Opinyon419 pages 1 7,11 12 by OpinYon NewsMag

2014: Bad Year For Pinoy Labor PAGE 6

HEALTH

SHOWBIZ

Stefanowitz Bares Dream PAGE 9

Can Oral Sex Cause Throat Cancer? PAGE 8

Johnlu G. Koa

THE PINOY MASTER OF BREAD 12 We politicize economic issues & give an economic perspective to political issues JANUARY 6-12, 2014 • VOL.4 NO.19

Php15.00

We Take A Stand Visit us at www.opinyon.com.ph

facebook.com/opinyon

NOW AVAILABLE AT

National Bookstores PowerBooks Fully Booked Scan QR Code inside for additional content from OpinYon Digital Edition!

twitter.c om/opinyon2010

GETTING READY FOR 2016 By Al Labita

President Aquino’s fairy tale on the Philippines as the world’s economic miracle is on its ﬁnal chapter. This is one fairy tale that ends in a tragedy—with the whole country dying from all the lies and the schemes. Page 2

feature Opinyon419.indd 1

OROSA: THE TURNING OF THE TIDE 3 1/3/14 8:58 PM

COVER STORY

GETTING READY FOR 2016 By Al Labita TALK is swirling that tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan (aka MVP) has resumed negotiations to acquire–lock, stock and barrel–broadcast giant GMA 7. The scuttlebutt, though still unconﬁrmed, only raised the ante that MVP is hell-bent in beeﬁng up his stakes in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections. While he has unequivocally disdained any political ambition, OpinYon got wind of a “whisper” campaign mounted by his well-heeled backers grooming him as a likely presidential bet. There is even talk of him being the running mate of Vice President Jejomar Binay in 2016. MVP’s name crops up as business and political leaders scramble to scout for a possible successor of President Benigno Aquino III whose six-year-term is fast approaching its twilight zone. While some dyed-in-the-wool politicians minced no words in seeking the nation’s plum post, the prevailing sentiments favor an apolitical person and that fits MVP to a tee.

ble challenges that will need a leader of proven skills, competence and integrity. Recasting the nationalist and protectionist Constitution also looms in the horizon as the economy pursues a regime of liberalization, deregulation and privatization within a global context. In seizing control of Channel 7, the business mogul must have realized that, historically broadcast media plays a make-or-break role in any political warfare.'realized that historically,' (move comma) Annexing Channel 7 would also allow MVP to merge it with his media flagship TV5, ranked second and third largest, respectively, in the broadcast industry.

Challenges Ahead

The planned merger, a fi rst in the highly competitive radio-TV industry, would make MVP the country’s undisputed media baron, given his other shareholdings in broadsheets Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star and Business World. Apparently, MVP believes that media is synonymous with power, a necessary evil to insulate his fast-growing business empire from the predatory tactics of rivals. More importantly, media holdings are intertwined with his other business interests, ranging from telecoms to energy, tollways, health care and other related ventures. But acquiring Channel 7 proved to be as slippery as eel as its key shareholders– the Gozon, Jimenez and Duavit bloc–subtly resisted MVP’s overtures in 2012. The GMA camp is said to have wanted more than what MVP was willing to pay in the 2012 negotiations. Typical of his takeover bids, billionaire MVP hardly cared about money as shown by his highly prized acquisitions of listed corporate behemoths Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) and power fi rm Meralco.

Ideally, MVP would be larger-thanlife should he cast his hat in the political arena, given his impeccable credentials as a technocrat, a potential game changer in the cutthroat domain of politics. Looking forward, the country’s disaster-ravaged economy could face formida-

TIRED of plundering politicians who have ruined our country and its economy? It’s time to take a stand and let your voice be heard. Join us in the crusade to eﬀect change in government and put an end to ALL corruption. Sign up now. www.facebook/opinyon

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

Opinyon419.indd 2

owners who initiated the latest round of buyout talk. One reason is that Channel 7’s fi nancial health has been spotty, a problem MVP could exploit to the hilt in his new round of talks with its owners as he’s an investment banker who resuscitated the Hong Kong-based conglomerate First Pacific Co., Ltd. from near bankruptcy in the ‘80s. Latest data showed that in 2012, GMA7’s after-tax profit slid five percent to PhP1.6 billion, way below its P2.3 billion target, despite a six percent rise in turnover to PhP13.9 billion.

OpinYon

Media is Power

GMA 7’s Changing Fortunes

Literally put in the back burner for almost a year, resumption of the proposed multi-billion peso deal with Channel 7 began in mid-December, apparently buoyed by the festive mood of the Yuletide season. Unlike before when MVP acted like a spurned suitor, this time the shoe is literally on the other foot as it was Channel 7’s

cold cash equivalent to 10 percent of the agreed purchase price and wanted it nonrefundable, a demand that doomed the negotiations to fail in 2012.

Legal Woes

MVP’s camp fears that even if an advance payment is shelled out, there is still no assurance that the deal would be approved by the government, given its bureaucratic red tape. For MVP, money for the acquisition cost was not a problem, despite the mounting hue and cry of PLDT employees who had protested the use of their retirement funds for investments in media outfits, particularly the money-losing TV 5. Moreover, Channel 7’s nonrefundable advance payment scheme could pose some hitches later because of uncertainties as regards securing the nod of government regulators such as the National Telecommunications Commission. The businessman, listed by US-based wealth magazine Forbes last year as the Philippines’ 50th wealthiest man with an estimated net worth of US$105 million, could also face legal woes once Congress scrutinizes the multi-billion peso deal as it drastically alters the country’s media ownership bordering on monopoly.

MVP believes that media is synonymous with power, a necessary evil to insulate his fast-growing business empire from the predatory tactics of rivals. More importantly, media holdings are intertwined with his other business interests, ranging from telecoms to energy, tollways, health care and other related ventures. GMA7’s sagging profit, sparked by rising operating expenses that alarmed its shareholders, could have triggered its owners to reconsider and take a new look at MVP’s offer which is backed by Indonesia’s diversified Salim Group.

Cold Cash

Ostensibly, MVP must have sent feelers dangling with a new package of hardto-resist juicy offers Channel 7 found as tempting. At the forefront of MVP’s takeover barrage is senior executive Ray Espinosa, a bar topnotcher, who has figured prominently in the highly successful PLDT and Meralco acquisition and merger deals. Through MediaQuest Holdings, the investment conduit of PLDT Retirement Fund, MVP initially offered P12 billion two years ago to acquire 66.67 percent of GMA7, but later trimmed his bid to P8.5 billion. That offer was frowned on by Channel 7 owners as they reckoned that based on their valuation, their majority ownership was worth P52 billion, an estimate MVP’s camp found as “too pricey.” They also asked for a down payment in

From Business to Politics

Basically, the 1987 Constitution bans cross ownership in media, the reason why the Lopezes gave up majority control of the now defunct Manila Chronicle since they also owned ABS-CBN. While MVP is a majority shareholder of TV5, he only holds minority stakes in the three Metro Manila dailies. Whether the Constitutional ban applies to MVP is a matter of legal interpretation, but nonetheless a ticklish legal question that could derail MVP’s buildup of his media empire. But anytime soon, there may be a breakthrough in the MVP-GMA 7 merger talk, an optimism anchored on the tycoon’s track record in breezing through complicated corporate deals. PLDT’s takeover case was even more difficult than GMA7’s as MVP had to reckon with political and business bigwigs who wanted a cut in his wheeling and dealing. But in the end, the strong-willed MVP triumphed, a trait of a leader who blazed new trails for his group’s dominance in telecoms, infrastructure, energy, mining and soon–politics.

