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June 22, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

This is my semi-regular Monday rant editorial, delayed bit until Tuesday.

Interesting thoughts last week from my colleague Bob … no, not that Bob, Bob Thompson, writer of books and Internet guru since well before there was an Internet. 

Right now, I’d guess that the upper 10% or 15% of the population can do (and does) all of the real work that actually needs to be done. Obviously, a lot more than 10% to 15% of the population are employed, but the bulk of them are in make-work jobs that actually contribute little or nothing to the economy. As a rich country, we’ve been able to afford those inefficiencies, but as the economic crunch continues that’s becoming less practical. I read the other day that white males, the group that historically suffers least from an economic crisis, are now experiencing a 20% unemployment rate. What’s far worse is that this is structural unemployment. That 20% not only don’t have jobs now, but never will again (my emphasis). To say that has profound implications going forward is probably the understatement of the century.

Despite that, I remain optimistic. Science and technology can get us out of this hole, but only if they’re given free rein. We need to focus our efforts on ensuring that our best and brightest kids are well educated and steered into STEM fields. The upper 1% (actually, the upper 0.1%) are the ones who’ll make a difference. Right now, we concentrate too much attention on dividing the economic pie equitably, and too little attention on growing that pie. …

Some further thoughts on the work, production and tax issues and what they mean for America. … and the Philippines.  9despite the noise you sometimes here from a microscopic fraction of the well-to-do but shiftless “rich boys” here, Filipinos copy what the US does with almost slavish dedication.  It really gets old, at times, more than once, being asked for the umpteenth time how something is done in America I have to choke back the urge to shout out, “Don’t ask me, think for yourself, damn it!” 

The taxes are in the mail and, as usual, our bank balance on April 15th is a lot smaller than it was on the 14th. I suppose we should be thankful to be in our half of the population, though, because the other half of the US population pays no federal income taxes at all. Consider the implications of that. Half of the US population now works to support the other half, who contribute nothing. In reality, of course, it’s much worse than that, because a large percentage of those who do pay federal income taxes are actually net tax consumers. They’re public employees, which means they’re also being supported by the small productive fraction of US workers. …

For new hires of college graduates, the numbers are stark. Kids who’ve obtained degrees in majors that I’ve previously characterized as "useless"–English, history, sociology, *-studies, and so on–aren’t getting any job offers at all, or if they are those offers are in the sub-$20,000 range. Those who’ve obtained degrees in what I’ve previously characterized as "real" subjects–the hard sciences, engineering, and so on–are getting job offers in the $40,000, $50,000, or $60,000 range.  So I’m going to sit down with Jas and suggest that she really should consider majoring in chemistry or biology or engineering. Something that’ll give her a reasonable chance of a decent job offer once she graduates.

My thoughts on this pretty much mirror Bob’s.  A great many people in the US … especially failed real estate hypesters (oops, “professionals), unemployed auto workers, and the “poor” who have enough money for beer and wings and hanging out at the local sports bar will frequently bitch to all who will listen, and even those who don’t want to, about those Indian or Pakistani or Chinese or Vietnamese or Israeli or Palestinian or … it could go on, fill in your own ethnicity) who are ‘stealing American jobs’. 

The issue the chronic complainers fail to address is … about 4% of US students starting college opt for real STEM (that’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in case you were wondering).  Whereas, in China or India, about 40% are enrolled in such programs.

If you read the roster of successful companies, or search the news regarding new research breakthroughs at universities guess what you’ll find?  A highly disproportionate number of “foreign” names.

I’ll give you a hint.  Those “foreigners” didn’t get there by “stealing” anything … they got there by doing the work and slogging through the courses that 96% of ‘true blue American” kids refuse to take. Essentially, they took the road less traveled and the Did The Math!

For too many years our country has been satisfied with the illusion that ‘service’ jobs, like selling stocks, flogging houses at outrageous prices and “advising people on their investments” … and demanding getting a bonus even if the client goes broke … are acceptable, productive ways to earn a living.  Going to school for a business degree so you can get a job as a junior “stock pusher” with Bear Stearns?  Oh wow, good on you.

But if you are in a position to advise young people, or if you are still one of those lucky young people making life changing decisions right now, consider this … what will your chosen field of endeavor actually PRODUCE?

Food for thought.

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Basics of Working in the Philippines for Foreigners

June 8, 2010 By Philly 16 Comments

Ok, ok, no matter how many times I tell you, and give concrete examples of how little you will make at a job in the Philippines, you still keep coming back for more.

(Please do me the favor of at least READING this article before you send me the inevitable “I want a job in the Philippines” query.  My prose may be far from entertaining and YOU MAY NOT GET the ANSWER YOU WANT … but I write from reality, not a dream world.  You want answers about the Philippines, then you should be dealing from reality as well.  If you, as an American, want a job in the Philippines, what are your own answers to the questions the visa process poses?)

Fair enough.  Essentially, I write these articles for you, the reader.  In fact a while back I had a somewhat nasty comment from a gentleman who told me I was a liar, apparently because he was reading an article about traveling to and living in Davao and he was not seeing finding much information about jobs for foreigners in Davao City.  Well I’m really sorry to have caused him displeasure, but I have never written an article about jobs for foreigners in Davao City and it is highly likely I never will.  The reasons for this are actually pretty simple, and not misleading or malevolent as the gentleman seemed to imply.

  • ==>> I don’t have a job in the Philippines and I don’t want a job in the Philippines.
  • ==>> If you actually take the time to read what I write about jobs in the Philippines, you don’t want one either.
  • ==>> I often go to places for sightseeing, visiting friends, etc., … things more difficult if I did have a job.  Apparently I am not keeping my nose hard enough to the grindstone.  I don’t think I need to apologize to anyone for putting in my 40 plus years of work so that I can now enjoy what God chooses to give me.

Get a grip, people, a job is sometimes a necessity … if you refuse to consider better alternatives … but it isn’t the be-all and end-all of why you are living.   Nor is it the best way to make a living, in my view, of course.

Never the less, jobs, jobs, jobs are what so many of you are fixated on … so after a few articles on the disadvantages of working here and why there is no special program that pays you American wages in the Philippines because of your skin color, I will lay out a few things you have to consider in the search for that elusive job.

