Remembering Crame

At the inquirer online today, a title says something like Camp Crame had become a historical site because of EDSA 1. I remember General Almonte who recounted an event at Crame when as a colonel, he tried to convince General Ramos to support his group who was very much against Marcos. Eddie Ramos, in parting, gave him a stack of cigars and lighted one himself. He then asked Almonte that whatever it is that he is planning, he should try not to make it to bloody.

Yes to Subsidies, Rebates and Tax Cuts

A group of economists cautions the Philippine government against populist measures like fuel subsidies saying that it can distort the market forces and cause more harm into the economy. The group says that leaving market forces on its own will eventually work towards the advantage of the economy.

While I agree with the textbook approach being advocated by the group, I beg to disagree with them just a little bit. The Philippine economy has a very high incidence of corruption and giving too much public money to the government in form of taxes will simply expose a lot of cash to corrupt officials. I believe that minimizing the taxes being paid by the people will result to a more equal distribution and spending and it will lead to more jobs and a better economy. Giving the government too much money will only result to a lot of money being hoarded overseas.

Never forget the Ligot, Garcia and Arroyo stash that were all alleged to have been spirited out of the country.

Source: INQUIRER

UP Geologists Found Leak in Magallanes Pipeline

I've known UP President Fred Pascual for more than 10 years now. I used to call him up at his ADB office and have a few bottles of beer with a group of friends about once a month. Now University of the Philippines (UP) Prexy for about a month now, I am surprised to find out fro him (through the Inquirer) that it was geologists from the UP National Institute of Geology (NIGS) that found the source of the great gas pipe leak at the West Tower Condo in Makati. This happened after foreign (and expensive) experts failed to find the problem.

Wow! I know that lots of Filipinos have talent but I've long been afraid that advances in technology has been slow to reach the country and that we are increasingly lagging behind other countries for quite sometime now. The UP NIGS feat shows that at least, there are still highly competitive areas where we can excel against people from richer countries.

Source: Inquirer