Notes from Wonderland

Standard and Poors rating upgrade

2011-07-04T02:26:00.000+08:00

To everyone bristling over SP saying we need more taxes: Relax.

They said that not as a commandment but merely a statement of opinion. They have standards as to the economic characteristics of an investment grade borrower. They think one way we could meet the standard is to raise taxes and increase the tax base.

We definitely need to improve our tax effort. We know why but the political will is not there. I think it would be more productive to focus on this aspect despite the difficulty. The poor collection performance is a disorder in the system. I'd rather have order there than have new taxes. It's like putting more gas into an engine that needs a tune up. It would be better if the engine were maintained than to keep wasting gas.

CC: Economy Update 1

2011-07-02T09:15:00.002+08:00

I started checking on point one: the economy grew over 10 years. Apparently, the figures being referenced were GDP figures. I started to dig and wrote down GDP for Erap, P-noy and GMA. There definitely was a big improvement during GMA's term.

The main question is, where did the economic growth come from? At first I suspected OFW Remittances and Business Process Outsourcing. In pursuit of more data I visited the NSCB site. This is what greeted me:

I almost fell of my chair. P-noy's economic performance is being hampered because he's not spending as much as the previous administration. I'll dispense with the economic debate over pump priming, Keynesian vs monetarist and what not. Here's the point. Government services is recorded when the funds are spent. P-noy is spending less than Gloria. Gloria disbursed more funds out of the national coffers.

Now, how effective was that spending?

Right. I don't know either.

What I do know is that P-noy is cutting cots by using a zero budgeting program. Redundant and ineffective projects are being denied funds. We can suspect there's politics involved, that P-noy is punishing his political adversaries, but that just makes the follow-up question all the more pointed. Does it mean he is spending less on his political allies than Gloria?

So even if GDP did grow, so long as it came from government spending we will always ask if the money was used wisely. The next step would be a check on all the projects done during GMA's term. Did those projects push through and were there any snags? I think I have to leave that path for now maybe until I get my broad answers for the rest of the points.

note: I'm using the acronym CC: Economy for this challenge. Here's my first post for the Citizen's Challenge: Economy

Children's Parties may cause Hearing Loss

2011-06-30T17:46:00.000+08:00

Ever wonder how loud those children's parties are? I remember countless times I've attended one where the PA system's volume was set so high you couldn't have a conversation. That's dangerous. And yes I'm talking about you McDonalds, Jolibee, KFC and Shakeys. And it's not just restaurants. Other retailers can be guilty of this too.

Here's some info from Dangerous Decibels

A typical conversation occurs at 60 dB – not loud enough to cause damage.

A bulldozer that is idling (note that this is idling, not actively bulldozing) is loud enough at 85 dB that it can cause permanent damage after only 1 work day (8 hours).

When listening to music on earphones at a standard volume level 5, the sound generated reaches a level of 100 dB, loud enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 minutes per day!

A clap of thunder from a nearby storm (120 dB) or a gunshot (140-190 dB, depending on weapon), can both cause immediate damage.

Prolonged exposure to loud noises can cause Noise Induced Hearing Loss or NIHL. If I find that personal conversation is drowned out by the music or the announcer's voice I ask that they turn down the volume. It's obviously above 60 dB and I don't want to risk it being at 85 dB. Aside from me there are children in the room. Their ears, especially those of babies, are not as developed as adult ears. I don't want to be responsible for their hearing loss.

And now I have an idea of why service is sometimes poor in this country and why people keep asking you to repeat yourself. Maybe people just don't hear to well.

References:
http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/noise-induced-hearing-loss/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0304-dangerous_decibels.htm
http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html
http://actrav.itcilo.org/actrav-english/telearn/osh/noise/noiseat.htm

Water Hyacinth and Floods

2011-06-27T22:17:00.000+08:00

The rains provided the water, the Water Hyacinths provided the flooding. Some waterways in Cotabato were clogged with the aquatic plant preventing proper flow. The waterways swelled and flooded the city. Amidst televised stories of woe and political recriminations was a backdrop of people laboriously dragging plants out of the rivers.