First of all, the most intelligent and likely fruitful way for an American to find a job here in the Philippines is to target an American firm who is operating here and find a job with that firm … in any country you can.  Then work your way into their Philippine operations.

Does this sound like a slow process?  You bet.  However it is the way that a majority of the foreigners working here who are making Western style wages got to be here.

An example that jumps to mind immediately.  Several giant US banking firms … the ones whom you pay your taxes to in order to support bonuses for incompetent management … the ones that are considered ‘too big to fail’ … have expanded their “back office operations” here.  Some have added thousands of jobs in the past year.

These are not “call centers” per se, but are often termed BPO centers .. Business Process Outsourcing centers.  When you stick your ATM card in a machine in the US, or visit a teller at your US bank to cash a check, there is an excellent chance the “business process” of handing you your money, updating the various accounts involved and so forth are actually handled by people and computers here in the Philippines.

The customer service phone for your bank may be answered in San Antonio or Lincoln or Providence or where ever, but the actual guts of the process are being done here.

IIRC correctly, one huge BPO center here run by Bank of America, is processing transactions for more than 3,000 US banks, aside from their own BoA business.

I also spent a pleasant weekend a few weeks back at the “Techno Hub” in Quezon City where several of my nieces work as call center agents.  The occasion was a huge “family day” celebration where they hosted the families of all the employees at that site, and although I didn’t meet any, I’ve been told on good authority there are a umber of foreigners working their … the parent company is HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Corporation), one of the major US  (correction, British) banks operating in the US who didn’t piss all their money away and then come begging for a handout.

I know there are more than a few foreigners working there in positions well above the entry level, because I came across a bulletin board laid out in sort of an org chart where it showed pictures of the executives and little bio-paragraphs about each person to help the “rank and file”  get to know the chain of command.  Out of about 50 foreigners I think I saw 5 or so who were obviously US, majority were from India, Pakistan, China and the UK … but there are Americans working in these BPO companies for sure.

It is often difficult to find US businesses with operations here in the Philippines, perhaps because many businesses consider that information sensitive, but the fact that finding them is difficult does not mean that it might not be very lucrative, job-wise.

Second: Lets assume you do the work to find a job you can qualify for and are able to sell yourself well enough to get at least an interview.  Here are the basics of what has to happen next.

Immigration officer
Creative Commons License photo credit: markhillary

If you are living in the Philippines on some sort of permanent visa, like a 13 series visa or an SRRV, feel free to skip down to the next major section, Philippines Alien Employment Permit (AEP).  You already have the right to work in the Philippines … but not yet the permission. If you are a foreigner outside the Philippines, or here in the Philippines on a non-permanent residency visa, you must first gain the right to work here by beginning the process of getting a

Philippines Working Visa (9G)

A foreign national (not on some form of permanent residency visa) wishing to work in the Philippines must obtain a work visa (9G).   This "9(g)" is a Philippine working visa for foreigners entering the Philippines to engage in a lawful occupation.

As a  general rule, the company doing the hiring must show that the services of the alien are indispensable to the management, operation, administration, or control of a local or locally based firm.

The company who proves this employee is essential must be the one to petition the Philippine Bureau of Immi
gration (BI) to issue this visa to their proposed employee.  In many ways this process is roughly analogous to the US H1 family of working visas, which allow foreigners to come to the US and work because they posses special skills, such as language abilities, which are difficult or impossible to find on the US labor market.

Unlike many other countries who will only allow petitions for employees outside the country, for long-term assignments, this visa may be applied for from within the Philippines.  But it always involves the prospective employer asking permission from the government for the prospective employee.  Over the years I get the idea that many folks think there is just sort of a general ‘license to work’ permit that you can apply for and then roam the Philippines seeking employment.  Not so.

Again, think about the situation from the US perspective.  How many voters would support just issuing a license to work to any foreigner who applied for one.  Would be very popular, in my opinion, right?

(like everything else of this nature, I highly recommend you seek professional advice on this before you do anything.  Information you acquire from lay person’s web sites (like mine, in particular ;-) is just personal opinion.  When you need competent legal assistance, you should seek it.   Here is one excellent  law firm that specializes in foreign worker visas, there are many other competent ones I am sure).

OK, now for those of you not here on permanent residency visas, we have covered the basics of getting a visa that lets you enter the Philippines for gainful employment.  Now, let’s make you and your permanent resident brethren legal to work here.

Philippine Alien Employment Permit (AEP)

An Alien Employment Permit (AEP) is a document issued by the Department of Labor and Employment that allows a foreign national to work in the Philippines. This is normally applied for in tandem with a 9(g) pre-arranged employment visa and applies to foreign nationals seeking employment in the Philippines.  In lay terms, the visa provides the right to work here, the AEP provides the specific permission to hold a job.

An employee must be petitioned by his/her company and it must generally be shown, to the satisfaction of the government that:

No person found in the Philippines is willing or competent to perform the service for which the foreign national is hired.

I set this sentence off in bold specifically because it so often seems to be ignored by foreigners seeking jobs in the Philippines.  I first published this article nearly a year ago and in that time I don’t believe I have come across a single person interested in “getting a job” here who has read the article … specifically that paragraph above, which come directly from Philippine law.  Many times people will write me and ask for help in finding a “job, any job”.  Well, under the law, there is no way that is going to succeed.  There are literally millions, and I do mean millions of Filipinos here in the Philippines … often with impressive educational qualifications who are looking for a “job, any job."

If you expect to find a legal job here, you absolutely need to tighten up your search criteria, and make your qualifications more specific.  Example.  Suppose you have years of experience as a truck driver.  There is no possible way I could think of to get around that willing and competent clause.  There are probably millions of professional class license holders here, driving trucks and busses for very low wages, and frankly the actual driving experience you acquired in the US is likely more of a liability than an asset here.

But if you’ve held a commercial driver’s license for a long time, for example, and have instructed other drivers, it might be very easy to qualify you as, say, an instructional supervisor/course developer at a commercial driving school.  The Philippines is a huge market for education, both academic and practical courses, and many schools are required to have senior staff with a certain number of years of education, particular trade qualifications and so on.  Sell your uniqueness, not your desperation.  "Begging" people don’t have much appeal with business managers.

AEPs are valid for a period of one (1) year, unless the employment contract, consultancy services, or other modes of engagement or term of office for elective officers, provides for a longer period.  So, if you can score, say a 5 year contract, your AEP should be good for 5 years.

