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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Vietnam Surges Ahead
By Antonio C. Abaya Written Nov. 21, 2006 For the Standard Today, November 24 issue The holding of the APEC Summit in Hanoi , Vietnam , last week occasioned a flurry of articles in the Western print media, as well as some gushing coverage on cable TV stations, on the surge of the Vietnamese economy. Vietnam has the second fastest growing economy in the world, next only to China �s. The enthusiasm is well deserved. The Vietnamese economy has been growing at an average rate of about 9.0% per annum for the past 10 years. In 2006, it is expected to �slow down� to about 8.4%. By contrast, our GDP has been averaging about 4.5 to 5.0% per annum over the same period. The Philippines has NEVER EVER experienced an annual GDP growth rate of 8% or more.. Admittedly Vietnam is climbing up from a much lower base. Still, the surge is infectious and self-perpetuating. Vietnam drew in $5.4 billion in direct foreign investments in 2005, compared to less than $1.5 billion that came to the Philippines . Many Japanese manufacturers, unhappy with their investments in China , have moved their factories to Vietnam , not to the Philippines . (As an aside, let me mention that US President George W. Bush, conscious that he was visiting a country that had defeated the US in 1965-1973 and was now under pressure to withdraw from Iraq, asked a rhetorical question �How can we win if we quit?� He is imputing that the US lost in Vietnam because it quit. (Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than he � and that probably includes his cook and his driver � has already told him that at the height of hostilities in Vietnam , the US had 543,000 troops fighting the VCs and the NVAs, compared to only 144,000 in Iraq . The US commander, Gen. William Westmoreland, was asking for 200,000 more troops when the Tet Offensive convinced most Americans that the war was un-winnable and, in effect, blocked the move to send more American meat to the Vietnamese meat-grinder. A total of 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam , compared to less than 2,900 in Iraq . (This relatively low death toll seems to have emboldened the neo-cons � every single one of whom, including Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, avoided military service in Vietnam - to press on towards military victory in Iraq , despite a warning from Henry Kissinger that such a military victory was impossible. (Less than two weeks after the defeat of the Republicans in the Nov. 07 midterm elections � which was in effect a referendum on the war in Iraq � the neo-con-controlled Pentagon announced the deployment of 2,200 Marines, currently on board Navy ships in the Mediterranean, to al-Anbar province west of Baghdad, and the sending of 57,000 additional troops, including 10,000 reservists, to Iraq next year. (I think it was Santayana, or was it Bart Simpson? who said �Those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them.�) At least, the Vietnamese learned from their mistakes. Our Vietnamese guide Ly in Ho Chi Minh City told us that before the economic reforms in 1986, the socialist state owned all the means of production, and everyone worked for the socialist state, which was/is the traditional Marxist-Leninist formula for economic development.. Ly recalled that in those bad old days, every Vietnamese family was issued a ration card in which was duly noted their share and consumption of practically all basic necessities: rice, cooking oil, eggs, meat, fish, soap, etc, most of which were often in short supply and thus had to be rationed. Under the Marxist dictum �From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs�, there was no incentive to work hard since everyone was paid the same wage, whether he/she worked diligently or merely slouched around at the workplace. �They pretended to pay us, we pretended to work.� is a standard critique of Marxist economics. It was with the reintroduction of private enterprise (�capitalism�) and the re-embrace of the profit motive in 1986 that the entrepreneurial spirit of the Vietnamese was re-awakened and nurtured, just as it was earlier re-awakened and nurtured in China, starting in 1979, when Deng Xiaoping urged the Chinese people to �Get rich through hard work! To get rich is glorious!� But, it has to be said, the Philippines has had capitalism and the profit motive since independence in 1946, and even earlier. Why has the Philippines merely fumbled and stumbled its way to development, while Vietnam has managed to surge ahead despite decades of almost incessant warfare and other decades of sclerotic socialist command economy? Is it because of corruption? But Vietnam , and China , have been adjudged to be two of the most corrupt countries in East Asia , according to the yearly surveys conducted by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. ( China improved from first to fourth place recently). Yet they have posted the fastest economic growth rates, not just in East Asia , but also in the world. In my earlier articles on Philippine economic development, I have blamed our poor economic performance on poor choices in economic strategies, foremost among them our failure to join the export boom in the 1970s and 1980s, and our failure to take part in the tourism boom of the 1990s up the present. To this I added a scandalously high population growth rate and a premature embrace