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NLEX Harbor Link main line seen finished by end-2018

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said it has delivered 95% of the right-of-way required for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link Segment 10 and expects the main line in Valenzuela City to be completed by the end of the year.
DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar said after an inspection of the site on Thursday that the government is targeting its opening by the third or fourth quarter.
“It will depend on the final 5% (right of way), which we hope to obtain immediately. We’re really going to push. I want to finish it by this year,” Mr. Villar told reporters.
The P16.5-billion project is a public-private partnership between the government and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) through its unit NLEX Corp.
The 8.25-kilometer, four-lane toll road is divided into the 5.6-kilometer main line connecting Karuhatan, Valenzuela City to C3 road in Caloocan City, and the 2.6-kilometer extension road from C3 in Caloocan City to Radial Road 10 (R-10) in Dagat-Dagatan, Navotas City.
NLEX Corp. said in a statement that the available right-of-way in the Valenzuela City portion is now at 96%, while the Caloocan City section is at 86%.
Mr. Villar said the main line will extend to C3. For the spur road linking the highway to R-10, he said the target completion is the fourth quarter of 2019.
“The full weight of this government will be here to make sure this project will be completed at the soonest possible time,” he added.
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC). MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong-Kong based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Denise A. Valdez

ADB adjusting microgrid business model to allow private investment

By Victor V. Saulon, Sub-Editor
THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it plans to scale up its Philippine pilot microgrid project by employing a business model that will not require grant money from the multilateral lender.
“We are trying to look for a business model to make sure that this can happen without always ADB grant money,” said Yongping Zhai, the bank’s energy sector group chief in an interview during the Ayala Finex Finance Summit on Wednesday in Makati City.
“We want to test its feasibility,” he added.
Launched in March 2016, the pilot project on Cobrador Island in Romblon province provides 24-hour electricity to about 244 households through a solar-diesel hybrid power generation system. It was funded by the bank’s grant money.
“We are sharing this information from the pilot. We’re doing detailed assessment on how much it will cost, what the technology will be, how will it meet household demand,” Mr. Zhai said.
The pilot project hopes to demonstrate how clean, renewable energy can be harnessed to upgrade existing rural electricity systems to meet the requirements of remote and energy-deficient communities.
“We want to show this case to the private sector and also through [its] counterpart in NEA (National Electrification Administration) so that they will know that this model can work in such a situation,” Mr. Zhai said.
He said ADB would want to expand the project but it does not have the grant money “for every village.”
“We want to see whether there is a business case — private sector companies can invest or institutions can borrow money to go further. So we are in that phase of we’re trying to go beyond the pilot,” he said.
He said the Cobrador Island project is the first solar-based microgrid project funded by the ADB with battery storage. The bank had previously done a similar project using hydroelectric power, he added.
“We’re also talking other development partners, like Korea,” he said, adding that the country also has funding to support similar projects.
In its website, ADB described Cobrador Island as having pristine beaches that can now attract tourists with its reliable electricity.
“The island’s main source of livelihood — fishing — also stands to benefit from the ability to produce ice to preserve the day’s catch. Romblon is famed as a source of marble, and local craftsmen will now be able to use electrical tools for their work. Delivery of social services like health and education should be smoother with more reliable energy, while homemakers will be able to use household appliances to make chores easier,” it said.
The island’s microgrid system has a 30-kilowatt (kWh) solar photovoltaic capacity to generate energy for use during the day, and 180-kWh lithium-ion batteries to store excess energy for later use. When the solar power is used up, it is combined with a 15-kWh diesel generator and a control system to allow switching to diesel.
“By using solar instead of diesel to meet the 24-hour energy needs, the system will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 64.8 tons per year, while saving around 24,000 liters of diesel fuel,” the bank said.
Mr. Zhai said the battery storage capacity for now cannot be too big because it remains expensive. He said the bank has ceased government-to-government lending in the energy sector since its privatization.
“So it’s up to the private companies to develop and invest. If they borrow money from ADB private sector department, then we’ll consider,” he said.