Now what if you start working for one company and then later, something better comes along?  This is something that happens often, because it is only human nature and good business practice as well to keep the better jobs for people already “on the ground” here.  They are a much better bet to succeed in a more demanding job as well.

Permits of resident foreign nationals are valid for multiple employers provided they report changes in their employment status and the identity of their employers to the DOLE Regional Office which issued the permit.  So yes, you can change jobs, but note that you better keep the DOLE up-to-date on where you are working, or you are liable to be looking out the plane window watching the Philippines fade off into the distance.

OK, there’s a couple thousand words on the basics of how you can work on clearing the legal hurdles regarding working in the Philippines.  if you want to work for, on average, one fourteenth of the wage you would command in the US, common over, the weather’s fine, the cost of living is low and the people are friendly.

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Filed Under: Philippine Jobs Tagged With: , ,

Philippine Making Money Ideas — Number 151 — Addendum

April 15, 2010 By Philly

Recently I received a very well thought out comment on the preceding article from long-time reader Ken Lovell.  Ken makes some interesting points so I thought I would answer his comment in the main blog rather than perhaps burying it in the comments.  Says Ken in reference to my idea on building an online business around roofs, or other things you “see” on Google Maps:

Not knocking the idea at all Dave but I suspect a lot of people would not do business with someone based in Phils, because

(1) it just seems a bit, well, fishy and

(2) how you gonna engage in the national pastime of suing them when something goes wrong? Or in the case of countries like Australia, which government agency can you go and make a complaint to?

There still might be enough demand to make a viable business of course., and the beauty of the internet is that all you have to invest is your labour.

This is how I started writing my answer:

With respect, Ken, how would you know the business is in the Philippines?  Here’s an example, first-hand.

Before I started messing about with my blogs this morning, I filled some orders from a little custom mapping site I operate.

My server is in the US (as the server for this site is), Dallas, Texas, actually.

My business address is in the US, my phone number is in the US, and I only do financial transactions via PayPal in the US. (yeah and I even pay taxes in the US :-(   )

I’m currently operating that tiny business as a sole proprietorship … I use my real name in all transactions.  I could just as easily operate as a LLC, or even a corporation if I chose to do the forms and pay the annual fees.  There are plenty of companies who will register a corporation, online, and also serve as your “registered agent” in the state you chose to incorporate in .. and that is all perfectly legal and above-board .. many corporations in the US (and I suspect other countries as well) operate with the legal address of their attorney or their registered representative.

By the way, note to my Filipino readers and other folks from countries where it is difficult to open a business … there are 50 US states as well as the District of Columbia, all with their own incorporation requirements.  Most states do not require any physical presence to open a business, and you are not required (at least in the states I am familiar with), to be a US citizen to register a business.  There are mailing services in almost every state who can give you a legal address in that state as well, and forward or fax important mail to you anywhere the Internet reaches.

Each state also has their own tax laws, and of course the US IRS governs over all, but that’s a matter for you and your accounting/tax professional to sort through.  If your business operates in the US you likely have some US federal tax responsibilities to deal with, but anyone overseas can get as US TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) to keep themselves legal.  How countries like Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, etc. treat off-shore businesses is a worthy subject for a whole encyclopedia in itself, but there are plenty of choices and no actual “showstoppers” that I know of.

So the fact I am physically located in the Philippines affects … what?  A few clients of mine know I am located here, but most couldn’t care less, they just want their maps … they order (through PayPal), I make the map and email it to them … they are happy, and I’m happy.

If anyone asked me, I’d be happy to tell them where I live … but who asks?

I always send my product satisfaction guaranteed, not happy I refund the money (instantly).  Only refunds I have issued in the past few months is to a lady who accidentally ordered the same thing twice … and another case where two different people ordered the same thing for their company without realizing it.

I can work here in Marilao, Bulacan, I can work back in the US (I filled map orders at my sister-in-law’s dining room table when The Unofficial Cook and I were in Florida a few months back), I could take a trip over there to Australia, for that matter.  It doesn’t matter, the orders flow in, the product rolls out.

This real-world sample is no different.  Someone wants to know the number of squares for a roof at 62 Beech St, Kearny NJ, 07032, they send in the order, the company makes the estimate and emails it back.  Where the person who does the estimate is located is immaterial .. maybe the company owner is in the US and the estimator is reading the map in India and the guy who wrote the software is living in the Ukraine … makes no never mind.

The operator of the sample company can work in the US, he could just as easily move to another country and not miss out on his business any longer than the time of his plane flight … and with in-air Wi-Fi being rolled out, soon maybe not even be out of action while flying.

Let me close by laying out another example that just came off the top of my shiny head.  There in Australia, aerial application (crop dusting, spraying, seeding and ‘top dressing’ with fertilize) is a big business.

Crop Dusting, starting his pullup
Creative Commons License photo credit: divemasterking2000

If you owned agricultural property and you wanted me to quote you a price on applying some treatment to your property, how would I know how to estimate the costs?  Fly over the land and “guesstimate”?  Send someone by car to measure on the ground.  Send someone to your State or Shire or wherever the records are kept and spend a couple hours finding your official land survey?  Take your word for how many acres needed application (the most common and yet least reliable method in that business).

Or, pay some chap $50 or $100 to measure up the fields on Google maps and in the process also print out a handy little map that you and I can annotate … cooperatively online, no need to meet .. and then hand the agreed upon map to the application pilot to help him find the right field (and mark the overhead wires so he won’t fly into them, and show where the neighbors chicken coop is so you don’t getsued for frightening the chickens to death, etc.)

Seems to me that in a lot of ways the online method wins, hands-down.  And, again, what would you, as the farmer or grazer care about where I was physically located as long as I knew the difference between Roundup and Accent ?  (and it would help if I could speak and understand ‘Strine ;-) , no doubt)

As you noted, my actual investment in trying a business like this would be tiny … mostly my labor in getting it stood up, a few hundred dollars for some basic legal and accounting ‘how to’s’, and then promotion (I’m working on a very neat article on that subject, perhaps for tomorrow).

