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Some Thoughts About Helping The Helpless

January 10, 2010 By Philly

Panhandlers. Beggars. People who spend their days asking the age-old question “Brother, can you spare a dime.” Every big (and some small) city has them and their approach is always the same… “Excuse the interruption. I lost my job, have no place to live, have no food, have 8 kids and need any money you can spare.”

They work the corners and ATM machines. On the subway, they move from the front car all the way to the back telling the same story over and over. They follow the exact same formula day in and day out with the same result. It has become so commonplace that people don’t look up or even blink at some of the saddest stories you can imagine.

Recently on a seemingly usual ride on the F train in New York City a man stood up and announced:

“The next stop is the 23rd street station. Connections can be made to the X,Y,Z trains. Up on the street you will find Barnes & Noble, Staples, Starbucks and The Container Store. Please be sure to pick up any newspapers you have left behind to help keep our subway system clean. Thank you and have a nice day.”

Every (now smiling) passenger was totally focused on him. He delivered a message that was concise, valuable and totally relevant to the people listening to it. He did it with energy and a friendly smile.

His delighted audience paid him generously for it…. see this article in full and more good stuff on uxmag.com

Now why are you reading this story about New York subways in my homegrown Philippine living blog?  Simple.  Although there seem to be some folks out there who try to deny the fact, or don’t want it written about, there are a lot of homeless and poor people in the Philippines.  Sadly, begging is a way of life for some.

I’ve seen some folks who have it down to a science, going up and down a street ringing door bells and handing the home owner a pre-printed “sob story” letter, often with a note from their barangay captain or mayor attesting to the fact that they are indeed in desperate shape.  In seven months, though,  I have not had one of these “solicitors” ask for work, or offer to do common tasks like sweeping, painting, trimming the hedges, etc.

Cheap parking -- really cheap!
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ed Yourdon

Yet when I go to the store or a restaurant, etc., I often see men who “hang out” and help people park and un-park their cars … guiding drivers in backing up, flagging down on-coming traffic so the customer can pull out into traffic, and so on.  I never fail to give these guys a small tip … I appreciate both the fact that they are, in fact, offering a useful service, and that they aren’t simply “making standby” … sitting on their haunches watching the world go by and hoping something good will happen to them.

So when you have acquaintances or strangers, in your home country or in the Philippines, approach you for “help”, do you just hand over some money, do you refuse and turn a cold shoulder, or to you help them find a way to become a “service provider” instead of a beggar?

This post has been updated on 10 January, 2010, more than one and a half years since I wrote it, and if anything, I see only negative changes.  I wonder, out loud, what it takes to make work attractive?

I also, with the changes in the Western world economies going through the upheaval they are now undergoing, a great deal of this same sort of problem even in my fellow Americans.

I wrote an article on my personal experiences along these lines … making a job out of nothing … back in January of this year, and, although it was popular, more of the comments I received seem to be about the meaning and use of the Spanish word “bote” than about the actual subject at hand.

What do you think?  Should a person with no work take a “lesser” job, even informally, or “on-line”, or otherwise “non-traditionally, should they wait until the mill of the system of laws grinds them up exceeding fine?

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Outsourcing Doesn't Cost — It pays

October 16, 2009 By Philly 1 Comment

By Ros Krasny Fri Aug 25, 12:03 PM ET

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (Reuters) – Take that, Lou Dobbs. Despite much handwringing and political posturing, the surge of job outsourcing, by increasing productivity, has actually helped raise real wages for low-skilled U.S. workers, according to two Princeton University economists.

They countered critics of outsourcing, including high-profile CNN host Dobbs, who charge that transferring U.S. jobs abroad hurt American workers’ well being. Full article here:Taking a swing at conventional wisdom, Princeton professors Gene Grossman and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg argued that wages for the least-skilled blue collar jobs had been rising since 1997 as outsourcing boosted productivity.

This is no news to me. I’ve been reading and analyzing similar studies for several years now. A “study” can come up with whatever you wish it to, really, but I’ve seen a great deal of indepence and verasity in the ones I have read.People

like Mr. Dobbs, whose “jobs” resemble htis pundit’s … sitting around and expressing opinions … need to look alittle fartehr at what they “think” the bad things about outsourceing really are.Outsourcing

is a boon to the Philippines and other countries where any job is better thna no job, and it’s a real benefit to the US becuase we can distrubute the better paid, higher skilled jobs across a broader base.

Think twice before you knee-jerk agree with every word that comes out of Dobbs’ mouth,

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Should Filipino Blogs Be Classed As Different — Or Is The Web World-Wide?

October 14, 2009 By Philly 3 Comments

One of my Filipino bogging acquaintances, Yuga posted this recently, and also spends a lot of time writing about and running sites built around differentiating Filipino blogs and web sites from all others.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing? 

Here’s a view from a Westerner (American) married to a Filipina and moving full-time to the Philippines.

My opinion is, the Philippine technical community spends way, way too much time on these “what’s Filipino’ questions.

I’m well aware that the Philippines is a small country that has certainly not been given the respect it deserves from larger countries … especially my own USA who rides roughshod over people and it amazingly ignorant of the rest of the world.

This is a fault and a flaw in my native country’s outlook and behavior. I recognize it, but can only be responsible for my own attitudes. Don’t compound this common flaw by adopting it for yourselves.

The Net is a marvel because it is well along in the process of transcending borders. I don’t care and indeed don’t need to know where a web site is … I need to get the information or service I need. That’s one of the reasons I think the original ICAN Country Code scheme is dumb. There should not be .ph’s or .com.au’s, etc. cluttering the address bar or coloring people’s perception. If, say, an ugly American has the perception that things Filipino are second-class, you will never change his values … most people carry their prejudices to their grave. So why bother arguing, complaining, fighting the unending battle to make him change his mind? Wasted effort.

