Philippine politics and economics

[Soapy Smith]

I ended up on Wikipedia's page explaining what a Budget is. Budgeting, as many know, is not the strong card of the lovley ladies we meet. Anyway, here is the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget.

Here is the relevant piece that caught my eye: Philippines: The Philippine budget is considered the most complicated in the world, incorporating multiple approaches in one single budget system: line-item (budget execution), performance (budget accountability), and zero-based budgeting.

I think for many of our lovely ladies, "budget" means having money in your pocket.

One way to characterize the complicated budget system is as bureaucratic redtape. Another possibility is that, because there are so many working parts, each one is a point of leverage for corruption.

Some thoughtful observers suggest that Philippine budget systems, personnel practices, and regulations are borrowed from the West, and especially the United States, but that the systems are only formalistic on paper, whereas in fact most of them operate in part as good ole boy (and only a few girls') systems.

[PedroMorales]

I ended up on Wikipedia's page explaining what a Budget is. Budgeting, as many know, is not the strong card of the lovley ladies we meet. Anyway, here is the link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget.

Here is the relevant piece that caught my eye: Philippines: The Philippine budget is considered the most complicated in the world, incorporating multiple approaches in one single budget system: line-item (budget execution), performance (budget accountability), and zero-based budgeting.

I think that says it all really. More complicated than the USA, China, the G7's and every little state in Africa. Goodnight Manila! Keep praying to Santa Nino, who has give up on the lot of you, if he has any sense.

[Engine Driver]

I rented a car here and when I filled the tank the gas station had a sign looking for gas jockeys. Degree required.

The quality of a graduate here is highly variable. I have worked with some world class engineers from here, I tried to get them to come to Canada when I was working there a couple of years ago but the red tape was too much. These are guys I would hire in an instant if I had an opening for them and they were available.

OTOH, I have found some people who had degrees but operated at about a grade 3 level. People that it is difficult to have a reasonable conservation with because their thought processes are so lacking in discipline.

Education here can be for profit, the biggest scam area is IMHO in the hotel and tourism areas. There are some good degrees tin that area but mostly it is a high cost training to be a desk cleark followed by several months of on job training that they get treated as slaves and pay for the privilege.

There was a large notice posted on a resto door seeking applications for a job as a security guard. "Must have a degree in criminology".

[Dg8787]

I rented a car here and when I filled the tank the gas station had a sign looking for gas jockeys. Degree required.

The quality of a graduate here is highly variable. I have worked with some world class engineers from here, I tried to get them to come to Canada when I was working there a couple of years ago but the red tape was too much. These are guys I would hire in an instant if I had an opening for them and they were available.

OTOH, I have found some people who had degrees but operated at about a grade 3 level. People that it is difficult to have a reasonable conservation with because their thought processes are so lacking in discipline.

Education here can be for profit, the biggest scam area is IMHO in the hotel and tourism areas. There are some good degrees tin that area but mostly it is a high cost training to be a desk cleark followed by several months of on job training that they get treated as slaves and pay for the privilege.

I believe the push for higher education was a way to keep them in a holding pattern and not have to count them as unemployed. Plus it made money for the colleges.

Don't forget that people over 35 can not find a decent job. All the housekeepers I see in the hotels are HRM grads in their 20's. I give these HRM grads credit for working hard. I usually leave a 50-100 peso tip daily.

[Kabul Guy]

The trend DC describes applies also in the Phils. What is sometimes confusing is that in both Western countries and the Phils there are instances we all know about in which college grads are working in jobs for which they are hugely over-qualified. .......

I rented a car here and when I filled the tank the gas station had a sign looking for gas jockeys. Degree required.

The quality of a graduate here is highly variable. I have worked with some world class engineers from here, I tried to get them to come to Canada when I was working there a couple of years ago but the red tape was too much. These are guys I would hire in an instant if I had an opening for them and they were available.

OTOH, I have found some people who had degrees but operated at about a grade 3 level. People that it is difficult to have a reasonable conservation with because their thought processes are so lacking in discipline.

Education here can be for profit, the biggest scam area is IMHO in the hotel and tourism areas. There are some good degrees tin that area but mostly it is a high cost training to be a desk cleark followed by several months of on job training that they get treated as slaves and pay for the privilege.

[Soapy Smith]

I work with many of the products of these institutions but sad to say Soapy; I don't have the time or patience to write a paper on Philippines H.E. quality for around 3 interested guys on ISG to read. I use my time writing stuff for which I receive financial compensation.

If your time is that valuable, why spend the time for these two or three lines?

[Engine Driver]

On the other hand, they, along with UP, also have a reputation for political protest. Maybe that's what happens when you get a bunch of inspired, very bright, and poor young people together.

Apart from protesting against Duterte's heavy handed response and running naked through the campus once a year, what else do UP Diliman's elite kids get up to? On western university campuses, the whole student body has drunk the Kool aid as far as gender fluidity, LGBTI rights, climate change, global wealth redistribution, gender pay gap and the right of white men to merely exist goes.

Meanwhile, we get job applications from Masters students who can't put two words together to form a sentence and they wonder why they can't become managers on day 1.