(Caveat, I am not a lawyer, an accountant or any other form of professional advisor.  I don’t know if this business would work, I just genned up the idea in 5 minutes, but I merely wanted another example to prove there is potential all over the world for innovations online)

In short, if I am sitting in my home in the Philippines and decide to try something like this, what have I risked … and how much business do I need to make the venture viable … many people say they only need a few hundred a month to make the idea of living in the Philippines work for them.Your money doesn’t have to come from where you live … a message you might note I tend to harp on.

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Customer Service — ABN

November 23, 2009 By Philly 5 Comments

ABN, what’s this, Dave, another day of acronyms?  Well, sorry for those who hate an alphabet soup, but this country is more full of acronyms than an alphabet warehouse, and sometimes, using an acronym, even one that you made up. helps you remember things important to living here in the Philippines.

ABN is something I made up (so far as I know), and it stands for Always Buy Now.  In my context, it points up a fact of life about how to live in the Philippines that many foreigners (like me), don’t get for many years.  If you go to the store and see something you want, do what it takes to buy it then and there.  Don’t analyze, wait for a better deal, shop around and check prices, etc.  Why?  Because it won’t be there tomorrow … or the extra expense and paperwork you will have to go through are worse than anything you might save by shilly-shallying around.

Coffee is a good example.  Here we buy commercial US ground coffee in the big three (or so pound) cans from our local membership store, S&R Membership Shopping.   These stores, only in the Metro Manila area, by the way, are the Philippines answer to establishments like CostCo.  A poor answer too, by the way, you who still live in the “homeland” have no idea at all how well off you are regarding shopping, selection and in particular, price.  You can live cheap in the Philippines … very cheap if need be … but you can not live like an average American cheaply … put that idea out of your head.  If you want US-style shopping and products, you will spend, and typically spend more.  Trust me.

Back to the coffee.  Every morning I make a pot of coffee in our US-style, cheap Chinese-made Mr. Coffee type coffee maker.  I almost never make coffee any other time of the day.  In the afternoon, usually after a nap, I enjoy a cup of coffee but it’s way too wasteful to brew just one cup, so we always try to keep little packets of Philippine instant three-in-one coffee.  (three-in-one-one is instant coffee, creamer and sugar all in a little cachet, ready to dump into hot water and stir.  Not much of a treat for a coffee connoisseur, but it acts like a nice little afternoon pick me up.

Problem?  Even large grocery stores never stock the same brand and sizes two weeks in a row.  You see one in the brand you prefer and with enough sachets to meet your needs, don’t buy one or two packs.  By 10, (or more if they let you) because when you come back next week, that brand will be replaced by something else.  Will your favorite ever come back?  Maybe yes, maybe no … and don’t expect the store workers to know … they are always happy, smiling and polite, but no one tells them anything, they have no idea when or if your favorite brand will be back.  If you see it, buy it.

Let me give you one other example … the object lesson I learned in the past few days yet again.  (you guys don’t think I’m smart enough to always follow my own advice, do you? ;-) ).  Computer equipment.

Fry's sales floor

Creative Commons License photo credit: lightwerk

In my local mall there is a branch of a medium size computer/electronic retail chain in the Philippines known as Octagon Computers.  I’ve bought a couple things at the Octagon store in the three years I have been living here and the experience has been pretty good … assuming they have anything resembling what I went into the store for in the first place.

A few months ago I wanted to buy a new printer.  I went to the Octagon store and a nice lady there, Jane, explained what offerings they have, features, even prices for replacement cartridges.  Helpful and well informed.  “Ok.” says I, “Let’s test one and write up the sale.”

(Remember, never buy any electronic product without testing it in the store because once you buy it, sales are final … even if you take it home and it doesn’t even turn on, all you can do is take it back and they will ship it to the manufacturer for warranty service … which can take months.  Even exchange or refund after the box is opened?  Forget it, Jack, ain’t gonna happen.)

Those of you who already live here in the Philippines probably already know what the response was … after all the time talking about prices, features, specifications, etc., when I want to buy  … “Out of stock, sir.”

“When will you get more?”

“Don’t know, sir.”

This same exchange took place several times over the past two months or so when I passed the store.  One reason the cost of living here in the Philippines can be a lot cheaper than living in the US is, it can be darn hard to spend your money.

A few days, Friday of last week,  ago we needed to buy something that we just knew was not available locally.  We took a trip to the SM North EDSA mall.  Even though the stores there are mostly the same as the stores here locally, it’s a whole different world of shopping.  I’ve written a number of time before about what it is like to be a “Promdi” … a resident of any place in the Philippines that is not within the bounds of Metro Manila.  There really is a huge difference in the availability of items in stores and both the width and depth of  the product lines they chose to stock.

While I was at SM North I saw that they had completely renovated (actually moved to anew building) their electronics area, so I wandered in like a kid in a candy store.  Quite predictably I spotted an Octagon store, with a display of box after box in the window of the very printer that hadn’t been available for months.  I went in and a nice gentleman name of Sherwin showed me all the features and then even steered me to a competing printer that was significantly cheaper.

“Ok, I’ll buy.”

“Certainly sir, let’s test one.”

So Sherwin took one of the many printers to choose from over to the side of the store where they had dozens of live demo display computers running (wow, imagine being able to actually see a computer you are thinking of buying running, and have it be ‘touchable’.).  Sherwin unboxed my printer to be, plugged in the cables, showed me how to put in the cartridges and printed some test pages.

I wasn’t watching everything he did, though.  I was focusing instead on the machine he was testing with.  It was tiny, very powerful and a beautiful pearlescent white in color instead of the tradition black or gray.  Now I’m a practical man and I know the color of a computer has very little real value in real life, but none of us wants to live in the Henry Ford days of “any color so long as it is black” days .. we all normally buy cars in the color that appeals to us, even though they would run just as good in nay other color.

I looked at the little display card for this “white wonder”, which was complete with a very eye-appealing matching white 19 inch LCD monitor and noticed that the specs were pretty good,dual-core Intel processor, etc., etc, and then I realized that the price included the monitor.  Wow!  Less than $100 or so over a similar US marketed machine.  Decent enough deal for being here in the Philippines

I wanted one, than and there.  But i didn’t have cash in my pocket to buy it, and it always costs one way or another to use a credit card.  Cash is king.  So I just took my printer and left, looking longingly over my shoulder at my new computer infatuation.

I mentioned the deal to my wife later and her answer was, “You make money with computers, if you want it, buy it.”  But we were already home then and I also thought of my little local store here and I wanted them to be able to say something to me other than “No can do, sir.”