Like past flooding, quite a bit of this disaster seems to be man made. Although water hyacinth is a prolific invasive species, it grows better when fed. Sources say waste from human activity provides ample fertilizer for their growth. Also, they don't grow overnight, which means this problem had been building up over some time.

Considering the massive overgrowth, I'd think the waters were polluted and the local authorities failed to notice something happening in their own back yard. Given that scenario, an anti pollution drive along with regular harvesting could have saved some grief. At the very least, local officials could have asked if the plants can become a problem. Surely, someone saw them.

What compounds the tragedy is that Water Hyacinth is also considered one of the most productive plants in the world. Look at the references to see the products made from it. Here's a sampler:

Biomass Energy
Bags
Sandals
Paper
Charcoal Briquettes
Fibreboard

The plant can actually provide the town with energy, clothe the people and provide them shelter... and they can get a handbag as a bonus. So why didn't the people just harvest the stuff themselves and make money? I suspect no one told them what can be done. If they were told, I suspect no one gave them business support.

References:
http://practicalaction.org/practicalanswers/product_info.php?products_id=189
http://bcb722.blogspot.com/2007/01/water-hyacinths-threatens-south.html

Citizen's Challenge: Economy

2011-06-27T06:43:00.000+08:00

He said, She said
The camps of President Aquino and Gloria Arroyo have been trading barbs these past days. The most recent exchange focused on claims of a decline in economic strength. The Gloria camp point to these economic data:

10 years of uninterrupted growth despite a global recession. 7.9% growth rate at peak.
Low inflation
a recent rise in self rated poverty in opinion surveys
foreign investments down by half according to NEDA

(For now, I will ignore the claims about automated elections because it's not directly connected to economics.Perhaps another time we should check on the claims automation drastically helps the elections)

Here's the Challenge

Can an average person actually verify this using only publicly accessible information especially information over the internet? Can we actually get enough data to form the basis for analyzing the economic strength of the country then and now? This means no exemplary effort to gather the data. No calling up buddies in NEDA. No hiring researchers. Definitely no playing golf with BSP personnel!

The point is to see how much access to crucial information is available to the common pinoy. Freedom of information is an important element of democracy. It empowers citizens, allowing them to bring anomalies and errors to light.

The analysis and conclusions may not be as important as going through the process of research.

Batanes Pine Wine

2011-06-26T02:33:00.000+08:00

The Batanes Pine or Batanes Tree is an ubiquitous sight in that province. It grows anywhere and people there are fond of it. What we did not know was that the fruits of the Batanes Pine or Arius can be made into wine. Dr. Roger G. Baltazar of the Batanes State College and his research team have been developing products such as wine, jam, jellies and pastilles from the fruit. Prior to this discovery the fruits were left to drop and litter the ground.

I certainly hope the research yields considerable returns to the people involved. I've long suspected that we have a wealth of untapped resources that remain ignored or underutilized. The reason is that we simply don't know what they can be used for.

It's ironic that unemployment and malnutrition are a problem when we can alleviate both by doing agricultural research and then commercializing the discoveries. It's also equally important that such information be available. As an aside, maybe we should enhance the research skills of our populace so they know how to look for said information. Get all the ingredients together and you can make a dish, otherwise it's just odds and ends on the kitchen table.

Don't Just Modernize the Military

2011-06-24T01:13:00.000+08:00

Over the past few day's there have been calls to modernize, to upgrade our defense capabilities so we can attain more security. All the talk may be an illusion as dangerous as having no armed force.

Modernizing per se is not the magic amulet that saves us all. Just for illustration, lets say we modernized and got 10 state of the art tanks. Lets say we come up against an enemy that had 100 state of the art tanks. Who has the advantage? Numerically that would be the side with 100 tanks. At times though it's the side that knows how to use the stuff they have that prevails.

Try imagining Israel going up against superior numbers and winning. How about Afghanistan vs Soviet Russia? As far as I remember the Afghans didn't have tanks or planes. Instead they had a dedicated force which knew the terrain plus a whole slew of weapons they knew how to use. Knowledge trumps firepower.

