Another long discourse and exchanges (13 pages) on legislated hike in minimum wage across the country, made more than 10 years ago in pilipinasforum@yahoogroups.com.
Related articles, readers may also check:
What determines wage?, May 26, 2006
Liberty and choice vs. Dictation and extortion, May 02, 2008
Econ for statists 8: Minimum wage law is wrong, July 07, 2011
Nanny state 5: Extending min wage law to foreign employers, July 09, 2011.
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PILIPINAS FORUM
www.inq7.net/Viewpoints, July 11-15, 2001
ARE LEGISLATED MINIMUM WAGE HIKES JUSTIFIED?
Basically I'm against (1) legislated wage hikes, and (2) "needs of the family of 6" argument. For this purpose, let me focus on no. 2. The "needs of family of 6" argument as basis for high demand for min. wage is wrong because it rests on many wrong assumptions:
(1) It assumes that all workers are married, that there are no single/unmarried workers - which is not true. (2) It assumes that all married workers have 4 children on average, and that they're all dependent and are not working - which is not true always. (3) It assumes that there is only 1 breadwinner in the household, that the wife or one or 2 of the children who are already of working age have no jobs - again, not true always. And (4) It assumes that wage is a function of no. of dependent children, not productivity - again wrong either by common sense or theoretical standards.
Wrong assumptions can lead you to wrong conclusions. And wrong demands. If employers will also jump the gun on this faulty principle, then they will only hire single and unmarried workers, or those with only 1 or 2 children so that the "family of six" argument will not be used against them in the wage hike bargaining.
-Nonoy Oplas
The minimum wage hike refers to increasing the amount by which the law prescribes to be the least that an employer can pay his employee. Hence, as it is the least, we can safely assume that the beneficiaries of this increase would be the least of our working brethren as well. I totally agree that the basis for the legislated wage increase should be the needs for the family of six. However, in lieu of any other alternative I must tend to agree with the legislated wage hike.
No matter what statistics claim, the consumer price index has indeed risen dramatically for the last twelve years. How much can your peso buy now? Did the government try any anti-inflationary measures, any social programs aimed at increasing savings and decreasing family expenses? If the assumptions used for a legislative increase then I suggest that the basis for the legislative increase be solely the purchasing power of the peso. Simple and neat.
However, in lieu of anything else, a legislated wage increase must be given. The price of living in the Philippines has indeed gone quite unaffordable. There must be a break somewhere. If the government could not think of another relevant bail-out then what else is left. Knowing our government or Filipino administrations in general, well, its better to have a legislated wage hike.
-Mel Velasco
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Monday, November 07, 2011
72 Children, Politics and Murder
Several politicians in the country are known to have many children from many women. When I was still working at the House of Representatives, I befriended one staff of former Congwoman Roa of Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental. Anyway, the staff told us in one friendly chat how the husband, then Governor, Congressman, Mayor, Pedro "Oloy" Roa, has fathered some 85 live children from possibly 20+ different women. And that was only those that they can account. It was possible, the staff said, that there could be other children not accounted for.
He narrated that in fairness to the past Congressman, he gave at least a house and lot to each woman with a child/children by him, assured their monthly allowance at least while he was still alive. Since he fathered so many children from many women, he naturally have many "extended" relatives, the families and kins of those women.
When Cong. Oloy Roa died, according to him, the funeral procession was sooo long that while the coffin has already reached the cemetery, the tail of the procession has just left the Church. Proving that the past Congressman has been a kind man to so many people in his district and province. So when the wife, the past Congw. Roa ran to fill the vacancy, it was a relatively easy victory.
I have no way of verifying this story as I only got it from one source, the staff of the Congw. who has also worked with the original Cong. Oloy Roa. The Congressman's main business at that time was logging. That was in the 60s to 80s.
Can you believe that, 80+ children from one man.
Anyway, here in Luzon, another politician, past Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., is known to have 72 children from 16 different women. Wow. Only a politician can achieve that.
The story of the former Senator's life is reignited because of the recent murder of one of his 72 children, Ramgen Revilla. Ramgen is said to be the former Senator's favorite son, much closer to him compared to the current Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.
A good Filipino journalist, Raissa Robles, wrote an intriguing but well-researched paper,
He narrated that in fairness to the past Congressman, he gave at least a house and lot to each woman with a child/children by him, assured their monthly allowance at least while he was still alive. Since he fathered so many children from many women, he naturally have many "extended" relatives, the families and kins of those women.
When Cong. Oloy Roa died, according to him, the funeral procession was sooo long that while the coffin has already reached the cemetery, the tail of the procession has just left the Church. Proving that the past Congressman has been a kind man to so many people in his district and province. So when the wife, the past Congw. Roa ran to fill the vacancy, it was a relatively easy victory.
I have no way of verifying this story as I only got it from one source, the staff of the Congw. who has also worked with the original Cong. Oloy Roa. The Congressman's main business at that time was logging. That was in the 60s to 80s.
