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The pinoy ‘steve jobs’ 12 We politicize economic issues & give an economic perspective to political issues march 31-april 6, 2014 • Vol.4 No.31

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By Ray L. Junia

In 2015, South East Asian countries will officially and fully coalesce into one business and economic system. Experts warned that the Philippine business climate is not prepared for this integration. Page 2

column INDECENT PROPOSAL FROM ‘GRANDFATHER’ P3 Opinyon431.indd 1

3/28/2014 8:06:46 PM

COVER STORY

BIGGEST LOSER

By Ray L. Junia, publisher

One lesson of the past is to remember our economic standing in Asia in the 1960s.

We were the second most progressive nation in Asia, next only to Japan. Today we are at the tail end of progress in this region, no thanks to massive corruption.

Next year, South East Asian countries will officially and fully coalesce into one business and economic system, opening their doors to free trade and labor exchange.

We are supposed to jump in victory for this envisioned ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the Philippines being one of its original proponents.

But is there reason to be happy or should we be wary in the runup to 2015 full implementation of AEC? Experts warned that the Philippine business climate is not prepared for this integration and will end up the biggest loser.

The economic numbers on trade and business do not give us confidence on our future in this AEC. First, when President Benigno Aquino III took national leadership in 2010, the Philippines started to suffer decline in trade with its ASEAN partners.

From 2007 to 2010, Philippine trade with its ASEAN neighbors consistently rose but dipped in 2011 and 2012.

Although the country’s exports in 2007 climbed from 15.9 percent that year to 22.4 percent in 2010, they declined in 2011, down 18.1 percent in 2012. Imports, meanwhile, increased from 23.2% in 2007 to 28.2% in 2010 but dived to 23.7% in 2011 and ended the year 2012 at 23.0 percent.

Benjamin E. Diokno Ph.D, professor of the School of Economics at the University of the Philippines, said there is no way we can compete with our ASEAN neighbors when the day of AEC starts. He said solid investors have been avoiding our shores, as shown in the foreign direct investments (FDI) the Philippines had, relative to its neighbors. The Philippines got 15 percent of Indonesia’s US$19.479 billion FDI. However, the Philippines increased, more than doubled, its FDI in 2012 at US$2.797B compared to US$1.298B in 2010. President Aquino’s economic managers jumped in victory for this increase.

But they never said that the country’s FDI is peanuts to what Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam have. Malaysia had US$9.4 billion, Indonesia US$19.479 billion and Vietnam, US$8.133 billion.

Unemployment Rising

At the labor front, the Philippines has the highest unemployment rate in the region, based on a survey done in 2013. The country’s seven percent unemployment rate is really bad compared to Thailand’s 0.7 percent and Malaysia’s three percent.

In the beginning of 2013, 2,000 jobs were lost due to company closures even as a million joined the ranks of the underemployed.

There is no arguing that the economy revs up in this country because of salaries

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OpinYon

and wages that fuel consumer spending.

These salaries, however, mostly come from employment overseas where over 10 million Filipinos find use for their talents and industry.

The over US$20 billion annually sent

by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) has made the country’s economy active and kicking. However, the Philippines’ losing over 10 million of its most skilled workers abroad left a country with a workforce not ready to support manufacturing and industrialization.

“The Filipino experts running our industries have gone out and are serving foreign governments, if not industries in other countries,” Lito Soriano, an expert on the OFW sector said. According to Soriano, it will take a decisive step to bring back our strong position as source of skilled and technical personnel to man local industries.

The bottom line is, the country lost its advantage on the availability of required manpower to work in industrial operations. Labor experts say skills availability is not the only problem. The other is growing militancy at the labor front. Unfortunately, investors are turned off by militant labor.

Taxation Problem

Another big turnoff to foreign and local investors is taxation, that most believe is leading this country to its biggest disaster. The Philippines has the highest income tax rates. Corporate income tax in the Philippines is at 30 percent, while Singapore is 17 percent. The biggest surprise, if not irony, is that the country collects the lowest taxes to fund infrastructure and good governance.

Corruption in the highest offices in this country has eaten up most of its budget that should have gone into building the needed infrastructure to attract private investment and development. Worse for our competitiveness, our neighboring countries poured much of their taxes to building public infrastructure.

The Philippines was way off the ideal public infrastructure spending as a percentage of the GDP. The ideal ratio is five percent of GDP. It was only in 2009 that the Philippines spent highest for infra at 2.24% of GDP. This is not even half of the ideal five percent ratio. The lowest was in 2011, when the country spent 1.49% of GDP on public infra.

While government spending and at-

tention to make this country competitive was very poor and very bad, the private sector acted worse. Privately owned utilities drove away even those businesses that are already in place with outrageous cost of their services.

Expensive Power Rates

Cost of electricity in this country is one of the highest in the world, second only to New York. The energy sector is controlled by a little over five families, including a foreigner who uses a local fund manager to gobble up cash cows in the economic order: electricity, water supply, communications, roads, hospitals, schools, mass media and what have you.

That corruption from the highest offices of the land to the cops on the streets is causing massive poverty in this country does not escape the attention of foreign investors. It has even become an embarrassment that foreign groups are leading efforts to rid this country of the killer corruption.

In 2015, when AEC gets to run full steam, the Philippines will be nothing but kindergarten boys roughing it up in the college department. We will be eaten up by giants in the banking sector.

Even our biggest bank is no match to the regional giant money machines. The economic managers of President Aquino, however, say there is no need to worry in 2015. Integration has been picking up for a long time and the country survived.

There will be no surprises. They have prepared for everything.

The business community is not biting these assurances from the student council running Malacañang. Also, the academe has issued warnings of the beating the country will get from the big boys. Lessons in the past tell them, both the business community and the academe, not to trust these government mouthpieces who know nothing more than smiling before the camera.

Peace and Order? What’s That?

Many Filipinos can’t help but envy our Asian neighbors. Singapore and Vietnam have very low crime rates. You don’t have to fear for your life, whether you’re doing business or simply walking in the streets at night.

On the other hand, the Aquino administration has become notorious for high crime incidence ever since the massacre of tourists in Luneta.

One quick Google search will reveal one thing: so many people all over the world are afraid to travel to the Philippines for safety reasons. In the big city, petty crime to assassination in the streets make the headlines in the early evening news. Down in the south, in Mindanao, kidnapping to open war get to the world newsrooms.

Traffic is still a big problem. Roads get narrower everyday relative to the number of vehicles in the streets. Traffic problems get worse by the day. This includes traffic caused by cars and other vehicles.

Mass transit as a solution to the nightmarish traffic problem turned out to be a corruption expedition by the government.

The brother-in-law of the President got linked to corruption in the improvement of the railway system.

Watch The Jugglers

The economists at the Asian Development Bank have repeatedly warned the Aquino administration that the ASEAN integration will be a disaster for us because we are not ready.

ADB lead economist Jayant Menon has said that the integration targets will not be met for reasons that involve needed improvements in agriculture, steel industries, and services such as the nursing industry. Menon’s co-author Dr. Omkar Shrestha also warned that a majority of the private business sector are not wellinformed of the implications of the integration.

Given the confidence in the student council in Malacanang, the country will survive the surge of, and invasion by, the business giants on our shores. Many are convinced that the President has not been fully informed of the real consequences, making him think he will come out a winner in this economic circus.

Mr. President, watch the jugglers, watch intently so you won’t get hit. For when the ball hits your head, it may be too late to wake up; because we would have already lost our shirts, if not our economic sovereignty.

WE TAKE A STAND

3/28/2014 8:06:47 PM

Politics Hindi matalo-talo...

Richard James Mendoza

THOSE were some of the words uttered

by Wilma Austria-Tiamzon, the wife of Benito Tiamzon, both of whom are the alleged leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), as they were asked for some words in an ambush interview.

Her complete statement was : “Binabati ko ang Bagong Hukbong Bayan sa ika-45th na anibersaryo nito. Patuloy na lumalakas sa buong bayan. Hindi matalo-talo ng AFP!” (“I greet the New People’s Army in its 45th anniversary. They continue to grow in strength nationwide. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can never win against it!”). It was a defiant statement delivered with full conviction, and it was actually quite inspiring that she is steadfast in her principles even though she has been arrested and placed behind bars.

Premonitions

As the anniversary of the New People’s Army neared, several tactical offensives were launched after the arrests of the Tiamzons on March 22nd, although it is not sure if it was either connected to the aforementioned arrest or to its nearing anniversary. Lightning rallies were also conducted by allied organizations of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the political arm of the CPP. Members of the revolutionary women’s group the Malayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (Free Movement of New Women, MAKIBAKA) staged a lightning rally along Rizal Avenue on Tuesday, while those belonging to the government employees group Makabayang Kawaning Pilipino (Patriotic Government Employees) held theirs at the Divisoria Market on Wednesday.