Before we buy what the politicos are saying lets just stop and look first.

Defense Doctrine

What is our defense doctrine? I can think of a few politicians who would know but do all of them know? How can we judge if the equipment we are buying is the right one if we don't know how we are using it? We may not need all the latest gadgets, only the ones that suit our purpose.

Reform

I'm no soldier but my guess is we'll be of greater service to the country if we implemented reforms in the military. Find where the funds leak and plug them. Get the equipment to our soldiers. Get them better pay. Find the people selling government arms to rebels and stop them. If we were to buy more stuff let it be so our soldiers have the equipment they need instead of something for political photo ops.

We can look at providing better training facilities and methods. More training, less bleeding. If you have new equipment, it's important that you know what it does. If your opponents have new equipment, it's also important you know what it does ... to you.

Leapfrog and Customize

How many major arms manufacturers have headquarters in a tropical archipelago? There might be equipment we can't get simply because no one's really thought of our situation and created said equipment. It might actually be better to encourage local development. Of course, it would be helpful if there was less corruption and politicking. Plus you will need engineers and scientists, many of whom are leaving because there's not enough work in the country.

It's not about the Shopping

Just embarking on one modernization project won't cut it. For long term security we'll need industrial and scientific support as well. We'll likely need an ongoing program because technology will not stand still. We'll also need a political backbone. Let's make sure the military funds go where its supposed to go and punish those that compromise the nation's security. Lets try to think longer term instead of just one shopping spree.

Some places you might want to see:

http://www.dnd.gov.ph/

http://www.navy.mil.ph/

ps: the Philippine Navy site has an easy to find links page to the sites of the other military branches.

How to conquer the world

2011-06-23T02:30:00.000+08:00

During the 1940s Japan conquered its Asian neighbors to fuel its desire to become an imperialist power. Even the casual students of world history know the end result of that. Japan was nuked. The country suffered under horrid conditions until it managed to recover 20 years later. Then in another 20 years it was set to conquer the world again via finance. Again people feared the loss of property and assets to a foreign power. Then its economy unraveled thanks to unconventional banking practices, collapsing asset prices and the Asian Crisis.

Despite all this Japan still managed to conquer the world. Back in the 90s anime started landing on foreign shores. This cultural export captured the imagination of many people. There were others, technological marvels that they shared with the rest of the world. Interest in Japanese culture increased. Subsequent sympathy for Japan increased as well. Now when disaster strikes, people band together to help Japan. Even those it warred against. What they couldn't get by taking they got by giving.

For aspiring conquerors, it's an easy lesson. Transmit culture. Give away part of your identity. Be inclusive because that builds sympathy and rapport. There is nothing more binding than a shared identity. Or to be more flippant: make anime not war.

Cerebral Farming

2011-06-19T05:23:00.000+08:00

Bodybuilding is a very physical activity. But even that requires some study and skill. You don't just start heaving barbells around without preparation. That's a sure recipe for injury.

Farming, despite the manual labor involved, also benefits from brain power. A skilled and knowledgeable farmer will perform better than one who just relies on brute force. If you don't believe me then try planting without doing research on what you're putting in the ground. You might get by if you plant malunggay but the chances of thriving are slim.

For larger farms in developed countries many farmers rely on technology to enhance yields. This goes far beyond fertilizers or tractors. With the advent of cheaper computers came databases and spreadsheets. Now mobile devices provide even more up to date info at the farmer's fingertips.

We don't even need very advanced equipment to provide support. The DoA has a text hotline which farmers could use to contact government experts. That's a good program. It would be better if they can expand it. Putting relevant information on a government website would also do wonders. A lot of government sites focus on irrelevant data. If I were a farmer I'd rather have data that would impact my yields. A list of available training or information packets will be more helpful than a gallery of DA officials.

sometimes, there's nothing there

Encouraging Farming: Microbusiness Perspective

2011-06-16T02:07:00.000+08:00

Conventional wisdom says the Filipino is allergic to farming. One article claims that only 3 out of 100 agriculture graduates return to the farm. Others prefer a white collar job as researcher, consultant, teacher or government bureaucrat.

