Standard and Poors rating upgrade

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

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

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

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.

Citizen's Challenge: Economy

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

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

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.

How to conquer the world

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

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.

Encouraging Farming: Microbusiness Perspective

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.

Independence Day 2011

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

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?

Solar Energy Kit from Lopez Company

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

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:

Bus Rapid Transit 2

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.

The Bus Rapid Transit System as a Traffic Solution

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.

White Space for Water Ways

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.

GSIS goes local

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.

Fight vs Malnutrition

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.

Politicians without Pork

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