WE TAKE A STAND

1/3/14 8:58 PM

Politics

News from Where You Stand

The Turning of the Tide

URELY one of the vexations of Filipino life is just how much corruption there is at pretty much all levels of society. Daily we are bombarded by media of so many things wrong. It is almost too difficult not to be depressed or not to sink into terrible self-centeredness as a defensive mechanism to all the bad news. PNoy exemplified that in his recent retort, na “bahala na ang Dios sa inyo” or some such language of inexplicable if not unjustifiable unconcern. Added to all of these are other bad news of incompetence in government at many different levels. Government service at the contact point of most citizens reveals the lack of civility and perhaps the overbearing attitude of most civil servants. Persons entrenched in their positions probably for many years, enslaved by the drudgery of the work, the indifference of superiors who are not too concerned about public service but self aggrandizement, and likely, the sheer lack of opportunity to maximize their capabilities except for the few that have strong political backing. There are, of course, exceptions as there will always be but they are too far in between. Petty grafting is rampant as well as a mastery of rules in order to enlarge opportunities to maneuver and fi nd more opportunities for extracting funds from an ignorant public. Many rules are made meant

to make life more difficult for the people, justified by non- thinking bureaucrats. Take for example the new rules for obtaining a fi rearms license to carry. One is required to get a psychological test, a rather inaccurate measure of responsibility to begin with, a clearance from the Metropolitan or regional trial courts to state that there is no criminal complaint charged against one or past conviction, the same from the NBI and then a barangay clearance of the same nature. It shows nothing more than the PNPs lack of confidence in all of these agencies of government and an inability to coordinate things. Of course, each step requires people to pay money aside from whatever the PNP charges an ordinary citizen or the payola involved in obtaining the permit. This is why PNoy’s matuwid na daan is so laughable. The poor fellow was sold nonsense by his image masters probably meant only for the campaign process with no real intent to do more during his term. But somehow, the slogan got glued to his forehead and became his battle cry when he became president. And so, living up to this slogan has become something of a nightmare. Now I know that all politicians make campaign promises and the people are used to their being broken. The question is why PNoy’s slogan was taken seriously by most of the people and through his inability to truly deliver, has resulted is such dashed hopes all around.

RAY OF HOPE Ramon Orosa I think it is a very real indicator of the changing times. We reached a tipping point that coincided with PNoy’s election, likely due to the years of GMA’s term which with PNoy’s demonization pushed people’s tolerance to unprecedented levels. The rabidity with which PNOY early on came against former Chief Justice Corona created more problems for PNoy, perception wise. The manner by which the Congressional resolution was obtained were just nails for his political coffi n. His reactive, belligerent non-thinking ways further eroded his image. His very partisan ways could not be swept under the rug. In other words, apart from perhaps not personally stealing, though some argue that integrity encompasses behavior well beyond simply not stealing, he has gotten the people convinced that the challenges of the office are beyond his ken. His values are rather traditional if not pedestrian, his thinking troubling for its shallowness if not vindictiveness and almost reflective of a lack of maturity and wisdom. But most people just remain quiet, won-

dering what will happen next and what they can do that might save the republic from another three years of haphazard and demeaning political life. Much is made of the GDP growth, but please don’t ask the questions about how much is trickling down. As it is, even the management of the monetary elements of the economy leaves much to be desired. Nobody wants to look at the fact that the rate of interest on savings accounts is a disincentive to save. It does not even match the inflation rate, and therefore impoverishes the value of the people’s savings. This is not to speak of the fact that the gap between savings rate and the lending rates of banks in my view, is to make bank owners rich at the expense of the poor saver. Oh, and let us not talk about credit card rates, which hover in the 3.5% per month rate, and please don ‘t ever be late or the penalties will impoverish one even more. Take a look at the earnings increases of the major banks. They are reporting huge growth. But it is at the expense of the people who provide all the savings funds. And if your account is not active enough, the minimum balance requirements are quite high and are just invitations for the bank to gobble up those funds through charges that are unconscionable. And, of course, the minds at the Palace are blissfully unaware! So our economy is indeed extractive at a very fundamental level. The

level playing field applies only to the big boys. Some might argue that these earnings only make our bank stronger. That is sheer nonsense because it is profit not earned but rather extracted from the savings of the people. Banks become stronger by the way they deploy their assets, manage their risks in their loan portfolios and anticipate developments in the markets they serve locally and internationally. The sad part is that the measures to cause banks to more prudently manage their risks and other money management games they like to play have not really been addressed fully. As we can see, it takes time to turn the ship around so to speak. But the ship indeed is turning be it ever so slowly, except that it will leave in its wake a lot of detritus as others are not able to move with the changing times and stick to their ways of manipulating the portions of the economy where they might be playing. And the same goes with history’s verdict with those who are supposed to look after the common welfare. We are in the midst of redefi ning the political life of our nation, with not as much progress in more effectively managing our economy and giving people fair returns for their money and our social networks busy in trying to hasten positive change and mobilize people regarding varied issues that our nation needs to face, except that the entrenched interests are resisting with all their might.

Arrogance of Power

AM writing this column on Christmas day. Ordinarily in deference to the celebration of Christmas, our newspaper column in OpinYon, as a policy, does not touch on any controversial issue or of any subject of an adversarial nature. But this column will be remiss of its duty – and this writer as well would be reneging in his duty as a citizen and as an advocate, if I will stand idly and keep quiet about a sensitive issue of national interest involving as it does – a public official who has displayed an arrogance of power, and whose sister is a newly elected Senator of the Republic – and the father is the incumbent Vice-President, and just a heartbeat away from the Presidency – and specially because he has declared publicly that he would seek the top post of the executive branch in the 2016 presidential elections. My writing this article is even more pursued in the light of the disturbing fact that majority of the columnists in major newspapers have deliberately ignored this issue and kept quiet about it, despite the grave implications that it forebodes in relation to the 2016 presidential elections. Obviously, these otherwise respected and independent-minded critics of wrongdoing have suddenly lost their marbles and would rather shield a political family and

its patriarch from adverse criticism and political fallout. We are referring of course to the incident involving the Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay. As reported in the Philippine Daily Inquirer – and other national papers, on November 30, 2013, Mayor Binay ordered the arrest of three (3) security guards of Dasmariñas Village, when the guards refused to allow his four-car convoy to pass through a restricted gate the Banyan gate of Dasmariñas Village located at along Mckinley Road. The entire incident at the gate of Banyan and Mckinley Road was recorded by the closed-circuit television cameras of North Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village, from a source who declined to be identified for fear of reprisal from Makati City Hall. Reportedly, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay was not allowed to get past through the Banyan Road gate of the village. The guards of Right Eight Security Agency did not raise the iron bar because the subdivision policy for security reasons, is that no vehicle is allowed to pass through the Banyan gate at 10:00 p.m. All vehicles are allowed pass through the gate during the day and until midnight but no one is allowed exit after ten (10) p.m. As reported in the Philippine