of free trade and globalization which wrought havoc with our nascent industries that had largely failed to mature to the same level as those of, say, Malaysia, Thailand or Taiwan, which industrialized when they purposely went into the export of manufactured goods. While our neighbors set their sights on the global marketplace, President Marcos turned inward, giving his cronies monopolies in the domestic market. What few export industries we managed to develop � in garments, for example � were deliberately wrecked by the communist KMU militants who staged strike after strike against garment factories until most of their owners were forced to cease operations or move their factories to other countries. But we cannot draw the same comparison with Vietnam, which did not enjoy the luxury of contemplating its navel in the 1970s and l980s, embroiled as it was in a war for national survival and, later, in a struggle for national reconstruction. Why has Vietnam surged ahead in economic development despite its handicaps, while the Philippines struggles to stay above the water despite its many advantages? Before I went to Vietnam last September, the Vietnamese Ambassador in Manila , Vu Xuan Truong, gave me a book titled �Reform and Industrialization� by Economist Do Duc Dinh. His office also emailed to me a briefing paper, �Why Vietnam and Why Now?� in connection with the then coming APEC Summit. I have not yet thoroughly read through both material, but, this early, I can sense that the Vietnamese are not embarrassed by the word �industrialization.� Philippine political leaders are, including and especially the incumbents. In the Midterm Development Program of the Arroyo Government, neither industrialization nor manufacturing is mentioned as priority concerns. Its foci are specific on agriculture, tourism and information technology. No wonder the manufacturing sector in our economy has been shrinking continuously. Manufacturing jobs have been lost by the tens of thousands and are still being lost in the Philippines . By contrast, most of the $5.4 billion in foreign direct investments that poured into Vietnam in 2005 went or are going into manufacturing. This is consistent with President Arroyo�s ideological commitment to free trade and globalization, under which this country has apparently been scratched off by its own leaders as a manufacturing center and must fend for itself as an exporter of labor.. This means: open our doors to the manufactured products of other countries and pay for those imports with the remittances of overseas contract workers. While we are gratified at the proliferation of jobs in the call centers, at the rise in agricultural production, and at the increase in tourist arrivals, these are not adequate to lift millions of Filipinos from poverty. The lack of adequate jobs in our economy has forced eight (or is it nine or 10) million Filipinos to work abroad. Every day 3,500 more Filipinos leave for employment overseas, and this diaspora will continue, sucking away with it some of our best teachers, our best nurses and doctors, our best accountants and engineers, our best computer technicians, etc until our economy can generate sufficient job opportunities. By contrast, there are few, if any, Vietnamese OCWs in the Middle East , Europe or North America . Only manufacturing or industrialization can generate the jobs needed. One hectare of agricultural land, planted to rice or corn, cannot sustain one family for even only one year. That hectare of land, if converted into a manufacturing center, can sustain several hundred families. But domestic manufacturing cannot prosper if our market is allowed to be flooded indiscriminately with the (often cheaper) manufactures of other countries. Protectionism, to protect local producers and save local jobs, is not something to be ashamed of. Even the most vociferous champion of free trade, George W. Bush, did not hesitate in the past three years to impose protectionist barriers against Chinese garments, Vietnamese catfish and prawns, Canadian lumber and Brazilian steel, in order to protect American producers from foreign competition and save American jobs. Why should we do less? ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles since 2001 in www.tapatt.org OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |
| Reactions to � Vietnam Surges Ahead�
Dear Tony, Vietnam is an emerging economy in Asia whose people's will and determination are firmed and resolute. Vietnamese resort to the use of the cheapest way to commute (motorbikes and bicycles); Pinoys prefer SUVs and fancy cars. I believe foreign investors see lesser risk with Vietnam than with the Philippines who has a corrupted view of democracy and misguided concept of capitalism. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, [email protected], New York City, Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: I am amazed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is known to hold a doctorate in Economics, should give priority to agriculture and tourism in the country's economic development program, and ignore industrialization almost completely. She must know that industrialization is the key to lifting a country successfully out of poverty, and that agriculture is only a stepping stone to the kind of progress made possible by industrialization. If she does not know this, then it is possible that she has forgotten what she learned in the confines of academe . Somebody close to her should give her a copy of Walt W. Rostow's renowned book, "The Stages of Growth," and to please advise her to spare the time to learn the lesson that it teaches. Furthermore, President Macapagal-Arroyo will stand to benefit immensely from the realization that at the current annual rate of growth of the Philippine population, which is at 2.3% (compounded annually), and with annual GDP growing by only around 5.0%, there is very little room left for the country to achieve real net growth. This partly explains why the Philippines continues simply to muddle through and why it finds itself unable to get out of the rut into which it has fallen all these years since 1946. Mariano Patalinjug, [email protected], Yonkers, New York, Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony. Vietnam does not have a press as free as in the Philippines. Violation against human rights, corruption and crime are hardly broadcasted throughout the world through the front page headlines of its newspapers. Vietnam does not also have so many lawyers who question every move of the government and does not have a strong a Supreme Court as the Philippines has which has nullified so many prominent foreign contracts. Their constitution is also more inducive towards foreign investments. Their people are more focused towards work rather than poltiics. Wonder if these factors also help explain why their growth rate is faster than ours. Best regards. Bobby Tordesillas, [email protected], Nov. 25, 2006 MY REPLY. Both North Korea and Myanmar also do not have a free press, do not have many lawyers, and do not have an independent Supreme Court. Yet they are both economic laggards. . The Big Difference is really the right economic policies and strategies, plus the leadership to translate those strategies and policies into reality. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Well, masyado kasi mapulitika ang Pinas eh. Sa population issue, the government has to bend to the Catholic Church, mostly as a promise during election campaign. For me, there is a need for population control. Simple mathematics will tell you that with more mouths to feed, the country's riches will be decimated. Though I don't like GMA as a political person, I prefer her economic programs. Bad trip lang ako sa E-VAT because they spend on foolish things like CHA CHA bullshit, pork barrel and other shitty things they do. I don�t mind government spending as long as it is put to good use. Sana nga, we have the same quality of politicians that Singapore and Vietnam have. Nice columns! Keep sending, sir! Michael Delgado, [email protected], Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Having had the chance to visit Vietnam for two years in a row during 2003 and 2004 in the city of HoChiMinh . I told my hubby that this "place will surpass us"...and true enough, Vietnam is not afraid of changes, experiments and trial-error system. Yes, maybe they are Vietnamese and we are Filipinos, they are of a different religion, while we are the only predominantly Catholic; they are not so good in English and we are supposed to be the best speakers of English in the region...But where are we now? What has happened from 2003 to the present? For myself, I saw a big difference even if the timeline was incomparable. Of all...the alarming population growth that we are facing is the most incomprehensive issue that is a major cause of our economic imbalance .The cycle is so vicious that we don't know where it begins and where it will end. Corruption will always be there, but are we really just going to let it run our lives and our generation? I think it always starts from the home...as they say Home is where the heart is... The incumbents of this time know only of "gaya-gaya" style and not of what is something thoroughly researched based on Filipino culture, or practicality like what this country is really a "master of"...We sometimes come out like lame "Jack-of-all-trades but master-of-none"...maybe "master of kayabangan" or 'master of pretensionss". In the end, it seems that Filipinos come out as a people who are not true to themselves. I always remember my lola," before you look at someone's trash and imperfections, look at yourself in the mirror first" - who knows you are far worse that the one you are looking at... I really don't know if I am making sense here; but the more I read issues of our country's blunders due to the incompetence of the "lead-ers" that we have...all hell breaks loose that I start to just blabber and nag of the "hatred" I have inside.... Meanwhile, I can always resort to blogging as an anonymous blogger, all against corrupt administrative officials who are nothing but a bunch of leeches sucking the life out of every Filipino... SS, [email protected], Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Sir, Thank you for sending me your very good article and observations about our Philippine economy. What I can only say is that our country continues to be saddled with the chronic economic crisis because at the beginning in our history our country was export-oriented but import-dependent. Thanks. I hope you can send me your articles next time Bro. Gilbert Billena, O.Carm, [email protected], Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Your article is, very unfortunately, the bitter truth we poor Filipinos have to face each day of our lives unless something very drastic is enacted to change this nasty state of affairs currently blighting our country. Although writing a