Can you believe that, 80+ children from one man.
Anyway, here in Luzon, another politician, past Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., is known to have 72 children from 16 different women. Wow. Only a politician can achieve that.
The story of the former Senator's life is reignited because of the recent murder of one of his 72 children, Ramgen Revilla. Ramgen is said to be the former Senator's favorite son, much closer to him compared to the current Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.
A good Filipino journalist, Raissa Robles, wrote an intriguing but well-researched paper,
Sen. Ramon Revilla’s “Other Woman”
yesterday. She researched the life of the mother of the murdered son, Ms. Genelyn Magsaysay, via facebook. See, facebook is a good source for investigative reporting, even for researching motives of murder. Raissa posted these pics from Genelyn's facebook profile. The former Senator and his 9 children from one woman. hi.
On Nov. 6, 2011, Genelyn changed her profile photo on FB to this, showing her nine children cuddling up to their father, Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr.
Genelyn shared this family photo on Sept. 24,2010 on Facebook
Genelyn posted this on Facebook on Sept. 24, 2011
From Raissa's story, Genelyn has been complaining recently of the lack of family support given to her and her 9 children from the original Revilla family. The twist now is that the currently arrested suspect, Ramgen's brother RJ, could be the fall guy.
It is also suspicious why current Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., topnothcer in the recent Senatorial elections and is known to be eyeing the Presidency or Vice Presidency by 2016, has been dragged into the controversy and he himself called for an "urgent" press conference last Saturday, a weekend. Raissa said that most press conferences are done on weekdays, not weekends, unless it is something really urgent for the person who called up the media briefing.
Then Raissa noted that Genelyn and Sen. Bong are not friends on facebook. And about a week before the murder, Genelyn posted in her fb wall, "the allowance that you are giving is not enough for monthly consumption... election is coming again, then you will publicize how you love all your siblings, God knows what to do, you want to be the President of the Philippines..."
Clearly a dig at Sen. Bong.
Oh well, I normally don't post about personalities. It's just that this murder involving siblings from a political family is among the favorite media topics these days.
Meanwhile, who are the other Filipino personalities, in politics or business, who have at least two dozen children? Former Cong. Oloy Roa has seven dozens or more; former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. has six dozens. Wow. They helped expanded the Philippines' population a lot, siring 2-3 children a year from different women. The pro-RH bill guys could be smirking at the reproductive capacity of these two politicians.
Pilipinas Forum 17: The Church and Galileo
Another long exchange (12 pages) among members of pilipinasforum yahoogroups made 10 years ago. A friend asked me why I post here PF exchanges when some of the topics or the commentators were not obviously on free market or rule of law or personal responsibility and related topics. I replied that PF is my brainchild, I formed it along with a friend from UP, Monching Romano. It was in PF where I learned hard and long debates, and from those debates I slowly discovered the merits and beauty of free market.
I should post more PF exchanges in the coming weeks and months. Cheers.
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The Church, Faith and Galileo
Posted in inq7.net, July 25-29, 2001
As I am still wrestling at the arguments over birth control and the long-term survival of this country (I am for population control.), the Church should also ponder and make a firm stand in regard to these stories reported recently:
1. The rape of nuns by priests, mostly in Africa - some of the nuns got pregnant, and higher priests encouraged abortions. One rapist-priest even got an assignment in England.
2. The Church in Mexico is against aborting the baby of a 12-year old child. This girl, who was reported to have a mental age of 8, was raped by her own father. Sad.
-Lardy Caparas
I think priests should be allowed to get married or to have girlfriends and yes, even boyfriends (ang daming homosexual, and why should the Church condemn it?) Bakit ba nila kailangan mag-rape? But maybe the problem is deeper than just not allowing priests to have a sex life--it may have its roots in gender issues. Enforced celibacy--talk about asking people to be abnormal. Tuloy, tingnan mo nangyayari--priests rape nuns, boys, etc.
Abortion is another issue that has to be examined closely. The Church will have to take a more flexible stand. The Church may also want to examine its stand against female priests. Maybe it ought to examine its reasons for denying women a greater role in the Church.
-Vicky Suarez
We should not equate priests who have done evil with the Roman Catholic Church. That logic is seriously flawed. It is similar to saying that since some of our countrymen are corrupt, then Filipinos in general must be corrupt.
The Church itself is a supernatural institution which will last until the end of time, as Jesus Himself guaranteed when he installed Peter as the rock on which the Church was built. Its members are not only the hierarchy, meaning the pope, bishops and priests, but also all the lay people who have been baptised. When we criticise the Church, we really criticise all the members of this institution.
What the Church reminds us is that man has a soul that is immortal. We have intelligence, free will, creativity, emotions, etc. which are manifestations of this spiritual soul. We do not inherit them from our parents like our physical traits, they are unique and unrepeatable gifts from God. These are infused in each one of us from conception and whether these are developed and nurtured to the full depends heavily on the environment in which the child grows – which explains the important role of parents, teachers and community in life-long education.
The Church teaches us that our life in this world is a pilgrimage to our ultimate destiny, which is Heaven. She teaches us to love one another as we love our neighbors, to live honest lives, to be generous, to work hard, etc. Aren't these the things we need to ensure full development? The poverty and wars that we see around us are in fact caused by greed and selfishness by people. If we only truly lived the Christian virtues individually and collectively, our society would be much different. The so-called Christian societies that scandalise us are only really caricatures of the true community that Christianity preaches.
Love itself involves trade-offs. Priests and other religious give up the material comforts of lay people to live their vocation of total dedication to God. The sacrifices that they make are not negative but really a positive affirmation of their love for God. Similarly, a married person has to fight against the temptation of having extra-marital relations with other people. Do we call the extraordinary acts of fidelity by spouses to each other as repression? Love is an act of the will. And our will has the freedom of doing both good or evil - to be faithful or not. To be faithful to one's spouse or to the priestly vocation is to really love. Otherwise, one would only really love oneself, which is selfishness.
-Ronald Villanueva
I should post more PF exchanges in the coming weeks and months. Cheers.
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The Church, Faith and Galileo
Posted in inq7.net, July 25-29, 2001
As I am still wrestling at the arguments over birth control and the long-term survival of this country (I am for population control.), the Church should also ponder and make a firm stand in regard to these stories reported recently:
1. The rape of nuns by priests, mostly in Africa - some of the nuns got pregnant, and higher priests encouraged abortions. One rapist-priest even got an assignment in England.
2. The Church in Mexico is against aborting the baby of a 12-year old child. This girl, who was reported to have a mental age of 8, was raped by her own father. Sad.
-Lardy Caparas
I think priests should be allowed to get married or to have girlfriends and yes, even boyfriends (ang daming homosexual, and why should the Church condemn it?) Bakit ba nila kailangan mag-rape? But maybe the problem is deeper than just not allowing priests to have a sex life--it may have its roots in gender issues. Enforced celibacy--talk about asking people to be abnormal. Tuloy, tingnan mo nangyayari--priests rape nuns, boys, etc.
Abortion is another issue that has to be examined closely. The Church will have to take a more flexible stand. The Church may also want to examine its stand against female priests. Maybe it ought to examine its reasons for denying women a greater role in the Church.
-Vicky Suarez
We should not equate priests who have done evil with the Roman Catholic Church. That logic is seriously flawed. It is similar to saying that since some of our countrymen are corrupt, then Filipinos in general must be corrupt.
The Church itself is a supernatural institution which will last until the end of time, as Jesus Himself guaranteed when he installed Peter as the rock on which the Church was built. Its members are not only the hierarchy, meaning the pope, bishops and priests, but also all the lay people who have been baptised. When we criticise the Church, we really criticise all the members of this institution.
What the Church reminds us is that man has a soul that is immortal. We have intelligence, free will, creativity, emotions, etc. which are manifestations of this spiritual soul. We do not inherit them from our parents like our physical traits, they are unique and unrepeatable gifts from God. These are infused in each one of us from conception and whether these are developed and nurtured to the full depends heavily on the environment in which the child grows – which explains the important role of parents, teachers and community in life-long education.
The Church teaches us that our life in this world is a pilgrimage to our ultimate destiny, which is Heaven. She teaches us to love one another as we love our neighbors, to live honest lives, to be generous, to work hard, etc. Aren't these the things we need to ensure full development? The poverty and wars that we see around us are in fact caused by greed and selfishness by people. If we only truly lived the Christian virtues individually and collectively, our society would be much different. The so-called Christian societies that scandalise us are only really caricatures of the true community that Christianity preaches.
Love itself involves trade-offs. Priests and other religious give up the material comforts of lay people to live their vocation of total dedication to God. The sacrifices that they make are not negative but really a positive affirmation of their love for God. Similarly, a married person has to fight against the temptation of having extra-marital relations with other people. Do we call the extraordinary acts of fidelity by spouses to each other as repression? Love is an act of the will. And our will has the freedom of doing both good or evil - to be faithful or not. To be faithful to one's spouse or to the priestly vocation is to really love. Otherwise, one would only really love oneself, which is selfishness.
-Ronald Villanueva
Sunday, November 06, 2011
Population Control 6: Debate with Filipino Freethinkers
One of my friends added me to the Filipino Freethinkers facebook group. Well, I got added to other fb groups without my permission. Normally I just lurk and don't post. I've heard of the Freethinkers group, they are a group of atheists, agnostics, deists, etc. and they are vocal supporters of the RH bill which I have argued in this blog as an implicit population control bill. The group can also be found at http://filipinofreethinkers.org/.
Since I don't believe in government-sponsored population control -- but I believe in household decision on family or population control, it's their life -- I thought I should perk them up even a little. I posted my paper, Population Control 4: "Excess People" and Government (posted October 28, 2011) and waited if any of its nearly 3,000 members will react. Then I followed it up with this one below, the expected reactions indeed came.
I am posting this without the permission of the other protagonists, so I removed their photo and family name. I keep their messages, well not all, as some of their postings were really long.
This thread I expect, will continue for the next few days, so I will update this blog entry from time to time to post new exchanges. I'm happy so far that we all focused on the issue, no name-calling or ad hominem attacks despite clear differences of opinion on the subject.
I also expect that the Freethinkers guys will also post their own stories and their longer comments about their debate with me in their website. It should be perfectly ok, no problem with me. I only want more exchanges on the subject. Such debates also help me re-check my arguments and data if they remain valid or not.
Cheers.
Since I don't believe in government-sponsored population control -- but I believe in household decision on family or population control, it's their life -- I thought I should perk them up even a little. I posted my paper, Population Control 4: "Excess People" and Government (posted October 28, 2011) and waited if any of its nearly 3,000 members will react. Then I followed it up with this one below, the expected reactions indeed came.
I am posting this without the permission of the other protagonists, so I removed their photo and family name. I keep their messages, well not all, as some of their postings were really long.
This thread I expect, will continue for the next few days, so I will update this blog entry from time to time to post new exchanges. I'm happy so far that we all focused on the issue, no name-calling or ad hominem attacks despite clear differences of opinion on the subject.
I also expect that the Freethinkers guys will also post their own stories and their longer comments about their debate with me in their website. It should be perfectly ok, no problem with me. I only want more exchanges on the subject. Such debates also help me re-check my arguments and data if they remain valid or not.
Cheers.
- Nonoy Oplas No counter-arguments, hmmm. Here's a more recent paper arguing why the RH bill and population control is wrong policy, again, from a purely economic standpoint,http://funwithgovernment.b
logspot.com/2011/11/popula tion-control-5-sex-educati on-7.html. Government and Taxes: Population Control 5: Sex Education, 7 Billion People, and Congestion,funwithgovernment.blogspot.com
Jessica [Soon, students will be good in menstruation science but idiots in basic algebra and word problems.]
This doesn't follow. At all.
[. My beef is why use the govt and its coercive forces to implement such policy? I wrote in that blog article about 2x, Can't supporters of family planning spend their own resources to buy condoms, pills, etc and distribute these to the poor? ]
Uhm, yeeeaaah. This one is not even wrong. Technically, government money *is* a resource of private citizens, to be used for the public good. And a drastic reduction of unwanted(note: unwanted. Use of contraceptives=optional. Where's the coercion?) conception will lead to less abortion and less complications for women.
Apart from that, this is like arguing that we shouldn't spend government money on flood aid because not all of us live in low-lying areas. Right.
Michael I'm interested in hearing Mr. Nonoy's model for less government, as that seems to underpin his opposition to any RH legislation. Correct me if I'm wrong, please do. But I'm firmly of the opinion that RH covers an essential health measure that, thanks (!) to conservatism and Catholicism both, has long been neglected. I'd like to know what Nonoy thinks about government spending on public health in general, and how it affects his views on RH. Cheers.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
IPR and Medicines 15: New Vaccines and Public Health
Preventive healthcare is oftentimes more effective than curative healthcare. Have healthy or at least non-abusive lifestyle, get certain vaccines against some known dangerous infectious diseases, while one is not yet sick.
I saw these news reports recently, they are giving hope to humanity who want early protection against certain communicable diseases.
Above news is about vaccine vs. malaria. I thought that there are already existing vaccines against this mosquito-born disease.
Lower news report is about the Patent Pool to discover new drugs against AIDS. These are voluntary schemes, no coercion like compulsory licensing is involved, to develop treatment for patients suffering from, or being exposed to, AIDS.
Here's another news from Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) where physician-researchers have tried the drug that they are developing yet on themselves. For these physicians to do this, they must have high confidence on the efficacy and safety of their new drug and vaccine.
News above is definitely good news for patients suffering from certain type/s of cancer, also the family members and friends of the cancer patient. I'm particularly keen on new drugs to curtail or kill cancer. My elder brother, my sister in law, two of our wedding Godmothers, my mother's two cousins, have all died of cancer. If someday, more powerful drugs will be invented against various types of cancer, I shall be even happier. People should live long and productive lives whenever possible, that is why keeping a healthy lifestyle is important.
New drugs against infection, or other anti-biotics treatment, should be another welcome news for many people around the world.
Finally, the much-awaited vaccine against dengue. It is expected to be commercially available by 2014. Some 2,000 Filipino children and 4,000 Thai children were among those who participated in the clinical tests and the results have been generally positive.