Excel at what you do and let that be your badge of honor. In regard to Abe’s “conversation starter” examples … What if one of the Filipinos in question has a family history of three thousand years in China and he is the first generation born in the Philippines, of a Filipina mom and a Chinese dad? Are we now going to then argue if his talents are Filipino or Chinese, or if because he’s working in France, on French-owned computers using French-owned infrastructure his work suddenly becomes French? And if the company opens a satellite office in Brussels and transfers him there, will our Chinese-Filipino-French application developer suddenly become Belgian?

I know I’m rambling guys and gals, but really, think about it. National pride has it’s place, but don’t let it dominate your thoughts and feelings when there’s work to be done.

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Tiny island hires 3,000 Filipinos

August 12, 2009 By Philly 3 Comments

“Once again, this is a shining testament to the world-class Filipino worker,”

An interesting story today about the tiny island of New Caledonia.  The island is owned by France, one of the last vestiges of France’s former empire and is rich in Nickel and Cobalt ores.  One might wonder why France didn’t staff this project with French citizens … especially the huge, whining contingent that was bitching so loud about discrimination and lack of opportunity that they almost burned France down a month or so ago.

Even though I am neither a sociologist nor a politician I have my thoughts on why: [Read more...]

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Philippine Living – Good News Potpourri

July 15, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

A couple “catch up” news items today plus a shout out to a couple Philippine government agencies trying to do a good job in providing useful resources to foreigners and Philippine citizens alike.

Philippine Embassy in Dublin opens Temporary Office

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 03:26 AM PDT

Philippine - Ireland EmbassyPR-536-09, 14 July 2009 – Philippine Ambassador to Ireland Ariel Y. Abadilla reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippine Embassy has opened its temporary office in Dublin on 9 July 2009.

The temporary office is located at the Fitzwilliam Business Centre, Suite G03, 77 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2. Its temporary business hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, except on Philippine and Irish holidays.

In opening the first resident Philippine Embassy in Ireland this month of July, Ambassador Abadilla noted that July is also the same month when diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Ireland was formalized 25 years ago.

As part of the transition process, the Philippine Honorary Consul in Dublin Mr. John Ferris had his last consular clinic on July 11 at the Teacher’s Club on Parnell Square West, Dublin. Mr. Ferris will also be at the new office.

Ambassador Abadilla announced that the public can now transact regular business at the new temporary office starting July 13, when the Embassy begins consular and frontline operations….

So why do we care that the Philippines now has a ‘real’ embassy in Ireland?  Well almost every day here I listen to mindless babbling about “Pinoy Pride” … often centered on some sport’s figure’s latest exploits …or the amount of money that sports figure spends overseas, once again reinforcing the impression that the only reason there even are any Filipinos living in the Philippines is that they are the ones too poor to flee.

Those who hail from “first world” countries might as yourself “when is the last time my country opened a new embassy and confirmed formal diplomatic relations with another country?  Not that it doesn’t happen, but frankly I think formalizing and normalizing relations between countries is a lot more an object of pride than crowing about who won a pool championship or what Pinot prodigy got to appear on Oprah, the unofficial epitome of Pinoy achievement it seems.

Anyway, regardless of your thoughts on what constitutes something to take pride in, notice that this news item came directly to my mail box, as such news does each and every day from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (same-same State Department).  You might want to visit their well-run web site.  Ever try to get up to the minute news from most ‘first world’ counties government departments?

BI_Visa_Page Another agency foreigners deal with frequently is the Philippine Bureau of Immigration.  Look at the slice I took from the Immigrant Visa page of their website.  For years I have searched various pages for some of this info, helped other on sometime fruitless searches as well.  Now they put it all on one page … just press on the tab which corresponds to the visa you want to know about, and all the facts and procedures are right there for you.  In addition, in the sidebar, there is a link to download all forms required (these have been cut down greatly as well), read, download, fill up, and go to the BI office … doesn’t get much simpler than that.  Try finding  a page this well organized on the USCIS website … sometimes “third-world” can be just as “first-world” as they want to be.

There is also a”Help Desk” on the BI web site.  Got a question you can’t find an answer to regarding Immigration issues?  Just click on the help desk and leave an email message … guess what, they answer their email and provide helpful, personalized answers.  once again, your concept will be different than mine, but I submit here’s some real Pinoy Pride on display here … doing the job you get paid for and making government services available to the public.  Hat’s off.

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12 Little Things — Rule 8

June 1, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

This is the ninth in this ongoing series for practical people, both Filipino and foreign who care about the country of the Philippines and would like to do something, within their own means and power, to make it a better place.

Here is an issue almost everyone can get their arms around, or more likely stick their oar into.  I must be one of the most apolitical Americans I know … very boring to many of my friends, because I am not a Republican nor Democrat, and I certainly refuse to be categorized as Liberal or Conservative.  I am at any given time in any or all of those political 12 Little things logo“quadrants”.  I personally feel politics is much too hyped up in my own USA, it seldom makes much difference which opportunist is in office as far as the actual way the country runs, but my goodness it certainly gives otherwise bored folks something to virtually (or even actually) froth at the mouth about for a few years until the next band of charlatans hoves into view.  Here in the Philippines, politics is way, way different

During elections, do your solemn duty.

No matter what sort of political discussions I’ve had with fellow Americans involving US politics, I have almost never found a debater who didn’t have a champion.  Suppose I were discussing today’s US political news.  Even if my fellow debater were vehemently anti-Obama (just for conversations’ sake), s/he would be highly unlikely not to follow-up perceived problems with the Obama administration with positive statements about who “should” have been in there instead, or who they were going to support, perhaps with every fiber of their being, in the very next election.  In other words, even the strongest opponents typically have a better solution to offer.