blog and generating mail notices is effective, it must be remembered that a large segment of our population have no access to the internet. And those who have are simply interested only in the most mundane matters like flirting with foreigners or downloading porn movies. Therefore, it would be to the greater interest of our suffering masses if you would instead publish paper-based newsletters in Tagalog or local vernacular to fully awaken this slumbering Juan de la Cruz.. Alex Argote, [email protected], Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Unedited) I have told my comardes and all the likes of you, that revolution does not start from the top. Tell me where in history that it happens like that way. Once on top like you you would like to perpetuate their stay in power, an that is a Universal law. If i may suggest, while criticizing anybody else, or goernment, try to make suggestions before you end, on how we can move people like youand me tha poorest of the poor, concrete actions to solve the problem. How to start, ednure, suatain, the gains if there is any protracted benefits in so doing. People are fed up listening to just critizing any one where some are mere gossips or propduct of an evil thinking disguised under ideas of nationalism or advocates. (Most revolutions start at or near the top: the American Revolution of 1776, the French Revolution of 1789, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Chinese Revolution of 1949, the Cuban Revolution of 1959�.were all begun by middle-class or upper-class intellectuals in conspiracy with other intellectuals, not by ignorant and illiterate masa, who merely provided the warm bodies. If I had a revolutionary plan, I certainly would not divulge it here and at this time. ACA) PGMA is not a Superman, minus her title, she is just an ordinay one like you and me. Changes initiatited by Leaders like in the Philipines are always a temporary one. They draft and planned change the way they or the party way it woul benefit their vested interest not anybody else and that's is the way story goes right from the start, and like and me and more to evolve, we all want to stop them only to find out so much time was wasted. Like in the story of going back to the future to rightfully correct the present and fast, take you focus to the young ones, our future. Think what can they do with our help. as with the case of China or Vietnam , you can not compare their economic development or growth with us. Why? Because people their are more disciplined, than ours. One voic(command, dictate) from their leaders not one ever dare to do otherwise. they are one big organization that became an incredible machine to anihilate their competitors out of the race. Here, when people grouped, it will take them more time perhaps a decade, just to decide who's gonna lead them will others has miles away started. Rodolfo Cada, [email protected], Nov. 25, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Why? Why? Why? Where do we begin to solve our country's problems? What has gone wrong with us? Virgilio Gonzales, [email protected], Nov. 26, 2006 MY REPLY. Our best leaders died early (Arsenio Lacson, Ramon Magsaysay, Ninoy Aquino) and we got stuck with the mediocre ones or the super-crooks. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I wholeheartedly agree with the comments in your article (particularly the issue of population growth in the Philippines which must be addressed) as I have had first hand experience on Vietnam having lived and worked there for over 10 years until 2001. I still continue to maintain some business relationships in Vietnam and, in fact, was in Hanoi just before APEC. At any rate, my comments are: 1. the reality is that globalization is here and our manufacturing base is not so we have to look at our areas competitive advantage. However, there is also - I believe - an awareness that we have to improve our local infrastructure, ways of doing business, etc. to be able to attract investments. 2. the reason for very few Vietnamese OFW (or Thai or Chinese, etc.) is language in terms of being able to communicate in English (let's not talk about the quality but at least they can communicate) - I believe that there are many Vietnamese who would love to have the same opportunities as the Filipinos, i.e., they would love to have the flexibility to be able to choose between staying in the country or moving out. In our case, many Filipinos prefer to move out and there are many reasons for doing so (pay may be a key mover but there are also other factors). 3. having said the above, my own thinking is that the outward movement of the Filipinos lessened the pressure on the government (perhaps starting with the Marcos administration) to address issues and remedy the situation as there was an escape valve. On the other hand, the Thais and the Vietnamese governments had the pressure of having to address local issues to ensure employment, etc. as the population had to stay in-country. I grant that this may be a simplistic view but I think that this is to be considered in any analysis. Regards. Ruy Moreno, rymoreno@rcbc,com, Nov. 27, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ACA, You said it right and again and again, the key to development is full and rapid industrialization. We will be in the dustbin of history if our leaders can't see this glaring truth as exemplified by Vietnam , China , South Korea , Indonesia , Malaysia , Thailand , Japan . Those who still harp