Next morning I hied myself over to the local Octagon store and inquired if they had the same special available.

“Out of stock sir, but we can order and have it here Thursday.”

Good enough, I thought.  I knew I should have bought it when I first saw it Friday.  But on that Saturday,  I had my nephews in tow and they were tired an a bit of a handful, so I told my fiend Jane, “Ok, since it is available, I will be in tomorrow am and we’ll place the order.”

Sunday I got to the store not long after it opened and Jane recognized me right away and came up to the counter with papers in her hand … usually a good sign.  After a few more questions I thought I would be given the order form to fill up and lave my deposit and hope to get my new ‘baby’ on Thursday.  Instead Jane said to me, “Sir I will go now and check with my supervisor regarding availability.”.

“Huh?  I asked you yesterday and you said it was available.”

“Sir, we can’t check availability until an order is actually placed.”

After a long wait the supervisor came over and spoke to Jane.  Perish the thought she would speak to me so that I got the un-garbled word, always pass information through one or more intermediaries, that way there are always more opportunities for misunderstanding.

The message?  “Sir, it’s Sunday and no one is available to tell us if the merchandise is available. Come back tomorrow.”

I’m proud to say I didn’t loose my temper “much”.  I spoke only one word.  “Thanks” and then I just walked straight out the door, both women staring at the back of the mysterious, unreasonably hard to please foreigner. (There’s just no pleasing those guys, they are so demanding).

And no, I didn’t leave off any expression of regret for wasting my time and I didn’t leave off any please on the “Come back tomorrow” imperative.  That’s exactly the words they spoke to me.

If you want to buy something here in the Philippines, especially if it isn’t dusty old stock that has been on the shelf for ay ear, you need to work at it.  And you will also find out that rather than being a customer to be served, you suddenly switch roles to being an employee of whomever you are trying to buy from.

In reality I think she meant to say, “Come back tomorrow and we’ll find another reason not to sell you this machine.”  I mean, who knows, perhaps their ball pen will be out of ink the next time I ask there and they can tell me to come back another day.

Customer service?  Forget it.  That’s an item that is virtually always “out of stock”.  One wonders how chain stores like this stay alive in the Philippines.  One reason is, Filipinos just accept “unacceptable” service like this day after day., week after week.  It can really get depressing at times.

Well, it’s now the tomorrow Jane talked about yesterday, and I have a pocket full of pesos but still no new computer, nor one on order.  What will I do?

1. Go back to see Jane and make “paki usap” (sweet talk) and wait for them to laboriously check for availability, then go through the various hoops they want to put me through to get my machine ordered. (Authors note:  Not fire trucking likely!)

2. Call Sherwin at the EDSA store and find out if they have a system in stock, then drive there and buy it from him (don’t forget, in addition to the initial drive, tolls, parking fees, and time … with traffic that trip will eat at east three hours … doing it that means I will have to take my machine there for warranty service if required in the future) … but on the other had, Sherwin seemed to act like he worked for me rather than the other way ‘round.

3.  Go to an independent local shop and have them build me a system.  I can probably save a few pesos this way, but it will be a Hodgepodge Lodge of parts and certainly won’t look as pretty.  And I am sure I’ll wait longer than Thursday (it’s Monday as I write this).

4.  Put the money back in my peso account and forget about spending money on a computer.  The one I am writing this on right now works good and it is long ago bought and paid for.

These experiences are far from the only times I have wandered around in the Philippines with a handful of pesos in my hand and no one willing and able to take tem from me.  Many folks, Filipinos in particular, tell me there is no opportunity here in the Philippines.  I disagree.  What there is a lack of is not opportunity, but instead business owners and employees willing to grasp the opportunity passing them by each and every day.

Feel free to give me your thoughts on this … I’d really enjoy hearing what you would do yourself in this situation.

And remember the rule/expression of the day … your “take away” from this article.  If you want to live in the Philippines and be happy living in the Philippines, what do we say, boys and girls?  All together now:

Always Buy Now!

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Butterflies — Foreign and Filipino

October 22, 2009 By Philly 2 Comments

This story is either so “corny” as my dear mother-in-law might say, or so sweet that anyone who has to watch their intake of sweets should just move on.  But those of you always troubled with the perennial “How Can I Make a Living in the Philippines” might want to keep reading … be sure to check your blood sugar before and after ;-)

According to an American Indian Legend -

If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first
capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it.

Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly can not reveal
the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all.

In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom,
the Great Spirit always grants the wish.

So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom,
the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted.

We have gathered to grant this couple all our best wishes and are about to set these
butterflies free in trust that all these wishes will be granted.

interesting.  And what, you may ask, does this have to do with earning a living or operating a business, in the Philippines or anywhere else you might rightly ask?

The answer lies here: http://www.amazingbutterflies.com/

Orange on orange
Creative Commons License photo credit: wolfpix

This is a site owned by a fellow name of Jose Muniz and his wife Karen, originally from Florida.  Back in 2006 a friend of Jose’s made him a $100 bet that he couldn’t make a living out of selling butterflies.  (I’d love to have been a fly on the wall when that conversation took place, what on earth got them started on that track?)

Anyway, Jose was earning a living as a computer consultant and was bored, so he took his friend up on the challenge.

I don’t have 2009 earnings figures, but the company made it’s first $1.000,000 (that’s US dollars, not Philippine Pesos) in 2006 and they haven’t looked back since.

Could something like this be replicated in the Philippines?  Your guess is as good as mine, but as a person who lives here and has a pretty good understanding as to how business is done I certainly don’t see why not.  Some facts to consider:

  • We have lot of weddings here in the Philippines.  Many popular venues have multiple “production lines” and run weddings morning, noon and night.
  • Philippines wedding couples and parents are no different than any other people, a wedding is a huge event in a couple’s life and they want the best .. or as much as they can afford.
  • The raw materials in this idea are cheap, and grow naturally … and the boxes can be shipped anywhere and no trained technicians have to go along to “operate” things.
  • The Philippines is blessed with abundant, cheap internal express services … they don’t charge like a wounded bull, or like FedEx as the case may be ;-)
  • In addition to a lot of weddings, we have a lot of “patays” (funerals and death memorials.  Even in low income areas it’s very common to see the tent of a funeria (funeral home) in front of the deceased’s home, even folks who can’t afford viewing at a funeral home at=re going to have a proper send off … and I think releasing butterflies to symbolize the ascent of a loved one’s soul is at least as important as wishes going up to heaven for a new couple.

