Wrangling over public opinion
Economic news: ADB ups RP GDP growth forecast to 7% while Peso rises to 7 1/2-yr high. A cautionary note: Vietnam close to overtaking RP in shipping–UN.
Postmortem on the transport strike: Transport strike fizzles out.
For several years now, transport organizations have generally been pandered to by, and thus, cooperative with, government. the Left thus had to prove it still had clout with transport operators, never mind if public opinion sided with them or not.
Arroyo seeks return of subversion law while Esperon wouldn’t mind extension as AFP chief (for purposes of comparison, see Esperon: I’m ready to go with clear conscience, which also has Esperon not minding an extension; perhaps a trial balloon, but by whom? Definitely, the President’s decision come the expiration of Esperon’s present term, will be seen as significant).
Good or bad for the Republic? Libyan govt pitches into bring peace to South:
Saif Al-Islam Al-Qaddafi, eldest son of Qaddafi, is on a state visit to the Philippines, where he met with President Gloria Arroyo on Thursday.
He aims to ask the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to reconcile with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) from which it split in 1978, Libyan diplomats said. He was expected to have met with representatives of both the MNLF and the MILF later Thursday.
Wrangling over the survey continues: Malacañang on warpath, tags Serge Osmeña:
Osmeña explained how the survey results became public.
“Last Tuesday when I was in Bacolod to visit my 94-year-old mother in the hospital, I got a text from Pulse Asia’s Ana Tabunda. She was briefing ABS-CBN on the regular periodic survey findings of Pulse. That survey had included questions on corruption. I did not know that and I commissioned a handful of rider questions on trust ratings of some leaders and the most corrupt and most honest President,†Osmeña said in a text message.
“Ana asked if I could lift my embargo so that she could disclose my data to ABS… When I agreed, ABS later called me up to ask if they could announce my poll findings on their newscast and ABS inquired why I had commissioned the poll. I replied that the opposition office takes regular surveys to feel the pulse of the citizenry. We have alternated between using Pulse and SWS. Our cost for this rider was in the low six figures,†he said.
Two editorials try to dissect the administration reaction to the survey.
In the Inquirer editorial, they slice and dice through the administration’s objections:
Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said in a statement written in Filipino, “is the President’s unceasing service to the millions of Filipinos, not her rating in surveys of 1,500 people.â€Â
The implication is that the universe of survey respondents is too small as to be representative. This comes as news to us, because Malacañang has in fact depended on similar surveys, conducted by the same polling organizations, when they meet its objectives. The President’s election victory over main rival Fernando Poe Jr. was predicted by the surveys, and Arroyo officials used that very trend in the last several weeks of the 2004 campaign to defend Malacañang, in 2005, against accusations of election fraud raised by the “Hello, Garci†tapes. Those surveys had more or less the same sample size, but did we hear any Malacañang official whining about its unrepresentativeness then?
In his blog, Newsstand, John Nery, who has taken pains to dissect many a survey and the process, for those who continue to be skeptical of statistics.
In the Business Mirror editorial, the bottom line, it says, is the issue of trust. It first catalogs the virtues of the President:
It truly is tragic that a President under whose watch macroeconomic stability was achieved under the most challenging conditions, and who has displayed a keen devotion to her work, following a punishing schedule despite her own health risks, is now seen as “most corrupt†even though no court has found her to have stolen a centavo from the republic. Viewed from this angle, it’s easy to understand Malacañang’s deep-seated frustration at the survey.
Then asks, despite these virtues, why is she still being hammered in terms of negative public opinion?
Critics of the Trillanes-Lim group wonder aloud why the “destabilizers†never seem to tire of raising the same old issues against her presidency. Simple: the “same old issues†remain “same old issues†because there was never any satisfactory resolution, in the public mind, to them. In short, no closure.
Worse, in every case, the president was often perceived as being too protective of the parties named in each controversy, whether a relative, political supporter or patron, or a subordinate official. Thus, it has come to pass that at the end of the day, the blame was put at her doorstep.
To every congressional inquiry, her legal advisers have thrown all conceivable means to block efforts to ferret out the truth: Executive Order 464 is a classic, mocking the very principle of checks and balances in a democracy…
There are many more controversies without closure: the Venable contract, the Joc-joc Bolante fertilizer scam, “Hello Garci,†and the alleged corruption in the military even as soldiers die in the field partly from substandard materiel and gear.
And finally, it asks, why does the President get a raw deal compared to say, Fidel V. Ramos?
At the end of the day, some people have raised the question of how come Mrs. Arroyo received a lower score than Fidel V. Ramos, whom critics say seems to have a “Teflon†ability to brush off such megacontroversies as the Centennial Expo, PEA-Amari, the onerous independent power producer contracts, and the multibillion-peso tax-credit scam that happened during his administration.
We hazard a guess: Mr. Ramos has not been perceived to be eager to use every available stratagemâ€â€when he was president and afterâ€â€to block official inquiries or efforts to ferret out the truth. He had the patience to explain himself well, would personally prepare position papers and documents, and would tell his accusers, in and out of Congress, that he did a judgment call each time, and if he were to be made liable for his acts, so be it. He was seen on national TV attending several congressional hearings, facing his accusers. So whether or not people have evidence of any direct participation by Mr. Ramos in any of these controversies, perhapsâ€â€just perhapsâ€â€people see him as someone not going out of his way to cover up or block the efforts of truth-seekers. After all, the Pulse survey was admittedly tracking perception from the very start: and unfortunately for her, the perception she and her minions have tried so hard to block all inquiries has reinforced the suspicion she had committed something wrong.
Anyone intent on prosecuting a case is convinced they are right and will win; anyone defending themselves in a case is convinced they are innocent and will prevail. Foregone conclusions in any sort of trial is dangerous thing because it means it’s not a trial but a kangaroo court. Part of the brinkmanship of the administration is to completely ignore the majority of her critics who pointed out that subjecting her to accountability procedures also meant she had the opportunity to vindicate herself fully.
In his column, Amando Doronila tackles the survey results, too:
There are valid issues that can be raised about the survey. The first is the time context of the comparison of records of the five presidents. The second, which is less important than the first, is the timing of the survey. Osmeña has said that he had wanted to test political awareness of the public in relation to the 2010 election, which is still far off, making me conclude that the survey is a wasted effort at this stage in terms of immediate political impact.
For the first time, someone has tried to quantify corruption in the case of the President. Newsbreak breaks it down to $164.7 million, a bit over $1 million for every centimeter of the President’s height (150 cm. is the President’s height):
Newsbreak estimates the amounts involved in the alleged major corruption cases under the Arroyo administration. (In US dollars; based on a US$1=42 pesos exchange rate)
IMPSA deal $ 2 million
Diosdado Macapagal Blvd. 14 million
Piatco 20 million
Jose Pidal account 7.6 million
US properties 7.1 million
Fertilizer scam 17.3 million
North Rail project 50 million
NBN-ZTE deal 32.9 million
Jueteng collections 10 million
Palace cash handouts 3.8 million
TOTAL $ 164.7 million
Why aren’t the law-and-order types demanding two things, I wonder: the prosecution of policemen accused of looting the Manila Peninsula, and the Makati Shangri-La for refusing permission to post snipers on its roof? See the Newsbreak story:
The Marines and the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force (SAF), who led the assault, were working with limited information.
They did not have prior intelligence information on the plan of Antonio Trillanes IV and Danilo Lim to take over the hotel. They were in the dark on exactly how many armed followers were with Trillanes and Limâ€â€and their positions inside the Manila Pen. All they had was a map of the lobby of the hotel which they got from the Makati police.
The situation was so frenzied at the Pen that the soldiers were unable to coordinate with the hotel staff regarding the map and positions of rebels.
The Marines planned on posting some of their men at the Makati Shangrilaâ€â€for possible sniper shots but the hotel disagreed and refused to cooperate.
Also, Charges vs Guingona, other civilians at Manila Pen dismissed. On a related note, quarter of people surveyed said they were willing to go out in the streets. To me, this is huge, but of course what remains to be asked is what would the other three quarters do in a situation that would bring the one quarter into the streets?
Incidentally, an interesting Newsbreak story on group dynamics:
In fact, the same October survey shows that 25 percent of the respondents will “do whatever is necessary to have a president resign or be removed from office.â€Â
Here’s the statistical analysis, provided by Pulse Asia executive director Ana Tabunda. While 25 percent of Filipinos may be willing to do whatever is necessary to remove a corrupt president from office, there is one presumption in the survey question. That they are “convinced that the President should resign.†The question is: were they convinced on November 29?
Newsbreak recalls what analysts and historians have shared to us about failed revolutions in the past. That is, no revolution launched during the holidays nor in the rainy season ever succeeded in the Philippines. Filipinos, the analysts said, never like anything to go in the way of a happy Christmas celebration. They, too, don’t want the hassle of getting wet in the rain.
On November 29, the holiday spirit was in the air, primarily due to early Christmas carols and decorations in malls and giving of the 13th month pay. It was also raining.
Overseas, Whither Malaysia?
Will dissent increase? Is Abdullah Badawi in electoral trouble? Will unrest spread outside of the opposition parties to the populace at large? What do the demonstrations mean for investors?
The answers are mixed. Despite a general feeling of malaise over the economy, it actually grew at the fastest pace since 2005  6.7 percent in the third quarter  on rising domestic demand and investment as well as commodity exports, although manufactured exports declined somewhat. So far, unrest appears to have been contained largely within the opposition despite widespread grumbling, particularly on the Internet, and does not appear to be concerning investors. The Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) said in its 2008 Economic Outlook for East Asia, released this week, that reduced corporate taxes are expected to continue to lure foreign investment. Nobody is particularly nervous about the protests.
Unless there is a dramatic change, it is inconceivable that the Barisan Nasional, the collection of ethnically-based political parties that make up the national ruling coalition, would lose an election when it is called, expected to be sometime next year. But by Malaysian standards the electorate may deliver a blow to the Barisan, which has ruled the country since independence in 1957. Ethnic Chinese, who make up 23.7 percent of the population according to the CIA World Factbook, have been disenchanted by rising Malay bellicosity and widespread reports of corruption.
