Sunday, April 5, 2009
This is One Good Solution that I See Would Be Functioning...
Honestly, all of us are complaining for inflation, or shall we say, in vernacular terms, "increasing prices". But what does make the prices of almost everything go up? Why do we have to suffer so many consequences of rising prices? The answer is simple: We Deserve It!
The protests say it loud already...
But what really makes prices go up? Honestly, this is very technocal and more on analysis of the basics and complications of economics but believe me if I say it has to do with one very strong factor. I don't know if you have an idea by now what is this BIG FACTOR. All I know is, everyone is aware of it.. Yes, I remember my university days as "Iska" (mostly, only my fellow Isko and Iska understand this and I wont elaborate here what this means unless you are too curious and ask me to email you for the word's meaning) where we have this economics subject analysing supply and demand and all that stuffs giving rise to this and fall to that. However, there is only one answer: THE OIL! Yes, with oil, the world has become mad, has become too greedy, get involve in war, has weakened, has progressed, has risen to power or anything else. Oild cause many things to the world's existence, thus, a little movememnet in oil prices, moves the hell out of all the goods' prices.
Why am I discussing this? Isn't it obvious that we Filipinos is still sufferring from poverty? I know the rest of the world is complaining about oil prices too but let me focus on the Philippine situation for this is where this blog belongs. Expenxive oil = expensive prices. Expensive prices = inflation. Inflation = lesser purchasing power of money. Lesser purchasing power of money = getting poor. Getting poor now, tomorrow, the next week and so on = poverty. Yes, POVERTY! Poverty results to crime! POVERTY RESULTS TO CRIME! And crime results to greater poverty. And so on and so on.
How obvious the situation is... Poverty at its peak in Philippines...
I even rememebr the government having this summer program to lessen the number of office days simply to lessen the energy consumption in the offices. I was aware of this when I was sill back in the Philippines and the days of works has became Monday - Thurday, ommitting the Friday for the sake of "belt tightening" (I forgot the real term Macapagal used for it). However, this only happens in summer and during June-March, the regular working hours resume. I do not have any idea if this was indeed successful or simply made the workers enjoy their vacation and advantageous to thos lazy butts.. I just don't have evidence against it.
What I am tryin to suggest here is to lessen the use of oil. We have to admit that the roads in the Philippines are full of vehicles already. We have to admit from time to time we have the protests about oil. Why not make a long-term solution about it? Encourage an alternative then. Something that doesnt use oil! Yes, that is definitely my suggestion. If we can make skyways and rails, for sure we can make this project as well, and I do not think this entails a lot of money than those being pocketed by beefy and steeling and grafting politicians out there..
Protests are useless without suggesting a solution...
I have seen the bicycle culture around here in Europe and I see its potential if encouraged in the Philippines. I know for now that we do not have the culture of bicycle in the Philippines because everyone is complaining that it is "MAINIT" (HOT). Indeed it is! And my complain? NOT the HEAT but the Unhealthy Road side and UNSFAE Roadsides! There is just no place for bicylces!
What I am trying to push here is, the amount of oild consumed would be really diminished plus, the traffic would at least lessen in the main road when many shift biking instead of taking a taxi for short distances or taking a jeepney. It is a healthy act as well. However, this cannot be done without the government's mercy, or as long as the congress members receive payouts from oil companies or shall we say kickbacks?
The government needs to have the following and do and implement the following before this dream be true:
1. Make a cycle paths, either beside the road or in a different places as long as it can access like the roads.
2. Prohibit honking of cars to not make the cylists/cyclers not go deaf in their everyday life because of "bastos" (impolite) hoking-to-death vehicle drivers.
3. The cylce path must have at least roofs/covers or have trees alongside to prevent the HEAT which more "maarte" Pinoys always complain about.
4. Truly screen vehicles for the emissions they have to protect the health of the cyclers.
5. Encourage the cycling industry. Give incentives to bike makers, incentives to cyclers, make cars more expensive and cycles very cheap.
6. Provide cycle parks in offices adn other places.
7. Encourage. Encourage. Encourage and LEAD!
See those very useful bikes...
Now I make my points here. This also cannot succeed without the participation of the public but government is in power to make the actions. Advertisements..yes, advertisements in various media always help. Be a model, let politician cycle and its followers will do the same. Let an actor or two cycle their way to shooting setting or studio and I am sure many will follow! This act is healthy Dude!
Bicycles here in Europe is a culture. Especially where I live. It is sometimes funny to see in my everyday life here that a military corporal in uniform is just cycling his way around... or an executive in perfectly elegant coat n tie cycle around with another executive riding behind him in the same bike.. Women in elegant skirts, dresses cycling their way to health and beauty!
..and more biky solution....
