Solusyon sa "Kahirapan' sa pilipinas

[kike]

Solutions start from adopted policies. We can suggest every detailed solutions but without changing current economic policies, they are pointless.

1. Depreciate the peso to Php50 but not more than Php56. This will "correct" present economic distortions like poor institutions leading to corruption, and product uncompetitiveness.
2. Revise the constitution to transform into a parliamentary federal. This will ensure equity vis-a-vis development only on mega-manila and cities. Likewise, this will minimize politicking.
3. For the meantime, while waiting for exports and manufacturing to grow, abolish POEA to facilitate working abroad. POEA is a legalized pimp which tolerates the corruption of placement agencies.
4. Selective tariff increase on products entering the country to protect local industries.
5. Stop privatization of government companies while state control on natural monopolies like electricity and water.
6. Minimize rice importation and stop rice subsidies while increasing farm subsidies to promote rice production.
7. Abolish automatic appropriation of budget on debt payments while adopting debt payment moratorium. This is to realign nation's funds to more investments and social development.

Unilaterally imposing a moratorium on our debt repayments would be tantamount to committing economic suicide. Argentina did it and look at what happened to them. Tell our creditors that we're not paying any more of our debts and they will never loan us a single penny ever again. That would be fine if we can run the country on OFW remittances and a positive balance of payment alone, but that's not the case. And we don't float on oil so we need loans no matter how much we loathe them. Even the American government has to take out loans to run the economy properly.

This is a side issue but that's what Saint Cory and her acolytes missed. She was riding the crest of a moral tidal wave during her first year and could have gotten away with asking our creditors to forgive our "dirty Marcos loans" and come out of the board room smiling and with her halo still gleaming but she seemed more preoccupied with finding out what really happened to her husband.

Can't unilaterally raise our tarrifs either. We're stuck with unfair WTO agreements and that would affect our exports. Maybe I'm getting it all mixed up but tell the Chinese we're raising our tarrifs on their electrical products and in a shot, they'd tell us that they're imposing higher tarrifs on our sugar, for example. Or worse, stop buying our sugar altogether. After all, they could always go to South America which is the "in" region in terms of international trade nowadays and buy whatever they need from there. Actually, the Chinese have started talking to the Colombians about trade. Coffee, I think. Sugar, next?

Why not privatise? That's one of the most efficient ways of running a major industry. At the bottom of it, we already know that our -- or any, for that matter -- government is an expensive, prone-to-corruption machinery so why not let private companies (the Ayalas, if they're interested) run the big industries at a profit and then collect the tax revenue. What they do with the tax revenue is another matter.

If there's not enough rice production, then you either import rice or force people to eat corn. Since Filipinos MUST have rice in their meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- plus merienda -- then, we must buy rice from the Thais. Or the Indians. Basmati rice is nice.

[Aga Mulat]

^ Then our country will be accused of being another "capitalist pig" like the Americans and then will be criticized for being American ideals supporters and then traitors.

[drhenry4]

Unilaterally imposing a moratorium on our debt repayments would be tantamount to committing economic suicide. Argentina did it and look at what happened to them. Tell our creditors that we're not paying any more of our debts and they will never loan us a single penny ever again. That would be fine if we can run the country on OFW remittances and a positive balance of payment alone, but that's not the case. And we don't float on oil so we need loans no matter how much we loathe them. Even the American government has to take out loans to run the economy properly.

Oww... Argentina. Yes look at her. Her 2007 GDP ran at $245.6 billion (note that's dollars) while Philippines ran at Php 1,368,641,000 ( no where near 10% with that of Argentina at current exchange rate)
Well, her GDP growth was 8.5%
Her per capita was $13,000.

Hmmm..... sounds not really growing.
Was their decision economic suicide? No world economist thinks so.
Argentina crisis in 2001-2002 was not because of debt moratorium but because of trade liberalization, deregulation and privatization in late 90s.

Can't unilaterally raise our tarrifs either. We're stuck with unfair WTO agreements and that would affect our exports. Maybe I'm getting it all mixed up but tell the Chinese we're raising our tarrifs on their electrical products and in a shot, they'd tell us that they're imposing higher tarrifs on our sugar, for example. Or worse, stop buying our sugar altogether. After all, they could always go to South America which is the "in" region in terms of international trade nowadays and buy whatever they need from there. Actually, the Chinese have started talking to the Colombians about trade. Coffee, I think. Sugar, next?

