| Why Dubai, Inday?
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on April 20, 2009 For the Standard Today, April 21 issue She was just in Dubai last January 31, on her way from the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC for a hoped for (but unrealized) photo op with US President Barack Obama. So why did President Arroyo felt compelled to fly to Dubai again on April 12, or only 72 days after her last recorded visit there? And she flew to Dubai after she and other world leaders, meeting for an ASEAN Summit, were snatched by helicopters from their hotels in the Thai resort town of Pattaya, to save them from rampaging mobs of anti-government demonstrators. Since the distance from Manila to Pattaya is only a small fraction of the distance from Pattaya to Dubai, it is apparent that she would have flown to Dubai even if there were no ASEAN summit in Pattaya. The ASEAN Summit was just a convenient cover. So, why Dubai, Inday? The official reason peddled by her spin doctors in Malacanang is that she flew to Dubai to hunt for jobs for Filipino overseas workers and to invite investments to the Philippines, in an employment and business opportunities summit being held or to be held in that Persian Gulf sheikdom. �The Middle East Summit aims to bring together key players � employers, manpower providers, officials of the Philippines and Gulf Cooperating Countries � to discuss how the Philippines can fill up large-scale job orders in the region within the year.� (Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 13.) The Manila Standard Today (April 13) was even more upbeat. It claimed that �Filipino workers can avail themselves of almost 222,000 new jobs from employers in the Middle East and Northern Africa, President Arroyo announced from the United Arab Emirates yesterday.� Don�t Malacanang and its hallelujah chorus ever read the international press? If they did, they would know that Dubai has been especially hard hit by the global financial crisis because its many glossy mega-real estate projects � more than in any other parts of the Middle East � have now suddenly lost their potential markets and have thus abruptly stopped in their construction. This means that thousands of expat executives and other white-collar employees from Europe and North America have been laid off from high-paying jobs, and hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers from South and East Asia, including the Philippines, are suddenly without jobs, since work on the Modern Pyramids has ground to a halt.. From November 2008 to February 2009, Dubai police authorities have recovered some 3,000 automobiles � including high end luxury cars � which had been abandoned in parking lots at the Dubai International Airport by their erstwhile owners, who decided to flee the sheikdom after they lost their jobs. In most cases, the expats had not fully paid for those cars (as well as their houses and condos) but had used their credit cards to the max, and fled because failure to pay debts in the UAE is punishable by imprisonment in debtors� prison. Some of those who skipped town � they are in fact called �skips� � left their car keys in the ignition, with notes of apology for having left everything so suddenly. So if thousands of white-collar expats have been forced to flee the sheikdom because they have lost their jobs and can no longer pay the monthlies on their cars, their houses, their condos, their medical insurance, their country club dues, their yachts, their supermarket bills, etc, what does that say about the future of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of low-wage slave workers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Egypt and the Philippines? The United Arab Emirates � of which Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most prominent sheikdom-components - has a population of 4.6 million, about 80 percent of whom are foreigners, including 330,000 Filipino professionals and skilled/unskilled workers. In 1995, I was a guest of the UAE government for five days during which I was assigned an Audi sedan with a driver (from Oman) and with a diplomatic license plate. Seeing my Audi and its license plate, Philippine Ambassador Roy Se�eres remarked that I was being given VIP treatment. Why, I had no idea.. But my Palestinian-born handlers at the Information Ministry assured me that I could park my Audi anywhere and my driver would not be cited for a traffic violation. In fact, at the Dubai International Airport where I attended a very high-tech International Air Show, my Audi entered a high-security area and was saluted by heavily armed guards.. Not being accustomed to VIP treatment, I was prepared to step out of my Audi with my hands up, for the usual proletarian frisking. But the armed guards simply waved us in, without asking for my identity papers. My Palestinian handler assured me that even the sheiks were not allowed to park where we parked. Wow! But VIP treatment had its limits. During my sole meeting with the Information Minister � one of the sons of the ruling emir � I asked for permission to visit one of the UAE�s water desalination plants.. The UAE has a problem that many countries would like to have. Whenever they drill for water, oil gushes out. So they have built several desalination plants, which desalinate sea water by fractional distillation and the desalinated water is piped underground into the cities and desert farms. But the plants are a strategic national resource guarded by surface-to-air missiles against foreign attack, usually assumed to come from Iran. When the Prince, my official host, telephoned the general in charge of the missile defenses of the water desalination plants, the general asked for several days, presumably to conceal or rearrange his missiles in time for the visiting foreigner. Which several days I did not have. Perhaps, the next time around. And I hope there will be a next time, because I hope to see the UAE�s revolutionary Masdar City. Masdar City is being built in the desert according to the designs of the British architect, Norman Foster. It is revolutionary because it will be energized entirely by hydrogen fuel cells, the hydrogen being extracted from natural gas of which the UAE has abundant deposits. Natural gas contains methane, propane and butane, which are simple carbon molecules rich in hydrogen. As regular readers of this space know, I am the number one advocate in this country of hydrogen fuel cells as the ideal energy source of the future, after having been given a briefing on it in Irvine (California) in 1994. I suppose the global financial crisis has slowed down the development of Masdar City. But not completely, as this city, when successfully developed, will introduce a new energy paradigm for the whole world that will eclipse the role of oil in the global economy. Go for it, UAE. But why Dubai, Inday? In a recent column, Ellen Tordesillas speculated that the reason �Why Arroyo Frequents Dubai� is due to losses her family allegedly suffered in Lehman Brothers� demise last September 2008. I beg to disagree. Whatever losses the Arroyos suffered in Lehman Brothers � Tordesillas puts it at $500 million � are beyond retrieval, no matter how many times she visits Dubai. Lehman Brothers is dead and buried. I am more inclined to believe that the Arroyos suffered losses from direct investments in Dubai�s property market, where the most prominent player, Deyaar Development Co., has declined in value by as much as 74.percent compared to the year before. But it is not beyond retrieval. Through judicious juggling of toxic assets, it can still bounce back in five, ten, 20 or 50 years. Perhaps Inday Gloria should convert to Islam to help the bounce back happen sooner. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in acabaya.blogspot.com. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. . OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Why Dubai, Inday?� Portrait of the Sociopath I Want to be President Transparency�the best Policy Response to Victor Ma�alac Hi Tony, I agree with you with what you say about President Arroyo and all the other inept things her government is engaged in, but to refer to her as an Inday is highly disrespectful not only to her but to the office she occupies. She is still a lady whether we like it or not. You do not have to be that sarcastic to make your point and lower your standards and credibility. Ramon Franco, (by email), Australia, April 21, 2009 (You obviously do not know Visayan or Bisay�. �Inday� is a generic Visayan word meaning �woman� or �girl.� �Inday Gloria� translates into �Woman Gloria� or �Ma�am Gloria.� The disrespect is only in your mind. (If I had wanted to show disrespect, I would have referred to her as �Bitch� �as her own economic adviser, Albay Governor Joey Salceda, famously called her in public early in 2008 . But �bitch� does not rhyme with �Why Dubai�� ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Can you give me a link regarding hydrogen fuel on your article? Jose Leonidas, (by email), Quezon City, April 21, 2009 Faculty member, Miriam College (Go to my website www.tapatt.org. Click on Index by Category A-I. Scroll down to On Hydrogen Fuel Cells. There are four articles there on hydrogen fuel cells. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Please see this article for a contrarian view on Dubai. It�s a pretty long article but the gist is that most people do not realize that Dubai is under an absolute monarchy, and the city is built on the backs of slave labor.\ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai_b_183851.html Enrico D. Hidalgo (by email), South Korea, April 21, 2009 (I never claimed that Dubai or the UAE was a Jeffersonian democracy. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, You are right. According to an investment counselor- friend of mine from Dubai, the Palm Village in Dubai is being leased by the Emir. Each cluster in Palm Village is like an exclusive embassy with immunity from almost everything, as agreed upon between the "elite" tenants and the UAE administrator. This is the reason why the Thai government cannot touch ex Prime Minister Thaksin, who owns one of the clusters. Thaksin is also using four passports. Other info I cannot elaborate. Regards, Erick San Juan, (by email), April 21, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: You must be a very painful thorn in the neck of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the First Gentleman. Of course, with Dubai moaning under the yoke of the global recession, and with tens of thousands of expats fleeing the country after losing their jobs there, it would be quixotic for the President of the Philippines to go there and promote the hiring of more Filipinos as well as encourage Dubai to invest in the Philippines. The real reason must be other than what Mrs. Arroyo's spin meisters have announced. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers, NY, April 21, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww What do we expect from a master of deceit and a sociopath? But ironically after official announcement of Gloria Arroyo's reason for going to Dubai, 137 Filipino driver recruits for Dubai found themselves unwanted as there were no jobs available. So, what else could be the reason for Gloria Arroyo's frequent trips to Dubai, the financial center of the United Arab Emirates? Whether it is the losses from the Arroyo's investment with the Lehman brothers as reported by columnist Ellen Tordesillas or losses "from direct investments in Dubai�s property market, where the most prominent player, Deyaar Development Co., has declined in value by as much as 74.percent compared to the year before", as you wrote, there is no doubt that this Gloria Arroyo who was wasting the tax payers money on those trips did so not for the good of the Philippines but for her own vested interest. Our great hero Apolinario Mabini, who was a lawyer, wrote and I quote: "A revolution maybe conducted against a national government, if such government has abused the power placed at its disposal by the people, with purpose of having injustice administered, by using this power to drown out the people�s voice and at the same time to administer to its own convenience or caprice". Narciso Ner, (by email), Davao City, April 21, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Nag-shopping lang yan ng fake na LV sa Karama, kaya yan nagpuntang Dubai. Sorry for sounding so flippant and petty. The president really irritates me. When with a group of journalists from AFP and Reuters, and asked why Arroyo's popularity rating is so low, I could only answer, "duh, her voice?" She really doesn't do much to inspire people. All she inspires is that--irritation, like a gnat that you swat with your hand, not caring if it dies or not. I just came from a famtour of Dubai, found your piece interesting. If it's OK with you, may I use some of the info you mentioned, when I write my story? Will credit you, of course. But it's OK too if you're not amenable.:) (Name withheld on request), (by email), April 21, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww A very wealthy president indeed. Their losses are temporary. She is smart and clever enough to know how to recover - if not in her lifetime, at least for the next generation and for the clan. I wish her the best of luck. But it would be fair for us taxpayers if the family spent their own money for the security, plane fares, hotels, etc...I wouldn't complain about their going on a trip like those. She has equal rights as ordinary folks do to invest their personal wealth. But using people's funds under the guise of an official trip is entirely unacceptable . This kind of spending is such a bad habit amongst government officials - taking family along on officials trips , quietly securing "sponsors" for euros, dollars, for the extras (remember how the euro generals ...?). And we are made to swallow and believe that they go there for our jobs, our security, our future We may have been shielded somewhat from the impact of the global financial crisis compared to other countries. But maybe that is not what we need. What is perhaps more important for us is to be shielded from the greedy , abusive and corrupt in public offices. That's the kind of protection that government must consider as priority and all the rest will be simpler to tackle. Victor Ma�alac, (by email), April 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, My take is this. Dubai now is the Switzerland of the Middle East or a possibility that Inday is planning to do something sinister that, just in case it fouls up, she and her family will do a Thaksin. The former Prime Minister of Thailand is now self-exiled in Dubai. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), April 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, Now that most Western expats are leaving the Middle East, does that not leave our white-collar workers the best chance at those positions? Our engineers and bank executives are as capable as any of the North Americans and Europeans. For decades numerous positions at UN and World Bank have been manned by our countrymen I do not see any reason why similar positions in the Middle East could be any different. It is time that we aimed higher. What do you think? More power to you. The world would be a lot better if more people listened to you. Mario Ongpin, (by email), April 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Tony, A long time ago, a friend working in the UAE mentioned that some "highest ranks" of the Philippines are big buyers and investors there and also in the Caribbean. So, why the real "highest rank" should not be among them? The much more interesting question is, how and from where they all got the dozens and hundreds of millions to invest there? How they circumvent taxes and AMLA? Is it because, at least some of them, have diplomatic passports, green cards, double citizenship or (undocumented) businesses abroad? It is not easy to imagine, since the Philippines has officially a super democratic, near corruption-free and law-abiding, transparent government. Or is officially not the same than reality? Then, maybe, you could visit in your next Dubai trip a resigned GMA at one of the super houses at the palm-shaped artificial resort, probably at the top of the palm.... Regards, Pedro Lamayas, (by email), April 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Kumusta ka na po? Ito po ang masasabi ko sa artikulo pong ito. Hay naku! Mabuti pa si Inday mayruong ganyan kalaking pera pero naman galing naman sa mga pinaghirapan ng mga Pilipino yan. Ang karma nga naman sa mga taong tulad niya po. Biruin mo ninakaw mo ang perang gailng sa dugo at pawis ng bawat Pinoy ganun na lang din ang pagkawala nito sa palad nila Inday Gloria. Kaya huwag tayong mag-alala mayruong Diyos na hindi natutulog. Ang sabi nga nila po'y "Divine Justice." Salamat po ng marami. Ivy Almirol, (by email), April 22, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Good day, Mr.Abaya! One of my friends based in Canada sent me your email address and blog links and I was very thankful to him because your columns and blogs are now parts of my reading pleasure. I just read your article titled Why Dubai, Inday? and it was a great one and an eye opener. All that you mentioned in the article are accurate and true. Those things are what's happening in Dubai since November of last year.. The recession, termination of workers, closing of some factories and companies, abandoned cars at the Dubai Airport, etc., etc. Actually, I sent it to all of my online friends globally and our reactions are the same. Mr. Abaya, I sent you one of the emails I received recently and I think, it's related to your article I mentioned above. It consist also our concerns, confusion and doubts why Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts are frequently coming to Dubai. Before I forget, Ka Tony, I'm one of the OFW'S who are working here in Dubai, connected in one of the biggest construction firms here. We are very lucky that up to this moment, we are still working and not affected by this economic meltdown. Thank you very much, Mr. Abaya. Your avid follower, Ronald Mangulabnan, (by email), Dubai, UAE, April 23, 2009 Dubai Investment Park, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww In the first few years of PGMA, I recalled how the First Gentleman was very active and very generous donating money here and there, mostly to sports agencies and organizations in millions of pesos. Some newspaper columnists even praised him generosity (although curse and despise him today), that all of those money were coming from his pocket. I wondered where he was getting all those money then and now? Do I still need to pay my taxes? Edel Anit, (by email), April 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Another likely reason is that GMA is trying to expedite an option for the inevitable asylum she and her ilk will need. The property investments you cited could well be part of the long-term plan for that eventuality. However, the information we have is that her investments have been welcomed but that the asylum assurance hasn't moved forward. The emirs are reluctant to have their homelands become the refuge of plunderers and other social outcasts, no matter how rich. And the growing international isolation of the evil bitch makes the emirs even more nervous about her visits to their cities. C'est la vie! Tito Osias, (by email), April 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Forwarded to Tapatt by Narciso Ner) Profile of the Sociopath Glibness and Superficial Charm Manipulative and Cunning They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims. Grandiose Sense of Self Feels entitled to certain things as "their right." Pathological Lying Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests. Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way. Shallow Emotions When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises. Incapacity for Love Need for Stimulation Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common. Callousness/Lack of Empathy Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them. Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others. Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc. Irresponsibility/Unreliability Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed. Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts. Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively. Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.***** wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I Want to be President Dear Tony, Please relay this to Mr. Pacheco. Yes, I want to be President. Again. I was president of a homeowners' association for a total of almost six years and a member of its board of directors for 20 straight years. Of its more than 2,400 members in 2006, my last year as president, our village had three senators, a number of congressmen, a few cabinet members, more than 450 generals both retired and in active service, a few civilians, and the rest were officers of the AFP and the PNP.. It was a difficult job but I enjoyed serving people. As a bonus, there was excitement in dealing with both the decent and the greedy members. If you want to check the character of some people, you can ask me for a P1 fee. Yes, I want to be President of the Philippines. I think I qualify based on the criteria of the Ang Kapatiran Party. My problem is, I do not have the billions of pesos needed to win the presidentialelection. On second thought, does one have to be President of the Republic of the Philippines to love and serve his country and people? In my present job, with the full support of my boss, we have shortened the release of the results of the written examinations for pilots and air mechanics to one to two days. Before, it took ten days to one month. Today, we give examinations everyday. Before, the examinations were given twice a week. One pilot based in Singapore took the examination one morning and got the result in the afternoon of the same day. Happiness for me was the respect, gratitude, and big surprise shown on his face. Our office has made many pilots and air mechanics very happy. The flying/aviation schools have likewise been very appreciative. Col. (Ret.) Hector Tarzan Tarrazona, (by email), April 21, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Transparency�the Best Policy China, India, Malaysia and Thailand and the rest of the Asian tigers all lived through the imperfections of the global economy . . . as well as that of their leadership, corruption, systemic and other structural weaknesses. Are we still pointing fingers at many elements to explain our weaknesses as a nation? No one will be sympathetic if we continue to blame every conceivable culprit for our economic woes? Victimhood is not applauded? �Lady, you are here to confess your sins not that of your husband,� so said a priest at a confessional. In marketing and sales the typical slap on the wrist is the boss saying: �stop pointing your finger at the competition, remember that every time you do you are pointing three fingers at us�. Obama rose above the biggest defense mechanism that had been associated with minorities in America, victimhood. And which is why he inspired the majority of Americans, black and white, and elected him at a time when the country was and still is facing such unprecedented challenges. While the global economic crisis has impaired every country�s ability to right their economic ship, countries like us with fundamental structural issues better deal with our own problems lest any global recovery leaves us again in the dust? Are we dissecting our economic woes ad infinitum or simply cheering that our glass is half-full or flirting with socialism? There is a report that a group from the academe is advocating socialism as a cure to poverty. This thought would just not go away despite the fall of the Berlin Wall and the series of events that followed and dismantled centrally planned economies. Over the last 6 years the writer has divided his time between Eastern Europe, the U.S. and the Philippines spending the most time in Eastern Europe, doing business across a number of former socialist countries. He first came over to represent US AID/IESC, who had tapped Fortune 500 companies to equip young local businesses with sufficient competitive skills as these countries prepared for EU membership. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrated Easter over the weekend. Just like in the West, this is a day when families get together, roast lamb being the special dish � served with Rakia or fruit brandy. They call it �Great Day� (like the appellation �Great� to describe Alexander). And they don�t say �Happy Easter�, instead they say �Christ is risen� and the response is �Indeed, Christ is risen.� Over the sumptuous lunch the writer was reminded of how some of us Filipinos continue to talk about the virtues of socialism given our frustrations with capitalism. The writer was a guest of his assistant�s family � maternal grandparents who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, the parents and the sister. The parents had just bought a new apartment that they intended to rent out in a new development near the airport in Sofia, Bulgaria; and like most families felt good about an acquisition more so with the 11% discount that they got. The country is in the midst of a housing bubble gone bust and the timing of the purchase was by design. The grandmother had a wicked sense of humor and talked about the upscale apartment their family had during the communist rule � she still votes for the socialist party. The rest of the family tried to explain to the writer that the grandmother�s family was special because within her family was a member of the communist party. The bottom line: most Bulgarians resented the communist rule precisely because of the special privileges those in the party enjoyed while everyone else made 180 leva (or 90 Euro) a month, irrespective of skills. And to the father, the biggest shortcoming was the absence of motivation. And the mother and sister chimed in that they had to fight their way to buy the apartment that they needed, i.e., separate rooms for the two kids, a boy and a girl. And the humor continued: at night the whole city was like a disco club, every two hours the lights would go out . . . and water was also rationed just like the food staple that every family was allotted. There was not much to spend money on so families would save to buy a car; but to buy a Lada (a Russian car) took years of waiting. (Today, the father drives a Toyota and the mother a Seat-Volkswagen.) And of course, in the end, the system became unsustainable: goods were sold below market prices (i.e., something had to give � the cycle cannot replenish the factors of production when the output is priced below costs) and so the system grounded to a halt; it could no longer supply even staples like bread. The writer has heard this story line in various shades and hues as he traveled across Eastern Europe. The fundamental issue with socialism is transparency: when pricing is not transparent it follows that the decision-making process, i.e., how prices are set, is not transparent. And when the decision-making process is not transparent then leadership is prone to abuse, i.e., or why those in the party had special privileges. But in the Filipino culture we don�t instinctively see anything wrong with the absence of transparency? The Catholic Church upon which we were born is not a model of transparency; for instance, we were told we were not equipped to read the bible. We thought initially that Marcos was doing us a great service so we did not question the lack of transparency. The bottom line: our hierarchical culture tends to accept the lack of transparency, but in a democracy whatever the shade, transparency is fundamental; and similarly, what undid socialism was the lack of transparency. Likewise, the collapse of the global financial system was due to the absence of oversight over and lack of transparency of derivatives and subprime mortgage loans. And in a recent study, even in entrepreneurship, a key element in economic development, transparency has been found to be a critical factor. (See: http://phileconomy.blogspot.com/2009/04/entrepreneurship-does-not-mean-local.html) And in the age of facebook, myspace and twitter we are bound to learn more in the spirit of transparency, e.g., Obama releasing secret memorandums re CIA harsh interrogation tactics. A Spanish hotel chain at its Black Sea location has, spread out around the resort, dozens of cylindrical decorative