Tag: importation

Smoke and mirrors mask dire situation surrounding rice prices as elections loom

May 21, 2024 Ramon Ortoll No Comments

Most political analysts describe former President Rodrigo Duterte as a populist but he wasn’t close to being one when it came to economic policies which he left to his finance secretary to set. The Rice Tarrification Law (RTL) was passed to put an end to rice subsidies and corruption at the National Food Authority (NFA)…

Economy

Is it even possible to “boycott” Chinese products?

August 13, 2023August 13, 2023 benign0 58 Comments

Sure, it’s possible to boycott Chinese products. But you’d first need to invent a time machine. You’d have to bring the Philippines back to a time when it had no more than a third of its current population. You’d need to find the sweet spot in its history over which it mined, grew, and made…

Business, Culture, Development

Philippine-China conflict: How did we come to be so dependent on Chinese imports?

June 14, 2011March 7, 2014 benign0 24 Comments

Last weekend Governor Joey Salcedo of the Philippine province of Albay issued what on the surface looks to be a ludicrous proposal — that Filipinos “boycott” Chinese-made products. Salcedo made this call to Filipinos to “hurt [China] where it counts” in light of recent military and diplomatic tension between the Philippines and China over the…

Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle