EFN Asia 64, Day 2 of Conference 2016

Sorry readers, delayed posting of Day 2, EFN Asia Conference 2016 in Manila last November....

New FNF-PH Country Director Wolfgang Heinze delivering the welcome remarks for Day 2.

Below are some tweets under #efnasia2016

(1) From ruben dieckhoff ‏@rdieckhoff, 22-23 Nov 2016

"All politics is local." To save free trade/globalization you have to win the battles at home first says @barunsmitra 

@razeensally wonders whether you can keep up economic growth while trampling on human rights of the citizens

When political families move from controlling to owning companies this is neo-cronyism and eventually fails. See: Arab Spring

.@laveeshbhandari: how you can be free without education? Highlights susceptibility to populism for people who feel left behind

First protect dignity and rights of all individuals. Then start talking about economic liberty. Strong stance by @LoeningMarkus

(2) from FNF Philippines ‏@FNFPhilippines, 22 Nov 2016

Peter Perfecto: There is a tendency to rely heavily on the business sector, but there is only so much that business can do.

Dr. Laveesh Bhandari: There are enough laws that try to inhibit crony capitalism, but they very rarely get implemented.

Fred McMahon: The real driver of poverty reduction is not CSR, but economic freedom.

Fred McMahon: You cannot find a stable democracy that does not have a high level of economic freedom.

(3) Barun Mitra ‏@barunsmitra  22 Nov 2016

The discussion over basic rights and freedoms, have got confused by including entitlements and aspirations: Nick Sallnow-Smith

#EFNAsia2016 Rich & poor nations, high & low growth ones, democracies or not, across the world are experiencing populist nationalist upsurge

(4) Others: 

Akash Shrestha ‏@aaktung  22 Nov 2016

"In an economically free society, you only get ahead by making other people better off" - Fred McMahon.

PichuLo ‏@pichuuu  22 Nov 2016

Random thought:How can local small and medium enterprises compete if we're pushing for the free market to gain economic freedom? 

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FNF Philippines ‏@FNFPhilippines  21 Nov 2016

Wan Saiful Wan Jan: Definitions of human rights vary. What may be HR violations to some can be another's sole income source. #efnasia2016

Armin Reinartz ‏@Armin_Rz  21 Nov 2016

#TPP is dead. Trade agreements fail because of protectionist attitude, not #HumanRights provisions, Dr. LEE Taekyu,KERI Korea #EFNAsia2016

Siegfried Herzog ‏@biberacher  21 Nov 2016

Free Marketeers keep having to play catch-up to Human Rights concerns that are framed in a way hostile to markets #efnasia2016

My own tweets:

Economic #freedom means freedom of individuals to acquire, own, control, sell, donate private #property

Rising #inequality per se not prob but poverty. If poverty declined but inequal increased, fine. It's not good to stop excellence.

Some consider child labor as HR violation but some households, it is necessary. If sole breadwinner is gone, young need to work.

Corporate branding will help global firms stay the course in #HumanRights and econ freedom protection, respecting #ruleOfLaw. 

VP @lenirobredo was here day 2 #efnasia2016 conf. She talked abt rising inequality. Actually poverty declined, many poor became middle class.

No planner would know every indiv preference... Invasion of others’ freedoms, Liberal people end up illiberal - Nick Smith, LRI

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See also:
EFN Asia 61, Panel on TPP at Jeju Forum 2016, June 14, 2016
EFN Asia 62, Program for Conference 2016, Manila, November 20, 2016 
EFN Asia 63, Day 1 of Conference 2016, November 26, 2016

BWorld 77, Migration and housing

* This is my article in BusinessWorld last July 26, 2016.

Migration means mobility and freedom. The free movement of people along with their skills and talent, families and colleagues, culture and sports, science and technology, capital and investments, is the natural sibling of free trade of goods and commodities.

The world is far from real free trade in goods and free mobility of people, but the regional and global trend is towards more freedom, not less. The numbers to confirm this are freely available -- rising exports and imports, rising foreign investments, rising tourism.

While we are generally familiar with the number of Filipinos and other ASEAN migrants moving abroad, we are less familiar with foreign migrants who settle in the Philippines and other ASEAN countries. The numbers below are interesting. (see table)

The numbers show the following:

1. While there are more than 10 million Filipinos living and working abroad (workers and professionals, students, dependents), there are only 0.2 million foreigners who have migrated here, more or less permanently. The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is only 2.3 million, not 10 million, as explained in the table.

2. Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia are the most migrants-friendly in the ASEAN. Perhaps they allow foreigners to own residential lands. These countries are also the top international tourism destinations in the region.

3. Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam are the least friendly to foreign migrants. While the first two are weak in exports and attracting foreign investments, Vietnam’s case is weird because it is a big exporter, its annual merchandise exports is twice that of the Philippines, yet just a few foreign migrants relocate there permanently.

4. Indonesia has a different path in migration. Nearly two million in 1960, down to more than one million in 1970, and only 0.3 million in 2015. Meanwhile, the number of Indonesians working and living abroad is rising, similar to the Philippine case.

While short-staying foreign tourists and visitors would stay in hotels, migrants would stay in apartments and condos. They contribute to rising demand for housing. Filipinos who work and live abroad do not necessarily abandon or sell their houses and condos here, they keep these to stay when they come home, or allow relatives and close friends to use them.

The housing shortage is a big problem for the Philippines and other developing countries.

In a speech by Vice-President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Secretary Leni Robredo during the BusinessWorld Economic Forum last July 12, 2016, she said that the 1.4 million backlog as often reported could even reach 5.5 million, “if we will be able to have an honest-to-goodness inventory of all who do not have decent houses…. We are looking at a model demonstrated by Singapore and Hong Kong to be able to combat this problem.”

Data for Hong Kong is added in the table. Its 7.5 million local population + 2.8 million migrants + around 1-2 million tourists anytime (27.8 million tourist arrivals in 2014) is big considering its small land area. Yet housing is not much a problem there.

A quick solution to address the huge housing backlog in the Philippines is to encourage the building of more residential condos and townhouses not so much for ownership but for rental. There are at least two advantages for this.

One, more and more Filipinos are mobile these days. They may be working in Quezon City or Bulacan the previous years, they might move to Las Piñas or Cavite or Cebu in the next few years, or move abroad. Given the bad traffic condition in Metro Manila, living closer to work is a better alternative than driving long distance daily.

Two, there is less initial investments in renting than in buying a house. There is also less financial and emotional attachment to their previous house when they move out if the community has deteriorated, like getting flooded more frequently, more traffic congestion, more crime incidence, and so on.

What HUDCC and other housing-related agencies, local and national can do, is to reduce the bureaucracies and taxes for developers of condos and townhouses. These costs are ultimately passed on to unit owners, which they pass on to their unit lessors.

If there are more residential condos and apartments available, their price will naturally go down due to competition. Cheaper housing is one of the most important programs that any government can do for its people.

Bienvenido Oplas, Jr. is the head of Minimal Government Thinkers and a SEANET Fellow.

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See also:
BWorld 73, Transco and the big beneficiaries of feed in tariff, July 27, 2016
BWorld 74, Pres. Duterte's anti-corruption programs and Transparency Intl., July 30, 2016 
BWorld 75, How to profit from urban congestion, July 30, 2016 
BWorld 76, Solar can never power the PH and Asia, August 06. 2016

Election 23, Leni for VP, the Senatoriables

Only 2 main contenders for VP tomorrow. Leni Robredo ha.

For the Senators, sure winners but I will still vote for them: Pangilinan, Osmena, Drilon. These 7 candidates will fight for slots 9-12. Will vote for Gordon, de Lima, and Guingona.

Aside from sure defeat of Binay, the other consolation of this election is that lefties like Colmenares and Bello are losing. Last night, I passed by this street in Makati around 8pm. When I came back at midnight, this lefty's supporters showed their dictatorial instinct by making this white-painted wall become ugly. 

Shame Colme and ACT, or your supporters. Besides, more Filipinos are mature enough and not voting socialist- or commie-leaning politicians.

Another consideration when in doubt: Congress, the Senate especially should be independent as much as possible from the Executive branch. So in a likely event of a Du30 Presidency, the Senate should be LP majority. Also for the lower House, although many Congressmen tend to jump ship to the President's party.

From Gigo Alampay, nice advice.

"Kapit for Leni!

To all my friends who are still supporting Alan or Chiz, now's the time to make your decision - switch your vote to Leni because your vote for Alan or Chiz will only be helping the dictator's son!

P.S. Please disregard if you're going to switch to BBM. Don't switch na lang. :-)"

From Sureb Berus, another good advice.