In the Philippines, (at least to an outsider) it almost never works like this.  There are a plethora of political parties and the mix of parties virtually changes overnight.  As the next presidential election here looms closer, I see more and more news every day about ‘this’ party merging with ‘that’ party, another party changing support in mid stream, and so on.

To the foreigner and even to Filipinos which this foreigner has discussed politics with, it’s virtually a complete mystery as well as to what any party ‘stands for’.  Indeed it seems that few of them stand ‘for’ anything.  There is an general tendency to support the current administration, or a pronounced “ant-administration” slant, and that’s about it

But there is absolutely no lack of support and opinion based on personality.  The news media hangs on every word of former presidents, and these notables are hardly shy about going on TV given every opportunity and instructing party faithful (assuming their party even exists any more) about what to do in the next election.  Another former president, convicted of national plunder, a capital crime is now pardoned and retains great popularity.  His qualifications, aside from being a poor imitation of the sort of plunderer former president/dictator Marcos was, is that he had along career in the movies playing the fellow who fights for the underdog.  From what I see, there’s nothing that will stop him from running and even being re-elected … his popular support and political skills are far superior to many I see.

Enough of the foreigner commentary.  What do I know, anyway>  I’m not a Filipino and I am only a guest here.  My point id this:

Read these words and think long and hard about the author’s words.  When the time comes to go to the polls, whether it be a local barangay captain or the president of the nation, do not act in haste and do not be influenced by peripheral personality traits, the color of the candidate’s shirt, or old family names.  Be for someone or something, not just against … there are more than enough “agin-ers” already. The future of the country … your country … is in your hands.  make a choice that befits the solemnity and importance of the situation.

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12 Little Things — Rule 7

May 24, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

This is the eighth in this ongoing series for practical people, both Filipino and foreign who care about the country of the Philippines and would like to do something, within their own means and power, to make it a better place.

12 Little Things logo

 

 

This is possibly one of the things that a great many foreigners may feel, we, foreign about.  In my own case, for example, although I’m certainly a Christian by declaration and I hope by practice, I am not presently aligned with an recognized church.

Support your church.

But I certainly think I can take a stab at defining what the author had in mind here.  In the Philippines, although the Roman Catholic church is considered by far the predominant church, there are dozens if not hundreds of others … and what seems to me to be at least as advanced a level of religious freedom as in the US.

There’s a church on every other corner it almost seems, and on Sundays and Holy Days the parking situation caused by folks attending the church around the corner from me certainly indicates no lack of participation.

But more than a few Filipinos and foreigners alike that I have talked to are quite willing to discuss the perceived faults of the church, past and present, issues such as the church having an inordinate influence on government matters, criticism of what and how much the church might be doing to help the unfortunate, etc.

This often comes across the same way as the frequent negative opinions about government.  But an important difference is that according to the church’s own doctrine, the church is not just the “Religious”, the church is the people themselves.

So if you are thoroughly disenchanted with the church and don’t feel you can support it, why not leave it alone?  On the other hand, if you think there are things the church could do better, especially in terms of practical Christianity rather than abstract theology, then get on board.  As with so many other things in society, the ‘Little Things’ that just one person can do are amazingly powerful.

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Living in The Philippines — Good News For Alec, Now He Can’t Be Deported

May 23, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

One of the actors I don’t hold in very high esteem is a fellow name of Alec Baldwin.  You may have heard of him.  My wife, who follows such things says he’s a big name, frankly I didn’t know who he was until he popped into the spotlight a few nights ago on the David Letterman show in the US.  Apparently Baldwin went through a bitter and messy divorce a year or so ago (been there, done that, got the T-shirt) and Letterman and Baldwin were carrying on a conversation about how Baldwin would be able have any more children.

Wanting in true “comedic” form to show just how far down the ladder of fame he had fallen, Baldwin made a crack that since he was now a man of 51 (and what, thus washed up, Alec?), the only thing he could do would be to “buy” himself a mail order Philippine (or Russian) bride.

The crack immediately raised the hackles of a number of influential folk here in the Philippines .. on national pride issues, of course, not much mention of either Baldwin’s (or Letterman’s for that matter) open disdain of women … if you’re a real man you can just buy and sell women, as long as their from a poor country at least.

Today the furor has really come home to roost as detailed in this recent GMA report.

undesirable woman hater Baldwin

MANILA, Philippines - After receiving flak from Filipinos worldwide, 30 Rock star Alec Baldwin on Wednesday apologized for joking that he was interested in buying himself a Filipina wife.

"I apologize for the perceived insensitivity of that remark," Baldwin said in his blog posted at the Huffington Post website.
Despite his apology, Baldwin explained that his joke was just meant to "achieve the goal of having more children in [his] life."
"I believe that most people understood that this was a joke and took it as such. (A dated reference, no doubt, and another sign of my advancing age)," he said.
On May 12, the 51-year-old Hollywood actor told David Letterman on the Late Show how he thought of getting, or buying, himself a Filipina bride.
"I think about getting a Filipino mail-order bride at this point or a Russian one, I don’t care, I’m 51," he told Letterman.
Letterman, responding to the seemingly funny joke, replied: “Get one for me [also], for later." [See: Alec Baldwin's Letterman interview]
But despite his apology, the Bureau of Immigration issued an order barring Baldwin from entering the Philippines as he is deemed an "undesirable alien." … rest of the report about Balwin’ and Letterman denigrating women here.

Frankly, Alec, I don’t think it could have happened to a nicer guy.  Those of us who live here in the Philippines always have to think twice about what we say, because if we let our big mouths run away with us it’s possible we could be departed.  But you, hey no wonder you’re rich and famous, you’re a lot smarter than me … you can’t now be deported … because you can’t come in .. due to your new status as an undesirable alien.  How much did you pay your publicist for this little fiasco, guy? 