Rural Malays can largely be expected to continue to support the Barisan and the United Malays National Organisation, the leading ethnic party in the coalition because of the benefits delivered to them by the National Development Plan, the successor to the New Economic Policy or NEP in the form of schooling, redistribution of wealth and other assistance. Commodity prices, because of China’s voracious appetite, are up, particularly for palm oil and rubber.
Although urban professional Malays in Kuala Lumpur and other cities appear to be increasingly unhappy with what they regard as the hijacking of the NEP by rent-seeking cronies and a series of events involving local corruption, nothing has galvanized them into real action against the Barisan. For one thing, their options are relatively limited. The jeans-wearing BMW drivers and their companions in the urban areas who have forsaken strict Islamic dress have little in common with the ascetic Islamic foundations of Parti Sa-Islam Malaysia, the biggest Malay opposition party outside the coalition.
In the blogosphere, an interesting account of meeting, and working, with Trillanes in Iloilo City Boy. And a list of winner and losers in The Warrior Lawyer. In Katataspulong, a catalog of lost opportunities for a province. Mongster’s Nest provides a political lexicon for the concluding year. Ped Xing on land reform.
Uniffors takes a look at the ongoing Transco bidding.
And Going Through a (Phase)Book just made me laugh very hard indeed!
Technorati Tags: Blogging, economy, law, media, military, philippines, politics, president, society, surveys
Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) profoundly influenced such political giants as Mohandas Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0503e.asp
That’s Esperon’s way of begging for an extension! Incorrigible jerk!
As I have said, when Filipinos see a genuine cause to go to the street, they won’t mind the rain. They were not even scared if they would be arrested. Take the case of the funeral procession of Ninoy Aquino.
Not even when they were hosed down during the demonstration, the likes of the old man Tanada would stop joining the protest actions. Unlike these days. they shouted to high heavens when they were just “wet” by the Fire Department hoses and when apprehended, they use illnesses for their alibis.
Sheesh.
ABS CBN…hmmm I told you, the publication of the result was
a chess move.
25 percent of 1,200 is 400. One hundred must come from Luzon or Metro Manila. they were there in Manila Pen including the more than 50 press people.
Hahaha, people do believe in surveys a lot but CBCP believed only in surveys when it does not concern their policies i.e birth control methods.
FVR Jr. learned from the best on corruption; Marcos. It appears he used institutional means to make money. The ways of the Kabuki is legendary.
Big Mike and GMA are from the old trapo style of corruption.
From GTEB to the NBN up front in your face style reminiscent of the old Spanish elite. “What are we in power for?”
Anecdotal evidence from people close to the first couple gives fuel to the little one’s penchant for being on top of the social heap.
Typical for an Indio wanting to be part of the elite.
Razon Jr. meanwhile has learned the ways of the ways of the crony capitalism model as promoted by the multilateral funding institutions.
The experience of ICTSI in the bidding of the MICP gave him an insight into the power corridors of the world’s financial system. The IFC of the World bank are his partners.
That and his closeness to the first couple makes for a potent combination.
During the time of Marcos the old dictator did not have the luxury of that.
Unfortunately for most of the people in the Philippines that count, the productive sectors, the government and the elite always love to make it a simply policy frame that they call land reform.
It is not that simple. Asset reform in the primary sector firstly is not a leftist idea. It is a prerequisite for establishment of a market system or a more developed form of the division of labor as espoused by the moral philosopher Adam Smith. If people do not believe in that rationale or philosophy then so be it.
It is that market system that starts with rural development that will later drive industrial development.
Two men called for a leap frogging strategy in Asia. One was Mao with his great leap forward, he wanted to leap frog over agricultural and rural development and turn villagers into blacksmiths to leap frog into the industrial revolution on command. The second is Joe Almonte who believes that a country like the Philippines can leap frog over agricultural and industrial development into the third tier economic development of the digital age. He is a zealot of Third Wave development Theory of Alvin Toffler.
The result we school and train our people for an economic system and structure that does not exist in the country.
If you want to have a market system that will eventually create economic opportunities for the vast majority than Adam Smiths rationale of agricultural and then industrial development comes into play.
If we want the Almonte model of leap frog then we have to figure out what to do with all those millions in the rural areas. Maybe we could simply partition off the country and sell it off in chunks to the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese. then the small number of families who own the Philippines can then move on to their adopted countries in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Let us move to make Lucio Tan our President.
And someone has to point to them that billions have more zeros than millions.
These respondents should be taught arithmetic to show them who is the most corrupt. the one who stole
But still I don’t blame the respondents. I still blame how the questionaire was designed. Sheesh.
BTW, perception does not necessarily convict an accused. It has to be still proven.
And that’s what I’ve been waiting. Where’s Cayetano boy ?
Why aren’t the law-and-order types demanding two things, I wonder: the prosecution of policemen accused of looting the Manila Peninsula, and the Makati Shangri-La for refusing permission to post snipers on its roof?
with regards looting, there was already news about investigation being conducted.
With regards Makati Shangri-la, that is not a “crime scene”. There are no suspects hiding in there. All the police could do is ask.
Al-Islam Al-Qaddafi had been in Bangkok before coming to Manila, looking into the insurgency in Thailand’s South:
http://www.bangkokpost.net/topstories/topstories.php?id=124391
Bottom line for the Philippines model steeped in “landlordism” is the the philosophically radical idea of “property rights” (to the laborer goes the fruits of his labors.) And the States’ role in guaranteeing and protecting those rights.
A very radical concept for Erap, Big Mike and GMA to comprehend in recent times. A radical concept for most of those in power who are landlords.
There appears to be a wide divergence under the judicial activist SC under Chief Justice Puno with the clearly constructionist (strict interpretation) interpretation of laws by the Big Mike and GMA government.
Any act it seems vs. the government is being construed as sedition, subversion, and rebellion. The recent dismissal of the number of civilians indicted almost immediately after the incident shows a wide gap between the executive and the judiciary.
Ironically it was the judicial activism of Justice Puno who liberally interpreted the acts of President Erap as a constructive resignation that brought the new royal couple into power. This liberal re-constructive view of the constitution has driven many constructionists including our favorite American Jihadist Bocobo into epileptic fits.
Our favorite judicial activist Justice Puno points to the proximate cause in his decision of the act of constructively resigning to the declaration then of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Reyes. The Armed Forces of the Philippines withdraws support from President Estrada and switches their allegiance to the Vice President GMA their Commander in Chief. This before GMA was sworn into office by Davide and while President Estrada was still president. C.J.Davide rationalized his act by declaring that GMA was to be sworn in as acting President.
Clearly the judiciary will have a hard time finding Trillanes and Lim guilty of rebellion based on the legal precedent set by Justice Puno.
An expression of the freedom of speech and assembly to address grievances. All intra-constitutional means of succession.
At most they could be charged with grave threats for insisting that they be allowed entry into the Pen. Unlawful possession of weapons since they were supposed to be under custody. Destruction of private property for the glass door they destroyed on their entry. Failure to pay for the use of the function room. Maybe trespassing. For the courts rebellion would be a stretch. Maybe constructive rebellion charge should be in the offing. Or the charge that former Justice Secretary Drilon tried to pin on Enrile in the past. I think it was called rebellion complex or some other legal animal.
Being escorted by their guards will be a hard issue to explain away.
It is now a case law of an activist Supreme Court. Clearly a re-constructionist (liberal) view of the constitution.
Whew, even if the judiciary is generally thought to more corrupt than not this three separate but equal parts of government seems to be keeping us still in one piece.
Thanks for the mention, Manolo!
Rebellion complex. Sounds like a neurosis. Baka si Ate Glo may rebellion complex.
I think Malacanang does not understand the rules of the game. Just like basketball, there are rules. Example, the three second rule disallows an opponent to stay more than 3 seconds in the opponents restricted are. If you keep staying in that area more than 3 seconds and shooting, it does not count.
Like wise, being the president of the Philippines requires that you follow rules of the games. As Ret. General Angelo T. Reyes aptly put it, the Executive department executes the laws of the land, not make it. Of course this has to be done on established norms of conduct such as honesty, transparency, respect for human rights, and accountability.
Hence, the president should not make Executive ORders to protect herself, instead aptly make Executive Orders that are in line with the Constituion to help her aptly execute the laws of the land.
She should not be surprised that I for one, do not appreciate any of this so called economic gains, because they have been done not within the rules of the game.
The ‘Going Through a (Phase)Book’ is brilliant!
“Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said surveys like these were largely irrelevant. “Pinakamahalaga ang walang sawang serbisyo ng Pangulo sa milyun-milyong Pilipino, hindi ang rating niya sa mga survey ng 1,500 tao.â€Â
The insinuation that the small sample size of such surveys rendered them insignificant was echoed in one of Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye’s statements. He said: “We therefore vehemently challenge the survey results which could have been influenced by a number of distorting factors such as the sample (1,200 respondents out of 84 million Filipinos), possibly misleading questions and even the person or persons who commissioned the survey.â€ÂMalacanang Press Statement
Any student of marketing research can easily refute the Palace claim that the base of 1200 is too small to represent 84 million Filipinos.You don’t need to interview the whole population to know the national pulse!
Basically, all polls are alike in that they are based to some extent on the theory of mathematical probability, which means that by polling a sample of a certain population, if each member in the population has an equal chance of falling into the sample, a number of unknowns can be predicted for the entire population.
Even in America with a national population of 303 million people (3.6x the Philippine population), a sample of 1,500 interviews is the standard in national opinion polls (polls conducted by television and newspapers generally have a much smaller sample size), because it has an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points, at a 95 percent confidence level, which is considered acceptable.
Wait the day that this activist SC would expand their powers to re-imagine the economic provisions of the constitution. Careful what you wish.
About landlordism and agrarian reform, an anectode quite summarizes the irony of Philippine experience:
Upon being praised for her dazzling jewelry in national tv, Kris Aquino, darling of the masses and daughter of a modern hero and a president who restored democracy, proudly replied: “Katas ng Luisita”.