[Red Kilt]

In the Phils there's also the problem of huge variability in the quality of institutions of higher education. So some people from colleges with weak reputations may never be employable in the professions for which they trained. On the other hand, the national university with the lowest tuition, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), reportedly has the most employable graduates in the eyes of employers. They tend to attract very bright, but often poor, students, and perhaps this implies a strong work ethic. On the other hand, they, along with UP, also have a reputation for political protest. Maybe that's what happens when you get a bunch of inspired, very bright, and poor young people together. There are a couple expats in the forum who know this stuff far better than I do.

I work with many of the products of these institutions but sad to say Soapy; I don't have the time or patience to write a paper on Philippines H.E. quality for around 3 interested guys on ISG to read. I use my time writing stuff for which I receive financial compensation.

[Soapy Smith]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (USA) shows a dramatic income increase for bachelor's degree holders and continuing upward for masters and professional holders. Of course there are many exceptions but every degree I've earned (and I have 4) has led me to more money, and more importantly, more important work. Congratulations and good luck, NG.

The trend DC describes applies also in the Phils. What is sometimes confusing is that in both Western countries and the Phils there are instances we all know about in which college grads are working in jobs for which they are hugely over-qualified. In Western countries it is sometimes market displacement (temporary weak markets in some professions) and sometimes it's because the individual is toxic and unemployable. For example, don't go to law school right now. The market has a glut of unemployed attorneys and law school enrollments are in the toilet.

In the Phils there's also the problem of huge variability in the quality of institutions of higher education. So some people from colleges with weak reputations may never be employable in the professions for which they trained. On the other hand, the national university with the lowest tuition, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), reportedly has the most employable graduates in the eyes of employers. They tend to attract very bright, but often poor, students, and perhaps this implies a strong work ethic. On the other hand, they, along with UP, also have a reputation for political protest. Maybe that's what happens when you get a bunch of inspired, very bright, and poor young people together. There are a couple expats in the forum who know this stuff far better than I do.

[D Cups]

I'm Black and I'm dying to see the "evidence", as I sweat my last few classes towards my BS degree.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (USA) shows a dramatic income increase for bachelor's degree holders and continuing upward for masters and professional holders. Of course there are many exceptions but every degree I've earned (and I have 4) has led me to more money, and more importantly, more important work. Congratulations and good luck, NG.

[Soapy Smith]

I'm Black and I'm dying to see the "evidence", as I sweat my last few classes towards my BS degree.

If you understand the nature of implied cause and effect, I hope you weren't expecting to see evidence before you finish the degree nor, for that matter, as you walk off the commencement stage. You still have to get out in the marketplace and show people that your degree is more than a piece of paper. I applaud your efforts; chances are you will experience the evidence.

[Naked Gunz]

There is evidence among Hispanic males, and especially African-American men, of peer pressure not to pursue higher education, because doing so is "giving in to the 'Man'."

I'm Black and I'm dying to see the "evidence", as I sweat my last few classes towards my BS degree.

[Soapy Smith]

I truely believe that the days of a structured education followed by dedication to a "real" job being the only path to success are over.

Was it ever the only path?

Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are examples of individuals who thrived financially without college degrees. And I have a high school classmate who spent three years in the Army in the 1960's, never attended college, moved to Florida, started a pest control business, and became a millionaire. I'm sure others in the forum know of similar cases. But these examples represent what is sometimes called "anecdotal evidence": interesting examples that are not representative. And, in the cases of Gates and Zuckerberg, both of these guys spent two years at Harvard before going it on their own. Jeff Bezos, for his part, has a bachelors degree from Princeton. But if average blokes think they can make out like this, they should think again.

There is evidence among Hispanic males, and especially African-American men, of peer pressure not to pursue higher education, because doing so is "giving in to the 'Man'. " So how's that working out for those guys? And surely there are bartenders and cab drivers who love to hold forth on the foolishness of college education, but please keep in mind that most of them either never undertook college or dropped out – and obviously have so much to show for these choices.

But in the interest of something more systematic than strong opinions, there is evidence from the states, although perhaps Europe, Canada, and Australia have competing evidence. Check out especially the US News story:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebe...ollege-degree/#5 e33 f6 e75 ed8.

http://css.edu/the-sentinel-blog/com...ge-degree.html

https://unemploymentdata.com/unemplo...-unemployment/

https://money.cnn.com/infographic/ec...ngs/index.html

https://www.usnews.com/news/articles...l-grads-widens

[ForkTruck]

I doubt your girl will ever return to Thailand and put her degree to use. And why would she.

I was talking to a guy last week in manila who is working in philis as a software eng contractor. He is from a Euorpean country and is only here on a one month assignment. He told me the best in house engineer the phili company had here where he is assigned was a very talented guy and if he chose to work in another country he could easily double the equivelant $4 K US monthly salary he draws in Manila. Family keeps him here. Pay here is very low so talented folks go elsewhere when opportunity presents. Of course cost of living is very low here so $4 K is good and way better than most. But many prefer to live in a non 3rd world place even if cost of living is much higher.

[Goferring]

Someone who an put away a million tax free would be able to find a use for the skills of a management degree. She could start a legitimate business and do well with that sort of grub stake.

The same can be said for many groups.

Criminal gangs often have the skills and ability to operate very successful front companies. I've worked with militant unionized employees who, if they put their same effort into doing work rather than avoiding it, would be star employees and not need the union at all. Many problem kids have the natural smarts to flourish once they leave a structured, one size fits all education system and can find their own path in life.

I truely believe that the days of a structured education followed by dedication to a "real" job being the only path to success are over.