ECONOMY RISKS OVERHEATING PAGE 6
DOTC CORRUPTION STAINS INT’L RELATIONS PAGE 11
FOREIGN
BUSINESS
NATION
WAR GAMES 2014 PAGE 3
Peter Cauton
PINOY STARTUP MASTERMIND 16 Educational yet opinionated, informative yet persuasive MAY 12-18, 2014 • VOL.4 NO.37
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HOSTAGED!
By Al Labita China is already bullying the Philippines. What most fail to notice is that China controls the country’s power sector. The economy is being dominated in proxy by foreign agents who need not use military might. Page 2
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COVER STORY
ILLUSTRATION BY TIN REASO
Hostaged!
Is ethnic Chinese taipan Henry Sy a China agent?
‘The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.’ — Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, The Art of War The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which supplies electricity from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, is jointly owned by State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), and the group of Filipino-Chinese taipan Henry Sy. While the Chinese firm only owns 40 percent of the joint venture, it holds key decision-making positions, from management to operations in the company, leaving Sy a mere figurehead or reduced to a Chinese agent.
BY Al Labita
That, in more ways than one, aptly applies to how China has already held the Philippines hostage without firing a shot. With stakes in key Philippine industries, China need not unleash its military might to deter Manila’s territorial claims to the hotly disputed resource-rich Spratlys islands. China’s state-owned companies with dominant presence in the Philippines can do the job by proxy, given their rising economic and fi nancial clout in a country ruled by a president who traces his family’s roots to mainland China. Over the past years, state-run Chinese fi rms had gained control of certain sectors of the local economy, ranging from power to transport and tourism, making the country highly vulnerable to Chinese pressures, subtle or forceful. Free market versus command economy Apparently, they have taken advantage of the Philippines’ free market economy, in contrast to China’s command economy. Most alarming of China’s forays in the Philippines is in the power sector, now in the hands of some of China’s state-owned fi rms. For instance, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which supplies electricity from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, is jointly owned by State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), and the group of Filipino-Chinese taipan Henry Sy. While the Chinese fi rm only owns 40 percent of the joint venture, it holds key decision-making positions, from management to operations in the company, leaving Sy a mere figurehead or reduced to a Chinese agent. Like any typical state-owned company in China, SGCP is widely believed to have links to China’s People’s Liberation Army, the world’s biggest military unit and the nemesis of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the disputed west Philippine sea.
Nothing but brickbat
Since it was formed in 2007, the Chinese-led NGCP has drawn nothing but brickbat for its glaring incompetence in easing the crippling power outages in Mindanao, now suffering 15-hour daily brownouts with no end in sight. Incompetent or not, NGCP’s links to China raised questions on the government’s policy of allowing nationals from China, perceived as Asia’s bully, to run certain industries of strategic importance to the national economy.
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Questions and risks of such an obvious ly flawed state policy are flooding the social media. Remember how China barred the entry of certain Philippine agricultural products in 2012, forcing it to ship them to the United States and other alternative markets because of the territorial rift. Similarly, Chinese tour operators stopped offering vacation trips to the Philippines, a favorite tourism destination of the Chinese tourists. Beijing’s flag carrier, China Southern Airlines, also reduced its fl ights to the Philippines.
Return the loan
In transport, another gray area is China’s persistent demand for a quick repayment of a US$500 million loan it extended to fi nance the construction of a proposed high-speed railway system linking Manila with northern Luzon region. An offshoot of the running feud over confl icting claims to the Spratlys, the demand only showed how Beijing takes a retaliatory stand against nations opposed to China’s strategic interest. Despite NGCP’s spotty record in providing reliable power in Mindanao, the Aquino government still opted to choose another unknown state-owned Chinese company to operate the Agus hydro-electric power plants in Mindanao. Disregarding other qualified Filipino bidders, the state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. recently declared China’s Guangxi Hydroelectric Construction Bureau as the lowest bidder for the plants’ upgrade, citing its benefits to the government’s cost-saving program. With China’s belligerent behavior in pursuing its claims to the Spratlys, it seems unreasonable that the Philippine government would allow Chinese officials to occupy positions in some sensitive Philippine agencies with national security implications.
Not Filipinos, but Chinese
In the case of NGCP, its mandate is to oversee and maintain the electric transmission lines and power substations in the country – undoubtedly crucial to the
economy. Despite that ultra-sensitive mandate, those at NGCP’s helm are not Filipinos, but Chinese nationals who are, fi rst and foremost, citizens of a country that has been throwing its weight across the Asian region and has been bullying defense-deficient countries such as the Philippines. In the fi rst place, China’s stake in the NGCP should not have been there, considering how Beijing has verbally abused Manila’s own claim to the maritime domain. Bluntly, it’s a lot of bull, bunk and baloney to assume that China’s presence in the power industry is to help produce electricity at the cheapest cost possible.