Both of the lightning rallies mentioned, including the one that I’ll narrate next, called for the release of the Tiamzons and the other political prisoners, as well as calling on the people to celebrate

the NPA’s 45th anniversary.

The clash at the Peace Bridge

Last Thursday another lightning rally was held, this time led by the Revolutionary Council on Trade Unions (RCTU) alongside the Kabataang Makabayan (Patriotic Youth, KM), the PMST as well as COMPATRIOTS (Revolutionary Movement of Our Compatriots Abroad and Their Families), all which are allied organizations of the NDFP. It looked to be a grand finale of sorts, as the NPA’s anniversary neared. At the same time though, a group of Moros were holding a prayer vigil celebrating the recently-signed Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) at the historical Mendiola Bridge.

While a representative of the RCTU was reading its group’s statement, the

Moros began to shout at the marchers who thought that it was a show of disrespect against them. As soon as the road traffic became empty, the latter began to run against the activists which resulted in a minor riot. The NDF force was outnumbered and was forced to run away from the scene. Some of them, including the media, were caught along the ensuing scuffle that resulted in injuries. It was only after the intervention of the Imams and the police that the melee was contained. At the time, the activists had already fled from the place.

After the confrontation, a certain “Mario”, perhaps from the RCTU, was interviewed by the media about what had just happened. He said that they came from Bustillos Street and that they didn’t mean anything disrespectful to the Moros and issued a call for our Muslim brothers

News from Where You Stand

to unite against their common enemies, which he mentioned as the Aquino government, US imperialism, bureaucratcapitalism, and feudalism.

It’s hard to point fingers here; where to place the sole blame on the incident.

While some courtesy could have been shown by the marchers for the Muslims who were reading the Quran as part of their program by minimizing their chants, perhaps our Muslim brothers shouldn’t have bothered to pay too much attention to them, since all they did was read their own statement. The revolutionaries would probably have marched onwards Recto Avenue after that. As of this writing, I’m waiting for the statements of the parties involved, as well as the statement of the present administration.

These tactical offensives and lightning rallies, despite the fact that the third lightning rally disastrously degenerated into a bad riot, are most likely meant as a show of force by the revolutionary movement to the Aquino regime in light of the arrest of the Tiamzons and their companions, as well as celebrating the 45th anniversary of the New People’s Army.

Peace delayed

The Aquino regime is boastful of its so-called achievement in arresting the Tiamzons despite the fact that the arrest violates the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG), which the current administration along with the peace panel regards as “irrelevant” in the peace talks. They argue that they are ineligible because “…that would mean they can wage war and violence against government and when caught, claim Jasig protection and expect to be released,” as said by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda sometime ago.

He may sound like he has a point, but it’s quite shallow. Isn’t it precisely because the CPP-NPA-NDFP is waging Turn to page 9

What Is China Doing?

W

HAT seems evident is that China is taking small but provocative steps to assert her sovereignty over what we call the West Philippine Sea by shooing away the fishermen and some of our naval vessels who were sent to resupply some of our troops.

She knows that we are no match for her much more modern and fully equipped naval vessels and so when she pushed, we backed away. She is obviously testing the waters by escalating her control over the shoals and the sea.

It would seem that what we will likely see over the next several months will be more provocative actions from China but actions carefully calibrated not to produce a reaction from the US. China in all likelihood feels, and correctly, that the US for all of the rhetoric is not eager to engage China in these waters, what with the Crimean problem the US is also facing.

In this latter case, Crimea is at the border of Russia and it was easy for Russia to mobilize forces apart from the fact that it would seem there is much

Crimean sympathy to reconnect with Russia. Of course, historically, Crimea was part of Russia until her recent collapse and dismemberment.

I frankly don’t believe Russia will give in at all for all the sanction threats and other actions that Obama might threaten Russia with from 10,000 miles away. But for the US to take military action seems far-fetched. Maybe many condemning speeches at the UN. But they can’t even pass a resolution at the UN Security Council because Russia is a permanent member who will veto any such resolution.

So the carefully controlled actions of China in the South Asian seas will use minimum force, or no force at all, just threats and bluffs and sneaky moves which she has been doing anyway from quite a few years back. It will be more of simply establishing her presence because we are incapable of doing the same or resisting such efforts and our getting used to it.

Troops in small islets or shoals are ineffective if unable to move or realistically defend themselves when push comes to shove. All of these moves

Ray of Hope Ramon Orosa gain for China the dominion of the seas and the islets and shoals even if not overt total control which they have as an objective. This is the pragmatic element of China’s moves in the area. While the US appetite for confrontation is weak, China realizes that militarily they are still behind the US in rather important ways.

Furthermore, more military actions at this time can hasten the establishment of US forces here in the Far East which would make China’s objective, total South Asian hegemony a much more difficult objective.

In sum, the conclusion for the moment seems to be one little step at a time while it is not yet easily quantifiable what the consequences of reckless action on China’s part might trig-

ger. In other words, presently China has more to lose should a shooting war break out. But that will not always be the case.

By 2020 or even a little earlier, the equation might be truly different. The Chinese economy will likely overtake the US by or before then, and the military equation might well be tipped more in China’s favor as the US downsizes her forces and China keeps on aggressively expanding her capabilities.

Can technology make up for a smaller military size so that the US can stay significantly ahead of China? Some Israeli senior cabinet member, obviously with the PM’s blessing said that the US is showing a weak posture to the world and many people are questioning the value of US commitments overseas.

Pres. Obama is supposed to come to our shores soon and we are shortly supposed to have some agreement about cosharing our military bases with her. I am not sure exactly what it means. Co-sharing the bases is rather impractical to begin with and it would be very hard for our AFP to retain control of our military bases when used by two sovereign nations and one is much more competent and

WE TAKE A STAND

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better equipped than the other.

Will the US flag fly under the Philippine flag or will the flags fly together? Will the situation be like in corporations, there will be two co-equal heads? It looks like a situation looking for trouble. Of course, others might argue and say what choice do we really have? We can’t play ball with China, she wants to eat us up. All the rhetoric about mutual respect and friendship is just that, rhetoric! Well, the outcome seems not too difficult to predict.

The US will not risk a bloody confrontation with China.

I wish that cooler heads handled this problem with China without handing the seas to China without a whimper from the start and did not add to the heat of the day with ill considered if not bravado statements.

If both sides end up boxed in a tight corner, everyone’s guess about the outcome will be just as good as any other! But I suggest this is time for some contingency planning on a rather wide level. We cannot see the problem as something only affecting the seas. We will see a few other areas regarding our domestic economy that need to truly plan ahead with wisdom and determination.

OpinYon

march 31-april 6, 2014

3

3/28/2014 8:06:48 PM

OPINION

Scare tactic ends March info-war

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Boon Or Bane?

The Philippines is not ready for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) in 2015. The Initiative for ASEAN Integration refers to reducing various forms of disparities among and within member States where some pockets of underdevelopment persist, which could narrow the development gap in the region.

With the integration, people would be allowed to purchase, sell products and services, work and invest in any of the member countries of the ASEAN with lesser restrictions unlike strict protectionism. This would be enjoyed by all ASEAN member countries.

But according to Asian Development Bank, the economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will likely not be attained by 2015. Although various reasons were cited for the continued difficulties of attaining the AEC targets, what stands out is the unawareness of the private sector.

Since 2010 when this integration was first hatched, the Philippine government failed to prepare for it. In trade relations alone, where products are supposed to be exported to a less-restricted environment, the recipient chooses which products to accept or to reject. Naturally the more superior product in terms of quality and price are allowed into the member country. How can we export cheaper products when the cost of production is high? Electricity and labor costs, which are factors to production, are high.

Also, promoting greater mobility of skilled workers and better regulation and management of unskilled labor movements are to be addressed. In the Philippines, unemployment and underemployment are pervasive. Skills do not commensurate with job requirements. Can we compete with our ASEAN neighbors in the labor market?

What about our infrastructure?

There are so many things that we have to prepare for in order to be competitive. If we are not competitive, what benefit can the Initiative for ASEAN Integration do for us? Nada.

