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We Take A Stand
JANUARY 13-190, 2014 • VOL.4 NO.20
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By Miguel raymundo
WHILE government has been hard put wooing foreigners to invest in the capital-starved Philippine economy, the country’s elite are doing the opposite—taking their money abroad. Page 2
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COVER STORY
Capital Flight
By Miguel Raymundo
Asset Bubbles
NOT just ironic, but unpatriotic as well. While the government has been hard put wooing foreigners to invest in the capital-starved Philippine economy, the country’s elite are doing the opposite—taking their money abroad. Mind bogglingly, the capital flight has gone unabated for decades, largely running to billions of pesos in foreign exchange which could have been used to create jobs in an impoverished nation. Yet, the moneyed few has gone on a splurge as it were coming from a country where average daily wage is a paltry US$710 and poverty remains widespread. Based on the latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data, the few rich and famous took out nearly US$7 billion as of December 2012, a figure which has been rising over the past years. Meant for investments in the offshore capital market, the money found its way to the United States, China and other countries where returns are relatively higher than in the home front.
The Taipans
Equity-linked securities and other debt issues accounted for the bulk of the money placements by Filipinos abroad, many of them among the country’s richest such as ethnic Chinese taipans Henry Sy, Lucio Tan and John Gokongwei. The three tycoons, who all trace their roots to China, have sizeable investments in China, ranging from property to retail, banking and finance and manufacturing. Capital flight is the movement of capital from a resource-scarce developing country to other countries due to political and economic reasons. Statistics showed that capital flight from the Philippines began in the 1970s at the height of martial law which amounted to US$16 billion, rising to US$36 billion in the 1980s, and US$43 billion in the 1990s. Undoubtedly, these figures are significant amounts of lost resources that could have been utilized in the country to generate additional economic output and jobs.
Contingency Measures
Based on some technical studies, capital flight from the Philippines followed a re-
volving door process–that is, capital inflows were used to finance the capital outflows. This process became more pronounced with government’s adoption of financial liberalization in the 1990s. Thus, it may be argued that capital flight resulted obliquely in the hollowing out of the Philippine economy. Alarmed by a capital plight that has sapped the economy of its financial strength, the BSP has warned it would enforce “contingency measures” to stem the rising outflow of money. In times of uncertainty, the BSP has standby powers to provide foreign exchange liquidity through the spot and swap markets as well as hedging facilities and granting temporary and limited regulatory forbearance to banks. Under its legal mandate, the BSP may also opt to relax the banks’ access to rediscounting facilities, or tweak reserve requirements, among others.
Tough Task
Overall, the BSP wants to minimize the impact of capital outflows and ensure that liquidity remains adequate to fuel the economy’s requirements. In its analysis, French bank Credit Agricole says the BSP is faced with “a tough task of managing the ripple effects” of the US Federal Reserve’s decision to withdraw its economic stimulus. “We anticipate significant outflows of portfolio capital from the Philippines, which will reduce the availability of funding needed for growth,” it said. Capital flight currently experienced by emerging markets such as the Philippines is due to the US Federal Reserve’s impending tapering of its massive bond buying as the US economy gains traction. The adverse effects of the recent developments abroad have already been felt in the Philippines: The peso depreciated, the stock market wiped out gains, and spreads on Philippine debt widened.
Analysts say these asset market effects are largely temporary and may be viewed as a healthy correction that may have helped defuse the risk of an actual buildup in financial imbalances. However, the bigger concern with capital flows is the “excessive volatility” that could easily impact business activities and even the financial system. The BSP’s strategy has been geared toward increasing the economy’s resilience against the risks posed by both capital inflows and outflows anchored on promoting non-inflationary growth and safeguarding financial stability. It is also keeping an eye on capital inflows in case they might form asset price bubbles. But more revealing are data in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Investments’ World Investment Report 2013 showing the extent of capital fleeing from the Philippines.
Capital flight is the movement of capital from a resource-scarce developing country to other countries due to political and economic reasons.
Upheaval?
In 2012, a whopping US$1,845 million was shipped out of the country, the biggest outflow since 2008. It was more than the US$1,816 million invested by foreigners in the country the previous year. This was despite that the economy chalked up an impressive 6.8 growth rate that prompted foreign credit rating agencies to give the Philippines an investment grade rank.
The 2012 capital outflow raised the Filipinos’ stock of investments abroad to a whopping US$9 billion, equivalent to 29 percent of foreign investments in the country. Against that backdrop, one can’t avoid but speculate: Is the Philippines’ elite expecting a political or economic upheaval in the remaining two and a half years of President Aquino? Apparently, they feel that parking their funds abroad is safer than in their own country. Analysts recall two instances in recent history when Filipinos’ capital investments abroad breached the US$1 billion mark. In 1984, the Philippines suffered its worst political and economic crisis sparked by the global debt crisis and the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino in August of the previous year. There was also a US$579 million blip in 2004 due to the economic elite’s worry that the jailed Joseph Estrada’s proxy, Fernando Poe, Jr., would win the presidential elections that year.
Uncertainties
The second was in 2007 when the Asian financial crisis set in, leading to an exodus of capital from the Philippines. The UNCTAD data also show that while foreign direct investments (FDI) into the Philippines increased to US$2.8 billion in 2012 from US$1.8 billion the previous year, the country lags far behind its Asean neighbors. In that year, Indonesia got $20 billion; Malaysia, $10.1 billion; and Thailand, $8.6 billion. The Philippines’ key rival now as a preferred investment site is Myanmar which nearly had the same FDIs as the Philippines’ US$2.2 billion in 2012. Based on the UNCTAD’s survey of 159 global companies, the Philippines in 2012 was ranked 19th attractive site for investments, way below Indonesia, which is ranked 4th; Thailand, 8th; and Vietnam, 11th. After over three years of Aquino’s “daang matuwid” rhetoric, the Philippines finds itself sinking deeper in a financial quagmire exacerbated by political uncertainties in the years ahead.
Gauging Our Lawmakers WHAT should really serve as a benchmark in determining who among the senators, whether incumbent or retired, is considered the most hardworking or even lay claim to such title, if there’s actually any? A recent press release issued by the office of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago declared her as “one of the hardest workers in the Senate,” even as she had been downed by chronic fatigue syndrome, as she still managed to file the most number of bills and resolutions in the Senate. “Her nemesis, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile –with whom she has a running word war—filed the lowest number of bills and resolutions for the same period.... The question is whether her fame as a flamboyant workaholic will continue to prevail over her stubborn and rare illness,” the Dec. 21, 2013 press release said. Attendance Checks Year in and year out, reporters in both Houses of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—would come up with a news item on who among its members scored a perfect attendance, most punctual, tardy and carry the tag of having “chronic absenteeism.” In the years when Senators Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Vicente Sotto III were still upper chamber president, president pro tempore and majority leader respectively, they posted perfect attendance consistently. Senators Estrada and Sotto were “never
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OpinYon
absent or late” in the 2012 third regular plenary sessions or during the latter part of the 15th Congress while Sen. Enrile had a record of being absent once. Sen. Santiago had the lowest attendance record, having attended 94 out of the 214 session days in the 15th Congress and was absent twice and recorded sick 27 times. The year before, Sen. Santiago and then Sen. Panfilo Lacson “topped” the list of those who incurred the highest number of absences in the first regular session of the 15th Congress. Owing to his being “in hiding” due to the arrest warrant against him that was eventually dismissed by the Court of Appeals, Sen. Lacson missed out 79 out of the 94 session days while Sen. Santiago was absent 56 times and 50 of which were filed as “on sick leave.” Yet, despite her absences, Sen. Santiago was the “topnotcher” insofar as having the most number of legislation in the upper chamber. The “bedridden” senator, who claimed to be behind the 618 bills and resolutions currently filed, “continue to work hard in her home office,” her press release said. No Yardstick For most Senate observers, neither their record of attendance and number of bills and resolutions filed during the senators’ incumbency, could serve as a yardstick of their performance in the Legislature, but the number of bills passed into laws.