I think there is some degree of romanticizing involved whenever we think of the situation. I'd imagine people decrying the loss of a tradition. People often use the farmer as the epitome of hard work and perhaps some people think other forms of work are not as noble as manual labor. Perhaps people complain of the softening of the Filipino for favoring more cerebral work.

Is manual labor really so abhorrent? If that's so why are teachers heading out to other countries to become domestic helpers? If status is important why are doctors becoming nurses in foreign lands? Why are there a whole lot of English speaking waiters heading for cruise ships when they can be call center agents here? I think for the majority it's about the economics, about the money and what it can do to improve life for the family.

It's not that people dislike farming, it's that farming simply does not pay as much as other jobs, even other physical jobs. And there isn't much being made to encourage farming.

Aside from the usual woes of poor roads and lack of financing, other conditions compound the problem. Take harassment from armed groups. If that happened to a trader, the police will be taken to task for the problem. How about smuggling of foreign farm produce? The Bureau of Customs hardly gets any culprits yet it's impact on food security is onerous.

If we need to get over the perception of a farmer my suggestion is to think of the farmer as an entrepreneur as a micro or small scale businessperson. Someone who farms his own land is just like the sari-sari store owner or the ceramic artist or even the online writer. Just the same, we need to create an environment conducive to the activity. That's the reasoning behind the techno parks and special economic zones as well as tax incentives. I don't see why it shouldn't be the same for farming.

If we want more farmers we should also get rid of the armed hooligans and smugglers. The authorities should be doing that anyway, It's a service already in the budget unlike further infrastructure that requires outside financing. Just get the police and customs to do their job and it will be a good start.

next: Cerebral Farming

Independence Day 2011

2011-06-13T11:26:00.000+08:00

If there's one thing I don't like about Independence Day it's that I keep thinking of all the things that still need to be done!

Fact is we're in this hole. Whether it's because of us or someone else doesn't really matter as much as what we are doing about the problem. We don't even need to compare ourselves to other countries. Let's just compare ourselves to what the nation was like yesterday then figure out where we want to be tomorrow. Then lets just go there.

This would also be a nice time to have a platform even if it's just a personal platform. It makes comparing the goal and the reality much easier. Perhaps what I'll be doing is revising my personal platform to incorporate any new learnings or adjusting for altered conditions. I'll think of it as my Independence Day ritual.

Jeepneys are Unsustainable

2011-06-12T23:04:00.000+08:00

A recent World Bank report concluded that the Jeepney was an unsustainable transport solution for Cebu. I'd like to read a copy of that report. I suspect the same judgement applies to other cities as well. We all have a first hand experience with the effect of jeeps on the road. The constant weaving, slowing and stopping hinders traffic flow. When traffic density is low the effect can be ignored. At higher densities, the effects tend to compound.

The question then is: what do we do with the Jeep. Should we keep it around and suffer the consequences? Do we get rid of it and lose a part of our culture?

I think the proper mindset is that we should maximize their use in a cultural and practical sense. That means offsetting the disadvantages and capitalizing on advantages. One example would be to limit their use to certain areas - perhaps lower density roads or cultural sites. We should also look into converting existing vehicles to electric or LPG to reduce pollution.

Now some may balk at this because operators will be displaced. Perhaps they can become eligible for skill retraining from the TESDA. They may even get a higher income with a different job. Maybe they can be part of the crews of the BRT or MRT. How about having the Department of Environment and Natural Resources or Department of Tourism pay them to watch over turtles and whale sharks?

The important thing is to look at possibilities instead of impossibilities.

Solar Energy Kit from Lopez Company

2011-06-06T10:50:00.000+08:00

Lopez owned Lopez First Philec Solar Solutions (FPSS) will be launching a solar energy kit by the end of the year. It will offer 3 versions: off-grid and grid tied 1kw systems and a larger 10kw off-grid system. The company claims the 1 kw kits can generate about 4-5 kw of electricity in a day effectively replacing 15% of household consumption. The kits start at P300-350,000.

