Twenty, Nine, and Forty

Recent news that I like to react on:


1. Twenty is for Twenty Pesos. Metro wage is up by twenty pesos. This is about 5.52% higher than the present P362.00 minimum wage "enjoyed" by Metro workers. The better news is that they get to enjoy only 15 pesos on their basic pay. 5 pesos will accrue first to COLA. In CALABARZON, it will be the same - 20 pesos ( up 6.67% from the present 300.00). The betterer news is that inflation is moving at a fast rate of 2.0% month on month. Meaning, this legislation is too little and too late. When was the last legislated wage increase? .... When? ... See, you can't even remember.

The best news of course is that mose SMEs (Small and Medium Ent's) are now following legislated wage increases. So, the resolution? Be an entrepreneur. At least you get blamed for not giving wage increases. Problem? Capital. Where to get this? Ahmmm.... savings. How to accumulate savings? Extra money from ... income. Oh well. Let's be priests/pastors/religious leaders then. At the least, they aren't problematic about these things.

What to buy with this 20 pesos?

Ok. Let's see. For monthly-paid employees, this increase boils down to (Handbook on Workers' Statutory and Monetary Benefits):


P20.00 x 365 / 12 = 608.33 a month. Less tax, it will return around 480.00-500.00.

What to buy with this enormous increase in salary for the ordinary Filipino worker?

1 kilo of NFA rice. Of course, you have to fall in line and walk to and from the seller's place because you don't have extra money for transportation.

20 Pesos corresponds to 2 tricycle rides from our house to Balibago. I have extra 6 pesos, which I can add for my P35.00 fare to Makiling, Calamba. Of course, I am not part of the increase since I am not a minimum wage earner. But this is the scenario for minimum wage earners.

Ooops. 20 pesos cannot be used for transportation, because the jeepney operators and drivers are asking an increase in the fare.

On second thought, 20 pesos can be used to finance the Everybody text 20 of Globe. Hooray. You can now text 100 msgs Globe-to-Globe and 10 messages to other network. What a plan.

20 pesos. It is not even enough to buy canned goods:

Vienna Sausage (46.50)
Luncheon Meat (31.75)
Corned Beef (56.00)

Hence, in the grim and brutal sense of the real world - away from the ivory towers of Golf Courses and Malacañang, 20 pesos amounts to nothing for the Filipino people. Problem is, any increase in wages is an additional cost on the part of the business owners. Costs that cannot - in any conceivable way possible - be absorbed by the business investor. What to do then? Increase prices of end products. This is Capitalism at its best.

I am an investor, too. Only, policymakers shouldn't lean on the capitalist's side too much. Unless we want a class revolution again.

What to do? I don't know. I am just blogging.



2. Nine. Nine deaths in the RCBC-Cabuyao bank robbery. Crimes almost always depict the sorry state of the worker class. An ordinary Filipino - educated by the Church and the school - is not a criminal. S/he is a patient, hardworking fellow, who would foolishly look towards the joys of heaven rather than the foul stench of their house by the railroad. What drives them to crimes? I answer, despair. Why do they despair. Lack of opportunites to live life to the fullest. Why? They lack education. Why? They are very poor. Why? They are twelve, fifteen in the family. Why? They lack reason because they weren't educated. Solution. Crush population increase. Focus on educating the poor. What if they don't listen?

Mommy: Sometimes, the poor are poor because of their own doing.
Zarathustra: Gas 'em. Call Malthus. Call Hitler. Gas 'em all. "...What we need is a little suicide, and a little genocide..."
George: This is my blog. Stop that.

I was a banker for ten years, and was so lucky not to have experienced bank robbery in the branch. I was even an armored car teller for six months. But all we did was smoke and collect hazard pay. They were happy days. But this is sad. If I were a bank personnel today, I would tell my staff and employees to wear black for this sad day in banking history in the Philippines.


3. Forty. Last number for today. This is the headline: Manila moves up in world competitiveness. We now rank forty in the World Competitiveness Yearbook, among fifty-five countries. Last year, we were at 45. Is this something to be proud of?

Not really, since Singapore (2), HK (3), Malaysia (19), Thailand (27), and India (29) were deemed more competitive than us. The only Asian country behind us is Indonesia at 51. US is still number 1 (for fifteen straight years now), but is showing signs of weakness. Japan used to be at the top, but is now at 22.

According to Manila Standard, the study lists 55 economies according to some 331 criteria that measure how a nation creates and maintains conditions favorable to businesses. Oh, that is the reason why this nonsense is not felt by the ordinary citizens. Because it talks about businesses.