National security
When generation cost of power started surging last November, the Chinese-controlled NGCP was taken to task in public for acting like a “fortress of indifference.” On transport, the pervading question bugging the public mind is why the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) tapped another staterun Chinese fi rm, the Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. Ltd., to supply coaches to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)3 system amid questions of its technical capability. Viewed in another light, this also raised quizzical eyebrows on the reliability of China-made railway equipment. Costing billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money, the purchase of more trains is intended to decongest and cut passenger waiting time. MRT 3 carries an average 600,000 passengers a day, almost double its original design capacity of 350,000. Fears are also mounting that the daily power outages in Mindanao spawned by NGCP’s ineptness to solve the power woes will snowball to the rail sector in Metro Manila with another Chinese fi rm poised to clinch the DOTC contract. Unless decisively curbed, the flurry of Chinese deals may appear business-like, but viewed as a strategic issue, they unwittingly hold the Philippines hostage to China’s geopolitical interests.-0-
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Nation
News from Where You Stand
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Brian Johnson, back, discusses helicopter insert and extract procedures with Philippines Army Soldiers on Fort Magsaysay, Philippines.
Philippine and U.S. Special Operations Forces Soldiers rappel down a sniper tower at the end of the 3rd Annual SOF Challenge course on Fort Magsaysay, Philippines.
WAR GAMES Amid rapid paradigm shifts in geopolitics, American and Filipino marines plunge into war games, just two weeks after Washington and Manila signed a new bilateral defense pact which visiting US President Barack Obama called an ironclad deal the US will come to the defense of the Philippines in case of an external attack. Australian military officers salute together with US and Philippine military off icers during the opening ceremony for the joint US-Philippines military exercise dubbed Balikatan 2014. Photo Credits: Sgt. Isis Ramirez/U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Pete Thibodeau/U.S. Marine Corps Spc. Michael G. Herrero/U.S. Army Associated Press
A combined color guard presents the flags of the Philippines and the United States at the start of exercise Balikatan 2014 at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Philippines.
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OPINION
Publisher’s Notes
By Ray L. Junia
Disturbing Signs
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Pitfalls in dealing with China For a small country like the Philippines, it can’t afford to let its guard down in dealing with a superpower like China. While China is a potential source of trade, tourism and investments, it doesn’t mean compromising the Philippines’ own strategic interests as a self-respecting country. It’s just unfortunate that in pursuing their respective vision and agenda, a conflict arose, quite an irritant in establishing normal ties between the two Asian partners. From friendship and harmony, bilateral ties had sunk so low, punctuated by conflicting territorial claims to the resource-rich Spratlys chain of isles and islets. As both countries forge ahead their respective aspirations, it’s to their credit indeed that they had remained open to each other’s needs as active members of the international community. While Beijing and Manila differ in their approaches and mindset to resolving and overcoming their differences, perhaps it’s only a matter of time a convergence of their ideas will prevail eventually. That would really set an ideal precedent and benchmark for other feuding nations to follow and emulate. As it is, there’s no denying the fact that the avenues for a constructive dialogue for mutual understanding remained open – and viable -- even as they struggle hard with dogged determination to wiggle out of their own biases and prejudices. Nonetheless, it’s a consolation and gratifying that both sides showed meaningful restraint and resolute will to decisively overcome the challenges and constraints that come along their way, bearing in mind what the future – and the new generations – hold in store for them. As of now, it’s virtually touch and go for the Manila-Beijing ties to proceed that is founded on mutual respect and interests.
Disturbing signal. Margie Juico resigns. Assigned by the President to take command in addressing the needs of the poor, Ms. Juico was given given control over billions of government funds from gambling. She must have enjoyed the full trust of the President to have been assigned chair of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. That she will resign at a time when the President needs every loyal subject’s support really comes as a shock. It is not likely that her resignation is an an act of abandoning a sinking ship. She is fiercely loyal to the Aquinos to leave the President. That her resignation came weeks after DILG Secretary Mar Roxas embarrassed himself in a golf course shouting match did not surprise many. In fact, the speculation after Roxas was suspended by the golf club was: what will happen to Ms. Juico? You don’t cross the Liberal Party and get away with it. You don’t insult, worse, suspend from the exclusive club, the big guy behind the Liberal Party and get away with it.
Disturbing signal. Sec. Ping Lacson airs complaints that two members of the President’s cabinet are not cooperating in the rehab effort from Yolanda damage. That former senator Lacson went to the press to air complaints makes us wonder: what are the cabinet meetings with the President for? Most disturbing, of course, is our quarrel with China. No, not only disturbing, it is almost suicidal. China has the Philippine economy by its balls. It controls power distribution. It can paralyze the transport sector anytime. It controls smuggling and the ports and the shorelines where black sand is aplenty. Try looking deeper from the surface on how far China’s investments in this country have controlled our lives. At a push of a button, the Chinese can bring total darkness. Stop factories, halt all offices. They are in practically all strategic positions to have control of our economy. Many keep wondering why, after the bullying from China, our leaders keep on giving the Chinese strategic investments. You guys from the Left keep blaming the Americans for our miseries. Look closer, we have a President who claims roots from the mainland.
PUBLIC PULSE On cover story ‘Economic Tremors’ (May 5-11, VOL. 4 NO. 36) Deflation in the property real estate sector? Is it possible? And the owners of this sector owns also the banking sector, the malls, schools and utilities ? The malady is the Filipino middle class is extremely “docile”.
Lito Soriano
It’s collateral damage by the impending collapse of the US economy by the end of 2014.
Iliganon Kini
The signs are really alarming. Economic mismanagement will result in economic doom. And you bet it will be abrupt. The alarming economic fundamentals are even more getting buffeted everyday.
Remigio David
Our Economic is trembling(sic) since President Noy sat down. What do the people say about this..? Only the oligarchy’s are benefits from PNoys economic strategy.. But tghey all earn from common people of our country. Is that just?!
Pandora’s Box
Wow, US$2.1B capital flight ... kawawang Pilipinas.
Raul De Vera
OpinYon is published weekly by Opinyon Media Services, with business office at Rm 202, Barangka Drive cor Talumpong, Mandaluyong City.
FREDERICK FABIAN Acting Managing Editor
Email: opinyon.2010@ gmail.com
CARLOS RAJAMIRA Creative Director
website: www.opinyon.com.ph
JOJO VALENCIA Layout Artist
MAY 12-18, 2014
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ALFONSO LABITA Executive Editor
DAVE DIWA Opinion Editor
ATTY. SALVADOR PANELO Ombudsman RAY L. JUNIA President GETULIO MARAYA Vice President for Admin ATTY. RICKY RIBO Legal Counsel
ISSN 2094-7372
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RAY L. JUNIA Publisher
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DISCLAIMER Letters to the Editor and unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, editors and staff of Opinyon. We reserve the right to edit articles based on our editorial standards.
OpinYon
That could easily happen. Wala namang investments yang mga yan eh. Hanggang sweldo lang. Kayang kaya nilang lumipad overnight, what with off ices they occupy being rented only. Kaya nga di yang klase ng investments ang dapat hikayating pumunta dito. Yung may mga paktorya, may mga gusali at makinaryang di pwedeng basta-basta iwanan. Gaya ng nangyari nuong 1997, ang bilis nagtakbuhan kasi mga investments in stocks, seconds/minutes lang wala na.
Belen B.
Scan this QR Code with your mobile device to read OpinYon Digital Edition on the go.
On PCSO Chairperson Margie Juico’s resignation last May 8, 2014
(courtesy of Showbiz Government Facebook Page)
Matapos gamitin ng Abnoy Govt na idiin at siraan ang mga Obispo para ma control ang Catholic church...ayan kumalas. Tagal mo kasing nakahalata maam?
Vladimir Paelmo
Alam na nya sigurong palubog na bangkang sinasakyan kaya iwaslunod, ayaw na mapares kay Mr Manoling Morato.... Matalino.
Angela Meneses-Torio Sumabong
Ang misyon niya sa PCSO ay hanapan ng butas si GMA para maidiin sa nakawan sa PCSO, eh hindi nangyari, ayun nagresign na lang.
Popoy Manalo Malamang
“Never mind the future, just think of the present”, that’s how they think in Malacañang.
Archie Almeida
May ibubulgar na naman yan, kasi wala na siya pero habang lumalangoy nun sa sarap sa puwesto tahimik lang.
Sonny Legalo Asahan
She made good calls. She also made bad ones. All I can say is Noynoy will sacrifice anyone for his personal gain.
Perry Ileto
Usap-usapan din yung cause of her resignation is yung suspension ni MAR ROXAS sa wack-wack dahil yung husband ni PCSO chair ay opisyal pala ng WACKWACK narinig ko yan sa news.
Vico U. Led Odnum
Ayaw nya masabit sa mga kasong idudulog sa korte pagbaba ng Abnoy.
Nelson Dejillo Trinidad
Ok lang yan, wala din naman nagawang mabuti si Juico sa mga Pilipinong nangangailangan ng tulong galing sa PCSO, tinitipid nila ng sobra at pahirap humigi ng tulong. alam ko yan dahil isa ako sa libo libong pumipila sa PCSO.
Rene T. Ferrer
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5/9/14 10:05 PM
Opinion
The Viewpoints and outlook of the well-informed
The Napoles Story
B
y now, most people have come to realize that many legislators and government officials were involved in stealing from the coffers of this nation. The sheer number and the extent of the thievery simply boggles the mind and depresses those who look closely at this mess, though graft and corruption have become endemic, meaning from top to bottom with very few exceptions. Elected official positions as well as appointed ones have become a lucrative sinecure for so many decades it is hard to fi nd an honest public servant. If what Napoles has divulged so far is true to a large extent, it is truly distressing. All of those who participated in one form or another, who insist on being called honorable though what they have done smells so very badly, has brought such dishonor to themselves and their families, their colleagues and to the name of every Filipino. Truly, greed has been coupled with shameless arrogance and both have conspired to create such calloused, twisted consciences. They have given public service a bad name. The guilty deserve to be ostracized and greeted with public derision and should not ever run for public office again! But as the saying goes, we only get the government we richly deserve. If so, such deep questions need to be asked by every Filipino about their own selves with-
out exception. Politicians have come to view the people with disdain, knowing they are susceptible to being bought for their votes every election time when people can express their disgust by voting these people out of office. Extolling public officials even if truly undeserved has become enmeshed in the social life of the nation. Just take a look at why parents choose the sponsors at the baptism or marriage of their children! Talk about living off somebody else’s notoriety! In the early days of the public outcry about PDAF, in some of the meetings after the Luneta protest, I raised the issue of how the Palace might respond should the greater part of the truth be known publicly and those involved charged with plunder or qualified theft (because there is indeed an element of trust involved which has been cruelly betrayed) and charged without bail and eventually sent to jail where they belong. I thought that there was the possibility that so many would have to be charged so that both houses of Congress might be unable to function due to their decreased numbers. How would the Palace respond should such a situation eventuate? My sense was that either the Palace would then just charge the ones involved selectively so that those not charged will owe the Palace very “big” or it might precipitate the declaration of a state of emergency where the President will rule by decree. In other words, some form
RAY OF HOPE Ramon Orosa of martial or authoritarian rule. What an irony that would be, that the President would then preside over a form of government that his father died to see taken away from this nation. Of course, these are somewhat different circumstances but maybe, one man rule will be justified at least in their minds as warranted considering the circumstances when this action is taken, but that is still speculation on our part. The times have changed and in my view, justify a new election, assuming, of course, that PNoy will clean up the Comelec, of which he is part of the problem for having been the appointing official of the members and chair of the Commission and the way elections have been manipulated until now, continuing from the time of Abalos and others before him. The automated electoral process is also truly shameful! The sheer audacity of the crimes of malfeasance, the betrayal of public trust, would deserve no less of a treatment. If there was ever an opportunity for this nation to sort of start over, I think there is no time like
have now discovered to our very great chagrin. If he opts for true reforms it will be a lonely fight! Reform movements by PNoy are bound to be unpopular to the affected narrow self centered interests and they are adept at perception management, and obviously PNoy is not very gifted in that area. Can he expect that the people would truly be grateful and be behind him? My answer to that is this. Should the public discern that reform in favor of the people is what he truly seeks, and that he is not just trying to decimate his political opponents which is needed in a democracy, just as the people went out of their way to oppose PDAF (and that issue is not yet dead as Congress has merely changed the collar and the same dog still lives), they will also march out in his favor if he applies the law evenly but surely against those who have so terribly enriched themselves at the expense of the people and made mockery of public service, converting elected positions into living siphons and the national treasury their milking cow without shame. The problem is he started this whole thing with his adopted campaign sloga; I understand meant only to demonize Arroyo and her record of service but which managed to survive by his own state of the nation reports to the nation! A very unfortunate mistake for him, but a great boon to the nation if he will indeed carry it through!
now. It would be a truly great legacy for him to leave. If he says he cannot meddle with the cases, I would have to consider that hypocritical because the Palace was indeed involved in the case of Corona to an incredible extent all through the impeachment proceedings. If he did not stay away then, he should not stay away now though surely I disagreed with his activism during the time of the impeachment hearings, except that perhaps some or many of those he relied upon during the hearings may also be in the list of Napoles’ named criminal cronies and so, ever so sensitive about his political image, he assumes the posture no talk no mistake! Of course there are risks involved. But there is not a day that PNoy is ever without risk. It is a price that needs to be paid and differentiates the opportunist from the truly upright public servant. Inconsistency with the slogan of “matuwid na daan” is what has disappointed so many Filipinos because they realize that politics is the guiding concern and the “righteousness” of the slogan only just that, a slogan to be partially and conveniently applied. Does he now feel that he has bitten off more than he can chew? I have maintained that reform in this nation cannot be had because too many self centered interests prefer the very convenient status quo and that revolves on the ease with which to make money for so many at the expense of the people as we
