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Entertainment (06/22/18)

Westworld S2 ends Monday

THE final episode of Westworld season 2 airs on Monday.

THE 2nd season of the critically acclaimed HBO drama series Westworld will culminate with Episode 10, titled “The Passenger,” streaming same time as the US on June 25 at 9 a.m. on HBO GO and premiering on HBO with a same day prime time encore at 10 p.m. The season finale will boast the longest runtime for the series, clocking in a one-and-a-half-hour feature-length episode. The show is set in a futuristic fantasy park known as Westworld where a group of android “hosts” deviate from their programmers’ carefully planned scripts in a disturbing pattern of aberrant behavior that culminates in a violent wholesale rebellion by the end of Season 1. In Season 2, the fruits of that uprising, and a series of questions about many of the hosts and humans who co-exist and clash in Westworld and beyond, will be revealed.

Sony Fit Fest

SONY CHANNEL will be hosting its first ever workout party. Called Sony Fit Fest, it will showcase how an active and healthy lifestyle is fun. It will be held at SMX Aura Convention Center on July 7, from 1 to 8 p.m. The event will feature glow-in-the-dark yoga, Zumba, Mixed Martial Arts, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes, alternating with a series of surprise exercise challenges. There will also be a circuit space for those who want to do strength training. DJ McCoy, DJ Funky Avy, and DJ Mia Ayesa will be providing the beats to work out to with MC Rico Robles. Admission is free. For details on the event, visit bit.ly/SonyFitFest.

Elephants get help

AN episode of DODO Heroes focusing on an elephant sanctuary will air on Monday.

ANIMAL PLANET’s new series DODO Heroes features inspiring stories of animals in need from around the world, and the compassionate humans who go to unimaginable lengths to give them hope. Among them is Katherine Conner who, along with her five childrens runs and lives within a one-of-a-kind elephant sanctuary, Boon Lott Elephant Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates elephants from Thailand’s tourism and logging industries. Her latest project is to rescue an elephant who has spent her life logging and in chains. The episode will air on July 8, 9 p.m., on Animal Planet.

Music at Vu’s Sky Bar

MARCO POLO Ortigas Manila’s Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge — one of Ortigas’ signature attractions thanks to an unobstructed 180-degree view of Manila — offers quality entertainment throughout the week. Monday nights feature the Red Picasso Band while Tuesdays and Wednesdays are made more fun by Mulatto and Hi-Way 54. It is The Real Groove for Thursdays and SILK on Fridays, while guests are invited to unwind with the tunes of Judith Banal and Powerplay on Saturdays. Cap off the weekend with soothing melodies for Slowdown Sundays. Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge also has a vast selection of spirits to pair with curated line-up of dishes from the Philippines, Spain, and other Mediterranean favorites. Dine a la carte from Monday to Wednesday, and enjoy the buffet from Thursday to Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m. This June, enjoy a second round of Red Sangria or Sparkling Sangria on the house. Vu’s Sky Bar and Lounge is located at the level 44 of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila. For details visit www.marcopolohotels.com.

Solar-powered hydropanel technology to be used by 8 electric cooperatives in PHL

By Victor V. Saulon, Sub-Editor
THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) has backed a new technology that produces drinking water from sunlight and air, after first testing it on its headquarters’ rooftop ahead of preparing its application in eight electric cooperatives in remote areas of the Philippines.
“We gave grant money,” Yongping Zhai, ADB’s energy sector chief said during the launch of the technology in the Philippines on Thursday.
“This grant is $2,000 multipled by 40,” he said, referring to the cost of putting up each unit of that technology under a brand called “Source Hydropanel” and the number to be installed in the coming months.
Source Hydropanel is an off-grid, solar-powered technology that extracts water vapor from the air into a proprietary absorbent material. The water flows into a reservoir where it is mineralized with calcium and magnesium. The last process is meant to ensure the water meets health and taste considerations.
The technology was developed by US-based Zero Mass Water, Inc. (ZMW) and brought to the country in collaboration with its local partner Green Heat Corp.
The two companies installed four of the hydropanels on the rooftop of ADB’s headquarters in Mandaluyong City in 2017. Each hydropanel is capable of producing up to 5 liters of potable water per day.
“The Philippines’ fragmented geography adds extra barriers for reliance on traditional water infrastructure, yet makes it ideal for our technology to provide families, communities and businesses with drinking water,” said Cody Friesen, founder and chief executive officer of ZMW.
Apart from the ADB hydropanels, Mr. Friesen said eight units had been installed at the National Electrification Administration (NEA) headquarters in Quezon City.
Mr. Zhai said the 40 hydropanels would be installed in electric cooperatives in eight Philippine provinces, namely: Pangasinan, Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Sur, Bohol, Samar, Davao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.
“Once this is installed, money will be disbursed,” he said.
Glenn O. Tong, director at Green Heat, said solar hydropanel is perfect for the Philippines because it is a self-sufficient, low-maintenance technology and combines well with other solar photovoltaic systems.
“We have experienced many drinking water shortages here in the Philippines, which is why we need to look into renewable solutions that won’t add strain to our already overburdened grid,” he said.
Aside from producing drinking water, the hydropanels can also help reduce the amount of plastic waste generated in the country.
Based on estimates from ZMW, each hydropanel can displace up to 5,000 standard water bottles and provides “high-quality, delicious drinking water.”
Mr. Friesen said the application of the technology could be far-reaching in the Philippines and could include hotels, resorts, schools and villages in rural areas with no access to potable water.
Green Heat is the distributor of Source technology in the country. It is looking at its partnership with ZMW to scale up the application of the hydropanels. It has previously set up the solar energy systems of a number of entities in the Philippines, including ADB, Asia Brewery, Inc., Manuel L. Quezon University, St. Scholastica’s Academy of Marikina and Manila Electric Co.’s solar photovoltaic center.

Your Weekend Guide (June 22, 2018)

Rak of Aegis returns

PETA’s popular musical, Rak of Aegis, is on its 6th rerun until September.

PETA brings Rak of Aegis back for a 6th run until Sept. 2 at the PETA Theater Center. The musical featuring the music of the jukebox favorite, the band Aegis, tells the tale of a perpetually flooded barangay and how its inhabitants adapt to their circumstances. New cast members Shaira Opsimar and Princess Vire will play the role of Aileen, Kent Pontiverda as Tolits, Adrian Lindayag as Jewel, and Remus Villanueva as Kenny. The PETA Theater Center is at No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City. For tickets and schedules, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Julia Fordham live

BRITISH pop-jazz singer Julia Fordham returns to Manila for a one-night concert — part of the Reminiscing Concert series — on June 22, 8 p.m. at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila. Special guests Colin Ryan and Neocolours will join her onstage. For tickets, visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Comedy Nights

COMEDY MANILA presents Funny Fridays: Endless Laughter at 8:30 p.m., on June 22 at the Teatrino at Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan. For tickets (P500), visit TicketWorld (www.ticketworld.com.ph, 891-9999).

Best Begins Now series

THE bottled water brand Aquafina launches its #BestBeginsNow series with talks tackling beauty, hosting, and content creation on June 22, 3:30 p.m., at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati. Guests beauty queen Pia Wurtzbach, volleyball player Michelle Gumabao, make-up artist Albert Kurniawan, “the beauty queen maker” Jonas Gaffud, and couturier Francis Libiran will demonstrate how one can be more confident in their own skin to exude confidence through a makeup and styling demonstration. Radio hosts Sam YG and Suzy Gamboa of Magic 89.9 will give tips on radio hosting, and bring in their Junior Jock auditions on site. Chefs Nicco Santos and Chichi Tullao will share tips on cooking and food styling; social media personality Martine Cajucom will discuss how she curates her instagram feed; and Youtube vlogger Janina Vela will share how she gets inspiration for daily content.

One-man show

THE Performance Art Initiative presents Breathless by Ronnie Lazaro on July 21, 6 p.m., at the 6/F De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, School of Design and Arts, Pablo Ocampo Ave., Malate, Manila. Rooted in the artist’s belief that death is everywhere engulfing us, Lazaro incarnates death in this unique one-hour performance. Admission is free. For details, call 0920-299-2573 or visit www.facebook.com/BACCPerformanceArt.

Trade performance of major items

How PSEi member stocks performed — June 21, 2018

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Thursday, June 21, 2018.