Come to think of it, policymakers here are really pro-business, being landowners and businessowners themselves.

As fitting last words, let us quote the noblest policies contained in our nation's road map, the Constitution:

Section 4. The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people. ....

Section 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.

STATE POLICIES

Section 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.

Section 10. The State shall promote social justice in all phases of national development.

Section 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare.

...

Noble words for such a sick society.


The Constitution can be accessed through http://lawphil.net

Question for all

http://godfather0618.multiply.com/journal/item/348/_Question_for_all_poll?replies_read=4

Wisdom of Spinoza

These words are very apt nowadays:

While democracy is the most reasonable form of government, its defect lies in its "tendency to put mediocrity into power; there is no way in avoiding this except by limiting office to men of trained skill. Numbers cannot produce wisdom, and may give the best favors of office to the grossest flatterers". (Spinoza, in Durant (1926))

I believe that Gloria Arroyo is a weak leader. Ever since she ran for office, I never voted for her. I know she is an elitist and lacks the power to affect the hearts of the masa. Asked (she was running for senator then) about her mass appeal, she retold a story when she and her yaya went to buy something at Raon. And how the people ran after her. (Such stupidity that can be excused only for the elite. ANd she does not look the part)

Yet I believe that the average Filipino, who is pissed by the rallies and would rather stay at home and go online or watch TV and spend time with the family, does not care about the brewing people power.

We should not rely on the streets for power grab. We should not rely on priests and nuns - no offense meant - to tell us what to feel and think. I think they have insulted us enough by dictating during sermons what to feel and think about the issues on the government, societal ills, population control, death penalty, etc. (Freedom also means being free from the dictates and whims of the last bastion of feudalism in this earth. Yes, while the European churches lie in waste.)

Rather, if we feel that the idiots in Malacañang deserves to get whacked, let us stop and think. Should we act extra-constitutionally again? And this time, with the same idiots from the 2nd Edsa who btw were the ones who got kicked out of power? We deserve the leadership we have. Don't we have the best laws? Shall we bypass them again? Because if we will do it again, let us do it to the bones. I mean, start from clean slate. The reason why our revolutions are failures is that we don't read the advice of history. We still want to cloak our revolution with Christianity and with our vox-populi vox Dei thing. The reason why Rizal rejected the plan of Katipunan then. He said that the Filipino cannot handle revolution because it is predominantly Christian.

Mob rule is not democracy! If you want the true picture of people power, why not include all the people of this land? Our mob rule is Manila-hearted. It does not reflect the thinking and feeling of the northern and the southern clans. It does not reflect the feeling of Cebu, of Iloilo, of Bacolod, of Cotabato. It does not reflect the feeling of Ilocos, of Cagayan. It does not reflect the emotions of Sta. Rosa, and Calamba.

Rather, in the narrow streets of Manila, some few kilometers in length - a poor sampling technique by all statistical tools - they try to shout their complaints about a government that has lost its mandate. And that, they say, is the voice of the people.

But really now. The government is not something we believe anyway. It has lost our trust in the Erap days. Even as far back as Ramos, as Cory, as Marcos, as Quirino...

The average Filipino does not believe in the government! Give them anarchy and they wouldn't care less.

But is that what we want?

I believe in democracy. I believe in the rule of law. Being a part of the two Edsa movements, I believe that Edsa should not be the venue of our change. Rather, and it is a belief beyond what can be seen by the human eyes, it lies in the proper channels of change.

It lies in the courts, and in the halls of Congress. Yes, I do believe that because that is the voice of the Constitution, which we ratified.

But how to put the right people there? The answer is in the voting public. It is painful and slow, but we must - in order to preserve democracy - believe in the process of law.

Else, what do we teach the kids? What do we teach our children? That, should there be a concensus among all students - 3000 in number for example - we can already change the rules of the school?

3 of 4 Metro Manilans disapprove of Arroyo -- survey

Amid calls for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation and the continuing congressional inquiry into the controversial broadband deal, around three in every four Metro Manilans (71 percent) disapprove of the President's performance, while almost the same percentage (76 percent) distrust her.

***How do you lead with this backdrop?  If she has class, she will resign.

Blogged with Flock

5 - 1 for the Philippines in the Filipino-Mexico Boxing World Cup

Sacramento, California. Arco Arena is laid to waste as Filipino fighters trounced their Mexican counterparts 5-1. 6-0 would've been heaven for Filipino boxing fans. However, fate sealed hopes of Rey Boom-Boom Bautista, who lost via first round KO against Daniel Ponce De Leon for the WBO Super Bantam Crown.

