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Filipino pride kicks off official start of SEA Games

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

POMP and pageantry championing Filipino pride marked the official start of the 30th Southeast Asian Games on Saturday night with the indoor opening ceremony held at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Made history as the first opening rites of the biennial regional sporting meet held indoors, the proceedings rolled off nearly two weeks of competition that would see athletes from 11 participating nations compete in 56 sports involving 530 events.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was joined by Brunei Sultan and Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah to watch the Games’ kickoff, opened the 30th edition of the SEA Games, which the country is hosting for the fourth time in history, following 1981, 1991 and 2005.

The ceremony featured a collaboration of local and international talent and an exposition of Filipino culture and contemporary music and dance.

Artists Iñigo Pascual, Elmo Magalona and KZ Tandingan sung the hits of the late “Master Rapper” Francis Magalona — “Mga Kababayan,” “Man from Manila” and “Tayo’y Mga Pinoy” — that got the local crowd inside the arena up and celebrating.

The classic track of ‘70s band Hotdog — “Manila” — meanwhile, was played as Team Philippines made its way out for the parade of nations, sending even Mr. Duterte to groove a little to the tune.

Singer Lani Misalucha’s rendition of “Lupang Hinirang” and native dances from the different regions of the country after set the tone for the hour-and-a-half ceremony.

Tony Award-winning performer Lea Salonga, who sang the SEA Games theme song “We Win As One” was not present because of a prior commitment abroad but the track was ably rendered in the ceremony by Christian Bautista, Aicelle Santos, Jed Madela, Messrs. Pascual and Magalona, Robert Sena, The TNT Boys, Ms. Tandingan, Anna Fegi, Ms. Misalucha and international Apl d Ap.

“We Win As One” was written by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

The ceremony also was a tribute of sorts to Filipino sports legends with Lydia de Vega (athletics), Akiko Thompson and Eric Buhain (swimming), Alvin Patrimonio (basketball), Bong Coo and Paeng Nepomuceno (bowling), Onyok Velasco (boxing) and Efren “Bata” Reyes (billiards) taking part as they carried the SEA Games Federation flag.

Capping of the proceedings was boxing legend and senator Manny Pacquiao and boxing bet Nesthy Petecio lighting the Games’ cauldron at the New Clark City sports complex in Capas, Tarlac.

During the program, House Speaker and Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano and Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino delivered speeches, underscoring the honor that goes with hosting the SEA Games and vowing to make the Games a success despite the early hiccups it has experienced and allegations of corruption thrown the hosting’s way.

CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Meanwhile, Filipino athletes were looking to bag the first gold medals for the country in a number of events on Sunday.

Triathletes John Chicano and Kim Remolino were to plunge first in men’s triathlon at 6 a.m. while female counterparts Kim Mangrobang and Kim Kilgroe making a good at it at 8 a.m.

Also going for gold were the Philippines’ cycling, polo, gymnastics and arnis teams.

In his message to the Filipino athletes, Philippine Chef de Mission and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez underscored how he believes in their capabilities especially playing in front of their compatriots.

“We will have 11 days of competitions, and I can see the 1,496-strong Philippine contingent fighting it out with their every breath and exerting their effort to the last drop of their sweat to bring honor to this country, in front of their very own blood and flesh,” said Mr. Ramirez in a statement.

He went on to assure them that they are behind them all the way as they bring pride and honor to the country.

“As the Chef de Mission, I have been in constant communication with athletes, teams, officials, NSAs (national sports associations) to ensure that needs are met, issues are resolved and that our sincere care for the Filipino athlete are felt and shown,” he said.

The 30th SEA Games happens in four designated clusters — Clark, Subic, Metro Manila and “Other Areas,” which include Batangas, Cavite, La Union and Laguna until Dec. 11.

PHL 3X3 teams sweep way on Day One of tournament

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE 3×3 basketball teams in the ongoing 30th Southeast Asian Games stayed perfect on opening day of the tournament on Sunday at FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

The men’s team, composed of players from the Philippine Basketball Association, and the women’s squad swept all their matches yesterday to pad their respective causes in the tournament, which is making its SEA Games debut this year.

The men’s team of CJ Perez, Jason Perkins, Mo Tautuaa and Chris Newsome opened its campaign with a 21-17 win over Indonesia, following it up with a 21-10 pounding of Myanmar, and a 21-15 victory over Vietnam.

It played Thailand in its final game of the day, winning, 21-10.

Mr. Perkins topscored for the Philippines against the Thais with seven points.