Equalizer, most surveys on National level done in our case take the sample of 1200 and nobody complaining. that’s out of 32 millions so the percentage is a little more closer than the l500 to 80 plus millions in the Philippines, so just add the margin or error a little more. we estimate our margin of error at somewhere plus or minus 2 % points…
i think, comparatively speaking, results of american surveys are a lot closer to reality than those of local surveys. i think the reason for that is not so much the manner of use of scientific techniques in information gathering as it is the quality of the data gathered from the source.
whether we like it or not, americans generally are more adept at critical thinking and are more pragmatic than filipinos. it’s not just a matter of education (we have “highly” educated people who could fanatically support a morally and intellectually deficient artista, or a recidivist mutineer). it is more cultural and emotional than anything else.
in america, an implication of the slightest immorality, let alone indictment for or conviction of a crime, is a serious political consideration even for an ordinary farmer or welfare recipient. the average american doesn’t readily swallow every allegation without a reality check that is reasonably convincing to him/her to form an opinion.
is it any wonder the local surveys, more often than not, do not translate into reality, especially pre-poll surveys? the only time i recall american poll survey missed was when dewey lost to truman despite survey prediction to the contrary. and that was in the 40′s.
carl, i think kris is tacky.
“whether we like it or not, americans generally are more adept at critical thinking and are more pragmatic than filipinos.”
yeah,right…George W.Bush as President!lol
i think YOU are not fit even to wipe bush’s ass.
Old Geezer:Agree 100%.The honor is reserved for you.
Bencard,
I don’t quite get why the discussion about the reliability of the recent Pulse Asia Survey turned into the subjective comparison between Filipinos and AMericans. How did it get there? So what? Filipinos cannot be trusted, and Americans can? That’s a sweeping generalization that won’t pass objective judgement of the facts at hand.
Here’s my two cents and they are not merely my opinion because I worked for a long time in research when I was in the corporate world. Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS) are reliable survey outfits because they use scientific methodologies in preparing their samples and in devising their questionnaires — testing for validity and spuriousness.
Also, I could also attest to the personal and professional integrity of Mahar Mangahas, the head of SWS and Prof. Felipe Miranda, the head of Pulse Asia (who was one our holy terrors at the Department of Political Science at UP Diliman). Go ask around. These two are maniacal about mathematical exactness and reliability. In short, I’m sure as hell of the integrity of these two men and the outfits which they head.
I may not trust the intentions of the one/s who commissioned the survey, but it doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t the ones who conducted it.
I think at the end of the day, perception trumps reality every time. For some people, perception IS reality, while for others, the situation dictates that proof be present for perception to become reality.
Sad to say, nobody is really interested in getting into the bottom of the problem. Being pro or anti is now a matter of perception. Both sides uses self serving surveys to show proof of the “rightness” of their cause.
That’s what is meant by it being hard to believe these surveys. Not because of the people who conducted them but rather because of the people commissioning the survey, whether pro or con.
These outfits must be careful to take care of their reputation as honest synthesizers of collected data, else, in the future, people’s perception of their capability as neutral players will be compromised.
Bencard,
I appreciate your uncritical view of Americans.
And I noted your highly emotional response to the Equalizer,
It must be cultural. “You can take Bencab out of the barrio but you can;t take the barrio out of Bencab”, as the old Salem cigarette jingle used to go.
silent waters,
“Sad to say, nobody is really interested in getting into the bottom of the problem. Being pro or anti is now a matter of perception. Both sides uses self serving surveys to show proof of the “rightness†of their cause.”
“That’s what is meant by it being hard to believe these surveys. Not because of the people who conducted them but rather because of the people commissioning the survey, whether pro or con.”
Pulse Asia was paid to conduct a survey. It was not paid to manufacture results.
If you want to to know whether a survey is credible or not, look at the methodology.
That’s what I always advise, readers or users of surveys should always take a good look at all the qualifiers pertaining to the survey; the period or time frame the data were gathered, the events that may have happened before, or duration of the time frame, the regions and the ages of the samples and all others pertinent data that the surveys included, not just the bottom line..
Like this one, that Gloria is perceived as the most corrupt, but considering that she is at present the favourite headlines, in the t.v. and in every senate investigation, and just also happen to be the President at the helm when the Philippines and its government is also perceived by the TI as the top in the region..so she is the most visible while Marcos is almost just a pigment in some samples recollection and Cory, yes during her tenure was so distracted by many coup attempts and other issues that no one remembers if there was some corruption during her time.
Surveys could only skim the surface of reality. But a view of the surface allows us to go deeper — and exercise critical judgement. Survey findings are meant to be analyzed if they do in fact conform to reality.
I do agree. I am not talking about Pulse Asia manufacturing results. I am talking about people’s perception of the survey conductors because of who paid for the surveys, whether pro or anti.
Point being, there is now suspension of belief from both quarters because they have not been careful. It would have been better if they just didn’t take any politico’s money for doing a survey.
Silent,
SWS and Pulse Asia are in the business of doing surveys, and they accept clients from all shades of the political spectrum. You are right, it is a war of perception but it is up to us, to tell where the truth really lies. One thing for sure, the gov’t would never commission a survey such as the one commissioned lately by the opposition, because they know that they’d be stupid to do that. But they could pay for anything about a topic that would favor them anytime. It still remains that SWS and Pulse Asia are clean. The thing is, and this is the reality, public opinion is really in general against this administration — the recent survey is one more proof of this plus several ones that charted Gloria’s negative trust ratings and continually plummeting. Those are figures you cannot twist or provide a smokescreen on.
surveys ba ika ninyo?
very simplistic. americans = george bush? what about the other american presidents?
can you also say pinoys=gloria/marcos/erap?
and the americans wanted gore not bush.
equalizer,
Jim Carrey can be President of the US and Americans will still eat 3 times a day. Can you make Ai Ai president and still eat 3 times a day?
Jim Carrey can be President of the US? I though he was Canadian?
Sorry, ‘though’ = ‘thought’.
Here is what Randy David says on the “perception vs. reality” line of defense by Remonde:
Perception is a product of observation. Observations themselves are also capable of being observed, what can be called ‘Second Order’ observations. These second order observations can in turn also be observed by making ‘Third Order’ observations. This process can go on indefinitely to higher order observations.
The public’s perception of Gloria Arroyo’s corruption is a first order observation. By criticizing the capability of Filipinos to make accurate observations (as compared to Americans), Bencard is attacking the Filipino public (and defending Gloria Arroyo) at this level.
Pulse Asia’s survey is an observation of the public’s observation. By taking issue with Pulse Asia’s methodology, Ca T is attacking the latter’s second order observation as a means of defending Gloria Arroyo.
Silent Waters, for his part, focuses on the public’s perception of Pulse Asia’s survey which can be considered a third-order observation.
Bencard is an all-out supporter. Ca T is an admirer of GMA’s politics but to a lesser degree than Bencard. Silent Waters believes that Gloria is morally compromised but cannot manage to go beyond the interest of his class. From what i observe, Gloria’s apologists choose to operate at different levels of observation depending on how closely they want to be associated with her.
If Pulse Asia were to poll Filipinos if they believe that GMA is the anti-christ, what percentage of the respondents would say yes? I think predicting this percentage would not be as hard as anticipating the usual response from both camps.
For the pro-GMA people, nothing can be as certain as a full plebiscite. For the anti-GMA people, nothing tastes as sweet as being proved right.
Which really tells us nothing new.
Bencard: to be fair with our local polling companies, results of their post-election surveys (asking a sample of voters right after casting their ballot) in the past were accurate in predicting actual election results, especially at the presidential level which predicted FVR, Erap, and GMA’s win. They were also quite accurate at predicting the results of the last senatorial elections.
if erap is still the SITTING president now and the same survey is conducted, i think he will come out as the most corrupt followed by marcos.
These two are maniacal about mathematical exactness and reliability. In short, I’m sure as hell of the integrity of these two men and the outfits which they head.
do they have control over the distribution of the questionnaire?
How do they check their field researchers? Sigurado bang ipinamudomod ito o nakauposa isang fastfood at pinasasagutan sa mga kakilala nila.
Mathematical calculations in research canbe manipulated too.
I am not defending Gloria, I am questioning the validity of the result just like the way I question the inconsistencies in the result of the survey of the reading habits of the Filipinos. Am questioning the research design why a president who was proven to have looted the government with billions was rated lesser corrupt than one who was just accused corruption amounting to several hundred millions of dollars.
geesh….we are still on perceptions…..hehe
Let me challenge the supporters of negative perceptions.
Let us assume those negative perceptions are true and representative of the 90 million Filipinos. Then there should be no problem applying that to remove Gloria Arroyo through constitutional means as disclosed in the survey. The 10 of 12 Supreme Court justices already indicated in 2007 that RA6735 can be used in amending certain provision in the Constitution but not revisions (changing the form) like Chacha. RA6735 can be used to amend the term of the President from 6 years to 4 years which will effectively end Gloria Arroyo’s term in 2008. Sweet! We need only 3% of each voting district and so far the negative perceptions across the board is over 40% in the farthest area. Technically, those overwhelming negative perceptions must be able to hold up in each voting district.
Please tell me if those perceptions can really translate to 3% of each voting district. If not, then those perceptions is as good as any political stunts and cannot be taken seriously at face value.
Let us be proactive of the negative perceptions.
If the survey is true, then let us amend the president term to 4 years through people’s initiative requiring 3% of each voting district.
buencamino, i think i’ve been infected by your “barrio” ways reflected in your your posts and articles (yeah, yeah, i see them from time to time through mlq3). lol.
you have problem about my comparison with americans? would you like me to compare pinoys with the british, the french, australians or canadians, or would you rather have comparison with asian neigbors, japan, singapore or even malasia?
cvj, and where do you put benignO, who is persistently critical of pinoy’s lack of depth in analyzing issues that affect their lives, including politics (critical thinking), to which view i happen to agree? just because i admire gma’s leadership qualities and overall performance, i cannot echo benigno’s analysis in relation to an incredible survey result? how can you put any value to a perception that defies reason, i.e., gma worst than marcos or erap? c’mon.