Hiding Facts of History
T
he visit of US President Barack Obama in this part of the region particularly to its allies Japan and South Korea seemed to have put pressure on the two allies to iron out its long-standing issue on the war crimes committed by the Japanese army during the Second World War particularly on the issue of the ‘comfort women’ as sex slaves. From the report of Alastair Gale of Wall Street Journal online – “Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye met for the fi rst time late last month at a three-way summit with Pres. Barack Obama in The Hague. That meeting was carefully brokered to focus on regional security and avoid the flashpoint topics of Japan’s wartime behavior, which have been at the center of the deterioration in the bilateral relationship. One of the most contentious of those topics is that of the “comfort women,” or women coerced into servitude in brothels used by the Japanese military in the 1930s and 1940s. Many of the women were Korean. South Korea is seeking a new formal apology to the women and a state-funded
compensation scheme that acknowledges the government’s role in the coercion.” Remember in February 28, 2014 Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated that the country’s government has intended to recheck the credibility of the victims among women from Korea and other states who had been exploited in field Japanese army brothels during WWII. (The words of 16 “comfort women” served as a basis for acknowledging by the former Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Yohei Kono in 1993 of the fact that sexual slavery had taken place). Yoshihide Suga underlined the Abe administration was still insisting on the absence of the documents showing the violent nature of Korean women mobilization. It is worth noting that the result of the surveys of Japanese citizens by local media showed that almost 60 percent of the country’s population supported this ‘recheck’ initiated by the Abe administration. No less provocative words came from the CEO of NHK TV company Katsuo Momii. He said creation of field brothels where the locals had been exploited had been a common practice for all countries participated in WWII and “it seemed wrong only from the standpoint
WHISTLE BLOWER Erick San Juan of modern morality.” As of this writing, Japan Broadcasting Corp.’s (NHK) president apologized on national television. Speaking on the weekly digest program called Totteoki Sunday, Katsuo Momii expressed regret for his previous comments on the issue of “comfort women.” (After he earned the ire of the public and requests for his resignation.) Japanese high-ranking policymakers’ attempts to deny the obvious facts of the past have been criticized by the Chinese Foreign Ministry and stated that Japan’s militarists actions were crimes against humanity, the proof of which no one can deny. Tokyo’s last steps impressively showed that Japan didn’t intend to listen to the voice of Asian countries affected by the crimes during WWII as well as many of the world leading nations that were concerned about
the rise of nationalism in Japan and forced buildup of its military capabilities. Although South Korea and Japan held rare high-level talks Wednesday (April 16) on the extremely sensitive issue of wartime sex slavery, which has contributed to a virtual freeze in diplomatic ties. Kyodo News cited an unnamed government official as saying the Japanese side would indicate Tokyo is mulling an official apology and money for the so-called comfort women forced to work in military brothels. Seoul said the meeting between Junichi Ihara, head of the Japanese foreign ministry’s Asia and Oceania affairs bureau, and Lee Sang-deok, South Korea’s director-general for Northeast Asian Affairs, marked the fi rst time high-level officials had discussed the comfort woman issue in isolation. Briefi ng domestic reporters after the talks, a South Korean official would only reveal that both sides had laid out their respective stances and agreed to meet again soon. “They shared the opinion that this issue should be settled speedily in order to remove obstacles in South Korea-Japan relations,” Yonhap news agency quoted the official as saying.
This event to patch up the problem between Seoul and Tokyo came only because the ‘master’ said so but the bottom line here is that the ‘mulling over’ by Japan on such an important matter as the issue on the comfort women is not an assurance that they will do something about it in the near future. It was also reported (from various online news network) that Japanese politicians have expressed exasperation at Seoul’s repeated requests for contrition. Repeated wavering since the apology among senior rightwing politicians has contributed to a feeling in South Korea that Japan is in denial and not sufficiently remorseful. Historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, were forced to work in Japanese army brothels. There are only 55 surviving former comfort women left in South Korea. When people try to hide the facts of history and will do anything to change it will someday fi nd itself in the same situation and will regret what they did, and ‘karma’ will catch up with them in the end. •••• Yom Huledet Sameach! Happy 66th Birthday, Israel!
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Food Security & Sustainability
Agriculture Coconut Industry Rehab On Fast Track
COCONUT FAST FACTS • 3.562 million hectares (2011) of land in the country is dedicated to coconut production. • Coconut farming occupies a total of 26% of total agricultural land. • 68 out of 79 provinces subsist on coconut farming. • 1,195 municipalities in the Philippines have coconut as major produce. • There are an estimated 340 million bearing coconut trees in the country. • The Philippines produces 15.2 billion coconuts per year on average. • 43 coconuts are being harvested per tree on a yearly average. • Last 2012, the Philippines produced 2.5 million metric tons of copra, the dried coconut meat used to make coconut oil. • The Philippines is the world’s largest producer of coconut in the world, with Indonesia and India in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
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ast January, the Philippine Coconut Authority committed to help coconut farmers in replacing all coconut trees destroyed by Yolanda. PCA Administrator Euclides Forbes was optimistic, saying the storm is an opportunity for affected areas to improve the coconut industry.