Sen. Santiago herself stressed, in filing her resolution proposing the gradual abolition of the pork barrel system, said that senators and congressmen are expected to pass and not to build roads and bridges. “We are legislators, not public works contractors. People look up to us to make serious laws that could change the lives of a great number of people or could change the way society is run or managed,” she even added. Ironic it may seem, most those criticized by Sen. Santiago among her colleagues, surpassed her “achievements” in having filed measures being enacted into laws. Sen. Lacson, who in the last quarter of 2013, had been added to her list of “nemesis” in the upper chamber primarily authored the following: R.A. 9160 otherwise known as the AntiMoney Laundering Act; R.A. 9163 or the National Service Training Program Act of 2001; R.A. 9166 or An Act Increasing the Base Pay of the Members of the AFP; R.A. 9416 or Anti-Cheating Act of 2007; R.A. 9484 or the Philippine Dental Act of 2007; R.A. 9485, the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 and stood as co-authors of the following laws: Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; and Absentee Voting Act among many others. Of late, Sen. Santiago stood as proponent in two of the most controversial measures passed into laws – the Reproductive Health, the implementation of which remains pending due to the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court and the sin tax law.
These are on top of those approved into laws credited to her name such as the International Humanitarian Law, Climate Change Act, Real Estate Service Act, Renewable Energy Act, Biofuels Act and the Magna Carta for Women. Legislative Impact Some Senate insiders, however, insisted that beyond the number of approved measures, what should serve as a gauge of a senator’s performance, during his or her stint in the upper chamber, should be those legislative outputs that created an impact to most Filipinos, beyond social class. Although some may not have realized it, the likes of previous Senate presidents such as former Senators Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., Edgardo Angara and the late Blas Ople, to name a few, made a mark during their stint in the upper chamber and even left behind what could be considered as legacy to their name. Sen. Ople was considered as the “Father of the Labor Code”, steering the enactment of the law after serving as labor minister during the Marcos administration and was also behind the creation of the National Manpower and Youth Council which now known as TESDA, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and paved the way as well for the establishment of the Philippine labor attache corps.
WE TAKE A STAND
1/10/14 8:01 PM
Politics
News from Where You Stand
Impressing School Girls By Erick Fabian IN President Benigno Aquino III’s recent forum with Miriam College high school students who visited the Palace last January 7 (Tuesday), he told them that his New Year’s resolution is “to ignore critics”. He added, ““We have a cottage industry already of people who make a living criticizing me. And it [distracts me] from solving the problems of this country if I have to attend to them…Walang makitang maganda sa sasabihin mo” (they see nothing good in what I will say). He called his critics ‘hopeless’ and told the students that devoting time to them will only distract him from his work. While giant news outlets barely glossed over this seemingly inconsequential piece of news, a simple reading between the lines says so much about the arrogant attitude of the person who holds the most powerful position in a country of almost 100 million people. A quick look at the news shows that 2014 is becoming the harbinger of things to come as far as the failure of the Aquino administration to address the country’s actual concerns. His term ends in 2016, and he is playing a desperate game of patching his pockmarked public image. One would think that a more sophisticated politician would do a more elaborate stunt, but his PRs resort to publicizing a President regaling wide-eyed, star-struck high school students about how he is doing the country a lot of good by ignoring his critics. This is where the problem lies. Democracy, in whatever permutation, at its most basic requires a two-way dialogue where each party plays both speaker and listener, giver and receiver. Calling your critics ‘hopeless’ and labelling them in a simplistic manner, by calling them ‘a cottage industry of critics who make a living criticizing the President’, is a conversation killer. Just like the foolish emperor in the story ‘The Emperor’s
New Clothes’, it appears that the man who touted himself the people’s hero and a crusader against corruption is not even attempting to hide his disdain for people like you and me, Filipinos who are doing their best to be good citizens by being truthful and honest, rather than pretend that there is nothing wrong. It’s no surprise really, seeing as honesty is the farthest thing from his mind. A person who desires to engage in mature discourse will show respect for the other person, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with what the other person is saying. It is already a given that when you hold the highest position in the land, the conversation is between you and the collective of citizens that you extract taxes from. You agree to follow the social contract, to serve the interests of the people you are governing. All other interests fall on the bottom priority. At least, that’s the ideal that public servants are supposed to aim for. Ignoring criticism is a symptom of a social cancer that has been befouling our political landscape since day one of the republic. An administration that spends most of its time and the taxpayers’ money on hand-waving PR maneuvers rather than making the most of its last two years in power by coming clean to the public and actually doing reparations and responding to the grievances of the people is an indicator of collective neurosis and mental incapacity to handle the job, not to mention immaturity. Please, let’s stop fooling ourselves: we are not his boss, like he keeps saying over and over you’d wish he’d just recorded it and pushed the button on demand. His boss is Henry Sy. His boss is Manny Pangilinan. His boss is Lucio Tan. His bosses are the taipans. His bosses are the powerful people who keep him from seeing that he is a public embarrassment, again, turn to page 11
PING LACSON
Whipping Up a Storm in the pNoy Camp
By ElCid Benedicto
THE “recruitment” of former Senator Panfilo Lacson into the Cabinet of President Benigno Aquino III in the middle of his term has raised not a few eyebrows, especially after he was given the daunting task of rebuilding from the rubble the typhoondevastated provinces in the Visayas, carrying the credentials of, besides that of a two-term upper chamber member, a former decorated military and police general. His re-entry into government service is proving to be a controversial one as issue of alleged overpricing of bunkhouses as temporary shelter for typhoon Yolanda victims in Tacloban City, he was supposedly tipped off, is being debunked by Palace officials.
Third Faction?
Could the new rehabilitation czar be on his way of stirring a third faction in the already tension-fi lled Cabinet of Pres. Aquino? On Tuesday, two of Aquino’s known strong allies in the Senate, appear to be on the side of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Rogelio Singson on the issue on alleged anomalies surrounding the construction of temporary shelters of Yolanda survivors in Tacloban City. Senate President Franklin Drilon even vouched for the credibility of Singson, who vowed to quit his post if the charges will be proven to be true. “I know for a fact that Sec. Singson would not stand for any shenanigans. He has shown zero tolerance for corruption since day one in office. His integrity and competence is unassailable,” Sen. Drilon said in a statement where he also described the DPWH chief as the “most honest, efficient and decisive Public Works secretary” he has seen throughout the last few administrations. Another administration ally, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, seemed to be inclined towards Singson than Lacson on the issue although he was quick in pointing out that he’s not in a position to assert whether there’s even a tinge of truth to the allegations that has reached Lacson. Sen. Escudero and Sen. Drilon, incidentally, happen to be identified with the known “opposing” blocs in Malacañang.