Ray l. junia Publisher

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

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march 31-april 6, 2014

Alfonso labita Executive Editor FREDERICK FABIAN Acting Managing Editor Getulio Maraya Acting News Editor

s March ends, U.S. agents of disinformation and misinformation in the Philippines topped off their propagandistic campaigns with a scare tactic – imagining a threat of China sabotaging the electricity grid of the country. Rafael Alunan, former FVR DILG secretary and scion of WWII Japanese puppet government Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Rafael Alunan III raised the specter of China Grid (partner of Henry Sy, Jr. and Robert Coyuito, Jr. in the privatized 19,500 circuitkilometers of the power grid) to cause a national power outage by “remote control”. Alunan fails to see that the U.S. And Britain are already sabotaging the country through the Malampaya natural gas “planned” untimely service interruption in aid of “market manipulation” last December and January.

Alunan also deliberately fails to mention that the take-over of the National Grid with the Sy group and China Grid, was arranged by the company of Fidel V. Ramos and his cronies such as Enrique Razon with the intermediation of the U.S. Carlyle group of Bush, Cheney and company in 2010. Alunan also raise the scare tactic of the possibility of China, in the midst of its tiff with the BS Aquino government egged on by the U.S., funding the rebel forces in the Philippines. If China does that it would not be the first, as the U.S. (as has Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, etc.) has been funding and arming the various Islamic rebel groups in the past and up to the present. China has actually given up “World Revolution” since the 80’s and parted ways with the CPP-NPA ever since.

BS Aquino-De LimaNapoles triangle

In last the last edition’s column of ours we exposed the disinformation and diversionary campaign launched by De Lima using the ”media payola” scandal in the NABCOR (National Agri-Business Corp.) case dragging in names of Erwin Tulfo, Melo del Prado, “Tonying” and three dozens other media names. We reported to you, our readers, that the damning evidence of De Lima’s involvement with Napoles through BS Aquino’s appointee to head the NBI, Atty. Nonato Rojas who kept his communication with Napoles a secret from the public even as he “gracefully resigned” in the aftermath of the “leak” of the NBI arrest order against Napoles to the PDAF scam Madam. In the effort to erase her tracks De Lima tried to clean up the NBI or non-loyalists, which now backfires.

Without cause, De Lima fired two NBI deputy directors, Attys.

Esmeraldo and Lasala who have in turn exposed a video recording of the visit of Napoles to erstwhile NBI chief Nonato Rojas; but lo and behold, ex-husband of De Lima was also in the scene.

Atty. salvador panelo Ombudsman CARLOS RAJAMIRA Creative Director JOJO VALENCIA Layout Artist Ray L. Junia President Getulio Maraya VP for Administration Atty. Ricky Ribo Legal counsel

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PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE Mentong Laurel Doing what? That should be the subject of a thorough investigation, which is the opportunity of the senators victimized by the selective persecution on the “pork barrel” issues to turn the tables of the sanctimonious hypocrites De Lima and BS Aquino.

Rojas and the ex-husband of De Lima, Atty. Plaridel Bohol, should be grilled until they cry out in pain to reveal the full story behind their meeting with Napoles. “Ma’am” Napoles has always been providing the Liberal Party political funding; Mar Roxas, Drilon, BS Aquino can not deny that.

Full-spectrum propaganda – The “A-Piece-Ment” Deal

The “unhistoric” Bangsamoro agreement that was signed under the cloak of secrecy on its terms and conditions is patently illegal, unconstitutional and inimical to the welfare of the Filipino people and the Republic. It allows the MILF a separate form of government, a separate police

of how the banking system creates money, one that contradicts with the notion that banks can only lend out money that exists in its reserves or any other preexisting money. Encapsulating how the Washington Blog reported of it, “Commercial banks create money, in the form of bank deposits, by making new loans; when a bank makes a loan, for example to someone using a credit card , it does not typically do so by giving them thousands of pounds worth of banknotes.

Instead, it credits their bank account with a bank deposit of the size of the loan. At that moment, new money is created. For this reason, bank deposits are called ‘fountain pen money’, created at the stroke of bankers’ pens when they approve loans.

“Bank deposits are simply a record of how much the bank itself owes its customers. So they are a liability of the bank, not an asset that could be lent out. A related misconception is that banks can lend out their reserves. Reserves can only be lent between banks, since consumers do not have access to reserves accounts at the Bank of England.

Broad money is a measure of the total amount of money held by households and companies in the economy. Broad money is made up of bank deposits — IOUs from commercial banks to households and companies — and currency — mostly IOUs from the central bank. … in the

The Bangsamoro Agreement allows the MILF a separate form of government, a separate police force, 75% of all natural resources (including the hundreds of billions fo dollars of Sulu Sea oil and gas).

The BS Aquino government have organized a “full spectrum” propaganda campaign to get the world to gloss over these illegalities. force, 75% of all natural resources (including the hundreds of billions fo dollars of Sulu Sea oil and gas), Shariah Law that will infringe on non-Muslim citizens in the Bangsamoro “substate”, ad nausea. The BS Aquino government with its partners US-Britain and Malaysia have organized a “full spectrum” propaganda campaign to get the world to gloss over these illegalities.

The BS Aquino government prepared a phantasmagorical backdrop of painted white doves for the signing ceremonies, the Inquirer has a streaming video of some Muslim costume clad young people praising the “APiece-Ment” deal and repeating the “no more war” mantra. A coordinated white, dove shaped kite flying photo-op event with Muslim garbed kite flyers and kids. But topping all that was the incident obviously created to dramatize the event – the mauling by some so-called Muslims of students walking to a protest march at Mendiola. The “Muslims” came prepared with wooden sticks and used these against very, very young, defenseless students. The video came out on the ABS-CBN website. It was clearly a contrived incident with ABS-CB ready to film it.

Banks’ Mickey Mouse money exposed

The Bank of England (BoE) came out with a new explanation

modern economy, those bank deposits are mostly created by commercial banks themselves. “ No wonder, banks get richer while we get poorer.

CNN, BBC vs. RT, Me vs. MSM

In the Internet website Global Research, which I follow everyday along with Itar Tass, Iran’s Press TV, Prison Planet, etc., appears Mahdi Darious Nazemroaya’s article “Controlling the Lens: The Media War Being Fought Over Ukraine Between the Western Bloc and Russia”.

One key information many do not read about is the resistance Germany is expressing to U.S. Insistence on increasing sanctions versus Russia. For example, “Merkel not ready to back economic sanctions against Russia” is headlined on RT (Russia Today) and quotes the German chancellor saying about economic sanctions she is “... not interested in escalation... “On the contrary, I am working on deescalation of the situation...And I hope we will be able to avoid it...”

The media war goes on.

(Tune to 1098AM, DWAD, Tues.

To Fri. “Sulo ng Pilipino” program; watch GNN Sat. 8pm and Sun. 8am “Manila: Sunrise in the City”, Destiny Cable ch. 8 or SkyCable ch. 213, or www.gnntv-asia.com; log on to www.newkatipunero. blogspot.com)

WE TAKE A STAND

3/28/2014 8:06:49 PM

Opinion

The Viewpoints and outlook of the well-informed

Machiavellianism Delusional Patriots

NI

amed afterfor Niccolò T is very natural people di Bernardo dei Mato disagree with one an(1469--1527), other. chiavelli Each human is creItalian and statesman ated unique distinctand or, political philosopher, in a real sense: without equal.

Machiavellianism is E.g., take an event, like a baspractice of using ketballthe game witnessed by a unethical, thousand spectators, immoral and you or methods right a canunlawful expect from them ato thousand wrong, otherwise to gain an accountsorwith variances in peradvantage, as exemplified enjoyin the ception, understanding, case the west-leaning ment of and what have you. Ukrainian people whoshould are currently Differences never embroiled in a newThey turmoil spawn ill feelings. areafter like having just ousted their presirains that come in cycles alternatdent, Viktor Yanukovich, a fervid ing with sunshine.

Let us welMoscow ally,asforopportunities corruption and come them for economic mismanagement. building healthier relationships, resting assured that the laws of Russia’s God and ofinvasion Man are precisely the of Crimea of just and orderly infrastructure Last March 1, Russian societies.