Peso rebounds against US dollar as Qatar’s pledge supports lira

THE PESO strengthened slightly against the dollar on Thursday as Qatar’s investment pledge supported the Turkish lira.
The local unit ended the session at P53.44 versus the greenback on Thursday, up three centavos from the P53.47-per-dollar finish on Wednesday.
The peso opened the session flat from Wednesday at P53.47 versus the dollar. It slipped to an intraday low of P53.50, while its best showing for the day stood at P53.37 against the US currency.
Dollars traded climbed to $844.1 million from the $585.9 million that switched hands in the previous session.
In a phone interview, a trader said the peso mostly traded sideways Thursday, August 16.
“The dollar-peso traded within a tight range. We started [weaker] because of the continued risk-off sentiment overnight,” the trader said.
The trader said the peso strengthened since offers at the intraday high were thick. “We saw a big seller near the close, so from a [low] of P53.30, it closed stronger at P53.47.”
Meanwhile, another trader said: “The local currency appreciated after Qatar was reported to pledge $15 billion worth of investments for Turkey to address its currency crisis and help defend the lira.”
Qatar will make $15 billion of direct investments into Turkey which a government source said would be channeled into its banks and financial markets, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told President Tayyip Erdogan during talks in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday,
The move by Turkey’s Gulf ally offered support to the lira after the Turkish central bank slashed currency reserve requirements for banks and curbed selling of the currency.
The currency has lost nearly 40% against the dollar this year, driven by worries over Mr. Erdogan’s growing influence on the economy and his repeated calls for lower interest rates despite high inflation.
Its precipitous decline has raised concerns about the resilience of Turkey’s banking sector and caused ructions on global markets.
Following the Qatar news, the lira firmed briefly to 5.8699 from 6.04 to the dollar, before easing back to 6.0500 by 1658 GMT.
The currency had rebounded some 6% on Wednesday after the central bank squeezed lira liquidity in the market, effectively pushing up rates and supporting the currency.
Turkey and Qatar have traditionally maintained good ties.
For Friday, the first trader expects the peso to move between P53.35 and P53.50 versus the dollar, while the other gave a P53.35-P53.55 forecast range.
“The peso might find strength on possible profit-taking from the dollar and likely firm inflation readings from the Eurozone,” the second trader noted. — K.A.N. Vidal with Reuters

Shares slump anew as lira’s drop dents sentiment

THE MAIN INDEX slumped on Thursday, ending at the 7,500 level as investor confidence continued to take a hit from the plunge in Turkey’s currency.
The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped 0.31% or 23.56 points to finish at 7,517.36 Thursday, August 16, quickly reversing gains posted in the previous session.
The broader all-shares index likewise lost 0.21% or 9.65 points to 4,585.40.
“Shares traded lower, with continued fears over the challenges facing the Turkish contagion along with the fall of remittances,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis A. Limlingan said in a mobile message.
Papa Securities Corp. trader Gabriel Jose F. Perez noted the same, saying “it was a quiet day for the PSEi…as continued tensions and uncertainties in Turkey continued to weigh down on investor sentiment.”
The continued fall in the Turkish currency, the lira — due to soaring inflation, economic mismanagement by its government as well as tension with the United States — has caused a flurry of worry in the past days worldwide amid fears the economic crisis could spread to other emerging markets.
“Emerging markets in Asia have been on edge this week, following the 30% sell-off in TRY (Turkish lira) and 7% intraday move in ZAR (South African rand) on Monday morning. US stocks came off intraday lows but still closed down as worries surrounding Turkey’s currency crisis weighed on investor confidence,” Mr. Limlingan added.
Wall Street plunged after staging positive performances last Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.54% or 137.51 points to 25,162.41. The S&P 500 index slipped 0.76% or 21.59 points to 2,818.37, while the Nasdaq Composite index shed 1.23% or 96.78 points to 7,774.12.
Most Asian indices also ended in negative territory due to fears of a Turkish contagion.
Financials was the lone sectoral index that managed to eke out gains back home, rising 0.15% or 2.79 points to 1,822.79.
The industrials sub-index led the day’s decline, giving up 0.98% or 108.15 points to 10,905.87, followed by holding firms which shed 0.55% or 41.22 points to 7,372.47. Services likewise slumped 0.08% or 1.2 points to 1,498.63; mining and oil dipped 0.01% or 1.87 points to 9,901.49; while property also went down by 0.01% or 0.36 point to end at 3,703.07.
Some 1.06 billion issues valued at P5.40 billion switched hands, slightly higher than the previous session’s P5.12 billion.
Net foreign outflows went up to P884.02 million on Thursday versus the P645.47-million net sales recorded on Wednesday.
Decliners outpaced advancers, 108 to 91, while 49 issues remained unchanged.
“The level to watch out for [Friday] would be 7,500. While the index did breach it [on Thursday], we’ll need to see a close below this level with high volume to have a firm conclusion,” Papa Securities’ Mr. Perez said. — Arra B. Francia

The Barangay System

By Benjamin R. Punongbayan
I HAVE always thought that the barangay system, if properly harnessed, can provide great benefits to the country in molding the desired cultural and social character of the Filipino.
There are currently a little over 42,000 barangays all over the country. On the average, there is a barangay for every 2,500 Filipinos. Think about it. Isn’t a grouping of such a small size a powerful force in shaping Philippine life, if we want it to?
Regrettably, under the 1991 Local Government Code, the barangay was structured and is presently functioning as another level of government — the lowest level. Why we want a small unit of government to govern every 2,500 or so individuals is beyond me. In contrast, in pre-Spanish Philippines from where the barangay model was borrowed, it appears that the barangay “…was not a political organization per se” (from historian Robert B. Fox as quoted in the book of O.D. Corpuz, The Roots of the Filipino Nation, Vol. 1 (2005).
For a small unit of government, the barangay structure is not a simple one. It has an elected Punong Barangay, a Sangguniang Barangay consisting of seven elected members and the Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman, and a separate appointive secretary and an appointive treasurer — altogether 11 barangay officials. In addition, each barangay has to organize a Lupon ng Tagapamayapa consisting of a Chairman and 10 to 20 members. And for each dispute in the barangay, a Pangkat ng Tagapagkasundo, consisting of 3 members, has to be organized. The barangay can also organize local tanods. Isn’t all these a large, complex structure to deal with 2,500 or so people, which include children and, therefore, compose of only 500 or so families?
A barangay has several powers, duties, and functions. Among others, the Punong Barangay is empowered to enforce all laws and ordinances; maintain public order; ensure the delivery of basic services; enforce laws and regulations relating to pollution control and protection of the environment; adopt measures to prevent and control the proliferation of squatters; and adopt measures to prevent and eradicate drug abuse, child abuse, and juvenile delinquency. The Sangguniang Barangay can enact ordinances; levy taxes and other revenue measures; provide for construction and maintenance of barangay facilities and other public works; regulate use of public facilities, including waterworks; etc.
Judging by the present condition of our rural and urban areas, it is fair to say that the barangays have not been effective in the performance of the above duties and responsibilities. It is not a case that I expect the barangay to effectively do what it is required to do. Much of its written responsibilities are beyond its competence. Moreover, the officials may lack an appreciation of their written powers to enable them to perform those responsibilities successfully. We created a complex structure and provided funding to a system that simply cannot effectively deal with the things the system is designed to deal with.
With regard to funding, the finances of a barangay come mostly from three sources: 25% of the basic real estate tax collected in the barangay (the share of a barangay in a city and in a Metro Manila political unit is computed a little differently); its share of the 20% allocation to the barangays of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the province or city where it belongs; its share of the 35% allocation to the barangays of the share of the province from the sales and taxes derived by the national government from the exploitation of national wealth in a provincial territory. The share of each barangay in the total allocation to the barangays of the IRA and in revenue from exploitation of national wealth is computed as follows: 60% based on population and 40% divided equally.
It is not possible to obtain the total magnitude of the actual shares of the barangays in basic real estate tax and on sales and taxes derived from the exploitation of national wealth. The best that I was able to gather is the basic real estate tax allocation to the barangays in Quezon City for the 2018 second quarter, which I extrapolated to an annual basis that results in an average of P3.7 million per barangay in Quezon City. It should be noted that the real estate tax in Quezon City is very likely higher than in other cities and towns, except probably in Manila and Makati.
As for the IRA, the share of the barangays for the year 2018 has already been determined, but is still based only on BIR tax collections.
With the recent Supreme Court decision requiring the inclusion of customs duties in the calculation of IRA, I estimate the total IRA for 2018 to be at P669.7 billion, of which P132.7 billion goes to the barangays. On an average basis, this translates to P3.16 million for each barangay in the country.
Let us double this amount to cover the shares of the barangay in basic real estate tax and revenue from exploitation of national wealth. This doubling translates to an average fund allocation to a barangay of P6.3 million. This allocation could be small or big in serving 500 or so families, depending upon how one sees the role of the barangay. It is definitely small if a barangay does all it needs to do under the law. But it is big, if it does not do much.
My observation leans towards the latter, because such amount of annual funds may not be enough to do any significant infrastructure development or institution building in the barangay. This is the reason why, in many cases that I have observed, barangay funds are spent on such things as installing street lights, painting colors to lamp posts and trees lining the streets, displaying Christmas decorations, procuring and maintaining a barangay vehicle, and building and maintaining a barangay hall. I find these expenditures to be a waste of money. The barangay funds could have been pooled together to build something of larger economic value that provides higher multiplier effect for the province or city.
It is about time that we revise the role of the barangays in Philippine society. The barangay must be removed as a unit of government. Instead, through the Punong Barangay, it should be made to focus on civic and civil matters only. Its function in resolving people disputes for which the present system has been effective, should be retained.
In addition, the Punong Barangay should be given responsibility in getting the citizens to: keep the barangay clean and free of waste; to not pollute the rivers by throwing waste in them and using them as toilet or for cleaning clothes. If some barangay citizens could not be persuaded to do these things, the Punong Barangay should report them to the municipality and the police for violation of laws and ordinances, and let these authorities do what is necessary.
Equally important, the Punong Barangay should regularly identify school age youth who are not going to school, and talk to the parents and encourage them to keep their children in school to finish high school. If, for some reason, the parents could not, the Punong Barangay should determine the problem and refer it to the municipality or city to provide a solution. It will be a great achievement if the Punong Barangay could get all school age children to finish high school. Punong Barangays will be making an invaluable contribution to the economic and social wellbeing of the Filipino nation.
There could be other similar civic duties that the Punong Barangay may be required to do. But he should never be tasked to enforce the law. That will be the duty of the municipality or city and the police. In essence, the Punong Barangay’s role is to encourage and persuade the barangay’s inhabitants to be good citizens and aspire for a better life. The Punong Barangay does not carry a stick, of course. He has to fulfill his duties by using persuasion and moral suasion, and carry these skills to the highest level.
With this changed responsibility, the office of the Punong Barangay can be made very simple. It should consist only of the Punong Barangay and an assistant. The Punong Barangay should continue to be elected to give him a face of authority in the community. His own house should be used as his office. He should be given a salary, which should include an additional amount for the use of his house; his assistant should be given a separate salary; and he should be given a fixed budget for supplies and travel expenses within the barangay. Clearly, these changes will result in greatly reducing the budgetary allocations to the barangays and the resulting large savings can be channeled for the use of the provinces and cities.
For more effectiveness, the Punong Barangay should not be made an appendage of the municipality or city mayor. He should continue to be under the authority of DILG, thus, establishing a check and balance.
If he needs help in performing his duties, he should ask for volunteers in his community. In this manner, civic responsibility and solidarity can be developed in the community over time. After all, we Filipinos still carry the spirit of bayanihan in ourselves. It is up to the Punong Barangay to rekindle that spirit and carry it to a higher level.
Of course, there will always be laggards among the Punong Barangays. But the periodic election should be able to check bad performance. But, for the most parts, I anticipate that this new barangay system will create star performers who will do wonders and contribute greatly to the betterment of the Philippine communities, simply because the system will not attract opportunists and rent seekers, but those who truly want to make a great contribution to creating and maintaining wholesomeness, progress, and peace in their small communities. In so doing, a Punong Barangay will earn and be given a place of honor among his fellow citizens.
 
