Typhoon Megi - Check in Please!

[Jedironin]

How is everyone? I hope no one suffered injury or damage from this storm. Please stop in and say "Hi" if you live on Luzon, and let us know how you are doing.

Best Wishes to all who may have been affected by this.   

[thekfc]

My wife & some of her family members are in Manila (they are under signal 1), her family are from Pangasinan (they are under signal 2).
My wife told me this morning that the the skies were dark & they had some rain  - nothing strong. Also the kids had school today, I would assume that they would canceled classes.
She haven't heard from the family in Pangasinan - some of them are currently in Manila for a nephews graduation which is taking place today. She also said that Isabela is taking a direct hit.

[Jedironin]

^ Thanks. I have a friend I've been chatting with in Baguio City... I sent her a note this morning, hopefully I'll hear from her soon. 

[thekfc]

Baguio City (Benguet) is under signal 3 - winds of greater than 100 kph (62 mph) up to 185 kph (114 mph).  Baguio City is on a mountain so I do not know what effect the storm will have on the city.

[flipit]

Here is a link to GMAnews for anyone interested in some of the official updates with regards to damage, etc.

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/203678/super-typhoon-juan-makes-landfall-in-northern-sierra-madre

[Jedironin]

Here's another good article I just found:  http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101020-298677/Juan-leaves-12-dead-P15-B-crop-lost

Very serious damage to the corn and rice crops. It's going to be pretty rough for a long time, it sounds like. Fortunately fatalities and injuries were pretty low this time.

[robert angel]

It's amazing that with winds of that velocity pushing water that more people weren't killed. They were well prepared this time.

The crop damage will drive up the cost of basic food staples and those prices have risen in recent years a lot already.

The rice market is more complicated than I thought, with different grades and types of rice and a lot of market dynamics.

Sadly, the Philippines used to able to grow enough rice to feed themselves, but now they are the largest importer of rice in the world and then there is a thriving black market involved, which doesn't help things, as the below article from a few weeks ago indicates. I personally don't think that the govt. should be imposing the VAT tax on rice or corn, something they started back in 2008.

>>MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed smuggling charges against five of the agency's employees who were implicated in the smuggling of rice into the country that deprived the government of P183 million in revenue.

>>Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez also relieved yesterday and placed on preventive suspension five bureau employees suspected of conniving with an importer and a Customs broker in the smuggling of 312,400 sacks of rice into the country

The white rice shipments were allegedly misdeclared as mung beans, which under Customs laws were exempted from the payment duties and taxes, while rice importations should have been slapped with 50 percent duties and 12 percent value added tax (VAT).

With the reported deception, the government was deprived of collecting P183 million in duties and taxes.

The shipment that came from Vietnam arrived at the Port of Manila from January to May of this year.

The Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) of the Department of Finance (DOF) will conduct lifestyle checks on the five bureau employees.<<

I remember driving by a place, where moments earlier, Chinese organized crime members had just machine gunned to death two customs officers who refused to take bribes to allow illegal Chinese rice in, because the govt. was 'onto' them. They also killed a 16 y/o student who was hit by a ricocheting bullet. It was a little unsettling, but our timing could've been worse.

[thekfc]

The last report had super Typhoon Megi as having a sustain wind over 130 miles per hour (equivalent to a category 4 hurricane). It have slowed down a bit & gaining strength over the open warm waters - not good.
They have it forecast to hit land in Southeast China with a direct hit some where around the HK area.

http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/tc_pos.htm

[Jedironin]

Robert- They impose those duties and a VAT tax on basic food staples?!     That's unbelievable!

Sounds like the first agency should be called RIPS-OFF!!   


Oh... if your lovely wife is ever running late for something- let her!      Wow!

[robert angel]

Even I was surprised with this statement stating there's a 50% duty and on top of that, a 12% VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) on rice, when the RP is the largest rice importer in the world. In a land of 7100 Islands, rampant with corruption, it just invites illegal rice imports by sea.

The Chinese really make out. I would bet they unload the rice and then to put weight back on the returning ships, they load precious minerals and the finest woods from illegal strip mines and from entire forests stripped bare on whole mountain sides. They don't give rats ass about pollution or mudslides on the people below. Just fly from manila to Mindanao on a clear day and you'll see their 'work'.

The Chinese aren't well known for humanitarian responses to Filipino calamities.

>>The white rice shipments were allegedly misdeclared as mung beans, which under Customs laws were exempted from the payment duties and taxes, while rice importations should have been slapped with 50 percent duties and 12 percent value added tax (VAT).<<

From:

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=608623

[Jedironin]

^ Thanks. I have a friend I've been chatting with in Baguio City... I sent her a note this morning, hopefully I'll hear from her soon. 

I received a note from my friend there yesterday!   All is well with her and her family, but they haven't ventured out much, yet, so they're not sure of the damage around them. I don't know what part of the city they live in. Obviously they have power and phone lines. 

[Dave H]

The rice market is more complicated than I thought, with different grades and types of rice and a lot of market dynamics.

Sadly, the Philippines used to able to grow enough rice to feed themselves, but now they are the largest importer of rice in the world and then there is a thriving black market involved, which doesn't help things, as the below article from a few weeks ago indicates. I personally don't think that the govt. should be imposing the VAT tax on rice or corn, something they started back in 2008.

Hey Rob,

We are trying to do our part...we grow several tons of rice every year. More than I can eat. We sell good quality rice, in small quantities to people in the area. We sell it at the same price per kilo as the bulk (50 kilo) price, unlike the stores or rice dealers. They often mix low quality rice in with the good rice as well. People also save P14 not having to take the tricycle to the store and back.

You think the Chinese are bad in the Philippines...wait until you meet the Koreans! 

Dave

[Dave H]

Checking in: The sun is shinning, the weather is sweet - 650 miles south of Bagio, below the typhoon belt. I am as close to the equator as I am Manila.

Dave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FUB5bguNmo&feature=related

[Jeff S]

Amammi-oshima island got it yesterday.

[thekfc]

In addition to all the damage Typhoon Megi did in The Philippines, it have dumped a record 45 inches of rain on Taiwan & it haven't completely left the area yet.