Discount Caravan Program Expand from 6 to 60 Localities

i.Write volume 3

May 18, 2011

The Article: Discount Caravan Program

Reminded Me of Pharaoh

Genesis 41:33-57 ESV

            Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.

            Quite familiar this verse is to the Discount Caravan Program. As a respond to the uprising prices of the basic necessities of a growing community like food and medicine supplies the President of the Philippines, Mr. Benigno Aquino the third has sent out sixty selected discount caravans to sixty localities in the Philippines. I had rather a fair case of criticizing the government for their temporary treatment for the oil price hike situation in my first blog but I believe they have swept me off my feet with this one. I believe that even though the Discount Caravan Program only last for two days, the effects it make will support far more than it is credited for.

            Everybody knows how expensive everything has become. This reminds me of a story that a pastor told me. There was a man who was so hungry but unfortunately, five pesos wasn’t enough to buy any food at that late hour. The man was a beggar. He asked money from a man who was standing next to the pastor. The man threw five pesos on the ground and shouted “puluta!.”  The beggar replied “gusto pa man gud naku na mabuhi.” That story may not seem more economically now but think of the five pesos that was already in the beggars hands. Back in the days of my childhood, I could remember buying one pack of not just pan de sal but even “pagong” or “bato”.

            Point here is, my friend, I commend our president for making the right decision of expanding the Discount Caravan Program for the benefit of those willing to save. Imagine having a five to seventy five percent discount on food, medicine and food supplies. When I read this article, my spirit was lifted, my soul jumped with gladness and flamboyance.

            The ruler, our President has taken matters in his hands. The administration said that they did not have the budget for this program but President Aquino’s perseverance on helping lead to the pursuance of finally using their savings money for the realization of this dream. Personally, I can sleep better now at nights knowing that even though I do not experience the kind of budgeting other people do, I know that they are going to be taken care off.

          So take that oil price hike. Take that high price Pedi cab driver charger. Take that new forty peso price on the taxi fare. And take that very expensive food that doesn’t really taste good but only has a good name. This is the kind of action that I was waiting for. I am happy. Although President Aquino was not my personal vote as president, he actually had a part of me won over by some of his decisions. He has been in office for still just a short amount of time. I believe he will stun us more tricks that us still up his sleeves. Let’s wait.

            President Aquino’s actions involve genuine generosity. Deuteronomy 15:11 says “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.” President Aquino does his part do you? Proverbs 21:13 tells “Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.” Are you playing deaf? Proverbs 11:25 declares “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Everyone has their share of help to give even in little ways. Proverbs 22:9 pronounces “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” Give and it will come back to you – good measure, pressed shaken together and running over!

-Arthur S. Majaducon

The Philippine Eagle - The Philippine Economic Eagle

Trapping threatens near-extinct Philippine eagle

April 29, 2011

Economics

My Reaction

The Philippine Eagle

                One of the great prides of our nation is our bold flying majesty. The great Philippine Eagle is indeed something to behold as it is among the rarest and most beautiful flying creature ever gazed upon by the human eye. But amidst its splendor lies an economic corruption that destroys Philippine’s finest. Sad but true, the Philippine eagle is on the bridge of being hunted down to extinction. As I’ve read the article posted, I can’t help but be sickened by the somehow desperate acts of the Philippine people itself as it hunts down its own national icon for a couple of pennies they get from tourists by selling souvenirs.

                Still, even as this creature is illegally rummaged, it still is sadistically artful how the little unlawful hunters of the mountains see an opportunity to make an income by catching the “Haribon”. I grew up in awe of watching and hearing about the Philippine eagle in parks and gardens. I have always wanted to see an eagle when I was a child and when the day came that I had the opportunity to meet and play with the “agila” I saw how gentle this bold and strong creature was. 

                Now the eagles that I adore so much are hunted, slaughtered and sold for a couple of peso not to mention are place on bounty hunting where trackers try to trap it and then submit it to the government expecting a reward for the capture of this bird. Purely despicable are these kinds of people. Even though the governments has imposed  a law against the killing, collecting and maltreatment of this creature, it is still hunted to exhaustion. I was sicken by the news that i saw in the internet one night. It said that four months after and eagle was released, it was killed by a hunter.  while i can not say that i did not benefit  from this crimes, I must admit that I had quite an interest in collecting souvenirs like this myself. I used "had". Past tens. Since I have gained a better knowledge on the abused of animals, not just the Philippine Eagles, I had a change of heart.

                The Philippine Eagle is a pure gold mine for the bird watching tourists. Scientists which deals with birds go  thousands of miles to see this. If hunted to extinction, there would be another economic stand still in another branch of tourism and who knows what others more. I have selfish reasons for my response for this article. I have left out a couple of paragraphs in able to avoid bad-mouthing the hunters further. This is one of my most furious reaction ever written but censorship would condemn me from writing whole heartedly.  For regular bird watchers like me, it is one of the best offers of life to see one of the rarest, strongest and largest birds soar and glide in the sky ruling all the space that we humans could not hold. I hope that if not for the sake of the eagles then for the sake of patriotism, let’s help save this national gold. One of the best tourist attractions the Philippines has to offer to the world, an economic cornerstone for tourism and an icon in the Philippine history, indeed this King of the Birds must be saved for the future generations.