Benjamin R. Punongbayan is the founder of Punongbayan & Araullo, one of the Philippines’ leading auditing firms.
ben.buklod@yahoo.com

Ship of fools

WERE they fools duped into boarding the “federalist ship,” and drafting and defending a constitution that would supposedly bring into fruition President Rodrigo Duterte’s oft-repeated claim that a shift to a federal form of government would accelerate the development of the country’s poorest regions? At least one member of the Duterte-appointed Consultative Committee (Con-Com), who helped write the draft that’s now in Congress, is beginning to think so.
He might have been inspired by President Duterte’s firing of various officials, particularly his dismissing the entire board and executive staff of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation last week. It might not have occurred to him — or he might have forgotten — that Mr. Duterte has a tendency to reappoint officials to other, even higher posts after firing them.
In any event, on the argument that free expression isn’t among the rights of Cabinet secretaries, Con-Com member and law dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino last week urged either the sacking of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director-General Ernesto Pernia, or their being told to “keep their traps shut.”
NEDA’s Pernia had earlier told the Senate finance committee hearing that the shift to a federal form of government would cost the humongous amount of P150 billion, and is likely to disrupt economic growth.
Speaking before the same committee, Dominguez said he was “very confused” with the fiscal provisions of the constitution drafted by the Con-Com to effect the shift to a federal government from the present unitary form.
Because the draft says the 18 regions or states that will be created will have a 50% share of the federal government’s revenue collections, the latter could end up with a “very large” deficit, Dominguez said.
What’s more, he continued, once the government incurs that “large deficit,” its credit rating “will go to hell,” and it will have to pay lenders higher interest rates. The international finance agencies, he said, have already described the shift to federalism as “a political risk” and “an uncertainty.”
Fr. Aquino should have included in his Facebook post demanding the heads of Pernia and Dominguez, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who recently told interviewers that the Philippines “is not yet ready” for federalism and that most Filipinos find it “confusing.”
Lorenzana was only echoing the findings of the public opinion polls that some 75% of Filipinos don’t know what a federal form of government is, let alone what it would mean to governance and development, and that 65 to 70% of the population are opposed to amending or changing the Constitution.
Some observers have concluded that all three members of the Cabinet are against Mr. Duterte’s federalism proposal, and Fr. Aquino apparently thinks so as well. But that’s not exactly true. Only Pernia didn’t qualify his statements at the Senate hearing. In contrast, Dominguez made it clear he was only against the present Con-Com draft because of its “confusing” provisions, while Lorenzana said that despite his criticism, his department would (of course) abide by whatever Congress, acting as a constituent assembly, decides — by which he presumably meant whether it approves, rejects, or amends the draft and submits it to the people for ratification.
But Fr. Aquino is not easily appeased.
He expressed doubts about Mr. Duterte’s own commitment to the shift to a federal form of government — and who can blame him for arriving at that conclusion? Pernia and Dominguez are presumably among the most influential members of the Cabinet, being involved in the management, direction, and focus of the economy, while Lorenzana is tasked with the country’s defense and security, and vital to the regime’s political stability.
Surely they have Mr. Duterte’s ear and confidence, and would therefore not have expressed their criticism of the Con-Com draft without his clearance — or at least with some certainty that their views matter. Is Mr. Duterte then just waiting for an opportune time to announce his withdrawal of support for the federalist option?
In his frustration, Fr. Aquino urged Mr. Duterte to “give the order to abandon the federalist ship” if he’s “now cool to federalism,” so “all of us fools who wrote the draft and defended it with all our might will know that we have been taken for a ride.”
It’s a little late in the day for Fr. Aquino to do anything about his and his fellow federalism enthusiasts’ being deceived. Like these seemingly well-meaning folk, other people did buy into the federalist folly on the mistaken assumption that Mr. Duterte had a grand plan in mind that would address poverty and its attendant ills when, during the 2016 campaign for the presidency, he promised the shift to federalism once he’s elected.
But like every other self-aggrandizing politician, what’s more likely is that he was merely using it as a ploy to assure himself of the votes of the millions of Filipinos desperate for change, and to win the support of his fellow local despots who have the command votes crucial to winning a national post in this country of contradictions.
Every national election in these parts is local. Vital to the outcome of any election is the support of the dynasties based in the provinces and regions that decide who their constituents will vote into office, whether it’s for mayor or governor, or for the House of Representatives, the Senate, or the presidency of this rumored democracy.
In that irrefutable and sorry context lies the local lure of federalism. It is by far the best means of further assuring and strengthening the power of the provincial and regional dynasties.
Once in command of the states the shift will create, those handful of families will raise their own taxes, pass their own laws, and decide how, for what, for whom and when revenues including the states’ share of federal funds will be spent.
In addition to further empowering the warlords, local tyrants, and the rural political elite that already have a monopoly over political power, their command over their expanded fiefdoms will also enable them to line their pockets without any independent Commission on Audit or equivalent agency to check it.
The further decay of democratic rule accountable to the people, and an even worse surge in public sector corruption, will be among its inevitable consequences. In that sense is the federalist ship that quite a number of people have been lured into boarding — together with the corrupt, the power-mad, and such insatiable masters of greed and mendacity as former presidents — a ship of fools.
To understand how frivolously the regime regards federalism, one only has to note and keep in mind Mr. Duterte’s own reaction to that insufferably vulgar video produced by one of his favorite hucksters.
Instead of echoing the outrage of even many of his own party-mates and allies, Mr. Duterte, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, was “cool” towards it, but not in the sense of “no longer interested” that Fr. Aquino used the word in his Facebook post, but in the sense of “calm” or “serene.”
Both Mr. Duterte’s reaction to that tasteless mockery, as well as its ignoble culprits’ attempts to justify it, spoke volumes on how recklessly and without much thought has the federalism option — and changing the Constitution in the process — been made part of the regime’s constantly changing, contradictory, and mindless agenda.
(Ship of Fools is the title of a novel by the American fictionist Katherine Anne Porter.)
 