Just like every President of International Committee ( Juan Antonio Samaranch, in mind)closing remarks during every closing ceremony of the last Olympic..The Best Ever
THE FALLACY OF NUMBERS
I initially tended to disagree with the creation of a new movement, like N29M and other views on diversity of movements mostly due to the apparent futility of all these oust GMA movements that have been at it for years already, and the impact on the people of these failures psychologically is a “learned helplessness†or what we commonly call “apathy.†Its basically a desired response to a stimulus that is continously denied positive reinforcement, so it dies (in psychological parlance becomes an extinct behaviour). If we allow things to go their natural course we will see so many flashes in the pan – at least thats what I fear. But I may be wrong…So following MLQ3′s cue, I tried to look for historical parallels and I found some in Thoreau. I apologize for posting the whole article, here it is…
Anyone who watched snippets of Miriam’s outburst in the Senate vs. the guys of the government relative to the TRANSCO and PNOC bidding missed the point by an eternity.
Her task to preclude any other inquiry since she will initiate one knowing that she sill end it later. Her counterpart in the whole scenario from the House is the presidential son.
This is where the cheating probably occurred in the Transco bidding. This is analogous to a stock buy in. The one who has the most complete information will win. Who gives out the information or the facts to the bidders on the internal operations and processes to the bidders. It is Transco. Who is in charge of Transco? Razon’s boy. Insider information is very difficult to prove.
Putting in a bid depends on the quantity and quality of information given or available to the bidders or buyers. One of the reasons why the Razon family won the bidding for the MICP is the well known fact that the old man Razon was an expert in port operations. He knew everything that was there to know about port operations. He had even then won the bid to operate the ports in Saudi Arabia way back then. His major adversary in the bid was the Sumulong family related to Cory. No match. Plus the fact that the man then who ran the bid was straight. Take a look at who is in charge today of the Department of Energy – Angie Reyes.
The foreign partner of the winner is a state owned enterprise. That means that future expansion will be financed with state subsidized rates meaning almost no interest. Plus this sale of the concession is payable in installments. The Filipino partners simply put in their influence as their capital and the Chinese state will carry the cost of the equity investments up front.
Imagine this the Philippine state says that to generate efficiencies the private sector is more likely to to do better than the state since the idea of self interest will generate economic efficiencies and lower prices for a natural monopoly. However the party with the knowhow is a state owned Chinese company. They can afford to sell future equipment lower that any other supplier.
The major principals that control thee winning bid are all business associates of Razon. Not one of them know a thing about running a transmission company. Mostly tisoys. They are the rentiers who run this country. Now they are turning their influence into more currency for themselves.
This type of crony capitalism cannot be appreciated by most if not all of the legislators.
GMA more corrupt than Marcos and people doubt it because we may well be only looking at the surface.
Remember the CODE-NGO bonds organized by GMA and Camacho for her erstwhile allies. Money out of thin air but derived on future debt of the people.
Ramrod, thanks for sharing that as I previously wasn’t aware of Henry David Thoreau and his role as an intellectual grandfather of People Power.
10 scandals amounting to $164.7M, no acceptable resolution. No one must be surprised with the survey results. Facts are stubborn.
Jocjoc Bolante is a weird case for example. Why isn’t the
government exerting pressure so he can face the music?
Very puzzling. It should be a much easier task than the effort made to the Emir of Kuwait.
“in america, an implication of the slightest immorality, let alone indictment for or conviction of a crime, is a serious political consideration even for an ordinary farmer or welfare recipient. the average american doesn’t readily swallow every allegation without a reality check that is reasonably convincing to him/her to form an opinion.”
yeah, right…..abu graiib prison !
You don’t have to look at a crystal ball to predict what Gloria will do in 2008. We have a president whose psychological makeup inclines her do as she pleases. Because the House of Representatives has been bribed, and the military top brass stacked with loyalists, she has gotten away with it — so far.The way things are moving, there is infinite opportunity to diddle and dodge — in effect conducting business pretty much as usual until 2010 (or longer if the Cha-Cha train moves on)
1)Gloria will pursue cha-cha with “urgency and vigor.†With the prospect of her staying in power beyond 2010 courtesy of cha-cha, she can still command the support of congressmen, especially when impeachment time comes again next year.
2)Gloria will circumnavigate the world many times over. “She is unwavering in her commitment to travel on behalf of Philippine interests, and nothing will deter her. “Secretary Bunye
3) Gloria will extend the tenure of Mr. Esperon who is supposed to retire in February 2008. Gloria’s relationship with him is no different from Marcos’ relationship with Ver.
4) Gloria will appoint Ronnie Puno as Executive secretary. Ronnie is arguably the most powerful and most trusted cabinet member.
5) Gloria will have more mega China deals. The ZTE deal was not the last.
6) Gloria will find ways to replace Joe De Venecia as Speaker. Prospero Nograles will do “a Brutusâ€Â. “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves. ”
7) Gloria ,in collaboration with Puno, will impose more draconian measures to intimidate the people in preparation for emergency rule (and martial law). This scenario will be considered if the cha cha move fails.
8)As usual ,Gloria will ignore the Senate.
9) Gloria will use the China card against the US if the Democrats win next year.
10)Gloria will have problems with the “activities†of Mike Arroyo (again).
“Jocjoc Bolante is a weird case for example. Why isn’t the government exerting pressure so he can face the music? Very puzzling.”
Willy, this is one of the things that make people believe that perception equals reality. Some of the others are: Why invoke executive privilege in the ZTE investigations? Why EO 464? Why Memorandum 108?
“Why invoke executive privilege in the ZTE investigations? Why EO 464? Why Memorandum 108?Shaman”
SHAMAN of Malilipot:We have a president whose psychological makeup inclines her do as she pleases.A complex character with a BIG EGO DRIVE and strong personal ambitions and no clear understanding “of what‘s right and wrong”.
Is she beyond political redemption?
cvj,
“Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was an introspective man who wandered the woods surrounding the small village of Concord, Massachusetts, recording the daily growth of plants and the migration of birds in his ever-present journal. How, then, did he profoundly influence such political giants as Mohandas Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, and Martin Luther King Jr.?”
VISIT THIS SITE http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0503e.asp
I grew up having to pass by a red light district to and from school everyday and I’ve had this reverse-discrimination about everything American, culminating perhaps when my very first girlfriend (of 5 years) went to Chicago as a nurse and got married to an American 1 year later.
Lately, I realized my lifelong mistake. The US has a rich democratic legacy whos influence became a catalyst to so many global political changes.
I had a discussion with an American colleague the other day and realized also that they are now facing political challenges. Their government, with the help of the media has succeeded in deceiving the people to go to war and the current administration is an economic disaster. So basically, the Philippines is not the only country with problems…Anyway, its good reading material…
Shaman, lots more but the point is there should be no big deal in “perception equals reality” when it comes to survey s and the party burdened to explain. The way to handle negative perceptions is to assess and execute corrective actions promptly, regardless of whether these perceptions square with reality or not. The prevalent negative perception itself is the message something is gravely wrong with governance in a democratic society. This is the reason why the survey’s integrity is being undermined.
THE LAWYERS’ INABILITY TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH
The truth according to legality is based on the law, the constitution, this is a myopic view of reality and not the way to truth. Our forefathers, being of humble beginnings were not pompous and arrogant lawyers who believed that what they established was PERFECT already thats why they made a way for changes, for amendments. It will take generations upon generations of amendments to even begin to touch perfection. Sadly enough, though well versed in argument and legalese, lawyers are limited in this way…
hvrds, engrossing, as always.
ramrod, good to have you back.
willy: that’s the problem, any opportunity for a vindication has been subverted.
Funny, I thought this was standard operating procedure? You smell smoke, look for the source, the cause, what else is there to do? Its basically a “no brainer” and it has to take someone named WILLY to remind us…THANK GOD FOR WILLY!!! For a while there the dead horse was beaten and beaten, it probably went through 100 (or more) past lives…
Ramrod:We missed you! Rascine must have been really cold.
Let’s keep the fire burning!
Manolo:Hope you mom is ok.
btw,honestly ,is gloria beyond (political) redemption?
equalizer, my mom?
i thought she was sick in bacolod?
Ramrod, re: ‘the lawyer’s inability to accept the truth‘, i did not realize that Bencard was that old. I find it ironic that Americans (in particular the Fil-Ams) are themselves largely unaware of Thoreau. That’s why their idea of democracy is impoverished and lacks authenticity.
Right, Willy. The prevalent negative perception of corrupt governance squares with reality. Since they don’t want to change their ways and take corrective actions, expect them to undermine every negative survey, and as mlq3 said, subvert every opportunity for vindication, as part of the cover-up.
ramrod: nice to have you back sir!
Gloria’s crashing public support should be a signal that Filipinos are looking for an alternative leadership. Yet, you’d be hard-pressed to find among the political opposition a sense of anything other than a feeling of siege and resignation.
Why?
in a lot of ways, Philippine politics mirror that of US (esp w/re to its presidents)
Bush: stole the presidency from Gore through Florida and Jeb
Arroyo: stole the presidency from FPJ through Maguindanao and Garci
Bush: is into his second term
Arroyo: technically, its her first term. but if we count the 3 years she stole from Erap…
Bush: lost the entire Congress to the Democrats last election
Arroyo: lost Senate to the opposition last election
Bush: enjoys the ineptness and/or co-option of the Democrats
Arroyo: enjoys the ineptness of the opposition and co-option of Villar’s senate group
Bush: has subverted US constitution to broaden executive powers. only the US SC stands in his way
Arroyo: has subverted Phil constitution to broaden exec powers. only our SC stands in her way
Bush: will end his term next year, and is looking into the future of facing a lot of criminal and civil charges
Arroyo: will end her term in 2010, and is also looking into a very unhappy future
Bush: has laid the groundwork to cancel next year’s elections
Arroyo: has started the Cha-cha train again
Bush: has the help of American media in dumbing down Americans
Arroyo: has the help of Phil media in dumbing down Filipinos
Both will stay beyond their terms and destroy their countries utterly.
now, i can truly believe that they were “classmates”
DEVIL ADV*: in fairness ,The Mole of Asia is a lot smarter than than asshole from the WH.