on agriculture as the key to development are living in the past... short of being stupid. Are we a nation content on producing nata-de-coco, banana, pineapple, assembled computers, coconut jam for exports? Which are the countries that suck foreign direct investment into their economy? Countries that have decided to industrialize! Industrialization is the key to development and those who oppose this betray the whole nation and the next three generations that are to come. AL Jose Leonidas, [email protected], Nov. 28, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya; Quoting: "(As an aside, let me mention that U.S. President George W. Bush, conscious that he was visting a country that had defeated the US in 1965-1973 and now was under pressure to withdraw from Iraq, askrd a rhetorical question 'How can we win if we quit?' He is imputing that the US lost in VietNam because it quit." Sir, the President is not imputing anything. He is out and out saying what is well known to students and veterans of the VietNam War. The U.S. lost because the U.S. quit. Period. The war was not lost in 1973. The Americans won every significant campaign and battle fought. The Viet Cong was crushed by 1968. No objectives actually sought were not obtained. The problem was the politicians and media types. I blame LBJ for the negative media hype. He tried to micromanage the war and use a carrot-and-stick approach that was wasteful and politically ineffective. Nixon allowed Kissenger to drag things on and on in Paris whilst my buddies and the brave young men of the Peoples Army of Vietnam died and were mangled by the hundreds of thousands. Finally, Nixon lost his temper, and for the first and only time, the generals were given a free hand to conduct a full on assault on the enemy capital... the Rolling Thunder raids in 1973. We now know that the Hanoi government was ready to throw in the towel. POW's in the Hanoi Hilton report being approached by high ranking communist officials hoping to cut a deal, believing that their highly centralized government was about to collapse. Kissinger then, in the name of diplomacy, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Your recent quote of Kissinger was disgusting; " I would agree with the judgment of Henry Kissinger.... , "For the Americans not to win is equivalent to losing, for the VietNamese not to lose is equivalent to winning." The man failed at his job. That quote was mealy mouthed and self-serving crap. Even so, the South VietNamese government managed to stave off and, in the cases of An Loc and Quang Tri, outright defeat further invasions from the north. The end came, not because of the failure of VietNamisation per se, but rather the deliberate action of the left wing liberal-dominated U.S. congress of the day in totally cutting off logistic support to our allies. Thus the North VietNamese Army was finally able to defeat the effectively disarmed south. So, sir, I say again. The U.S. quit. In Iraq , we seem to be facing a similar issue. Micromanagement by Rumsfeld and gang, a revolt by the generals, a rejection of policy by the voters. The same political lessons were again ignored. Wars of attrition and nation- building are abusive and ineffective ways to apply military power. The key to the application of military power, once it has been determined that such is necessary, is to define a policy and objective, then allow the generals and sergeants to use all the military capacity that the technology extant will allow to attain that objective as rapidly as possible. That such an approach works was clearly and violently demonstrated by the crushing of the most powerful army in the Middle East in 100 hours by a smaller American expeditionary force. The mistake came in subsequently trying to change things in Iraq . It would have made more sense to pull out and advise all parties that further unacceptable behavior would result in a similar action. John Long, [email protected], Seattle , Washington , Nov. 28, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Right on Tony. A country whose leaders are focused on self-preservation, self-service and self-importance will never get down to the business of national development except in sound bytes and by going through the motions, at best. That says a lot about our society for allowing them to rise to positions of power and to stay on despite the painful reality. Regards, Raffy (Alunan), [email protected], Dec.01, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reactions to �Doomsday Scenarios� (Nov. 08) Hi Tony: Glad to see you are working on this vital, crucial topic for the future prosperity of the RP. My amateur read is that solar and wind are practical for electricity generation, but for car/truck/bus there is no short-term alternative to fossil fuels. And China�s and India�s needs are huge for the next several years. Hydrogen is simply too far off in the R&D cycle. As far as I can judge, the Brazil ethanol moves for cars/trucks/buses are unique to Brazil . Maybe some Makati Jaycee Senators have something to offer. [They are a talented bunch.] Your brother Ramon knows well the northern Mindanao situation, so you have an important asset in him. Please give him my warm regards. I'm sadly out of touch. [I also miss your sister's blueberry cheesecake!]