Luis V. Teodoro is on Facebook and Twitter (@luisteodoro). The views expressed in Vantage Point are his own and do not represent the views of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.
www.luisteodoro.com

When the rain comes

ACCIDENTS, or simply the unexpected, are not necessarily bad. Think penicillin. Or x-rays. Things created or existing because of mistakes or happenstance. Sometimes, one can get a pretty nifty song out of it too.
So it was that one April in 1966, the Beatles just finished a full day’s recording (you might say, a hard day’s night — sorry) and John Lennon asked one of the recording engineers to give him a copy to work on at home. USB’s obviously weren’t a thing in those days and so he was given a spool of tape, with a bit sticking out, called a “tail.” The tail was what you took hold off when spooling it off a tape player. John mistakenly thought the tail was where the record started, when actually it was at the end, and so resulted in the tape being played backwards.
John, of course, got excited over the sound that was coming out.
He initially wanted the entire song to be recorded backwards, of which he was thankfully talked out of it by the Beatles’ legendary producer George Martin. John, however, was able to persuade the group to have bits of George Harrison’s guitar riffs played in reverse, which they did, along with a verse of John singing backwards for the fadeout.
Rain, I don’t mind
Shine, the weather’s fine
What people remember about the song is its languidness. Nobody uses the word “cool” anymore but the song is cool, from John’s vocals to the instrumentals.
It starts off with Ringo’s steady patter: you can actually imagine the hard fall of the raindrops on the roof and that beat will constantly be there even though the electric guitars and Paul’s bass will eventually take over and dominate the sound.
Wiki describes the song technically this way: “a simple musical structure. Set in the key of G major (the final mix pitches it about a quarter of a semitone below this, while the backing track was taped in G sharp), it begins with what Alan W. Pollack calls, “a ra-ta-tat half-measure’s fanfare of solo snare drums,” followed by a guitar intro of the first chord. The verses are nine measures long, and the song is in 4/4 time. Each verse is based on the G, C, and D chords (I, IV, and V). The refrain contains only I and IV chords, and is twelve measures long (the repetition of a six-measure pattern).”
Ringo considers this recording as perhaps his best drum work ever. Perhaps he’s right, although many would proffer “Ticket to Ride” and “Come Together” as other worthy candidates.
If the rain comes
They run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead
The song is billed a collaboration between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the latter certainly insisting it was. However, the grim characterization of the fearful people being “dead” popularly marked this out as a John song, along with its “I-don’t-give-a-damn” vibe.
John is the preacher here, as he certainly often was, and he doesn’t bother to hide his frustration at people being dense to the message.
When the sun shines
They slip into the shade
And sip their lemonade
When the sun shines
When the sun shines
The song — ostensibly about the weather — was about people and how they react to the circumstances that life brings, which is usually to complain about it. Complaining of every little thing. The big things. Although the point was everything was a little thing.
Even the good times can be a cause for alarm for these people, what with the sun finally coming out and their reaction is to hide from it.
It was also a reflection of the Beatle’s then dabbling in eastern philosophy, what with the imagery of “sun” and “rain” as the contrasts in life’s circumstances but eventually all being one and the same.
Frankly, the Beatle’s need not have gone far — St. Augustine said the same thing, perhaps equally or more poetically: “Bad times, hard times — this is what people keep saying; but let us live well, and times shall be good. We are the times: Such as we are, such are the times.”
Can you hear me
That when it rains and shines
It’s just a state of mind
Can you hear me
Can you hear me
The mindblowing thing about this song is that, despite it being obviously one of rock and roll’s greatest, despite the clear innovation and influence it had on all of music, it was just the B-side to Paperback Writer!
And 1966 also had the following: “Sounds of Silence,” “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” “Winchester Cathedral,” “We Can Work It Out” and “Paperback Writer,” “Wild Thing,” “When A Man Loves A Woman,” “Paint It Black,” “Strangers In The Night,” and “I’m A Believer.”
Rain, I don’t mind
Shine, the weather’s fine
I can show you
That when it starts to rain
Everything’s the same.
 