Cat,
If you question the research design of surveys, you go directly to the outfits which conducted them. They’d be more than happy to explain this to you. I think both SWS and Pulse Asia have websites and you could check them out. For instance, you could ask them directly if they do in fact ensure that their field researchers do what exactly as they are told — that they don’t sit at some fastfood and fill up the forms themselves as you suspected.
Re: mathematical exactness of Mangahas and Miranda, I was speaking from personal point of view as I have some personal knowledge of how they work and their work ethic. Precisely, mathematical results could be manipulated — that’s why integrity and trustworthiness of those who conduct surveys are as important as much much as competence.
As a gauge of the reputation of SWS and Pulse Asia, consider the fact that both camps, government and the opposition use their services often. You have not heard a considerable accusation which question any of them in manufacturing results in deference to a particular client. If there’s any, it’s towards the ones who commission surveys because they at a particular time would like to prove something and wants the survey as proof.
No matter what the research subject,the research unit,the research methodology,the most basic question before a research is conducted is:”What’s the expected use of research results?”
If this is very clear with the proponent and the research unit,then the research sponsor is free to use it in any way he wants it (PROVIDED he sticks to the basic research findings).
This is a clear rule of engagement among marketing and marketing research PROFESSIONALS.Also should be true for Malacanang and the opposition.
“The only reason Gloria still in Malacanang is that the opposition are really brain-dead and have nothing positive to put on the table,” a veteran political operative and known Gloria supporter once said. “This is more than a rough patch; it’s a dark moment right now for Gloria.”
So if even Gloria’s supporters can see that a real opposition could cripple the administration, why can’t the so-called “opposition” see it?
For one thing, describing the “Genuine Opposition†as an “opposition” is more of an oxymoron. It is not “Genuine†nor a true “Opposition†.
thoreau was an anarchist existentialist. he did not believe in any form of authority. he advocated defiance, if not active resistance. to me, he was a philosopher of discord and disorder. he is not my kind of visionary – a danger to impressionable and simple minds.
cvj, etc., how do you define “truth”,and how do you PROVE it? can you find a satisfactory answer to this from thoreau?
I did a little survey myself of few new arrivals all males, ages all adults latest immigrants and here are the results of my survey:
Question: Compare the governance, thru your own personal observations and experience between your native country (the Philippines) and your new country of residence (Canada) as to Electoral Process, Gravity and Frequency of Corruptions and your comments:
Robert: sales rep: married with two elementary age children, both attending Catholic School…Two years in the country:
“First, when I was in the Philippines I didn’t notice much about the ongoing on the government because as a salesman I was too busy promoting our products and also involved in aggressive sales techniques including offering secret commissions to improve the bottom line, but we all assumed it was normal, but now, looking back it was part and parcel why some of us leap frog so much ahead, including me, while the rest were left behind and I was part of that corruption in some ways. Now I can see it clearly.. Don’t bother much to read the news about the Philippines as I am very busy starting a new life…Robert used his show money for a down payment for a three bedroom townhouse and a small economy car and told me he had not regretted the move, especially the children who just loving it..
Pluck: Manager, Human Resource, Maried, two children, also attending catholic schools, one year…
Although the money we are making here is less than what we were making in the Philippines, even if converted, I am convincing my relatives to come over. It is more of the security of my children as I’m approaching middle age and of the political situation back home, I have only very short word for it Nauseating.. Okk pluck I heard you…this may provoke some comments, but Pluck mentioned to me that he is a personal friend of bong austero and bong confirmed this to me…
The only thing Mrs. P misses is the family driver, since Mr.P has to work and have to wait if he’s n the mood for a drive. The family bought a Honda Odyssey mini van with their show money and a little more they brought since they sold most of their properties.
Joe: engineer.. Married with two children..attending Public schools 2 years..frustrated, he said he was happier as OFW in China and the family in the Philippines. He take his Religion very seriously and will preach it to anyone who is willing to listen, but we can not figure which one is it..He is also frustrated because he still can not pass his Driver’s Road Test and can not use Bribe Money to get one…He can also justify all the “petty shenanigans†going on the Philippines, which he figures out better for him, he would be able to pass his driver’s license and buy a car by now…poor Joe.
And from my very best friend Tom, ex marine, purple heart, 7 years in action in Mindanao… 17 years, three children, eldest my goddaughter, now a teenager: “Take me, a PFC, what have become of me, A hero? Perhaps a Dead Hero? For what, killing my brothers? I did them all, for seven years I served, got seriously wounded in action, but look what had become of the country me and my buddies put our lives on the line?â€Â
Well Tom on his way to Montreal in a Cockfight Derby and rather take his chances his roosters euthanized by the SPCA if get caught, than killing his own bros…
This survey is unscientific and is not intended as a basis or reflection of overall reaction of the Filipino Community, but my own random survey which reflect the percentage of the reaction of my acquaintances regarding their perception as to the political situation in the Philippines. PLS note than other than Tom, all are newcomers and still holders of Philippines passports.
cvj, unlike you, i rely much on my own thinking (whether anybody believes me or not). i don’t subsist on other people’s personal observations or opinions. that’s why i’m not particularly fond of quoting, verbatim, other people’s work or ideas that i cannot express myself.
A SENSE OF URGENCY
We have to act now! If there is any movement, petition, lets go for it. Not because we hate GMA so much but because people’s lives are at stake. Congress has succeeded in blocking the cheaper medicines bill, have you seen the the people in the public hospitals? Many will die! There is no time for debate, we all know we are articulate, and all of us are intelligent – nothing more to prove. There is no sense waiting for decent elections, as decent elections are only possible with a decent government. Playing by the rules of this administration by engaging in legal battles with it will only validate its power over us. The law was meant to serve the people, to put things in order, not to enslave or rob the people.
Please try to go around the public hospitals and see for yourselves.
Equalizer, I think it was Serge Osmena’s mom who was sick in Bacolod.
ramrod,
I think and believe that the Cheap Medicine Bill should have been the priority of any administration. Health issue is number one and above any other issues, and that bill has been lingering while many are dying for lack or medicine. Why not pass it and see if all the reasons given for blocking it like the “no tooth” will materialize and ammend them later, but instead, now people will again perceive that the reasons for blocking it are others than given. and we again will debate if it true or false while patients and the poor are dying…
A government without conscience can claim heaven and earth, and all that come with both, but the reality is on the ground..my own…
vic,
You’re conversation with that ex-marine strikes a similar cord. I spent a few days in Mindanao to visit a former classmate who got shot in an encounter that almost ruined his spine. He’s doing fine and chances for recovery are good, all he asked for was a wheelchair so I browsed through the internet looking for a motorized one (some friends will pitch in the expense anyway) but he said he preferred the manual because he the automatic will “weaken his upper body.” I felt like a ton of bricks hit me. I told him once he gets well to get out of the service, the private sector pays a whole lot better and its so much safer. He was a consistent dean’s lister for Christ’s sake and I barely passed algebra and DE, I’m sure he will do a lot better than I did. But he wouldn’t. It comes with the territory he says, he’ll be okay. These soldiers have a very high threshold for pain, and even injustice, as they are trained to obey before they complain, when they do complain its probably because its inhumanly intolerable already. Why anyone will stick to this job escapes me, but I respect them. We are as close to each other as brothers, some of us can only offer support, moral or otherwise…
ramrod, tom was hit by a rocket launced grenade and as a squad leader during a night patrol in Basilan, took all the shrapnels, lost one ball, most of his large intestine, and a few fragments still left in his lower body, but other than that he is still in marine shape shape. he has his own cockfight breeding farm now and enjoy underground cockfights which they play catch me if you can with the SPCA and they got caught quite a few times. farming is legal, only actual cockfighting is illegal and they keep mobile. today they are in montreal, next week nobody knows…he was a good marine and they have an association here with regular social meetings.
and one thing I know, a marine for a friend is friend forever, come what may.
so answer my question.
Why was the President who looted the country with billions of dollars ranked lower than the President whose alleged corruption still has to be backed up with hard documents?
Why was the result of the reading habits of Filipinos point to the conclusion that Filipinos start reading non-book materials only when they reach the age of
sixteen?
As to the PULSE, the that is being read may be from individual who is already prejudiced by what he has read. For example, this survey was taken at the height of the news about cash giving and the NBN deal. Most people believe in what they have read.
If you are involved in corporate research or marketing research, you are aware that there is so-called controlled and uncontolled marketing environment to lessen bias and sampling error.
A sample is expected to mirror the population from which it comes, however, there is no guarantee that any sample will be precisely representative of the population from which it comes.
As to the weather, most of weather forecasting (literally) is not accurate so are surveys.
mwehehe.
Do you issue crtification of good character?
More corrupt? Less corrupt? Or just as corrupt as Marcos?
Me? I rather go with realities on the ground.
When I read that Uncle Sam and Aunt Feng Shui “together” are dancing to the music of Transco, I knew, perception aside, the best has yet to come……..
Who needs survey? Who needs corruption?
Callous, so callous…why focus on witty wrestling matches or discrediting surveys when people are dying? Will you also question that too or just say its the poor people’s fault “hindi sila nagsumikap,” they deserve to suffer…
i fully agree with you, ca’t. as the hackneyed cliche (popular among computer buffs) goes “garbage in, garbage out”.
cvj, i also cannot confirm or deny that americans are “largely” not aware of thoreu because, perhaps unlike you, i have no empirical data on the matter. btw, where’d you get your info? wikipedia?
vic,
your survey…..
robert:
joe:
tom:
by the way, is cockfighting legal in canada?
exactly. my POV on the other thread. and i was accused of having a colonial mentality.
dina, cockfighting is illegal, under the criminal code, but usually the police are strict with promoters. one colonel vicente estampador who bought a farm and built a cockpit and promoted cockfighting in his property was charged and convicted of the crime and all the money of around $23,000 thousands in his possesion was forfeited and all his roosters was euthanized, around 200.
but like i said, filipino like in the u.s. which I believe is illegal except in only two states, playing cat and mouse or hide and seek with the SPCA and the cops.
I remember Tom told me, when they were caught last time, the got fined and no criminal records, but the promoter got quite much heavier sentence…no prison term though…
vic,
that’s what i wanted to point out. your survey showed majority’s been part of corruption in one way or another. and tom is currently doing illegal cockfighting.