Mr. Tautuaa had six points while Messrs. Perez and Newsome had five and three points, respectively, In a game that had them trailing early but just was unstoppable once they got their collective groove going.

WOMEN’S
Meanwhile on the distaff side of the tournament, the Philippines was steady in beating Myanmar, 21-4, Malaysia, 15-13, and Indonesia, 16-13, in that order.

Against Indonesia, the Philippines got off to a hot start led by Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino.

The Indonesians though would make a charge back as they waxed hot from the outside.

The count stood at 11-9 with three minutes to play but Ms. Bernardino would drain key baskets in the wind-up to preserve the win.

“It was good day for us but tomorrow is another day. Hopefully what we did here we can carry it over in our next matches,” said Ms. Animam after their sweep of Day One.

Also part of the women’s team are Janine Pontejos and Clare Castro.

The Philippine men’s team battles Malaysia and Cambodia today where it hopes to continue to roll and book a spot in the championship rounds.

The women’s team, meanwhile, will play Vietnam and Thailand.

Philippine softball teams, duathletes start SEA Games campaigns

Philippines 2019 SEA Games logo

NEW CLARK CITY — The Philippine softball teams set off to battle Monday in their quest to deliver the gold medals expected of them here in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

The Blu Girls will have a double-header as they tackle Singapore at 9 a.m. and Malaysia at 2:30 p.m., at the Villages.

The Filipinas are the favorites in the three-day competitions having won the gold every time the sport was played in the biennial meet.

They will be bannered by Fil-American Garie Blando, a short stop who hails from Las Vegas, and team captain and catcher Ceska Altomonte.

The Blu Boys, who are a dominating force in the region, will battle Thailand at 9 a.m.

Marlon Pagkalinawan, Leo Barredo and Reagan Park will be the pitchers for the Blu Boys who are beefed up with members of the national team that placed second in the 2017 Asian junior championship.

Meanwhile, Filipino duathletes will try to duplicate the huge success of their triathlete counterparts when they see action today at the Subic Baywalk inside the Subic Freeport Zone.

Jerwyn Banatao, Joey delos Reyes, Monica Torres and Chelsea Sabado will plunge into action boosted by the gold medal sweep scored by John Chicano and Kim Mangrobang Sunday.

Triathlon chief Tom Carrasco is banking on Banatao and Delos Reyes to deliver golden performances.

“I’m pretty confident that either of them (Banato and Delos Reyes) winning the gold and silver in the men’s duathlon,” said Carrasco, adding: “Torres is my bet in the women’s division.”

Duathlon coach Marco Vilog said his charges had been training hard for the past four months in the run-bike-run event around the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

“They practiced well and they’re inspired by the success of our triathletes,” said Vilog.

Ryan Mendoza was the last Filipino to rule the men’s duathlon race in the 2007 Thailand SEA Games.

Typhoon ‘Tisoy’ forces postponement of windsurfing competition

SUBIC — Windsurfing in SEA Games Philippines 2019 has been postponed due to typhoon “Tisoy.”

“It will be moved to a date when weather will be clear of typhoon,” said SEA Games Subic Cluster Chairman and lawyer Ramon Agregado Sunday. There is no decision yet on whether sailing competitions will also be re-scheduled.

Typhoon “Tisoy” is expected to make landfall in the Bicol region by late Monday or early Tuesday, bringing maximum sustained winds of 150 kph near the center and 185 kph gusts.

Because of this, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned of “frequent to continuous heavy rains” in Bicol, Metro Manila, Zambales, Pampanga, Calabarzon, Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, Bataan, and Bulacan.

Windsurfing was originally scheduled at the Lighthouse Jetty Area and Subic Bay Yacht Club, respectively, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9.

That original time frame included practices, weighing and measuring of equipment, and competition proper. Depending on the effects of typhoon Tisoy, the two events may have to be postponed to Dec. 5.

“We are anticipating December 5 as the start of the official competition,” said venue manager Julious Macam.

Filipino boxer Casimero captures WBO bantamweight title via KO

FILIPINO BOXER John Riel Casimero became a three-division world champion after he defeated South African Zolani Tete by way of knockout in the third round in Birmingham, England, on Sunday, to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title.

Following a feeling-out moment in the early goings in the bout, Mr. Casimero began to make things happen that had him breaking through in the third round, landing a solid right hand to the temple of his opponent who was instantly rocked by it before hitting the canvas.

The victory earned for him a third division world title, in addition to the flyweight and junior flyweight belts he held.

It also improved him to 29-4 and has him now winning five straight fights.