Selective tariff increase was the proposal, if I may emphasize.

Why not privatise? That's one of the most efficient ways of running a major industry. At the bottom of it, we already know that our -- or any, for that matter -- government is an expensive, prone-to-corruption machinery so why not let private companies (the Ayalas, if they're interested) run the big industries at a profit and then collect the tax revenue. What they do with the tax revenue is another matter.

Oww really? Private is not corrupt? Tell that to the marines.
Philippines have been privatizing firms since Cory regime and now we are laggards in South East Asia.

While Malaysia runs oil thru govt Petronas, electric and water utilities are govt owned, telecommunications are govt owned
Qatar runs oil thru govt owned Qatar Petroleum. Her govt owned telecommunication is buying Philippines' privately owned Liberty telecoms.
Singapore govt runs the MRT, SingTel, electric and water
Indonesian govt runs oil all by itself, likewise electric and water.
Brunei govt runs explore her own field for oil (and her Prince sponsored the biggest concert of Michael Jackson in SEA).

The citizens of these countries, are they paying taxes lower than what we are paying? Certainly, and they're getting more services like free education and hospitalization, good roads and infrastructures.

If there's not enough rice production, then you either import rice or force people to eat corn. Since Filipinos MUST have rice in their meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- plus merienda -- then, we must buy rice from the Thais. Or the Indians. Basmati rice is nice.

Kid, you don't know what you're talking about.
Promoting rice import would further kill the dying rice production in the country.
Ever heard that Thais, Vietnamese learned rice planting from UP?

[terranemp]

Why does the government even need to get loans money? It's the government for crying out load! Loans to the government are only a way private companies keep control over the government. Give the government the power to create it's own money and you remove the control of businesses over government.

[pogi888]

Get rid of CORRUPTION COMPLETELY at magkaroon ng disiplina.
I know madaling sabihin pero mahirap gawin, pero yan ang dapat!

[chismosa]

mag-aral tayo maigi at mag birth control 8D

[kike]

[quote=drhenry4;621588]oww... Argentina. Yes look at her. Her 2007 gdp ran at $245.6 billion (note that's dollars) while philippines ran at php 1,368,641,000 ( No where near 10% with that of argentina at current exchange rate)
well, her gdp growth was 8.5%
her per capita was $13,000.

Hmmm..... Sounds not really growing.
Was their decision economic suicide? No world economist thinks so.
Argentina crisis in 2001-2002 was not because of debt moratorium but because of trade liberalization, deregulation and privatization in late 90s.

Your argument has more holes in it than a tatty fish net..The CIA Worldfactbook estimated our 2007 GDP to be $144 billion at the prevailing exchange rate then, revalued to $300 billion using the US purchasing power. However, you are saying that our GDP that year was 1.3 billion pesos. That’s equivalent to about $27 million which is not even a quarter of the cost of the new expressway to Baguio. It’s either I am missing several digits or mis-punched my calculator or macro economic calculations have gone mad. Or you have!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but surely even you must realise that even with a horrendous 90% unemployment rate and a dirt cheap average salary of say, 60k pesos a year; the employed 10% of our population would contribute about $11 billion to the Gross Domestic Product, that’s just “services” produced and probably doesn’t include the value of services produced by overseas Filipino workers since we’re using GDP and not GNP calculations. Add the goods that we actually produce and you’d come up with a GDP figure so much higher than $27m. Or am I wrong?

Your numbers don't add up, mate. And you should really interpret your numbers properly before coming out of the hut. Read: No government can run a country the size of the Philippines on a GDP of $27 million a year. No country on the planet the size of the Philippines posts a GDP that low. No bank would give a country any form of credit facility on that figure. But, if you insist that that’s the figure or I’m in fact mistaken in my calculation, then OK we’ll take your figure as safe.

So now, if we’re saying that our GDP is 1,368,641,000 a year or thereabouts; then it is crystal clear that we need to take out loans since what we produce is not enough to run the economy. It’s not even enough to pay government employees. Yes? So, why are you then proposing to impose a moratorium on our existing debt repayments and so rip our credit facility to pieces?