Again again again.
Welcome back Sir Ramrod. Re: your statement above, agree and agree.
I mean why nitpick so much about that survey. It doesn’t matter much whether GMA is the most corrupt or not. The GMA administration is very, very, VERY corrupt. Period. Moreover she has evaded/blocked/corrupted/co-opted/neutralized legitimate redress-of-grievance mechanisms that are trying to hold her accountable for her acts. She speaks of the “rule of law†as if she follows it. As Gen Lim said, not only is GMA the most corrupt official in the country today, she is also its top corruptor. She needs to go, the sooner the better. The damages to the nation are ever increasing with her continued misrule and pillage.
“Convicted child rapist Jalosjos to be freed Sunday–prisons chief”
In payment of political debts in 2004….tsk.tsk.
This is just my observation only so hear me out….from the time of Marcos as I was growing up in my teen years all the way to GMA, I haven’t heard anything good said about the government. Every single presidency, with media’s help, has been the latest Satan incarnate to hit Philippine shores, albeit in different forms. All of them, whether themselves or their relatives, are assumed or proven to be corrupt.
So the question for me really is: is this perception due to the years of experience we have had? Possibly since the time when of the Spaniards even? I have heard theories that the reason why there’s a lot of Indian who basically break the rules in the India is because of the attitude against the rulers. When the British were there, the Indians break the rules in their own small way to rebel against the authorities.
So tayo ba ganun din? We also like to complain because we also have the ingrained attitude of wanting to rebel against authority (something we instilled in ourselves from Spanish colonial days?)
Just a thought….
silent waters, this is a question that i’ve explored here:
http://www.inquirerbloggers.net/current/2007/03/26/we-filipinos/
Silent,
I think it’ all psychological. Look at Mariannet Amper. Crazy kid…!
Again again again.
Callous, so callous…why focus on witty wrestling matches or discrediting surveys when people are dying? – ramrod
Welcome back Sir Ramrod. Re: your statement above, agree and agree.
I mean why nitpick so much about that survey. It doesn’t matter much whether GMA is the most corrupt or not. The GMA administration is very, very, VERY corrupt. Period. Moreover she has evaded/blocked/corrupted/co-opted/neutralized legitimate redress-of-grievance mechanisms that are trying to hold her accountable for her acts. She speaks of the “rule of law†as if she follows it. As Gen Lim said, not only is GMA the most corrupt official in the country today, she is also its top corruptor. She needs to go, the sooner the better. The damages to the nation are ever increasing with her continued misrule and pillage. — ay na_ku
TO the Cat,
Read the above. Your strategem is to issue questions not for the sake of arriving at answers, but in aid of your biases. This is usually called INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY.
To put it bluntly, I have better things to with my time than to indulge “questions” kuno from lazy whiners. Ano ka sinuswerte?
I you want to get to the bottom of things, you act and become proactive, YOU DO NOT WHINE.
Oh, yeah dearie I do issue certificates of moral character from time to time. I bet nobody asks you. Mwheehehe.
BrianB
Not trying to be facetious about this. The question is legitimate. One incident does not disprove this.
My question, as indicated by the site mlq3 sent, underscores the fact that maybe, we Filipinos, want to just be left alone and not be governed by anybody at all. (Am not agreeing with it by the way).
Maybe that’s what it really is? I can say as a matter of fact (although this is an anecdotal incident rather than proof) than Pinoys in American all want to be leaders in their respective Pinoy communities. Gusto nila sila ang number one so much so that factions and groups abound. Ayaw nila maging sunud-sunuran sa iba.
Not to discount the shenanigans of any of the administrations involved, but is it possible that it’s just our way of rebellion? For some others, it would be called the green eyed monster as that person is better off. The crab mentality, etc etc.
I am not referring to the poor who seems to not enough have any time to reflect on what’s going on. It’s more to do with the elites and middle class (oh, CVJ, happy ka na ba na this time sila naman ang tinitira ko?
)
Just my middle class thought…(baka kasi may magsabi na middle class thinking kasi ako kaya unahan ko na)
Silent,
Our middle class is weak because most of them want to be like the rich. It’s stupid thinking. How many people do you think can be rich in a country, never mind a poor one? What the middle class should do i try to change this system of palakasan and connections, like what I’ve been trying to do since college (even risking financial advancement). Sure, maybe it’s just my personality that keeps me outside the circle of OWE-nership. Still, logic is on my side. I repeat my question: how many rich people can there in a country. Answer: strengthen the middle, give the masses the rights promised to them by the constitution and everyone (excepting the elite of course) will feel a lot better.
Sure, keep complaining but complain to the right people. And don’t complain to me!
Sure, keep complaining but complain to the right people. And don’t complain to me! — BrianB
Precisely, precisely. Calling all whiners.
silent waters (gee, that sounds like a Native American name..)
my theory about the Filipino distrust of our government, and anything Pinoy for that matter, is due to a deep-seated lack of self-confidence – proof: voluntarily providing educational/social credentials even when unnecessary. even when we say we are proud to be Pinoy, there will always be a preference for things foreign. just look at our grocery shelves….BUY PINOY.
this is probably because of our experience being a colony of Spain and the US and having foreigners running things, amongst us, for much longer than we were independent…
colonization for over 300 years is also the reason why Filipino men tend to be spoiled more than their female counterparts. while the women were socially accepted by the colonizers, someitmes even marrying them, the Indio male was made to feel like second class citizens in their own country. Women, so it is said, over-compensated for this social inequality by spoiling their men.
This is not my own theory, it’s something I read years ago – source forgotten…
Wow another doomsayer. Baka naman sabihin mo magugunaw na ang mundo. So what did you do to stop people from dying?
Making this senseless comment? sheesh
I agree with you. Kahit sino pa ang ilagay mo diyan,tiyak ding makicriticize as long as there are people whose personal agenda were not met in supporting the winning candidate, there are media people who want to be a personality cult and the usual whiners an turncoats.
Hohum.
Just give 90 day-honeymoon stage for a new president-elect and expect for the mud-throwing to start until his term is finished.
hohoho
that’s what i wanted to point out. your survey showed majority’s been part of corruption in one way or another. and tom is currently doing illegal cockfighting
dinapinoy,I already emphasized in my original comment that Tom would rather have his roosters euthanized (with great cost to him)and he is not trying to bribe, or corrupting the officers, but simply breaking the law which they are ready to take the consequences, and if caught repeatedly the cops may eventually ask the courts to register a criminal records on him and the rest of the “lawbreakers” instead of just simply monetary fines and lectures and community service.
They cockfight afficionados are more of lawbreakers than corruptors and i think there may be some difference between the two….and just like anywhere there are just as many lawbreakers here, but that usually when get caught, they are by law treated equally before the Justice System which in my observation is soo independent and impartial without regards to the individual’s stature. and that makes a lot of difference…and so far not heard or read any politician or elected official intervenes in an individual’s court proceeding, parole or amnesty, but it is all done according to law, by the proper agency so authorized, like the parole board, the prison warden or by the court officer.
Like for this example: a convicted felon, except for murder and others which requires minimum sentence before being qualied for early parole, can apply for parole after serving One Third of his Sentence and is Entitled to Mandatory Parole after serving Two Thirds. there’s is no need for the PM or anybody to intervene, unless of course the higher court, in the process of Appeal…
Speaker for the Dead,
Book 2 of the Ender Series
by Orson-Scott Card
“colonization for over 300 years is also the reason why Filipino men tend to be spoiled more than their female counterparts. while the women were socially accepted by the colonizers, someitmes even marrying them, the Indio male was made to feel like second class citizens in their own country. Women, so it is said, over-compensated for this social inequality by spoiling their men”
In a survey by *Time* magazine, the Philippines was actually ranked in the Top 5 (taking its place amongst the ranks of highly-advanced secular societies) in terms of opportunities available to women to prosper and grow. Key among the criteria for these rankings if I recall right was the amount of professional participation women exercised within the surveyed societies.
I interpret that as indicating that it is really Filipino women that are the pillars of Pinoy society. They are compensating mightily for the dysfunction brought about by the general ethical bankruptcy and commercial ineptitude characteristic of many Pinoy men.
Wom ang galing ni Benign0! Believe naman ako sa interpretation niya! Kaya lang mas malala pa yata sa interpretation ng SWS at Pulse surveys. Sheeshh.
Jon, what Time Magazine says and how Benign0 interprets it reveals the inner workings of Benign0′s mind. No more, no less.
Congratulations MLQ 3 on your column today. I suggest everyone also read Father Bernas column today.
I have come to realize after my own historical experiences that our schools and universities in the Philippines are predominantly glorified vocational schools. Practical knowledge is dispensed with little substantive rationales. In the physical sciences rationales can only be understood with actual experimentation of trail and error. In the abstract world of politics and economics the historical experience will have to be the empirical proof.
Simple words like the theory of democracy and other political systems are clearly mis-appreciated.
Democracy in theory means self rule. It practice this would be almost impossible to accomplish.
So we have the practice of representative democracy. The fun starts when we try to decide on the process itself and the principles and ideals that form the foundation or rationale.
Observers clearly point out that prior to the Industrial revolution China, India and parts of the Middle East were the most prosperous points on the planet.
Why were they surpassed by Europe and the U.S. Clearly the
Protestant Reformation, the Renaissance and then the Enlightenment period saw the split between science and religion.
The Europeans prospered and advanced almost with rocket speed compared to the previous thousands of years. Obviously it was science that gave the Europeans the advantage in weaponry with which they colonized the less developed areas of the planet.
All of this bound by the economic principles of property rights and contract law. The political establishment drew from these two basic principles. They served as the basis for the social contract that bound the agents of representative democracy.
Countries that zealously followed these two basic principles prospered. China has recently installed economic property rights in their constitution.
Even today when the economic well being of the country is at stake, the government of the U.S. throws away what many economists consider their orthodoxy on free markets and creative destruction, the State and not the market intervenes to establish “equilibrium.” It actually moves to protect the economic property rights of everyone which many call the moral hazard.
