Category: Economy

Filipinos’ concern over a depreciating peso is due to a pathetic dependence on imports

April 4, 2018 benign0 39 Comments

A depreciating peso wouldn’t really be an issue if Filipinos are able to produce what they consume and sell what they don’t consume to an export market. The trouble is, the Philippines is not a producer of valuable enough stuff and prefer, instead, the lazy option of “producing” and selling low-value raw stuff. I enclosed…

Economy, Money Talks

Filipinos have no choice but to pay more taxes

March 13, 2018 benign0 7 Comments

You can’t have your cake and eat it. If Filipinos want more and better-quality public services, they’re gonna have to cough up the dough and pay more taxes. The reality is that most of the infrastructure required to deliver the services they demand involves foreign technology and imported goods — which is why they cost…

Development, Economy, Money Talks

The KEY to a truly intelligent political discourse that ordinary Filipinos can relate with

January 25, 2018 benign0 5 Comments

I came up with a new public relations (PR) concept for Malacanang. I call it the Flypaper Trick. To understand this trick, a brief explanation of how flypaper works is in order. Flypaper is a sheet of paper coated with a strong adhesive that attracts flies that happen to be buzzing around. A fly that…

Development, Economy, Money Talks

It is NOT TRUE that the Philippines’ new Tax Reform (TRAIN) bill is “anti-poor”

January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 benign0 21 Comments

Every woman and her dog is saying that the recently-implemented Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law is “anti-poor”. They cite how increased taxes on commodities will be an “additional burden” on the poorest Filipinos with increased costs incurred in procuring input into businesses being passed on to customers and “trickling down” to the…

Economy, Money Talks

While his critics called him a “dictator”, Duterte has been good for the Philippine economy

December 23, 2017 Ilda 14 Comments

The Philippine Opposition suffered another loss as President Rodrigo Duterte’s “net satisfaction ratings went up by 10 points to 58% in the last quarter of 2017”, according to the latest survey results by survey firm Social Weather Stations (SWS). It has been a bad year for the President’s critics particularly members of the Liberal Party,…

Development, Economy

Three ingredients essential for the Philippines to progress that ‘thought leaders’ fail to address

October 25, 2017October 27, 2017 benign0 7 Comments

The trouble with the Philippines’ political discourse today is that it is hopelessly partisan. As a result, there is no energy channeled into mapping a way forward for the Philippines. Instead, much of the talk is around discrediting one other. Whilst there is a small niche within the social media chatter that appreciates and rewards…

Culture, Development, Economy

Population control? Education? Infrastructure? Let us get our priorities straight!

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 Hector Gamboa 9 Comments

My previous article regarding the potential high cost of free college education has elicited interesting reactions from readers. Some readers have argued that free college, much like free contraceptives, is a good investment by the government that would lead to economic improvement in the Philippines. In support of the argument, some have blamed the high…

Economy

Free college will end up costing more

August 6, 2017August 7, 2017 Hector Gamboa 35 Comments

So the bill for free college education at state universities and colleges was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte. Many Filipinos are rejoicing for yet another freebie for the people. We have free contraceptives and now we have free college education (among other freebies). But what does “free college” really mean? Does it mean…

Economy, Education, Politics