It is to be expected that the initial price will be high to allow the innovator company to recoup its high costs of developing the vaccine, compensate for failed or unsuccessful molecules and drugs that did not pass the stringent approval process. But with high volume procurement by both private and government agencies in many countries, evem the initial price can be further brought down. When other innovator companies will also commercially produce their own dengue vaccines, or when the patent by Sanofi will expire after a few years and generic drugs can be introduced and sold, the price should drastically go down, benefitting more patients from more provinces and countries.
I am hopeful that the populist belief that government coercive policies should be imposed against new drug innovation as often as possible, will soon taper off, if not die down. What the Philippines and other developing countries need, is less politics and more scientific discoveries, more competition among many players, in health and other sectors. Competition among innovator companies, competition among generic manufacturers, competition among drugstores and other healthcare providers.
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See also IPR and Medicines 14: Compulsory Licensing in developing countries, October 04, 2011.
I saw these news reports recently, they are giving hope to humanity who want early protection against certain communicable diseases.
Lower news report is about the Patent Pool to discover new drugs against AIDS. These are voluntary schemes, no coercion like compulsory licensing is involved, to develop treatment for patients suffering from, or being exposed to, AIDS.
New drugs against infection, or other anti-biotics treatment, should be another welcome news for many people around the world.
It is to be expected that the initial price will be high to allow the innovator company to recoup its high costs of developing the vaccine, compensate for failed or unsuccessful molecules and drugs that did not pass the stringent approval process. But with high volume procurement by both private and government agencies in many countries, evem the initial price can be further brought down. When other innovator companies will also commercially produce their own dengue vaccines, or when the patent by Sanofi will expire after a few years and generic drugs can be introduced and sold, the price should drastically go down, benefitting more patients from more provinces and countries.
I am hopeful that the populist belief that government coercive policies should be imposed against new drug innovation as often as possible, will soon taper off, if not die down. What the Philippines and other developing countries need, is less politics and more scientific discoveries, more competition among many players, in health and other sectors. Competition among innovator companies, competition among generic manufacturers, competition among drugstores and other healthcare providers.
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See also IPR and Medicines 14: Compulsory Licensing in developing countries, October 04, 2011.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
LTO Bureaucracy 3: Endless Fines and Penalties
Last Sunday, October 30, I drove my old pick up to Pangasinan. My wife, two young girls and their yaya were my passengers. At the back are some old things that we are donating to our farm caretaker in Pangasinan -- an old refrigerator, a rice dispenser, an old cushion, etc. After paying at the first tollgate, I was stopped by a tollway guard, and told to park on the side. I was wondering what my crime was.
My violation, I was told, was UNSAFE LOAD NOT PROPERLY SECURED. The refrigator was tied, I tied it myself. Then it was blocked by the rice dispenser, then the old bed cushion, then the back or tail gate of the pick up. I thought it was properly secured already.
I told the apprehending officer, Mr. Orolaza, of TMC, deputized by the Land Transpo. Office (LTO), that I was driving slow, 65-75 kph even on a straight, pothole-free highway, and my 2 young girls (aged 5 and 1 year olds) were with me, so I really have to drive very carefully. He said it was not secure enough, that there should be a canvass cover. Well, I did not have a canvass cover, I didn't know that they would be so particular about it. I asked if they have a manual or a copy of the LTO regulation that states and defines what is "Unsafe Load Not Properly Secured", he could not produce any.
Sensing that it was fruitless to argue, I later appealed to him, "Bosing, huwag nyo na po akong hulihin, di ko kasi alam ganon kayo ka istrikto at mabagal naman ako magpatakbo", but Mr. Orolaza was determined on getting my driver's license and slapping a fine on me.
Irritated, I just shook my head at these insensitive government bureaucrats and accepted the temporary driver's permit he gave and went back to driving. He said that I can contest it at the LTO main office in Quezon City if I want to.
As I was driving slow, it took me more than four hours to reach Bugallon, Pangasinan, here at km. post 198, in front of the Bugallon Municipal Hall. Nothing moved unnecessarily, the refrigerator nor the rice dispenser or any other cargo did not tilt or whatever.
I was curious what that violation is all about, I went to the LTO website, clicked on Fines and Penalties, I see this, http://www.lto.gov.ph/fines_and_penalties/penalties.aspx#v_load_limits. It's Department Order No. 2008-39, SUBJECT: REVISED SCHEDULE OF LTO FINES AND PENALTIES FOR TRAFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATIONS.
It's a looong list of various forms of violations and their corresponding fines and penalties. There were 97 different violations, with sub-sections on certain items. The closest violation that is explicitly stated in the Department Order that I can see is #75, Reckless Driving (it has 32 different forms of violations), letter (c) "Failure to provide canvass cover to cargos or freight of trucks requiring the same."
For this crime, the government will confiscate P1,000 from me before they will give back my driver's license. I paid the government motor vehicle registration charge and other fees last April, pay my personal income tax monthly, paid VAT on toll rates (the P195 became P218), paid VAT, import tax, etc. on diesel, etc. The government wants more, more money from citizens even for minor lapses.
