The Philipino Over Seas Worker

[thekfc]

Talking about manufacturing, there are a few things that people do not know or realize.

Some of the anti-lock brakes that are used in BMW, Benz, Volvo are manufactured in the Philippines.
There are a few automobiles that a manufacturing or assembly plant(s) in the PI - Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Kia just to name a few.

Ford have a huge plant in the Philippines.
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=26327

Hyundai is looking to build a plant in the PI.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/11/21/11/hyundai-mulls-manufacturing-plant-ph

Intel (The Computer Chip maker) use to have a plant in Manila (it is now closed - operations moved to China).
The Texas Instruments plant in Baguio at one time produce all the chips for the Nokia cell phones used in the world - that number may have been reduced as Nokia have built plants in the region.
The TI plants also did manufacture about 80% of the chips use in the Ericsson (Sony Ericsson) cell phones used in the world.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-05-02-3112541888_x.htm

Toshiba (laptop) have a plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna. That plant does most of the HDD production for Toshiba.

As for HDD (high-density drive),  Fujitsu & Hitachi also have a plant in the Philippines.
http://www.phpcco.com/

Lexmark (printers) have a plant in Cebu.
http://www.fujitsu.com/ph/casestudies/lexmark.html

The Philippines also have a decent mineral export market - $650 million in 2000.

Business Process Outsourcing/Business Support Services - The Philippines is now #1 in the world (they have overtaken India).
ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/common/ssi/ecm/en/gbl03012usen/GBL03012USEN.PDF

Coca Cola have manufacturing plants in the Philippines ( they just recently open another one in  Misamis Oriental). The Philippine bottling operations is currently among the top ten largest globally.
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=692757

The Philippines is on the list of Goldman Sachs Next Eleven
http://jutiagroup.com/20100107-who-are-the-goldman-sachs-nysegs-next-11/
http://www.alphabric.com/next-eleven-n-11-by-goldman-sachs

As for agriculture.

The PI is in the top producing countries in the world for a few products - Bananas, coconut, pineapple :
http://www.top5ofanything.com/index.php?c=1084

The PI is looking to start exporting rice by 2014.
The PI is on a pace to produce P16.68 million metric tons of rice in 2011 (18.7 million mt is expected for 2012.
http://business.inquirer.net/35401/philippines-eyes-exporting-rice-by-2014

They also export products like coconut oil & products, prawns, sugar,  etc,.
http://www.asiafruitcongress.com/resources/documents/12869665225_FranciscoLorenzo.pdf

Next time your are in the Supermarket, check to see where the product is from. In the Asian markets I see a few of the boxes say the Philippines.

So no, the Philippines are not as dirt poor as some would like you to believe.
There are wealth there but as with all countries the wealthy/influent people keep/try to keep a distant between themselves and the poor/less influent thus "keeping them down".

I remember being surprised on my first trip to Makati. I was expecting something more like what I saw in some of the other areas but instead what I found was a mini Manhattan - skyscrapers, offices, beautiful parks, well paves street & some of the street light are better than what we have here in NYC. I also remember my sister-in-law telling me we have to take a taxi because jeepneys & tricycles are not allowed where we are going.

In a way you can say that Manila is their version of NYC - with Makati being Manhattan & the surrounding areas being the outer boroughs.

Yes, the wages in the Philippines are low but so are the cost of living and just about everything else. You do not hear people dying of starvation in the PI.

A lot of the Philippines "problems" today have to do with the past administrations. Are there corruption today? yes but it is not as widespread as some would like you to believe. And it is also being "cleaned" up to an extend - read about the persecutions, impeachments, and trials going on. Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is under "hospital arrest" awaiting trial for electoral sabotage.

You can say in a way that there are more corruption here in the USA than in the Philippines.  Some of the practices are "more accepted" here  - Kickbacks, lobbing, "cooking the books", "shaddy" campaign/political contributions etc, etc,.

[euforia51]

Great post, KFC and goes more along the lines of what I might expect to find if I were to research on my own and travel there. With Coca-Cola, Intel, Lexmark, Toshiba among other industry giants having a presence in the Philippines, it seems unlikely, to me, that this country is an ecomonic bottom feeder.
Which in a way, leads me back to my original question to the OP (which was not answered) ... why make an attempt to paint such a picture of extremes about a given place? The poverty, the misery, it's a bottom feeder, etc. It just doesn't make any sense.

[piglett]

the Philippines has the best babes (in another thread)

I'm with you Euforia, i think they do have the best babes
this is not to say that other places are not also nice however there are many types & shades (very lite to quite dark) to choose from, all of the rest is just "bunks" imho 
 
pig 

[thekfc]

Thanks euforia.
 