Yesss, Argentina. They were so wealthy once that even the tramps at Plaza Miserere would rather go on holiday to Miami than Cordoba; but their economic crisis happened way before 2001 and it’s true that it didn’t happen because they unilaterally defaulted on their debt repayments. It was the other way around. And because they defaulted due to their existing crisis, they were dragged deeper into the mud because no bank would extend any credit facility. Their economy shrunk considerably during the moratorium so they finally had to go back to and beg the World Bank to discount and restructure their loans

selective tariff increase was the proposal, if i may emphasize.

The operative word in my sentence is UNILATERALLY. You can be as selective all you want, but you’re still stuck with WTO agreements. Just curious...if you raised our tarrifs, what makes you believe that our trade partners wouldn't adopt the same, exact protectionist measure against us?

Oww really? Private is not corrupt? Tell that to the marines.
Philippines have been privatizing firms since cory regime and now we are laggards in south east asia.

And who says private firms can't be corrupt?...Venezuela's been nationalising every industry in the country and they're still third wolrd despite their oil. Maybe Chavez shouldn't sell cheap oil to Cuba......mmmmm

While malaysia runs oil thru govt petronas, electric and water utilities are govt owned, telecommunications are govt owned
qatar runs oil thru govt owned qatar petroleum. Her govt owned telecommunication is buying philippines' privately owned liberty telecoms.
Singapore govt runs the mrt, singtel, electric and water
indonesian govt runs oil all by itself, likewise electric and water.
Brunei govt runs explore her own field for oil (and her prince sponsored the biggest concert of michael jackson in sea).

The citizens of these countries, are they paying taxes lower than what we are paying? Certainly, and they're getting more services like free education and hospitalization, good roads and infrastructures.

Well, Britain, Japan and the States have almost everything privatised and they’re three of the top 7 economies in the world. Yes?

Kid, you don't know what you're talking about.
Promoting rice import would further kill the dying rice production in the country.
Ever heard that thais, vietnamese learned rice planting from up?

Yes, I know that the Thais and the Vietnamese used to go to up to UP Los Banos to study agriculture. However, only a misguided micro-economist like you can miss the fact that the economy of the Philippines has moved on from agricultural to manufacturing and services. Agriculture accounts for less than 15% of our GDP, if i’m not mistaken. Let me put it in very simple, basic terms so that you may understand: Before? There were farmers who tilled the land, produced rice and sold it to generate income. Then they discovered lands called the Middle East and North America and other ways to earn money, so they learned new skills and then sold the rice fields to SM City. Now? The ex farmers manufacture other things; lots of them wear ties, work in cool offices, earn dollars and leave the back breaking chore of planting rice to the Thais and the Vietnamese. 'Never fun, rice planting... [quote]
LMHO!!!!!!!!...................

[drhenry4]

^
Could you be more realistic? What????? $144B GDP. Don't you know what you're believing?

http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_accounts.asp
Well, according to the NATIONAL STATISTICAL COORDINATION BOARD at 1985 prices (which, I guess is more accurate) our 2007 GDP (which was in millions of pesos) was only Php 1,368,641 (add six zeros then that's only 1.3 trillion pesos, not dollars). At Php44:1 exchange rate (which was the average exchange rate in that year), that would translate to about $32B dollars only flowing within Phil economy.

OFWs were only infusing US$14B in 2007, we're even deficit in our balance of trade (X-M), where the hell $144,000,000,000 of money came from?

The operative word in my sentence is UNILATERALLY. You can be as selective all you want, but you’re still stuck with WTO agreements. Just curious...if you raised our tarrifs, what makes you believe that our trade partners wouldn't adopt the same, exact protectionist measure against us?

Straw man.
Well, anyway, Philippines cannot export bananas to Australia and UK because of phytosanitary measures that they impose on our exports. It is called non-tariff barriers. That's even a 0 to 5% tariffs on electronic products from them. That's why American Home is cheaper than Standard.

While in Malaysia, Toyota cars are more expensive than Proton cars because of the high tariff that Malaysian govt is imposing on the former.

Well, Britain, Japan and the States have almost everything privatised and they’re three of the top 7 economies in the world. Yes?

Read more on where do these countries started.
Even now that there is a financial crisis in US, they are now considering the wrong policies of privatization (hence the bailouts) and deregulation.