. Woody Eldrige Wood, [email protected], Nov. 23, 2006 PS As this debate goes on, suggest you watch moves by Singapore . wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Just saw your doomsday article on global warming and eminent collapse of the fishing industry. Your columns have always been stimulating, with some hyperbole now and then to make a point well. Yes, science is advancing awareness of the grave threats to the global environment, with technology opening up greater possibilities for mobilizing solar energy bathing earth daily equivalent to the total power generated a year by ma-made plants. Yes, the race is on, driven by incessant rise in price of depleting crudes and fears of irreversible damages to our world to tap renewable energy, including the photons in sunlight. CEPALCO has taken the lead in installing the largest solar farm not only in the Philippines but in the developing world and should be congratulated for this initiative. The German government, through a policy mix of heavy tax on crude oil with mandated link of solar units to the electric grid system, has nudged forth the largest photovoltaic power farm system of over 20 MW. I visited the CEPALCO solar farm recently in the company of your engineers and was deeply impressed by their knowledge of the technology and functioning of the system. The solar plant is an outstanding achievement in mobilizing the finances and the technical team to get the task done without special incentive from Government. Congratulations. Ernest (Leung), [email protected], Nov. 27, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reactions to �Gringo in Guinness� (Nov. 19) Hi! Tony After being dumped in the 2001 senatorial election for refusing to have the second envelope opened during Erap Estrada's impeachment trial, Gringo Honasan is now in the list of most probable winners in the coming 2007 senatorial election. I think Filipinos are simply grasping at straws for a solution to their perennial problems. This is because of the lack of a real alternative to a self-serving elite rule that has lorded it over our political institutions since independence. Having been failed by the best and the brightest of society, Filipinos are now looking at folk heroes, real or imagined, to save them from their desperate situation. Filipinos have yet to appreciate ideological formations as possible alternatives to their predicament. This is because of the slow growth of these formations. The only ideological formation that has presented itself quite strongly to the Filipino people as an alternative is the CPP. But its outdated ideology is now being rejected even by its original constituency, the suffering masses. Democratic socialist formations are now attempting to fill the gap with a modernized version of socialism following the example of highly successful socialist parties in Europe . They're slowly gaining a constituency but still have to see the light of day as a mainstream alternative. Most amazing of all is the failure of the elite to institutionalize and modernize its ideological framework in the same manner as conservative political parties in developed countries have done successfully. The elite in our society is just too greedy to let go of their privileges and to suggest a more inclusive economic, social, and political order. Regards, Gico Dayanghirang, [email protected], Davao City , Nov. 27, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, One small point in your otherwise as usual fascinating and insightful discourse. As I remember it, Monching Mitra and I were standing on the roof of a building in Ayala Ave. when two PAF planes flew fairly low overhead, heading for the Palace. Two US jets came barrelling out of the sky, swooped down on the slow-moving PAF planes, circled and did it again. The message was clear: get out of the sky or you're a goner. They went back to Sangley. You're right, the US saved the day. Cheers, Peter (Wallace), [email protected], Nov. 28, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reaction to �America�s Good Sense� (Nov 12) Tony, A well-presented and interesting panorama of views. You have a way of getting people to think on important, vital, subjects. Your columns are enlightening. You also introduced me to authors who contributed so much to understanding myself and other. Thanks Tony, and please keep it up.....! Jack (Sherman), [email protected], Nov. 29, 2006 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, I read with interest your comparison between the Philippines and Vietnam . Coincidentally, I came across a closed manufacturing company in Cavite yesterday. Not one but numerous others in other provinces in our country. It made me sad, knowing that it is only in the industrialization and manufacturing sector that our people can really feel the economic 'progress' the President is talking about, yet the administration is only keen on the tourism, call center and IT sectors. It didn't even bother to look into the industrialization sector. If I may add, I don't think the administration is serious on agrarian reform. Why is there still boiling resentment from our farmers across the countryside? I don't think they are content with what they have, but they demand real reform from the sector, since our agrarian sector is being gobbled up by cheap fruits, vegetables and the like from other countries. I agree with your suggestion to have a protectionist attitude from our trade department, so that our people will be protected from the sudden surge of cheap items that are detrimental to our farmers. Edward Felix Donato, [email protected], Jan. 26, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |