they do what their financiers really wants to keep the money flowing in.
and where do you think corporate america get their monies from? from everyday american citizens and green card holders.
hvrds,
“The crisis is in the increasing cost of medical treatment and quality of care.”
exactly- healthcare demand exceeds supply.
Please read my above post… https://www.quezon.ph/1963/crisis-management-immigration-and-devolution/#comment-938339
istambay sakalye.
“you think there is a problem quality of nursing education in philippines as new nursing schools open every year in the philippines to take advantage of the demand for nursing education? is our philippine government or philippine nurses assoc. even doing something about it?”
I haven’t heard horror stories yet except Teri Hatcher of Desperate housewives insulted filipino doctors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOFUBYzAxgc
and of course, Vicente Sotto Hospital, laughing doctors from Cebu.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jTpzta3pho&feature=related
what do you think?
istambay sakalye,
“corporate america are the biggest contributor to both democratic and repuclican parties. ”
mag short cut lang muna ako ha sa pag explain..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0tYa_gY18g
leytenian, that why i asked you, your a healthcare professional. opion of someone in this field and is actually in tate counts more than someone from the outside.
istambay,
In my own opinion, our work ethics in america are far more superior. People in the US change their careers quickly from healthcare. They easily get burned out. Matira ang matibay- pinoy lang. Of course not every pinoy are productive and overly efficient but majority are.
In the Philippines, yes there’s a big problem with our educational system. The lack of infrastructure, lack of hours allocated for ethics and professionalism to healthcare professionals, lack of standardization and automation… basta marami pa…
But, there was a required hours of CEU’s needed every year or two ? for all medical professionals. can’t remember the blog that we have discussed about this issue.
Our healthcare system and delivery of quality care are secondary problems from government financial difficulty. People who are sick don’t have money or insurance. The provinces have no emergency access to get to the nearest hospital. Once one gets to the hospital , there’s no available laboratory that will provide real time results of medical test, which is crucial for diagnosis, early detection of sepsis and administration of proper medicine.For example: My mother almost died for just a simple UTI. The doctor diagnosed her of stomach hernia or something. Luckily my sister in law who is a doctor here suspected that she has UTI basing from my uncle and my brother telephone Q&A. We had to send her to Cebu
Chong Hua that night with IV for dehydration. Buti na lang.. my barko.. you see… that’s the real picture of our healthcare system.
basta marami pa…
istambay,
FYI, i don’t practice anymore since 1999 except in management but not in the healthcare industry. I may not be updated to the new comers from Philippine , so i cannot speak in their behalf. One can get deported anyway, lose their visa status or will lose their licenses if they do something unethical and against the policy of their employers. The only thing i know… it’s been good news so far.
i dunno but it really gets into me when posts start going into deep discussions regarding american politics even if this is a niche-blog for Philippine-related issues
im not against fil-ams in this thread, and i understand their affinity to discuss american politics, but some are just too american-specific to be of any relevance to the context of Filipino issues
please take this positively 🙂
@liam
because we don’t live in isolation anymore
because we need to benchmark ourselves with best practices around the world.
because we get to ask ourselves, if it is so there, why can’t it be so here.
nagkataon lang na marami fil-ams but isn’t that the whole point? manolo reports on what’s happening in our beloved country from a blogger’s perspective and then we react…
so yes, it all is relevant to some extent.
This new wave of nurses are the ones subjected to the stringent visa screen before they are given greencards to migrate to the US. Either they pass the CGFNS or the NCLEX.
Newcomers are not deployed to critical care. Even US local graduates have to undergo training before they are assigned in different specialty nursing.
Trust me, Filipinos can easily adjust and learn. They are the most in demand in hospitals because of their dedication to their job.
liam, pasensya na ho kung minsan parang mas interesado kami sa politics doon sa tate, dahil hindi naman natin maiwasan na pag-usapan ang mga bagay bagay na may epeckto din sa ating mahal na bayan.
sa pagkakaalam ko na ang republican at democrat ay magkaiba ang polisiya sa immigration. at sa healthcare kung san-an maapektuhan ang mga nurses natin na nagpapadala ng dolyar sa pamilya nila dito sa pilipinas. at ang mga dolyar na rin na tumutulong sa ekonomiya natin.
tingnan lang natin noong kapanahon ni makoy. presidente noon sa tate ay si reagan na alam ng lahat malapit at kaibigan ng mga marcos. kaya suportado sya at mga sundalo laban sa mga CCP at NPA. martsa ng martsa laban sa mga kano sa harapan ng embahada nila.
kaya ngayon na eleksyon doon sa tate may interest din tayo kahit hindi ako makakaboto. malay natin manalo si obama at pauwiin ang mga sundalong kano sa mindanao. ngayon magiging iba na sitwasyon. o maging critical sya sa administrayong gma. kaya ho pasensya na pero ika nga sabi nila “no man is an island, kahit Philippine islands”.
nice to know that our young nurses are doing well over there. as i said in my past post, i believe that the filipino people are a lot better than our SE asian counterparts. but it is still a shame that we have to leave our beloved country to show the world that we are the best!
sorry medyo na carried away ako. pero i think we are the best, given the best training and education. and use them to the good of our country not just personal gains.