I lose no love on Letterman either.  He jumped right in on top of Baldwin’s suggestion that women should be purchasable and asked Baldwin to “get him one too” .. presumably after his present wife gets tired of his attitude towards women. Wonder why he’s escaping scot free?

The Philippines has taken great umbrage at Baldwin’s denigrating remarks.  Well they might, that’s certainly their bailiwick.

As a man a bit older than Baldwin … essentially he seems to feel men are washed up at 51 .. who happened to marry a woman from another country and go throw the procedures to bring her to the US and stand by her while she earned her citizenship, I am particularly stung by the comments regarding buying, mail order and the general insinuation that getting married in this fashion is scrapping the bottom of the barrel for an American man.

Thanks a lot, Alec, and David, for letting those if us with foreign brides and those of us who married past 50 know your feelings.  You both really showed some true class there, not.  Fortunately I have lots of other compatriots who know the truth about ‘mail order’ brides, life after 50, and the Philippines, for that matter. 

It will be tough, but I can bear up under the burden of your disdain.  I’d invite you over for dinner to meet my ‘mail order’ bride, but you won’t be able to visit.  Sometimes the government lifts these restrictions after a period of time has gone by … if they chose to in the future, I really do invite you to come and check out the country you fell is so lowly .. or to meet me and my wife and learn a little about what ‘mail order’ really means.

 

 

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12 Little Things — Rule 6

May 18, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

This is the seventh in this ongoing series for practical people, both Filipino and foreign who care about the country of the Philippines and would like to do something, within their own means and power, to make it a better place.

I’d like to report some good news, too.  I have a source for this book … although I still haven’t made my much looked forward to meeting with the author happen yet.  But if any of you want your own copy or want a copy to give as birthday, Christmas or passalubong, just let me know here and we’ll work something out.  I’ll sell it at the current retail price … I’m not in this to make a profit and I can ship it virtually anywhere in the world.  Personally I have along list of pamamkins, high school and college graduates (and in some cases their parents) who are getting the book as a gift real soon now.

12 Little Things Every Filipino can do

Do not litter. Dispose of your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.

This is certainly one of my favorite suggestions.  Some thoughts expressed here require the luxury of being able to ‘do the right thing’ even when it seems to go against the norms of society.  And some are great ideas, like staying in line in traffic … but in the practical like on the streets it just may not be possible to drive as courtesy as a person already knows how … but litter?  OMG, there is just no excuse for the mess Filipinos are making of their own beautiful country every day.

A lot of times people answer reform suggestions with a comment about how many poor people there are.  This, of course, is a fact of life … and certainly it’s hard to teach your children to put trash in the basura can when you can’t afford a can … bit I have been inside a lot of Filipino people’s homes, including ones occupied by very, very poor people … and guess what?  Almost without exception, even the poorest bahay is clean … even bare concrete floors or bamboo mats shine when they are frequently swept.  In general, Filipinos are among the cleanest people on earth when it comes to their homes .. so what, on earth, happens when they step outside?

Got a gum wrapper, or even worse a sticky wad of gum?  Throw it on the street, who cares?  Been to McDonalds?  Toss the wrapper and the foam plastic box on your neighbors front sidewalk .. it would be so much trouble to take it home and dispose of it properly. Are you a smoker?  Well when the yosi gets down to the end, toss it over the nearest fence, it’s too bad for whoever is on the other side, but at least it isn’t littering your yard, diba?

And pest.  Oh my goodness, pets.  Got a dog?  Either let he run loose and defecate as he please, or even worse take him for a walk on a lease and when he feels the urge (if you can find a patch of lawn), then let him poop there .. and pick it up after him?  No one does that anywhere in the world, do they?

You know a current ‘buzz item’ on the news is an insensitive and derogatory joke and American actor just made about the Philippines … in very poor taste.  Even some members of Congress are up in arms about it, as they have a right to be.

But while the Philippines rushes to defend its honor against the slander of an insensitive foreigner, make sure you aren’t the Filipino who defiles your own country, day in and day out with your own insensitive refusal to exercise even the most minimal care in how you leave the country in your wake.  Foreigners should never insult and defile the Philippines.  that’s a given.  But what gives you the right to defile the country just because you might have been born here?

Love your country and treat her as if you really did love her .. and stop throwing all you drink cups and cans in my front yard, please … I’m nor Alec Baldwin, and I guarantee you I never threw trash in your front yard.

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12 Little Things — Rule 5

May 11, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

This is the sixth in this ongoing series for practical people, both Filipino and foreign who care about the country of the Philippines and would like to do something, within their own means and power, to make it a better place.

I’d like to report some good news, too.  I have a source for this book … although I still haven’t made my much looked forward to meeting with the author happen yet.  But if any of you want your own copy or want a copy to give as birthday, Christmas or passalubong, just let me know here and we’ll work something out.  I’ll sell it at the current retail price … I’m not in this to make a profit and I can ship it virtually anywhere in the world.  Personally I have along list of pamamkins, high school and college graduates (and in some cases their parents) who are getting the book as a gift real soon now.

12 Little Things logo

Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.

One thing that is particularly noticeable to a foreigners is that there are an awful lot of police agencies in the Philippines.  There’s a Philippine National Police service … much like an arm of the military .. academy graduate officers, generals at the top, regional and provincial directors, standardized uniforms, special units and a lot of what one would expect from the USA if we had a national police force.

There are also the other trappings of enforcement and compliance most developed countries have … a national Bureau of Investigation (similar in many ways to the US FBI), drug enforcement agencies, customs and immigration enforcement officers and so on.

We also have some unique hierarchies here in the Metro Manila area … there is a Metro Manila Development Agency which has it’s own extensive police force (similar in some ways to the Port of New York Authority back in the US) and various other traffic and police agencies I am not aware of yet.