Oww, you forgot to mention China, Taiwan and South Korea. Are they privatizing?
South Korea, for example, has a pending privatization of her electric power (imposed by WB-IMF) but they are sitting on it. Who needs their money anyway? Now that Won is again in ,000

Yes, I know that the Thais and the Vietnamese used to go to up to UP Los Banos to study agriculture. However, only a misguided micro-economist like you can miss the fact that the economy of the Philippines has moved on from agricultural to manufacturing and services. Agriculture accounts for less than 15% of our GDP, if i’m not mistaken. Let me put it in very simple, basic terms so that you may understand: Before? There were farmers who tilled the land, produced rice and sold it to generate income. Then they discovered lands called the Middle East and North America and other ways to earn money, so they learned new skills and then sold the rice fields to SM City. Now? The ex farmers manufacture other things; lots of them wear ties, work in cool offices, earn dollars and leave the back breaking chore of planting rice to the Thais and the Vietnamese. 'Never fun, rice planting...

from agriculture to manufacturing
Silly. Are you sure what you're saying?
Well, the biggest chunk of employment in Philippines is still agriculture.
Are we manufacturing? Ow, can't you read the label of your Colgate toothpaste where is it made of? Yeah right, Thailand. How about your shampoo? Yes, Indonesia or Malaysia. Your clothes? Made in China. Your shoes? Made in China. Your cellphone? Made in China.

What are we now actually? Exporters of labor. More accurate to state.

Rather than argue on nitty-gritties, could you offer better economic policies?

[maximo22]

ang sakit sa brain ang mga naksulat.. hahahaha... hindi na nosebleed eh.. brainache na... pero astig sa insight..

[kike]

^
could you be more realistic? What????? $144b gdp. Don't you know what you're believing?:o

well, according to the national statistical coordination board at 1985 prices (which, i guess is more accurate) our 2007 gdp (which was in millions of pesos) was only php 1,368,641 (add six zeros then that's only 1.3 trillion pesos, not dollars). At php44:1 exchange rate (which was the average exchange rate in that year), that would translate to about $32b dollars only flowing within phil economy.

Ofws were only infusing us$14b in 2007, we're even deficit in our balance of trade (x-m), where the hell $144,000,000,000 of money came from?
Oh. So, it’s 1.3 trillion pesos and not 1,368,641,000 pesos as you smugly posted earlier. But let’s ignore your stupid mistake. So now, you’re saying that our 2007 gdp was 1.3 trillion pesos…….at 1985 prices….prices that don’t and can’t reflect the true position in 2007 and are used only for statistical comparisons. Prices which you “guess is [sic] more accurate.” Bloody hell, you’re using prices over 20 years old to make an economic argument..........and you have the audacity to ask ME to be realistic?????! According to your source, our gross domestic product in 2007 at current prices was 6.6 trillion pesos. At 50 to 1, that translates to 133 billion dollars. Our gross national product [which includes goods and services produced by filipinos outside the country] was 7.2 trillion, which translates to 145 billion dollars.

But forget that, the strange thing is that you insist that our gdp is low. Fair enough; so logically, it follows that we need loans. Yet you propose that we cut off our credit line by defaulting on our debts. Elementary macroeconomics is beyond your comprehension so i urge you to stop blabbing on about moratorium and variances and spare yourself the headache.

straw man.
Well, anyway, philippines cannot export bananas to australia and uk because of phytosanitary measures that they impose on our exports. It is called non-tariff barriers. That's even a 0 to 5% tariffs on electronic products from them. That's why american home is cheaper than standard.

While in malaysia, toyota cars are more expensive than proton cars because of the high tariff that malaysian govt is imposing on the former.
Tsk! Yes, yes, yes.. everybody knows a little about tariffs and barriers. And yes Malaysia imposes high tariffs on Toyotas. That’s probably why their International Trade Minister is now pre-empting everyone by making speeches about the dangers of protectionism.

Now, will you finish this sentence: “I believe that if we raised our tariffs, our trade partners would not use the same, exact protectionist measure against us because …………………”

Read more on where do these countries started.
Even now that there is a financial crisis in us, they are now considering the wrong policies of privatization (hence the bailouts) and deregulation.