-Arthur Majaducon

Oil Price Hike

 April 13, 2011

The Article:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20110411-330605/P150-per-liter-hike-in-oil-prices-loomsBayan

P1.50 per liter hike in oil prices looms—Bayan

By Amy R. Remo

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 18:33:00 04/11/2011

Filed Under: Consumer Issues, Oil & Gas - Upstream activities, Energy

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Local companies are expected to again raise fuel prices by as much as P1.50 a liter this week, according to the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

Should companies push through with the planned oil price hike, this would be the 12th time that they would increase their prices since the start of the year as world oil prices continue to be on the uptrend amid the unrest in major oil-producing countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

An oil industry player confirmed that the price cited by the Bayan might be the level of increase this week if it was based on the movements of the prices based on the Mean of Platts Singapore benchmark for refined petroleum products.

Oil companies, however, have not made their respective announcements as of press time.

Bayan, in a statement issued on Monday, questioned the economic programs of the Aquino government in the light of spiraling fuel prices, which have not shown any signs of letting up, as well as increasing incidences of hunger and poverty.

“Soon, we will be approaching the first year of the Aquino regime. So far, its response to the people’s problems can be summed up in one word: ‘pantawid’ (bridge, subsidy or doleout). The Aquino government’s doleout economics will not result in long-term reforms and improvement of the conditions of the lives of the people,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

“Aquino has continued the conditional cash transfer or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Arroyo government. Now it has the Pantawid Pasada for drivers to allegedly ease the impact of high oil prices. These are not real solutions to poverty and unemployment,” Reyes further noted.

Reyes alleged that the Aquino administration was just reacting to long-term problems with temporary, “band-aid” solutions. This government, he added, was one of “adhocracy”—addressing deep-seated problems with ad hoc solutions.

Bayan also lamented that no meaningful wage increases have been implemented even as the Aquino government has been resisting calls for the removal or reduction of the value-added tax on oil and power.

The Reaction:

   Everyday at three o'clock in the afternoon, our household tradition would tell us that it's time to buy pan de sal for mirienda. It was a sweet custom I have grown into when simple children would enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and a full plate of pan de sal every afternoon. Times were simpler back then. When a full bag of pan de sal only costs five pesos. It's quite a boggle to me how a simple increase of the price of oil would be able to impact the once savored tradition that we had. But considering the knowledge that I have gained about it, it would lead me to the beginning and it would hit me with "Wow! It makes sense"

   As little homes like ours experience the effects of this hike of oil prices, so does the industries, companies and all other sectors that runs its business with oil. Perhaps the most intriguing issue about this is the staggering impact it has on the relation of people and transportation. Surely the first to feel this hikes are the little people who use oil to make a living. I once rode a tricycle from church to my dorm. The driver asked me to pay him 20 pesos while I normally pay other drivers 10. I considered it unfair and I still do until now, but thinking abut it with prior knowledge of how expensive the gasoline has become, I guess I could let it slide. More to the point, students and drivers are now having trouble with commute because of this hard times. students need to make simple decisions whether to ride a taxi which has raised its price to 40 pesos or to ride a jeep which has just added a peso to its fair, to go to a certain destination considering the distance and time if they can walk to save money. Drivers also need to decide how much to charge a costumer based on the distance and gasoline consumption.

   

   Another cause of oil price hike is the stunning impact it has to the economy of the Philippines. Just like the increase in transportation price was made, so it was to the different prices in the market economy. Prices have raised from five to ten percent while some have even doubled. Meanwhile the government sits back in their chair providing solutions that does not last. The society will not stay blinded for so long. Sooner or later  it will be noticed that this short term solutions are just a waste of effort on every ones part. We can't blame the government for the increase in the price of oil but it is hard to disregard the fact that they hold the power to make a better solution. They have made a progress - yes! But will it last? Not a chance! Businesspeople all over the world who are experiencing the effects of this global phenomenon are trying their best to cope but the question pops up in my mind: how far will the economy go before they would find the solution lies within the source? I am not an expert on this but I know that there is something definitely going on if the government does not do anything worth the effort about a problem.

   Even though much had been said about this problem (even the government was dissed) I do not wish to provoke unnecessary actions. Take note that these are my comments about this certain issue. I leave it to you whatever you have to say about this. All I know is, I'm not trying to jerk up a conversation that would dismount opinions. I don't have the knowledge of how to fix this problem, I admit. I just want to address those in authority to use all powers that they have to start finding better solutions to oil price hike. How I wish that the times would go back to the good old days. Things were simple and little kids like I used to be would have the privilege to enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate with a full plate of pan de sal at three o'clock in the afternoon.

-Arthur S. Majaducon