On the local level the Philippines has something quite unique to most foreigners … from little villages to large cities,virtually every dwelling and business lies within a barangay, governed by a locally elected barangay captain and most with their own local patrols often know as the ‘tanod’.  These barangay’s are a legal political structure … local government at the lowest level, but unique to anything I have seen before … although the offices are elective and sometimes even highly contested, they are by rule of law apolitical.  The people running for barangay captain, for example, can’t display partisan signs and run as candidates of any of the major political parties.  Totally different to a boy like me who grew up in Hudson County, New Jersey back in the Boss Hague days when every local political ward (the closest US equivalent to a barangay I think) was connected from the lowest ward heeler to the office of the President of the country … or so folks would say.

It’s interesting, to say the least.  But I’m rambling.  A a foreigner or a Filipino it really doesn’t matter whose authority caused the guy or gal in uniform to be wearing it …but the rule of law of any civilized nation demands that we give them respect … respect for the uniform and position, regardless of what we think of the individual in the uniform.

These days very few of my fellow Americans have ever served in the military, and many are even a tad “military hostile” … except when they want the military to rush in and save their backside, or shot somebody because ‘the majority’ has determined that a certain religion or country of origin as ‘dangerous’ to the majority’.

In many ways I suppose this de-emphasis on military service is a good thing, perhaps the normal progression of a free nation.  I dunno, I’m still an old soldier myself, but my mind is open enough for other points of view.

In my short time her in the Philippines I notice a very similar attitude in many Filipinos.  Even people who are dirt poor and need a career badly seldom talk about making the military a career.  The best and brightest in schools all head for the bar exam or scientific pursuits, I almost never hear of anyone thinking about making the military a career, and just as I see in the US, many Filipinos consider the military worth having round to perpetuate the war in Mindanao, but no closer to the ‘civilized’ part of the country.

One thing the military did teach me that has been worthwhile all my life … to get respect, you must give respect.  When you are a lower-ranking person … military or civilian … that concept may be a little difficult to comprehend, but later, as you gain experience and rise to your proper station in life, you’ll see that giving respect early in the game is something like the concept of “paying forward”.  The respect you gave, even when you didn’t really want to, will come back in spades … or so it has for me.

Not happy with the respect you feel a police officer or traffic enforcer seems to be showing you?  Well, whatever you do, don’t argue with him in his job, or spend a week telling everyone in earshot how rotten he was and how mad you are.  If an officer truly treats you with disrespect, make notes and complain later to his higher authorities, but in day to day life …give them the respect they deserve, even if you don’t feel it in your heart at the time.  It is a sign of a civilized, progressive nation and it really doesn’t cost anyone a penny.  To be respected, you must show respect first.

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If It’s Friday This Must Be About Philippine Business

May 8, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

A few weeks back I set myself a goal of not only writing regularly every week day here at PhilFAQS, where you get the answers to the common questions about living in the Philippines, but also to be more organized.  So far I give myself a score of perhaps C- or D+, and this coming week is unlikely to get much better, because I am off to our new agriculture venture in Zambales for another couple days.  It’s not that I couldn’t blog physically there, even our farm out in the boondocks (how many of you know that was a Filipino words, one of the few that has made it into common American English usage?) has wireless DSL available ,,, but I digress.  It’s more of a case of not having time.

Actually, I have time … the one thing I have that I share absolutely equally with all of you reading here is time.  None of us is richer or poorer in time, we all own what we own of time and we can’t get any more of it no matter if we are a high school dropout or hold multiple PhD’s. 

It’s how I choose to use the time I have … and right now, in many cases, the bukid is going to have to come first.  But today the sun is shining (first real tropical cyclone of the season has blown out to sea), income is trickling in like clockwork (a small clock to be sure, but then again, I am supposed to be retired), did I mention the sun is shining? … and the house is bustling as a visiting sister and her children and the rest of us get ready to go to the hospital in Quezon City to visit a little lady named Isobel (not sure of the spelling yet) our eagerly awaited grand-niece, the first of a whole new generation … born about 16 hours ago.

To be born in May of 2009.  What that must be like.  What will her bright little eyes have seen in 2072 when she is as old as I am now?  You realize that while I am well immersed in the “Information Age”, I can clearly remember when steam trains, not airlines, were the common mode of travel and when to call a neighbor we picked up the handset and asked the operator to “Ring ‘J’, please”. We were on a party line (I still remember the number, Mountain View 8-2187W, and my best friend next door was on 2187J … and this wasn’t out in the boondocks, either, it was in suburban New Jersey almost in sight of the Empire State building in the distance.  How far we have come. It’s fascinating to contemplate, isn’t it?  I wish that little girl a lot of good things, but one thing I am not yet sure of is wishing her what passes for a conventional education in today’s world and that somewhat archaic thing we call a ‘job’ in today’s world.

One of the things that depresses me from time to time is to look at the search terms that bring new visitors to this site.  “Job for Americans in the Philippines” outnumbers all the other search terms by a long chalk.  Why does this depress me?  Because it’s exactly the same in my mind as people looking for information on telephone party lines … a way of life and a ‘technology’, if you will, that is dying, if not dead.

A while back I read an interesting report on a fellow who was regarded as a scientific genius.  A major appliance maker hired him as a consultant to their marketing and engineering departments.  His first task was to advise them on what features to focus on for future improvements in their extensive line of refrigerators and freezers.  They were, of course, thinking on their own about “advances’” like better door seals, more efficient motors, better energy efficiency by things like computerized refrigeration controllers … things anyone who has ever owned a refrigerator might think about if the spirit moved them.

The consultant’s answer?  “None of the above”.  “If you want to position yourself for the future you shouldn’t be pursuing better ways of building better versions of boxes that keep food cold (which is after all, technology from the 1800’s).  Instead you should be focusing on skipping a whole generation of technology.  Let you competitors focus on how for save a Watt or two of power consumed, or build a more ergometric door handle.  For your next business idea you should be concentrating on biotics, irradiation and other means of preserving food without refrigeration at all.  Don’t play follow the leader, leap into the real future”.

GE Monitor top refrigerator I don’t think my scientific hero stayed on very long in that consulting role.  I if your granddad delivered ice for a living (my dad did, by the way, blocks of ice from an insulted wagon), and your dad was on the team that moved the condenser coil from the top of the box to the back, and you designed a little vacuum pump interface that ‘sucks’ the freezer door closed tight automatically … can you focus on anything aside from refrigerators?

Well man has been around for about 125,000 years and using cold in a box (wither mechanical refrigeration or natural ice cooling) has only been around for about 1/10th or one percent of that time, so obviously a “whole lot of life” happened without refrigerators and it’s also quite likely that sometime in the future we’ll look back and wonder why everyone used to have those funny humming boxes in the corner of their kitchen.

I write here frequently, as well as on some of my other sites, (like www.retiredpay.,com) about why you seriously do not need a job to make a living in the Philippines.

But who reads these articles?  I don’t know.  Sometimes I think that the level of reading comprehension of the average ‘Net surfer just too low to even make it out of elementary school … sounds pejorative, but then when I write, research and write some more to try to show people why they:

  • Don’t need a job to make a living in the Philippines
  • And why they don’t really want a job here in the Philippines

No matter what I write it just seems that people don’t want to hear it … I write, they say they read, but they just write me privately or else search incessantly with Google for “foreigner jobs in the Philippines”.  I guess I am just by no means as good a writer as I would like to be … I prefer to try to show people how they don’t need a refrigerator with coil on the top or a regular old ‘report in to the boss every morning” J-O-B.  But then again, maybe I’m wrong … what do you think?

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Filed Under: Live There, Phils Business, Phils Editorals

12 Little Things — Rule 4

May 4, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

image

 

 

This is the fifth in this ongoing series for practical people, both Filipino and foreign who care about the country of the Philippines and would like to do something, within their own means and power, to make it a better place.

When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak positively about us and our country

The hobby of a lot of foreigners and way, way too many Filipinos is to find every flaw, gigantic or tiny, and focus on it … often to the exclusion on any possible solution.  Maybe you’ve raised a child and watched them pick continuously at a scab, no matter how times you’ve asked them to stop.  Almost makes you crazy at times, doesn’t it?  If they just wouldn’t focus on it, it would heal up and go away, but the more they pick at it, the more they seem to want to pick at it, and the worse it gets.  A vicious circle.

After three years here now in the Philippines I really get exasperated at the trait often.  I’m no Pollyanna, nor am I an apologist.  The Philippines, like every country on earth has problems, issues and shortcomings.

It is disingenuous or even downright dishonest to try to hide or artificially deemphasize real problems, but just as I wrote about a month or so ago, when I was talking about the problem of focusing only on the less admirable things in life in general and the Philippines in particular, you don’t have to spend your life talking only about the bad things to the exclusion of a balanced look at the real world.

As a foreigner I am well aware there are a few of my fellow non-Filipinos who either out of meanness or ignorance have said nasty hurtful things about the Philippines and the Filipino people.  I may have even been guilty of this a time or two myself, although I certainly don’t make a habit of it.

But my goodness … as long as there are 90 million Filipinos talking to themselves and to visitors about their own country, no one needs to worry about the lapses in manners and judgment by the foreigners.  Invariably when I talk about something I see that seems to be a good thing, or ask a question to help me learn if there is a better way to do something I get a near-universal response from Filipinos. 

Nothing is right in the Philippines. 

All the politicians are crooked and the businessmen are worse. 

The workers are lazy and won’t do a day’s work even if you beg them. 

And their supervisors are incapable of managing and wouldn’t do a good job if they did know how.

You can’t cure any health problem, because there is no money, and if there was money, someone would just steal it so what’s the use?

Enough.  I could go on with a thousand examples …some quite nasty … and all coming directly from Filipinos I have talked to or heard in the media.  It’s sad.  With “friends” like these … a large cross section of its people … the Philippines doesn’t need to worry about enemies, its so-called friends are doing a bang-up job in tearing the country down.

As I stated a few paragraphs back, no way am I suggesting, ever, that someone lie or refuse to divulge information they are honestly asked for.  But goodness, didn’t anyone’s mother ever teach them the old adage, “If you can’t say anything nice about someone, better to say nothing at all”?

It works for countries and national prude too, folks.  If you hear someone saying something happy and hopeful about some new project, and you just know in your heart that it won’t work, it will be sabotaged somewhere along the line … why not try a new technique and just keep what you know to yourself.  Unless the person with the happy dream is really in some grave physical or moral danger, just let them have the joy of that dream.  If it “goes south”, well so be it, they had the joy and the invaluable educational benefits of trying … they didn’t need an anchor to weight them down, why add yours?

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Filed Under: Editorials, Phils Editorals Tagged With: , ,

12 Little Things — Rule 3

April 27, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

imageThis is the fourth installment in my series highlighting this truly valuable little book. Like the old saying, “Good Things Come In Small Packages”, this book impressed me as a great value for not only the intended Filipino audience but also for foreigners like me who live the Philippines, or are “married into” the Philippines, or both.

Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.

It has been really eye opening to me to work my way through these 12 little things.  At first glance this one seems so obvious one on the outside looking in would wonder why the author even included it.