Anyway, if you are late to the fray on this and are afraid someone may have already read this post and started working on this idea?  Fear not.  In my experience less than 0.00001% of the people searching for “business ideas” even bother to do anything about them.

As Churchill is quoted, “Many men stumble across opportunity, but most just pick themselves up and walk on, taking no further notice”.

If you are looking for more conventional “Earn a living in the Philippines” or “Start a business in the Philippines” ideas, I note that friend Bob Martin’s 49 Ways to Make a Living in the Philippines book is on sale … for well under a dollar an idea.  Bob has one thing an awful lot of people who read Philippines sites, write Philippines sites, etc., can never say … Bob actually earns as good living here in the Philippines and has done so for a number of years now.

I did a full review on that 49 Ways to Earn a Living in the Philippines book here, if you want to read more before you decide.

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Life In The Philippines Isn't All Storms

October 4, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Here’s a picture my dear wife , the Unofficial Cook snapped a month or so ago when we were at Clark for lunch.  The exact same picture could have been snapped about 60 years ago because I would “escape” to the airport (at that time, Watching airplanes at Omni Aviation, Clark AB N07, Lincoln Park) every chance I had to escape.  Watching airplanes on a sunny morning is something good for the soul.

Of course later on I did more than watch.  One thing that amazes me about how much things have changed over the years is America’s attitudes toward pilots.  When I was a little boy, it was almost every boy’s dream … now, today … even though we make so much more use of air travel, it’s something hardly anyone thinks of.

Not so here in the Philippines.  Every flight school in existence is chock full of students, and there at the Omni Aviation strip at Clark there is a dedicated school run by Philippine Airlines that is what we call ab initio (from the begriming) where they train young man and women from day one.  Many other schools in Asia are struggling to crank out enough pilots and there in the US there is going to be a shortage over the next few years as well as the current glut of overage pilots who got a special exemption from Congress finally have to let go of their death grip and retire.

Philippines Flight School Here’s an example of a current Philippine flight school. Omni Aviation located on their own little runway on the former Clark AB, now the Clark Special Economic Zone. 

Of angeles_city_fccourse if you would prefer your flying a little more rustic and open air the Angeles City Flying Club … located out in the countryside a bit north and east of Angeles City, can accommodate you.  Ultra light aircraft don’t have to follow the same rules as conventional aircraft do, and you don’t need a pilot license for one .. but they require the same skills, give the same thrills and build the same pilot experience as their “heavier” brethren do.

Whatever your choice, the storms are only here a certain short time, the rest of the year you can have fun and enjoy the sunshine.  I think we’ll go to Clark/Angeles Tuesday am, the sun should be shining nicely by then.

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"Super typhoon" bears down on flood-ravaged Philippines

October 2, 2009 By Philly 2 Comments

This afternoon I spent some time depositing my monthly check to myself at the bank (yes, you can write a check to yourself and deposit it in a bank account in the Philippines … it’s easy and it’s cheap … hard to believe how many people search here every month looking for information on that subject, but I am happy to furnish it.

I took out pesos and made sure there was plenty food and water as well because Pepeng. Palmas is coming and I don’t like the look of things at all … nor do I like the sound of a downpour I’m listening to through my open windows right now, either.

Manila floodwaters I spent some time at lunch watching a live cabinet meeting in a makeshift office in Cainta, metro Manila, chaired by the president herself.  Very instructive, actually, as you would never see anything like that in the US, live and unedited.  Also interesting to see how many presidential hopefuls who normally never miss a chance for free TV time …but since the President was demanding answers of those she addressed question to, and most of these pretty boys think that your qualification for the presidency revolves around how your father died and what color shirt you wear, a few were conspicuously absent. Explaining pictures like this one are more difficult than chanting slogans.

Noteworthy were senator Dick Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross among other tough jobs (but not yet an official candidate) and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. …. who had plenty opportunity to toot his own horn for the excellent work his AFP forces have been doing, but actually had very little to say … not very impressive in the leadership department.

School girls in philippines flood The President looked very presidential, although very tired and run down.  She was actually working from a written agenda, which I noted virtually no one else bothered to have with them .. since she kept using the agenda and steering each speaker along the meeting didn’t deteriorate in to the usual Congressional hearing style blather group where people start reciting the wrongs that were done to their grandfather by some else’s grandfather … the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s were rank amateurs at having a family feuds compared to the family feuds here in the Philippines.

Anyway, the weather picture right now looks like this:

MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines declared a nationwide state of calamity on Friday as a "super typhoon" bore down days after flash floods killed nearly 300 people in and around Manila.

Typhoon Parma, 180 km (110 miles) northeast of the island of Catanduanes in the central Philippines, was gaining strength as it churned west-northwest toward the Luzon mainland, bringing heavy rain.

It was expected to make landfall near the northeastern province of Isabela on Saturday. The area is mountainous and not heavily populated, but Parma was likely to lash Luzon with rain over the next two days, making life worse in flood-hit regions…. full article on more Philippine floods here.

I posted up to date sites to keep track of this storm …I’m not worried abut the wends but if it hangs around as long as it predicted to the amount of original flooding could be horrendous.  I also posted a direct aid to the Red Cross link a post or two back, please think about sending some help if it fits into your plans at all, believe me, tings are still a long way from recovered here in the Philippines.

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Real Filipinos — Ramon Magsaysay — Part 3

August 10, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

Last week I published part two of this series.  You’ll note there are links just above this sentence to let you navigate directly to the various installments of this article.  Enjoy.

A while back I published some articles on the ‘real Filipinos’ which pleased me, at least, greatly.  I recently came across some very well done biographical material, thanks to the US Army History Center, on one of my personal heroes and a Filipino whose life is worth knowing about, I think.  Sadly, you won’t find this material anywhere online in the Philippines … although there was never so much as a hint of scandal attached to his name, and although he was the only Filipino president to die without multiple mansions, wealth and prestige gained at the expense of his fellow Filipinos, there is little known or mention about Ramon (The Guy) Magsaysay in day to day life here.  You won’t even find him on a bank note,  the anniversary of his birth and death are seldom noted, and I personally think it’s a shame .. so rather than complain, I will inform … my readers can form their own judgment:

Magsaysay and the Philippine Armed Forces

In September 1950, Magsaysay was approached by President Quirino and asked if he would become the Secretary of National Defense. Earlier that summer, the former secretary, Roberto Kangleon, resigned in a dispute with Quirino over reorganization. The President received pressure from many within his administration, as well as from Major General Leland Hobbs, Chief of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group to the Philippines (JUSMAG), to ask Magsaysay to take the position.