“All uprooted and partially damaged trees will be replaced with better varieties to further improve the industry than what it was before Yolanda,” said Forbes. Now, it looks like the PCA is making true on its promise and is spearheading rehab efforts in Yolanda-affected areas. The rehabilitation of the coconut industry affl icted by Yolanda in Region 8 received a major boost with the immediate release of funds from the (PCA) Central Office. “Consistent with the instructions of PCA Administrator Forbes, procurement and distribution of supplies and materials required for the massive rehabilitation of the affected areas we would implement these commitments in 90 days”, Joel O. Pilapil, Regional Manager of PCA VIII, said. The 90-Day Focused Intervention’ project aims to mitigate the possible outbreak of Rhinoceros beetle infestation and to salvage the economic value of the fallen and crownless coconut trees and turn them to cash or building materials for their owners. A total of 228,045 totally damaged trees were processed so far. The project covers the municipalities of Palo,
(Source: PCA/DA-BAS)
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Euclides Forbes Tanauan, and Tolosa including the city of Tacloban. A total of 71,065 trees were processed into sliced, ready-to-use size timber and were utilized for the Shelter Assistance component. This scheme aided the ‘poorest among the poor’coconut farming families in reconstructing their shelter by providing them with coconut lumber for free. The suspension of the implementation of RA 8048 (as amended by RA 10593), as per Memorandum Circular No. 05, Series of 2013, augmented the number of damaged coconut trees cut in areas specified in the Memorandum. This initiative brought the consolidated total number of trees processed to 331,477 five months after the onslaught of
Yolanda. For the speedy replacement of the totally-damaged trees, coconut seedlings are distributed for free. Out of the 1.8 million seedlings contracted for this project component, 745,674 quality seedlings were already distributed to almost 3,486 farmer-beneficiaries. Planting of coconut seedlings and assorted cash crops, as well as the fertilization of surviving trees commenced immediately after the clearing operation in an area. Seednuts procured from the PCA-operated Coconut Seed Production Center (CSPC) in Aroman, Cotabato were sown in nurseries located in the municipalities of Palo and Tanauan in Leyte, with a total of 19,750 and 20,300, respectively. Fertilizer materials formulated specifically for coconuts were also given for free to coconut farmers for the earlier recovery of trees that have survived the calamity. Seven thousand four hundred thirty one (7,431) 50-kg bags and 12,933 boxes of Cocogrow and Spikes fertilizer, respectively, were also distributed. To provide the coconut farmers with extra sources of income and nutritious food for the family, seeds and stem cuttings of assorted cereal and vegetable crops were also made available. A total of 324,800stem cuttings of sweet potato acquired from the Visayas State Universityand31,842 packs of seeds of Pinakbet species were distributed and planted in different municipalities in the region. Every recipient of a pack of Pinakbet seeds was given a 10-kg pack of complete fertilizer. In addition, 17,136 kg mungo seeds and 2,100 kg corn seeds were also planted. In his recent visit to PCA Regional Office in Tacloban last April 23, Forbes reiterated his directives to the Regional Manager and his staff “to remain proactive and not to cease from trying other strategies that would involve the participation of our partner beneficiaries”
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OPINION Pinoy Startup... From page 16
Peter felt the need to pay it forward. He also wanted to write a book. He shares, “It would consist of some of the lessons I learned in leaving corporate and developing my startup. But after some months, I found that it was just a huge step to develop material from scratch into a book. So I thought of something I had never thought I do – write a blog. I remember writing my fi rst post. I dilly-dallied a lot, postponing pushing the ‘publish’ button for as long as I can. In many ways, starting a blog was scarier than writing a book. The exposure was instant. What if people hated what I wrote? Or thought ‘this guy is a hack’? But I thought, like my startup leap, nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without some risk. And so I clicked publish. The blog has almost taken a life of its own now. I totally did not forecast how much it would resonate with people. Its been an amazing blessing for me.” His idea for Juan Great Leap is to do advocacy work to promote startups. One of their plans is to popularize Juan Great Leap conferences. “In the last one, sponsored by Ayala, we attracted over 200 people to a learning session/panel discussion. We are planning another one on March 2nd: a mass ‘speed dating’ event with 20 awesome startup founders. These bigger events are geared towards creating a mass learning opportunity for participants.” Juan Great Leap also organizes smaller meetups, called Open Coffee. Every month, around 40 to 50 people participate. The meetup is geared towards collaboration and helping other aspiring techpreneurs. Peter says that the meetup is open to people from any part of the startup process from ‘I have an idea’ to ‘I have just sold my startup.’ The main attraction in Juan Great Leap events, according
to him, is the open floor where people have two minutes to pitch anything to the group – an idea, a problem to solve, a need, a survey. The idea is to learn, share and have fun. “Aside from these, I meet two to three entrepreneurs for coffee every Saturday morning. We talk about everything and anything – from startup ideas, outlining opportunities, and even the spiritual side to startups. A couple of people I’ve met at Startup Saturdays have become dear friends of mine, some also who I’ve had the privilege to mentor,” he adds. Asked about the greatest challenge for Filipino tech startups, Peter remarks, “There aren’t enough entrepreneurs to take on the multitude of great ideas which are available. Right now, you see the same people in startup events – this is very good of course, as we are creating a strong community, but we need more people to join in. The biggest challenge is to inspire even more Filipinos to take that great leap!” In the midst of his success, Peter admits that he has made mistakes anyone could possibly imagine. But he did not allow mistakes to stop him from pursuing his goal. “By sheer perseverance, passion, and prayer, STORM is still standing after nearly 7 years, and has been growing steadily,” he says. Peter knows that being a technopreneur is also a process of learning things about yourself. He muses, “What I’ve learned about myself in recent years is that I really love the startup process – I absolutely love getting the right ideas and the right people together in solving great problems. I guess the HR person in me never left – I want to help other people fi nd their passions. With this end in mind, can it get any better than rallying people to build startups, new entities that are supposed to center around the entrepreneur’s passions? Looking around what has been happening in the startup
“What I’ve learned about myself in recent years is that I really love the startup process – I absolutely love getting the right ideas and the right people together in solving great problems. I guess the HR person in me never left – I want to help other people find their passions. With this end in mind, can it get any better than rallying people to build startups, new entities that are supposed to center around the entrepreneur’s passions?”