After the win, Mr. Casimero, a native of Ormoc, Leyte, called out undefeated Japanese champion Naoya Inoue.

Mr. Inoue recently outlasted Filipino Nonito Donaire, Jr. to stay unblemished. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Araneta gets fresh term as PFF president

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

MARIANO “NONONG” ARANETA stayed as Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president after he was elected for a third term as head of the football body in elections held on Nov. 29 at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

Part of the 16th PFF Congress, the election saw Mr. Araneta winning over Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) president Ricky Yanson, 23-12, to earn a third straight mandate.

Mr. Araneta was first elected to the position in 2011 and earned a second term in 2015.

The PFF president said in the lead-up to the elections that if privileged enough to be given a fresh mandate he would work on sustaining and adding to the progress that Philippine football has made in the last decade.

“Rest assured, we will do better and we will move on as one,” said Mr. Araneta following his victory.

“I enjoin everyone to unite for the good of Philippine football. I am extending my hand to my opponent so we can bring football further,” he added.

Mr. Araneta got solid support from the Mindanao bloc, led by his running mate M’lang Cotabato mayor Joselito Piñol, who was also reelected as vice-president.

Also boosting Mr. Araneta’s candidacy was the entry of three Philippines Football League (PFL) clubs Ceres Negros FC, Kaya Iloilo and Stallion Laguna, which were able to secure voting rights after their membership to the PFF was approved earlier during the PFF Congress.

The PFF, under Mr. Araneta, is fully supportive of the PFL as it sees it as very important since it gives younger players a place to aspire for.

The PFL is set to welcome a new sponsor in Qatar Airways beginning next season.

Mr. Araneta said his four-year plan for the federation include more infrastructure with the impending completion of the National Training Centre in Carmona, Cavite, as well as the establishment of more age-group tournaments, something the PFF was hit for under his watch.

The PFF president said the entry of Qatar Airways would allow flexibility for funds to be channelled to youth tournaments.

“All the money we usually spend for the league will now be plowed back to the development of the youth,” said Mr. Araneta.

The PFF started the Under-15 tournament this year and next year will have the Under-17.

Women’s youth tournaments are also being considered to further grow women’s football to go hand-in-hand with the three-year-old PFF Women’s League.

ACCEPTS RESULTS
Despite losing his bid for the PFF presidency, Mr. Yanson said “life goes on” for him and vowed to continue his advocacy for the sport through NOFA and give his support to the federation.

“I graciously acknowledge the victory of Mr. Mariano “Nonong” Araneta and sincerely wish him well as the new president of the Philippine Football Federation,” said Mr. Yanson in a statement.

“Life goes on for me. I will continue to help Philippine Football through the ‘Football Para Sa Lahat’ advocacy. I will continue the programs we’ve begun in Negros Occidental and will wholeheartedly partner with PFF in endeavors just like NOFA has done in the past,” he added.

Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team emerges endurance race champ

IT WAS sort of déjà vu for the reigning champion Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team after an intense 96-lap finish at the recently concluded 2019 Giti Formula V1 Ultra 4-Hours Endurance Race held in Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.

Cleanfuel-Motul Racing car number #17, driven by the veteran karter/racing phenom/champion trio of Luis Gono, Ryo Yamada and Naoki Koizumi, was declared as the event’s overall champion with a total time of 4:00:12.93.

After repeating its win last year, Gono, who spent his birthday on the racetrack, took full control and went wheel-to-wheel against top-caliber seasoned racers like Tyson Sy of Edgesport Racing and Estafano Rivera of Toyota Otis Obengers.

Despite his one-year absence on the race track, Gono drove the green Cleanfuel Formula Vita winning car and completed 1 hour and 40 minutes with only 30-minutes seat time before the race.

“Being absent for almost a year was definitely a tough obstacle to overcome. Although due to strong determination and having the support of a great team, I managed to clock-in quick lap times and we finished first,” said Luis Gono, Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team ace driver.

With a total of 61 drivers and 21 cars, Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team showcased an outstanding race from the beginning to end.

Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team had two entry cars in the endurance race. On-board the Cleanfuel-Motul Racing number #24 car were Tomomitsu Senoo, Ai Koizumi, and celebrity racer Dominic Roque. The team completed a total of 95 laps and garnered a time of 4:01:12.330 behind Ensport/Fourth Floor Racing Team which clocked in at 4:00:24.611.