planters about 6 feet in height engraved with Rizal�s Mi Ultimo Adios � an open, transparent tribute to Rizal�s heroism? Back to Bulgaria: what has happened to Bulgaria since it joined the free-market system? The assistant of the writer is a product of the local technology university but in his job is learning about business both local and multinational � beyond being a translator, he can explain in his language key marketing and sales principles as well as the dynamics to generate margins and profits, among others. The mother, educated under the Russian education system taught Russian, and then pursued a PR (Western-style) career; and the father, a respected chemist who had worked in the Bulgarian defense department now runs a snack food factory for a company owned by Greeks � in a country of less than 8 million people, the turnover of the factory is more than the average sales of the average Western multinational subsidiary, i.e., their export business is bigger than local consumption. Foreign ownership is not unique. The print media in Bulgaria is controlled by the Germans and foreigners have bought into radio and TV; and foreign banks have a major stake in financial services and Western investors financed a big chunk (23%) of the real estate industry. What model are these people following? Like the Asian tigers and China and India, they know what they lack and so they have embraced foreigners that could provide these to them. As the global crisis deepens Western investors are seeking to acquire local companies that are predisposed to selling their businesses. In just a couple of decades, Bulgaria has seen the extremes of capitalism: from massive devaluation when they first joined the free-market system to an influx of foreign investors to inflation to the global economic crisis to business restructuring to a big drop in unemployment and most recently to an increase in unemployment. Small as they are they have relied on the global economy and have practically no option but to stay with it especially given the size of their external debt � 100% of GDP but still a huge drop from where they started. And importantly, they have been in a budget surplus for the past several years that they reduced income taxes (corporate and individual) to 10% - to compete for and attract investors. Their GDP (PPP) per person (given smaller population) is at $12,900 versus the Philippines at $3,300; while their poverty rate is down to 14.1% (from 35% in 2001) against our 30% - Ukraine (38%) and Georgia (31%) have higher poverty rates yet have higher GDP per person than the Philippines, a function of our higher population, i.e., population size is not irrelevant. Bulgaria�s GDP has grown in the 6% range annually since 2004.Their foreign direct investment is more than 2 times ours at $45 B. They still feel they are a poor country and just like the Philippines 10% of Bulgarians are migrants in search of a better life. And just like everyone else, including the Asian tigers, they believe that their government is corrupt and that their system needs lots of repair. Yet they don�t equate ownership to nationalism or patriotism. It is not important to them who own the businesses; all they want is for the economy to grow even more so that they can partake in the benefits. They may be Easterners but still European and the 7 pillars of Western wisdom (e.g., pragmatism) are probably inherent to them. Here is a country that has lived through socialism and the imperfections of capitalism; they simply smile whenever the writer tells them he knows people leaning to socialism. Romeo Encarnacion, (by email), Bulgaria, April 23, 2009 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Response to Victor Ma�alac Tony, With all due respect to Mr Victor Manalac, I suggest he read up a little more on history, both in the past and the not too distant past. First off, the general in the Korean War was not fired. He was relieved of his command , not because he was not doing a good job, but for political reasons, because he did not agree with how the politicians wanted to run the war. And, oh by the way, could that general have been General Douglas McArthur? The same General Douglas McArthur who was mainly responsible for freeing the Philippines from the oppressive yoke of the Japanese? I think he deserves a little more respect than just saying he was fired. Yes America has had it's problems in foreign wars but I think that instead of being 100% negative, maybe the writer should have remembered Grenada and Panama where we were responsible for bringing peace to countries being controlled by cruel despots who had no concern for their people, and even Haiti. We did not try to conquer and control these countries, we just set the people free and they returned to a democratic society. Right now we are assisting the Philippine military in it's fight against terrorism We cannot take an active part in the fighting but we have supplied much logistical and tactical support to the Philippine military. A good example of this was when the military intercepted and destroyed a boat carrying the leader of Abu Sayyef off the coast of Zamboanga This was done with a drone supplied and operated by Americans. I meant no disrespect to Mr Manalac but I just want to say, don't bite the hand that feeds you. I hope that in the near future you will have a new government that cares about the people and who raises the Philippines to a new level of respect throughout the world. The people so richly deserve this. Jay Brundage, (by email), Ridgefield, Connecticut, April 23, 2009 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to [email protected]. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |
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