Double-track electric system eyed for Mindanao railway

DAVAO CITY — The proposed two-track electric train system for the main line of the Mindanao Railway System (MRS) has been approved by the Department of Transportation (DoTr), a Davao-based business leader said.
Arturo M. Milan, president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII), said the approval was announced during the June 13 meeting of the Regional Development Council’s (RDC) Infrastructure Development Committee.
“This latest report is a big improvement, and not only for phase 1, Davao-Tagum-Digos, but the entire project,” Mr. Milan, who sits as private sector representative in the RDC, said during Wednesday’s Habi at Kape media forum.
The RDC was among those that pushed for an expanded and more environment-friendly MRS, which was originally planned around single-track system with diesel trains.
Secretary Datu Abul Khayr D. Alonto, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), who was at the same forum, also confirmed the new MRS model.
“We have realigned the program. It will be an electric train, two-track railway system, and it will be the same (train from) Davao-Tagum-Digos all the way to Surigao to the other areas of Mindanao,” he said.
The MRS, which could break ground before the end of the year, will be funded through official development assistance (ODA) from the Chinese government.
Meanwhile, Mr. Alonto said MinDA is set to present before the Cabinet in July the long-standing proposal to create a body that will manage the Davao International Airport (DIA).
“We will also push for the immediate approval for that Davao International Airport Authority,” he said, noting that the rehabilitation and expansion of the facility is crucial to improving connectivity.
The DCCCII has been pushing for the establishment of the airport agency, which would be similar to those handling the Mactan International Airport in Cebu and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila.
Mr. Milan said the establishment of such a management body will allow the airport to become autonomous from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), which handles 86 airports nationwide, including 15 in major cities.
Mr. Milan said the argument that CAAP would lose a significant source of revenue if the DIA is taken out of its jurisdiction is unsound.
The Davao airport should not subsidize other airports, he said, because “that is the role of government (which provides the budget for CAAP).”
“You should not penalize an airport that is efficient in making money; you deprive them of their growth and (ability to finance) modernization,” he added.
A proposal for the creation of a Davao airport authority has been pending before Congress since the early 2000s. — Maya M. Padillo and Carmelito Q. Francisco

Business groups want policy stability amid shift to federalism

SIX business groups have asked the government’s economic agencies to review the economic and budgetary implications of the change in government system to a federal structure.
“The businesses are cautious because once we shift to that, it’s an entirely different ballgame. And as businessmen, you cannot keep on changing the rules of the game,” Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc. (PCCI) President George T. Barcelon said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld on Thursday.
In a joint position paper issued on Thursday, businesses said the country’s competitiveness and its ability to attract “job-creating investments” must be sustained through the transition to federalism through “stable policies and reduced uncertainty.”
“We acknowledge the aspirations of the proponents of a shift to a federal system: the idea that local government may be more knowledgeable about and responsive to local needs and that increased local authority will allow them to more successful and even creative in improving governance and standards of living,” the groups stated.
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They provided the following recommendations to the government:

• For the Department of Finance (DoF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to conduct comprehensive studies on the budgetary and economic implications of a shift to a federal system and to present their findings to the Consultative Committee (ConCom), Congress and the public.

• For the ConCom and Congress to seek feedback from various sectors and the public in light of the extremely low level of public awareness.

• For the national government to design and implement a program to expand the capabilities of local governments and its officials to prepare them for added responsibilities under federalism.

• For the Executive, the Congress, and the ConCom to identify which of the objectives of federalism may be addressed immediately and substantially by amending the Local Government Code and other laws or by enacting new laws, while deliberating on whether to change the Constitution.

• For the national and local governments to strengthen regional economies by developing economic strategies, with the business community committed to helping the government developing such strategies.

