Philippine politics and economics

[Pip Jaeger]

So if you are planning to fly in or out of Manila tomorrow, maybe flying overseas, then your plans may well be disrupted / cancelled by what the CAAP Deputy Director General calls "scheduled preventative maintenance". Can you imagine any other international airport in the world (Heathrow, Singapore, Hong Kong, Atlanta or anywhere) where at less than 48 hours notice they are prepared to half the airport flights for "preventative maintenance" and throw thousands of people, and airlines, into total travel disarray?

I see it differently. Most likely they had a major equipment failure and are currently operating on backup systems. It's taken time to diagnose the problem (s) and get the necessary parts / new equipment to replace it. Saying it's "scheduled preventative maintenance" is their way of saving face.

[Sammon]

Few countries are entirely self-sufficient. Taiwan, Korea, and Japan surely aren't blessed with abundant natural resources,

Mention that in London and see how far you'll get with it.

WTF? Stupidest thing I've read in long while.

Korea is a peninsula not a Island country. All the wealth in England came by conquering other countries before and after that by Industrial revolution and low population.

If you read the history Russia was supplying Japan with raw materials and technology to build super aircraft carriers, fighter planes etc. Japan does not have natural resources. Read it.

[Hutsori]

Unlike Thailand Philippines has issues. It is a Island country so need to import practically everything by sea.

Few countries are entirely self-sufficient. Taiwan, Korea, and Japan surely aren't blessed with abundant natural resources, and two of the three were nearly obliterated by war. Yet all have prospered by 1) focusing in labour-intensive export-oriented industries such textiles, garments, footwear, etc. at the initial stage of industrial development ; 2) forcing labour to work long hours at very low pay; 3) implementing anti-consumption policies to encourage high savings that were tapped by local industries to foster growth; 4) developing human capital through education; 5) cutting the population growth rate; 6) eagerness to cultivate overseas markets; 7) gov't supported and at times directed industrial development; and 8) protected domestic markets provided the local businesses the cash cow needed to finance cut-throat pricing overseas.

Very few Island countries have progressed.

Mention that in London and see how far you'll get with it.

Japan and Taiwan is helped by Soviet Union before the war

WTF? Stupidest thing I've read in long while.

[Sammon]

I just returned from a few day in Bangkok, and was struck, once again, by the enormous disparities in infrastructure development between the two countries. I've got no explanation for the overhwelming ineptitude of the government's ability to plan and then executive much of anything in the way of development. I marveled, once again at the 6-10 lane elevated expressways of Bangkok, which didn't exist 20 years ago, at the prompt, clean and cheap SkyTrain and at the new, modern and efficient airport that was built in less time than it took the Philippines to try (unsuccessfully) to build and fully open one new terminal. Again, I've no plausible explanation for the discrepencies.

I also wonder, in light of the utter lack of vision that characterizes this country about the implications of the imminent (2015) ASEAN Integration.

GE

Unlike Thailand Philippines has issues. It is a Island country so need to import practically everything by sea. It costs money. Very few Island countries have progressed. Japan and Taiwan is helped by Soviet Union before the war and US after the war. Philippines is trying and has built many bridges and some expressways. Buildings are getting better and strong. There is hardly any natural resources. Couple that with

Population explosion and Phi has a real problem. It is not easy to build super highways connecting all the islands which would require innumerable bridges and tunnels. To their credit over the years they have upgradedairports and access roads. Air traffic has increased and Phi people can fly anywhere in the country cheap. In spite of congestion there are buses, jeepneys, trikes etc available everywhere even in remote places so that people can travel cheap and effectively. Very few countries can boast about this cheap and effective transportation. Living costs has not increased too much.

As for Thailand along with modernization comes inflation. Living costs are much higher in recent years. No wonder girls demand more money. Unless you go to the provinces living in BKK and other big cities are

Expensive.

[GoodEnough]

This morning's newspapers announced that passengers travelling in and out of Manila's Ninoy airport are "advised to brace for delays on October 23 as the aviation authority downgrades the airport's operating capacity from 42 to 22 landings and take-offs per hour to give way to maintenance work on its radar system".

So if you are planning to fly in or out of Manila tomorrow, maybe flying overseas, then your plans may well be disrupted / cancelled by what the CAAP Deputy Director General calls "scheduled preventative maintenance". Can you imagine any other international airport in the world (Heathrow, Singapore, Hong Kong, Atlanta or anywhere) where at less than 48 hours notice they are prepared to half the airport flights for "preventative maintenance" and throw thousands of people, and airlines, into total travel disarray?