It is possible. I know not in all parts of the country but at least in cities. I know it is. Cities are flat and if the government is serious about it, it can be done. I am dreaming to cycle our way to health, poverty alleviation and progress!
But what really makes prices go up? Honestly, this is very technocal and more on analysis of the basics and complications of economics but believe me if I say it has to do with one very strong factor. I don't know if you have an idea by now what is this BIG FACTOR. All I know is, everyone is aware of it.. Yes, I remember my university days as "Iska" (mostly, only my fellow Isko and Iska understand this and I wont elaborate here what this means unless you are too curious and ask me to email you for the word's meaning) where we have this economics subject analysing supply and demand and all that stuffs giving rise to this and fall to that. However, there is only one answer: THE OIL! Yes, with oil, the world has become mad, has become too greedy, get involve in war, has weakened, has progressed, has risen to power or anything else. Oild cause many things to the world's existence, thus, a little movememnet in oil prices, moves the hell out of all the goods' prices.
Why am I discussing this? Isn't it obvious that we Filipinos is still sufferring from poverty? I know the rest of the world is complaining about oil prices too but let me focus on the Philippine situation for this is where this blog belongs. Expenxive oil = expensive prices. Expensive prices = inflation. Inflation = lesser purchasing power of money. Lesser purchasing power of money = getting poor. Getting poor now, tomorrow, the next week and so on = poverty. Yes, POVERTY! Poverty results to crime! POVERTY RESULTS TO CRIME! And crime results to greater poverty. And so on and so on.
I even rememebr the government having this summer program to lessen the number of office days simply to lessen the energy consumption in the offices. I was aware of this when I was sill back in the Philippines and the days of works has became Monday - Thurday, ommitting the Friday for the sake of "belt tightening" (I forgot the real term Macapagal used for it). However, this only happens in summer and during June-March, the regular working hours resume. I do not have any idea if this was indeed successful or simply made the workers enjoy their vacation and advantageous to thos lazy butts.. I just don't have evidence against it.
What I am tryin to suggest here is to lessen the use of oil. We have to admit that the roads in the Philippines are full of vehicles already. We have to admit from time to time we have the protests about oil. Why not make a long-term solution about it? Encourage an alternative then. Something that doesnt use oil! Yes, that is definitely my suggestion. If we can make skyways and rails, for sure we can make this project as well, and I do not think this entails a lot of money than those being pocketed by beefy and steeling and grafting politicians out there..
I have seen the bicycle culture around here in Europe and I see its potential if encouraged in the Philippines. I know for now that we do not have the culture of bicycle in the Philippines because everyone is complaining that it is "MAINIT" (HOT). Indeed it is! And my complain? NOT the HEAT but the Unhealthy Road side and UNSFAE Roadsides! There is just no place for bicylces!
What I am trying to push here is, the amount of oild consumed would be really diminished plus, the traffic would at least lessen in the main road when many shift biking instead of taking a taxi for short distances or taking a jeepney. It is a healthy act as well. However, this cannot be done without the government's mercy, or as long as the congress members receive payouts from oil companies or shall we say kickbacks?
The government needs to have the following and do and implement the following before this dream be true:
1. Make a cycle paths, either beside the road or in a different places as long as it can access like the roads.
2. Prohibit honking of cars to not make the cylists/cyclers not go deaf in their everyday life because of "bastos" (impolite) hoking-to-death vehicle drivers.
3. The cylce path must have at least roofs/covers or have trees alongside to prevent the HEAT which more "maarte" Pinoys always complain about.
4. Truly screen vehicles for the emissions they have to protect the health of the cyclers.
5. Encourage the cycling industry. Give incentives to bike makers, incentives to cyclers, make cars more expensive and cycles very cheap.
6. Provide cycle parks in offices adn other places.
7. Encourage. Encourage. Encourage and LEAD!
Now I make my points here. This also cannot succeed without the participation of the public but government is in power to make the actions. Advertisements..yes, advertisements in various media always help. Be a model, let politician cycle and its followers will do the same. Let an actor or two cycle their way to shooting setting or studio and I am sure many will follow! This act is healthy Dude!
Bicycles here in Europe is a culture. Especially where I live. It is sometimes funny to see in my everyday life here that a military corporal in uniform is just cycling his way around... or an executive in perfectly elegant coat n tie cycle around with another executive riding behind him in the same bike.. Women in elegant skirts, dresses cycling their way to health and beauty!
It is possible. I know not in all parts of the country but at least in cities. I know it is. Cities are flat and if the government is serious about it, it can be done. I am dreaming to cycle our way to health, poverty alleviation and progress!
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Big Difference: Why Filipinos Are Mostly in Debt?