Significantly, as Presithere dent Vladimir obtained is a “carrot and Putin stick” discipline from his parliament overwhelmfor homes and schools, so also ing support for hisof military inis there a system “crime and vasion of Ukraine, the punishment” in the putting wider envilatter’s leaders ronmentnewly beyondinstalled their fences. andLet troops on highacknowledge alert, and us therefore getting themlife’s to appeal the and accept greatesttochalNorth Atlantic Treaty Organizalenge: to doggedly temper irrecontion fordifferences, help. Specifi it was cilable tocally, generously the located givepeninsula or give in, of or Crimea, otherwise make off the Black Seatoinstrengthen the eastern sacrifices in order or area of Ukraine, which Russian preserve the whole of which we soldiers in order proare eachoccupied expendable parts.toGiven tect Crimean inhabitants, most the cited infrastructure, there’s no of whom arepeace Russian reason why is notnationals. attainable From Moscow’s in our blighted land.point of view, therefore, Russian occupation of Crimeapatience is not imperialistic or Eternal aggressive, but an of a Last March 29, exercise the Nationnatural duty and right(NPA), to protect alist People’s Army the military arm of the Communist

all Russians therein.(CPP), HowParty of theliving Philippines ever, this position the somberly observedhas its raised 45th Anhackles Washington officials, niversaryof barely a week after with no less in than USofPres. the capture Cebu the Bartwo rack directly telling highestObama officials of the CPP-NPA Putin by phone network, along that withhis 10 soldiers others. had international Apartviolated from being a blow to law the when Crimea, morale they of theentered commies, the ar-a Ukrainian territory, without fi rst rests are certain to set back their obtaining a GO signaloperations from the calendar of armed UN Security Council.buildings Parenagainst government thetically, let usinstallations, recall that on not the and military dissolution the Unioncivilian of Soto mentionofpopulated viet Socialist Republics in 1991, areas.

Ukraine and each the other In dealing withofcommunist 14 republics internarebels, not to gained mentionthe their Moro tional status ofdown statehood. counterparts south, civilian and military authorities have America losing clout? demonstrated eternal patience.

The trouble with America’s Indeed, legislating, listening, reaction heregiving is that carrots it had likenegotiating, and wise ignored the council’s priorbending backwards to spinal consent requirement US discomforts have longwhen become Pres.

George W. Bush ordered the norms of official policy.

But the in 2003, so whatinvasion happensof ifIraq carrots do not there justlonger? no wayDialog Obamaafter can work is any persuasively fordialog has notlecture worked.down Ceasefire mer toughie Putin, notafter KGB ceasefire has not worked. withstanding former’shas threat Amnesty afterthe amnesty not to economically Russia. worked.

Of late,isolate the peace pro(G7) cessThe hasGroup groundof toSeven a halt...no major industrialized countries thanks to the Reds!

(Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Time Japan, for theUnited sticksKingdom andMyAmerica) condemned personalhas reaction to the the cited Russian intervention recent arrest of twelve comand suspended preparations for munists in Cebu, including the the G8 Summit includes CPP-NPA Chair,(which his wife and Russia) thatwho had been calendared five others reportedly comto take in June in Sochi. prise theplace highest Maoist ruling Analysts however feel today, that G7’s body in the country is: opposition is weak without the “Good. Charge them all immediately with Rebellion. With

MUSINGS Ronald Roy support counrespect of to some leaderEuropean Benito Tiamtries thathis arewife in Wilma, great need of son and SecreRussia’s petroland resources and tary General Finance--Chair how well Mr. Putin knows this! of the Communist Party of the In fact, European UnionwarofPhilippines, against whom fi cials,ofshowing scant interestand in rants arrest for Murder joining Obama’s callhad forlong sanctions Frustrated Murder been against have instead proissued, Russia, their criminal prosecuposed mediation between Mostion should commence without cow and Kiev. of It is therefore delay, unless course the easy said to see why Putin post-haste crimes were committed inorgafurnized in the central andinwestern therance of rebellion, which main streets of Russia a military case they should be tried only for exercise that showcased a mindRebellion”. boggling array of 150,000 Ringing hollow is theirmarchclaim ing and over a hundred thatsoldiers their arrest would only set tanks, aircraft, what have back the on-off and series of peace you. nanakot pa! ago, talksLamang startedna, over 25 years Soityou Texter #1178, dissince is asee, documented factI that agree has beenderailed Machithey that havePutin cavalierly avellian in the premises.

He has the peace talks with constant been behaving in a clever,meetfearabsences from scheduled less waytheir designed ings,and not patriotic to mention proto safeguard the interests of felgrammed forays into traditional low Russians living in Crimea, targets anytime they choose.

Ukraine.

So far his troops Should they be treated anyhave difbeen behaving defensively, ferently from arather widowed labannot though it’s still deraaggressively, who got 14 years for robbing too day to saysohow and early killingina the businessman she the status quosix will play out in could feed her children?

Ukraine: What Went Wrong?

Historical Revision

TJ

he brewing tension in Central Asia, particularly in Ukraine, put APAN’S policy has of gloWashington thecounlimerification ofinthe light withWar NATO. try’sagain World II Not far behind in this militarism, spreading another ‘neo-Nazi’ valopof ultranationalist eration, as the whatcountry Mike ues within Billingtonraises of theconcerns ExecutiveinIntelthe ligence Review shared, was the Asia-Pacific region. statement of strengthening the Russian FederaAccelerated of its tion Ministry of Foreignlaunched Affairs, military capabilities, in connection with statements procedure of working out of legmade by theforU.S. Secretary islative basis refusing from of State pacifist about the situation in postwar principles fixed Ukraine : “We the in the region can beconsider undermined threats against Russia madewill in and a new arms race , that a seriesthe of public statements by affect economies of most Secretary of countries State Johncan Kerry in neighboring start. connection with the are latestcovered events Japan’s actions in Ukraine and Crimearhetoric, , to be with its propaganda unacceptable. botherin particular, Without proclaimed by ing to Minister study andShinzo comprehend Prime Abe’s the complex processes taking slogan of “strong country” replace and in Ukrainian vival promoted society by him and the make an of objective evaluation of doctrine so-called “proactive the situation, continuescato pacifism”.

Forwhich its military deteriorate strengthening after the forcible seipabilities, Japan zure of exploits power inthe Kiev by radical widely thesis of an extremists, Secretary of State increase of the political tensions in is using Cold War cliches, poliprothe region.

The country’s posing to ‘punish’ the Russian cy is directly connected to the Federation rather than those creation of an image of enemy who organized the North coup d’etat.” around China and Korea.

“At same time, nothing is In the so doing, Abe’s plan of said about the that it was the changing its fact constitution to USA to andmilitarism its allies, inwho shift the closed guise theirassuring eyes to the rampagesinof the of countries Maidan occupied guerrillas, by theirJapanese abuses region againstduring their political opponents forces World War II that and ordinary citizens, miliconstitutional reformstheir would be tant Russophobia and anti-Semmade “with the obvious premitism, and their people’s desecration of ise of pacifism, soverthe memory of the heroesrights.” of the eignty and basic human Great Patriotic War. WashingAnd this statement is a loud ton has likewise ignored the fact B.S. considering the comfort

that the newly emerged Kiev regime has flouted the February 21 agreement, to which the Second foreign women survivors of the ministers Germany, France World War,of (which include my and Poland had affi xedtook theircare sigformer nanny who natures, and has formed ‘govof me when i was still aa baby) ernment of the victors,’ in effect still lingering the pains both declaring the Russian emotional war andonpsychological, language and everything they experienced in the associhands ated with Imperial Russia. Now the ForcWest of Japan’s Armed has overt neo-Nazis, have es, and now Mr. Abe who will issue smashed Orthodox a rhetoricupabout basicchurches human and synagogues, as its allies.” rights?

Another chubibo?

“Russia’s The mereposition fact thathas PMbeen Abe and consistent visitedremains Yasukuni Shrine and on open.

While26,fora some Western December year after he politicians, Ukraine is merely became Japan’s Prime Minis-a geopolitical field.

For us ter, this stepplaying signifies glorificathis is ‘war a fraternal nation, with tion of criminals’ guilty of which we are bound of together by thousands of deaths innocent our centuries-long common hispeople. tory.”

Herewith, the Japanese gov“Russia is interested in a ernment prefers not to remember stable andof the strong Ukraine, dark pages country’s past where the history legitimate rights erasing from textbooks and interests of Ukrainians, such facts as Nanjing Massacre of our compatriots, of all in 1937, killing of 50and thousand citizens are ensured. the exrepresentatives of theInChinese traordinary has community insituation Singaporethat in 1942, come about, thoughinno fault of massacre in Manila 1945 (100 ours, whenvictims). the lifeAnd and that safety thousand is of notthe the residents end of theof list.Crimea and theHow southeast regions areisunder outrageous the aspreading real threat of thevalirof because nationalistic responsible provocational ues in Japan’sand society by its govactions of in theparticular, followers plans of Banernment, to dera and other ultra-nationalist memorize the letters of WWII elements, the measures suicide pilots.

Accordingwe to are Jataking are appropriate and offiabpan’s NHK TV Company solutely legal.

We Peace advocate the cials from Chiran Musespeediest return of the um in the possible city of Minamiryushu situation in Ukraine to normal(where 14,000 farewell letters cy, based on the Feb. pilots 21 agreeof the WWII suicide are ment, the formation of stored)including have applied for incluasion legitimate government of colnaof 330 exhibits of this tional into account lectionunity, in thetaking UNESCO Memo-

WHISTLE BLOWER WHISTLE BLOWER Erick San Juan Erick San Juan the interests of all political forces and of the country.” ry ofregions the World Register.