the side of Mckinley Road, and going stand off. Sample comments on the seen talking on his cellphone as one of the mayor’s security internet are reproduced herepersonnel loaded a handgun and under: “The Binay siblings should cocked it, even as another aide of take a crash course on humility. the mayor carried a rifle. The video also showed Being a public servant doesn’t Mayor Binay talking to the se- mean you can do anything to curity guards a few minutes your begging”; “To be a good leader you need prior to the arrival of the policeAtty. Salvador S. Panelo men in uniform and who were to be a good follower”; armed with M. 16 rifles.'policemen are' “They apparently think they replace with "Don't you know me?" Thereafter, the Makati po- are the law. Ngek!”; “What can I say? They are BiDaily Inquirer, and as viewed in licemen is shown in the video the internet, the video showed lifting the gates barrier and nays!”; “In Canada where I live now, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, shortly after, they arrested the stepping out of the lead vehicle two guards, and the security the laws are obeyed. There should after two (2) security guards did officer of the Dasmariñas Village be no discussion whatsoever. not lift the iron barrier to allow Security. Three security per- They are not allowed to enter, they the convoy to pass. The video sonnel of the village were also turn their backs and there is no also showed the Makati Mayor taken to the Makati City Police need for discussion. Power goes went out from the lead car and Headquarters and detained for to their head, these politicians who asked the guards, “Don’t your four (4) hours before they were are arrogant and believe nobody should disobey then.” – Netireleased. know me”??? The 15 minute video show- zens eggstar posted on Inquirer The video also showed Binay stepping away from the guard ing Mayor Junjun Binay and his Facebook. “You can’t deny a video Binay. house toward the side of McKin- four–car convoy attempting to ley Road. He was talking on his pass through a restricted gate Pero di pa rin ako maka move cell phone, and obviously from of a posh subdivision went viral on sa payong. Pero in a serious the subsequent event that trans- registering nearly 100,000 views note panakip yun sa kanya para di pired, he was apparently calling on the video sharing website Makita sa CCTV.” “Nonoy in 2010: Matuwid the Makati Police to order the ar- You Tube light hours after postna daan (straight path). Ang mga rest of the security guards. Also ing. The video provoked anger Binay in 2016”. Amin ang daan the video shows an aide held an open umbrellas for the Makati and dismay among netizens, (the road is ours),” netizen @ Mayor, despite the fact that it many of them saying the video normankomrad. A netizen said the Binays was not raining nor was there shows the “arrogance” of Makati Mayor and his sister, Senator could learn a lesson from acany drizzle that night. The video likewise showed Nancy Binay, who was seen in tress Anne Curtis who apoloJunjun Binay, stepping away the video stepping from one of gized after it was reported on Turn to page 3 from the guard house toward the cars and watching the on-

COUNTER POINT

WE TAKE A STAND

Opinyon419.indd 3

OpinYon

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

3 1/3/14 8:58 PM

OPINION

2014: Back to the Past

Hope for 2014 WE Filipinos have a lot of beliefs and practices when celebrating New Year. We light firecrackers—and blow off fingers and limbs in the process—because we believe that the noise of firecrackers drives evil spirits away and make the New Year more bountiful. To attract good fortune, we fill our pockets with coins, open all windows and lights and put on clothes with polka dots. Some people pay off all their debts in the hope that the New Year will not saddle them with cash obligations. Even the food we have for the traditional media noche is supposed to bring good fortune. A basket filled with round fruits is never absent. Those with more to spend feast on lechon because a pig symbolizes plenty. We put as much food on the table as we can, even if it means going beyond the month’s budget for food. And, of course, as children we used to jump up and down at the stroke of midnight because we were told by parents that the higher you jump the taller you grow. Pretty absurd, but most of us have probably jumped like crazy during our pre-pubescent years. The countdown of New Year varies very little from family to family and from region to region. At the strike of midnight the noise of holiday revelry becomes deafening, the explosion of firecrackers mixed with the clanging of pots and pans, automobile horns, sirens and everything else that makes a racket. Afterward, the scene quiets down as families gather around the table for a thanksgiving feast. Deeply religious, Holy Mass is also celebrated on New Year’s Eve. We pray, give thanks and ask the Lord that the coming year brings us good luck and good health. After the pounding we got in 2013, the New Year still brings a sense of hope and renewal. Even in Tacloban there is celebration because we Filipinos are a resilient lot. Our spirit is unbreakable. We find hope even in the bleakest of scenarios. Now, if we can drive away the evil spirits in government 2014 will definitely be a better year for all.

HERMAN TIU-LAUREL Publisher TONYPET J. ROSALES Managing Editor

OpinYon is published by Digitek Publishing House, Inc., with editorial and business oﬀices at No. 10 Pacita Avenue, Pacita Complex I, San Pedro, Laguna. TELEPHONE NUMBER

San Pedro: 214-0766 Email: opinyon.2010@ gmail.com website: www.opinyon.com.ph ISSN 2094-7372

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

Opinyon419.indd 4

DAVE DIWA Opinion Editor FREDERICK FABIAN Social Media Director CARLOS RAJAMIRA Creative Director

'surveyed' T was the much ballyhooed news on mainstream media ending 2013, that 94% of Filipinos survey look with hope to 2014. If the SWS is as accurate as it was on the issue of the ratings of BS Aquino which it said is still positive, then we know how far off this report on the Filipinos’ attitude to 2014 is. One way of looking at it is that Filipinos have nothing but hope to cling on to, but every year it’s the same report that doesn’t amount to anything - things have progressively been getting worse for them the past twenty-five years. What I think the SWS is actually trying to do is prop up the people’s psyche with positive reinforcement to keep the lid on the seismic buildup in the Philippines’ social volcano.

Igniting the Volcano

2013 ended with a really Big Bang, but it’s not from fi recrackers and rather from the country’s pre-eminent light and power company– Meralco, raising power rates to the Highest in the World. Behind Meralco is the Epira (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) deliberately Labyrinthine law to hide its real agenda of ripping off the Filipino electricity consumers by historic proportions. The law created an electricity spot market (WESM) that is a perfect cover of power price manipulation giving “independent power producers” of pricing up to P 65/kWh when NPC cost is only around P 5/ kWh. Even small emergency home generators would generate power at half WESM’s cost. Compelled by public demand, government sought to cut that ceiling to P 32/kWh from P 65/kWh. The Philippine Independent Power Producers Association threatened power “shortages”. That is blackmail and the best argument to take away the power sector from the profit hungry private companies. What is the Filipinos to do now? These IPPs will never give up the most profitable business in the world without a fight. Who can lead the people against these profit-hungry power profiteers? Senator Trillanes describe Meralco’s Pangilinan as “walang pagkabusog”. The Makabayan Coalition in Congress raised the issue to the Supreme Court. We need more of them in 2014.

Media Apologists of Power Mongers

This columnist has exposed the power piracy for years now. The task has been made most difficult by media apologists of the Epira. Randy David wrote

JOJO VALENCIA Layout Artist Editorial Consultants DIEGO CAGAHASTIAN LINGGOY ALCUAZ ERICK SAN JUAN RODRIGO CORNEJO RAY L. JUNIA Board Chairman & President ATTY. SALVADOR S. PANELO Ombudsman ATTY. RICKY RIBO, Legal counsel JOACHIM JOSHUA P. MEDROSO V.P. Business Development

OpinYon

Scan this QR Code with your mobile device to read OpinYon Digital Edition on the go.

PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE Mentong Laurel on Dec. 21, 2013, “…. this is an issue beyond the control of the President. Indeed it is. This falls under the jurisdiction of one of the regulatory boards (ERC) specifically mandated by law to administer public utilities. Such boards are autonomous within their jurisdictions…”Law professor Atty. Raffy Tuvera writes, “All quasi judicial and administrative bodies like the ERC are under the control of the president. They’re not independent bodies like the constitutional commissions. Their decisions can be overturned by the President.” The Epira was passed by the 12th Congress when House speaker Belmonte’s office released P 500,000 payola per solon, then signed by Gloria Arroyo (whom David supported) into law on June 8, 2001 for the World Bank’s “$ 800-million standby loan”. If a corrupt congress and president passed Epira into law, the “Daang Matuwid” president can repeal it through Congress (which he coaxed to oust a Supreme Court justice). BATASnatin online law library states: “HOW LAWS ARE REPEALED: 1. Expressly- by direct act of congress. 2. Impliedly-occurring inconsistencies on…between a prior and a subsequent law.” Epira has a lot of inconsistencies with the Constitution. Yes, Aquino can have Epira repealed/amended–but won’t.