Some of the companies I already knew as I did a research on the place long before I set a foot there. I am also at a lost as to the OP's continued attempt to paint such a picture. I have given many links to show otherwise but he will stand by his statement because as per him they are "factual and correct".
 
Yes, there is the bad/poor but there is also the opossite. You only see the negative pics & stories in the media because they want to portray a place as such - that is what that sells (bad, conflicts, violents, etc,. the opposite doesn't.) 
 
The Philippines is one of the Newly Industrilized Country. It is estimated by 2050, they have the potential to catch up to the smaller G7 countries.
 
This is a good reading material - not just for the Philippines but for the entire N-11.
http://www.chicagobooth.edu/alumni/clubs/pakistan/docs/next11dream-march%20'07-goldmansachs.pdf
 
To continue here are a few more:

Mitsubishi Motors.
http://www.mmpc.ph/about.php
 
Samsung also have a manufacturing plant in the PI called Samsung Electronics Philippines Manufacturing Corporation.
 
Epson have 2 facilities in the PI.
http://www.epson.com.ph/epson_philippines/explore_epson/about_epson/company_history.page
http://www.engtek.com/engtek/group/EngtekGroup/eng_eppi_eng.asp
 
Panasonic Group 
http://www.panasonic.com.ph/wps/portal/home/aboutpanasonic/corporateprofile/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3g_71ATSydDRwN_80BTA89AM29T_6BgQws3A_2CbEdFAIlGUgU!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=
 
NEC. 
http://www.nec.com.ph/company.html
 
Philips. 
http://www.philips.com.ph/about/company/local/index.page
 
Rohm Electronics .
http://www.rohm.com/index.html
 
Zest-O (Beverage)
Their products are throughout Asia & can be found in Asian stores in the USA & Europe.
http://www.zesto.com.ph/
 
And for all you drinkers - don't forget Tanduay Distillers (I think Ray prefers San Miguel).     
http://www.tanduay.com/

[Ray]

And for all you drinkers - don't forget Tanduay Distillers (I think Ray prefers San Miguel).
 

I prefer both equally!   
 
IMHO, Tanduay makes some of the finest rum on the planet. Tanduay Superior (12 Year) and 1854 (15 Year) are outstanding rums. I have a couple of bottles of each here in the house.
 
HIC!
 
 
Ray
 
 

[z_k_g]

Thanks euforia.
 
Some of the companies I already knew as I did a research on the place long before I set a foot there. I am also at a lost as to the OP's continued attempt to paint such a picture. I have given many links to show otherwise but he will stand by his statement because as per him they are "factual and correct".
 
Yes, there is the bad/poor but there is also the opossite. You only see the negative pics & stories in the media because they want to portray a place as such - that is what that sells (bad, conflicts, violents, etc,. the opposite doesn't.) 
 
The Philippines is one of the Newly Industrilized Country. It is estimated by 2050, they have the potential to catch up to the smaller G7 countries.

Kfc,

The truth....the Philippines is a very poor Third World Country.

The ADB report, which included numerous independent sources and was researched, written, approved, published and promulgated by a Filipino organization that is respected not only in the Philippines but by the UN, the World Bank and countless other venerable authorities.

Your post illustrating that the Philippines has a significant amount "New" of high end manufacturing with such names as Mitsubishi, Samsung, Phillips, Panasonic and NEC just to name a few is impressive.

But...what does this really prove?

Dude.....IT JUST PROVES WESTERN NATIONS EXPLOIT POOR NATIONS! 

These companies are not located in the Philippines because of the beaches and the women , they come because they can exploit the cheap labor, tax advantages, corrupt politicians and poor and lax enforcement of environmental and human right laws.

Kfc, you are bragging about the corporations EXPLOITATION of the Filipino people (your wife's people) like you are proud of this?

You are repeating the EMPTY rhetoric of the EXPLOITING corporations by blaming the "negative media" trying to sell newspapers and magazines??

Kfc, Either you are naive or simply ignoring the facts right under your nose.

Your characterization of the Philippines as a "Newly Industrialzed Country" is simply...NOT TRUE.

The truth is, the Philippines is a Third World country with extremely low wages, high poverty, crumbling infrastructure and a corrupt and dysfunctional government that finds it extremely difficult (or refuses) to implement meaningful programs to get its poorest citizens out of the cycle of poverty.

Western and Eastern corporations EXPLOIT the cheap natural resources (land) and human capital (people), just as they do every other poor country.