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scene around the world, I feel the Philippines has been left out a bit. I look at the Techcrunch-type sites around and I notice more and more extremely passionate, talented people taking huge leaps in pursuing their dreams, almost on an everyday basis.” Peter has some words of wisdom for fresh college graduates and young aspiring entrepreneurs: “Our graduates by and large think of one path: to make a resume, get hired by a corporation, and work their way up the corporate ladder. Then maybe get an MBA in 3-4 years, ideally abroad, and then resume going up that ladder. Talk to any business graduate of any school and this is what you’ll hear. This is the mind-numbingly singular plan.” “Ever think about starting a
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business? What if you took that leap 2 years ago? It is shuddering to think how many dreams have been quashed, how many creative impulses wasted, how many spirits have been broken, in these corporate jobs where positions matter more than people.” Peter continues, “No way in hell is this because of a lack of talent. Filipinos are worldrenowned talents. No way is it because of a lack of ambition. It is because of a lack of perception. A perception that, yes, someone in her twenties can put up a great, world-class startup. That, yes, you can make a dent in the universe.” His fi nal piece of advice for those who want to become entrepreneurs? “Take that leap, Juan.”
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Politics
The Voices of Change
My Fearless/Fearful JLN Forecast!
A
My Fearless Forecast is that if JLM is brought back to Santa Rosa, her list of Senators, Congressmen and Executive Officials involved in the the PDAF/Pork Scandal will come out in its entirety. My Fearful Forecast is that if JLM continues to be detained at the Ospital ng Makati, her list will again be censored, evaluated and manipulated to implicate PNoy’s enemies and protect his allies, friends and KKK’s.
s of our Press Deadline, Janet “Jeny” LimNapoles was still at the Ospital ng Makati. While the World was questioning why she had not been returned to her court designated place of detention at the PNP SAF camp in Santa Rosa, Laguna, the Authorities were pointing fi ngers at each other. The Makati RTC Branch presided over by Judge Almeda said that there was no need for a Court Order to return her to where the Court had committed her. Her custodian, the PNP, said that she had not paid her hospital bills and therefore could not get a discharge or release order from the Ospital ng Makati. The Ospital ng Makati said that they had already issued a discharge order. Besides, they said that it is against the law to hold a patient because of non payment of medical bills or expenses. Then we hear that JLM wants to stay in the hospital for at least three months. That is what the rich and infamous always want to do. Former Presidents Estrada and Arroyo were committed to the Presidential Suite of the Veterans Memorial Hospital. Former PCSO Chairman and Director Manoling Morato stayed at the SLMC, QC. Gov. Antonio Leviste and Rolito Go spent a portion of their sentences in various hospitals as well as special accommodations at the National Penitentiary at Muntinglupa. My Fearless Forecast is that if JLM is brought back to Santa Rosa, her list of Senators, Congressmen and Executive Officials involved in the the PDAF/ Pork Scandal will come out in its entirety. My Fearful Forecast is that if JLM continues to be detained at the Ospital ng Makati, her list will again be censored, evaluated and manipulated to implicate PNoy’s enemies and protect his allies, friends and KKK’s. My very educated guess is that while JLN (born January 15, 1964) started out in business dealings with the government fi fteen years ago, she made it big when she learned and graduated to the level of PDAF. This was during the GMA Administration between January 2001 and
YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW Linggoy Alcuaz June 2010. She and her husband, Marine Major Jaime “Jimmy” Napoles, were charged in connection with a 1998 3.8 million peso Kevlar Helmet Procurement Contract divided among seven dummy corporations. Her husband was dropped from the case. Janet was acquitted in 2010. By the time of the May 2010 National Elections, JLN had accumulated huge sums of money from the multi billion peso Ghost Deliveries of fake Projects of JLN NGO’s. My Guess is that JLN gave the Noy – Mar/LP Campaign a big campaign contribution in the hundreds of millions of pesos. And that is why JLN’s Scam phased in effortlessly into the Aquino Administration of the “Matuwid na Daaan”. The Expose of the JLM PDAF Scam was triggered by the serious illegal detention of Ben Hur Luy from Dec 19, 2012 to March 22, 2013 by JLN and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim. On the behest of Ben Hur’s parents, the NBI rescued him from a JLN house that was being used as a retrest house. While in NBI protective custody, Ben Hur started to about JLN’s operations. Meanwhile, JLN continued to harass Ben Hur and use influence and wealth in her favor. JLN retained the MOST Law Office. However, on July 12, 2013, the PDI came out with a series on the JLN PDAF Scam. In the meanwhile, Social Media had discovered and encountered the high living lifestyle of the Lim – Napoles Family. A month later, on Friday, August 16, Netizens almost spontaneously called for a Million People March and Rally at the Luneta for Monday, August 26, a holiday. Meanwhile, the NBI – DOJ – Ombudsman investigation and prosecution as well as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s Hear-