Governmental Capture

Many commentators have joined criticism of the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission). Like the Manila Times’ foreigner-writer Ben Kritz described its situation as one of “regulatory capture”, that the body is already controlled by the power companies it’s supposed to regulate. That’s correct but deficient and “so yesterday”. The truth is we have an entire government that is captured by the powerful vested local Big Business interests with the U.S.-British fi nancial mafi a as patrons. Meralco’s Manny Pangilinan in the U.S.Philippine Society is the sidekick of U.S. Big Business agent John Negroponte. Not only the ERC is captive, but NEDA, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the DFA, the AFP and the whole government. Governmental capture is nothing new. That is the whole mission of the U.S. and its Western allies. In his book “The Grand Chessboard,” (1997) Brzezinski stated in Chapter 1: “Hegemony of a New Type,….The American global system emphasizes the technique of co-optation (as in the case of defeated rivals – Germany, Japan and lately even Russia) {an in 1910, the Philippines} to a much greater extent than the earlier imperial systems did. It likewise relies

heavily on the indirect exercise of influence on dependent foreign elites.” Asian and Latin American countries that progress economically, like Vietnam, Venezuela, Brazil, etc., fi rst threw off the U.S. control of their governments and military institutions.

Foreign Relations

No department of the Philippine government highlights the “governmental control” of the U.S. and its allies for its interests than the Department of Foreign Affairs where the secretary, Albert del Rosario, is a U.S. Green Card holder and virtually a citizen of that country. The DFA has consistently criticized China, as on November 27 when it “slammed” China’s naval exercises in the China Sea saying it “serves to threaten the status quo.” So what is the status quo? – The domination of the China Sea and the Pacific by the U.S. aircraft carrier fleets, a situation China is challenging with PLAN’s (People Liberation Army navy) fi rst aircraft carrier flotilla and exercising in the region. On December 5, 2013 a Chinese naval vessel and part of the Liaoning’s aircraft carrier flotilla faced off with USS Cowpens after PLAN ship made radio contact with the Cowpens and asked it to leave the naval exercise area. The USS Cowpens declined to change course. Chinese sources later clarified that the USS Cowpens had entered within a forty-five kilometer inner defense layer of the Liaoning carrier group and charged that, “the USS Cowpens was tailing after and harassing the Lianoning formation.” It was the U.S. that provoked the incident, testing the PLAN’s resolved, and the U.S. got its comeuppance. But the DFA and Philippine media interpreted in favor of the provocateur, the U.S.

The Past is the Future, and Worse

2014 will be 2013, only worse than ever before. The GDP, Gross domestic Pain, will be worse. The power price gouging issue will be judged in favor of the power oligarchs and their voracious profit seeking. The DAP, mother of all “pork barrel” will pass the Supreme Court, confi rming fi nally our thesis that the original “Million Man March” of 80,000 Yellow petite bourgeois with a smattering of Leftists was engineered by Malacañang PR and exposing the “stars” of the anti-Pork campaign – Peachy Brittaña, Many Lopez, Inday Varona, Junep Ocampo et al were either patsies, dupes or in collusion with the oligarchs’ media and BS Aquino. There is no change in the Philippines unless the past ends, i.e. U.S. colonialism with its controlled local, and the farther past, i.e. the Philippine Revolution of 1896 becomes the future again beginning in 2014. (Watch HTL and guests on TNT, GNN Destiny Cable Channel 8, Skycable Channel 213,www.gnntvasia.com Sat., 8 p.m. and replay Sun., 8 a.m.; tune to 1098AM, Tues. to Fri. 5pm; ; visit http:// newkatipunero.blogspot.com; and text reactions to 0923-4095739)

WE TAKE A STAND

1/3/14 8:58 PM

Opinion

The Viewpoints and outlook of the well-informed

Happy New Year!

S A year winds up on the 31st of December, we make traditional promises to effect certain changes to improve our lives for the coming year, if not for a longer term. These promises are geared to enhancing our well-being in family, business or work conditions, not excluding human relations undergoing trial. Nothing wrong with that, even if the New Year’s resolution were an egotistical determination to win a beauty crown or a professional basketball MVP title. Except that --A society suffers if its members are so focused on their individual personal welfare that they forget: that their society could flourish ONLY IF THEY SELFLESSLY HELPED ONE ANOTHER. This is “synergy”, a law as old as time itself. “Synergy is the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.” (International Oxford Dictionary) Our country is a weak nation principally because it is hampered by a geological anomaly featuring a spread of over 7100 islands occupied by inhabitants who speak over 82 dialects, differ in idiosyncrasy, lifestyle, religion, attire, food and other traits. With tribally clannish propensities, we Filipinos do set ourselves apart from one another. However, this is only a tendency that can be overcome by our individual and collective efforts in a coalescent enterprise where examples must come from our national and local leaders. But that is where the rub is: Government people cannot get their act together, and this happens only if their leader has never seen a conductor’s baton. The metaphoric result? A national philharmonic orchestra producing sounds that are out-oftune and out-of-beat (disintonado na, discompasado pa).

Of course, this is not to say that they cannot pull their act together if they choose to conspire to rob us clean. In a “conspiracy”(a legal term meaning connivance or collusion), the act of one is the act of all. In its view of crime, the state’s predisposition ranges from leniency to strictness depending on the nature of the felony and its attendant circumstances. Thus, it is in heinous offenses connived in by government people where the state assumes its harshest stance, very especially in cases involving the plunder or malversation of public funds. Sad to say, corruption among public officials, along with colluding private individuals, continues to worsen notwithstanding President Noy’s “daang matuwid” and” walang mahirap kung walang korap” mantras, and the trend I’m afraid is: “IRREVERSIBLE”. But let me venture to cite some reasons for the increasing participation of private persons, namely: rising poverty, burgeoning criminality, P-Noy’s sub-standard oversight of his sub-standard cabinet, P-Noy’s penchant for prematurely playing 2016 politics, P-Noy’s relish for playing favorites, P-Noy’s over-reliance on image builders, and P-Noy’s vast ignorance in crisis management; overall, B.S. Aquino’s unfitness for the presidency. Verily, in the exalted Office of the President sits an inferior politician, not a statesman of even an inferior quality. But it is our fault, not P-Noy’s that a lemon resides in Malacañang. With a faltering government getting worse until a new administration takes over, it is up to us concerned citizens to utilize our sovereign prerogatives in any such way that promotes best our common welfare. At every turn let us strengthen our ranks by helping one another, hold denunciation rallies whenever necessary, become

MUSINGS Ronald Roy

vigilant whistle-blowing Netizens 24/7, and yes, by all means praise government officers and personnel, street cops and street sweepers included, for salutary performance, and proceed to commend them, if not recommend them for promotion. Let us applaud DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima and her NBI crew for the

recent apprehension of former Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co and his wife, seven months after they went into hiding on learning arrest warrants would be served them for alleged involvement in that infamous Aman Futures investment scam. May they rot in jail. Let there be no let-up in the public outrage over a Napoleslike Arlene who has reportedly been “buying decisions” for years, the essential concern being not only her no-holds-barred probe but, more importantly, that of the judges and justices themselves, along with their accomplices and accessories, if any. Extirpating corruption in the judiciary is a sine qua non to the promotion of a just society. Not least of all is our sovereign demand for a swift activist resolution of an alleged collusion by and among DOE (Department of Energy) officials and independent power plant operators, with ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) Chair Zenaida (what’s in a name) Ducut -- a former congresswoman being implicated as a greedy pork-barrel cohort of Janet Lim Napoles -- being widely suspected as the mastermind of a three-month kill the people plot with crippling price hikes on energy use and, inescapably, all basic consumption products and services like rice, milk, medicines and doctors’ bills --- not to mention the resultant wake and burial expenses!!! Let us then, by our sovereign power of self-determination, begin to fortify our ramparts against all the felonious obstructors of our peaceful pursuit of happiness. Let us conspire to be our own individual and collective sentinels of democracy --- for always, beginning, by His grace, this particular boisterous and HAPPY NEW YEAR! (http://musingsbyroy.wordpress. com | 09186449517 | @ronald8roy | #musingsbyroy)

