Weekend Fun 5: Cats, Dogs and Harmony

To attain more harmony among men, sometimes we have to look at nature, and more specifically, at our pets. Like cats and dogs.

While the general notion, at least in the past, is that dogs and cats are "natural enemies" since they live in the same house of their masters and would tend to compete on several things like food, space, and their masters' attention. Or dogs tend to make fun of cats since the latter are smaller.

Here are photos -- all from the web, not one from my camera -- of dogs and cats harmony, or at least at the moment these photos were taken. The scenes are cute, or funny.

(I actually revised these photos, instead of individual photos, I mixed 3-4 in one frame to save space as I got more photos.)

Cat in the upper right photo seems to be in a non-playing mood but the dog isn't belligerent. I find the lower left photo funny, I'm smiling. :-)

Caption on the lower left photo is funny, one cat ponders, "I think there's a spy among us", hahaha. Lower right, the dog cannot complain, the master is right beside them.


Ok, enough of dog-cats. Below are just about dogs, their funny poses, again, all from the web. Here they go.

Happy weekend.

Counterflow transpo 3: Armored vans

(Note: This series is about notorious violators of traffic-laws in the country. The earlier stories are: Part 1 Trisikad, and Part 2 Tricycles)

Armored vans carrying huge amount of money and other valuables are among the worst traffic violators in the country. They counter-flow with impunity, make left-turn or U-turn on "No left turn" and "No U-turn" corners, they park on no-parking areas. Not all the time that their drivers and personnel are lawless elements on the roads, but most of the time, they are simply lawless. In this picture, an armored van getting (or delivering) money for a bank in Leviste street in Makati. This is a one-way street but this van is facing the incoming vehicles. Idiot and lawless people.

This van actually cut my path while I was driving my toddler daughter to her school in Makati. I knew the plan of that van's driver -- he will make a left turn on a "No left turn" street in Buendia corner Malugay stree, Makati. Note that their plate no. is not easily visible, only their body number is visible.

And true enough, he did take a left turn on that street. Another idiot and lawless motorist on the street. Most policemen and government traffic enforcers just allow these lawless people to violate traffic laws with impunity. That has been my observation and hypothesis for a long time.

But not this morning.

This idiot armored van driver was stopped by 2 traffic enforcers this morning on a busy Ayala-Buendia intersection for some traffic violation. The idiot driver argued with the traffic officers. His driver's license was being demanded by the traffic officers, and he would not give it and gestured as if he owns the road and should not be penalized for whatever traffic law violation.

Other side of the scene. Makati police car blocked his path as the idiot driver was still arguing that he is right. This mini-drama caused additional traffic build-up on that busy morning on a busy intersection.

Ordinary motorists like me cannot discipline these rogue drivers. They drive an all-metal vehicle, they have guns and their people are ready to shoot for whatever reason or alibi. Thus, policemen and govement traffic officiers should check these idiots on the roads.

I am happy that today, at least one idiot was given a lesson. In full public view.

Counterfeit Drugs 4: Drugs Can Kill

(Note: this is my article yesterday at thelobbyist.biz)

Drugs and medicines are among the highly emotional and political commodities in any society because they are associated with people’s health, People almost always look at drugs as compounds or substances that can heal or cure them from their illness. Thus, the endless political intrusion in drug pricing, trading and manufacturing in many countries.

But do many people realize that while drugs can heal, drugs can also kill?

There are many ways that drugs can kill, directly or indirectly.

One is when patients take counterfeit or substandard medicines. The counterfeits are those that do not contain the necessary ingredients and hence, cannot deliver the substances to control or kill a particular disease. Substandard drugs are those that contain the sufficient ingredients but at insufficient amount, usually below 80 percent of the required active pharmaceutical ingredients. When patients take these drugs, the virus, bacteria, or other disease molecules in their body either multiply or evolve to something more serious or more deadly. As days pass by, either the patient does not get well, or becomes even more sickly.

Two is when patients take the correct, non-fake, and manufactured at good standard drugs, but mis-stored and mis-handled, reducing their efficacy and safety. For instance, drugs that should be stored at 20 to 30 deg. C at all times, when brought to a place at 31 C or warmer for an extended period of time, will lose their full efficacy and safety. These drugs may deliver the same negative result as taking the fake or substandard ones.