Is it worthwhile to get this system? Lets do the math:

P300,000 cost
4 kw per day
operational 300 days a year
kit lasts 20 years

(cost / years)/(kw per day*number of days operational)
(300000/20)/(4*300)
=P12.5/kw

Compare P12.5 with the cost on your energy bill. It may be higher or lower depending on where you live. Take note that also includes the weather in your area. Places prone to storms and rain will likely generate less solar energy. Just adjust the figures based on your own conditions.

references:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/222373/technology/lopez-group-launches-home-solar-energy-kits
http://business.inquirer.net/3126/lopez-company-brings-solar-power-to-homes

DOT's Domestic Tourism Campaign Logo

2011-05-31T13:11:00.000+08:00

And Here it is!

Fortunately for us, this is for the domestic tourism campaign. That means the use of colloquial Pilipino is only appropriate, in fact it's downright necessary for certain market segments.

What I can't wrap my head around is the design. Domestic campaign or otherwise, this design is not that appealing. Check the comments under the Yahoo article. A number of our countrymen find it too juvenile. A couple of people called it dated, appropriate for the 80s. According to some online papers this is supposed to be from Perceptions, Inc. which is, according to Perception's website:

We are a diverse and dynamic agency with the passion for excellence, creativity and innovation - resulting in effective campaigns, strong and long-lasting client partnerships and recognition via local and international PR Awards. Among these are the Golden World Award from the International Public Relations Association and the Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, including the Grand Anvil, which Perceptions has won thrice beginning 2001.

Considering their track record, I wonder if someone else decided to make design decisions for this logo. Perception did the logo for the 23rd SEA Games which is very imaginative. You cans see why I think someone's been looking over the shoulders of the design team. (Errata! check the bottom of this post)

The only troublesome note is the similarities to their Tara na sa Malaysia campaign but that's a minor thing. I think they have enough ability to overcome something like a bad logo design. Besides there is always the possibility of improving the logo during the campaign.

To revisit a similar issue - if you recall we had a similar problem with the Pilipinas Kay Ganda campaign draft. One Design had a good suggestion for that one: Just update WOW Philippines.

Errata: the SEA Games logo was made by Joel Manalastas. Very sorry for the oversight Mr. Manalastas. It seems Perceptions wrote a song for the SEA Games. I can only assume some of the logos they have on their page were made by them or by their contacts. So why the change in quality? The mystery of the new logo continues.

Bus Rapid Transit 2

2011-05-31T03:10:00.000+08:00

The BRT may be coming to the Philippines sooner than we think. In September 2010, the government of Cebu said they planned to undertake a BRT project with the help of the World Bank. In November 2010 Ayala Land announced a planned redevelopment of Makati which includes the implementation of a BRT system. Studies on the BRT have been around since 2005 and as far back as 2007, there have been talks about implementing such a transport solution in the country.

Strangely, there's been little reported to follow up on these developments. Take the Cebu BRT for example. the WB has already concluded its study of the Cebu BRT project. That positive development should have been shared with everyone. It's a good thing we can read the Sun Star Online edition. I would rather have that than more speculation over the president's love life.

The World Bank warns of four threats to the BRT:

Corruption
Opposition from the informal transport sector
Opposition from people to be resettled
Proponents of a light rail system

The first three requires political will. Just like the sidewalk clearing there will be a lot of grumbling when something new is implemented. Change causes stress initially until you're used to it. The last one is not so much a problem. We may actually find out that a rail solution is better. In which case the decision should boil down to which choice provides the most advantages for the country.

references:

Clean Air Initiative
UNCRD
Push For Bus Rapid Transit Systems In The Philippines
(BRT) in Makat i
Bus Rapid Transit for the Philippines

The Bus Rapid Transit System as a Traffic Solution

2011-05-29T02:19:00.000+08:00

I think a lot of columnists bought a copy of Newsweek's Royal Wedding Commemorative. At the back of that issue is a mention of the bus-based rapid transit system. The BRT is similar in concept to train based systems in that both are mass transport systems with their own dedicated route and space.