ings focused on the three opposition Senators, namely Senators Enrile, Estrada and Revilla to the neglect of other Legislators, Executive Officials and NGOs. Meanwhile, the serious illegal detention case fi led by Ben Hur Luy against JLN and Reynald “Jojo” Lim matured under media and public watch from NBI Investigation to DOJ Prosecution and fi nally the issuance of warrants of Arrest by the Makati RTC versus Jeny and Jojo. This was followed by the posting of a reward for information leading to Janet’s arrest. After hiding for several weeks, Janet surrendered to
President Aquino and DILG Sec Mar Roxas in Malacanang after a nightime “Hide and Seek” with Presidential Spokesman Lacierda. Then, Noy and Mar escorted JLN to Camp Crame. The purpose of the whole charade was to secure JLN’s cooperation in the one sided Investigation and Prosecution of the three Opposition Senators. Meanwhile there was the promise of comfort and leniency for the VIP Accused Criminal and Detention Prisoner. However, six months passed with no hospital arrest as promised. That is why the Lists started to threaten to come out.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK “I am in favor of changing the constitution to make the country more attractive to local and foreign investors.” — Vice President Jejomar Binay, replying to a question on what he plans to do should he get elected in the 2016 presidential elections “The Philippine BPO industry is the most oppressive in the world. BPO companies make billions of pesos
in revenues, but they don’t look at the welfare of their employees.” — BPO Workers Association of the Philippine president Ruben Torres.
“The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will remain watchful of potential financial stability pressures from liquidity and credit
growth, especially as these may be affected by global developments.” — BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr.
Amando Tetangco
”Meralco should come up with a full simulation of what its power rates should be. It’s just that we would want to know on a daily basis where Meralco sources its power requirements,” — Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla
“You just have to trust me that I am not going to sanitize the list,” — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, referring to persons mentioned to her by “pork barrel queen” Janet Lim Napoles
“Many US manufacturers of high-technology products would be encouraged to locate here because of US Trade Representative findings that Philippine laws provide adequate protection of intellectual property rights.” — Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Alfredo M. Yao “If President Aquino is willing
to meet with me, I’m also willing to meet with him,” — Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Jose Ma. Sison, referring to possible resumption of talks between the government and the National Democratic Front “The Philippine equities market is expensive compared to the rest of ASEAN. Nevertheless, the country’s strong macro-economic factors may keep
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Jose Ma. Sison valuations lofty for some time to come” — First Metro Investments Corp., the investment banking arm of Metrobank
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GameChanger PETER CAUTON
Pinoy
Startup
Mastermind
P
eter Cauton considers himself a career HR Practitioner turned serial entrepreneur. But he is more than that. Technopreneurs and aspiring startups all over the country know him more as an inspirational speaker and a founder of several startup companies. He is an expert on how to get someone’s dream tech business started, and how to sustain it.
He started his fi rst company, STORM Consulting back in 2006. The company has since grown by leaps and bounds and is now called STORM Rewards. Peter Cauton is considered a leader of the Filipino Startup Movement via his site Juan Great Leap (juangreatleap.com). His mission in life is to inspire others to take the great leap into entrepreneurship. In his interview with Tech In Asia’s Raya Edquilang, he was asked: What was that defi ning moment when you made a conscious decision that helping others is what you want to do? He answered, “In 2008, I made the biggest career decision of my life – I took the leap, kissed my corporate career goodbye and went full-time to help my struggling startup. Considering it was in the middle of the recession and I had a newborn son, it was an idiotic decision. By God’s grace, it worked out. In 2011, not only was I making a good living running my own fi rm, I also founded more startups. I just felt incredibly blessed.” Turn to page 14
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