But it depends on Katsuto, who is In addition, Momii meddling.

Brendan in the CEO of NHK O’Neill TV Comhis said-”The ‘medpanyblog stated that word creation of dling’ is used where to describe Rusfield brothels the locals sian President Vladimir Putin’sa had been exploited had been intervention in Ukraine, but common practice for all counnever to describein Germany’s tries participated WWII. In Angela Merkel State connection to or this, heSec. saidJohn all Kerry’s of the opposiclaims cultivation to Japan regarding that tional forces-that is ‘mediation’. issue were unfounded.

Japan’s Jim Willie-a Ameripleading guilty popular and compensacan economic toanalyst in sufhis tion payment countries latest report: ‘Consequences fered from its actions were out of the Ukraine Episode’ explained question. thatOnRussian Putin FebruaryPresident 8 – 9 in Beijing, will slam theon west by demanda conference comfort women ing goldwas payment of problem held byinstead Shanghai cash currency for Gazprom gas Normal University in cooperasupplied to Europe. Russian tion with Sungkyunkwan UniGazprom been attacked versity. Thehas participants decidin and of now in ed Cyprus, to apply in forSyria inclusion a set Ukraine.

Russian related currency of archivalThe documents to Rubble been atcoercion isof allegedly women from Asian tacked by the Street. countries intoWall sexual slavery by GlobalJapanese NetworkArmy (3/3/14) theThe Imperial in narrated the of‘oil’-igarchy UNESCO that Memory the World wants to get hold ofdeadline the natural Program.

Specific for gas world’s largest supply) this (the application is not defined that sits on itRussian territory. but probably will be timed to It also wants control of the coincide with full the 70th anniverArctic oil. Russia sary ofregion the endtoofdrill WWII.

the peace among Theattainment Valley ofofDeath “warring” Slavs.alleged Hmmm...isn’t it Sure, their love of somewhat like the water-and-oil country is aflame with revolutionconundrums Moros and ary fervor ---between dig those slogans Christians who are clenched all Filipinos?! screamed out with fists!

--- but hey, non-commies like Kim me areHenares, also country-lovers, and a Machiavelli? they need no strident slogans and However, respect debate to BIR clenched fists with to assemble, Commissioner Kim headways Henares, and make meaningful yes, Texter I agree that in the quest# 1178, for social change! she a “Machiavellian colAndcan thisbethey can do as a guarlector taxes andwhat revenues, an anteedof right to use is known unethical, heartless and robotic as “democratic free space” --- an bureaucrat committed to followexpanse that includes the polling ing thethe orders Noynoy, places, hallsofofPres.

Congress, the not to serving the interests of courtrooms, the streets and other honest taxpayers, bigfor or small.” open spaces allowed marches ofof “successful andHer the idea airing grievances.collectionRevolutionary performance” iscatchphrases the size of total collection with nary a relike "Tuloy ang laban!" and "Patay gard thoseare taxed individuals kung for patay!" so scorchingly and business entities, especially emotional they set ablaze the the ones, who willvalley remain valorsmall to "march into the of unprogressive, or willdeath, even detedeath"; ignominious that riorate, in a very economy. is, because the ailing struggle of the The Tax Code arms the Bureau of Internal Revenue with a generous amount of discretion which

can be exercised in favor taxTiamsons and their fellowofMaopayers, but Henares to ists can never succeed,appears there havdelight inbeen “going for the at ing never a time, ever,kill” when every opportunity. their mindless and unreasonable No, she is incapable realmethods appealed to theofhearts izing that reasonable and comand minds of the overwhelming passionate tax assessments can majority of citizens. be So utilized how by cansmall they taxpayers proclaim as tools for,"patriots," say, energizing jobthemselves when they creation possibilities. only knowingly and openlyHer oppose concern is to meet collecthe peaceful and the democratic tion identifi ed by of P-Noy waystargets of the vast number Filiand that, Readers, is athandleast pinos?

Bydear doing so, these UNETHICAL, therefore ful of fully armedand commies think Machiavellian. they can impose their will upon instance, it has been minda For hundred million sovereign lessly not CPPruthpeople.unproductive, And to thinkif that less “treasonous”, her to tax NPAorSupremo BenitoofTiamson is such ambassadors of goodwill as a UP-bred sociologist!

One wonFilipino beauty winners, ders how such pageant anti-people sensongfest winners and athletes timents could be hailed by him who compete abroad to bring and his followers as patriotism. honor to the country. To this day, I(http:/musingsbyroy.wordpress. am outraged that the cash prize of a lowly Filipino OFW caregiver com | 09186449517 | @ronald8roy was taxed by Henares after un| #musingsbyroy ) expectedly winning first place in a recent singing contest in Israel. €#£%¥@$& !!!

In dealing with communist rebels, civilian and military authorities have demonstrated eternal Dialog From Moscow’s pointpatience. of view, therefore, after dialog has not worked.

Ceasefire Russian occupation of Crimea is not after ceasefireor hasaggressive, not worked. imperialistic butAmnesty an exercise after amnesty has not worked.

Of late,all of a natural duty and right to protect the peace Russians process has ground to a halt... living therein. no thanks to the Reds!

reportedly has a huge northern possible pawn in Uncle Sam’s coastal border with the arctic grand war game. visit and of andThis thusinitiative stands in the way of thatThe the forthcoming two leaders met was launched in the counwestern oil control.

Global Net- President discussed Obama ways for cooperain response to Japan’s request seal theit ‘access work cautioned the letters US-NATO tionwill andactually partnership, could to include farewell and try was notmeetbeen that theyofmight be messing have been awhich very fruitful photos its WWII suicidewith pi- agreement’, of the provialots country has the Memory capabil- signed ing if yet, theybecause had the sincerity, in thethat UNESCO on theon right our governity to World fight back.

It concluded especially theof part of Mr. of the Register.

These Ja- sion ‘US premises’ that is how world wars get ment Abe, to enter offer the apology and just pan’sthis actions were taken as justhey willby install milstarted. compensation the their Japanese tification of the country’s WWII (where personnel and hardware) The ongoing crisisand in Ukraine, government to Filipinas (and all military aggression the call itary time to time for inspection. if not handled well,ofcan actually the comfort women) who were against the results WWII and from thatImpethis escalate into another abused itbybethepossible Japanese postwar world order. regional Could finalizing theSadly, said war.The It might lead to a global war ‘hurdle’ rial Armyinduring WWII. Philippines comfort canmove be resolved only using weapons. there was no to do such womenthermonuclear survivors were not agreement US Pres. in his visit Some say that this will by a noble thingObama from the visiting given might special consideration Then presto, the not reach other side the next Primemonth?

Minister. when PMtheShinzo Abeof and of the past American continent, in Asia-Pacifi c. That’s And with the growingbases tenPresident Noynoy Aquino met ghost again haunt us,several and in where they areAbe wrong. mere will sionsonceencompassing last year.

Mr. onlyThe pledged process, we willinbethe used as fact that for Uncle Sam hasmaritime recently the regions, especially Asiasupport Philippine again. re-established its presence in cannon Pacific, fodders the horrors of We thereally Secforces by providing a conceslearn.War History has given the region its ‘famous to never ond World particularly the sional loanin to build 10pivot coast the lessons provedagainst that in Asia’, hereforshould ex- us abuses and and violence guard countries patrol boats the Philend, ifmight we’re not we pect moreforthan friendlyreason persua-- the women bevigilant, repeated ippines obvious be As shortchanged because of sion in theChina guisein of separate several rhetagain. the saying by George confront ter- will colonialgoes-”for mentality.those who oric anddisputes. doublespeak to win the our Santayana ritorial Maylearn it be from in Central Asia and/ hearts leaders.supWe never the lessons of Yes,ofitthe wasAsian a welcome in Asia Pacifi c, some pundits are part of the history, will have the tendency portactually to help us guard ourvirtual mari- or coalition of the willing through to repeatthat it.” Obama’s foreign time territories but the fact believe Washington’s soft touch opera- policy may deem international tion, by helping nation-states in politics to be a “space open for dimodernizing its armed forces, alogue”, but the rest of the world but at the proper time we could still considers international politics to be a “struggle for power” possibly all be The dragged to their government Japanese choice of war arena, which in and reacts sensitively to the US’ prefers not to remember dark pages “non-exercise” of its power. No this case will be Central Asia. matter how from much it advocates On the of other since thepast thehand, country’s erasing so-called return to Asia-Pacific for “active involvement”, the textbooks such facts as administration will be by the US, wehistory have observed a lot Obama unable to dispel of word wars and saber-rattling Nanjing Massacre in 1937, killingthis of image of a between Washington and Bei- “non-involved America”, as long 50watch thousand representatives of thegap exists. We as this perception jing. As we the developwitnessing ments onChinese what couldcommunity be another are in now Singapore inthe creation brewing conflict in the China of a type of power vacuum in inin Manila in politics 1945. as well as an ternational Sea (both1942, South massacre and East), our nation is being groomed as its increase in instability as a result.

OpinYon MARCH 10-16, OpinYon march 31-april 6, 2014

WEATAKE A STAND WE TAKE STAND

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Environment Paje: An hour of voluntary darkness to tame climate change Environment Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has urged Filipinos to join millions around the world in marking Earth Hour by switching off the lights in support of a global campaign to combat climate change, which has been cited as possible culprit behind mega-storms like Yolanda.

Paje said the country’s experience with Yolanda gives every citizen more reason to take part in the observance of Earth Hour on March 29 from 8:30 to 9:30 in the evening.

“The overwhelming devastation wrought by super typhoon Yolanda serves to remind us that climate change is a serious issue that we can’t simply ignore and a global event such as Earth Hour is a

has consistently registered the most number of participating towns and cities, earning the distinction as an “Earth Hour Hero Country.”

This year, the country was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the first ever “Earth Hour Blue,” an international crowd-funding and crowdsourcing effort initiated by the WWF that aims to provide bancas for Yolanda victims.

Under the project, coastal communities affected by the super typhoon would be provided with resources to build new and efficient non-motorized boats with fiberglassreinforced plastic hulls. The construction of the first 60 boats is expected to be completed by mid-April.

Paje lauded the project for using a technology that is earth-friendly as it eliminates the need to use wood sourced from forests.

“The project will leave no carbon footprint and will encourage fisherfolk to engage in sustainable small-scale fishing,” he said.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million residents switch off the lights of their homes and offices in order to pledge their support to saving the environment. The trend soon caught on and several other countries participated across the globe in the initiative. At present, there are more than 150 countries that actively observe Earth Hour every year.

Killing of Whales in Siargao

Legarda: We Should Be Stewards, Not Destroyers of Nature

Senator Loren Legarda today stressed on the responsibility of every citizen to protect the environment, stressing that “we should be stewards, not destroyers of nature.”

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, made the statement after a forest fire, which is believed to be man-made, transpired at the top of Mt. Banahaw, affecting about 10 hectares of forest land.

“It is unfortunate that even our protected areas are not safe from such a tragic event. If the forest fire was indeed man-made, we must condemn and punish such irresponsible acts, ” she said.

“This is a gruesome crime against nature, the species that live in the area, and the resources that we are tasked to conserve. Our responsibility is to protect our forests and undertake further efforts towards reforestation and biodiversity conservation.

We must not betray our purpose as stewards of our natural resources.

The Senator assured that her committee is working on proposed measures, including the National Land Use Act, the Final Forest Limits Act, and the Protected Areas Declaration Act, that will put into place tougher safeguards to protect the country’s natural resources and ensure sustainable development planning.

valuable tool to raise awareness of climate change and environmental issues,” Paje said.

Dubbed as the single, largest, symbolic mass participation event in the world, Earth Hour is held every last Saturday of March on the initiative of the Washington-based environmental group World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). Those participating in Earth Hour will shut off all lights and used appliances and electronics in support of efforts to solve the problems related to climate change and global warming.

“An hour of voluntary darkness will help us tame climate change,” Paje said.

Since it first joined the event in 2009, the Philippines

Recent reports indicated that dynamite fishing is occurring in the waters of Siargao in Surigao del Norte. Senator Loren Legarda today called the attention of government agencies mandated to enforce the country’s Fisheries Code as she expressed alarm over the banned fishing practice, which recently caused the killing of at least 22 dwarf sperm whales and dolphins.

“This is another unfortunate case of marine resource abuse. Dynamite fishing has long been banned and is punishable under the Fisheries Code along with illegal fishing methods. Authorities must strictly enforce the law because this is not only about a fisher’s catch or a community’s livelihood, but also about the state of marine biodiversity, which affects the

nation as a whole,” said Legarda.

“Our law enforcement agencies should go after the perpetrators of this crime against nature and ensure that our seas and marine species are safe from such cruelty. We should be more vigilant because this could be happening in other parts of the country as well,” she added.

It has been reported that two dwarf sperm whales and at least 21 dolphins were badly injured from dynamite fishing and sustained stab wounds from fishermen in Siargao.

“Siargao is world-famous for being a surfer’s haven. It does not have to stop there. It would be more beneficial to the communities surrounding the area if they become a model for marine conservation through sustainable fishing

methods and other marine protection practices. Fishing is not only a form of livelihood but also a way by which a fisherman can carry out his responsibility as a steward of our marine resources,” Legarda stressed.

Under the Fisheries Code of 1998, a ban is imposed on the use of fine mesh net and electricity, explosives, noxious or poisonous substance in our seas. It is also illegal to exploit and export corals as well as the fishing and taking of any rare, threatened and endangered species.

Mandated to enforce this Code are the law enforcement officers of the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police and including local government units.

Eco-group urges end to fossil fuel investments A climate crisis that risks peace and security can still be avoided by accelerating the clean energy revolution, Greenpeace said on Tuesday.

Issuing an SOS emergency alert ahead of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting in Japan, Greenpeace warned that climate change is already devastating nations, destroying lives and costing billions of dollars in damage.

“This is a crisis that knows no boundaries. Our climate is on the precipice and every ton of oil, coal and gas we are digging up and burning pushes us closer to the brink,” said Kaisa Kosonen, Greenpeace International campaigner. “But there’s a way out of this mess. Renewable energy has made a breakthrough faster than thought and is ready to challenge our old hazardous energy system.”

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Greenpeace activists yesterday displayed the message ‘Climate SOS – Go Renewables’ outside the J-POWER’s Isogo 1 & 2 coal power plant and Tepco’s Minami Yokohama gas power plant near where the IPCC meeting in Yokohama to highlight the cause of climate change and the solution to the unfolding crisis.

Meeting to finalize the Working Group II report on ‘Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’, the IPCC will discuss climate action in the context of sustainable development. The Japanese government, which is hosting this week’s meeting, is failing to meet the IPCC’s challenge.

“With IPCC’s scheduled release of this timely report, the dire scenario is no longer a threat from a distant future. In fact, it is already happening in many countries- the Philippines in particular and

across Southeast Asia which is among the most vulnerable yet least prepared to deal with climate change impacts,” said Amalie Obusan, Regional Climate Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia and a delegate to the climate talks in Japan. “When super typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines last November, it claimed thousands of lives and left trail of destruction that will take several years to rebuild.

We urge world leaders to recognize what scientists all over the world have been saying: to act on genuine positive solutions to climate change.”

Greenpeace says coal burning is the biggest single driver of climate change.

But coal has a massive water footprint too, making it one of the largest threats to water security, add to that the air pollution problem making it clear that a move

away from coal is inevitable and in fact has already started.

“While the IPCC report will make grim reading, the key message here is choice. Will we continue drifting from one disaster to another, or will we take control of our future? We’re at a crossroads and the choices we make now will determine how history judges us. To make the shift away from coal and other fossil fuels fast enough though is a key fight that communities, decision-makers and investors have to unite on,” added Kosonen.

Japan has lowered its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and it is also emerging as the world’s biggest public investor of coal expansion overseas.

Now it is planning a return to nuclear energy despite the ongoing Fukushima disaster. (Greenpeace Philippines)

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3/28/2014 8:06:52 PM

Agriculture RP posts historic rice growth

Despite strong typhoons during the last half of the year, Filipino farmers were able to produce a total of eighteen point forty four million metric tons (18.44 million MT) of palay in 2013.

“The highest ever recorded in Philippine history.”

This was according to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala who led the recognition and awarding of top producers of palay via the National Rice Achievers (NRA) awards held at the Newport Performing Arts, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City, on March 14, 2014.

Although three percent short of the 100% rice production target, overall yield was posted at 97% based on a 20.04 million MT target.

Alcala commended the local chief executives of rice-producing provinces, municipalities and cities for continuing to partner with the government in its drive to attain food selfsufficiency. He also expressed his gratitude to farmers and irrigators associations, and agricultural technicians for their invaluable contribution in attaining the historic feat.

“We value your role in ensuring safe, nutritious, affordable, and sufficient supply of food for the Filipino people,” he said.