Ironically, the Philippines, during the time of Marcos, actually did have one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and was predicted to break out of the cycle of Poverty, but of course we know what happened in 1972 with that mass murderer.

In fact, Based on the 2010 ABD report that I posted, the majority of Philippines rapidly expanding population, now over 90 million, is getting Poorer!!

The everyday poor Filipino is fighting for economic, political, environmental and social justice every day and they are being killed, arrested and harassed fighting for their constitutional and human rights.

Perhaps the most significant and obvious battle against exploitation of the poor is on the land.  The Filipino farmer is in a never ending struggle to repatriate the land from those foreign and domestic corporations who have stolen their property because of the historic economic and political corruption so rampant and ingrained in the Philippine government.

Bishops, priests, community activists have long protested against the government and their foreign corporate land cronies and finally got significant Agrarian reform laws passed.  But the corruption is so deep and there are so many billions of pisos ($) involved this struggle is impossible at best to win for these poor farmers because the new laws and reforms have been compromised, poorly enforced and have proven ineffective.

Why?  Because the Department of Agrarian Reform does not act fairly when the poor Filipino farmer challenges the large haceinda owners and corporations.  The region is still dominated by larges-scale haciendas and landowners who enforce feudal-like control over their property and workers and refuse to give up lands that were in their families' possession for generations.

The principle that "might is right" still reigns thanks to guns, goons, gold and politicians who are in large landowners' pockets.

So, instead repeating the candy coated messages of the corporations, why don't you take a look at what the Filipino Catholic Bishops, the ADB, the UN, and other respected human and constitutional rights organizations, are saying.

I'll tell you....They are saying that Poverty is extreme, is increasing and is multidimensional in the Philippines. 

The beautiful malls, magnificent hotels, exclusive resorts, industrial and corporate parks at Clark and other places in the Philippines are meaningless to the everyday Filipino and does not improve the life of the majority of the expanding poor in the country.

As the Asia Development Bank clearly concludes:

The Philippines must improve its infrastructure, reduce corruption, increase Small businesses, and encourage growth on a broader geographic (outside of Luzon and the NCR) and sector basis.

Kfc, stop drinking the Filipino government and Foreign corporate kool-aid.

With the TRUTH we will HELP our wives families by supporting fairness and equal protection under the law for the poor and disadvantaged, instead of being cheerleaders for corporations and the corrupt politicians and being part of the problem.

Zulu

[thekfc]

Kfc,

The truth....the Philippines is a very poor Third World Country.

The ADB report, which included numerous independent sources and was researched, written, approved, published and promulgated by a Filipino organization that is respected not only in the Philippines but by the UN, the World Bank and countless other venerable authorities.

Your post illustrating that the Philippines has a significant amount "New" of high end manufacturing with such names as Mitsubishi, Samsung, Phillips, Panasonic and NEC just to name a few is impressive.

But...what does this really prove?

Dude.....IT JUST PROVES WESTERN NATIONS EXPLOIT POOR NATIONS! 

These companies are not located in the Philippines because of the beaches and the women , they come because they can exploit the cheap labor, tax advantages, corrupt politicians and poor and lax enforcement of environmental and human right laws.

Kfc, you are bragging about the corporations EXPLOITATION of the Filipino people (your wife's people) like you are proud of this?

You are repeating the EMPTY rhetoric of the EXPLOITING corporations by blaming the "negative media" trying to sell newspapers and magazines??

Kfc, Either you are naive or simply ignoring the facts right under your nose.

Your characterization of the Philippines as a "Newly Industrialzed Country" is simply...NOT TRUE.

The truth is, the Philippines is a Third World country with extremely low wages, high poverty, crumbling infrastructure and a corrupt and dysfunctional government that finds it extremely difficult (or refuses) to implement meaningful programs to get its poorest citizens out of the cycle of poverty.

Western and Eastern corporations EXPLOIT the cheap natural resources (land) and human capital (people), just as they do every other poor country.

Ironically, the Philippines, during the time of Marcos, actually did have one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and was predicted to break out of the cycle of Poverty, but of course we know what happened in 1972 with that mass murderer.

In fact, Based on the 2010 ABD report that I posted, the majority of Philippines rapidly expanding population, now over 90 million, is getting Poorer!!

The everyday poor Filipino is fighting for economic, political, environmental and social justice every day and they are being killed, arrested and harassed fighting for their constitutional and human rights.

Perhaps the most significant and obvious battle against exploitation of the poor is on the land.  The Filipino farmer is in a never ending struggle to repatriate the land from those foreign and domestic corporations who have stolen their property because of the historic economic and political corruption so rampant and ingrained in the Philippine government.