Three is when there is irrational drug use. When patients self-medicate and take just any drugs that they heard from other people or saw in tv or billboard advertising, without professional supervision by a pharmacist or a physician. This case happens more often if drugs are given away for free or are sold cheaply. So patients may take the wrong drugs, or the right drugs but at the wrong dosage, and so on.

Four is when patients take expired drugs and hence, have almost zero efficacy and are unsafe. These drugs may be in some cabinet in the house for a long time, or given away for free by some local government units but the drugs are not well-supervised and monitored by professional pharmacists. There have been reports where useful drugs, expired drugs, cockroach, garbage and other dirty materials are mixed up in one room with no temperature control by some municipal or city or provincial pharmacies.

Five is when patients take drugs that are well-stored, well-handled, produced at good manufacturing practices, but were developed in other countries and continents. The various clinical trials have been conducted on people from the tropics or poorer countries in the temperate zones, the trials produced good results, but may have harmful results on patients in the northern hemisphere and richer countries. This is a tricky subject, and there is a long discussion about this at Deadly Medicines. I suggest that readers visit that article.

There should be other factors that can contribute to “drugs can kill” cases. That phrase actually came from a Filipino pharmacist friend who emphasized the importance of professional supervision by trained pharmacists and physicians when people are sick.

So the next time we are sick, we should not take just any drugs that we heard from friends or we saw on tv or newspaper or billboard ads. Perhaps we may not need drugs at all, perhaps we may need only more rest, more water, and less or zero undesirable food and drinks that can trigger some adverse health results in our body. Seeking health professionals’ advice and maintaining healthy lifestyle will produce better health outcome, than just taking any drugs, even if these drugs are priced very low or given away for free.
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See also:
Counterfeit Drugs 1: On the Growing Fake Drugs Worldwide, December 21, 2007
Counterfeit Drugs 2: IPN Report on Fake Drugs in Poor Countries, May 29, 2009
Counterfeit Drugs 3: The SCLD, RA 8203, June 04, 2009

Pol. Ideology 18: John Lennon and Liberty, Purpose of the Law

John Lennon, one of the greatest musicians of this planet, I'm a fan of him -- and The Beatles -- until now. His 30th death anniversary was last week, December 8. This post is overdue then, but I'm still posting it. Because he's my idol.

John is not a libertarian. But there are a few songs he wrote where liberty and peace are highlighted. I chose 3 of them here and posted portions of those songs.

Where there is individual freedom, where there is little or no external coercion, there is peace, peace in diversity and non-uniformity.

1. Imagine

...Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...


2. Revolution

...We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be alright

...You ask me for a contribution
Well you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be alright...

...You tell me it's the institution
Well you know
You better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know know it's gonna be alright
Alright, Alright.

3. Happy Christmas (War is Over)

And so this is Xmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Xmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight

A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear


Merry Christmas, John and all.
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Posting two related papers here.

(1) Purpose of the Law

(A guest post by a friend who prefers to call himself as "FMG". Thanks buddy!)

Some say the law should also be used to provide more for those with less in life (Ramon Magsaysay Sr.).

I think, at the end of the day, laws are unavoidably made to control human behavior at varying degrees.

The question is: to what end do we craft our laws? Some like Ramon Magsaysay want to use the law to impose obligations on one group to another (more on this later). As a libertarian I believe we should maximize individual freedom.

Whenever I say this I'm sometimes accused of being an anarchist; encouraging chaos and lawlessness. But this is untrue. I too, believe in law and that the restrictions of law can and does in fact increase individual freedom.

As Nonoy said, there are laws against killing and stealing. And I support these laws because they support my values of maximizing individual freedom. We are all made freer if we all give up the freedom/right to wantonly kill and steal from each other. It allows to plan our future with less uncertainty which leads to increases in productivity and higher standards of living. This allows us to afford greater material security and freedom from hunger, deprivation, poverty, etc.