Magsaysay agreed to become the new secretary, but only if he was given a "free hand." Reluctantly, Quirino agreed to his terms. Within a few days of his appointment, Magsaysay was approached by a group of officers who asked him if he would join them to overthrow President Quirino. Although he found it difficult to refuse them; not out of a desire for a military coup but, rather because he opposed so much the Quirino administration was doing, or failing to do; he made them a promise, "Give me ninety days. If I haven’t done anything by then, go ahead. I promise you."

There is no doubt that he accepted the office with clear-cut plans in mind. He wanted to shake the Philippine military from top to bottom, cleansing its ranks of corrupt, incompetent officers, and indeed, he wanted to change its very role.

Heretofore, the AFP conducted itself much like an army of occupation, seldom venturing afield in search of Huks, unless Manila headlines made it absolutely necessary, and most of the time preying heavily on the local populace.

Magsaysay saw the military in a different light. He wanted it to become a major part of a large, coordinated development plan for the country, a plan that would incorporate the military as a participant in social reforms and public service.

Not only did he demand that his forces abandon corrupt practices, he set the example himself. He refused special treatment, lived from his government salary (about $500 per month) and a small stipend from being the Chairman of the Board of Philippine Airlines, and whenever possible presented a modest appearance in public.

Not surprisingly, many within the Philippine military felt nervous about his intentions but felt just as confident that one man could not bring about such dramatic changes. These doubters soon were not only proved incorrect, but became jobless as well.

On his first day as secretary, Magsaysay began to clean his new house. He relieved several high ranking officers, including the Chief of Staff and the Chief of the Constabulary, and ordered other "armchair strategists" to the field. Those reluctant to leave the safety of Manila, or implicated in graft and corruption, were likewise removed.

He then began a personal routine that included extensive travelling, talking with troops and civilians alike, and taking quick and decisive actions when he found a situation that warranted it.

(editor’s note. I am struck by the similarities here between Magsaysay and Harry S Truman.  When Truman was a very junior Senator he had little or no influence in the Senate.  Feeling he was doing nothing to aid the war effort, he struck out completely on his own, crisscrossing the US in his own personal (well-used) Dodge sedan.  He would arrive at Army posts and defense plants unannounced and in terms he might have used himself, “kick ass and take names”. The billions in inefficiency, fraud and just plain incompetence Truman exposed made the public notice him very well, even if his fellow Senators deigned to ‘get their hands dirty’ the way Harry did .. and his popularity as a crusader and graft-buster earned him the seat as Roosevelt’s running mate at a time when many political pundits literally asked, “Harry Who”?)

During these unannounced field trips Magsaysay became convinced that his plans for the AFP were correct. He found it suffering from low morale, ineffectiveness, poor leadership, and riddled with corruption. Under his enlightened leadership, these conditions changed rapidly.

The secretary personally selected many new, and younger, battalion commanders and ordered most of the units to new areas of operation. By doing this, Magsaysay hoped to destroy cliques within the service and reduce tensions that had built up between local people and Army units over a period of years when units remained assigned to a single area.

When Magsaysay discovered an officer under Huk influence, he got rid of him, along with those he considered reluctant to carry the fight to the guerrillas. Favoritism, long an established criteria for promotion, was halted and those who had advanced using it were advanced no further.

On his almost daily excursions to the field, Magsaysay stopped at all AFP sites, regardless of size or location, and made thorough inspections of the men, their equipment, and their facilities. Officers derelict in their duties or involved in graft were relieved on the spot.

During one such night visit he found a guard asleep at his post. The secretary took the man’s rifle, replaced the soldier at his post, and ordered the soldier to fetch his commander. The soldier was disciplined and his commander was relieved that night.

These surprise inspections were so numerous and effective that leaders throughout the military began to improve the condition of their units. In the words of the commander of the 7th BCT, AFP Colonel Napoleon Valeriano, "No commander, even in the most isolated outpost could go to bed at night sure that he would not be awakened at dawn by an irate Secretary of National Defense."

At the same time, Magsaysay was equally fast to reward as to punish. One captain was offered 150,000 pesos to "forget" about a Huk ammunition cache his men discovered. The officer accepted the money, but instead of keeping it, he went immediately to the secretary, who at that time was attending a state dinner to honor President Quirino.

Between courses, Magsaysay awarded the captain a cash reward for his honesty and promoted him to major

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Can My Philippine Friend Visit Me in the USA?

July 7, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

I have received a lot of queries over the years about visitor (B2) visas to the US for Filipinos.  How do they work, how much do they cost, can my girlfriend get one, etc.  It occurred to me today that I hadn’t written about these issues in some time, when I opened an email from a reader here with some specific questions.  Here are a few thoughts on the subject from my answer to him, along with some important source links.  This can be a very difficult subject, so be sure you go to official sources. 

This is also a prime area for fixers to pop out of the woodwork … there are probably more “fixer problems’” in this area than any other legal activity I know of in the Philippines.  Be sure you follow the official US State Department steps, and use only real, true legal documents.  You can’t go buying a birth certificate on Recto Street and expect to get a visa issued.  The folks at the US embassy have seen every scam in the book, there are no legitimate shortcuts..

Thanks for writing.  Yes, foreigners may have a very difficult time visiting the US, depending mainly upon their nationality, age, marital status and economic means.  I am assuming that you are writing about a friend in the
Philippines who holds Philippine citizenship, correct?  Essentially anyone who wants to visit the US must hold a valid
passport.

Second, those from countries which do not have a reciprocal ‘no visa’ agreement with the US must have a visa, issued by the US State Department in their home country before they can depart for the trip.  The Philippines falls in that category, Filipinos must have a visa before they can board a flight to the US.