Jemy Gatdula is a Senior Fellow of the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations and a Philippine Judicial Academy law lecturer for constitutional philosophy and jurisprudence.
jemygatdula@yahoo.com
www.jemygatdula.blogspot.com
facebook.com/jemy.gatdula
Twitter @jemygatdula

Defining rich

“When you can buy what you want, do what you want, and not give a damn what it costs.”

– JP Morgan

THE word “rich” has various definitions. It depends on the context — material or spiritual.
Is it a quality that describes a lifestyle? Or does it apply to various elements that project an image?
In the material world, the rich are a class apart from (and above) the normal, working crowd. They are envied, superior and impervious to what the rest of the world has to say.
Although the rich are insulated from many problems of survival, they are not invulnerable. They have larger than life problems that ordinary mortals do not have — how to keep their money intact, how to increase/preserve their investments, how to avoid paying exorbitant taxes, how to save face. Recent reports revealed that the diminished wealth caused severe depression, desperation, and suicides among the uber rich.)
Rich is a state of mind, an attitude. In this context, one can be very wealthy in material terms but impoverished in the mind. One can be poor financially but be rich spiritually. There are many individuals who qualify — the clergy and the religious sisters, teachers, artists, social workers.
One example is the case of J. Paul Getty who had all the money in the world but he refused to pay the ransom for his artist-grandson and namesake who was kidnapped in Rome in the 70s. His own son was not productive and unsuccessful, and lived in the Middle East. The daughter-in-law begged and tried her best to save her son. The kidnappers cut off his ear and sent it to the aging, miserly grandfather. Mr. Getty owned priceless works of art (now part of the Getty museum) and lived in mansions and estates. But he could not bear to part with some of his cash until he saw the real threat.
Author Henry James explained that one is rich if one can meet the demands of his imagination. In this mode of thought, rich individuals satisfy their whims by spending huge amounts of money. Their passion is to acquire expensive possessions such as property, toys, and people.
The problem with this attitude is in not knowing when it is enough. Financial advisors and bankers discreetly classify their wealthy clients according to a finely calibrated chart:
“High net worth” used to apply to clients with at least $/€5 million, depending on the markets. “Substantial wealth” described clients worth more than $/€100 million. These figures have changed drastically after the financial tsunami.
Those individuals who have lost their fortunes are called “discontinuities.”
An exiled member of the old society oligarchy deprecatingly called himself “nouveau pauvre” (new poor), the aristocratic genteel set. Although he was still wealthy, he wisely chose to live low key.
Financial institutions do not distinguish between new money “nouveau riche” and old money. That distinction is reserved for the social scientists and society arbiters to comment, speculate, or classify.
In the Philippine context, old money is vintage money, or wealth that has stayed in the family for at least three generations. The era would be the 30s (pre-World War II). Anything acquired from the 50s to the present is considered “new money.” There are exceptionally smart and lucky and hardworking individuals who rose in the 70s-90s and whose wealth today is considered legendary. They are in the Forbes list of billionaires.
Like good wine, money must be aged properly. People who have money are distinguished from one another by the manners and mannerisms. The old rich hide it. The new rich flaunt it. (Not politically correct, during hard times.)
More than a century ago, John Jacob Astor remarked that a rich man had assets worth a million dollars. That was when the purchasing power of one dollar then was equivalent to today’s $50.
Two decades ago, a millionaire used to be defined by bankers and brokers as someone with an annual income of one million dollars. The numbers have increased substantially.
Rich people are classified according to the age and source of their wealth. The major categories: Heirs — Rich inheritors of money made by their ancestors. The Rich and Famous — Individuals who are famous merely because they are rich. The Rich and Powerful — Individuals who are powerful because they are rich.
The sub-categories consist of the following: Old rich — working rich, idle rich, useless rich;
New rich — Those who acquired their money during and after WWII.
Robber barons are those who acquired their wealth through dubious activities. (Manufacturing liquor during the prohibition years; or supplying arms, fuel and vehicles to the enemy during the war, etc.)
Entrepreneurs who made their fortunes through honest hard work and good timing.
Arrivistes — the socially ambitious people and fortune hunters who married into money (heiresses and heirs);
Cronies — people who made money through political influence and connections. Some cronies are recycled holdovers or returnees from exile, former cronies from previous administrations.
Lucky Rich — people who struck gold: in the stock market and financial markets, lottery, sweepstakes; beneficiaries of bequests from wealthy and generous employers.
Filthy rich — pyramid schemers, human traffickers, drug lords and dealers, smugglers, gun runners, vice lords, money launderers, cybercriminals, politicians who take advantage.
Miserable rich — the misers who penny-pinch, hoard, count, and worry about their billions but are tight-fisted and selfish.
Philanthropists — the rich but generous angels who share their personal wealth and their corporate resources through their various foundations.
Money is a means; not the end. It is a tool to help make a better life for others. Having money is not all about buying pleasure for oneself.
The Talmud has an interesting saying, “You are rich if you are satisfied with what you have.”
 
