{"id":319,"date":"2009-09-09T04:48:46","date_gmt":"2009-09-08T18:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/?p=319"},"modified":"2009-09-09T04:48:46","modified_gmt":"2009-09-08T18:48:46","slug":"prescription-to-an-ailing-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/?p=319","title":{"rendered":"Prescription to an ailing economy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" \/><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\" \/><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\" \/><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\" \/>\n<link href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cdino%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" \/><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"PlaceName\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iantlavalamp.com\/\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"PlaceType\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iantlavalamp.com\/\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"country-region\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iantlavalamp.com\/\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iantlavalamp.com\/\"><\/o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:Compatibility>    <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>    <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>    <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>    <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>    <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <\/w:Compatibility>   <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel>  <\/w:WordDocument> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\">  <\/w:LatentStyles> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object  classid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=ieooui><\/object> \n\n<style> st1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<style> <!--  \/* Font Definitions *\/  @font-face \t{font-family:\"Arial Narrow\"; \tpanose-1:2 11 5 6 2 2 2 3 2 4; \tmso-font-charset:0; \tmso-generic-font-family:swiss; \tmso-font-pitch:variable; \tmso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}  \/* Style Definitions *\/  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal \t{mso-style-parent:\"\"; \tmargin:0cm; \tmargin-bottom:.0001pt; \tmso-pagination:widow-orphan; \tfont-size:12.0pt; \tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink \t{color:blue; \ttext-decoration:underline; \ttext-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed \t{color:purple; \ttext-decoration:underline; \ttext-underline:single;} @page Section1 \t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt; \tmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; \tmso-header-margin:36.0pt; \tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt; \tmso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 \t{page:Section1;} --> <\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]> \n\n<style>  \/* Style Definitions *\/  table.MsoNormalTable \t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; \tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; \tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0; \tmso-style-noshow:yes; \tmso-style-parent:\"\"; \tmso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; \tmso-para-margin:0cm; \tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; \tmso-pagination:widow-orphan; \tfont-size:10.0pt; \tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-ansi-language:#0400; \tmso-fareast-language:#0400; \tmso-bidi-language:#0400;} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\" lang=\"EN-US\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">One of my former schoolmates at the university asked me what can be done to improve the economic situation in the <st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:country-region w:st=\"on\">Philippines<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Perhaps, what the <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Philippines<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> need to get back on track with its Asian neighbours is a combination of many factors. To name a few:<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">The president must have the administrative skills of Senator Richard Gordon. Consider what he did as chairman of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and mayor of <st1:place w:st=\"on\"><st1:placename w:st=\"on\">Olongapo<\/st1:placename>  <st1:placetype w:st=\"on\">City<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>. He must likewise have the kind of discipline imposed by Lee Kwan Yew in <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Singapore<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> plus the intelligence of Ferdinand Marcos without Imelda&#8217;s influence. He\/she must have the integrity of Cory Aquino and the ideology of her husband Ninoy. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">He must be a financial and marketing wizard like Manny Pangilinan of PLDT.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">I do not know how corruption in government can be <u>totally<\/u> eliminated. Maybe one solution is the complete overhaul of the system plus a re-think of the pork barrel that was copied from the <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">United States<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. I understand that the going rate of kickback is 30 per cent.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">One way of controlling corruption is by imposing stiff penalties on those proven to be guilty. I have no objection to capital punishment. Death by firing squad may sound gruesome but I think it will scare the wits out of those corrupt politicians in Congress.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">We must go down to the grass roots of society, down to the level of<br \/>\nextorting police officers, including army generals who sell arms to Abu Sayaf.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">More importantly, we need the cooperation of the entire nation. There must be national discipline. A Japanese will readily resign from office when proven guilty of corruption. He might even commit <em>sepukku<\/em> of <em>hara kiri<\/em>. I have yet to hear of a politician resigning from office. Gloria Arroyo should have done that when she learned of her husband&#8217;s involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">But, maybe the greatest hurdle is poverty which I believe is caused by over population and uneven distribution of the wealth of the nation.<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"> <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">The problem here is the firm stand of the Catholic Church against contraception. It preaches abstinence but in reality, will the wife refuse when there is strong urge from the husband?<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Could it be improved tax collection? How can we eliminate tax cheating when even doctors and lawyers do not issue receipts to patients and clients? Many local banks in the <st1:country-region w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Philippines<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> have a tax shield enjoyed by its senior officers. How about our Gross National Product and Balance of Trade? Ahhh, that\u2019s another topic. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Our country is in deep shit. How do we get out of it?\u00a0 You tell me<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">. \u2013 ? <strong>DMC<\/strong><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt\">(<em>Reactions to this editorial are most welcome. An email to <a href=\"mailto:dinocres2@hotmail.com\"><span style=\"color: windowtext\">dinocres2@hotmail.com<\/span><\/a> can be sent and will be published in the next issue.<\/em>)<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 One of my former schoolmates at the university asked me what can be done to improve the economic situation in the Philippines. \u00a0 Perhaps, what the Philippines need to get back on track with its Asian neighbours is a combination of many factors. To name a few: \u00a0 The president must have the administrative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}