Any Filipino has the right to apply for a US visitor’s visa.  It can even be done online now from the US embassy, Manila, website.  It costs US $131, cash, and the application fee is non-refundable.  You also might want to also read this page from the Embassy … always better to go to the source rather than listening to ‘what people tell you’.

As the State Department says, their main concern is evidence that will convince the Consular Officer that the applicant has ties here in the Philippines sufficient to cause the applicant to return to the Philippines.  Typically this includes real estate or incorporated business owned here, spouse, family, higher-level employment, etc.

There are at any given time hundreds of thousands of Filipinos "overstaying" their visas, that is, failing to return to the Philippines.  Sad fact, but it’s the truth.  The Filipinos even have a slang for it, Tent … tango nag tango … literally translates to "hiding and hiding".

A young person is usually very high risk, as they typically have no substantial ties here in the Philippines … nothing to lose if they leave and don’t return.  A young, single woman is a particularly high risk, because in addition to the possible intent she will find illegal (but readily available) work in the US and fail to return, she may find a husband in the US and not even have to worry about finding a job.

If the consular officer gets the idea she is trying to visit the US to meet an available man, it’s a virtual certainty the application will be denied … there’s virtually no chance she is coming back to the Philippines if he
issues her the visa to allow her entry.

These are the cold hard facts of life, my friend.  Her word means nothing … all applicants are basically treated as if they are lying (mainly because a huge percentage of them _are_).  Your word means nothing.  A US citizen has no real say in the matter.  Also, realistically, the US citizen has no control over the visitor after s/he enters.  Remember  too, realistically, you do not know this woman at all.  If it were to turn out she is not who you think she is in real life, what
alternatives would you have?

You can’t call the police and have her arrested for overstaying, if she runs off on her own the only crime is an immigration violation, you can only report the offense to the USCIS (formerly the INS) and they will add her to the list for apprehension/deportation.  Typically that could take 10 years, so you can see why this is considered a worthwhile gamble for Filipinos … even if eventually caught, they might get 10 years or more in the US for a hundred thirty one dollar visitor visa … better odds than buying lottery tickets for sure.

Many Americans get really angry when you bring out the facts this way.  Get used to it.  In immigration matters you have little or no say in the matter.  Just look at the news every day with people constantly complaining about
illegal immigrants, even arming themselves and threatening violence in some cases, and you’ll see why the laws are the way they are … if I were a Consular Officer, I’d probably deny a huge percentage of the applicants I
interviewed as well.

Hope this answers your questions, although I doubt the answers made you happy.  You want to meet this young lady?  Come to the Philippines yourself.

If you think I have missed the mark on anything here, or you want valid legal advice, which my meanderings certainly are not, this fellow is one of the world’s leading experts on US/Philippine immigration issues, and he will
give you straight, honest advice: http://www.gurfinkel.com/ (this is not a commercial link, I have no connection with attorney Gurfinkel), I just know he is a straight shooter and helps a lot of people with these sort of issues.

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12 Little Things — Rule 12

June 30, 2009 By Philly Leave a Comment

This is the thirteenth and final post in my series, written 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 logoToday’s excerpt is quite appropriate as it publishes as we Americans head into one of our very special times of the year, the July 4th holiday which celebrates the birthday of our country, specifically the signing and public reading or our Declaration of Independence.  The USA didn’t actually become a nation on that day, we had to fight a war against one of the greatest powers in the world to make the words of the declaration mean something.  Many things have come to pass since that momentous day in 1776 when 13 little dirt poor, unorganized and often isolated colonies declared themselves independent and launched immediately into a war to set themselves free from a nation that was not dictatorial or violent, but an oppressive colonial dictator none the less.

The Philippines has a history with many parallels to the US.  In fact, for many years the Philippines celebrated a shared Independence Day along with the US, because the actual date the Philippines stood up as a sovereign nation recognized by the the world community is 4 July, 1946, (see Treaty of Manila)

Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.

But the Treaty of Manila was no more the birthday of Philippine Independence than the Treaty of Paris, 3 September, 1783 is the birthday of the USA, 7 long years after the Declaration of Independence.  It took the Philippines slightly longer.

The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit), Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of Independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain.

Of course it really wasn’t the Spanish the Philippines need to declare independence from the US having convincingly “kicked their butt” in the Battle of Manila Bay the preceding month.  Remember “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley?”

But the fledgling republic did manage to get themselves into a shooting war with one of the greatest powers on earth, the USA.  In the US the Philippine-American War is often called the “War of Philippine Insurrection”.  The war is officially said to have ended on July 4, 1902 (there’s that date again) but shooting continued until at least 1913 when an uneasy truce with America came into actual being, lasting in on for or another all the way to 1946. 

subic_turnover So again, the parallels between the USA and the Philippines coming into nationhood have a lot of similarities, but it took the Philippines a little long from declaration to actual sovereign nation status ,,, about 44 years.

As an American with a military background I am often disappointed when I see fellow Americans at public events where our national anthem is played, or especially at a parade where virtually no one renders proper honors to our national ensign (commonly called a flag).  But that disappointment is nothing compared with what I see of Filipinos when the Philippine colors are brought into a room or especially when the Lupang Hinirang is played.  No wonder the author of 12 Little Things added this rule.

If you want respect, you must show respect.  Especially to your own nation and it’s national symbols of sovereignty.  Parents, you can talk about poverty, lack of education, government corruption. a dearth of opportunity and all those other negative things, but it costs exactly zero pesos and very little time to teach you children (by example) to render the respect due your own country … and others if their nation anthem is played.  It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it is important, no one is going to respect your country if you yourself do not.

In case you don’t know the rules, Filipino or foreigner, when any country’s national anthem is played, a respectful person rises, assumes the position of attention (which means they stop talking, chewing, spitting or texting, by the way), remove their headgear, faces the music or the ensign of the country and remains standing respectfully until the last note.  Citizens of the country being honored should render the hand salute if in uniform, if in civilian clothes they should remove their headgear and hold it over their heart.  If no headgear is worn, they salute by placing the right hand over the heart.  And yes, if you are a dual citizen you absolutely should render the honors to both country’s anthems being played.  It costs nothing and brands you as person to be respected, because you render respect, and it’s worth doing even if those around you don’t bother to, … or so Dave opines.

This will conclude my comments on the worthwhile book, 12 Little Tings.  I recommend it highly.  If you have trouble getting your own copy, contact me and I will help.

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