I plan to write a letter of appeal to the LTO tomorrow when I redeem my driver's license. I do not know how receptive they are for such exercise. Will they give me a hard time, like make me wait for hours or days? If they will do it, I'll just pay the penalty and get out of their office as quickly as I can.
I should write a follow up story about this after I come back from the LTO tomorrow.
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See also
LTO Bureaucracy 1: Hidden Costs in Vehicle Registration, May 04, 2010
LTO Bureaucracy 2: Renewing a Driver's License, October 26, 2010
Irritated, I just shook my head at these insensitive government bureaucrats and accepted the temporary driver's permit he gave and went back to driving. He said that I can contest it at the LTO main office in Quezon City if I want to.
I was curious what that violation is all about, I went to the LTO website, clicked on Fines and Penalties, I see this, http://www.lto.gov.ph/fines_and_penalties/penalties.aspx#v_load_limits. It's Department Order No. 2008-39, SUBJECT: REVISED SCHEDULE OF LTO FINES AND PENALTIES FOR TRAFFICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE VIOLATIONS.
It's a looong list of various forms of violations and their corresponding fines and penalties. There were 97 different violations, with sub-sections on certain items. The closest violation that is explicitly stated in the Department Order that I can see is #75, Reckless Driving (it has 32 different forms of violations), letter (c) "Failure to provide canvass cover to cargos or freight of trucks requiring the same."
For this crime, the government will confiscate P1,000 from me before they will give back my driver's license. I paid the government motor vehicle registration charge and other fees last April, pay my personal income tax monthly, paid VAT on toll rates (the P195 became P218), paid VAT, import tax, etc. on diesel, etc. The government wants more, more money from citizens even for minor lapses.
I plan to write a letter of appeal to the LTO tomorrow when I redeem my driver's license. I do not know how receptive they are for such exercise. Will they give me a hard time, like make me wait for hours or days? If they will do it, I'll just pay the penalty and get out of their office as quickly as I can.
I should write a follow up story about this after I come back from the LTO tomorrow.
--------
See also
LTO Bureaucracy 1: Hidden Costs in Vehicle Registration, May 04, 2010
LTO Bureaucracy 2: Renewing a Driver's License, October 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Pilipinas Forum 16: On Rice Trade Liberalization
Here's another long discussion (16 pages long!) from different people, on liberalizing rice trading in the Philippines, made in pilipinasforum yahoogroups. As usual, get your popcorn or other favorite snacks while reading the exchanges 10 years ago.
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On Rice Trade Liberalization
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On Rice Trade Liberalization
August 2001
Theory: there is gain from trade. Trade allows people of countries who do not produce certain commodities cheaply, access to these products through imports; at the same time, trade allows people who efficiently & cheaply produce certain commodities to export these goods, giving them the foreign exchange revenue to finance their imports. Thus, countries' welfare increases.
NEDA favors early liberalization (convert present import quotas into tariffs, and later on, lower tariff rates) of rice trade since trade protection to the sector is time-bound. But DA wants to keep the quantitative restrictions (QRs) on rice.
Before, only the state-owned NFA imports rice from abroad. Starting this year, private traders will be allowed to import rice up to 20,000 MT. But they must pay a minimum "equalization fee" of P3,240/MT or P3.24/kilo for the March 2 auction, on top of the 50 percent tariff.
Current World Rice Prices. Prices as of end-February range at $190/ton for white Thai rice (5% broken, "class A") down to $150/ton (35% broken). At P48/$, this is equivalent to only P9,120/ton or P9.12/kilo for class A rice, and P7,200/ton or P7.20/kilo for lower class rice (vs. P14-P22/kilo local prices).
There is net gain from trade. The clear winners are the rice consumers, fisher folks and non-rice farmers, users of important agricultural inputs like machinery and fertilizers (the farmers themselves), among others. The losers are some Filipino rice farmers who cannot compete price-wise despite lower imported cost of agricultural inputs.
We need to hasten agricultural trade liberalization. Though the country still has 4 years to further prepare (aside from the last 6 years of preparation) for such liberalization, the perennial production deficit, and consistently high prices, of local grain and sugar, mandate that we should hasten the liberalization. The benefits generally outweigh the costs.
Rice "self-sufficiency" does not mean that we should grow all the rice that we need. Rather, we only need to ensure that rice will be made available at sufficient supply and cheap, stable prices for our consumers. This would imply a good combination of domestic production and importation. If we do our assignment well, meaning the efficient laying of important safety nets, particularly infrastructure and technology support system to our farmers, coupled with trade liberalization plan, we shall help improve our farmers' productivity and output.
-- Nonoy Oplas
Nonoy , et al,
I also strongly go for the liberalization of rice trade for the following reasons: (a) import quotas or quantitative restrictions (QR) only breed corruption, and politicking; and (b) shortages and steep local price (retail) of the stuff is imminent because its trading becomes speculative; this has happened time and time again. The unscrupulous traders and corrupt gov't officials benefit, while both the farmers and consumers suffer.
Instead of "self sufficiency," the policy and strategy should be "self-reliance" i.e. having the purchasing power. Thus the farmer may be assisted with alternative sources of income, and better infrastructure and management services. (Thanks for the facts and figures).
-- Roy P.
Pareng Nonoy and All,
I agree with the merits of rice trade liberalization, and I have to say as well that I am impressed by the neatness of the methodology used in quantifying the demand-supply gap.
Just some thoughts/views alongside the last paras of Pareng Nonoy's paper:
* Trade liberalization in general, as experienced in Latin countries (Chile, Argentina & Mexico?, 1994-1995) created some shocks esp. on the balance of payments. Often, econ analysts would suggest that long term policies like trade liberalization should be coupled with short term reforms to avoid the shocks. I hope that the government is doing some short term fine tuning as we edge towards the 10th year for rice trade lib.
* The rice trade lib should not be an excuse for government not to pursue efforts that would maximize yield of cultivated/irrigated rice lands. Land parcels are /should be classified according to best use. Those which are declared best suited for rice should be protected from conversion, and supported with infrastructure and support services to ensure productive efficiency. The demand-supply gap may be bridged by importation of cheaper rice, and the competitive price of imported rice should force local farms to be more efficient. But a widening gap through the years must not be relied more on bridging it with imports but more on achieving greater farm efficiencies. A slow adjustment to rice trade lib may kill "best-use" rice farms and force conversions. I'll make mention here the ill effects of the "impermanence syndrome". This is one of the primary killers of cultivated lands in Australia, and this syndrome has been the reaso behind major conversions in Laguna and Batangas.
NEDA favors early liberalization (convert present import quotas into tariffs, and later on, lower tariff rates) of rice trade since trade protection to the sector is time-bound. But DA wants to keep the quantitative restrictions (QRs) on rice.
Before, only the state-owned NFA imports rice from abroad. Starting this year, private traders will be allowed to import rice up to 20,000 MT. But they must pay a minimum "equalization fee" of P3,240/MT or P3.24/kilo for the March 2 auction, on top of the 50 percent tariff.
Current World Rice Prices. Prices as of end-February range at $190/ton for white Thai rice (5% broken, "class A") down to $150/ton (35% broken). At P48/$, this is equivalent to only P9,120/ton or P9.12/kilo for class A rice, and P7,200/ton or P7.20/kilo for lower class rice (vs. P14-P22/kilo local prices).
We need to hasten agricultural trade liberalization. Though the country still has 4 years to further prepare (aside from the last 6 years of preparation) for such liberalization, the perennial production deficit, and consistently high prices, of local grain and sugar, mandate that we should hasten the liberalization. The benefits generally outweigh the costs.
Rice "self-sufficiency" does not mean that we should grow all the rice that we need. Rather, we only need to ensure that rice will be made available at sufficient supply and cheap, stable prices for our consumers. This would imply a good combination of domestic production and importation. If we do our assignment well, meaning the efficient laying of important safety nets, particularly infrastructure and technology support system to our farmers, coupled with trade liberalization plan, we shall help improve our farmers' productivity and output.
-- Nonoy Oplas
Nonoy , et al,
I also strongly go for the liberalization of rice trade for the following reasons: (a) import quotas or quantitative restrictions (QR) only breed corruption, and politicking; and (b) shortages and steep local price (retail) of the stuff is imminent because its trading becomes speculative; this has happened time and time again. The unscrupulous traders and corrupt gov't officials benefit, while both the farmers and consumers suffer.
Instead of "self sufficiency," the policy and strategy should be "self-reliance" i.e. having the purchasing power. Thus the farmer may be assisted with alternative sources of income, and better infrastructure and management services. (Thanks for the facts and figures).
-- Roy P.
Pareng Nonoy and All,
I agree with the merits of rice trade liberalization, and I have to say as well that I am impressed by the neatness of the methodology used in quantifying the demand-supply gap.
Just some thoughts/views alongside the last paras of Pareng Nonoy's paper:
* Trade liberalization in general, as experienced in Latin countries (Chile, Argentina & Mexico?, 1994-1995) created some shocks esp. on the balance of payments. Often, econ analysts would suggest that long term policies like trade liberalization should be coupled with short term reforms to avoid the shocks. I hope that the government is doing some short term fine tuning as we edge towards the 10th year for rice trade lib.