Oww, you forgot to mention china, taiwan and south korea. Are they privatizing?
South korea, for example, has a pending privatization of her electric power (imposed by wb-imf) but they are sitting on it. Who needs their money anyway? Now that won is again in ,000
Please do not tell us that you are actually suggesting that the United States, the capital of capitalism, became the biggest economy in the world because of nationalisation and that Chinese billionaires got their money from working in government-owned industries in Hongkong and Shanghai. Please.

from agriculture to manufacturing
silly. Are you sure what you're saying? Well, the biggest chunk of employment in philippines is still agriculture. Are we manufacturing?
I'm not saying anything to you. The statistical data is telling you. My source: Labour = 55% Service; 35% Manufacturing, Other Industries; 15% Agriculture. Your source: 2007 GDP = Service, 3.6 trillion; Industry, 2.1 trillion; Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry, 0.9 trillion. Now, you interpret the numbers. Yes, you!

Ow, can't you read the label of your colgate toothpaste where is it made of? Yeah right, thailand. How about your shampoo? Yes, indonesia or malaysia. Your clothes? Made in china. Your shoes? Made in china. Your cellphone? Made in china.
I don’t know where my toothpaste and shampoo are made, but; the label on my friend’s Marks and Spencer’s briefs reads: Manufactured in the Philippines. The label on my favourite Armani Exchange sweater reads: Manufactured in the Philippines; My Habitat duvet cover is made in the Philippines; The tamarind powder for my sinigang that I buy from Chinatown is called Mama Sita. The dried mangoes I get from the Filipino shop are from Cebu; there’s a very expensive sofa at Conran’s by Kenneth Cobonpue. The chips in your Made-in-China mobile phone are probably manufactured in EPZA. The materials used in refurbishing our family home in the slums were all manufactured locally. The jeepneys that most people take to work are manufactured in the Philippines….Ad infinitummmmmmmm……

What are we now actually? Exporters of labor. More accurate to state.
Ohhhh, finally! The man has seen the light! There's hope for you, after all
Rather than argue on nitty-gritties, could you offer better economic policies?
Of course, I could. Anything is better than debt moratorium and raising trade barriers.....and miscalculating our GDP. !!

Done. Thanks for the banter.

[drhenry4]

^
Well, stupidity shows with pointless arguments like this.

I would dwell more on loans that you're proposing rather than on the amount of GDP that you stupidly misinterpret. (Gosh, he doesn't know why prices were based on 1985 prices. )

Govt has not been earning (since time in memorial) and has always been in deficits. It only relies on tax collection for its revenues (patterned to the US which you perceive to be the most successful economy in the world). With govt tax collection only at less than 15% of GDP for the past 20 years, the least amount of govt spending on basic social services was not being met. So what happened? The middle class carried the burden for this govt's shortfall, while paying income tax and eVAT, this group must spend extra money for their families' education and health.
Govt deficits on the other hand are funded by loans, needless to say that it has existing loans it has been paying for the last 50 years. Since the 1986 revolution, Philippines has been paying these loans by securing new loans. And now, Phil. debt stands at US$28.649B. So you're proposing to continue securing more loans to pay your outstanding loans? So where does this lead you? (Who miscalculates the data?)
(NB: Philippines is not US that whenever govt encounters deficits, the Feds just have to print dollars. )

While if Philippines would initiate debt moratorium and renegotiate "corrupt" loans (invoking the Odious debt doctrine), then govt can realign funds for more productive investments on social and infrastructures, rather than securing more loans.

On the other hand, selective tariff increase (I emphasize again the world selective which you "miscalculately" read ) would protect local industries from cheap imports thereby encouraging growth in this sector, providing more jobs and stimulating further domestic economy (examples are South Korea, Japan and Taiwan). This must be coupled with depreciating the peso to 50-56 level vis-a-vis US$ (Diokno proposed at Php55 http://www.aer.ph/index.php?option=c...=806&Itemid=63) obviously to make imports more expensive and make exports more competitive in prices.
The former proposal has been a proposal of progressive economists since the 1960s while the latter is new with the onset of globalization.

Pero patulan natin ito:

I'm not saying anything to you. The statistical data is telling you. My source: Labour = 55% Service; 35% Manufacturing, Other Industries; 15% Agriculture. Your source: 2007 GDP = Service, 3.6 trillion; Industry, 2.1 trillion; Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry, 0.9 trillion. Now, you interpret the numbers. Yes, you!

These numbers tell you that they are the current employed laborers. But look at the unemployed, many of the unemployed are from agricultural sector. Why? Agriculture was not growing for the past 20 years. That's the reason many are still poor.
What sector was growing? The services sector. Manufacturing is far behind. Many of the employed are where? Overseas.