The joint position paper was signed by Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) President Maria Victoria C. Españo, Makati Business Club (MBC) Chairman Edgar O. Chua, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) President Ramoncito S. Fernandez, PCCI Chairman George T. Barcelon, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI) President Danilo C. Lachica and Cebu Business Club (CBC) President Alan Gordon P. Joseph.
The joint position paper noted that only a handful of prospective federal regions have the production and trading capacity to support their population with a degree of independence. This, it warned, may force big and small businesses to shut down and trigger higher unemployment.
Mr. Barcelon said business groups wanted economic managers to weigh in on federalism because they have the data on how to sustain regional development with the proposed federated regions. He also said it would also be counterproductive to shift to another government system, especially after the ease of doing business legislation has just been signed into law.
“All of these data are needed to be looked into; what is the feasibility of having… 12 to 14 federated regions. If some cannot sustain it, how does one support the other? So all of these are not yet so clear” he said.
“Both national and local levels can address the ease of doing business now. I think it would be counterproductive if we go into a new government system and we’re starting from square one. These are the things that need to be looked into,” he added.
He also noted that the business sector has a “tendency to hold back” when there is uncertainty and unpredictability.
“The predictability and the stability of the government structure is very crucial,” he said.
Among the other concerns raised by the joint position paper included the need to improve local government efficiency and services since federalism would give them more power and authority over critical processes, such as taxation. It also expressed concerns over the possibility of political dynasties’ increased competition for control and patronage under federalism.
It also saw uncertainties with the division of financial powers as proposals in the House of Representatives and ConCom left the matter for future politicians to decide. Investors, it said, were left unsure on the proposed states’ power on imposing taxes, spending and the planned equalization fund, which was meant to transfer undefined amounts of funds during a transition period from economically strong states to weaker ones.
Sought for comment, the ConCom, in statement sent to BusinessWorld said the concerns expressed by business groups would be addressed since further discussions will take place once the consultative body has submitted its proposals to Congress. It also assured that economic managers as well as the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) provided their own assessments of the proposed federated regions.
“The ConCom submitted to PIDS and NEDA its own study, assessment of the regions and criteria and formula for the creation of the regions — which the PIDS — critiqued. NEDA and DBM made subsequent submissions after the meeting with the ConCom,” it stated.
The ConCom also maintained that simple amendments to the laws such as the Local Government Code would not fully address the problem.
“The best way to strengthen regional economies and unleash their economic potential is to shift to federalism — which will give them both powers and political/administrative powers. For over 100 years — and for the past 31 years — we’ve heard these same proposals. Has anything changed?” the ConCom said.
Presidential Spokesperson Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said federalism and Charter change issues were being studied and decided carefully by the government.
“I think the government has already reviewed what can be done by ordinary legislation, specifically on what provisions of the local government code can be amended to further bolster local autonomy,” he said at a briefing in Malacañang.
“But the problem is — as a matter of law — number one, it can easily [be] repealed by Congress and number two, it does not send a message loud enough to the people that we want fundamental change in [a] system to recognize the primacy of local autonomy,” he added. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Millers could be tasked with packing rice

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking into having rice packaged at the milling stage to comply with Republic Act No. 10611, or the Food Safety Act of 2013.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said that packaging by millers before rice is sent to retail outlets is “something we would like to look into,” and is subject to consultations.
The consultations will include how to implement truth-in-packaging safeguards.
“The food that consumers buy should be safe and one way of ensuring that the rice being sold in the market is safe and clean is to package it” upon milling to reduce handling and cut down the opportunities for introducing impurities, he added.
The DA could require packaging for quantities between 1 kilogram (kg) and 25 kg, which he said could involve an additional cost to consumers of about 50 centavos, in exchange for improved product safety.
Mr. Piñol said that packaging at mill level will also make it easier to track the sources of rice sold on the market.
“If the rice is packed, then we will have traceability. This means that if someone gets food poisoning, we know where the rice came from and who packed it,” he added. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

New 3rd player selection terms expected in two weeks

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is expected to come up with the new terms of reference governing the selection of the third entrant to the telecommunications industry, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) acting secretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. told reporters.
“It will take roughly two weeks,” he said, adding that the NTC is awaiting the input of consultants from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU),” he said.
Last week, the member agencies of the oversight committee rejected the terms of reference presented by the NTC and asked for revisions putting greater weight on financial considerations. Mr. Rio noted there was no set deadline, but the NTC’s response is expected in two weeks.
“The terms of reference where the level of service was the major parameter is still there,” Mr. Rio said, noting that this will help select a third player that is “responsive” and capable of rendering services that will “compete with Globe and Smart,” he added, referring to the incumbents Globe Telecom, Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc., a unit of PLDT, Inc.
He added the oversight committee also values the revenue-generating potential for the government, without elaborating
He assured that the selection process for a third player has not stalled, as the entry of a new competitor is heavily supported by the public and is backed by marching orders from President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
The date for the auction to select the third player is also expected in two weeks, but it may not come before the State of the Nation Address in July.
Mr. Rio said the terms for the third player’s spectrum user fee (SUF) are also being drawn up. The SUF is a government-mandated fee collected every year according to the spectrum, type of service and economic classification of the areas served by a telco provider.
“That’s their come-on strategy — if you win, you don’t have to pay the SUF for five years. What you pay for in the bid will include the five-year payment for the SUF,” he said.
He noted that this is important to level the playing field against Globe and Smart.
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