“i believe that the filipino people are a lot better than our SE asian counterparts.”
empirical evidence proves otherwise. to list a few: extremely corrupt government and overpopulation
or a better to rephrase “in what way are we better?” this is not to say that I don’t believe we can’t be, nor am I falling into an inferiority complex but a statement of superiority over another warrants some examples.
“Newcomers are not deployed to critical care. Even US local graduates have to undergo training before they are assigned in different specialty nursing. ” – istambay_sakalye.
not true my son and his wife were able to get job working as OR nurses the first year they work in the U.S. Their assignment goes side by side with the training. Aside from Filipino nurses – being highly competent, they are caring and look at patients as human beings not as statistics and this is one of the reasons why US health industry would prefer Filipino nurses.
as regards the claim that we have to leave to find ourselves, please read my blog: entry: Bahamas Diary Three.
well nash,
you just have to believe that the filipino people are a lot better than our SE asian counterparts. no if’s and but’s. just believe. according to arnel pineda.. don’t stop believing.
Believing is taking action. Not waiting for things to happen. If our overall Philippine economy sucks, we cannot just be looking at this picture. Look inwards. Hindi puede hintayin ” that the guava fruit will fall into juan’s face”
Looking inward is managing our very own personal economic. if one feel good about his/herself. Trust me… one will love the Philippines and will not even compare.
our country needs a support system.
“The Prayer” from Philippines to Tuscany…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-AgAeF3XFM&feature=related
“you just have to believe that the filipino people are a lot better than our SE asian counterparts. no if’s and but’s.” – leytenian
Those are really ‘feel good’ words. But are you sure you’re not just missing the Republic of the Islands of the Philippines (R.I.P)? With the unceasing criminality, corruption, conflict, etc. some people have feelings of hopelessness.
It begs the question: “Why are thousands of Filipinos leaving?” Why do the best Filipinos have to be good or better in other countries?
The same best and the brightest who could help make the Philippines better.
We talk about hopelessness all the time. parang sirang plaka na. when can I feel good? when can you feel good ? when do we make personal adjustments about “hopelessness of others” .
“Why do the best Filipinos have to be good or better in other countries? ”
ahhh, that’s a transition.An individuality not a filino thingy. there’s a certain limit in every individual. There’s a certain level of maturity between wants and needs. It’s up to an individual person if they want to continue to be good or better? it’s not a filipino thing for me.
As i mentioned over at Filipino Voices, Filipinos are neither superior nor inferior to other peoples. The problem i see is that we bounce between Benign0-style self-flagellation and Jessica Zafra-inspired ‘world domination theory’ cockiness. Let’s learn to navigate within that zone of quiet self-confidence.
i feel good leytenian.
i just don’t see the point of this misplaced superiority complex.
neither inferior or superior but our SE neighbors are ahead of us in terms economic development and bureaucratic governance. if you feel good about it nobody will fault you for that, but others do not feel good about it, i do not feel good about it…
i hope the above post will not make me less patriotic and those who feel good about the present conditions of the country more patriotic…. this is the other side of the coin. 🙂
psi,
i think that is part of our problem.. we love to walk in cloud nine and we are incorrigible dreamers. 🙂
jcc,
cvj has a good take on the situation.
Or just maybe Filipinos have been subjected to too much hardships, that we tend to be over-optimists. We over-play the cards we’ve been dealt dealt with, instead of changing them.
As I said before, even truth needs a reality check.
the results of US elections will not change US policy towards P.I. (they said I can use the word as long as I don’t insist that this is the official designation of RP).
America wil still look at Bin Laden as enemy number one and the Al Queda surrogates in Mindanao, on the same terms even if Obama is elected president… US will still be open to Filipino nurses whether it is Obama or Mccain is elected. The immigration issue is only for political mileage, to portray an image that one is for pro-border closure to appease certain segments of the electorate who feel that natural born americans are threatened by the uncontrolled traffic of immigrants. And besides the immigration issue is specific only to certain minorities.
US love the Filipinos because they can sing the Star Spangled Banner in unhalting english in addition to their excellent work ethics.
maybe one of the reasons that Filipinos do well in other countries is that they feel safer in those other countries?
this is a question, not an answer.
What I do sense, though, is that metro-Manila residents are afraid of being a random-crime victim much more than residents of Bangkok or the American cities (like Daly city) that I have been to.
A Baguio-resident is probably much more afraid to spend one week in Basilan island than to spend one week in Baghdad.
Why do thousands of Filipinos leave for other countries everyday?
I’ll answer my own question. For most, there are not enough economic opportunities in the Philippines.
But for some, I’ll borrow the US. army recruitment theme: TO BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE.