[kike]

^
. (Gosh, he doesn't know why prices were based on 1985 prices. )

Exactly! Sooooo tell me, why did YOU base your calculations on 1985 prices and then compare it with the WorldFactbook figure which was based on current prices AND THEN go prattling around mukamo.com like a headless chicken looking for the variance between the $144B (current prices) and your 1.3 trillion pesos (1985 prices)?

Govt has not been earning...........Phil. debt stands at US$28.649B. So you're proposing to continue securing more loans to pay your outstanding loans? So where does this lead you? (Who miscalculates the data?)Well, you! Don't point a finger at me! You miscalculate data. You couldn't even write 1.3 trillion in complete digits!

Listen, only a handful of countries can run their economies without having to ask for loans. The Philippines is not one of them. It is a developing economy. The country will be stuck with budget deficits year in, year out because it doesn't float on oil like Kazakhstan. It doesn't mine its gold and silver because environmentalists say No. In the absence of perpetual economic aid, we need extra outside funding by way of loans -- which I view as a necessary evil to move the economy[similar to when you have to ask your friend for money so you can go to work to earn more money]. The key is how well the government manages our loan. Obviously, you don't share that view.

(NB: Philippines is not US that whenever govt encounters deficits, the Feds just have to print dollars. )

I'll take it from the word JUST. So, what makes you believe that the Feds JUST have to print dollars to reverse their budget deficit? American economists don't do nipa-hut economics like you. They know that if they JUST print dollars; they flood the monetary system; the system gets flooded with dollars; its value shrinks dramatically; it shrinks dramatically; money market traders dispose off the dollar; they do that, the value continues to shrink; it continues to shrink; inflation goes up; inflation goes up; prices go up; prices go up; the more difficult and more expensive to reverse their deficit!

While if Philippines would initiate debt moratorium and renegotiate "corrupt" loans (invoking the Odious debt doctrine), then govt can realign funds for more productive investments on social and infrastructures, rather than securing more loans.

Only Cory Aquino could have invoked the Odious Debt Doctrine successfully because she came to power directly off the "odious" Marcos era. She didn't and that was over 20 years ago, so enlighten us further: NOW, in the real, present world; which of our creditors would agree to a renegotiation of our loans if we had already initiated a debt moratorium? Our creditors tell US if, when, how and how much we get. Not the other way around. Weren't they the ones that decided that the Philippines was "not poor enough" like Africa to qualify for international loans forgiveness? Not us.

So how does it work, this unilateral imposition of debt moratorium that you're proposing? Mrs. Arroyo tells the IMF or the World Bank that SHE has decided to default on our debts but is prepared to renegotiate them. Then she expects our creditors to agree -- "Oh, yes, Mrs. Arroyo; you can stop paying your debts.......so how can we help restructure the loans that you have decided not to pay?" Is that it?

On the other hand, selective tariff increase (I emphasize again the world selective which you "miscalculately" read ) would protect local industries from cheap imports thereby encouraging growth in this sector

Fine. Now, you can start reassuring the entire nation that if we raised our barriers, no matter how selectively and given our committments to the WTO; our trade partners wouldn't "selectively" retaliate and adopt the same protectionist attitude (to protect their own local market) thus jeorpadising our own export market.

Pero patulan natin ito:


These numbers tell you that they are the current employed laborers. But look at the unemployed, many of the unemployed are from agricultural sector. Why? Agriculture was not growing for the past 20 years. That's the reason many are still poor.
What sector was growing? The services sector. Manufacturing is far behind. Many of the employed are where? Overseas.

..Then why on earth did you contend earlier that the large chunk of EMPLOYMENT in the Philippines came from the Agricultural sector?! Now, you're wittering on about the UNEMPLOYED sector of the population! Will you make up your mind which argument you wish to make.

Agriculture hasn't grown in the past 20 years because, good or bad, the economy of the Philippines has moved on from agricultural economy to service and manufacturing industries. Whether you believe it is better to repatriate the OFWs and go back to tilling rice fields is another argument you can propose.

I thought the banter was over...

[drhenry4]

^

Funny thing with people like you is you're afraid of something you yourself have started.

At least you make sense on figuring it out that I have a view that any govt or regime in this country does not know how to manage loans.
Well, can't you see that in spite of the Philippines' debt ballooning to $26B that her economy is still laggard in the region?