Unlike a train-system, the BRT can use the existing road infrastructure with less adjustments. Train systems will require rails and, usually, an overhead power supply. Buses use an internal engine for power. In other Asian countries, buses have their own lanes which are barricaded from the rest of the road. They also use regular style buses instead of the multi section ones which look like trains. This allows current bus companies to use their existing fleet. Again that reduce the cost to implement the scheme.

I think this would make a great addition to the existing transportation available. We definitely need more mass transit. At the same time we should not forget to plan ahead if we find the traffic situation easing in our cities. I think that parallel development in the outlying areas of the main cities should also be investigated. Part of the congestion problem is that most businesses locate in the large cities. This draws urban migrants and increases the population density. If development occurred in nearby population centers, smaller cities and neighboring towns, perhaps there will be less incentive to go to a Manila or Cebu or Davao to find income.

Identifying priority areas should be simple. Take a look at the migrant profile of the city. find out where a majority of them originate. When those areas start developing, word will spread. there may even be a reverse migration from urban centers.

The traffic congestion and unsafe roads are a symptom of greater systemic disorder. We should get at the roots of the problem while we alleviate the symptoms.

White Space for Water Ways

2011-05-25T20:16:00.000+08:00

I encountered the term white space after reading Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. White Space is a security concept that essentially means room for action. White Space is any condition that allows a person more time to react to a situation. White Space thus includes keeping crowds away from VIPs or cops standing behind a stopped driver instead of beside the driver-side window.

This concept should be included in our design paradigms for managing public spaces. Part of our enforcement problem is the lack of space to detect and deter wrongdoing. Poorly lit areas and twisty alleyways provide cover for criminals. A lack of convenient pedestrian walkways encourage jaywalking. Residences directly abutting streams and rivers encourage pollution.

Lets look at the idea of White Space used near a river or stream. Suppose we implemented a law preventing certain structures from being placed in within 10 meters of a river or stream. With no nearby houses it won't be as easy for residents to mindlessly drop a plastic bag out the window into the water. The trickle of trash then can't accumulate into a larger problem such as clogged drains and water ways. That means a lessened chance of polluted floodwaters making people sick and destroying their property.

Speaking of floods, there will be less danger that heavy rains will endanger people residing at the river banks - there will be none. It will also be easier for government to construct safety structures without damaging private property.

Now imagine that the area will be lighted at night and rails and a walkway placed in the area. Now those residents have a park they can enjoy for free. Children can play without worrying about being run over. It also allows law enforcers a line of sight across the neighborhood. Visibility deters small crimes. And if more cops are needed they can easily get through a 10 meter space.

People seem to have the impression that filling up every available space is the best way to maximize its effectiveness. That's not true. Sometimes the open areas can be more important and more effective in creating good living conditions.

GSIS goes local

2011-05-24T16:29:00.000+08:00

GSIS has PHP32 B in offshore investments. They have recently announced plans to move those funds to local vehicles paying special attention to companies in priority sectors. The setors mentioned included energy, power, telecoms, retail. I'm not exactly sure what they mean by the consumer sector but that's included as well. If they mean consumer goods like food, beverages and clothing it means the GISIS is looking at nearly everything.

I'd like to assume that the GSIS will choose investments prudently instead of engaging in a misguided show of nationalism.
The GSIS is hoping the Public Private Partnership (PPP) bonds will provide better returns. That would be good news for us once we actually have a PPP project to fund. for now we only have plans.

Fight vs Malnutrition

2011-05-15T17:11:00.000+08:00

I find it apalling that the incidence of malnutrition in this country should be so high. We have several local plants containing numerous nutrients that it should be easy to gain access to them.