UP n Student;
I think it has nothing to do with security issue. Pinoys wondered why they have worked 24/7 in P.I. and yet they could hardly buy decent homes and cars and send their kids to school.
If you do that in America, financing companies will dog you to offer you loans that you can even buy homes in Beverly Hills, and your income will allow sumptuous meals on daily basis and get car loans that fast.
Pinoys tend to become excellent workers in the U.S. because of that incentive.
Ang napansin ko, a similarity about the Philippines and the USA (also Canada)… lawyers are held as “special people”. Malaki talaga ang kasalanan at huling-huli walang ikakaila bago tanggalin ng Supreme Court ang license to practice ng abogado.
rodolfo,
i think that “special people” cross occupational designation. even if you are not a lawyer, if you have the connection and the right button to push, you will be special and feel special.
Didn’t you also read about rising crime rates in the US due to unemployment? rising prices and corruption both in the public and private sector?
Are yo not outraged that the taxpayers are bailing out the big two mortgage compnies supposed to have been run by finance wizards?
I think it has nothing to do with security issue. Pinoys wondered why they have worked 24/7 in P.I. and yet they could hardly buy decent homes and cars and send their kids to school.
Yep, these same mortgage faclities which afford even the illegals and those who do not have financial capacity to pay cause the meltdown of the US economy.
Yep some Filams are so proud of their homes and cars bought on credit , incur more debts, file bankruptcy when they can’t pay… what is there to be proud of?
previous post about Pinoys working 24/7 in U.S. in reference only to medical field, nurses, pt’s and doctors. this field has never had a slump in demand for workers.
other fields also suffer cutbacks and layoffs.
its not the pinoys that caused the realty bubble in the U.S. I have yet to see a Pinoy, specially if he/she is a nurse that defaulted in the payment of their house/car.
the bubble was caused by bad economy not because Pinoys have triggered the bubble.
to jcc: about professionals or having connections, totoo iyong sabi mo. Pero what I wanted to say —- kapag may nagpakilala sa iyo ng isang abogado, tapos nalaman mo na tinanggalan pala ng lisensiya, maski ngayon nag-bebenta na lang ng insurance o Amway-distributor na, umiwas ka na rin para sigurado.
real estate crisis sa tate was cause by over speculating that the house market value will forever keep increasing and with variable rate mortagage indiscriminate approval for buyers who cannot afford once variable rates take effect. thus, when the housing market started to correct itself, homeowners are left with upside down mortgage wherein they owe more than their house is worth, unable to refinance to a new lower rate they are stuck with high mortgage payments and to exacerbate this problem some individuals took out equity loans from their over appraised home and put it as down payments to a second or third home. compounding the problem is now they are stuck with not just one but two or three higher mortgage payments with no buyer in sight.
with homeowners defaulting on their mortgage payments and values of houses returning to its corrected value the demands for housing declined. its a like domino with each piece toppling the other as it falls down.
add to this with crude oil prices shooting astronomically high during US summer months you have a cocktail for recession if not depression. with US economy hurting the rest of the world felt its pain.
this is where democrats and republicans have different take on how to fix the economy. republicans wants to spend more to stimulate the economy while democrats wants to cut spending. sad to say that politics always gets in the way because democrats seem happy and content to let republicans dig their graves deeper by going along with bush, with his stimulus rebates when most of the economic experts says it will not work but make matters worst. now democrats wants more stimulus package! democrats, grow some balls!
and we thought politics in pinas was bad. o di ba ganun din sa tate? pa pogi points din bawat politoco.
there’s no better place like home. one has to get to a point where he/she will feel she/he has enough. When that level of satisfaction is achieved, then one can balance the effects of reality. Contentment is success.
For our Philippine problems, One has to go beyond his/herself by extending help to others especially to close families who are in need . WITHOUT expectation of return is key to long term happiness. Then, Life’s meaning will no longer be just about you you or me me me.
Every Individual has a purpose. One will find his/her passion. I am passionate about my own people and Philippines. The “all the why” question about our economy must be asked this way? what have you done for your country? What have you invested in our country in terms of humanity?
If we cannot separate our own personal problem to the problem of our society… naku…. that’s not good.
wow, it;s getting deep. let’s get back to real politics and let’s kill each other. how’s that? i’m done with feeling good and all that… lol
hay naku… mga kabayan… mag inuman na lang tayo diyan sa tabi…
may kasabihan… tawanan mo ang iyong problema..
but then… reality hurts. For me reality hurt so good. lol
to jcc: about professionals or having connections, totoo iyong sabi mo. Pero what I wanted to say â€â€- kapag may nagpakilala sa iyo ng isang abogado, tapos nalaman mo na tinanggalan pala ng lisensiya, maski ngayon nag-bebenta na lang ng insurance o Amway-distributor na, umiwas ka na rin para sigurado.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:15 am Rodolfo,
cheapshot Rodolfo. Why not read my blog. 🙂 🙂