But then I thought about every time I visit a store here in the Philippines to buy something.   Almost invariably  the clerk will rush up and say, “Oh sir, buy this product, it’s made in USA” (or sometimes made in a European country).  It seems to me as if every Filipino truly believes that only crap products are made in the Philippines.  sad,

No doubt there are crap products built here.  But there are quality as well as crap products made in every country … and certainly as an American, I can attest there are plenty crap products made in the USA … especially those made in China, shipped to the USA and then shipped back to the Philippines, masquerading as a ‘real’ US product.

One thing that amazes me, as an example, are the huge numbers of Ford SUV’s and small pickups sold here in the Philippines.  Now don’t get me wrong, Ford is an OK product in moist cases, I have owned my share, but for sure you are never going to catch me “running after” a Ford just because it has a US brand name.  In point of fact, most Ford trucks and SUV’s are built in Mexico anyway … only the name is American, so I certainly wouldn’t pay extra for the “prestige” of a Fiord.  Silly.

Just a few days ago I was talking to a Filipino businessman friend of mine who is involved in the GPS business in the Philippines.  I mentioned to him that he should touch base with another Filipino friend of mine who manufactures GPS equipment here in Metro manila … 100% Filipino designed, built, sold and serviced.  My business friend couldn’t believe it.  Selling a Chinese GPS product himself he was totally convinced I had it wrong and that my manufacturing buddy was really selling Chinese products too.  I finally convinced him that this was not the case, although it was a tough sell.

If you’re a foreigner, don’t be afraid to call out “crap” for what it is, but don’t label something as “crap” purely because of the country it is made in.

And if you are Filipino?  Have a little faith and loyalty to your own country.  How can the Philippines build world class products if the Filipino himself rejects the product without even evaluating it.  So far as international trade goes, from what I can see, the Philippines doesn’t need any enemies to drag down the reputation of its products, the average Filipino is tearing down the reputation of his country very well on his own.  think twice.

Makes good sense to me … what do you think?

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12 Little Things — Rule 2

April 20, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

imageThis is the third installment on my series highlighting this truly valuable little book.  Like the old saying, “Good Things Come In Small Packages”, this book impressed me as a great value for not only the intended Filipino audience but also for foreigners like me who live the Philippines, or are “married into” the Philippines, or both.

Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.

There are so many “things wrong” one sees on a daily basis that at first glance this seems almost like an empty “do the right thing because you should” sort of commandment

I mean we all know about things we “should” do, but being human we don’t always do them, so why should this “Little Thing” be important?

The cynical among us also will likely think, “Yeah, sure, demanding a receipt will just result in more taxes being collected, and we all know how crooked certain arms of the government are believed to be …ATBP”.

Well I’m no Pollyanna … there is corruption in the Philippines (and other countries too … as an American I always get a   laugh out of how many of my fellow Americans think the US is “Lily White” in that area … it’s not and I’ve paid the bribes to prove it, sadly) , but that aside, the reason that there may be some percentage of “bad guys” at one end of the government chain doesn’t excuse you being a “bad apple” at the start of the business chain.

Many citizens of all countries I am aware of are highly “anti tax”.     It seems as if it is not a matter of law or of conscience, but more of a game.  Let’s see how little I can scheme and even cheat to make the final tax bill as small us possible.  Well I don’t get my jollies paying taxes either.

But these same folk, especially when I have conversations with them about the Philippines are always lightning quick with the “suggestions or even blatant demands the “The government really, really needs to do something, tight now, about this issue or that problem”.

Fine, well and good.  It is the job of government to take action in many areas.  But there is one essential element to government taking action.  On item that virtually any solution or advancement scheme needs.  Yep, m-o-n-e-y.

Where can the government’s money to fix things come from if not for the people who can afford to spend something go ahead and kick in their fair share?   I mean if you are able to buy something, you ought to be able to pay the tax, correct?  if you don’t care to, why not keep the money in your pocket and save both the tax and the cost of the item.

There’s an old saying that was popular when I spent my years in the military.  “freedom isn’t free”.    Well, neither is progress my friends.  It’s kind of like buying a lottery ticket.  You had over you 20 pesos or whatever with the hopes you might win a big prize.  But like as not you never win a thing and your 20 pesos just goes into the “wasteland” of broken dreams.

It’s no different than when you buy your box of KFC or your new computer monitor from the supply shop.  Will you ever see your few pesos of tax again, personally?  Odds are very much against it.

But if you don’t get an OR, the vendor is likely keeping your tax money for himself anyway … so not only do you “lose” the money you have paid against the tax, the government loses to … not even a lottery ticket chance of your hard earned Pesos helping out.

Makes good sense to me … what do you think?

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Filed Under: Phils Editorals Tagged With: ,

Random Thoughts from The Kalbo Kano Kurmudgeon

April 13, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Today I’m cleaning my in box/draft posts folder.  And yes I know curmudgeon is properly spelled with a “C” but I live in the Philippines and I can spell it anyway I want.  You’ll find many ‘creative’ spellings of English words here, especially the ones that have been adopted into Pilipino or Filipino or Tagalog.  I learned to read at an early age using a method my school was trying out … innovative at the time … called the Carden method.  It seems a fantastic way to teach children to read but it purposely ignored spelling and all those silly rules of English like “I before E except after ….”  Forget it, the rules still bore me.  Thank you so much for your gift of reading, Ms. Mae.

"Miss Carden and her work remain a well-kept secret of American education," wrote educator Ronald E. Koetzsch, Ph. D., author of The Parents’ Guide to Alternatives in Education. "This is unfortunate, since the Carden reading methods and curriculum, and the schools that use them, comprise an important potential resource for American education," he said. We hope this Web site will help you learn more about our "secret."

Anyway, on a few occasions I have used that curmudgeon word in the past, I’ve had a comment or two that suggested a few folks aren’t really familiar with the word, spelled properly or not.  It means:

a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas

There are some other definitions that vary from this one only in degree, this is the one I am proud to wear.