He also challenged the provincial governors to implement programs that will increase farmers’ production and income.

In addition, he campaigned for the integration of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in rice to improve the quality of palay in preparation for intense domestic and global competition, as well as the use of appropriate modern technologies

Hindi Matalo....

From page 3

a protracted armed struggle against the government that they are involved in peace talks? The GRP, through the likes of Ging Deles and Alex Padilla, are narrow-minded in their view about the peace talks. They believe that one should surrender first before talking about peace. How does that solve the question of peace?

How can that kind of attitude address the root problems of poverty? But what can one expect of the Aquino regime in resolving the question of peace if he himself has sided time and time again with the side of the exploiters and oppressors?

Yet, there may still be some shred of hope in resuming peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDFP. In an article written by Andreo Calonzo of GMA News, “PHL govt, communists can still break impasse in peace talks – analyst”, “Rey Casambre, executive director of the Philippine Peace Center, said both parties should immediately discuss their disagreements, through informal talks, to remove impediments to the peace negotiations.

“Both have repeatedly announced they are open to peace negotiations. Neither one has issued a notice of termination to the other party... The im-

to boost overall production.

Alcala reiterated President Aquino’s directive on his 2nd State of the Nation Address: “Ang gusto nating mangyari: Una, hindi na tayo aangkat ng hindi kailangan.

Ikalawa, ayaw na nating umasa sa pag-aangkat. Ang isasaing ni Juan dela Cruz, dito ipupunla, dito aanihin, dito bibilhin.”

A total of P117.42 million (M) worth of project grants and cash prizes were given out to the 2013 NRA awardees consist of 12 provinces, 48 municipalities, 10 Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), three Small Water Impounding System Associations (SWISAs), and 496 Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs). Each province received P4 M worth of project grant, while municipalities received P1 M worth of project grants.

The IAs and SWISAs each received P1 M and P500, 000 respectively, while AEWs were given P20, 000 cash prize each.

(Marlo Asis/Oda Rodriguez, DA-AFID)

passe can be broken if both parties agree to consultation and/ or informal talks to discuss the alleged violations and the disagreements, “ Casambre said at a press briefing Wednesday.

However, I doubt the GRP would press on with the negotiations given the actions that it undertook. Prof. Jose Maria Sison, the founding chairman of the CPP, said in a report, “Joma Sison on Tiamzons’ arrest: It may be the last straw“: “I hope that the President will think hard about what he’s doing. While he might believe that he will benefit more from arresting and imprisoning political consultants, truth is, it is better for the country when peace negotiations continue. Does he want to be known in history as the President who killed the peace negotiations?” Sison, who has been in exile here for years, explained in Filipino.

Contradictions arise out of a society where the exploiting class thrives on the hardships of its people; where the only known definition of peace is the peace of the cemetery. Perhaps the only way to resolve the Aquino regime’s contradictions is for the so-called leader to be ousted by a genuine mass movement. Then a transition stage shall take place for a new societal order that shall truly serve the people and not just a few.

Farmers, fisherfolk to get subsidies from DA

In its continuing campaign to extend social protection to informal sector workers, the Social Security System (SSS) has formalized a key partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the latter to fully subsidize farmers’ monthly SSS contributions as self-employed members.

The agreement is expected to benefit up to 200,000 agricultural workers nationwide who may qualify for the subsidy as members of Rural Based Organizations (RBOs) or Community Extension Workers (CEWs) in good standing, with 100 farmers already selected as the first batch of beneficiaries.

Despite their invaluable role in our nation’s food security, farmers often struggle with seasonal incomes and their livelihood’s vulnerability against typhoons, floods and other whims of nature.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emilio de Quiros,

Jr. and Agricultural Secretary Proseso Alcala signed the agreement during ceremonies at the DA Main Office in Diliman, Quezon City on March 14, with SSS Senior Vice President Judy Frances See and DA-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) Director Asterio Saliot in attendance as witnesses.

Apart from farmers, fisherfolk will also be added to the list of beneficiaries for the subsidized SSS contributions. At present, over 450,000 farmers and fisherfolk are covered by SSS as selfemployed members.

The DA-ATI, with RBOs and CEWs as its partners, implements extension and training activities to promote state-initiated food sufficiency programs and other priority thrusts of the DA. The subsidy for SSS contributions forms part of DA-ATI’s compensation for the qualified members of RBOs and designated CEWs. Included in the list of RBOs are Rural Improvement

D.A. to unveil programs in support of MILF Peace Pact The Department of Agriculture is fully supportive of the ongoing peace efforts for Mindanao, a major highlight of which is the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in Malacañang, on March 27, 2014.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said he is set to present to President Aquino the Department’s proposed initial interventions – including livelihood and infrastructure projects such as farm-to-market roads and smallscale irrigation – under the Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program.

Sajahatra Bangsamoro is President Aquino’s concrete, socio-economic initiative aimed to uplift the health, education, and livelihood conditions of MILF communities.

“May mga programa po kaming nakalaan para sa mga mangingisda at gayundin sa mga magsasaka,” said Secretary Alcala. “Sa pagsuko nila ng kanilang mga armas, kailangan po silang matulungan na isaayos ang kanilang kabuhayan.”

Amounting to P212.9 million, the initial support will cover four regions (Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN) and 10 provinces (Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Davao Oriental and North Cotabato).

The date of the presentation to President Aquino has yet to be finalized by the Office of the President, Secretary Alcala said.

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Clubs (RIC); the youth-based 4H Clubs; Pambansang Mananalon, Mag-uuma, Magbabaul, Magsasaka (P4MP); Magsasaka Siyentista (MS); and Indigenous People (IP).

The subsidies will be based on P3,000 monthly salary credit, which is equivalent to a contribution of P330 per month. DAATI Regional Offices will remit the contributions to SSS quarterly via bank deposits as well as submit a regular payment list showing the beneficiaries of the monthly subsidies.

The chosen beneficiaries have the option to increase their monthly contribution, on top of the subisidized amount, to become entitled to higher SSS benefits and loans in the future.

Many farmers and fisherfolk lack social security coverage and face difficulties in remitting regular contributions. This is something that SSS aims to address through initiatives such as its new partnership with DA.

The Secretary said he trusts that CAB will help put closure to one of Asia’s bloodiest and longest-running armed conflicts and bring enduring peace in Southern Philippines. In fact, he is encouraged more than ever by the strong commitment of support and cooperation from beneficiaries themselves whom he was able to meet in several engagements leading to today’s signing ceremony.

“Dati ay pinakaka-abalahan nila ay pakikipaglaban, ngayon ang sabi ng mga [nakapulong ko na dating mga MILF commanders]: “Kung gaano kami kasigla sa pakikipaglaban dati ay mas masigla kaming mag-araro ngayon sa aming mga bukirin,” Secretary Alcala said. (Mac Garcia, DA OSEC)

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OPINION The Pinoy ‘Steve Jobs’ From page 12

Despite these circumstances, Javelona found inspiration in the story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Gian claims to have watched the biopic ‘The Social Network’ ten times, and he identifies with what Zuckerberg went through during the early days of Facebook. Coincidentally, both Gian and his idol Zuckerberg started out by breaking rules. Zuckerberg built Facemash, precursor to Facebook, by taking the photos from Harvard’s website without permission. Gian created and released his first mobile app, a PUP-based mobile portal that accesses public information on the university’s website, without notifying PUP. The school authorities told him to shut it down because security issues started cropping up. This did not discourage Gian. It just made him more determined as he fixed the app in one month. He tried once more by doing a relaunch. The app was an instant hit with PUP students in just three days. The users grew to around 2,000 active users out of a school population of 70,000 from over 20 campuses. He shares, “The President of PUP called and asked me to present the platform. Sometimes, you need to break some rules to make big things happen.”

In spite of this success, some people still question his capability to run a company at a young age. He responded by building the company “like someone would build a family – you have to make sure there is chemistry.” He picked people whose way of thinking is out of the box, like he is. He also chose those he knows he could work well with.

When asked how a person can unlock his or her true potential, Gian thinks it has something to do with the Philippine educational system. The country’s institutions of learning still have a long way to go to match its global counterparts. What it is doing now, according to Javelona, is to force students towards a job marketplace where being employed relies on skills that constantly change every year.

This is why Gian’s biggest advocacy is youth entrepreneurship.

He is constantly invited to speak to young people in symposiums and seminars. Javelona believes young people should consider becoming entrepreneurs. On this, he thinks that education is the main problem. Our educational system molds students to be employees and not employers. He emphasizes, “If you ask a student today, what they want to do after graduation, most will say that they want to work for a big, local company or go abroad and earn big money.”