“This is a major test for the team as we conclude and cap off the 2019 Formula V1 Endurance Race. We’ve raced with world-class champions like Tyson Sy, Daniel Miranda, Estafo Rivera, Alex Brown, Stefan Ramirez, and more. There are many lessons to learn from this race and also exciting memories to cherish. I am proud that Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team exemplifies true sportsmanship whether we are on podium or not,” said Marco Atienza, Team Manager of Cleanfuel-Motul Racing Team.

Cleanfuel-Motul Racing car number #17, driven by the veteran karter/racing phenom/champion trio of Luis Gono, Ryo Yamada and Naoki Koizumi, was declared as the event’s overall champion at the recently held 2019 Giti Formula V1 Ultra 4-Hours Endurance Race.

Surging Lakers

The Lakers are rolling with the National Basketball Association’s best win-loss slate, thanks to a November run in which they lost only once in 15 outings. Not coincidentally, that setback, courtesy of the surprisingly resilient Raptors, came three weeks ago, as good an indication as any that they learned — and managed to move on — from it, pronto. Their 17-2 record to date is a franchise best equaled or surpassed only twice before, and includes an ongoing 10-match win streak last seen when the purple and gold marched to a successful title defense in 2010. In other words, they’re playing extremely well, and certainly chasms apart from their immediate past performances.

That the Lakers will make the playoffs for the first time in seven years seems a foregone conclusion at this point, barring, of course, the forced sidelining of key players, and especially of their resident All-Stars. Certainly, the memory of last season’s roller-coaster ride is still fresh in the minds of pro hoops followers; after climbing to fourth in the West standings following a statement win against the powerhouse Warriors on Christmas Day, they suffered a swoon triggered by the first major injury in four-time Most Valuable Player LeBron James’ career.

For now, the Lakers are oozing with confidence. Offseason acquisition Anthony Davis is proving to be worth all the assets they gave up for him, partnering with James to make the best one-two punch in the league. They’ve been so good together, in fact, that their individual campaigns for accolades aren’t pulled down by the presence of the other. Not a few quarters have deemed one to be the frontrunner for Most Valuable Player and the other for Defensive Player of the Year. And while the exercise may be speculative at this point, a consideration of their accomplishments through the first fourth of the 2019–20 campaign does offer probative value.

True, adversity faces the Lakers after a relatively soft phase. Up next are meetings with highly regarded opposition, and eight of 10 on the road. Such notables as the Mavericks, Nuggets, Jazz, Blazers, Heat, Pacers, and Bucks are lying in wait. And because James, Davis, and Company are who they are, they would do well to prep for ultra-sharp and -prepped competition. They should be proud they already have the respect even without an accompanying body of work that impresses. At the same time, they cannot but be bent on showing they deserve it every time out.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

The world economy in the near future

Last week, the economic counsellor of the embassy of Spain, Pedro Pascual, briefed the members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce on the prospects of the world economy from 2020 and beyond. We are headed for challenging times.

Global growth is seen to decelerate from 3.8% in 2018 to 3% in 2019 and further down to 2.7% (World Bank data) in 2020 due to several reasons, the most significant of which is the trade war waged by the US against China and the EU. The effect of these trade wars is a reduction in global trade from its normal growth rate of 3% to just 1% in the next two years.

Exacerbating matters are the political uncertainties that persists in every continent of the globe. From Brexit in Europe to the specter of a presidential impeachment in the US. From Hong Kong’s civil unrest to the Chilean riots in Latin America. All these dampen global investments which is seen to decrease by as much as 40%.

The United States will likely post a growth rate of 2.4% in 2019, decelerating to 2.1% in 2020. This is because the pump priming initiatives of 2017 tax cuts will lose their effect. While employment will remain stable, investments in new enterprises are seen to drop. Similarly, consumption is seen to soften as the tariff increases on Chinese products begin to translate to higher retail prices.

As for China, it too will slow down. From a likely growth rate of 6.1% in 2019, it is seen to decelerate to just 5.8% in 2020. Public construction will ease dramatically as the communist government reigns-in its massive debts.

The trade war’s effect on China has not been as significant as one may expect. This is because the Chinese economy is now transitioning from an export-lead economy to one that is consumption-lead. The slack in demand for Chinese goods abroad are off-set by a spike in local consumption. Hence, a rise in the production of consumer goods is foreseen while production of capital goods will drop.

As for the EU, growth is seen to be almost static, from 1.2% in 2019 to 1.4% in 2020. Among the bigger economies of the EU, Spain will post the fastest growth rate of 2.2% and 1.8%, this year and next. Germany will struggle with growth of only .05% in 2019 and 1.2% in 2020.