Going back to Ramon Magsaysay's penchant for using law to increase positive freedoms, notice that I emphasized all in my previous paragraph. This is another value I have: the law ought to be blind and non-discriminatory applying to all. Like Hayek, I believe when you craft laws to "help" a "disadvantaged" group, you cannot help but be discriminatory. You cannot help but provide exclusive/unique rights to one group not given to other groups.

Thus in this case, the purpose of the law is no longer to benefit the whole of society but to lobby as many privileges as one possibly can for one's group and to hell with other groups. I don't think I have to elaborate on the negative effects this has on the incentives for productive work other than: "why work if you can get paid by political fiat?"

However genuinely disadvantaged one group is, it is generally a bad idea to use the law to help them. Why? Because you create perverse incentives that attract the greedy and selfish to tilt the system in their favor (e.g. professional squatters, US farm subsidies meant to help ordinary farmers now benefit huge corporations). Eventually the process legislation becomes a sickening exercise of grabbing as many entitlements possible.

So to repeat, what sort of values do we have as a society you think we should have? One of individual freedom and equality or whatever the heck we have right now?

(2) Unity vs. Diversity of Social Vision

November 04, 2010

A senator friend, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, posted this reflection in his facebook status:

It has been said that for lack of a vision, a nation will perish. We, as a nation and as a people, need to talk about where we want to bring this country in the next 6, 12, 18 and 20 plus years and more importantly what we ought to do, what we must focus on to get there. A vision for our nation.

It's a good reflection by the Senator. I commented in his fb status that it is natural that people and groups have various and competing visions. Some want a socialist vision, some want a populist but non-socialist vision, others want a less government, free market vision. The entity that should popularize and continiously redefine such visions will be the political parties and their respective think tanks.

The LP for instance, where the Senator belongs, should define and redefine its concept of what is liberal. LP is for liberal politics, not socialist or nationalist/monopolist and anti-globalization politics.

Modern and dynamic societies thrive on diversity, in differences and uniqueness of people. If we will have a "unified" society, most likely it will be a socialist one, where the collective will pounce upon the individual. Individual excellence will be penalized (lots of taxes and regulations) while individual irresponsibility and laziness will be subsidized, in order to have a unified and equal society.

Another friend, Joe Battad, made this well-argued comment:

What's holding down progress? - the backwardness of the socio-political system? My view is that the dominant force in society - warlordism/gang politics, is what's holding down genuine economic and political progress. Free enterprise need...s three components to surge forward - rule of law, property rights and individual freedom - all three are curtailed by the warlord/gang dominated society that the country is now in. Establish a society where free enterprise can operate properly - get rid of or minimize the influence of the warlords and the gangs in the political system. Only at the end of that stage will true democratic political parties emerge. The issues will then become the role of government in enhancing/regulating free enterprise and the lives of individuals. Right now, no political party can carry these issues because free enterprise still cannot break free from the clutches of warlordism.

Great points by Joe. Yes, just 3 important functions of the government: promulgate the rule of law (especially the law against ki, private property rights, and individual freedom. Which means govt should divest itself from so many concerns and interests (running banks, universities, casino, drugstores, forest corp., etc. etc.), or at least drastically cut its involvement on those sectors, and focus on promulgating the rule of law.

Stealing is stealing; killing is killing; no left turn is no left turn. Promulgate and implement the penalties. Government should not be the first to break laws (see this picture of Philippine highway policemen blocking the free flow of vehicles in EDSA so that some insecure high police and government officials can easily pass).

People should fear the law, and there will be very little criminals and thieves. And we will have peace of mind to focus on what we should be doing -- make money for our family, for our community, for our less privileged countrymen.

--------

See also:

Pol. Ideology 12: Lao Tzu, Cooperative Individualism, February 07, 2009

Pol. Ideology 13: Liberty and Liberty Forum, the LP, March 19, 2009 
Pol. Ideology 14: Liberalism, Democratism and Coercion, January 18, 2010

Pol. Ideology 15: Socialism, Conservatism and Liberalism, March 08, 2010

Pol. Ideology 16: Liberalism and Social Opportunity, July 29, 2010

Pol. Ideology 17: The LP and the Philippine President, November 03, 2010

Tax competition 2: Japan

There is a move by Japan's new leadership to cut corporate income tax rate by 5 percent, from the current 40.7 percent. Japan's political leaders noted that corporate tax rate in UK is only 28 percent and 25 percent in China. See the news report today here, Japan to cut corporate tax to boost economy .

A 35.7 percent corporate income tax rate is still high, but the move is on the right direction. Hong Kong and Singapore have only about 16 percent corproate income tax rate, and these are two of the financial heavyweights in Asia.

The Finance Ministry expressed worries that tax revenues will decline by at least $16.8 billion equivalent as a result of the tax cut. I am not sure if they only assumed that business volume will remain as before. Because a tax cut would usually be followed by faster economic activities as companies and their people will work harder as they retain more of their incomes.

Over the long-term, low tax rates will result in more economic activities, more tax base, and governments may even collect more taxes from more businesses.

Rotary Notes 2: Climate, Carbon and Cancun

Last November 20, 2010, I gave a talk at the Rotary Club of Makati San Antonio (RI District 3830), held during their tree planting activity in Tanauan, Batangas province. The audience composed of club members, some of their family members, representatives from their sister rotary clubs, and their Interact club.

My presentation was entitled Climate, Carbon and Cancun: The Truth Behind Alarmism. It contains 47 powerpoint slides, showing the common claims by the warmers, then I showed actual data until about 1 day before the event.

A persistent claim by the warmers to keep scaring and fooling the public is that "Arctic ice are melting at an alarming rate, that we might see an ice-free Arctic within 10 yrs or less. The melted ice in the Arctic, Greenland and Antarctica will cause sea levels to rise at an alarming rate, submerging Maldives and other low-lying islands, countries and cities."

When the Arctic or Antarctica ice is melting simply because it is melting period (approaching summer in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere), we read a number of newspaper reports and TV coverage about it. When the ice in either hemisphere is growing -- ice there are simply growing, melting, growing, melting, every year -- we hear nothing from the warmist media.

Among the pictures I showed in that paper is a satellite picture of the Arctic ice area. Here's an updated picture as of December 12, 2010. The area contains about 11 million sq. kms. of ice as of two days ago. The ice is growing further after reaching the summer time low of less than 5 million sq. kms. of ice. Graph source is http://wattsupwiththat.com/reference-pages/sea-ice-page/.

When the warmers say, explicitly or implicitly, that sea ice in the Arctic and/or Antarctica is melting continiously, they are simply lying. They should qualify that sea ice there is melting. Then growing. Then melting. Then growing. Every year.

One big scary and alarmist issue raised by this camp is that man-made warming is "unequivocal" and "irreversible" unless we agree to their political agenda of more environmental regulations and more carbon taxation. That planet Earth's average temperature will rise up to 4.0 C by 2100, with the worst case scenario of up to 6.4 C temperature rise just 90 years from now!

They never say that the planet's climate is simply a cycle of warming-cooling-warming-cooling. Like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index here as of this month. They never use the term "climate cycle", only man-made "warming and climate change". Graph source is http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/teleconnections/pdo-f-pg.gif

The rabid greens and climate bureaucrats are clear with their political agenda: more environmental regulations, more energy taxation, creating more and bigger climate bureaucracies, endless global climate meetings and junkets.

I thanked Club Pres. Chaie (left in this picture) for the opportunity to discuss the topic with their clubmates and friends that day. I also thanked my classmate, Past President of their club, Luz Reyes (right), for endorsing me to Pres. Chaie.

Rabid environmentalism and too much climate bureaucratism should be creating their own internal contradictions. That is why despite their two big attempts in Copenhagen meeting last year and Cancun meeting this month, they do not succeed.
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See also:
Childcare 2: Rotary DTP Vaccination, May 24, 2009
Rotary Notes 1: Barangay Roads and Solar Panels, August 30, 2010

Next 100 Corp. Taxpayers, 2009

This is the continuation of the "Top 100 corporate taxpayers, 2009". These are ranked 101 to 200. Units in P Million.