Here off course these are still alien concepts with everyone extolling either Erap and Big Mike/GMA as our Messiahs while they both look after their own economic interests.
They turn the institutions of the state into vehicles for patronage based on loyalty to their persons and family.
The mis-education of an entire country accomplished with very little effort.
The power should rest with those who do the toiling and creating value.
Today a man from India has ascended to one of the most prestigious position’s in the the royalty of the corporate world, Citigroup in the United States. An electrical engineer who also happens to be a math wizard who took his University and Phd in Columbia.
He did not know Erap, Big Mike/GMA to enable him to get his position. He did it all on his own.
Here we still are fighting on why the tillers of the land are not given the right to till their own land. This entire state is a farce.
The weak state has always been a problem since the time of the Americans.
The dominance of the landed oligarchy persists until this day and has demonstrated its resilience against war, peasant revolutions, dictatorship and democracy. Today, as referenced by hvrds above, Fr. Bernas correctly stated that Gloria Arroyo has a ‘golden opportunity’ to score for the other side. I hope she is politically astute enough to realize this.
CVJ, I was really surprised how Benign0 arrived at his conclusion! I don’t know if it is one more dig on the Pinoy…I would like to hear him explian though.
“CVJ, I was really surprised how Benign0 arrived at his conclusion! I don’t know if it is one more dig on the Pinoy…I would like to hear him explian though.”
Looks like I hit a bit of a raw nerve here…
Rather than carry on with your usual ad hominems and speculations on my charming character, why don’t you ask SPECIFIC questions about the IDEAS presented?
Benign0, i would like to do that which is why i asked you this twice before:
The chart i was referring to is this one in your website (between ‘wantists’ and ‘contentists’:
http://www.getrealphilippines.com/solution/
I need to know the basis of your chart to be able to evaluate its validity either way.
“Why were they surpassed by Europe and the U.S. Clearly the
Protestant Reformation, the Renaissance and then the Enlightenment period saw the split between science and religion.”
Protestant societies IN GENERAL surpassed Catholic nations in prosperity and advanced thinking faculties because unlike the Catholic Church, the different Protestant sects were never unified into a single organisation powerful enough to crush or suppress free thinkers and secular/heretical rulers.
“I need to know the basis of your chart to be able to evaluate its validity either way.”
That chart represents MY assessment of relative human progress. So it is subjective and open to debate which, as you probably know by now, I am keen to invite.
But you must have used real figures to construct the chart, right? I’m asking what units of measure and where did you get the values for your y-axis and x-axis?
I interpret that as indicating that it is really Filipino women that are the pillars of Pinoy society. They are compensating mightily for the dysfunction brought about by the general ethical bankruptcy and commercial ineptitude characteristic of many Pinoy men.
To be fair to benny, jon, I find this interpretation perfectly reasonable.
cvj, here is a breakdown of your questions and a response to each one:
(1) “But you must have used real figures to construct the chart, right?”
(2) “I’m asking what units of measure [...]”
(3) “[...] and where did you get the values for your y-axis and x-axis?”
My responses:
(1) I used real figures in a sense that I put in dummy figures to generate the chart in a spreadsheet application. That’s how i TECHNICALLY constructed the chart.
(2) No units of measure. The chart represents a subjective assessment of human development. If you want to propose units of measures or suggest different slopes on the lines shown, or even propose a different chart altogether, be my guest.
(3) I already had a visual idea of what the chart looked like and put in the numbers in the spreadsheet app to fit that visual image.
Less than 4000 americans have died already in Iraq, more than trillion dollars already spent, billions of dollars lost in mortgage mess. Yet Americans are not complaining.
Here we are arguing for unproven 147 million dollar corruption which is only 12% of OFW remittance per month. We seem to be spending to much of our energies for nothing.
We should be thinking of what services or products we can offer to OFW families to compete with the Sy’s, Ayala and Gokongwei’s. If OFW money goes into these big hands, it would not bounce any more. If money goes to small business, it can reverberate and activate other businesses.
“We should be thinking of what services or products we can offer to OFW families to compete with the Sy’s, Ayala and Gokongwei’s. If OFW money goes into these big hands, it would not bounce any more. If money goes to small business, it can reverberate and activate other businesses”
Problem is, Pinoys can’t help THINKING SMALL. We’d rather focus energies on the tiddlywink here’s and now’s rather than on the broader systemic issues that underpin our long-term prospects for prosperity and progress.
mlwnag: …Yet Americans are not complaining.
Excuse me, but, HUH?
benign0: Problem is, Pinoys can’t help THINKING SMALL.
IF that is indeed the case, then how would you suggest we parlay this ‘smallness’ into economic progress? How would you work with this ‘smallness’ for long-term prosperity and progress? Im assuming that arguing that they change to ‘bigness’ is extremely difficult at this point.
“IF that is indeed the case, then how would you suggest we parlay this ’smallness’ into economic progress? How would you work with this ’smallness’ for long-term prosperity and progress? Im assuming that arguing that they change to ‘bigness’ is extremely difficult at this point.”
It depends ultimately on what we want to ACHIEVE as a people over the next 10 to 20 years.
If we are perfectly content with muddling along in mediocrity the way we currently doing, then thinking Small isn’t quite the bad idea that I portray it to be.
On the other hand, if we see ourselves as a people destined for greatness, then thinking small simply ain’t gonna cut it. Yes, changing to “bigness” is “difficult at this point”.
The questions therefore follow:
If NOT “at this point”, then at what POINT do we muster the resolve to change?
If it is “extremely difficult NOW, do we see this challenge getting easier TOMORROW? Five years hence? Ten years hence? A hundred years hence?
…They are all marked by the same attitude to law: What is legal is what we can get away with.â€Â
pdi ed. 12/17/2007
‘real figures’ = ‘dummy figures’???
You pulled those imaginary units out of your ass and the best you can do is invite me to do the same? I thought your site was supposed to be ‘Get Real’?
Format correction:
cvj,
There is the technical aspect of generating the chart, and there is the communication objective aspect of generating that chart. Obviously you are quite bogged down on the technicalities to regard the broader point behind that chart.
You gotta think BIG, dude.
So you used ‘dummy figures’ to accomplish your ‘communication objective’ and you call that thinking big?
“That’s not how studies are normally done. Normally, such charts are a visual representation of empirical results (i.e. real data) backed up by real research. Putting an idea into chart form using ill-defined units is not scientific and gives a false sense of precision.”
Thing is, I never said that this chart is an outcome of an empirical exercise (which, indeed requires well defined units and a true “sense of precision”).
What that chart ACUTALLY is is an ILLUSTRATION of a conceptual construct. So your criteria seems to be a bit inappropriate in this instance.
“So you used ‘dummy figures’ to accomplish your ‘communication objective’ and you call that thinking big?”
Think of it this way:
Right now, I am engaged in a LOW-LEVEL discussion with you around the technicalities behind generating a chart that is intended to be an ILLUSTRATION of a HIGH-LEVEL concept.
In that case, the burden of proof to back up your conceptual construct (which you label ‘Employment of Capital’) is still with you.
“In that case, the burden of proof to back up your conceptual construct (which you label ‘Employment of Capital’) is still with you.”
Actually I see it as valid until such time as SPECIFIC counter-arguments to it can be presented.
Up to the challenge?
benign0: On the other hand, if we see ourselves as a people destined for greatness, then thinking small simply ain’t gonna cut it.
Unless youre thinking creatively; be great by being small. Why does BIG = Good, and small = BAD? This is the western, protestant-work-ethic model that has ravaged the environment and exploited peoples. This is the western model that’s based on mathematics where such a thing as infinity exists, and therefore an illusion that growth can be sustained forever is deemed possible. Smallness is the wave of the future. Unless Bigness kills us all first, that is. [wink]
“This is the western, protestant-work-ethic model that has ravaged the environment and exploited peoples. This is the western model that’s based on mathematics where such a thing as infinity exists, and therefore an illusion that growth can be sustained forever is deemed possible. Smallness is the wave of the future. Unless Bigness kills us all first, that is.”
But this is also the model that also virtually eliminated hunger in their societies and, as a result, freed human minds to explore the possibility of vastly wonderous achievement (many of which have been realised).
It is the same model that is currently being employed to solve the environmental problems it ironically created. It may not be perfect but at least you can see it at work. Third Worldism for its part also creates its own environmental disasters. The problem with Third World societies is that it lacks this model of achievement to fix what it destroys.
But this is also the model that also virtually eliminated hunger in their societies and…
…created hunger elsewhere. And death. The voyages of exploration (and if I may add, exploitation) by the western powers werent exactly Disneyland.
as a result, freed human minds to explore the possibility of vastly wonderous achievement (many of which have been realised).
‘Achievement’ is debatable. See my comment above. More and more they are playing catch-up to the damage their model has done. The Chinese didnt have this model and were doing quite well on their own. The Ming emperors tried their hand at expanding their empire until the Confucian bureaucrats concluded that the ‘outside world had nothing to offer China.’
The problem with Third World societies is that it lacks this model of achievement to fix what it destroys.
What did Third World societies destroy?
I think that the conclusion Benign0 arrived at is representative of the chart he presented based on dummy data to prove an idea.
and the nice part about this for him is that he presents a model which he essentially considers right (in his own mind, it is, see?) and challenges other people to prove him wrong.
he wins either way.
benigs, pull down your meaningless chart. it makes a laughing stock of you who propounds on big aphorism like “great mind talks ideas”.
great minds don’t engage in intellectual dishonesty as putting caption like this in a contrived chart, “Above diagram shows different points where the course of our development WAS DETERMINED”.
was determined? by whom? you make it sound as if this was definitively
arrived at by an academic consensus.
as cvj rightly observes, if such ideas are mere expurgations from your ass, then flush them down.
“…created hunger elsewhere. And death. The voyages of exploration (and if I may add, exploitation) by the western powers werent exactly Disneyland.”
You assume here that nations do what they do out of some altruistic motive.
The truth is that it is mainly economics that drive people to do what they do.
Inidoro, Tonio, and Jon,
Tough luck, dudes. What I do is put forth theories here that, despite all your foot-stomping, don’t seem to find any convincing alternative or competing ideas from your parts. You are right Tonio. I win either way.