At the heart of the EU woes is the drop in the production of automobiles. The production of cars, trucks, and their supply chain of parts comprises the largest chunk of the EU’s industrial output. For the first time in a decade, demand for automobiles is seen to drop by 3% across the board due to the rise of ride sharing services and a shift in preference away from diesel and gasoline to electric vehicles.

The trade war will also affect the EU adversely, especially Spain whose biggest export destination outside the EU is the United States. Investments in new factories will decrease but consumption will remain steady.

Emerging markets, including the Philippines will continue to drive global growth. Among the larger economies in this category, India, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia will post growth rates of between five and seven percent in 2019 and 2020.

The Philippines is seen to grow by 5.7% in 2019 and 6.3% in 2020. The country is on track towards graduating to an upper-middle income economy early next year. Since consumption and government spending drives the economy, the effects of the trade war is minimal.

Economic indicators in the Philippines are stable. Inflation stood at 1.7% as of August; the current account deficit is forecast to reach 2.4% of GDP by year-end, a level that is still manageable; unemployment was at 5.4% as of July; and gross international reserves stand at $85.7 billion, equivalent to 7.5 months of imports. These numbers suggests that the economy is healthy.

But there are fundamental weaknesses too, the most serious of which is the drop in foreign direct investments (FDIs) by a massive 40%. This is due to many reasons, among them is the uncertainty in the tax environment due to CITIRA and the slower-than-expected roll-out of infrastructure projects (which has turned off many investors).

It must be stressed, however, that the negative list of industries where foreigners are precluded (or limited) from participation as prescribed by the 1987 constitution is still the biggest dampener in the country’s ability to attract FDIs. President Duterte has yet to fulfill his promise to amend the charter. Doing so will open the floodgates of FDIs.

Other weaknesses that government has been slow to resolve are the relatively low education and talent quotient of the workforce, relatively slow adoption to information and communication technologies, low innovation capability, corruption, bureaucratic red tape, and a lethargic, corrupt justice system.

These weaknesses, taken collectively, have eroded Philippine competitiveness.

As I have always said, foreign direct investments is the silver bullet that can make the Philippine’s growth story sit on solid ground. Even today, despite the economy’s growth of 6% or more, I worry that our growth is driven by public consumption and government spending. The former is fueled by OFW remittances while the latter is funded by debt. Foreign direct investments brings in capital, technologies, jobs, and export earnings. The FDI growth path is fundamentally more solid as it based on productivity.

As we move forward to the 2020s, the world will face new realities, said Mr. Pascual. Immigration will persist due to economic reasons, climate reasons (erosion of coastal areas and extreme weather changes), as well as for reasons of domestic conflict; robotics and automation will take over manual labor; modes of mobility will change away from private cars to public transportation, rider sharing, and bicycles; and innovative services will continue to disrupt brick and mortar businesses.

These changes will bring about massive disruption to industries, worldwide — but they will also bring forth many opportunities. The losers will be those who resist change and fail to adapt. But the winners will be those who evolve, innovate, and create.

 

Andrew J. Masigan is an economist.

The Foundation for Economic Freedom and the Templeton Prize

On Nov. 7, during the Atlas Network’s Freedom Dinner at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City, the Foundation for Economic Freedom, of which I’m President and co-Founder, received the prestigious Templeton Freedom Award. The Award was given in recognition of the Foundation’s work advocating and successfully pushing for legislation removing Commonwealth-era restrictions on agricultural patents, thereby immediately benefiting 2.5 million farmers and energizing the rural land market.

Atlas Network’s Templeton Freedom Award is given annually after an international competition among think tanks and public policy organizations among Atlas Network’s partner organizations worldwide. It’s named after the late billionaire philanthropist John Templeton and supported by his foundation, the Templeton Religion Trust. As Atlas Network puts it, “This prestigious prize honors Sir John’s legacy by recognizing Atlas Network’s partner organizations for exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise and the advancement of public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation, and human fulfilment.” The prize carries a $100,000 cash award.

The Foundation was one of six finalists in this year’s competition, which included one from Lebanon, one from Burundi, and three from the United States.

What are agricultural patents and why is the reform so momentous?

Agricultural patents are titles on lands from the alienable public domain given to farmers who have lived in and tilled the land for at least 30 years. They are different from Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs), which are titles given to former peasants from private lands acquired by the government under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Agricultural patent holders are, therefore, farmer entrepreneurs while CLOAs holders are former peasants who had tilled the land for a landlord. There are about 2.5 million agricultural patents versus 3.5 to 4.5 million CLOAs, the majority of which are collective CLOAs (i.e. not individually titled).