Bishops, priests, community activists have long protested against the government and their foreign corporate land cronies and finally got significant Agrarian reform laws passed.  But the corruption is so deep and there are so many billions of pisos ($) involved this struggle is impossible at best to win for these poor farmers because the new laws and reforms have been compromised, poorly enforced and have proven ineffective.

Why?  Because the Department of Agrarian Reform does not act fairly when the poor Filipino farmer challenges the large haceinda owners and corporations.  The region is still dominated by larges-scale haciendas and landowners who enforce feudal-like control over their property and workers and refuse to give up lands that were in their families' possession for generations.

The principle that "might is right" still reigns thanks to guns, goons, gold and politicians who are in large landowners' pockets.

So, instead repeating the candy coated messages of the corporations, why don't you take a look at what the Filipino Catholic Bishops, the ADB, the UN, and other respected human and constitutional rights organizations, are saying.

I'll tell you....They are saying that Poverty is extreme, is increasing and is multidimensional in the Philippines. 

The beautiful malls, magnificent hotels, exclusive resorts, industrial and corporate parks at Clark and other places in the Philippines are meaningless to the everyday Filipino and does not improve the life of the majority of the expanding poor in the country.

As the Asia Development Bank clearly concludes:

The Philippines must improve its infrastructure, reduce corruption, increase Small businesses, and encourage growth on a broader geographic (outside of Luzon and the NCR) and sector basis.

Kfc, stop drinking the Filipino government and Foreign corporate kool-aid.

With the TRUTH we will HELP our wives families by supporting fairness and equal protection under the law for the poor and disadvantaged, instead of being cheerleaders for corporations and the corrupt politicians and being part of the problem.

Zulu

           
 
 

     

[thekfc]

Zulu, is there any other report that you can think off other than that ADB report. You have brought it up in just about every post you made in this thread - you talk about that report like it is god. Are they paying you commission?

Since you only bring up that ADB report then all the other links I posted do not mean anything and are meaningless.

[euforia51]

I'm with you Euforia, i think they do have the best babes
pig

Pig, I didn't say the Philippines has the best babes ... you took my quote out of context and didn't take the entire quote. You are in effect in agreement with Zulu. Here is what I said for future reference:

Timeout ... facts, figures, tables, dates, and data points aside for a moment ... I'm curious and just have to ask why are you arguing such extremes, Zulu? i.e. the Philippines has the best babes (in another thread) ... yet it is ... and I quote ... ... a bottom feeder ... and ... dead last in GDP growth in Asia ... and getting poorer every year? Why all of the dramatic terms as if you are making an argument that it is the worst of the worst ... but oh by the way ... it's redeeming quality is that it produces the best babes?

Furthermore, I am with a Colombian girl ... and this would be relationship suicide if I were to say Philippines has the best babes.

[z_k_g]

Zulu, is there any other report that you can think off other than that ADB report. You have brought it up in just about every post you made in this thread - you talk about that report like it is god. Are they paying you commission?

Since you only bring up that ADB report then all the other links I posted do not mean anything and are meaningless.

Kfc,

So you will understand, the report is comprehensive.

It includes metrics generated from vetted and trusted statistics from over 20 independent sources and organizations, ranging from the World Bank, to the UN, World Economic Forum, The Philippine NSO, ASEAN just to name a few.

My answer to you is to look at the References page and the notes below each graph and you can do your due diligence if you still question the ADB's study and its findings.

The Philippine poor are in dire straits and the conditions are getting worse and the numbers increasing. 

Why don't you google Bishop Vicente Navarra of Bacolod, Bishop Patrick Buzon of Kabankalan, Bishop Jose Advincula of San Carlos of Negros Island and the directors of their respective Social Action Centers also condemned the recent upsurge in violence against landless poor.

Go to the United nations website and just search on the Philippines so you can understand the need for clean drinking water, proper roads and infrastructure and the need to police foreign corporations who exploit the lax and unenforced environmental laws in the Philippines.

Wake up brother your wife's people are suffering.

Educate yourself.

Zulu

[z_k_g]

Furthermore, I am with a Colombian girl ... and this would be relationship suicide if I were to say Philippines has the best babes.

Amen brother!!!

Can I get an Amen!!!!!! 

Zulu

[thekfc]

Kfc,

So you will understand, the report is comprehensive.

It includes metrics generated from vetted and trusted statistics from over 20 independent sources and organizations, ranging from the World Bank, to the UN, World Economic Forum, The Philippine NSO, ASEAN just to name a few.