Take the malunggay. This plant grows well in the country, tolerating most local soil and weather conditions. It propagates quickly. It packs a lot of vitamins and minerals in its leaves and fruits. A whole tree can grow from one branch. Cut branches quickly regenerate. We had a few trees in our garden and we tried to incorporate it into our diet. Despite the frequent cuttings, the tree still grew too fast. Eventually we had to cut them down to size or the top branches would be too high to reach. Within a few days, new shoots emerged from the cut trunk.

If people just grew a tree near the house it would reduce the need for nutritional suppliments. Strangely, many people know the value of the tree. Information disemination is not the problem. I can't say it's growing skill either. I've grown two trees by sticking branches into the ground. Perhaps the closest real reason is that the poorest people don't have the soil for growing it. Malunggay has a large tap root and doesn't grow in pots. But for people who do have a small bit of space, growing malunggay at home is easy and helthful.

Maybe local governments should look into growing them in public spaces and letting people harvest them. That should be less expensive than decorating baranggay halls with fancy plants which need more fertilizer. It will definitely be better than buying nutritional supplements to give to the needy. It's definitely less expensive than growing ill.

Politicians without Pork

2011-05-11T12:52:00.000+08:00

This is a list of Politicians who did not avail of their discretionary funds aka the pork barrel. I am writing this down for posterity. The article came from the Phiilippine Star 7 May 2010. Just in case it becomes an issue in the future we can have a reference as to how some people behaved when they were in power.

In total these people gave up P1.6Bn

Benigno Aquino III aka P-noy
Panfilo Lacson
Joker Arroyo
Francis Escudero
Mar Roxas
Aquilino Pimintel, Jr
Antonio Trillianes, IV
Manuel Villiar, Jr.

Senators who used up P200M

Jinggoy Estrada
Juan Ponce Enrile
Edgardo Angara
Lito Lapid
Gregorio Honasan
Ramon Revilla Jr
Miriam Defensor Santiago

Partial Availments

Juan Miguel Zubiri
Francis Pangilinan
Alan Peter Cayetano
Pia Cayetanno
Richard Gordon
Rodolfo Biazon
Jamby Madrigal

Overspent by P5Mn

Loren Legarda

Party List congressmen recieved half of their allocations ostensibly because they fought with the previous administration.

Other Interesting Notes

There were no reports in 2007 and 2008. There was a partial report in 2006. the 2009 report is the latest.

Half of allocations are embedded in the DPWH. These are not transparent. The other half is included with the PDAF which is transparent and reflected in the annual budget.

Recently, congressional insertions were disallowed by the President.

Criminals In Plain Sight

2011-05-10T14:17:00.000+08:00

Three members of the nefarious Abbu Sayyaf were arrested recently. What's shocking is the circumstances of the arrests. One of them was working as a security officer in at a high end condo Taguig. I can assume that would be somewhwere in Fort Bonifacio: global city. You know, that city being touted as the next CBD. The same one where the International School is located..

The other one was equally interesting. He was on a date at a mall. It was a pretty large mall too - Robinsons Mall in Manila. there werer further reports he even owned a money changing business.

The last one was competing in a motocross competition in Isabela.

It seems they're so confident of escaping detection they've been engaging in more visible activities. Malling doesn't exactly count as laying low and neither does competition riding.

This tells me a few things. First they could be condifdent that they can escape detection. Perhaps the behavior and previous experience has taught them the authorities are not that competent. How someone with an arrest warrant can become a scuirty guard is beyond me. they are supposed to be cleared by the NBI.

How about the money changer? Granted the industry is deregulated, I just feel someone has been remiss.

Live Sharks Are Worth More

2011-05-05T20:24:00.000+08:00

Palau declared its terrotorial waters as a shark sanctuary and for good reason. The Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Uniiversity of Western Australia estimates that one thrasher shark is worth $2m throughout its lifetime. That's tourist revenue for the country of Palau. (National Geographic Article)

That's a huge tourist draw. Plus the shark is a self generating resource so long as we let them breed. It's like people visiting a tree in your back yard and generating two million dollars over 20 or so years. And they make more of themselves!

