1. Benjamin Philip Romualdez, President of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP),
2. Victor Andres "Dindo" Manhit, Founder and Managing Director, Stratbase, also Professor of Political Science, DLSU,
3. Manny V. Pangilinan, head of Metro Pacific Investments, Smart/PLDT, Meralco, TV5, etc.,
4. Edgardo Lacson, honorary Chair of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and President of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP),
5. Albert del Rosario, DFA Secretary,
6. Raul Pangalangan, former dean of the UP College of Law and publisher of the Phil. Daily Inquirer,
7. Rene de Castro of DLSU International Studies Department,
8. Epictetus Patalinghug of the UP College of Business Administration,
9. Primo “CP” David of UP Diliman Geology and Environmental Science,
10. Francisco Magno of DLSU Political Science Department, Director of the Jesse Robredo Institute of Governance, DLSU. and
11. (Not in the photo) Ernest “Ernie” Bower, senior adviser and Sumitro chair for Southeast Asia Studies at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Good mixture of personalities. Is this a think tank of big business? Somehow Yes, with MVP there, heads of ECOP and COMP. Is this a think tank of academics? Somehow Yes, with known academics from UP Diliman (NIGS, CBA) and DLSU. Is this a think tank of civil society? Somehow Yes, with PDI Publisher, Robredo Institute, FEF guys there. Again, good mixture of people with different professional backgrounds.
I think the think tank's main clients will be foreign governments (through their embassies in Manila), big firms at the Philippine Stock Exchange, PCCI, etc. I saw many diplomats and some ambassadors that night, including US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, cool guy.
Some photos that night where I was an "extra". Below from left: Dr. Vic Paqueo of UPSE, PIDS, former WB/ILO consultant; Dr. Lingling Patalinghug, and Cong. Kit Belmonte. Vic was my former teacher in Econ. 181 (Labor Econ) while Ninong Lingling (yes, he's among my wedding godfathers) was my former teacher in Econ. 171 (Agri Econ) at UPSE sometime in 1983 or 84. Kit was a rich kid, mestizo, but very militant activist in UP then.
From left: Dindo Manhit, Kit Belmonte, Vic Paqueo, Raul Pangalangan, Totol Batuhan, Lingling Patalinghug, Digitel President Doy Vea, me.
From left: Edgardo Lacson (PSE, PCCI, ECOP), Ronnie Recidoro of COMP, me and Dindo. The three of us were discussing about mining and mineral potential, lots of jobs, money and government taxes, of the country, then I dragged Dindo for the photo.
Stratbase's young and dynamic staff, from left: Claudette Guevarra, Krystyna Dy, Bianca Soriano, Mikee Maralit, Lloyd Zaragoza. Me and Kiko Magno were extras here. Mikee is the one who directly invites me in some Stratbase/CitizenWatch events, she is a former student of my wife at DLSU.
Minimal Government Thinkers simply networks with other think tanks, research institutes, and other civil society organizations, like Stratbase and ADR Institute. For us, minimal government = maximum civil society. Things that can be done by individuals and their voluntary organizations need not be assigned to government, local, national or international/multilateral. Because government = coercion. So a minimal or limited government means minimum of coercion in society.
Thanks again for the invite, Dindo and Stratbase. Hope to see you in another round of discussions.
All photos above from Stratbase fb wall.
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See also:
Stratbase Forum on ASEAN Competitiveness, July 25, 2014
Free Trade 36: Taxation, Regulations, Trade and Rule of Law in ASEAN, August 05, 2014
Citizen Watch 2: On Power and Jobs, August 30, 2014
New Think Tank, Albert Del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Studies, November 24, 2014
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