"Ang boto para kay Leni Robredo ay boto laban kay Bongbong Marcos. #notobongbongmarcos

Sinasabi na ng latest Social Weather Stations survey na mas maliit ang posibilidad na manalo bilang vice president si Escudero, Cayetano, Honasan o Trillanes. Si Leni Robredo lang ang may laban kay Bongbong Marcos. Kung ibibigay po ninyo ang boto nyo for vice president kay Leni Robredo, malaki ang posibilidad na hindi na makabalik sa kapangyarihan ang mga Marcoses, na nagnakaw at nagpahirap sa bansa natin. Maliwanag na po ngayon na ang boto para kay Leni Robredo ay boto laban sa mga Marcoses. Kung kayo po ay naninindigan laban sa mga Marcoses, wag nyo po sayangin ang boto nyo please. Si Leni Robredo lang ang may pagasang manalo laban kay Bongbong Marcos. Kay Leni Robredo nyo na lang po ibigay ang boto nyo. Salamat."

So what is a free marketer doing in this election where no one among the major candidates is clearly free marketer or advocating minimal government? Simple. To help in defeating candidates and political parties that are outrightly for more populism and welfarism, socialism and murderous fascism, family plunder and rule of men.

In this case, Bongbong Marcos represents the party of family plunder, with billions of dollars of unreturned hidden wealth of his family to the PH treasury. After VP, he will then be eyeing the Presidency, and  it will be easier for him to capture it than if he is defeated and returns as a Senator.

For the Senatoriables, help candidates who may be welfarist (all of them, anyway) but have strong position on enforcing the rule of law.
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See also:

Election 20, Digong Duterte's rape "joke" of the Australian victim, April 18, 2016 

Election 21, Duterte and the Australian, US Ambassadors' comment on rape joke, April 22, 2016 
Election 22, Is Du30 victory almost certain? May 07, 2016

Freedom Flame Awards 2014

Last week, December 04, 2014, I attended the Freedom Flame Awards 2014 and Freedom Dinner sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Philippine Office. It was held at Enderun Colleges, Mckinley Hill, Taguig City.

There are eight awardees this year but only four came. From left: Peter Perfecto of the Makati Business Club (MBC), Arpee Santiago of the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC), Vergel de Dios of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and Jess Lorenzo, taking the place of his mom-awardee who passed away, former Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of Nueva Ecija. Great guys.

The Freedom Speech was given by Congw. Leni Robredo, 3rd District of Camarines Sur, and wife of the late Jesse Robredo, then DILG Secretary when he died in a plane crash. Congw. Leni is a humble and simple lady, soft spoken. She talked about her dreams and legislative proposals to advance more transparency and accountability in government.

She said, "Filipinos are truly enjoying more freedom now than two decades ago. But if the question is 'are we satisfied with this freedom?,' to my mind, the answer is 'not yet.'" See other things she said here.

When former Sec.Jesse Robredo was still alive, I  was able to hear him in one forum at Mandarin Hotel where he was a speaker. He was very explicit in saying that business bureaucratism by government is wrong, so when  he was the Mayor of Naga City, among the things he did was to drastically cut the approval process of getting a business permit. Within months as  Mayor, he cut the number of signatures and days to release the business permit by at least half.

To me, that is the mark of a good liberal -- less government bureaucratism, less or no unnecessary permits and fees imposed on the public -- and not so much about more transparency of a bureaucratic and tax-hungry government. Well I am no fan of BIG government, regardless of "good governance" rhetorics that people may say.

Many people came, friends of FNF in the country. During dinner, I sat at the table of Arpee Santiago with his wife and staff at AHRC.

After dinner and while sipping wine, I sat with the De La Salle Univ. (DLSU) group. Political Science Department faculty members, from left: Roman Dannug, Ian Jason Hecita, and Francisco "Kiko" Magno. The latter is also the Director of the Jesse Robredo Institute for Governance of DLSU, also a friend from UP Sapul in the 80s, and a wedding godfather :-).

FNF-PH Country Director Jules Maaten joined us for another photo. I told Jules, "at dinner I sat with the Ateneo group; after dinner, I sat with the La Salle group, but I am indifferent of these two schools." Jules asked, "where did you study", "UP" was my quick reply and I have no intention to change school affiliation or loyalty, hehehe.

At last year's Freedom Flame Awards held in Intramuros, Manila and attended by many foreign guests, Asian politicians from the Council for Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and some European politicians and leaders from Liberal International (LI), there was a fireworks display. This year, there was a lights show at the quadrangle, just outside the venue.

Another great event. Thanks for the invite Jules.
All photos from FNF-PH fb album.
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See also:
25 Years of Liberalism in the Philippines, December 07, 2011 
Freedom Flame Awards 2013, November 13, 2013 
Freedom Flame Awards 2: More Photos, November 25, 2013 
Freedom Flame Awards 3: The Magazine, April 21, 2014 
Jules Maaten's Lecture on Liberalism, May 11, 2014