These agricultural patents were awarded on the basis of the Commonwealth-era Public Land Act of 1936. These patents carried three major restrictions (Section 44, Sections 118, 119, 121) which made them toxic to banks and investors and lowered their market value: 1. They can’t be sold or mortgaged within the first five years of the grant of the patent; 2. The patent holder or farmer beneficiary and his/her heirs have a perpetual right to buy back the property within five years from the date of sale or alienation; and 3. They are prohibited from being sold to a corporation.

The perpetual buy-back option made these patents unacceptable as loan collateral to banks, particularly rural banks, because they must be held for five years. As an illiquid asset, the value of the land would be charged against the rural bank’s capital. Moreover, due to the prohibition of ownership of agricultural patents by corporations, there was the legal uncertainty whether banks are allowed to foreclose them at all.

As for investors, why would they purchase the land to improve it if at the end of five years, the original owner or his/her heirs may buy back the improved property? The result was that these agricultural lands became “dead capital.”

The prohibition on corporations buying agricultural patents further diminished the market and therefore the value of these lands. Corporations couldn’t buy and develop them.

On the other hand, the removal of these restrictions would enable the land to go to “the highest and best use,” and, therefore, increase economic efficiency. It will spawn the extension of agricultural credit and promote investments in rural land. More than economic efficiency, however, the farmer will gain economic liberty and will have the option to pursue his best possible self.

Recognizing these punitive restrictions on property rights of farmers and their negative impact on the rural land market, inspired by the ideas of Nobel Laureate Ronald Coase on property rights and free markets, the Foundation for Economic Freedom advocated for the removal of these restrictions. It partnered with the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines to advocate for a simple two-page bill that would remove these restrictions. Prominent agricultural economists, such as Dr. Rolando Dy, Dr. Ramon Clarete, Dr. Bruce Tolentino, and National Scientist Dr. Raul Fabella wrote to Congress expressing their support.

Fortunately, legislative champions emerged in the House and the Senate. The most ardent champion in the Senate was Senator Richard Gordon. Senator Gordon is a known supporter of strong property rights. As Senate Justice Committee Chairman, he swiftly conducted hearings on the bill and steered its passage in the Senate ahead of the Lower House.

In the House, Congressmen Joey Salceda, Kit Belmonte, LRay Villafuerte Jr., Reynaldo Umali, Romero Quimbo, Ferdinand Hernandez, Monsour del Rosario, Art Yap, and the Agri Party List solons, Orestes Salon and Delphine Lee, filed sponsorship bills. Former Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former House Justice Committee Chairman Doy Leachon prioritized its passage.

As a result, on Feb. 22, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11231, which liberated farmers from these onerous restrictions. It was Economic Freedom Day for farmer-beneficiaries of agricultural patents.

Upon receiving the award for the Foundation during the Freedom Dinner in New York, I gave the following response: “Thank you to the Templeton Religion Trust and to Atlas Network for this great honor in recognition of our work to help remove restrictions on agricultural patents, thereby benefiting 2.5 million farmers and energizing the rural land market. In the Philippines, the face of poverty is rural, and giving back to our farmers the right to do with their land as they see fit, is a giant step toward eliminating rural poverty and assuring rural prosperity. It will also, as a consequence, hopefully strengthen democracy, because economic freedoms are very much tied to political freedoms.

“I’m receiving this award and thanking you in behalf of the Foundation for Economic Freedom of the Philippines, our coalition partners who helped support and shepherded the landmark legislation into law, and most of all, in behalf of the most vulnerable sectors in our society, who are suffering from a lack of economic freedoms.

“If you trace the arc of Philippine economic history, from the time it was the second richest country in Asia after Japan in the 1950s to the economy’s nadir in the early 1980s, when it was considered the “sick man of Asia,” and then up to now, when the economy has regained its footing and seems headed toward fast, sustainable growth, you can rightly conclude that its economic fortunes fell with the decline in economic freedoms and rose when it started pushing back the boundaries for economic freedom.

“For us, the lesson is clear. The way forward is to strengthen property rights and promote economic liberty. The road is not always straightforward, especially in a democracy where vested interests can use their powers to throttle economic freedoms. However, this award can only inspire us to exert greater efforts. The end goal is to eliminate poverty, assure shared prosperity, strengthen democracy, and achieve peace and stability in our society.”

 

Calixto V. Chikiamco is a board director of the Institute for Development and Econometric Analysis.

idea.introspectiv@gmail.com

www.idea.org.ph

Sexist bullying

We already know, from immersion near drowning in the universal storm for gender equality, that men should respect women and vice versa.