Last year, Gian was accepted to Ideaspace Foundation’s incubation program for young entrepreneurs. He remembers a funny moment when he is presenting his ideas to Coach Chot Reyes and Manny V. Pangilinan, and he was just wearing a regular shirt. He admits not knowing that he needs to have financial projections and a business model. “I didn’t even understand what those words meant back then,” he says good-humoredly. Even so, Javelona’s time at Ideaspace was life-changing. He actually recommends the incubation route for those who want to build a startup, but have no idea how, for as long as they are determined to see their business ideas come to life.

The people at Ideaspace assisted the young entrepreneur in terms of incorporation, financial projections, valuations, and marketing. Gian says, “Through them, you will meet the best people in the industry, including entrepreneurs, technologists, social innovators, and other aspiring startup founders.”

OrangeApps recently launched the app Khawna. The name comes from the Tagalog phrase ‘ikaw na’ (that’s you), a teasing way to praise a person who has done anything remarkable or impressive. It coincides with the company’s slogan: “It starts with you.”

Gian believes that all of us can make a difference in the world.

According to him, Khawna is a learning platform where you could learn skills currently required by the industry. He believes that the app bridges the gap of industry learning and makes education available to everyone around the world. The learning platform offers online classes that emphasize hard skills, such as science and technology, engineering, mathematics, and entrepreneurship.

Gian says, “Imagine a kid in a rural area attending a class on entrepreneurship from his mobile phone, one taught by industry experts. What will happen to the Philippines? There are 7.93 million underemployed Filipinos and 6.24 million out of school, young Filipinos. With Khawna, we can make every Filipino employable.”

He hopes that this would result in more students aspiring to become entrepreneurs and create their own startup companies. In this, Javelona is very optimistic. He shares, “I’m really happy to see successful startups operating in this country, such as Kalibrr, Guestlist.ph, and TimeFree Innovations. They inspire young startup founders to keep pushing forward - They help us realize that disrupting industries here in the Philippines will lead the country to a better future.”

Every time Gian talks to students, he reminds them of how many huge tech companies started out as small ventures. He emphasizes that all of these tech companies like Microsoft and IBM started the way he and other young entrepreneurs started.

“They were built by human beings like us. So it’s not impossible for Filipinos to also build a billion dollar company in the future,” he says.

For a lot of students and fresh graduates, it will be their first time to be told through Gian’s talks, that they can do something other than compete for entry-level jobs. He shares, “For the first time they see a Filipino company who wants to build something that can definitely change lives. I always tell them that ‘the sooner you start, the faster you will learn.’ I hope that inspires them.”

Many young Filipinos are so impressed and inspired by Javelona’s story. Many of them want to work for OrangeApps, and some feel encouraged to start their own company. Some of these young people started out as Khawna’s earliest users. They see the app as a launching pad to learn the skills they need to survive and succeed in the job market. Gian hopes that most of them can become future innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who will help uplift the country’s economy.

A Lifeline to the Future

W

ater is life, and without water, all life forms would be dead. Without water, we could not grow food, and without food, all life forms would be dead too. Since we grew up with water around us, we have perhaps assumed all along that water will always be there, in the same way that air will always be there. These two assumptions may be correct, but what if both the water and the air would become polluted? And what if the supply of clean water would dry up, and no more water would come out of our faucets?

In a manner of speaking, air is a renewable resource in our country because every day, the winds would sweep away the dirty air into the oceans around us. This might be true for now, but what if the time will come when the density of the air pollution would be too much for the winds to sweep away? The fact is, we are no longer measuring the levels of air pollution in our country, so much so that we may not even know whether the levels are still normal or not.

In theory, water is a renewable resource everywhere, provided that the natural sources of water are preserved, and provided further that the natural process of water collection is also preserved. As God and nature has provided for, the natural sources of water are our watersheds, and it does not take a genius to understand that. While it may have taken a whole bunch of fools over the generations to destroy our watersheds, it will not take a genius to reclaim and restore our watersheds, even if it would again take many generations to do that.

We might actually have many geniuses around us, but we do not need them to tell us that if we bring back the trees around our watersheds, it will bring back the water in the short run, and it will eventually ensure the continuing supply of water in the long run. And if that is not enough incentive for us to do that, let us ask these geniuses to explain to us that if we bring back the trees, these trees would also hold the water

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SCIENCE WORKS Ike Señeres in their roots, a scientific fact that would prevent floods in the lowlands.

For those who could not chew gum and walk at the same time, we would perhaps need the geniuses to explain that producing water and preventing floods are not the only benefits of bringing back the trees to the areas around our watersheds. It might be too complicated to explain, but these trees would not only produce food in the form of fruits and leaves, these would also produce oxygen that would clean the air, and counter the carbon pollution in the air. Again it might be too complex to explain, but the trees would actually absorb the carbon in the air, a natural process that also weakens or slows down global warming.

It is a scientific fact that global warming is the cause of climate change. That is generally speaking, but to be more specific, it is deforestation that is the cause of flooding in the lowlands. Since these correlations are so obvious, we should also do what is also obvious, and that is to reforest our mountains by planting and growing trees. Mind you, I am not just talking about planting some trees here and there; I am talking about growing trees in all parts of the mountains. Call it any other name you like, but I am talking about reforestation, back to the density of trees that was existing before the uncontrolled logging began.

Mga Anak ng Inang Daigdig (MAID), an organization of young people founded by Fr. Ben Beltran in what used to be the Smokey Mountain dumpsite was awarded about 120 hectares of land in the Montalban mountain area by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), under a Forest Management Agreement (FMA)

scheme. These young people have already planted fruit bearing trees in the area, along with cash crop vegetables. As fate would have it, MAID is also helping the members of the Dumagat tribe in the area, who are now also planting their own trees and vegetables.

As it is now, the harvests of MAID and the Dumagat tribe are already being sold within the Diocese of Cubao, with the support of the good bishop there. As it also happened, slash and burn farming, locally known as kainginhas slowed down in the area, because the local kaingineros have now found an alternative source of income.

As long as the people in Cubao will keep buying the organic products coming from the farms of MAID and the Dumagat tribe, they will be able to keep as supply chain going that will not only assure their customers of healthy food, they will also assure the entire metropolis with a sustainable source of water forever, aside from preventing floods in the lowlands, hopefully also forever. This is the reason why I am calling it a lifeline to the future, a lifeline of food and water forever.

Indigenous Communities Conservation Areas (ICCA) is an international framework that recognizes the ancient role of the indigenous peoples in conserving their own ancestral domains. They have been doing that forever, and it would make sense to provide them the resources that could make them do that forever. Whether or not the indigenous tribes in the Philippines have been granted their Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT), they could be tapped to implement reforestation programs in their own areas, following the pattern of the program that MAID started. Where there is a mountain, there is always a watershed. And where there is a watershed, there is always a sustainable source of water that could be tapped for now and for the generations to come. Let’s do this.

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Gian javelona

The Pinoy ‘Steve Jobs’ Our educational system molds students to be employees and not employers. He emphasizes, “If you ask a student today, what they want to do after graduation, most will say that they want to work for a big, local company or go abroad and earn big money.”

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march 31-april 6, 2014

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G

ian Javelona is the kind of person who would reach for the stars. In a recent interview with Rappler’s Ezra Ferraz, he confided, “When I was a student, I always dreamed of having a company. I wanted to build something that any person could use and a product that could change people’s lives. I remember my classmates were laughing at me when I told them that one day I would have a company that will beat Apple, and that I will name it OrangeApps.” We can imagine who is laughing now, but Gian is modest about his success.

Gian Javelona is only 20 years old, and he is now the CEO of of his own company, OrangeApps. How that happened is based on several factors. In the first place, Gian has never given up on his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. He has always dreamed of having his own company even when he was still a student. One plan has remained on his mind: To build something that any person could use and change people’s lives.

To be a successful entrepreneur, Gian knows that you have to surround yourself with other people driven to succeed. A person can learn from them by absorbing their knowledge and ideas. The young CEO also has an attitude of confidence and resourcefulness. He has never allowed other people’s suspicions to get him down.

This outlook helped him find the right people for his company. People have asked, “How can a 20-year old CEO successfully run a company?” He knows this is how many people think but he chose to ignore naysayers.

Building the company from scratch can be overwhelming.

Javelona knows that there are issues he has to deal with. He confesses that building his OrangeApps team was the most difficult experience he has ever had. It’s not just because people looking down on his age, but there are other matters at hand.

For one, it is hard to get people to join a very young company. It is another challenge to convince them when he can’t even assure them of a regular salary. For so many people, it is too risky to join a company that nobody has heard of.

Turn to page 11

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