The Senate president is highly-associated with the “Balay” group of Interior Sec. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II while Sen. Escudero is known to be associated with the “Samar” bloc of Executive Sec. Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa Jr.
Endless Bickering
The rehabilitation czar neither within the inner circle of the said blocs, reported to be engaged in endless bickering and power struggle and has not been a member of the ruling Liberal Party (LP), only that he has been identified as “pro-administration” of Pres. Aquino while he was still in the Senate. Based on recent developments so far, the former senator neither have the backings of any of the two Palace blocs, based on the pronouncements of the two senators, his erstwhile colleagues in the Senate. But given the track record of former Sen. Lacson as a lawmaker, he has established a reputation of not only a “crimebuster” but also that of being strongly against corrupt practices.
access to Information
Probably unknown to many was the story about the former senator, who was still some few weeks into his office, fi ring two of his staff members immediately after learning that they were already entertaining some “under the table deals.” He had, under his name, a string of exposes in the Senate of alleged irregularities of the Arroyo administration and these were coupled with documents to back up his claims. One thing that probably sets former Sen. Lacson apart from his former colleagues, was the fact that he continue to enjoy access over some classified information, probably owing to his deep connections with the intelWE TaKE a STanD
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ligence community while he was still in the military and the Philippine National Police (PNP). However, on the issue of alleged overpricing, some Singson supporters in the Senate have voiced misgivings on the allegations of overpricing saying that the usual 15% “mobilization expenses”, in which the 30% to 35% supposed commissions would come from, in such projects were managed to have been “waived” by the DPWH chief. “If at all, the contractors might be cutting corners to earn about one or two (percent), but that’s not likely to happen under Singson. That’s why he’s confident in saying that it’s impossible that there’s overpricing in these projects,” sources explained. But for former Sen. Lacson to go to the extent of having the issue investigated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) by the PNP, it’s likely that he’s holding on some information from reliable and trusted sources. As to how this latest saga on corruption under the Aquino administration would end up later on, the public would have to wait and see, at least until the issue is taken up and investigated in the Senate.
new Probe
Neophyte Sen. JV Ejercito already announced plans of fi ling a resolution to effect the probe when Congress resumes sessions beginning Jan. 20. Sen. Escudero himself admitted that the matter of the Senate engaging in a new inquiry is inevitable once a member of the upper chamber introduces a resolution to effect the conduct of the proceedings or even ask his fi nance committee to exercise its oversight functions to ascertain any possible misuse of government funds.
OpinYon
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OPINION
Power Running Amok
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Cheap not Overpriced AMID reports of overpriced bunkhouses and other shenanigans in the Yolanda relief and rehab program, it looks like the government will be spending more than what was initially estimated in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of communities in the typhoondamaged Visayas region. Budget Secretary Butch Abad said typhoon reconstruction this year could run up to PhP138 billion (about US$3.1 billion), or 50 percent higher than initial government estimates. In effect, the total bill for the four-year reconstruction program “will be steeper than the estimated PhP631 billion”. Government has set aside PhP54 billion for the rebuilding effort from a supplemental budget passed late December. Another PhP80 billion more would come from concessional loans offered by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The PNoy administration says it can fund the rehab effort. Question is, can government absorb all this spending? Part of the government plan includes the building of not only typhoon-resilient structures, but also permanent evacuation centers equipped with generators and supplies, an initiative that was not part of the original plan. Government is also considering major infrastructure projects in the central Philippines, such as relocating the coastal airport in Tacloban, the city that bore the brunt of typhoon Yolanda. Abad says they (government planners) have grossly underestimated the costs of providing temporary shelter, jobs, restoring water health and sanitation services—and even the cost of documenting and burying the dead. Simply put, government is primed to pump in more money into the relief and rehabilitation program and—with the PDAF on hold—this influx of money could provide an opportunity (God forbid!) for thieves in government to strike again. Abad said, construction planners “failed to factor in the need to introduce resiliency” a statement which— to some extent—provides an explanation as to why the temporary bunkhouses are made of light (or flimsy) materials. There you go. The bunkhouses are cheap, not overpriced.
HERMAN TIU-LAUREL Publisher TONYPET J. ROSALES Managing Editor
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DAVE DIWA Opinion Editor FREDERICK FABIAN Social Media Director CARLOS RAJAMIRA Creative Director
IFTEEN years ago, in 1999 at a Max restaurant in downtown Manila where a media Kapihan was being held, I chanced upon then Congressman Butch Abad walking into another function room where a Liberal Party caucus was being held. Linggoy alcuaz was with me and Butz Aquino somewhere in the background. Spontaneously, I screamed at fellow activist Abad, “P.I.M., akala ko para sa Masa tayo, bakit mo tinutulak mo ang Omnibus Power Bill (OMB)?” The OMB was the precursor for the Epira (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) of 2001 which is now throwing the national economy and the lives of 100 million Filipinos in deep shit. After P4.15/kWh, Another P8/kWh Hike Meralco, ERC (Energy Regulatory commission), WESM and PEMC (Wholesale Electricity Spot Marcket and Philippine Electricity Market Corporation), and the IPPA (Independent Power Producers Association) sent the country into an uproar in December 2013 when it hiked power rates by P 4.15/kWh pushing Meralco rates to P 16.50/ kWh—the highest in the World! That was stopped by a TRO from the Supreme Court and thanks only to citizens action, but that temporary reprieve isn’t even over and Meralco is now scheduling to hike rates by another P 8/kWh pushing prices to P24.50/kWh if this amok of the power privatization system is not stopped and reversed. Only Manila Standard carried the report from Alena Mae S. Flores last Jan. 10, reporting that Meralco said “…this would be felt yet because of the SC’s 60day restraining order…” which means all hell will break loose after the TRO. Butch Abad is quoted to say, “When Meralco announced the P4.15 per kilowatt hour, the negative reaction was already huge. How much more with this new hike announcement.” This is why I flashed back to that day in 1999 when I cursed Abad and his OMB. The curse is now upon us all and the task is to un-hex our nation of this curse of privatization, yet it is a task I doubt the country knows how to unravel until a violent explosion shreds it asunder. Corrupt Elite Conspiracy The Epira was born in the orgy of pathological profit and power seekers’ privatizations in the World and in Filipino society—the IMF-World Bank, the Philippine feudal-corporate elite, its politicians of almost all stripes, its mendicant intelligentsia. Epira was passed by Congress
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PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE Mentong Laurel after then Speaker Soy Belmonte’s office distributed P500K payola to all signing “sow-lons” and P10-M “O Ilaw” projects from Gloria M. Arroyo while the latter got US$ 800-M standby loans from the World Bank to sign it into law. With sovereign guanratees, bankrupt U.S. companies like Mirant joined the Epira IPPs in and raked in billions. This was one of the motives behind Edsa Dos, to oust the anti-sovereign guarantee Estrada. The corrupt intelligentsia is integral to the selling of the Epira, such Randy David in his Inquirer pieces arguing that President BS Aquino can do nothing about the ERC’s policies; to which I wrote: ”. “If a corrupt congress and president passed Epira into law, a “Daang Matuwid” president can repeal it through a Congress which he coaxed to oust a Supreme Court justice.” In 2004 in a debate on presidential candidates organized by Fr. Ed dela Torre at the Bahay Kalinaw, Arroyo factotum Rigoberto Tiglao threw a tantrum to disrupt my exposition on the Epira which would indict the Arroyo candidacy. I am glad Tiglao is now lambasting the Epira. Silent Black Nazarene If the Black Nazarene, which has just been dusted and taken out of its parking slot for the recent procession, would speak what would it say about the country’s exorbitant power cost. Would it perform a miracle and instruct the Catholic hierarchy to speak on behalf of the suffering poor and demand the lowering of rates, take profit out of the equation (as Chirst did at the Temple) and lash the whip at the money monsters? Cardinal Tagle had a field day during the procession pontificating against the politicians and their corruption—but what about the corruption of the oligarchs? This is why the Black Nazarene will never speak, as the Church cannot turn against their mundane benefactors. Our very good Bishop Tobias at a symposium organized by KME (Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya) of economist Jimmie Regalario, enthusiastically agreed with our praise of SC Justice Reynato Puno’s 2003 decision prohibiting Meralco from passing its income tax on to consumers, causing a P 30-B refund. Tobias wanted to protest the high rates, but when ILPI’s (Iligan Light) Jojo Borja mentioned that Manny Pangilinan is one of the major benefactors of the Church the good Bishop piped down. Let’s be truthful, in all of history the Vatican has always stood beside the oligarchs while distracting the masses with preaching of justice for the poor the same way Pope Francis is doing now. Beware the “Trolls” “Trolls” on the Internet are very well known in social media