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
mavrufino@gmail.com

LTFRB to launch anti-colorum TNVS drive in September

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it will launch an “anti-colorum drive” against unregistered transportation network vehicle services (TNVS) next month.
“[E]ffective 01 September 2018, the LTFRB shall commence an intensive anti-colorum drive versus TNVS operating without authority from the Board,” the LTFRB said in a statement on Thursday.
It also said it will start accepting applications for Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) from TNVS not included in their “master list” on Aug. 24, as it currently entertains only the vehicles identified in the list.
“Starting 24 August 2018, the Board will accept the online registration of TNVS applications for new CPC not included in the “master list” by accessing the LTFRB website, subject to guidelines to be promulgated by the Board,” it said.
The government’s master list was formed last year as a collection of active drivers from Uber Philippines and Grab Philippines (MyTaxi.PH, Inc.), the two existing ride-hailing companies at that time.
The LTFRB noted that the TNVS in the master list will only be entertained until Aug. 31. It said it had received only 21, 878 TNVS applications for new a CPC since the applications was opened on March 5.
“Despite the call for application, the Board has taken note of the fact that there have been fewer applications for new CPCs for the primary reason TNVS owners have been unable or unwilling to file applications,” the LTFRB said.
A CPC is required by the LTFRB for persons who wish to operate a TNVS. — Denise A. Valdez

Philippines wins opener over Kazakhstan, 96-59

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
THE Philippine Basketball Association-powered national team got its 18th Asian Games campaign to a good start on Thursday, defeating Kazakhstan, 96-59, in their preliminary Group D match at the Gelora Bung Karno Basketball Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Got off to a strong start, the Philippine team just built on it the rest of the way, with a balanced and aggressive attack, to hold off the Kazakhs en route to the win.
Gabe Norwood, Stanley Pringle and Maverick Ahanmisi jolted the Philippines’ charge at the start, helping the team to a 12-2 lead early.
Kazakhstan tried to battle back but could not find the mark as much as it wanted to, slumping to a 16-9 deficit at the end of the opening quarter.
The Philippines continued to lord it over Kazakhstan to begin the second canto as James Yap joined the scoring fray.
The veteran Rain or Shine player would help the nationals in creating further distance with steady long bombs.
When the first-half smoke cleared, the Philippines was comfortably ahead, 41-20.
Kazakhstan came out of the third quarter scoring better from the outside, making constant attempts to chip away at the lead of the Philippines.
But the Filipinos would not relent, keeping the offensive pressure on their opponents as Messrs. Yap, Pringle, and Christian Standhardinger continued to hit the mark.
The Philippines eventually settled for a 61-43 advantage heading into the final frame.
Comfortably ahead, the Philippines went for the early finish to start the payoff quarter.
It went on a 12-4 run in the first three and half minutes, to build a 73-47 lead and coasted to the victory thereafter.
Mr. Pringle led the Philippines with 18 points with Mr. Standhardinger adding 15.
Mr. Yap had 12 while Paul Lee finished with 10.
Anton Bykov paced Kazakhstan with 13 markers and Dmitriy Gavrilov added nine points.
Next for the Philippines is a meeting with China on Aug. 21 where Filipino-American National Basketball Association player Jordan Clarkson is set to make his debut for the Philippine team at the Asian Games.
The Philippine team, which is backed by Smart Communications Inc, is hoping to emerge in the top two in the grouping to advance to the next round of the Games.