Miscalculation

S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff called for continued militar y-to-militar y talks with the Chinese to defuse tensions. The goal, General Dempsey said, “was to come to a common agreement about rules of behavior when we encounter each other in three particular domains: air, sea and cyber.” (Source New York Times online by Thom Shanker, December 19, 2013) The abovementioned statement was released after “naval vessels from the two countries came close to colliding in the South China Sea on Dec. 5, when a Chinese warship cut across the bow of an American cruiser, the USS Cowpens.” In times like this any incident/accident between the G2 (China and the US) in the hottest contested area in the world

– the China Sea (South and East) could spell big trouble, and might drag other countries in the region into a regional confl ict in the process. Some pundits believe that a spark, usually a miscalculation, could trigger a global war because some of the countries in the region, mostly claimants in the South China Sea’s disputed territories are allies of Washington and it only means that they will possibly unite behind the big brother. Presto – a mutually assured destruction! As an observer of events, I have written about this in my blog (ericksanjuan.blogspot. com) and published in several newspapers, how Beijing and Washington continuously talking through their military officials about the future of the region when it comes to maritime disputes. But the recent event of China’s establishing its ADIZ (air defense identification zone) which overlapped those of Ja-

WHISTLE BLOWER Erick San Juan pan’s and South Korea’s ADIZ, the tension has started to escalate again. Although one can see that in the same news article, there seems to be a doublespeak by Gen. Dempsey when he was asked to “assess the level of American concern over China’s fielding of an aircraft carrier(a refurbished older vessel bought from Ukraine). General Dempsey noted that the Chinese were “a long way from being a threat to us with their aircraft carrier.” If this is so, who is provoking

who? And with the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, out to its first voyage in the South China Sea, the Pentagon now is preparing to counter “the Chinese military’s focus on long-range bombs and missiles designed at least in part to deny American forces’ access to waters closer to China.” Of course, huge investments had to cover this budget intended “to preserve the ability of American warships and warplanes to operate where they want.” So in the end of the analysis there is no budget cut for military spending (like what they said before) when the American military hegemony is at stake here, threatened by Beijing’s military modernization at full speed. The perception of some pundits that war is bound to happen (whether we like it or not) is not farfetched. Especially if such provocations like what happened this month will continue. There are other flashpoints that the rest of the world is watching

WE TAKE A STAND

Opinyon419.indd 5

very closely. Escalation of tensions by mere miscalculation could be the trigger that will drag us all, not only in the AsiaPacific but also the rest of the world into another global war. Let us all pray harder that what the US military officials said of their military to military talks with China about rules of engagement in the field of air, cyber and sea will really bring positive results so that peace will prevail. But lets all be wary of the super elites agenda dictating a designed crisis like what they did during the first and the second world wars. Nuke, biological, chemical and other tricks are in the offing! The signature is there! My deep sympathy and condolences to mom Vilma, Cong. Chuck, Councilor Bu and siblings for the untimely death of a very good friend and a father to me, former QC Mayor Mel Mathay. He has been good to so many people.

OpinYon

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

5 1/3/14 8:58 PM

Business Views that Matter

Business

2014: Bad Year for Pinoy Labor ALREADY barely able to provide for the essentials, the average Filipino worker is in for a tough year in 2014. Workers from the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) said various policies implemented by the Aquino administration will only push them further below the poverty line this year. Ordinary wage-earners shall

be see their purchasing power diminish significantly because of the implementation of a combination of price hikes in essential services and deductions in their pay slips. Among the issues raised by the labor group are the increases in employee contributions to the Social Security System (SSS) and PhilHealth, MRT and LRT fare hikes, the second round of the staggered sin tax in-

crease of cigarette and alcoholic beverages. Other issues expected to dent workers’ incomes are the temporarily suspended power rate hikes, LPG and oil price hikes, and the privatization of several public hospitals, which the militants claim is being presented by the government as “modernization” of public health facilities. In a statement, BMP leader

Gie Relova said that, “Our already constrained budget shall worsen two-fold since our wages have remained stagnated since Aquino came into power and regular jobs have become very scarce with the legalization of contractualization two years back”. The labor group warned that the continued neglect and disservice of the Aquino administration shall only fuel popular

protest and fan the flames of increased and irreversible militancy within the workers movement. Relova avowed that, “The past three years and a half years has opened our eyes to the painful truth that he Aquino government is undeniably anti-worker to its very core. No amount of deception can make us allegiant to a rabid elitist such as Aquino”.

Starting a Family Business?– Begin with Rules

S DOE Wants Malls to Use Own Power THE Department of Energy (DOE) wants big power users such as the SM and JG Summit conglomerates—operators of SM and Galleria malls, respectively—to help create additional power supply in Luzon during peak hours. DOE Sec. Carlos Jericho Petilla said he is looking to implement the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) for Luzon which is similar to a program implemented in Mindanao that helped curb power outages in the region. Petilla said the ILP is intended to ease the price pressure at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the country’s trading floor for electricity, which saw prices shooting up last year on tight supply when some power plants went on unplanned shutdowns. “It’s the same (as the one in Mindanao), the only difference is there is a market. We will come up with rules that Meralco (Manila Electric Co.) can invoke when prices at the WESM go up,” Petilla said in an interview. He said he would be meeting big businesses starting with the SM Group early this month to entice them to participate in the program. ILPs are generating units that serve as back-up capacity of industries such as malls. Under the ILP, qualified busi-

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

Opinyon419.indd 6

nesses will get paid if they use their own generating facilities during peak hours. This is to allow distribution utilities such as Meralco to serve other customers. These large commercial power users that have their own power generation capacity can even sell their excess power to the grid. “This is voluntary. I will ask for example, SM, when the supply is tight to use its own electricity fi rst,” Petilla said. He said this is going to be implemented only when supply is tight and prices at the spot market are too high. “This is not going to be everyday. Maybe it will only be 12 hours a year,” Petilla said. “The idea is that when WESM prices go up or there is shortage of supply, Meralco, can tell SM, for example, to run their own gensets and don’t draw power from the grid. Then Meralco can use that power,” he explained. Based on data culled by the energy department, the SM Group has 135.5 megawatts of back-up generating capacity through its diesel-fed generating sets for its mall operations. On the other hand, JG Summit’s Robinsons Group has a back-up capacity of 60 MW. The ERC had earlier crafted the ILP rules to help address the power supply deficit in Visayas and Mindanao.

OpinYon

TARTING a business together with the family is a great and exciting idea, but it also has its negative side which could be prevented by having clear rules. Rules are significant, because it provides all members with proper guidelines as to what are acceptable and what are not in the family business in order to ensure its successful operations. Family members mean no harm. It can be assumed that they would want the family business to start and go on smoothly. However, it will be better to put aside this assumption and be more objective, because no one can ever be absolutely sure of what lies ahead. Observing rules can lessen the chances of failing. You might be thinking that the members of your family might get offended when you ask them to come up with rules with you and abide with it, because it might seem that you doubt their commitment and that you might be distrusting them. Explain to them that the rules are for the good of the company on the professional level. Everyone who is willing to join the family business must understand and accept such rules, because it would serve as basis for everything –steps to resolving problems (standard operating procedures), qualifications to employment, duties and responsibilities, fi nancial security (division of shares), compensation, benefits, rewards, awards and recognition, perks and privileges, and most importantly the direction of the company when it comes to decision making. Make them aware that these rules could protect them with their rights especially when the family business has become stable and expanding. Aside from the points mentioned above, one important reason to backing your family business with rules is the varying levels of motivation of each and every family member you would want to include in the family business. What if the other members of the family eventually get tired of the demanding and pressuring effect of running a business, lack in-

KITE RUNNER Prof. Enrique M. Soriano terest or become overwhelmed with all the work? Having a family business could be very rewarding financially, but when the market is down and profits are coming in slow, would all of them keep up? If you are willing to do everything in your power and right mind to carry on with the business, do you think they also have that quality and strong motivation? Not everyone in the world has the motivation to become an entrepreneur. Only the persons with the entrepreneurial spirit could remain motivated in the family business no matter the circumstances are. So, if you are not certain that the other members of the family will have that same fi re like you do, allow yourselves to talk over what rules could be helpful. With proper rules that address the duties and responsibilities (especially concerning the deadlines for specific tasks) of all who work in the company, and rules on the resignation period, you will not fi nd yourself being suddenly left alone. Another reason is the ability of your relatives to fi nd solutions to problems and to respond proactively to different situations. Develop processes that can be used to overcome potential problems. Standard operating procedures, regular meetings, evaluation of performance, and reporting structure can be considered in the rules. Rules are set to be observed, but when it is not followed,

there has to be some form of consequence. The consequences would have to be just and depending on the gravity of an offense, it would have to be gradually imposed. Normally, family members will think that they have some kind of immunity, so let it be known that rules and its consequences are effective to everyone who agrees to join the family business. Consequences can be constructive and not be like a form of punishment and reason for humiliation. In other cases, when termination is not an option, additional training, a visit to an expert like a family business psychologist for advice, or rendering other services can be consequences that are productive and supplemental instead. After coming up with the rules, make sure that the rules are put into formal writing. Develop an agreement contract that identifies and describes the terms and conditions clearly. The signing of the contract binds and confi rms that you are with people who really want to join the family business with all their heart and willingness to comply with the rules for the sake of the company. In addition, create a handbook. We cannot always trust our memory and you will not always have the time to explain all the rules every now and then, so better have the rules completely written in a handbook. Stick with the rules, but be open to constructive feedback and change. Rules are only effective when it serves its purpose. Assess and evaluate the situation when particular rules are deemed for change. Include all concerned in the process of changing the rules. Never change a rule, without informing those concerned. It would only create confusion, so see to it that rules subject to change are known to everyone first.

Stick with the rules, but be open to constructive feedback and change. Rules are only effective when it serves its purpose. Assess and evaluate the situation when particular rules are deemed for change.

WE TAKE A STAND

1/3/14 8:58 PM

Development & Disaster Response Framework

I Peso Hits 4-Month Low THE Philippine peso hit a four-month low as emerging Asian currencies weakened last week over worries about China’s economy and expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve’s will continue to cut back liquidity dented risk sentiment. The peso fell in heavy trading on selling from offshore funds. The Indonesian rupiah slid as investors booked profits. Offshore funds also sold the South Korean won while the government continued to warn against won appreciation amid the yen’s weakness. Thailand’s baht hit a near four-year low as political tension persisted. It pared earlier losses after the fi nance minister said the country was worried about a weaker baht hitting imports. Asian stocks slid as China’s service sector activity fell to a four-month low in December, echoing a similar slip in manufacturing activity, adding to

evidence that the economy lost some momentum towards the end of 2013. By contrast, U.S. factory activity held near a 2-1/2-year high in December and weekly jobless claims fell, boosting expectations that the Fed will continue to scale back its bond-buying programme. “There are few factors to support Asian currencies, given a strong dollar trend and risk aversion,” said Jeong My-young, Samsung Futures’ research head in Seoul. The peso slid as much as 0.5 percent to 44.66 per dollar, its weakest since Sept. 2 as offshore funds sold the Philippine currency and on corporate dollar demand. The local unit’s slide accelerated as it weakened past 44.51, its weakest on Dec. 20, traders said. The peso is seen having room to weaken to 44.75, the 2013 low, they added.

Slow Growth for Corporate Earnings Seen CORPORATE earnings will continue picking up this year, but at a slower pace, weighed down by the sense of robust trading gains of banks. Analysts said select sectors like power and energy, utilities and consumer fi rms will provide the boost in profits this year. “The main concern for equities is the slower earnings growth in 2014 and shift of funds towards developed markets,” Gregg Adrian R. Ilag, analyst at AB Capital Securities Inc., said “We see market earnings per share (EPS) growing by seven percent in 2014, which is slower than the nine percent growth in 2013,” Ilag said. In particular, banking stocks that account for 23.85 percent of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) index’s EPS, will experi-

ence lower profits with the decrease in trading gains. “Corporate earnings, which have the highest correlation with stock prices over the long-term, is still expected to continue its pace of between 20-25 percent,” said Justino Calaycay Jr., analyst at Accord Capital Equities Corp. For Augusto Cosio Jr., president of First Metro Asset Management Inc., EPS might pick up 9-10 percent this year, with banks’ earnings seen to improve at a slower pace of 5-10 percent. Combined earnings of all locally listed companies continued picking up in the fi rst half last year, driven by better performance of fi nancial, property and holding fi rms. Aggregate earnings of listed fi rms rose 4.4 percent for the fi rst six months of 2013 to P275.5

Ford to Unveil Solar-Powered Hybrid Car

billion from the previous year’s P263.79 billion. Combined revenues climbed nine percent to P2.46 trillion from a year ago, PSE data showed. Calaycay said some weakness might show up at the beginning of the year as investors wait for fourth quarter gross domestic product (GDP) numbers. The Philippines’ gross domestic product, supported by strong consumer and government spending, picked up 7.4 percent in January to September, well above the government’s growth target of six to seven percent for 2013. Specifically, construction and allied services, power and energy, utilities, and food and beverage firms will drive the growth in earnings this year, Calaycay said.

NEW YORK - Ford announced plans Thursday for a prototype hybrid car that uses solar energy from a rooftop charger, reducing gas use and avoiding the need for plugging into the electric grid. The US auto giant said its C-MAX Solar Energi concept car with a solar panel roof draws power from a special solar concentrator lens similar to a magnifying glass. The vehicle, which will be on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, is estimated to reduce the annual greenhouse gas emissions a typical car owner would produce by four metric tons. The new system aims to rev up sales of electic and hybrid vehicles without the plug-in require-

ment of some current models. Ford said the system tracks the sun as it moves from east to west, drawing enough power from the solar rays each day to equal a four-hour battery charge. Ford said this car would deliver an estimated 100 miles (160 kilometers) per gallon (3.8 liters) of gasoline. “Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept shines a new light on electric transportation and renewable energy,” said Mike Tinskey, Ford global director of vehicle electrification and infrastructure. “As an innovation leader, we want to further the public dialogue about the art of the possible in moving the world toward a cleaner future.”