now. They are the planted Twitters and Facebook participants in discussed, often paid for by interests behind the scenes, to disrupt certain lines of thought or promote some misinformation or disinformation. The “trolls” also exist in real life, in NGOs and the likes. In ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) hearings there are “trolls” sent in to pose as consumer champions and advocates who are actually the fi fth column of Meralco, the ERC and the IPP, the WESM (Wholesale Electricity Sport Market). One has been caught with a P5-million “education on Epira” contract with the WESM. The “trolls” in real life and in social media have taken a heavy toll on the Filipino people’s clearheadedness, muddling issues and waylaying the best intentions of the public. The Epira was passed on the lies of the trolls that “competition will bring down power rates”, just like the anti-pork core group of Peachy Bretaña, Inday Varona, Junep Ocampo, et al used the “Million Man March” hypes supported by oligarch’s media ABS-CBN, TV5, Inquirer, Star et al. The anti-pork campaign has just enhanced the “super pork” of BS Aquino’s DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) fund and the executive prerogatives over “pork” which Congress now has to submit to BS Aquino for release to their projects. Power Play While the power struggle between oligarchs and the people are stalemated with the TRO, mainstream media of the oligarchs is spewing threats from the IPPs that “power brownouts” may ensue from the delay in approving the exorbitant rates. That’s blackmail that was inevitable when the power industry was placed in the hands of profitseeking, greedy owners. The nation and the economy is being taken hostage for the ransom of price gouging rates. It’s a choice between being killed by high power rates or now power at all. There should be a better choice, that re-nationalizing or socializing the power sector, which won’t happen without ousting BS Aquino and company. The Magdalo’s Senator Trillanes lashed out at the chief power oligarch in Meralco, Manny Pangilinan as “walang kabusugan” (insatiable) and proposed to use the Malampaya Fund to cushion consumers’ bill, but with another P 8/kWh increase that fund will run out fast and sacrifices energy development that should bring lower cost power in the long run. The Makabayan Coalition led by Colmenares’ group went to the SC and got the TRO, but the long run program of this group may hold the only solution, revolution—unless the AFP’s young officers can fast track developments as in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez. (Watch “Power Struggle 2014” with, GNN Destiny Cable Channel 8, Skycable Channel 213, www. gnntv-asia.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 09234095739)
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1/10/14 8:01 PM
Opinion
The Viewpoints and outlook of the well-informed
Happy New Year?
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URPRISINGLY, the Filipino spirit has remained high after 2013 ended with record highs in crime, corrupt practices and natural calamities. Does this demonstrate that we are the most resilient people in the entire planet? Or does it portend a caveat from Mme. De Maintenon who said: “Hope says to us constantly, ‘Go on, go on’ and leads us to the grave”? Where has public outrage gone?! Is it to our God-will-provide religiosity that this outstanding trait of Hope is ascribed, along with the oft-pontificated virtue of Forgiveness? Indeed, was it the spirit of Forgiveness, if not political posturing, that accounted for the recent visits to the ailing heinouscrime detainee Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by some high-profile clerical and political leaders? Ang mga bumabagang balita, via the daily papers and radio-TV reportage, say it all and, by all indications, the ongoing upsurge of graft and criminality shall remain unabated. You cannot step out of your house without feeling you could get mugged, which is not to say that you feel fairly secure at home with nary a worry over a break-in or an “inside job” of sorts. Yes, even your most trusted domestic helper is now suspect. Mainly because his pay is buying less, and he now has more to support in a growing family,
period. And again, this is not to say that you are comfortable with the rigidities of the Kasambahay Law, the passage of which was most likely motivated by politicians’ ploy to curry favor with the vote-rich poor. You feel cheated, and rightly so. Despotic QC Politicians I live in New Manila, Quezon City and I share an utter outrage with my neighbors. New Manila might have been the “Forbes Park” of the 40s, 50s and 60s, but not anymore. It is not a “gated community”, and neither can it pretend to compare with any in those more affluent cities. Save perhaps for a sparse 15% handful in terms of social standing, the rest in New Manila are a mix of middle and lower middleclass families. Even the richest amongst us are aghast at the “very injustice of it all” -- a phrase often used in our coffee-shop tête-a-têtes. It’s even not a question of whether we’re rich or not, but whether we’re willing, symbolically speaking, to spend twenty pesos for one halfrotten medium-sized calamansi, or to be “taken for a ride”. What an outrageous rip-off! The thing is: the city’s imposition of realty tax hikes was arbitrary. At its public hearings, the City Council ran roughshod over the hallowed guarantee of due process by totally ignoring the overwhelming well-argued
MUSINGS Ronald Roy opposition of residents. Three years ago, QC homeowners were imposed “social housing taxes” in order to help re-settle outsiders squatting on their lots. Today, the squatting families are still there, and the lot owners who cannot use their lots continue to bear increasing tax burdens thereon with no relief in sight. So, where has all the money gone?! Aha... there’s the rub! I don’t wish to give a cynical answer, except that—I have long considered QC officials to be corrupt. Until lately, they had their own pork barrel racket. Hmmm... maybe they still do. Anyway, “ghost employees”-- two councilmen have pending cases which the courts are taking an eternity to terminate -- “flying voters”, kickbacks and other anomalies are their bread and butter. And to add to the residents’ discomforts, the service is bad. Cops are losing the war against robbers because the robbers are cops. Kickback schemes pave the way for roads and avenues being
built so substandard that they undergo constant repairs. Prostitution and trafficking of prohibited drugs are on the rise. Ad nauseam! And the city continues to brag it’s the richest city in the country!!! Oops, incidentally, there’s a new QC ordinance imposing on every homeowner a hefty garbage fee to fund the city’s—take a deep breath—reforestation program!! Huh?! Mayor Bautista, Hinde kami tanga!! Why could you not answer when asked to explain the program?! Hmmm... methinks what should take place soonest is an honest-to-goodness comprehensive audit of the financial records of the city government, as well those of QC Mayor Herbert Bautista, during all the long years he has been in office. A New Year’s Bad Start After the rambunctious celebration, we woke up to greet the dawn of a new year with resurgent hopes for good health, prosperity, peace, price rollbacks, diminished road rages and
scams, and all that, but doggone it, we have had nothing but bad news since January 1! Wreaking havoc is news that the newly constructed housing units for Supertyphoon Yolanda’s victims are overpriced, substandard and unlivable. Heartless and callous!! The role of rehab czar Ping Lacson here is merely coordinative, but we cannot discount his legendary savvy in the unique neutralization of felonious culprits in our jurisdiction. Go for it, Ping!!! Explosive is a looming constitutional crisis between the Supreme Court and the Lower House which are headed on a collision course. With push coming to shove, the solons’ superior impeachment tool can however be blunted by the sovereign people and the Church coming together to support the Court, along with, if imperative, military backup. (http://musingsbyroy.wordpress. com | 09186449517 | @ronald8roy | #musingsbyroy)
Cops are losing the war against robbers because the robbers are cops. Prostitution and trafficking of prohibited drugs are on the rise.