What is the minimum salary in Philippines for a university graduate? The answer would depend on so many things: where you graduated; what profession or degree; where you are having a job. What can you afford as newly graduate? As a neophyte? As a newbie? As a freshperson? A cheaply paid job that is more often than not an insult to your education and effort to finish... or is it? I have to admit it really depends on which one you are: overqualified, underqualified or unidentified. I also have o admit that diplomas are rebuttable as the quality of education all over the country is not the same: others are superior while others, let's admit is, are... well you know what I mean, right?
The topic that I have had with someone last weekend it the poverty in Philippines. This person told me that television is sucking each and every soul of Filipinos. Why? Because of the commercials: buy this car, buy this phone, this TV brand, all the appliances and electronic gadgets you can think of. The truth is, how much does it cost? Say the cellular phone is around Php 10,000 (majority of and you bought it. If you are a newly grad, do you think you can still live for the remaining days of the month after you bought the phone? Say your gross income for the month (an even bigger estimate compare to average) is Php 15, 000, you still have Php 5,000 left. But the truth is, you still have to pay taxes and it's around Php 750. You are left with Php 4,250. Are you renting a place? Are you sharing expenses with parents? Are you buying load for that phone you bought? Are you eating at all? Are you commuting for work? In short, it is very difficult to live with such salary if one has to buy a gadget. Or an electronic appliance for that matter: television set, DVD player, sterio, MP3 player, washing machine and all these things. Add the fact that you have siblings to spend for.
What I am saying is, Filipinos has the same aspirations in terms of material stuffs as western people do. But is the income the same? Television has redefined what is a need and what is luxury: all that is advertised in TV now is somewhat a "NEED". And that is bad. People are having debts just to buy these gadgets... is it good? It is good if you don't get buried in debts which happens usually. It is good if you are not thinking of your future and save for yourself. Why? I have to tell you that you are not 100% healthy all the time. Do you have health insurance? Do you have dental insurance? These things? Think about your future. gadgets only cause you to spend more. Buy the necessary, not the poshy that you don't actually use those functions as I know people can ever hardly use the call function there. Phones are mostly use to brag and that is not so good.
Mind you, here in Netherlands, regular salary, the basic, the lowest salary for a newly graduate is €1,700. And how much is the price of a mobile phone? A colored, with camera, with radio phone can cost as low as €30 and that has a €15 load in it already. Now do you see the difference? The percentage to gross salary in Philippines versus here in Netherlands is 0.0176 % versus 66.67%. Now do you see? Save for your lives, these gadgets can be stolen, lost and even not be properly used. Bragging and making the gadget as a social symbol is a shame. Build your future instead!
The topic that I have had with someone last weekend it the poverty in Philippines. This person told me that television is sucking each and every soul of Filipinos. Why? Because of the commercials: buy this car, buy this phone, this TV brand, all the appliances and electronic gadgets you can think of. The truth is, how much does it cost? Say the cellular phone is around Php 10,000 (majority of and you bought it. If you are a newly grad, do you think you can still live for the remaining days of the month after you bought the phone? Say your gross income for the month (an even bigger estimate compare to average) is Php 15, 000, you still have Php 5,000 left. But the truth is, you still have to pay taxes and it's around Php 750. You are left with Php 4,250. Are you renting a place? Are you sharing expenses with parents? Are you buying load for that phone you bought? Are you eating at all? Are you commuting for work? In short, it is very difficult to live with such salary if one has to buy a gadget. Or an electronic appliance for that matter: television set, DVD player, sterio, MP3 player, washing machine and all these things. Add the fact that you have siblings to spend for.
What I am saying is, Filipinos has the same aspirations in terms of material stuffs as western people do. But is the income the same? Television has redefined what is a need and what is luxury: all that is advertised in TV now is somewhat a "NEED". And that is bad. People are having debts just to buy these gadgets... is it good? It is good if you don't get buried in debts which happens usually. It is good if you are not thinking of your future and save for yourself. Why? I have to tell you that you are not 100% healthy all the time. Do you have health insurance? Do you have dental insurance? These things? Think about your future. gadgets only cause you to spend more. Buy the necessary, not the poshy that you don't actually use those functions as I know people can ever hardly use the call function there. Phones are mostly use to brag and that is not so good.
Mind you, here in Netherlands, regular salary, the basic, the lowest salary for a newly graduate is €1,700. And how much is the price of a mobile phone? A colored, with camera, with radio phone can cost as low as €30 and that has a €15 load in it already. Now do you see the difference? The percentage to gross salary in Philippines versus here in Netherlands is 0.0176 % versus 66.67%. Now do you see? Save for your lives, these gadgets can be stolen, lost and even not be properly used. Bragging and making the gadget as a social symbol is a shame. Build your future instead!
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