T IS already a scientific fact that the Philippines is disaster prone, and that a natural disaster is bound to happen sooner or later. It is only a matter of when and how, but it is bound to happen. It is also a reality that we have to live with, and it should now become part of our day to day existence to prepare for it in our present times, at the same time that we should also prepare for what should eventually become of our country in the future. As the saying goes, we have to be able to “walk and chew gum” at the same time. Admittedly, it is already a huge challenge to prepare for the far future, but we now have no choice but to also prepare for the natural disasters that are sure to happen in the near future. Not that we do not have enough challenges to face, but because of our high poverty rate, we have many compatriots who are practically in a state of disaster in their day to day existence. The fact is that it is already happening to them in the immediate present, and not in the far future. How are we as a country going to organize our time and allocate our resources so that all of these challenges could be met, in such a way that nothing is left out nor forgotten? In my desire to establish rhyme and reason towards this goal, I drafted a framework that defi nes a “division of labor” between those who will be assigned to three clearly defi ned “clusters”, namely the “Rescue and Relief” cluster, the “Rebuild and Rehab” cluster and the “Support and Sustain” cluster. As I have defi ned it, the fi rst cluster is for short term, the second cluster is for medium term, and the third cluster is for long term. In the process of implementation, the “Rebuild and Rehab” work should start before the work of the “Rescue and Relief” cluster ends, and the work of the “Support and Sustain” cluster should start before the work of the “Rebuild and Rehab” cluster ends. In this overall framework, the charitable works and the works of mercy belongs to “Rescue and Relief”, the fi rst cluster. This proceeds from the philosophy that those who are below the poverty line would also need “Rescue and Relief” on a day to day basis, because they are facing disasters every day. Aside from their primary roles, the three clusters will also be assigned their own secondary roles. The “Rescue and Relief” cluster will also “Watch and Warn”; the “Rebuild and Rehab” cluster will also “Equip and Enable”; and the “Support and Sustain” cluster will also “Complete and Compete”. Under these secondary roles, the third cluster will complete and wrap up everything that the first and second clusters have done. Not only that, the third cluster will also make sure that the local economies of the target communities will also be competitive. Needless to say, the assignments of the three clusters will be community oriented at the microeconomic level, but in the fi nal analysis, everything will add up as building blocks towards nation building at the top, at the macroeconomic national level. Either down below or at the top, our local communities in particular and our country in general have to be climate safe,

WE TAKE A STAND

Opinyon419.indd 7

SCIENCE WORKS Ike Señeres energy sufficient, food secure and water sufficient. With all the second words ending in the letter “s”, this would be easy to remember. In order to be able to implement this proposed framework, I proposed the creation of United Foundations and Organizations (UFO), an alliance of foundations and organizations that would voluntarily adopt it. As a result, three foundations have agreed to lead each of the three clusters, respectively. Project Express Help Foundation (PEX) will be the lead organization for the “Rescue and Relief” cluster, Sagip Bansa Foundation (SBF) will be the lead organization for the “Rebuild and Rehab” cluster, and the Economic Development Foundation (EDF) will be the lead organization for the “Support and Sustain” cluster. Any foundation or organization may now join UFO by choosing a cluster where they could fit in. Who would ever think that climate safety, energy sufficiency, food security and water sufficiency would actually be interrelated with each other? To begin with, water is life, and without it, everything will die. Aside from that, energy powers everything, and without it, nothing will move. It may not be too obvious, but the common denominator between water and energy is the environment. If we take good care of our environment, we could have a continuing supply of clean water. With clean flowing water, we could also produce energy. The cycle goes on, because if we have water, we could produce not just food, but also renewable energy from bio-fuels. However, the cycle should start with rain collection, solar collection and recyclable collection. This would also be easy to remember, because it is all about collection. Towards these ends, PEX has already developed programs, projects and products that would make it easy for local communities to participate in. In particular, PEX has developed a Recyclable Value System (RVS), a system that would enable anyone to collect any recyclable with a bar code, and exchange these for value points. As envisioned by PEX Chairman Fernando Juan, anyone could earn value points that they could use of any purpose, such as their education and medication needs. In the case of education, students could use it to pay for their tuition. Even seniors could participate in RVS, because they could use their points to buy their medicines from any PEX station that will be established all over the country. In order to solve the problem of emergency housing and social housing in this country, PEX has also developed a design for an affordable house frame that anyone could donate to the homeless.

For feedback, email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639083159262

OpinYon

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

7 1/3/14 8:58 PM

OPINION Arrogance of Power From page 3

The Pinoy Master of Bread From page 12

With no formal training, Koa learned how to bake, learning bits and pieces from his own bakers. “Then I slowly realized that there is more to this, there is a lot of science involved in the bread-making process,” he said. Honey Bread began supplying SM with baked goods. This was to be the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship with SM. Koa said he looks up to SM Group founder Henry Sy Sr. as his business mentor who gave him three pieces of advice: Don’t worry about politics. “Just go straight with your business and plans, work hard on your business, because the Filipino will always be eating, wearing clothes and using things.” Second, expand your product offerings. “He advised me in 1989 that I shouldn’t just limit French Baker to selling only breads, that I should add foods in order to grow big.” Third, don’t forget the big, untapped potential of Philippine tourism. “Henry Sy Sr. told me that in 1998, when our Philippine tourism industry was still very quiet. He really has foresight.” Koa’s vision for innovation: to take the idea of the neighborhood bakery to the next level, allowing every Filipino to enjoy freshly-baked, high-quality, and affordable breads.

Opportunity

While teaching at the UP College of Business in 1989, he saw the opportunity to open a new concept in the quick-service food category; thus was born The French Baker. “It was at the same time that SM opened its high-end mall at SM City, and it was in search of newbies with inspirational qualities. Luckily, they found me,” said Koa. Koa said the kind of bread The French Baker offers are those that that appeal to the Filipino and Asian taste. “They are products that taste good and are of high demand. We even have hopia! When people ask why we have hopia at The French Baker—well, even the Parisian bakeshops have their specialty breads to cater to their diverse clientele. Which was what made me think that The French Baker must be a bakery of international favorites, so now we even have New York-style bagels and tortilla!”

Euro-style Breads

L’Artizan, on the other hand, “is where you will find Euro-style breads that are best eaten alone or paired with your meals, cheeses and spreads,” Koa said of his more specialized bread store. L’Artizan came many years later as clients told him that The French Baker was “not French enough”. “I was hoping to attract a different market altogether, and was seriously considering the idea of making of sour dough from live culture/wild yeast, to produce specialty breads that are crusty, chewy, soft and with big holes.” Today, with close to 50 French Baker branches around the country, Koa remains fueled by the same passion that got him in the food business. The secret to his success? “I am not greedy with pricing. I believe in giving added value, I am constantly striving for knowledge to improve, and, most importantly, it is my obstinate belief that I can be better than anybody else in this category!” Among the most notable awards Koa has received for being an excellent entrepreneur are: Ten Outstanding Young Filipinos for Entrepreneurship (1996); UP Alumni Association´s Professional Award in the Field of Entrepreneurship (1996); UP´s Most Distinguished Alumnus Award (2002). In 1994, The French baker received the AGORA Award for “Marketing Company of the Year”. After conquering bread, Koa set his eyes on tea salons, high tea, tea cakes, tea sandwiches opening Globake and Teabros.