Inevitable War There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others. – Niccolo Machiavelli
L
IKE I used to say, if the program is on and the only thing the global elites can do is to postpone the inevitable global war and precisely to their advantage. And so what can countries (like the Philippines) do to seize the opportunity of getting what they deserve in engaging with alliances? As a sovereign nation, we have to gather our act together so that we will get what is due us and not to repeat the bad part of our history. Just like a broken record player, I’ve been repeating that we must learn from our past experiences and we should not forget how we were screwed by the global elites in dragging us into a war not of our liking. In the process we were left behind after the war and it was Japan, the perceived enemy of America who received the all out support from the United States government. Now that the Philippines is being programmed to be the epicenter of war in the South China Sea (SCS) and in the Pacific, US State Secretary Kerry made a lip service recently that the US will give an all out support to our country just in case of war. But remember the several times that we had a near confrontation with China, all we heard from Uncle Sam was
WHISTLE BLOWER Erick San Juan that the US will remain neutral and will not interfere with the dispute between China and the Philippines and their only concern is the freedom of navigation in the SCS. But when Japan had the same predicament with China in the disputed area in the East China Sea, plus the recent establishment of Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) by China, we witnessed how the US military showed support to Japan. The mere fact that the US government even reminded Beijing that there is a US-Japan security pact in place and that the contested islands are part of that treaty that the US will give support to Japan in case of an attack from China. It is very clear that after all that support we gave as a loyal ally to US, we never had the same treatment as what US has been giving to Japan. This only shows that our government should make it clear and be fi rm as to the extent of our relationship with Washington, especially now that there is an ongoing talks about a new “access agreement”
on the presence of US military in the country. If the US is really serious not to make us just cannon fodders, the US congress should pass a law (like what support they gave to Japan) that there will be an automatic retaliation and support from US in case of Chinese (or other countries) attack and aggression to our country. In these exciting times, let us be very wary and always on the lookout when it comes to the country’s security and foreign
policy, like what we have cited in our past two articles, the drums of war are getting louder and louder and the possibility of a regional confl ict right here in our backyard is real. Any miscalculation and possible false flag operation can lead us to another destruction whether we like it or not. This is the reality! Our so called leaders allowed us to be the US military doormat in the region and like a huge magnet, we attract Uncle Sam’s enemies in the process.
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The only hope that this country have with the present administration is to cast a fair deal with the US. If they want our country’s support in their pivot to Asia, they must put it in writing approved by their US Congress. That will be the moment that we can have a semblance of peace of mind especially if we will be armed like real warriors and not like toy soldiers. If not God forbid! May our leaders conscience bother them. I believe in Karma!
OpinYon
january 13-19, 2014
5 1/10/14 8:01 PM
Environment
PH-US Talks on Reef Compensation Hits Snag
Ramon Paje
DENR Prohibits Use of Lead in Consumer Products THE government is strengthening its control on the use of lead and its compounds in the local production of consumer products, as well as its importation, sale, distribution and disposal following the issuance of a chemical control order (CCO) for lead and lead compounds by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). “The Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds is a result of numerous consultations with various stakeholders with the intention of reducing unreasonable risks and injuries to people as a result of their exposure to the chemical as well its negative impact on the environment,” DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said. He also said the order was in support of the global action for the elimination of lead in paints. According to Paje, lead is a heavy metal and highly toxic that exposure to it or ingestion can severely damage the nervous system. The chemical can also affect the development of children as well as the cardiovascular, reproductive and immune systems; impair the kidneys; and could also cause hearing loss and tooth decay. The CCO for lead, contained in DENR Administrative Order No. 2013-24, strictly prohibits the use of lead and lead compounds in the local manufacture of packaging for food and drink, toys, school supplies, cosmetics, water pipes and other consumer products. It also reiterates the ban on the use lead as fuel additive. “With the CCO, existing prohibitions by other agencies of the government governing the use of lead and lead compounds in various consumer products are further strengthened,” he said. The order has also set the standard content of lead for locally produced paints at 90 parts per million (ppm), as well as the timeframe for the strict implementation of the standard which starts in 2016 for paints intended
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for architectural, decorative, household applications while paints for industrial applications, starts in 2019. ‘The reason for setting the implementation phase for paints is to enable our paint industry to shift to lead-free production. There is now a global action for the elimination of lead in paints, and certainly this CCO is our way of showing our oneness with this advocacy,’Paje stressed.
the manufacturers or industrial users but also the importers, distributors, recyclers, as well as the waste service providers like the transporters, waste treaters and disposers,’ Paje explained. As such, persons or entities involved in importation, manufacture, distribution, use, recycling, treatment, storage and disposal of lead and lead compounds, whether newly involved or with existing compliance certificates, are required to register with the DENR’s Env i ron menta l Management Bureau (EMB). Applicants are also required to provide a Safety Data Sheet to ensure the environment a l l y-s ou nd management of the chemicals. The DAO details requirements for labeling, manufacturing and training, storage, transport, treatment and disposal of lead and leadcontaining materials. To ensure proper implementation of the new policy, the DENR will conduct capability building and continuous consultations and discussions with its partner agencies under the Departments of Health, Trade and Industry, and Finance; as well as the Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers, the Ecological Waste Coalition, and International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) Philippines. The order also tasks the EMB to lead the development of standards or threshold limits relative to the other existing uses of lead, and to monitor compliance with these standards. Violators shall be subject to administrative and criminal sanctions relative to RA 6969 provisions.