I just returned from a few day in Bangkok, and was struck, once again, by the enormous disparities in infrastructure development between the two countries. I've got no explanation for the overhwelming ineptitude of the government's ability to plan and then executive much of anything in the way of development. I marveled, once again at the 6-10 lane elevated expressways of Bangkok, which didn't exist 20 years ago, at the prompt, clean and cheap SkyTrain and at the new, modern and efficient airport that was built in less time than it took the Philippines to try (unsuccessfully) to build and fully open one new terminal. Again, I've no plausible explanation for the discrepencies.

I also wonder, in light of the utter lack of vision that characterizes this country about the implications of the imminent (2015) ASEAN Integration.

GE

[KongKing]

Generally I live here in the Philippines without major complaint and I have learnt to adapt to the idiosyncrasies of Philippines drivers, customer service, cultural differences, Filipina "have you had lunch" texts and many other things. But one thing that does frustrate and despair me is the seeming inability in the Philippines to plan, integrate and implement development plans, whether it be energy generation (overcoming the chronic shortage) , power station shut downs (maintenance during peak usage periods) , highway development, and other examples. Here is another (in) glorious example today.

This morning's newspapers announced that passengers travelling in and out of Manila's Ninoy airport are "advised to brace for delays on October 23 as the aviation authority downgrades the airport's operating capacity from 42 to 22 landings and take-offs per hour to give way to maintenance work on its radar system". This was announced by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines yesterday."The maintenance work will take place starting 1am on October 23 and will last until 7am on October 24th". The term "delays" is a wonderful euphemism for cancellations.

When flights are reduced to 11 takeoffs and 11 landings per hour, almost half the regular scheduling, and aircraft separations increased from 2 minutes to 7 minutes we can expect more than delays. We can expect cancellations. Indeed in the last few minutes I have just received a posting saying many domestic flights to and from Manila will be cancelled. See:

http://rp1.abs-cbnnews.com/business/...system-upgrade

So if you are planning to fly in or out of Manila tomorrow, maybe flying overseas, then your plans may well be disrupted / cancelled by what the CAAP Deputy Director General calls "scheduled preventative maintenance". Can you imagine any other international airport in the world (Heathrow, Singapore, Hong Kong, Atlanta or anywhere) where at less than 48 hours notice they are prepared to half the airport flights for "preventative maintenance" and throw thousands of people, and airlines, into total travel disarray?

[Soapy Smith]

Erap is a great leader way back on his San Juan City days, so its a challenge for him to give Manilenos a glory.

Although San Juan was a municipality, not a city, when Erap was mayor. That means he had relatively less autonomy from the national government than those areas of Metro Manila that were already cities at the time. It is true that San Juan currently has a GDP per capita that is well above average for the Metro area, and it has relatively less poverty than many of the other cities. But is its prosperity a result of Erap's leadership, or did he inherit the prosperity? Also, what about the caliber of advisers that surrounded him in earlier times as compared to more recently? I have heard it suggested that part of the downfall leading to his ouster from the presidency in 2001 was because he let his ego lead him to disregard advisers who tried to steer him away from shadowy types who subsequently got him in trouble. Most of those advisers are either dead or doing other things now.

Filipinos have this hero complex: they're always just waiting for the next great leader to lift them from their squalor and corruption. Stated another way, the Philippines has a politics of personality, rather than an established rule of law that gives relatively equal access to the political and economic systems as envisioned in the industrialized West. When a leader stands out as heroic, it is often because the system is dysfunctional. Good systems have layers of people in the middle who keep things running because they know how systems work and they know how to make the leader's policies come to life. In functional democracies and effective organizations the leader is almost (but not quite) a figure head. People in the middle in Philippine government lack the authority to make things run right. What the Philippines needs is not the next great heroic leader, but institutions that make for a level playing field for most Filipinos. What exists now are institutions that protect elite interests.

[Capistrano]

Are you a local?

Yes sir, I am a local resident of Manila. I stay for more than 20 years and I witnessed the government of different mayors here. We'll lets see how Erap performs in Manila, as I have said his San Juan City is quite good and competitive from other Metro Manila cities.

[Stroker Ace88]

I agree with you regarding his bus rerouting, but I think it is not a permanent remedy. As we all know many commuters sacrifices a lot, his intention is great but he should not stop from there, he should think of much better way which is beneficial to all. And Speaking of "Manila by Night" theme, he should come out to a strategy from which people involve will not be subjected to exploitation. Manila has a lot of problems even those great leaders of Manila before did not make it world class. Erap is a great leader way back on his San Juan City days, so its a challenge for him to give Manilenos a glory.

Are you a local?

[Capistrano]

Things change Cap.

With the advent of cell phone cameras and a renewed emphasis on community people seeking out government officials who rort the system in broad daylight, don't expect to see Erap in any casino. The LTO ASec is leaving at end of October because she was caught using a casino slot machine.

Nothing has changed yet in the City of Manila, except for much easier traffic flows because Erap changed the bus routes and excluded unregistered buses. You can actually drive around Escolta and Espana now.

I agree with you regarding his bus rerouting, but I think it is not a permanent remedy. As we all know many commuters sacrifices a lot, his intention is great but he should not stop from there, he should think of much better way which is beneficial to all. And Speaking of "Manila by Night" theme, he should come out to a strategy from which people involve will not be subjected to exploitation. Manila has a lot of problems even those great leaders of Manila before did not make it world class. Erap is a great leader way back on his San Juan City days, so its a challenge for him to give Manilenos a glory.

[Econo Tech]

And for the time being Erap may be a bit distracted trying to keep his son and other party loyalists out of impeachment proceedings because of their alleged involvement in pocketing government money sent to bogus NGOs. It seems those activities were not occurring in broad daylight, but the media has put them there now.

On the brighter side, I am seeing some more Filipinos with more common sense speaking up. Though I am sure their voices get drowned out by the Process following / Protocol Following / Legal eagles. (like PNoy who again refused to apologise to HK, saying it is not in the PH culture to apologise. Etc. Etc and the whole Legal gang telling yes, our boss is perfectly right, the faulty one was the dead guy. Not us sitting on our asses doing nothing.)

http://correctphilippines.org/basketcase/

http://vincenton.wordpress.com

A big difference vs a few years ago, when they were still worshiping Imelda when she was visiting. And falling all over themselves trying to pay for her this and that, regardless of the fact the Lady is worth a million times more than the poor office workers and maids trying to impress and never mind the fact she has billions stashed elsewhere.

Some things don't change in Ph.

[Soapy Smith]

With the advent of cell phone cameras and a renewed emphasis on community people seeking out government officials who rort the system in broad daylight, don't expect to see Erap in any casino.

And for the time being Erap may be a bit distracted trying to keep his son and other party loyalists out of impeachment proceedings because of their alleged involvement in pocketing government money sent to bogus NGOs. It seems those activities were not occurring in broad daylight, but the media has put them there now.

[Red Kilt]

I have no news about Erap, but I'm sure Casino and nightclubs will be the center of attraction now, as we all know Erap has a video gambling on one of the casino, he was the President of the Philippines during those times.

Things change Cap.

With the advent of cell phone cameras and a renewed emphasis on community people seeking out government officials who rort the system in broad daylight, don't expect to see Erap in any casino. The LTO ASec is leaving at end of October because she was caught using a casino slot machine.

Nothing has changed yet in the City of Manila, except for much easier traffic flows because Erap changed the bus routes and excluded unregistered buses. You can actually drive around Escolta and Espana now.

[Capistrano]

Does anyone think that the monger scene will change, now that Joseph Estrada has been elected as mayor? We know that Alfred Lim had previously pledged to clean up the cities sex industry, which resulted in a few thinly disguised attempts at extortion against the night club owners (most famously the closure of L. A. Cafe). I simply wondered if we might see any changes with the change of Mayor, or is it just more of the same, with different faces?

I have no news about Erap, but I'm sure Casino and nightclubs will be the center of attraction now, as we all know Erap has a video gambling on one of the casino, he was the President of the Philippines during those times.

[FreebieFan]

http://www.rappler.com/nation/specia...ona-crying-cop

Philippines has plenty of do gooders around at the moment.

The comments are the normal to be expected comments. I guess in the west, we have become accepting of anyone of any nationality having the right and freedom to demonstrate. That conceot hasnt yet taken hold in Asia. If this demo was in Thailand or Indonesia the comments about " foreigners" would be the same.