* The rice trade lib should not be an excuse for government not to pursue efforts that would maximize yield of cultivated/irrigated rice lands. Land parcels are /should be classified according to best use. Those which are declared best suited for rice should be protected from conversion, and supported with infrastructure and support services to ensure productive efficiency. The demand-supply gap may be bridged by importation of cheaper rice, and the competitive price of imported rice should force local farms to be more efficient. But a widening gap through the years must not be relied more on bridging it with imports but more on achieving greater farm efficiencies. A slow adjustment to rice trade lib may kill "best-use" rice farms and force conversions. I'll make mention here the ill effects of the "impermanence syndrome". This is one of the primary killers of cultivated lands in Australia, and this syndrome has been the reaso behind major conversions in Laguna and Batangas.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Population Control 5: Sex Education, 7 Billion People, and Congestion,
I posted in my facebook wall my earlier discussion, Population Control 4: "Excess People" and Government last October 26, 2011. It attracted some healthy exchange with some friends. I am posting below portions of those exchanges, I removed postings or comments not related to the topic.
Kat: I am having a hard time accepting your premise that population control is wrong, especially in the case of the Philippines.
Emmanuel: I agree with Nonoy...In the Philippines, high population is blamed for a host of problems, but the real causes are related to the general lack of productivity and terrible government policies especially those supported by significant numbers of people...I remember living in the Philippines when the population was much less; the levels of poverty were still very high...Even when the population was only 25 million, same situation....A large percentage of people were still poor.....
Stephen: Interesting discussion, and a worthy one. We being "pro-life" isn't just about whether or not one wants to protect babies. We must have strong efforts to promote quality of life. We see people living under bridges, or on landfills, and just say "Well, that's the way it is." But it doesn't have to be that way. And a true "pro-life" advocate would be working to change THAT, so that the babies who are born will be as productive as possible. Each of us is created in the image and likeness of our God. We must work so that these creations don't live in garbage.
That said, I'm not entirely certain of how the term "population control" is defined. Suggesting restraint and self-control is arguably "population control." I suggest that we try to adopt language that is more clear and removes or at least reduces ambiguity in our assertions. What I may see as "population control" may not even be on your "radar screen." Thus, we're talking but with two different directions.
Kat: I do not agree with Nonoy's point in anti-RH bill because I think women are the ones to suffer from the lack of sex education in the country.
I will take it over none at all. Even if inadequately done, it will provide sex education to students now. They will not have the capacity to offer consultations/ services to all mothers in the community, but it will open up information to students. Give teachers a chance to clarify misconceptions. Isn't that better than none at all?
I will even agree to rationalization/ streamlining or a revamp of bureaucracy. But does the same extend to continued prevention of sex education in the country? I don't think so.
Emmanuel: How is it that civilization managed to exist and thrive for so many thousands of years without sex education?
Kat: I am coming from a point where I hear male teenagers say that it was the girl's fault that she was pregnant because she was a slut and he does not hold responsibility for it.
Emmanuel: Sex education has been taught in American schools for decades and American boys still get girls pregnant and call them sluts....So if you think sex education is the solution, think again....The real problem in the U.S. and the Philippines with regard to getting young girls pregnant is a lack of morals, and you cannot resolve that through "sex education." If the government shows irresponsibility, how can I trust them to do other things right, even when teaching "sex education.?"
Kat: I am having a hard time accepting your premise that population control is wrong, especially in the case of the Philippines.
Stephen: Interesting discussion, and a worthy one. We being "pro-life" isn't just about whether or not one wants to protect babies. We must have strong efforts to promote quality of life. We see people living under bridges, or on landfills, and just say "Well, that's the way it is." But it doesn't have to be that way. And a true "pro-life" advocate would be working to change THAT, so that the babies who are born will be as productive as possible. Each of us is created in the image and likeness of our God. We must work so that these creations don't live in garbage.
That said, I'm not entirely certain of how the term "population control" is defined. Suggesting restraint and self-control is arguably "population control." I suggest that we try to adopt language that is more clear and removes or at least reduces ambiguity in our assertions. What I may see as "population control" may not even be on your "radar screen." Thus, we're talking but with two different directions.
Kat: I do not agree with Nonoy's point in anti-RH bill because I think women are the ones to suffer from the lack of sex education in the country.
I will take it over none at all. Even if inadequately done, it will provide sex education to students now. They will not have the capacity to offer consultations/ services to all mothers in the community, but it will open up information to students. Give teachers a chance to clarify misconceptions. Isn't that better than none at all?
I will even agree to rationalization/ streamlining or a revamp of bureaucracy. But does the same extend to continued prevention of sex education in the country? I don't think so.
Emmanuel: How is it that civilization managed to exist and thrive for so many thousands of years without sex education?
Kat: I am coming from a point where I hear male teenagers say that it was the girl's fault that she was pregnant because she was a slut and he does not hold responsibility for it.
Emmanuel: Sex education has been taught in American schools for decades and American boys still get girls pregnant and call them sluts....So if you think sex education is the solution, think again....The real problem in the U.S. and the Philippines with regard to getting young girls pregnant is a lack of morals, and you cannot resolve that through "sex education." If the government shows irresponsibility, how can I trust them to do other things right, even when teaching "sex education.?"
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