101. SAN MIGUEL MILLS, INC., 189.03
102. LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, 186.18
103. MAKATI SHANGRI-LA HOTEL AND RESORT INC., 185.96
104. SERENDRA, INC.(FRMRLY: FIRST SOUTH PROPERTIES INC., 184.31
105. BANCO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC. FCDU, 183.62
106. CAGAYAN ELECTRIC POWER & LIGHT CO., INC., 182.66
107. WESTERN MINDANAO POWER CORPORATION, 177.49
108. RIZAL COMML BANKING CORPORATION - FCDU, 176.80
109. DEL MONTE PHILIPPINES, INC., 176.49
110. PETRON CORPORATION, 174.94

111. PILMICO FOODS CORPORATION, 174.07
112. HOMEWORLD SHOPPING CORPORATION, 173.29
113. SM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, 172.54
114. JOHNSON AND JOHNSON PHILS INC., 172.48
115. UNISYS PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICES CORPORATION, 169.01
116. MERCURY GROUP OF COMPANIES INC., 163.56
117. ACE HARDWARE PHILIPPINES, INC., 163.39
118. UNILEVER RFM ICE CREAM, INC., 159.17
119. CECI REALTY INC., 158.70
120. PASCUAL LABORATORIES, INC., 158.50

121. PHILIPPINE AUTO COMPONENTS INC. 156,425,990.70
122. PILIPINAS SHELL PETROLEUM CORPORATION, 155.57
123. S C JOHNSON AND SON INC., 154.89
124. PIONEER HI-BRED PHILIPPINES INC., 154.21
125. METROPOLITAN BANK AND TRUST CO - FCDU, 153.88
126. AVIDA LAND CORPORATION, 150.82
127. CONCEPCION CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY, 149.47
128. ZENITH FOODS CORPORATION, 148.34
129. SM RETAIL INC. (FORMERLY:SM RETAIL STORES CORP.), 148.15
130. BDO LEASING AND FINANCE, INC., 147.53

131. METRO DRUG INC., 146.79
132. SHELL GAS (LPG) PHILIPPINES INC., 146.12
133. RCBC REALTY CORPORATION, 142.79
134. MINDANAO PORTLAND CEMENT CORPORATION, 142.05
135. TOLLWAYS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, 141.39
136. PROCTER AND GAMBLE PHILIPPINES INC., 138.80
137. SPC POWER CORPORATION, 137.90
138. NUTRI-ASIA INC., 136.65
139. SAN MIGUEL YAMAMURA PACKAGING CORPORATION, 134.31
140. EURO MED LABORATORIES PHILS. INC., 133.58

141. AVON PRODUCTS MFG INC., 133.44
142. EMIRATES, 131.43
143. LUZON HYDRO CORPORATION, 129.84
144. SHOPPING CENTER MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, 126.78
145. PHILIPPINE FOREMOST MILLING CORPORATION, 126.73
146. SOUTHEAST ASIA FOOD INC., 126.63
147. ONE NETWORK RURAL BANK, INC., 126.43
148. QATAR AIRWAYS COMPANY LLC, 125.72
149. PILMICO ANIMAL NUTRITION CORPORATION, 121.80
150. CITY SAVINGS BANK, 119.18

151. PACIFIC PAINT BOYSEN PHILIPPINES, INC., 118.92
152. ALABANG COMMERCIAL CORPORATION, 118.27
153. NIDO PRODUCTION (GALOC) PTY LTD, 118.17
154. SHANGRI-LA PLAZA CORPORATION, 117.68
155. ARANETA CENTER, INC., 116.46
156. ALVEO LAND CORPORATION, 115.71
157. THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD. FCDU, 112.39
158. LIQUIGAZ PHILIPPINES CORPORATION, 112.27
159. TAGANITO MINING CORPORATION, 111.04
160. CE CASECNAN II INC., 110.91

161. ENERGIZER PHILIPPINES,INC., 110.70
162. VICTORIAS MILLING CO INC., 110.52
163. CITYLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, 108.91
164. LOCAL WATER UTILITIES ADMINISTRATION, 106.73
165. KSA REALTY CORPORATION, 106.13
166. JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.-PHIL GLOBAL SERVICE CTR, 105.92
167. LAFARGE HOLDINGS (PHILIPPINES), INC., 104.90
168. GOLDEN DRAGON STAR EQUITIES, INC., 104.86
169. MANILA TOWERS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, 104.13
170. ROCHE PHILIPPINES INC., 103.92