Focus on key industries could double FDI — AmCham

INVESTORS from the United States see the potential for the Philippines to outperform its more than $10-billion record for foreign direct investment (FDI) as long as it focuses on key growth areas.
American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (AmCham) Senior Advisor John D. Forbes said US businesses are “always optimistic that the Philippines can achieve its potential and receive as much FDI as Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.”
He cited the Joint Foreign Chambers study released in 2010 which identified the so-called “Seven Big Winner Sectors” of agribusiness, business process outsourcing, creative industries, infrastructure, manufacturing and logistics, mining, and tourism, including medical tourism and retirement.
“If all seven of these sectors were made competitive and open to foreign investment, we are confident FDI can reach between $15 and $20 billion a year,” Mr. Forbes added in an e-mail.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas revised its 2018 FDI forecast to $9.2 billion from $8.2 billion previously, though its estimate falls below the 2017 record of $10.05 billion.
Citing estimates by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Mr. Forbes said Philippine FDI exceeded Malaysia’s $9.6 billion and Thailand’s $7.5 billion last year, though it lagged Vietnam’s $14 billion.
“In Vietnam the cost of production in manufacturing are significantly lower,” he added.
He said 89 factories in Vietnam with staffing of about 390,000 make export products for Nike, Inc. He added that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s exports from Vietnam are “worth almost as much as all the electronic exports of the Philippines.”
Aside from the United States, the country’s biggest FDI flows last year came from the Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. — Janina C. Lim

LNG hub to face competition from Singapore, China

THE PHILIPPINES is well-placed to become a regional hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG) though it will be competing with Singapore and some parts of China, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official said.
“Many countries want to become a hub [for LNG]. I think the Philippines has an advantage [because] you already have gas utilization, [you] use gas. Gas consumption is important here. To become a hub you need to have an internal consumption so that there is anchor demand and you have geographic location that can reach from here to other places,” said Yongping Zhai, the ADB’s energy sector group chief, in an interview on Tuesday.
“I think the Philippines is well-placed but so other countries as well, like Singapore, and some cities in China,” he said.
He said he expects “healthy competition” in providing the better facility to become an LNG hub.
“I think market forces work in favor of the Philippines if we do all the infrastructure,” he said.
Mr. Zhai is part of the ADB team that is advising the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) on the viability of putting up an LNG import terminal in the country. PNOC, the commercial arm of the Department of Energy (DoE), has been receiving partnership offers from foreign and local companies to build the terminal.
PNOC has said that it has a property to build the terminal as well as “banked gas” that it could offer as equity in the project.
In June 2017, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said his department was looking at the construction of LNG receiving and distribution infrastructure, which he said could make the country an LNG hub for Southeast Asia.
He said the facility, which is targeted to be completed by 2020, would cost around P100 billion. The timeline should give the country enough lead time and safeguard supply ahead of the anticipated depletion of the Malampaya gas find starting in 2024.
The facility will have a power plant component with an initial 200-megawatt (MW) capacity, he said, adding that its output is expected to serve the country’s economic zones.
Separately on Thursday, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate’s energy committee, said he was looking at crafting a comprehensive legislation to develop the local natural gas industry ahead of Malampaya’s depletion.
To date, natural gas from the Malampaya gas field off the coast of Palawan fuels five gas-fired power plants in Batangas province with a combined capacity of 3,211 MW.
Asked about the scope and status of ADB’s advisory services to PNOC, Mr. Zhai said: “We are in the stage of assessing the offers from companies and we gather information from inside the country. What would be the demand? Also, [we] assess the international market. What will [be] the price of LNG, whether we buy on long-term contracts, short-term contracts, spot — what will be the cost implications?” he said.
“We need to gather all this information [and] provide advice to government so that a decision can be made [on] how to move forward with the LNG project,” he added.
He said PNOC has some lead time to complete the project ahead of the expected depletion of the Malampaya field.
“In fact, preparations for LNG imports have started,” he said.
Mr. Zhai said that when he joined ADB in 2000, his assignment was to look into the viability of the Philippines in importing LNG. The bank provided grant money for that purpose, he added.
“I think it’s time. We’re much closer to a time that LNG becomes [a] real energy import for the Philippines. So I’m very optimistic because I’ve seen the process — 18 years of preparing, thinking and comparing different options. And today, considering the world energy market, is the best time,” he said. — Victor V. Saulon