Finally, Benign0 exposed his own falsehood by admitting dummy data is the basis of his BIG idea cum theory! The best I can compare him is to a quack doctor…
I can’t imagine what people would say if Pulse Asia or SWS would claim the same for their surveys…
“The best I can compare him is to a quack doctor…”
That is of course easy to do, ignoring the fact that the utter failure of the Philippines to prosper is an indisputable fact to which I use a conceptual chart to illustrate the underlying principle.
It does not necessarily follow that “dummy data” = “dummy theory” in this instance, considering that as I have already mentioned to Mr. cvj, the dummy data was used to generate the chart that served as an illustration to the concept described in the essay.
Tough luck for small minds.
Sorry Benign0, you’ve unmasked yourself as a sham. You’re right, it does not necessarily follow that dummy data = dummy theory, but it can! For something coming from Albert Einstein one would give much weight, but coming from Benign0? Oh well. Hahaha!
You assume here that nations do what they do out of some altruistic motive.
Im assuming nothing of the sort, as in my example of China. They went out, saw the world, and decided they didnt want it. The Western powers on the other hand went out, saw the world, and decided they wanted everything. Because they thought BIG. Now have to help clean up their mess. I wouldnt mind us cleaning our own mess, but come on…
(By the way, the only way you can debate cvj on your ideas is if you provided facts, and absent that, it’s just pointless. You still have time to dig up some facts. There isnt a deadline as far as I can tell.)
“For something coming from Albert Einstein one would give much weight, but coming from Benign0? Oh well. Hahaha!”
Well, too bad you see it that way.
Then again, the Philippines was run down to its pathetic state today by some of the most be-credentialled and “respected” men and women in the country.
“Im assuming nothing of the sort, as in my example of China. They went out, saw the world, and decided they didnt want it. The Western powers on the other hand went out, saw the world, and decided they wanted everything. Because they thought BIG. Now have to help clean up their mess. I wouldnt mind us cleaning our own mess, but come on…”
So what’s your point then? Are you therefore saying it is pointless to aim to think big?
The so-called science of economics is, to a large extent, a con-job created by the Rockefellers and their clan of robber barons. In reality it is a camouflaged system for extracting tribute payments from the masses. To understand this, think of the U.S. economy (and many other economies) as an ancient Babylonian or Egyptian kingdom. Replace control over the central bank with control over grain reserves and think of workers who are not in primary industries as slaves who receive their grain reserves from the god king. Then imagine the god king wants to spend as much money for his own glory and as little for his slaves as possible. The king decides to set everyone to the job of building a pyramid. So, he tells his subjects that the key to their happiness is something called Gross National Pyramid. The king wants his pyramid finished quickly so he decides that both males and females should be set to work on its construction. He also decreed that workers must work 10 or 12 hours a day instead of the previous 8. Furthermore, he orders rations cut for workers who do not meet their quota. To keep the workers from protesting, he restricts their access to information, forces them to attend thousands of hours of brainwashing sessions and uses a large portion of his grain reserves to hire an army of mercenaries to keep watch over the slaves. The news bulletins the masses are permitted to see announce that everybody is happier now because the pyramid is bigger and better than ever before and the aristocracy is leading ever more decadent lifestyles. Somehow, the masses know there is something wrong with the situation but they are not quite sure what it is because it has been so cleverly disguised. This essentially, is how the U.S. economy really works. Just remember that GNP really means Gross National Pyramid, not Product. The Rockefellers have forced middle-class incomes down and forced both men and women to work in order to finance some giant secret project. They have also artificially jacked up the price of oil and put people into debt in order to extract even more from everybody. Americans and Japanese are being impoverished to finance their long-term goal is to enslave all of humanity. To make economics work for the people instead of for the robber barons, it is essential that the government shift its priority economic goal away from increasing GNP. A new standard should use mean income (the level at which half of all people are either above or below) and overall happiness as the goal of economic policy makers.
So what’s your point then? Are you therefore saying it is pointless to aim to think big?
Think big, by all means. But it’s not a panacea. And frankly, right now it sounds like a platitude.
Remember how this exchange started:
“IF that is indeed the case, then how would you suggest we parlay this ’smallness’ into economic progress? How would you work with this ’smallness’ for long-term prosperity and progress?”
Im asking you to exercise your creativity to come up with suggestions on how what you call smallness could be used to achieve greatness. Prof. Yunus achieved it with the grameen bank for his native Bangladesh. Would it work here? Or perhaps you can think of highly original scheme that would work since you claim to know about the Filipino mentality.
Well, for one thing, the jeepney and all the small-mindedness behind its design was quite a tourist attraction in its day; though I think the novelty had since majorly worn thin.
Seriously, though, I think the only way one can win by thinking small is in the mobile devices business. But give me some time and I may yet think of something.
It commend Benign0 for not losing his cool even to crash criticism. Cool man.
“I commend”, sorry…
After all the “lofty” ideals, we may need some practical tools to deal with everyday life in the road, this is for all those who drive.
TOOLS AGAINST MMDA OFFICERS
(from Ramil Valiente)
I just reached my limit last weekend, and decided to take action against the abusive MMDA enforcers. I basically called up the MMDA head office and inquired from the Personnel Officer, Antonio Pagulayan, to clarify their policies. Here is what I got.
If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr. Pagulayan has asked that you call either the MMDA hotline (136) or call the Metro Base at 0920-9389861 or 0920-9389875 and ask for an Inspectorate. They will send inspectors to the place where these MMDA officers are extorting, even while you are arguing out of your apprehension.
1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order to apprehend. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of 2 or more. The only time they are allowed to work together is for special operations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching).
2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one lane to the left or right is not swerving, no matter where on the road you do it. And it is even less of a violation when you do it with a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting 2 or more lanes very quickly. So you can argue your way out of this, and call the Metro Base for help.
3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses are really not allowed to go out of the yellow lane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you may complain.
4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of an accident, or if it is your third violation and you have not settled your fines yet. They are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. He recommends actually receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you can report the officer who did it.
5. Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their “mission order”, which is written by their supervisor. If they apprehend you for a violation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can report them and they will receive disciplinary action.
So go out and fight for your rights if and when the occasion arises!
TIP: Print and keep a copy of this email in your car for future reference
Too much of coup de etat thoughts can harm our brains. Another EDSA would be utterly embarrasing. Besides, who the f*** can be a sane replacement for GMA?
I’ve always said that Bayani Fernando can replace GMA.
“Do you issue certification of good character?†Nice one cat. Erap & romeo J can obtain one then.
If SWS & Pulse Manila will make a noon-time survey:
1. what is the most entertaining and worthwhile TV show on earth
2. who would you vote for in the next presidential election
a. wowowie
b. miriam
c. jinggoy
d. dick
Guess what the results will be.
And guess what the headlines will be on print and TV.
just as a sidetrack, in the Philippines, anyone, short of claiming the Second Coming can produce any certificate, whether, from Recto Street, or from the Office of the President. so what’s surprising?
Gawd, I hate Bayani Fernando. I think he has become some of of a i-will-not-listen-to-suggestions/criticisms and i-ll-do-whatever-the-hell-i-want maniac at MMDA. Many of the MMDA schemes plainly suck and have time and again been proven hazardous, but it seems that the MMDA has been unwilling to make adjustments or even just add/enhance safety measures. Either they’re so arrogant and don’t care much for human lives, or they’re just really incompetent.
At least he tries to solve the problems. His solutions (even though unloved by some) are unconventional but if you were on his shoes, what would you do? For example, how would you solve the traffic and garbage problems?
ay_naku:
Bayani’s an unstable megalomaniac. I think GMA keeps him at the MMDA to remind us that there are far worse people than her. hahaha
ramrod:
thank you for this great info!
while vaguely fascistic, the fernandos’ regime in marikina seems both effective and popular.
bayani’s been put in a place where he has to try harebrained schemes because he has no real authority. metro manila really should be a supercity, marcos was on the right track, if you can’t merge all the cities into one then have a governor for metro manila. or, find a diplomat instead of fernando to charm all the mayors into cooperating with each other.
solution: throw the traffic into the garbage dump, and then clean up the garbage?
Given the current Metro Manila situation, I would think that Bayani Fernando is doing his job well. He however doesn’t have national exposure and his chance of winning is slim. If he runs, I won’t have second thoughts of “wasting” my vote on him.
Yes, some credit goes to Bayani Fernando for his willingness to try new things to solve long-festering problems. But when some of these new schemes turn out to be ineffective or even downright dangerous in practice, then instead of arrogantly and stubbornly sticking with them, the MMDA should be willing to make adjustments or even scrap its implementation and go back to the drawing board. Especially since human lives are at stake. Ang dami-dami ko ng taxi drivers na nakakakwentuhan who complain about some of these hazardous schemes, at lagi silang may kwento ng mga aksidente na na-witness nila because of such schemes. Pati sa evening news, halos gabi-gabi na lang na may news item tungkol sa mga akisdente brought about by some of the MMDA “innovations.” And apparently the standard response from the MMDA is to just blame those involved in such accidents, and stop at that. It seems they’re not even willing to add/enhance safety measures.
It’s perfectly ok to be innovative and pro-active, but when things are proven to be wrong, they should have the willingness to re-evaluate things and make adjustments, instead of megalomaniacally insisting that they are right all the time, even if evidence from the ground show otherwise.
I think that Bayani has done some backing-off already. Given time and some discipline on drivers’ part, the problems that you point out will be resolved. Traffic problems will not be solved by just letting the situation be.
i read somewhere Fernando wants a chance to fix the roadways going north…can’t he do that as MMDA chair? The roads to Baguio are ridiculously clogged where it shouldn’t be (Tarlac…arrgh!) and it doesn’t take a genius to know if only someone had the political will…there shouldn’t be any traffic.
Far as I know, Fernando did great for Metro Manila but a lot still needs to be done – with the cooperation of everyone of course, including the public.
“6) Gloria will find ways to replace Joe De Venecia as Speaker. Prospero Nograles will do “a Brutusâ€Â. “The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves. —
Equalizer, you were right. Which of your other “predictions” will also come true?
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