Category: Economy

The myth of ‘inclusive growth’ in the Philippines and why GDP alone does not matter

May 25, 2014May 25, 2014 Libertas 22 Comments

Why is there no inclusive growth in the Philippines? The critical component and measurement which goes a long way in explaining why no progress is being made, and inclusive growth remains only the ‘in’ slogan/mantra of the year is the Poverty Elasticity of Growth or PEG (the multiplier effect of percent growth to percent poverty…

Culture, Development, Economy

Quaint outcomes on Day One of the 2014 World Economic Forum #WEF conference in Manila

May 23, 2014 benign0 12 Comments

Southeast Asia is a part of the world where much of the wealth was created by former colonial masters, inherited by a small elite clique of oligarchs, and is now largely held by the ethnic Chinese diaspora. The degree to which this wealth has trickled down to the greater population varies by country. Nonetheless, major…

Development, Economy

Lead-up to SONA 2014: The sorry report card of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino

May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 benign0 11 Comments

It’s been four years into his so-called “Daang Matuwid” (“straight-and-narrow”) administration with just two years to go to make good on his many unfulfilled promises before he bows out of the office he reluctantly took in 2010. Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III is under an even more powerful magnifying glass now. The country…

Crime, Development, Economy, Government, Media, Politics

Philippine tourism touted as key to ‘inclusive’ growth while decay of key infrastructure continues

May 20, 2014 benign0 13 Comments

Climate change continues to loom as one of the biggest risks to the Philippines’ long-term future. Speaking before the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s ASEAN International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change in Legazpi City yesterday, Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III, asserted that the ‘new normal’ it will bring will compromise the long-aspired-for…

Development, Economy, Environment, Government

Does the ‘best before’ date in food cause unnecessary waste?

May 19, 2014 benign0 2 Comments

According to a Reuters report it just may; so much so that the European Union may be mulling scrapping the warning altogether. A use by date is applied if there is a health risk in eating food after that date, whereas a best before date is more about quality – when it expires it does…

Economy, Environment, Lifestyle, Money Talks

Manila ranks near bottom as Tokyo, London, New York top IESE 2014 ‘smartest cities’ list

May 15, 2014May 16, 2014 benign0 16 Comments

According to the IESE Business School website post on the subject, the Cities in Motion Index (ICIM) is basically a ranking of the world’s “smartest” cities along ten dimensions: “governance, public management, urban planning, technology, environment, international outreach, social cohesion, mobility and transportation, human capital, and economy.” The aim of the ICIM initiative is to…

Development, Economy, Environment, Lifestyle

Philippines least ‘networked ready’ in ASEAN according to World Economic Forum

May 9, 2014 benign0 6 Comments

The Philippines ranks last in “networked readiness” among its former peers in the ASEAN’s major economies with Singapore taking the second spot in the top ten most “networked” economies in the world… This is according to the 2014 Global Information Technology Report issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Networked readiness is measured by the…

Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Media, Tech Talk

Philippine Labor Day rhetoric: the same old bullshit

April 26, 2014April 26, 2014 benign0 24 Comments

So it’s “Labor Day” again this 1st of May in the Philippines. What do the usual suspects who champion the workers’ “fight” have to offer this time in terms of rhetoric? Considering that they’ve milked the easy ones dry — anti-Americanism, anti-imperialism, anti-incumbent-government, higher wages, more jobs, etc. — what else is there? There is…

Development, Economy, Politics