Respect means that the rights of the other are not transgressed either in actuality as in rape and sexual exploitation, or in perception as in discrimination or rejection because of gender stereotypes. Filipino men (except for a Hadean few) respect women highly as figures of their mothers and sisters. But the irony of gender equality is that it brings down the respect for women from that high pedestal in the heart of a son or brother to the crass level of rough and tumble competitiveness in the “equal playing field” of workaday life.

When will gender be totally a non-issue in the rise up the corporate ladder, for example? This happened at the regular Monday ManCom meeting in a big, respected business conglomerate: the top executives and department heads were discussing how to “soften” the Bureau of Internal Revenue on the multi-million peso assessment of underpaid income taxes. “Let’s send Annie to negotiate,” the president said. The 10 male executives around the conference table guffawed. Annie was a young widow, pretty and sexy. Never mind that she had a Ph.D in Economics. The four lady VPs at the meeting, including Annie, smiled wryly but said nothing.

Perhaps the “saying nothing” excited the pheromones even more in the challenged male executives who deep within might have begrudged Annie’s “undue advantage” by her sex appeal. Through no fault of hers, she was objectified: to be open prey to those men who pruriently fantasized some “action” with her or those who decided up front that they could never have her — and punished her for this by alienating her and giving her a hard time in the necessary coordination and cooperation between departments in the corporation. It was sexist bullying. Of course there were still other more grounded males in the organization who observed proper respect for the lady and her position, and continued to be strictly professional in their dealings with Annie.

But not the corporation’s president — the top honcho, top macho. Tricking Annie to his office one evening when all the staff had gone home, he groped and kissed her, and attempted to pin her down on the sofa. Of course Annie fought him off and stormed out. The next day she spoke confidentially to the SVP in charge of Personnel. No witnesses, he said. He advised her to just forgive and forget, if she wanted to stay in the company. Annie needed the job. She stayed until the year-end evaluation and merit increases in pay. No increase for her that time. She stayed until the reorganization and her possible promotion from VP to SVP. No promotion. Annie had to resign and look for another job.

There is R.A. 7877, an “Act Declaring Sexual Harassment Unlawful in the Employment, Education or Training Environment, and for other purposes” approved on Feb. 14, 1995 and effective on March 5, 1995. There is also the Anti-Discrimination bill, S.B. 948 of July 2018, which was revived and refined this year from the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill in Congress, a more encompassing discrimination bill that addressed the concerns of everybody, from those who have different sexual preferences to persons with disabilities (PWDs) and children with special needs.

(https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/09/12).

But it is not laws that we need, but a real change in our cultural stereotypes for men and women. “Babae lang ’yan” (She’s just a woman). “Eh, kasi lalake” (It’s because he’s a man). Can we ever move away from generally excusing males from wrongdoing when they are urged by that machismo that our confused culture forgives and upholds? And applauds.

Why do we see, in countless live video clips on national television, crowds who are President Rodrigo Duterte’s audience at his public speeches applaud him and laugh at his sexist jokes? Never have we had a president who talked this way, so liberal with his “putang ina” (son of a bitch) that running his speeches would have to be peppered with blips and tut-tuts.

Tut-tut, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said, “That style made him the president,” quoted in Philstar.com of Oct. 29, 2018 that reported women human rights defenders’ grave concern over President Duterte’s supposed displays of sexism and misogyny. Indeed, he won as president, when even in his campaign sorties made a joke about the rape and killing of an Australian missionary in Davao City in 1989, saying he, as mayor then, “should have been first” (inquirerdotnet, Feb. 1, 2017).

“But it’s for Senator Leila De Lima that he (Duterte) has reserved his brightest misogynist colors,” The Diplomat of Nov. 21 this year said in its article “Is Duterte Waging a War on Women Opposition in the Philippines?” It was de Lima’s 1,000th day in a Quezon City prison, as she has been detained for alleged drug trafficking in collusion with her ex-driver, her admitted ex-lover. Slut-shaming strengthened convicted felons’ testimony on her complicity as then Justice Secretary with certain Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials.

The Diplomat article also pointed to “the needling of Vice President Leni Robredo over her comments on the drug war in recent weeks and the gleeful doggedness in which Duterte allies are engaging in an effort to ensure she’ll ‘lose’ are evidence of this.” The drama was not over yet when The Diplomat spoke thus. Robredo was offered the position of co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) on Oct. 31; she accepted the position on Nov. 6; on Nov. 24, she was sacked by Duterte from both ICAD and as “Drug Czar.”