Here are our heroes:

Z Gorres defeated Eric Ortiz.

AJ Banal floored Jorge Cardenas at 115 lb.

Michael Domingo vanquished Miguel Roman at 122 lb

and Diosdado Gabi made Jose Beranza look like an amateur at 115 lb.

And like magic - sort of a jin-worked miracle - Gerry Peñalosa is champion again. 35 years old and close to the cliff of forgetfulness, he managed to comeback a la Rocky Balboa - with a cinematic liver punch knocking the lights out of his Mexican opponent, Johnny Gonzales. Peñalosa marched in his version of a Swan Song, emerging as the WBO bantamweight champion.

Philippines now takes possession of the World Cup, a gem-studded trophy estimated to cost $500,000.

Yeah! We trashed 'em real hard. It's a pity Bautista lost. Probably better though for the long term. Boxers have to lose in the beginning of a career. Makes 'em better champions.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Pinoy whiz kid recognized by President Bush

Filipino whiz kid recognized by President Bush

MANILA, Philippines -- He was teased for his small built and brainy demeanor, but when the bespectacled Filipino pulled out his smarts and delivered his quick wits, the jokes turned into admiration.

Bacteria, Fecal Matter in Metro deepwells

Private firm finds bacteria, fecal matter in Metro deepwells

MANILA, Philippines -- From slums to posh villages, residents in the metropolis could be drinking and bathing with water filled with bacteria and fecal matter, which can cause gastrointestinal problems and even skin diseases, if test results from a private testing center are to be believed.

One of the weakest in ASEAN

Philippine Air Force among the weakest in Asean -- PAF

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Air Force has admitted that it is one of the weakest air forces in Southeast Asia but the country’s innate skills in cooperation makes up for its lack of technological and logistical power.

Contact center assoc aims for 500k workers by 2010

Contact center association aims for 500,000 workers by 2010

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PC bang comes to RP

Korea’s ‘PC bang’ comes to RP

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PLDT FCA rate adjusted down

PLDT to cut foreign currency adjustment rate by 11%

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is bringing down this month foreign currency adjustment (FCA) rate by 11 percent for local service rates.

Trillanes is set to be proclaimed

(UPDATE 2) Trillanes is 11th senator-elect

MANILA, Philippines -- Detained opposition candidate Antonio Trillanes IV is the 11th senator-elect and is set to be proclaimed Friday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos said Thursday.

Bishop tells Pope to shun Arroyo invitation

Bishop tells Pope to shun Arroyo invitation to RP

Saying he could end up as yet another excuse for more corrupt deals - or worse, a victim of crime - a senior Catholic bishop urged Pope Benedict XVI not to accept President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's invitation to visit the Philippines.

***I don't agree that a bishop should be saying things like this.  But I do agree with what he said. 

SC marks 106th anniversary

Supreme Court marks 106th anniversary doing good works

MANILA, Philippines -- There will be no balloons or confetti when the Supreme Court marks its 106th anniversary on Monday.

Shot dead

School official who exposed Maguindanao poll fraud shot dead

PIKIT, North Cotabato -- A public school official who exposed alleged poll irregularities in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, was shot dead here on Saturday night.

Obstruction of Justice slapped to Leviste employees

‘Uncooperative’ Leviste employees charged

MANILA, Philippines – Ten employees of former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste are now facing charges of obstruction of justice for failing to appear in the investigation of the murder case against their boss.

MMDA to take billboard case to SC

MMDA to take billboard case to SC

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani F. Fernando said they would appeal the Court of Appeals ruling banning the agency from removing billboards on the structures of the Metro Rail Transit System, insisting that the MMDA has the power to take down commercial posters.

Filipino recounts survival in Harvard

Filipino recounts surviving in Harvard on leftover food

MANILA, Philippines -- Before Oscar Franklin Tan drew raves for his commencement address at the elite Harvard Law School the other day, this young Filipino lawyer had his share of silent, awkward moments when basic things like meals became ''an issue.''

Real estate sector growth at 40-year high

Real estate sector growth at all-time high

MANILA, Philippines -- Massive remittances by Filipino overseas workers and the business process outsourcing industry has pushed real estate growth in the Philippines to a 40-year high, the government said Friday.

Foreign direct investments up 18.5%

Foreign direct investments up 18.5% in 2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Foreign direct investments in the Philippines in the first three months of 2007 rose to $710 million, an 18.5 percent increase over the same period last year, the central bank said Friday.