Lead is a heavy metal and highly toxic that exposure to it or ingestion can severely damage the nervous system. The chemical can also affect the development of children as well as the cardiovascular, reproductive and immune systems; impair the kidneys; and could also cause hearing loss and tooth decay. The DENR chief added that the new regulation on lead is consistent with Republic Act No. 6969, otherwise known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990, as it also addresses the transport and treatment of leadcontaining wastes prior to disposal. RA 6969 was issued by the government in response to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. ‘Since lead is a toxic substance, the regulation covers not only the production process, but starts at the importation of the chemical to transport, recycling and even up to disposal of lead-containing wastes. Thus, the order also covers not only
OpinYon
TALKS between the Philippines and the United States on Washington’s compensation for the damage caused by its military vessel on Tubbataha Reef has been suspended due to a pending complaint before the Philippine Supreme Court, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Both sides have yet to agree on the appropriate compensation for the damaged coral outcrop a year after the minesweeper USS Guardian ran aground the world-famous reef off Palawan province. Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said there has been “progress” in the talks but it was stalled by a case filed by militant groups seeking higher reparation from the US and a ban on the entry of its military vessels in the country.
“There were commitments on the part of the US to make compensation, but further discussion on this were held off because of the case filed with the Supreme Court,” Hernandez told a press briefing. Hernandez said the DFA will not issue further statements on the issue until the case is resolved by the high court. He also declined to comment when asked if the Supreme Court can compel the US to adhere to its decision. The US warship’s damage to the reef, a United Nations-declared world heritage site, covered an area over 4,000 square meters, park officials said. Washington has offered compensation to the Philippine government for the damage, which has been pegged close to PhP100 million.
Legarda Calls for Waste Management in Visayas SENATOR Loren Legarda today echoed the call of the Department of Health (DOH) to immediately finish the clean-up of garbage and other debris in Yolanda-affected areas to prevent the outbreak of diseases. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, noted the DOH’s warning that the uncollected garbage in areas hit by typhoon Yolanda may attract bacteria-carrying organisms that could bring diseases. “This is yet another challenge in our post-disaster management strategies. We cannot place lives at risk again due to the health hazards posed by piles of garbage lying on the streets of areas affected by the super typhoon. Solid waste management should always be central in our recovery and rehabilitation plans,” said Legarda as she also reiterated her call for strict implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (R.A. 9003), which she authored. The Senator said that implementing an effective solid waste management plan in typhoon-hit areas could be less challenging if LGUs have already been faithfully implementing the law. “It would be easier to manage waste materials after disasters if we already practice waste segregation, recycling, composting, processing, and treatment. Solid waste management should be part of every household’s daily routine and every
Loren Legarda community’s development plan,” Legarda stressed. “Our citizens must demand that their local government implement a genuine solid waste management system in accordance with the law. This is within their right since LGUs are primarily responsible for implementing RA 9003. Segregation and collection of solid waste shall be conducted at the barangay level for biodegradable, compostable and reusable waste and the municipality or city is responsible for collecting non-recyclable materials and special waste,” she added. “We also have to learn personal responsibility for our own garbage and choose the right items that can be recycled. When solid waste management has become a part of our life, we lessen the factors that contribute to aggravating disasters and the management of post-disaster waste would likewise be less difficult,” Legarda concluded.
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Agriculture DA: Legal Marijuana in PH, Still Far Off AUTHORIZED cultivation of marijuana would take many years to become a reality, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). “A broad consultation with different sectors of society is needed,” Marilyn Sta. Catalina—head of the DA’s Cordillera Administrative Region office said in response to a query on the possibility of developing the presently prohibited plant into a high-value crop. Earlier, Malacañang said that marijuana will remain prohibited, unlike in some American states, particularly Colorado, where its use has been recently legalized.
The Palace said that unless Congress amends the law, the use of marijuana will not be legalized soon even for medicinal purposes. And if the Congress approval should be the gauge, the approval is highly unlikely, according to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala. “To be sure, Congress won’t allow it,” Alcala said. In June of last year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has discovered patches of vast marijuana plantations in Kalinga, which is one of the country’s marijuana hot spots. Located in the hinterlands of Mount Bitulayungan, the illegal
plants were from a four-hectare plantation in the area which was uprooted by the operatives of the Cordillera regional police, amounting to a billion pesos, according to reports. Under the Dangerous Drugs Act, the use—even for medicinal purposes—of marijuana is prohibited. Pain relief is one of the welldocumented benefits of using marijuana as a medicine. The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Nurses Association, including the New England Journal of Medicine endorse the use of medical marijuana for the treatment of severe chronic pain.
DA to Help Benguet Farmers Cope with Frost
Proceso Alcala
Four PH Provinces Get New Slaughterhouses LIVESTOCK farmers in Tarlac, Batangas, Pangasinan and Ilocos Sur provinces are to have four new slaughterhouses to process meat for local and international markets this year. The provinces have signed an agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to have double-A and triple-A slaughterhouses built. The National Meat Inspection Service and the Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service is helping to finance the project with a grant of PhP290 million for the construction of the slaughterhouses. The agencies, attached to the Department of Agriculture, will also provide training and technical assistance on running the slaughterhouses. The construction of the slaugh-
terhouses is also expected to reduce the need for imported meat. In the first nine months of 2013, the Philippines imported 153,000 tons of choice cuts compared to 134,760 tons imported in 2012. Bamban, Tarlac will get a AAA million poultry slaughterhouse and trading centre worth PHP120 million while a PHP150-million AAA slaughterhouse for pigs will be built in Tanauan City in Batangas. The Bamban slaughterhouse will process up to 3,500 chickens an hour and the Tanauan plant will be able to process 250 pigs a day, the GMA News report says. Tayug in Pangasinan and Candon in Ilocos Sur will, meanwhile, get PHP10-million AA slaughterhouses that can handle 100 hogs a day.