The Trump (and Duterte) derangement syndrome

It was Charles Krauthammer who coined the phrase “Bush Derangement Syndrome” or “BDS.” It is defined as the “acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency — nay — the very existence of George W. Bush.”
The same could very likely be said of progressives as far as Donald Trump is concerned.
Seriously, it’s been only a few weeks since Trump’s historic summit with Kim Jong Un and yet not a day goes by without his critics from the Left, particularly the media, pontificating on how its conclusion was the worst thing ever.
Christiane Amanpour made sure that her disgust at the US-South Korea military exercises cancellation was apparent to viewers. Don Lemon, ignoring any possibility that nuclear war tensions being eased for the better, whined openly at how “expensive” he thinks the Trump-Kim lunch was.
But perhaps the fact that Trump is stoking these people up could only mean he’s on to something good.
Steve Hilton read the situation best: “When I think of all these people piling on President Trump for daring to question their worldview, the pithy phrase of author Nassim Taleb comes to mind: ‘IYI – Intellectual Yet Idiot.’”
Take globalization and international trade.
For decades, the Left has railed against the supposed inequalities that globalization breeds, alleging that trade victimizes the poor relentlessly.
Then comes Trump who seems to see it their way, that indeed there is unfairness in the global trading system, and sought to put the brakes and determine a better way moving forward.
Exactly the demand of the protectionist Left (including many here in the Philippines).
Then, suddenly, everyone is now a passionate free trader.
Again, Hilton: “In country after country, the old order made the rich richer and working people poorer as incomes went down and jobs went away. It ripped apart the social fabric, helping to destroy local communities and break apart families. It undermined faith in government and democracy, as citizens saw that it didn’t matter who they voted for in actual elections — the same, elite-serving policies would be pursued regardless.”
“So yes, when President Trump confronts the failures of the ‘rules-based international order’ directly, after decades of pusillanimous acquiescence by his predecessors, you could describe that as ‘unprecedented.’” And yet “the elites throw around that word ‘unprecedented’ as a criticism. Nothing could be more revealing of their true beliefs: they actually loved the old order because they and their rich friends benefited from it.”
Trump may actually be doing good (albeit inadvertently) for poorer countries like the Philippines.
Donald Trump Rodrigo Duterte
Speaking of the rich countries protectionist agriculture policy, Ross Clark points out that the “developed world seems to have agreed a policy which is deeply hypocritical and which will ultimately prove unsustainable. We preach free trade, to the point of twisting the arms of developing countries to open their markets to our manufactured goods — yet at the same time we erect high barriers against imports of agricultural goods.”
The Singapore Summit with Kim is another example.
For years, people had been worrying about the biggest, most immediate threat to world peace. But it wasn’t China or Russia or even Islamic terrorists (Trump had decimated ISIS, at least in Syria) however. It was North Korea.
Trump’s machinations had made relations with Kim a bit more manageable. Yet, all of a sudden, that wasn’t enough.
Why didn’t Trump go for complete and utter denuclearization and subservience of North Korea on that very day? They might as well have thrown in a unified Korea as the standard for a successful summit.
As far as the military exercises with South Korea is concerned, nothing is stopping the US from holding such again anytime it chooses.
As The Diplomat’s Damen Cook puts it: “The United States could decisively defeat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in a military conflict. This is not really in dispute amongst military analysts.” However, the “highest priority interest on the peninsula is preventing a nuclear war.”
All others, including Kim’s horrendous human rights record, could be addressed later. What’s the point of demanding human rights if all the humans have been obliterated anyway?
Like it or not, Trump is like some sort of badly needed jolt to the system.
Rodrigo Duterte is doing the same, albeit for the Philippines. He has made people realize that international law needs to be backed up by sovereign strength, and that the rule of law, democracy, human rights, values, and the separation of powers are not mere words.
Blake Hounshell declares that Trump is “making diplomacy great again.”
Perhaps.
Certainly both Trump and Duterte are making international relations and domestic politics something all people can join in.
Whereas before ordinary citizens were made to feel excluded, they now feel comfortable questioning journalists, academics, and policy makers who’ve always assumed they know better.
If only for that, then the derangement that Trump (and Duterte) is causing the elite is worth it.
 
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

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