Fitness Buff

Koa is also a fitness buff. When he accompanies his wife, Marilou, president of Euromode fashion company, on buying trips in Germany, their principals can’t help but comment on his stillyouthful looks. In all, Koa likens fitness to business. “It needs discipline. It’s a way to stick to a schedule,” he said. He added that entrepreneurs must have a certain look. “Not sluggish,” he said. “Have good skin and muscle tone. It’s okay to have a little roll of fat around the middle if you’re over 50, but when you’re in a jacket, you should look debonair.”

social media that she slapped a show biz colleague during a drinking incident. The Binay incident drew criticism from the public, but largely ignored by broadcast journalists and newspaper columnists. Former Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and now Vice-President – and who, according to him, is seeking the Office of the President in the 2016 presidential elections, immediately rose to the defense of his son. The Binay father defended the Binay son against public criticism saying his son deserves a courtesy. According to Vice-President Jojo Binay the report that appeared in the Inquirer is distorted. Let us analyze the incident involving Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and the security guards that refused to give him passage at the Banyan gate of Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village, as well as the spirited defense given by his father. Vice-President Jojo Binay said that the news report as printed in the Philippine Daily Inquirer is distorted. The Binay camp also said the security guards were not arrested - but they are only invited and they were not charged formally and were released four (4) hour after. There is only one sentence I can describe the incident – and I have said so in radio program over DZRJ 810 a.m. radio dial, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on December 22, 2013: Arrogance of Power! Vice-President Binay laments that the Inquirer news report was distorted. It can not be distorted because the news report was the based on a video of the incident. Moreover, it was also corroborated by the statements issued by the security guards involved in the stand off. An eyewitness account may – and could be embellished or exaggerated – but not a video clip – it is a graphic – and detailed showing of how an incident recorded on a video camera happened. The Binay camp claims that the security guards were not arrested – but only invited. That is baloney. Invitation by policemen to a citizen involved-or appeared to be involved in a crime or what could be deemed to be a crime, to go with them to a police station – is a euphemism for illegal arrest. I also described in my aforesaid radio program that the invitation to the police station of any citizen in connection with a crime as a euphemism for illegal arrest. The security guards of Dasmariñas Village were arrested

without a warrant – and without a lawful cause. Refusing to allow any motor vehicle in a private subdivision to go out on a restricted gate for security reasons, is not a crime. It is a security measure geared towards the prevention of a crime or to contain the escape of one who commits a crime in the subdivision. The Makati policemen who effected the arrest of the security guards – as well as Mayor Makati Junjun Binay can be charged for illegal arrest, as well as grave coercion, for forcing the security guards to go with them against their will. Mayor Junjun Binay is a principal by inducement while the policemen who did the arrest are principals by direct participation. Vice-President Jojo Binay is wrong in defending his son – so did the defense made by sister Senator Nancy Binay. What the young Makati Mayor Junjun Binay did was a classic case of a display of arrogance of power. It is a blatant display of abuse of authority – and he can be liable administratively, criminally and civilly. Vice President Binay’s defense and tolerating the abusive acts of a son who is a public official – is a foreboding of the kind of presidency the country will have if the current Vice-President Jojo Binay becomes the President in 2016. This writer however is not surprised by Binay’s display of arrogance of power – because the Vice-President himself had exhibited the same conceit and abuse when early in his vicepresidency, a video showed him in his official car, accompanied by his security escorts, beating a red traffic light. In an editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in its December 21, 2013 issue, it denounced the culture of entitlement that public officials are afflicted with as exemplified by Mayor Junjun Binay’s insistence of passing through a restricted gate – and ordering the arrest of the security guards who were enforcing the restriction on the passage. The editorial effectively castigated Vice-President Binay, who, it said that “as a former human rights lawyer, thinks nothing of the incident – and believes that his son deserved to pass through the Banyan gate even if it is against the rules.” This culture of entitlement is sadly and tragically, already ingrained in the consciousness of public officials that its exercise has become a habit and done with such impunity – and without a tinge of shame from these socalled public servants. The Binays, should learn from Davao City Mayor, Ro-

For comments/reactions: E-mail: salvadorpanelo@rocketmail.com, Facebook: panelosalvador@gmail.com Twitter: attysalvadorpanelo Text to: 0918-862- 7777

More Job Fairs for Tacloban MORE job fairs are set in Tacloban City in Leyte this year to provide employment to those affected by super typhoon Yolanda. “Due to the clamor of the people in the region, we will hold another job fair in Tacloban in the first week of January 2014,” Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a statement. A two-day job fair held by the Department of Labor and Employment in Ormoc city, which was also ravaged by Yolanda, last December benefited some 1,000 applicants. Of the number, 171 were hired on the spot while 970 were still subject to further processing. Bureau of Local Employment director Dominique Tutay said those who were hired were en-

gineers, accountants, food and beverage attendants, receptionists, site supervisors, nurses and household service workers. “For those hired locally, they will be assigned in Manila and in export processing zones in Cavite, Bataan, and Laguna,” Baldoz said. “Their employers will advance the cost of their transportation subject to repayment.” Lodging and accommodation will also be provided to those who will be hired, Baldoz added. Overseas jobs were also offered in the job fair in Ormoc. Some 35 licensed overseas recruitment agencies brought in more than 10,000 job vacancies, while 11 local employers, including World Vision, an international organization, brought in 3,400.

WE TAKE A STAND

Opinyon419.indd 11

drigo Duterte, who despite the overwhelming mandate he receives from the Davao electorate whether as Mayor or Congressman – despite the power he wields – and despite the fact that the criminals cower in fear just by the mere mention of his name, and who is revered by the military and the police, as well as respected by the communist guerillas and terrorists – he remains humble and meek as a lamb – and a gentleman of the old school – who follows traffic rules to a fault – and who allows himself to be frisked by the security guards before entering the hotels, malls and business establishments in Davao City. What is lamentable, apart from the sepulchral silence by feisty broadcast journalists and writers on the Binay incident – and the Binay defense of his son, is the fact that P-Noy, who bristles at the wang-wang culture, and who vanish the wailing of sirens of official cars bearing public officials while negotiating traffic – and who does not tolerate abuse of power and authority, has kept mum about the incident. The Binay incident and the Binay defense of the son’s abuse of authority is anathema to the President’s avowed policy of “matuwid na daan” (straight path). If he can react to an ordinary robbery of a mall – and had the time to go to the scene of the crime – with no less than the DILG Secretary in tow – why can he not take time to comment on the Binay incident that runs counter to the principle he had so admiringly espoused? Why? Has his silence anything to do with the 2016 presidential elections? Does this mean that he has abandoned his presumed heir-apparent Mar Roxas, who himself is running for the presidency in 2016? Regardless of the absence of P-Noy’s commenting on the Binay incident, we can not – and must not countenance – such sheer naked exhibit of abuse of authority – and display of arrogance of power. These public officials who practice this culture of entitlement must unchain themselves of such sickening demeanor, otherwise they face the wrath of the electorate that place them in positions of power that tragically have become the source of other entitlements (mostly illegal) – which if properly prosecuted should place them in jail, where they properly belongs and richly deserves.

OpinYon

january 6-12, 2014

11 1/3/14 8:58 PM

JANUARY 6-12, 2014 • VOL.4 NO.19

Visit us at www.opinyon.com.ph

Millionaires Club

SECTIONS POLITICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 AGRICULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 FOREIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P1 LIFESTYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P4

JOHNLU G. KOA

e Pinoy Master of Bread

HEN it comes to bread, only a few can make them better than The French Baker and L’Artizan. So when we talk of Filipino bakers—you can say that Johnlu Koa is one of the best. Raised up in a business environment, Koa sold dried mangoes to department stores and Mercury Drug stores even while still studying at the University of the Philippines. He also helped his mother in the familyowned restaurant business.

Love Affair

Koa’s love affair with bread started shortly after college. “I wanted a business that was related to food,” Koa said in a newspaper interview back in 2012. The idea of owning a bakeshop, Koa said, “came from a neighbor who owned one and whose lives got better year after year with the business”. Koa went to Europe and was fascinated with its baguettes, he tried to replicate them here in the Philippines. He learned the technical and operational side of baking French bread and opened his fi rst bake shop, Honey Bread, in 1979. “I realized that if I wanted my business to grow, I had to learn all that I could. I started getting my hands dirty, so to speak, in 1982.” Turn to page 11

12 Opinyon419.indd 12

jANuAry 6-12, 2014

OpinYon

JOHNLU Koa was named Ernst and Young Emerging Master Entrepreneur for 2005. Presenting him the award were Asian Institute of Management President Dr. Roberto de Ocampo (left), and Tynor Drug House, Inc.’s Founding Chairman and CEO, and 2004 Emerging Master Entrepreneur Tomas Victorino Meneses (right).

WE TAKE A STAND

1/3/14 8:58 PM