Ynares twin bill opens PBA Governors’ Cup

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
THE season-ending Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)Governors’ Cup kicks off today with a double-header set at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
An import-laden tournament, with height limit for reinforcements capped at 6’5”, festivities will be opened up by the encounter between Columbian Dyip and Meralco Bolts at 4:30 p.m., followed by TNT KaTropa against the NLEX Road Warriors at 7 p.m.
Columbian, which finished at ninth place in the previous conference Commissioner’s Cup, will be bannered by PBA-debuting Akeem Wright, a 33-year-old player who paraded his wares at Kansas State in college before taking his act to different parts of the world.
Mr. Wright will try to help a Columbian team, which will now be coached by Johnedel Cardel, to have a better finish to its PBA season.
Meralco, meanwhile, has brought back former best import awardee Allen Durham to complete what has been an elusive goal for the Bolts.
Led the Bolts in the Governors’ Cup finals in each of the last two seasons, losing each time to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, Meralco hopes third time is a charm for them with Mr. Durham in tow.
“AD is a good player and we expect him to make us competitive,” said Meralco Bolts coach Norman Black on the decision to bring back Mr. Durham even as he said that he is looking to get more from young guns Baser Amer and Chris Newsome in the about-to-start tournament.
In the second game, TNT begins its campaign that will have it led by Mike Glover, who previously played for GlobalPort (now NorthPort) Batang Pier.
During his stay with the Batang Pier as replacement in the 2016 Governors’ Cup, Mr. Glover posted steady numbers of 25.7 points, 14 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, something the KaTropa are banking on exploiting following quarterfinal finishes in the two previous conferences this season.
NLEX, for its part, will be headlined by Oluseyi Ashaolu, who already saw action for the Road Warriors at the tailend of the Commissioner’s Cup.
A veteran of the Japan League, Mr. Ashaolu said he is bullish of their chances in the Governors’ Cup and is looking forward to help NLEX go deeper in the tournament.
The Road Warriors will begin their campaign sans head coach Yeng Guiao, who is in Indonesia leading the PBA-powered Philippine national basketball team at the 18th Asian Games.
In the PBA Governors’ Cup, Barangay Ginebra is the back-to-back defending champion and is looking at adding another title with Justin Brownlee at the forefront.
Tournament format has teams playing in a single-round robin eliminations with the top eight advancing at the end of classification play.
The top two teams earn twice-to-beat advantages in the quarterfinals over the two lowest seeds with the rest playing in a best-of-three.
Semifinals is a best-of-five while the finals is a best-of-seven affair.
Completing the cast of imports are Mike Harris (Alaska), Henry Walker (Blackwater), Romeo Travis (Magnolia), Rashad Woods (NorthPort), Eugene Phelps (Phoenix), J’Nathan Bullock (Rain or Shine), and Arizona Reid (San Miguel).

Team Philippines’ Asian Games campaign gets under way

THE Philippines’ campaign at the 18th Asian Games gets under way with the official opening of the quadrennial sporting spectacle this weekend in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Bannered by 272 athletes competing in 35 categories, Team Philippines is angling to improve on its 22nd place finish in the 2014 Games where it only had one gold to show for on top of three silver and 11 bronze medals.
Actor-athlete-public official Richard Gomez is the chief-de-mission of the country to the Games with Filipino-American National Basketball Association player Jordan Clarkson as the flag bearer.
Among the categories the Philippines is set to compete in are archery, athletics, basketball, bowling, boxing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, gymnastics, golf, judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, sailing, softball, sepak takraw, shooting, soft tennis, sport climbing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, and wushu.
To inspire the athletes further, the government has pledged cash incentives for those who will bring home medals from the Games.
A P2-million incentive will be given for every gold won, P1 million for silver, and P400,000 for bronze.
The Philippine Olympic Committee has also pledge to hand out additional cash incentives for medal winners.
In the send-off in Malacañang early this week, President Rodrigo R. Duterte encouraged the Filipino athletes to give their best and champion fair play each time.
“Fight not only for yourselves but also for your families and most of all, our country. I’m proud of you,” said Mr. Duterte at the send-off.
“Your presence here is a testament to the indomitable Filipino spirit. I join the Filipino people in wishing you all the best as you hold the values of integrity, resilience and also sportsmanship in your pursuit of the gold,” he added.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez also wished the athletes a good campaign at the Asian Games.
“There are different faces of victory. All we expect is for the athletes to do their best and play fair and square. That in itself is already a victory for us,” Mr. Ramirez said.
In the 2014 Games in Incheon, South Korea, BMX rider Daniel Caluag was the lone gold medallist from the Philippines.
He is set to defend his title in Indonesia.
The 18th Asian Games will run from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

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