President Duterte must think so low of Leni Robredo as to make her, our country’s Vice-President, only co-chair with Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino, who only has the rank of an Undersecretary. Robredo was not given the rank of Cabinet Secretary as Duterte earlier teased her with. “I cannot trust her… If I make her one of the Cabinet members then she would participate in the discussion and would know everything that is classified,” he said, as quoted in The Philippine Daily Inquirer of Nov. 19.

Leni Robredo cannot be trusted with state secrets? Never mind if she is Vice-President, the constitutional successor of the President? “I don’t think she will be ready to govern a country. Reason? Incompetence,” said Duterte in an interview with reporters in Clark, Pampanga, as reported by Rappler on July 18, 2018. A later Rappler article quoted Duterte: “You’re better off with a dictator the likes of Marcos.” He said he prefers either Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, or Senator Francis Escudero to succeed him if he resigns. Malacañang has said Duterte would step down if Marcos wins his electoral protest against Robredo (Rappler, Aug., 30, 2018).

The 18-day appointment of Robredo is yet the most blatant sexist bullying by the top honcho, top macho of the land. But guess who won?

Never underestimate a woman.

 

Amelia H. C. Ylagan is a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.

ahcylagan@yahoo.com

FOI Initiative is back

FOI Youth Initiative (FYI) is the youth arm of the Right to Know, Right Now! (R2KRN) Coalition. It has been advocating an accountable and transparent government by enabling youth participation in public affairs.

Since its inception in August 2012, FYI has advanced the youth-led campaign for Freedom of Information (FOI). As a national network of youth and student organizations, FYI has reached out far and wide not only to the young but to the general population in pushing for a law on FOI.

Enshrined in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines (Article III, Sec. 7) is the right of the people to access information on matters of public concern. But this needs an enabling law.

In the 16th Congress, FYI was the only youth group to co-sponsor the Peoples’ FOI Act through a petition for indirect initiative. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass. It was paradoxical that the Chief Executive then, who branded himself as an anti-corruption advocate, lacked the political determination to secure the passage of FOI.

This reminds me of a conversation I once had with one of my mentors. She told me that some leaders can disappoint us, but others might surprise us.

In Congress, the politicians vote for different reasons. Some believe in the principles or the merits of the proposal. Others are motivated by public interest, but one can argue that the majority of politicians act on self-interest. Loyalty and subservience as well as bribes and pressure can also explain how they vote.

Even when least expected, a politician can change position overnight. In the case of the tobacco tax, despite the loudness of senators who opposed a high tax, they eventually succumbed and voted for the tax. Whatever the reason behind the sudden change of heart, these politicians avoided becoming villains in the end.

The point is that in legislation, even if conditions look bad, anything can still happen.

Ponder this: Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 2, series of 2016, which operationalized Freedom of Information in the Executive branch. It was an important victory for the FOI campaign. This created space for citizens to get information and make government more transparent and accountable.

Did I see this EO coming? Honestly, no. I was surprised that this happened under the current leadership, and not during the preceding one.

That it has been put in place is an advance for the good governance advocacy. But this EO is far from meeting desired goals. Three years after it rolled out, the EO has accommodated 15,300 requests to 450 government agencies, using the e-FOI portal. Of these requests, 42% were successfully granted. However, the completeness and quality of the information provided leave much to be desired.

In addition, the EO’s scope excludes the legislative and judiciary branches and the local government units.

In short, the EO cannot replace a law on FOI. Furthermore, an FOI Law can address other weaknesses of the EO, such as the absence of sanctions for unlawful denial or delay of access to information.

Hence, the FYI, together with other groups advocating transparent government should continue pressing Congress for FOI legislation. The previous Congress slept on it.

But who knows whether the 18th Congress will be receptive to FOI? After all the current Speaker of the House, the controversial Allan Peter Cayetano, was an articulate champion and a bill sponsor of FOI. In the Senate, past experience tells us that the passage of FOI is predictable.

For the FYI then, it will use every little opportunity to have the FOI passed in the 18th Congress. The truth is, no legislator will speak in public opposing FOI. But for legislators to act favorably, public pressure is necessary.

With this in mind, FYI will intensify efforts within and beyond the halls of Congress. As a generation empowered by social media, the youth will continue to harness creative and innovative means to turn their collective call into a resounding clamor heard across cyberspace and the real world.

 

Patrick Acupan is a convenor of the FOI Youth Initiative and a campaigner for the sin tax team of Action for Economic Reforms.

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