And you're too naive to make a simple situationer of likely what would happen if Philippines invoke the Odious debt doctrine from her debtors. A good Phil president with strong political will and goodwill economic agenda would not be so stupid to come with your scenario.


And this another scenario that you're forecasting,

Fine. Now, you can start reassuring the entire nation that if we raised our barriers, no matter how selectively and given our committments to the WTO; our trade partners wouldn't "selectively" retaliate and adopt the same protectionist attitude (to protect their own local market) thus jeorpadising our own export market.

He,he,he,he
Chinese govt would retaliate? Japanese govt would retaliate? Countries in SEA would retaliate?
Do you think Phils has a better multilateral position vis-a-vis developed nations than any other poor country in the world? You're so naive.

Make a better position rather than credulously believe that the US Feds is not printing dollars to somehow balance its cash position.

Philippine agriculture is not as lucrative as Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia have. It is not only because of lower input costs in those countries but because they have high tariffs and quota barriers on agricultural products. Thailand is a member of WTO. Her financial markets are liberal. Ow, we are no where near her economic growth.

And with regard to Phils-transforming-into-manufacturing-from-agriculture, why do you think that there are still Filipinos going out of the country to look for jobs when manufacturing is, as you imply here, growing??? Errr...???

There are many Filipino agricultural employees, only that they have no employer.

[drhenry4]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
^
<snip>

Ow so you're proposing an idiotic move of managing loans by making more loans to pay up loans? Anyone here from high school who could enlighten this fella on where this scenario would end up with?

You're too naive. Your too simplistic brain cannot comprehend that your stupid scenario does not absolutely happen. In 2004, IMF had no choice but to give in to Argentina's proposal of debt discount of around 70%, after a very LOOOOOOONG negotiation. Argentina was holding them thru their noses.

And your definition of a "good president", copied from neoliberals, is to listen first to creditors while undermining your country's development, which is what happening for the past 20 years. And look at Philippines, yah, growing, because Filipinos are out of their country for jobs while back home, there are 26.9% of Filipino families who are poor, who, while having land to till, have no means to make land productive because of govt's poor support to agriculture since, as you foolishly say, Philippines had already "transformed" from agriculture to manufacturing. (My gosh where is he from?)

And so let Philippines comply with the WTO doctrine of 0-5% tariff on all imports. Are we not yet? We even complied ahead of our neighbors and what happened? Colgate-Palmolive left the country to Thailand, Johnson & Johnson to Singapore, Schering-Plough to Indonesia, Toshiba to China, etc.
We have not yet even fully complied with that of agriculture, currently at an average of 50% tariff (from as high as 300%) before 1986 revolution. Agreement of Agriculture (AoA) likewise banned the use of import quotas. Corn farmers, chicken farmers, cattle raisers, and vegetable growers were driven to bankruptcy in huge numbers as a result. In Mindanao, where corn is a staple crop, many were wiped out. Quoting Aileen Kwa, "It is not an uncommon sight to see farmers there leaving their corn to rot in the fields as the domestic corn prices have dropped to levels they have not been able to compete." With production stagnant, land devoted to corn across the country contracted sharply from 3,149,300 hectares in 1995 to 2,150,300 hectares in 2000. And so poverty rose from 36.8% in 1997 to 39.4% in 2000.

And much as your misguided analysis cannot comprehend the reason why US is cutting interest rates to almost ZERO %, I'm sure you're buying the pathetic excuse of Bernanke and Paulson that they are merely giving more leeway to stimulate more credits. Yeah, right. While printing behind more dollars to feed US govt appetite of trillion $ worth of packages. Can't you just figure it out why US is opposing firmly the long time motion of many Arab countries to dump $ as world trade currency and adopt instead a global reserve currency? (BTW, Keynes termed it Bancor).

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[michelene]

last week nag punta ako sa megamal.

habang ako ay nag lalakd, nakita ko sa gitna ng hallway ay isang booth tungkol sa anti-poverty, world vision, bring the kids back to school.

lumapit ako sa babae para magtanung. accdg to her its an sponsorship sa mga bata mula sa liblib na lugar 20pesos a day lang you can already sent her to school, medical nya at iba iba pang mga pangangailangan nya for only 600 a month.

sa mga interasado you can call them at 3727777.

pede naman tayo tumulong within our reach. malay natin ma-infleunce natin ung mga tao sa paligid natin na tumulong. parang pay it forward.