171. INTERNATIONAL ELEVATOR & EQUIPMENT, INC., 103.74
172. ASIAN TRANSMISSION CORPORATION, 103.54
173. PHILIPPINE SINTER CORPORATION, 101.50
174. PHILIPPINE AIRLINES, INC., 101.23
175. RCBC SAVINGS BANK INC., 101.21
176. LOPEZ SUGAR CORPORATION, 100.59
177. HOLCIM PHILIPPINES MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, 99.11
178. DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES, 98.74
179. RIZAL COMML BANKING CORPORATION, 97.98
180. BAYER CROPSCIENCE, INC., 97.86
181. RI CHEMICAL CORPORATION, 97.61
182. BPI LEASING CORPORATION, 97.30
183. P. J. LHUILLIER, INC., 96.94
184. FIRST PHILIPPINE INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION, 96.53
185. ROHM ELECTRONICS PHILS., INC., 95.67
186. MACTAN SHANGRI-LA HOTEL AND RESORT, INC., 95.12
187. SM INVESTMENTS CORPORATION, 95.09
188. PACIFIC ONLINE SYSTEMS CORPORATION, 95.07
189. FONTERRA BRANDS PHILS., INC., 94.72
190. DISTILERIA BAGO, INC., 93.86

191. CHEMREZ TECHNOLOGIES, INC., 93.66
192. STEELASIA MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, 93.03
193. PUREGOLD PRICE CLUB INC., 91.95
194. THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INC., 91.59
195. ABBOTT LABORATORIES, 91.51
196. ALSTOM PHILIPPINES, INC., 91.13
197. CEBU PRIVATE POWER CORPORATION, 90.80
198. BOSTIK PHILIPPINES, INC., 89.57
199. UNAHCO FEEDS, INC., 87.77
200. MERCK, INC., 87.51

source: Bureau of Internal Revenue, www.bir.gov.ph

MR = MC

There are certain economic principles that both previous students of Economics in the university and those who did not take the subject do not realize, that we are actually using those principles. One such principle is:

Firm profit is maximum at MR = MC .

Marginal Revenue is equal to Marginal Cost.

A particular entrepreneur has only 5 employees, not 4, not 6, not 10, etc. Why? Because in his calculations, having exactly 5 employees maximize his profit although he may not be using the "MR = MC" formula in his head.

If he will have only 4 employees, MR > MC, revenue can still be increased and profit can still be maximized by hiring another employee. But with 6 employees or more, MR < MC, the marginal cost per additional employee is larger than the marginal benefit of hiring that additional employee.

Business and ordinary personal decisions thrive on marginal analysis, the use or non-use of "extra" or marginal resource to attain a particular objective.

A friend commented that there could be "additional pros and cons surplus to be realized past MR = MC especially if the demand curve is not infinitely elastic, and that welfare economics may have something to add to it."

The "profit is maximum when MR = MC" postulation is applied in microecon and firm behavior, not much on macro and the whole economy and thus, not directly intended for societal welfare analysis. But I think there should be micro welfare implications there.

Continued innovation and firm or industry level training and retrainings should help raise MR per employee. As MR keeps rising, there is more leeway for the firm to expand hiring (which reduces unemployment and poverty) until MR equalizes the MC curve, then it stops hiring, at least temporarily.

While there are firm or industry-level additional costs in hiring each additional employee, it is actually government-imposed mandatory costs and contributions that raise the MC per employee. A businessman does not only give a worker his salaries and 13th month pay. There are mandatory costs like employer share of SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, private HMO, etc. so that monthly cost per additional employee may not be small.

One implication here is that government should not further raise those existing mandatory and obligatory contributions. High MC per employee in the formal sector should dampen hiring somewhere as it may be difficult for some firms to raise employee MR to catch up with rising MC.

Low unemployment is a desirable outcome in itself as it reduces poverty. Further government intervention actually can cause diswelfare in society.