Here’s the first item I came across to touch on today.  I get so many queries from people about “safety” here in the Philippines and see so many elsewhere that it almost makes me want to scream at times.  If your goal in life is to be safe, don’t live in the Philippines, don’t live in the US, don’t, in particular drive a car. don’t fly in an airplane, don’t use an electric shaver … in short, just don’t live.  News report:  You’re dead meat, and so am I.  We just don’t know the hour and means of our passing.  I’m “using up” my minutes as they come along, you can do with yours as you wish … but we’ll all run out at the appointed time anyway. 

When I read the news and talk with fellow Americans I often feel as if I were somehow a counterfeit, or that my own country has changed so much in 60 years that I don’t even recognize it.  A fellow named Chuck Leathers made a comment on another blog I read regularly which said what i want to say so well I just couldn’t let it pass:

This stolen 172 hysteria is the latest manifestation of our national obsession with fear. This used to be a country of risk-takers and pioneers. Since the Bush-induced terror following 9/11, we have become a nation of cowards instead.

We lose 50,000 lives each year on our highways, over one hundred 747s full of souls, but are focused entirely on the 3,000 or so we lost on that day seven years ago.

We let just about anyone who can fog a mirror buy a handgun, but have to take our shoes off and get our private parts probed to travel by air?

Folks! What are we thinking? This isn’t who we are. Let’s get over it and get back to living our lives without fear.

Chuck Leathers

Amen Chuck, amen.  Incidentally.  I just watched In The Line Of Fire, a 1993 film starring Clint Eastwood.  The plot involved a crazed man who wanted to kill the President, but he could have just as easily been bent of hijacking an airliner.  The movie shows in great detail how the would-be assassin got a customer manufactured gun through Secret Service security screening and close enough to take an easy shot at the president.  Every trick the screenwriter used to make the hidden gun trick work, 16 years ago, would work today though brain-dead TSA airport security, QED. 

So why are we nation of sheep just following rules because someone said so, when those rules demonstrably will not stop a determined individual from smuggling a weapon on board?  So we can feel ‘safe’?  Well guess what.  I sometimes feel rich and good looking, but “feelings” aren’t reality.  Wake Up, America.

image Now on a brighter note … bright yellow, actually …  let me make a sudden turn and get back on something Philippine-related.  I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of the show Asian Air Safari, which airs here in the Philippines Sundays at 2-30.  It’s available world-wide on The Filipino Channel, either from your cable operator or via direct broadcast home satellite terminal (dish) in the USA.

The host, Captain Joy Roa, works interesting stories about travel and airplanes into what are essentially travelogues, shot all ‘round the world.

Remember my made in USA Tire Gauge article from a few weeks back?  Well Captain Roa found a much better example of American ingenuity, drive to succeed and business acumen, right here in the middle of this “huge economic meltdown” that the ever-fear-mongering US media is so happy to focus on.  You’ll never hear of this company in Texas, USA, on US media I recon.  Why?

Because the company builds the absolute best solution to the problem they set out to solve in the world … many of their sales are overseas … the talking bobble heads want you to believe that America can’t compete, remember.  The company recently celebrated their 60th year in the same small town, and have a backlog of orders well into the year 2010.  They don’t need government handouts, and advice from Harvard elitists who have never held a job with profit and loss responsibility or built a product in their lives, but consider themselves qualified to decide which businesses are ‘too big to fail’.

Thank you Captain Roa, for teaching me something about my own country … which is far from dead yet.  God bless you, sir, and God bless the USA … and the Philippines too.

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12 Little Things — Rule 1

April 13, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

It’s Monday so it’s time for the next installment in my 12 Little Things series.  As I mentioned, this is commentary on a book I found, written by a Filipino for Filipinos … but very applicable for all of us who live in the Philippines or who have family/loved ones here.  I’m in the process of getting distribution rights and a stock of these books for PhilFAQS, keep 12 little thingsyour eye on this spot if it interests you,. because I am certainly going to make it available in the future.

Without further ado,

Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.

SCTEXtraffic2 Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  Almost simplistic.  Unless, that is, you recognize one of the deficiencies that holds Philippine commerce back as much as any other issue … you can’t get any place reliably and quickly.  That means if you want to move passengers, move cargo, attract shoppers, provide health care, almost everything that involves getting clients to a supplier or stock to points of sale, you have a problem.  Congested streets costs the Philippines literally billions per year in lost commercial opportunity, not to mention a considerable amount of excess pollution, traffic deaths and so on.

Of course a modern road network is a particle cure, and that costs money.  Thankfully some great progress has been made and is being made as we speak, but guess what?

You can build all the roads you want but if you let the very users the roads are made for abuse them and clog them up, you could never build enough roads, even with Obama’s money-spending skills.

In particular, the average driver’s penchant for refusing to stay in lanes, dodging off to the shoulder to try to pass, and then having to squeeze back into line, and the idea that Jeepneys and tricycles can use the public roads as their private terminals any which way defeats any chance of ‘getting well’ on this issue.  The picture was taken through my windshield a couple days ago on Maundy Thursday, approaching the toll gate at the Subic end of a brand new, fully world class toll way that only opened last year.  Clogged up to beat the band … two hours to go the last two kilometers … due in large part to people who insist on passing on the shoulder and then squeezing back in when they come upon a stalled car (the reason the shoulder was built in the first place).

There are not enough traffic police in the whole world to cure this endemic problem of self-inflicted congestion … only the will of the Philippine people can cure it.  It’s a very important point when you think about it.

There’s another reason, I think, that this is the first of the 12 suggested steps.  Following the law is an important habit.  It has effects far beyond simple traffic rules.  As they say, integrity is the practice of doing the right thing even when no one is looking.  Make a habit out of teaching your children, by example to follow the small laws, and the bigger ones will take care of themselves.

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