AGRICULTURE officials believe the recent frost incidence in one of the country’s major vegetable bowls has negligible impact on the supply in Metro Manila since it only affected a small portion of Benguet’s vast production area. Yet, they are not taking chances and are out to boost the resilience of farmers against what they call a “natural occurrence.” Noting that vegetable frosting happens regularly in the province, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced last week it is set to carry out both short- and long-term measures to help farmers cope better with the frost. “Sabi nga po ng iba, 50 years nang problema ‘yan, so hindi na po tayo papayag na matapos ang termino ng Pangulong Aquino na hindi natin ‘yan nabibigyan ng permanenteng solusyon,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said after meeting with other DA officials to review their rehabilitation and sustainability plan for the affected vegetable farmers. Within this week, DA will
deliver its initial assistance to affected farmers in Benguet’s three barangays—Barangay Paoay, Atok and Barangay Madaymen in Kibungan—that include 10 units of power sprayers; 20 rolls of rubber hose; 50 pieces of plastic drums; and 10 rolls of plastic sheets to be used in making rain-shelters. An info-caravan will also be conducted by Friday or Saturday to help educate around 100 farmers about frosting and urgent measures that could be done to prevent, if not totally eliminate, huge damages on crops. Several kilos of replacement seeds will also be provided. The DA regional field office in the Cordillera Administrative Region said around 500 farmers will benefit from the initial help. Agriculture officials say timely adoption of mitigating methods could greatly reduce losses. For instance, Cordillera farmers would usually sprinkle water at the plants at the onset of frosting to save leaves from wilting. Many of them have also learned to adjust their planting calendar so as to harvest early WE TAKE A STAND
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and avoid a frost season. The recent frost was first noted on December 30, when temperature dropped to a near-icy 9°C. As a long-term solution, water-impounding facilities will be constructed strategically in frost-prone areas, with some enhancements in the design. Secretary Alcala said the modified design would allow farmers to pump water into farms situated in more elevated areas where frosting normally occurs. DA will also establish additional rain-shelters and greenhouses so that farmers can grow and harvest crops even during rainy and cold seasons. These interventions will be in addition to what DA had already delivered or established in Benguet, which include P2.4million water impounding facility, a greenhouse and several units of power sprayers in Atok, usually the most affected area. The provincial government has also been provided with seeds last year, DA said. “Actually, we have been proactive in our actions,” Alcala said. “These [immediate solutions] have already been incorporated in our 2014 programming prepared a year ago. So now, it is just a matter of hastening, or in some cases, expanding the scope of its implementation.” In a statement released before the weekend, DA assured Metro Manila consumers that vegetable frosting in Benguet will not lead to a shortage of upland vegetables as it affected merely three hectares of potato and cabbage farms in Barangay Paoay, Atok and Barangay Madaymen in Kibungan, Benguet. Of the total affected areas, only one-fourth hectare was totally damaged. The provincial government estimates Benguet has 25,000 hectares of vegetable farms. DA is now closely monitoring the occurrence of frosting in the three barangays, as well as other farming communities in Benguet. In case a need for additional supply arises, it also works to prepare alternative sources of upland vegetables for Metro Manila, notably Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
OpinYon
january 13-19, 2014
9 1/10/14 8:01 PM
OPINION
Health Care Everywhere
I Making a Comeback From page 12
Comeback
For the mainstream or casual dining segment, iFoods has the following brands: Tokyo Café, Stackers Burger Café, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Kogi Bulgogi, Parmigiano and, the latest, Miso-Ramen and Tempura. For the high-end segment, iFoods has Wafu, a posh 800-squaremeter Japanese restaurant that opened last year at the Greenhills Shopping complex in San Juan. Wafu is run by Bryan with managing partner Chris Oronce, who has worked as a chef in several restaurants mostly in Las Vegas including MGM Grand Shibuya and Koi Restaurant at Planet Hollywood. Another high-end brand, a Korean restaurant called Woo Galbi, is set to open at the Shagri-La Mall.
Expansion
In March 2013, Tiu set a target for iFoods of expanding to about 100 outlets in the next five years. Tiu said that during this span of time, the company expects sales to grow by an average of 20 percent annually. “Last year our sales was PhP260 million and conservatively, we expect that to increase to PhP300 million this year,” Tiu said in a newspaper interview. Tiu also revealed his plan of selling his remaining stake in Teriyaki Boy with the proceeds to be used to help fund the company’s five-year expansion program. “We are getting good offers [for Teriyaki Boy] already.” Tiu said they are in talks with investors who expressed interest in putting money in I-Foods for its expansion. The company said it also plans to offer franchising to further expand its sales network. I-Foods currently has 21 outlets, 17 of which are company-owned. Tiu said the goal is to increase the number of company-owned stores to 60, with franchisees owning 40 outlets.
Ideas
“A lot of foreign brands are coming in, we have to be ready,” Tiu says. The concepts for iFoods’ mainstream restaurants were inspired by ideas he picked up from the various places he visited. “Peri-peri (named after an African spice called piri piri) is like Nando’s, a South African casual dining restaurant that is present in about 30 countries. Tokyo Café is like a typical Japanese coffee shop overseas,” he says. The others are restaurant concepts that he believes will click with the Filipino market. Each follows a certain theme, from the food to the restaurant’s setup. Stackers Burger Cafe, for instance, is a burger and chicken place with an extensive line of specialty coffee drinks. The beef burgers are grilled in special signature sauces. Stackers takes pride in its baked fried chicken that promises to be a healthier alternative to other fried chicken brands as it uses 80 percent less oil. The restaurant provides a hip and colorful atmosphere that appeals to the A and B markets across all ages. Peri-Peri Chicken offers African-Portuguese style grilled chicken cooked on spit-fi re grill. It started as a quick service outlet that eventually evolved into a casual restaurant.
Different Taste
Although all the iFoods brands are homegrown, Tiu says they give one’s palate a taste of different cuisine from around the world. He admits being approached by foreign brands for possible franchising arrangements, but he says he is sticking with homegrown brands. “Those restaurants we see and go to when we travel overseas maybe good, but we can do what they do, or even better. We don’t need to franchise foreign brands, we have a lot of talented Filipinos here, and there are many Filipinos who have worked for many years overseas, especially in the food and service business, who are coming back,” he says. This year, Tiu is prepped up for an aggressive expansion. Aside from the two new brands iFoods is introducing soon, the company aims to open 10 casual dining outlets this year while it renovates and modernizes the existing restaurants. With the economy growing Tiu is upbeat on the restaurant business. “People are dining out more, and they are getting more adventurous in the food they eat and the restaurants they go to,” he said.
all in the Family
For the entire iFoods operations, he counts on his siblings to take care of fi nance, accounting and other backroom concerns. As his dreams level up, the job gets very demanding. Tiu gets swamped with work of various concerns. He is, however, confident that in the future, he will be free of some concerns that may not necessarily need his personal attention and he will be able to focus on the things that he is so passionate about—marketing and research and development. “I just want to be just a chief creative officer someday,” he said.