I want to spread the word because we have similar resources, the most well known being the Donsol Whale Sharks. That resource needs to be protected from ignorance and greed:

Whale Shark Killed for Food
Juvenile Whale Shark killed in the Philippines

This is tantamount to killing the duck that lays the golden eggs. Shark fins can go for 800Australian dollars per kg. One thousand kilograms would then be worth 800,000 Australian dollars. Even if you get this much fin from one shark its less than half of $2 million. Plus, live sharks breed, creating more tourist dollars the longer they thrive. Economically, killing them makes little sense.

This is not an environment vs economy argument. Protecting the sharks does both. If you want to find a group you can start with:
SharkFinCrisis on Facebook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwtFZc5pwsA
Chasing Whale Sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-uPOMSJe40

Osama bin Laden dead

2011-05-03T09:30:00.000+08:00

Last night I got word that US forces killed Osama bin Laden. We watched the televised speech given by US President Obama and the resulting reaction. Crowds gathered along Pennsylvania Avenue and Ground Zero to celebrate. Details trickled in but we decided to skip them, opting to hear more concise reports later in the week.

Hopefully, all that jubilation won't blind people to the fact that very violent groups continue to organize and will continue to find ways to disrupt our lives. In short, bin Laden's death is not the end of the problem. Other people may take his place in al qaeda. Other will create their own groups.

Obviously we can't get at the roots of all the things which incite these people. However, we should pay attention to those that we can get to. Political and economic problems are the root of the insurgencies in this country. Just because insurgents have a different point of view does not mean their complaints are invalid. If those are addressed and they still insist on violence then it should be obvious their goals lie elsewhere.

Budget Deficit down 80%

2011-04-28T10:38:00.000+08:00

This is significant. Past performance had us believing that the deficit was an unkillable beast. We rejoiced at improvements of 10% to 20%. While some PHP10.0 billion is substantial it's a far cry from 80 billion pesos. Lets check that again: 80 is greater than 10.

Considering the performance, I wonder how the P-Noy team managed when other administrations did not. Some point to the increase in revenues from the BIR, but that's about 1 billion in improvement leaving 79 billion to account for. Customs seems to account for a similar amount. Could it have been the zero based budget policy?

Simply put, zero based budgeting means all budget items get reviewed not just incremental increases. Programs that did not deliver had their funding cut. Check the Wikipedia definition of zero based budgeting. It may seem minor but I suspect it has a psychological impact. Program proponents must show results thus encouraging them to become efficient or at least effective. Corruption has a diminished impact. Even the corrupt have a reason to serve well - if they don't they lose their kickbacks.

It would be useful if we could see where the deficit improvements came from. Then we can concentrate on these targets. Citing another efficiency theory, the Pareto Principle, most results come from only a fraction of our activities. This is sometimes called the 80/20 Principle. Studying the recent results could be a gold mine of efficiency information. It may be one of the few chances we'll get in a long while.

Porsches and Champagne

2011-04-21T09:21:00.000+08:00

P-Noy keeps getting flak because of his penchant for fast cars. Everyone's favorite is, of course, the Porsche. It;s pretty obvious why. The Porsche is iconic; everyone knows what it is and that it is expensive. It makes a great target.

Reconsideriing the subject, I realized that letting the president have one isn't as bad as it sounds. Don't believe me? Then get ready for a ride.

First off, P-Noy's Porsche was bought with his own money. He's rich and so is the family try as he might to hide that. Next, that Porsche was bought second hand from a local. Assuming the papers are in order some taxes and fees would have been paid to bring it over. That's money for the country. The people handling its transportation get paid as well. That's employment. Some of the maintenance would likely be done here as well. I'm sure they wouldn't ship that car overseas for an oil change and a tank of gas. I can add that local spending has a multiplier effect on the economy especially when that money gets invested locally.

Compare that to the president having dinner in the US. The money spent would have come from taxes. That tax money does not return to the country unless the restaurant sources a lot of ingredients from the Philippines. Last, I checked though, we don't produce French wine. If the restaurant staff were mostly Filipinos maybe some of them would have sent money home.

So the Porsche doesn't sound so bad. We just need to make sure the president and his allies don't eat out too much.