N a lecture that I delivered at the General Staff College (GSC), I said that any twoway interaction between two medical professionals using any telecommunications device could already be considered as telemedicine. I am mentioning that now in my column, to make it very clear that telemedicine need not use high technology. I have to say that because of the apparent wrong impression that telemedicine needs to have computers, and without computers, it could not work. Just to use an extreme example, it could already be considered as telemedicine if two medical professionals would use a citizen’s band (CB) radio to talk to each other. What this means is that voice messaging is enough to deploy telemedicine, but of course it would be a big improvement if video and data could also be added. That said, it goes without saying that all of the popular voice and video messaging services today could also be used to deploy telemedicine, such as Viber, Face Time, BBM and Skype. Data transmission is of course another story, because these would usually involve large files. The good news is, even the concept of “transmission” is going out of style, because image files could now be viewed or browsed remotely, without any need to “transmit” these files. For that matter, any and all information about a patient could now be viewed or browsed from anywhere, thus making it unnecessary to physically keep files in the same location, usually filed in a doctor’s office. Having two medical professionals working together using telemedicine would usually mean having one doctor on one end and another doctor at another end. However, there could be other situations, such as having a doctor on one end and a nurse at another end. What is important is to always have human intervention at the receiving end, because of practical and legal reasons. Even in virtual situations, legal liabilities are still applicable. Under normal circumstances, telemedicine would be most useful when the number of doctors is scarce at both the sending end and at the receiving end. Distance would also be a factor, because the farther the distance, the lesser doctors would be available. This is the reason why telemedicine would be most valuable in upland communities and island villages. It would necessarily follow that the farther the dis-
impressing... From page 3
like the emperor who thought that he looks grand in his invisible clothes. His bosses are only those who are willing to kiss his bottom end in exchange for favors and power. It is too easy to allow awestruck high schoolers and fieldtripping students who will be dazzled with the initial grandiosity of power, and all the perks of holding the most influential position in the country. On the other hand, student activists and civil groups with real-life concerns are rarely welcomed beyond the gates of the Palace compound, if at all. Mr. Aquino also said that he will not pressure his Cabinet, as
SCIENCE WORKS Ike Señeres tance, the more expensive it would be to travel; hence telemedicine would really bring down the costs of healthcare for the people in these far areas. Of course, cost is an important factor, but what is even more important is the potential of telemedicine to enable medical professionals to immediately respond to urgent and emergency situations, wherein the time factor could be a matter of life and death. The normal behavior now is to bring patients to the hospitals in case of emergencies, but with telemedicine, it is now possible to diagnose and cure people even without bringing them to a hospital. In theory, telemedicine could work anywhere where there is a signal, and that includes any kind of radio frequency. Of course what are more common nowadays are signals for internet and mobile use. What this means is that anywhere there is a form of connectivity via radio, internet or mobile, it would already be possible to deploy telemedicine. If signals could be deployed everywhere, then it is already possible to deploy telemedicine everywhere. I understand that not all places have hospitals, because hospitals are not everywhere. However, because of telemedicine, any structure even a temporary tent could practically function as a hospital, for as long as there is a signal. Even in places where there are hospitals, there may not be enough doctors who could be on duty and in such places, and the doctors at the sending end could fill in the gap by attending to the local patients remotely. Even in places that have many doctors that are general practitioners, there is always a need for medical specialists
For feedback, email iseneres@yahoo.com or text+639083159262
Telemedicine has the potential of making our national dream making “universal healthcare” come true. Quality healthcare is not a problem for the rich, but it is for the poor.
part of his New Year’s resolution. Saying that is tantamount to saying that he will not do his work properly. He should be pressuring them to bring about changes that will benefit Filipino society and improving the lives of the general populace. He should be shouting orders short of beating their backs with a stick because there are life-and-death decisions to be made, and he is making light of things that can save people’s lives and ensure a better future even after his administration is over. Sadly, the President is not interested in those things. He cares more about impressing high school girls, his Yellow cult, and the public by putting up a nice guy image. Sure, he is nice. WE TaKE a STanD
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who are either too far to reach physically, or are too expensive to hire locally. Telemedicine would enable these specialists to examine more people without moving around physically, and without incurring too much travel expenses to be able to move around. Because of that, their professional fees could possibly go down too. Actually, any vacant building or any vacant space could now be converted into a “virtual” hospital or clinic with at least one medical professional manning it, in places where there are no “actual” hospitals and clinics. The technologies for this are already available, and several technology providers are already willing and ready to provide their services on a “fee basis” only, meaning that there would be no front end costs. In case the owners of these vacant spaces would also be willing, they could rent out these spaces on a “profit sharing” basis only. The other alternative is for them to accept tax credits or barter points in exchange for the rent. Telemedicine has the potential of making our national dream making “universal healthcare” come true. Quality healthcare is not a problem for the rich, but it is for the poor. Since we are a democracy, we should make it our national goal to democratize quality healthcare, so that it will be available to everyone, rich and poor alike. This is not a distant goal, because the majority of our people already have access to cell phones, and there is already a good signal in most parts of our country. We have the technologies, we have the devices, and we have the signals. All we need now are more vacant buildings and more vacant spaces that could be converted into “virtual” hospitals and clinics. As I envision it, it is the local people in the local communities that should seek out these vacant spaces. These “virtual” clinics should be community owned and operated. This is a case of people wanting to own their destiny.
He is not your typical movie villain. He is no Darth Vader and he is not planning to blow up a planet. Neither is he planning to address the suffering of millions of Filipinos who are hungry, homeless, jobless and desperate. He may not do the evil laugh, but what makes him any better than evil people? In his last two years as President, if he keeps doing this, then there will be no resolution for the rest of us. It’s all a brave front, a dismissive response, and nothing but the bravado of a political failure who is desperate to keep his already tattered public image. We should be concerned because we do not want two years of living in hell.
OpinYon
january 13-19, 2014
11 1/10/14 8:01 PM
JANUARY 13-190, 2014 • VOL.4 NO.20
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BRYAN C. TIU
Making a Comeback
B
RYAN Tiu practically grew up behind an antique cash register in Divisoria where his parents ran a textile business. He is no stranger to business. He was only 18 and still in school at the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) when he fi rst tried his hand in business via a pizza chain franchise. His fi rst stint in business was not a success, but despite the failure, this just solidified his resolve to go into the food business. A lover of Japanese food, Tiu saw the gap between Japanese fi ne dining and low-end Japanese restaurants and saw a potential niche in the process.
Teriyaki Boy
In 2001, Tiu established his fi rst Japanese casual dining restaurant in Madison Square Greenhills. He called the restaurant Teriyaki Boy, introducing the image of an animated Japanese boy to appeal to a more relaxed target market. Teriyaki Boy started to attract adolescents and young working professionals. Since then, it has built a loyal following from the C and B markets. By 2005, Teriyaki Boy had grown into a chain of 10 restaurants in the Metro Manila area and his success as an entrepreneur earned him recognition from Ernst and Young. Four years later, just when T-boy—as Tiu fondly calls his restaurant—was peaking, he sold a majority stake in it to Pancake House, Inc. and took a long break. Tiu did no business for several years, although he helped his siblings form and run the company he is now heading as president and CEO, iFoods Inc. He traveled around, met people from outside his comfort zone and spent much time with his young family. While doing all this, he learned more about the food business. “I went back to basics. I studied the culture of the products, I worked on understanding the industry more—the food itself, the market, the materials we use, and the ways of doing the restaurant business. I learned from the many years I have been in the food and restaurant business that getting very good chefs was not enough. Research and development, which I really like, plays a very important role in ensuring the success of a venture,” he says. turn to page 11
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january 13-19, 2014
OpinYon
YOUNg ENtREpRENEUR. Bryan tiu was named Young Entrepreneur in 2005 for
serving as a model for aspiring young entrepreneurs. presenting the award were Ms. Barbara Locsin (left), President of BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation, and Mr. Edgar Chua (right), Country Chairman of Shell companies in the Philippines.
Hoping to make a dent both in the mainstream and the high-end segments of the restaurant business, Tiu set his sights on not just one brand, but with several under the banner of iFoods Inc. One thing was certain to him: iFoods must be all about homegrown brands.
WE TaKE a STanD
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