My answer to you is to look at the References page and the notes below each graph and you can do your due diligence if you still question the ADB's study and its findings.

The Philippine poor are in dire straits and the conditions are getting worse and the numbers increasing. 

Why don't you google Bishop Vicente Navarra of Bacolod, Bishop Patrick Buzon of Kabankalan, Bishop Jose Advincula of San Carlos of Negros Island and the directors of their respective Social Action Centers also condemned the recent upsurge in violence against landless poor.

Go to the United nations website and just search on the Philippines so you can understand the need for clean drinking water, proper roads and infrastructure and the need to police foreign corporations who exploit the lax and unenforced environmental laws in the Philippines.

Wake up brother your wife's people are suffering.

Educate yourself.

Zulu

I already done my research. I may live in NYC but the Philippines is NOW part of my daily life. Yes, I made it part of my life - I live, breathe & eat it part of it. And I can honestly say that I am learning something new everyday.

I read the Philippines news just about everyday  - online/media/visual.  I watch the TV shows, news report & such every day and I know what is going on in the country - you do not have to tell me. 

Do you know what "24 Oras", "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho", "i-Witness", "Imbestigator", "Rescue",  "Eat Bulaga" are?

You need to forget about your precious ADB report for a moment and watch some of those news reports & shows - you will learn a thing or two more about the Philippines. You will see stuff you will not see on a US news program as the FCC will censor the crap out of them if they were to be broadcast on a US station. You will see what daily life is all about - the good, the bad & everything in-between. You will visually see stuff - more stuff than you would read in a book.

PS, I am now watching 24 Oras and they have a special about the movie "Bourne Legacy" - they are talking about the 300 Filipinos extras that they used/are using while filming in Manila. Earlier, I was watching highlights of chief justice Corona's trial.

What shows have you watch on/about the Philippines today?
 

[robert angel]

I don't think I've ever met people who are as offended by the patronizing, condescending critiques by certain people as are Filipinos. Compared to some folks, they don't brag a lot, but you start talking down their country, no matter HOW logical and factual you think you are, you are in for some trouble, especially if it's a group of them.


If you want to roll up your sleeves, donate to a legitimate aid agency or do something like buy books for children, that's fine, but unless you're one of them, 'talk' from outside 'experts' can be exceedingly cheap to them. It's worse than worthless--they can get quite irritated. They may even take offense when a group of Filipinos is 'discussing' their nation's own problems and an outsider who's actually truly sympathetic, 'pipes in'.

[piglett]

Pig, I didn't say the Philippines has the best babes ... you took my quote out of context and didn't take the entire quote. You are in effect in agreement with Zulu. Here is what I said for future reference:Furthermore, I am with a Colombian girl ... and this would be relationship suicide if I were to say Philippines has the best babes.

OK got ya, i was quickly reading through all of the posts & misunderstood what you were saying.
now as far as being in agreement of anyone I'll say this
i do my best to stay out of the p*ssing contests that take place from time to time here on PL
my personal opinion is as follows "the Philippines has the best babes" after all i married a Pinay so how could i say otherwise?
 
pig

[thekfc]

I don't think I've ever met people who are as offended by the patronizing, condescending critiques by certain people as are Filipinos. Compared to some folks, they don't brag a lot, but you start talking down their country, no matter HOW logical and factual you think you are, you are in for some trouble, especially if it's a group of them.


If you want to roll up your sleeves, donate to a legitimate aid agency or do something like buy books for children, that's fine, but unless you're one of them, 'talk' from outside 'experts' can be exceedingly cheap to them. It's worse than worthless--they can get quite irritated. They may even take offense when a group of Filipinos is 'discussing' their nation's own problems and an outsider who's actually truly sympathetic, 'pipes in'.

+1 on the above quoted statement.

Anyone who do not know that then either their knowledge of the Philippines people ( their way of life & their culture) is limited or .............

[euforia51]

...
They may even take offense when a group of Filipinos is 'discussing' their nation's own problems and an outsider who's actually truly sympathetic, 'pipes in'.

Of course, this makes perfect sense. Putting the shoes on our feet for a second, if you have a foreign visitor running their mouth and piping in on how screwed up the U.S. is ... and we would all be like ... HUH?!?! Take your passport/visa, nasty underwear, and get your arse on an airplane and hightail it out of here while you can still walk on your own!

[Tanuki]

Of course, this makes perfect sense. Putting the shoes on our feet for a second, if you have a foreign visitor running their mouth and piping in on how screwed up the U.S. is ... and we would all be like ... HUH?!?! Take your passport/visa, nasty underwear, and get your arse on an airplane and hightail it out of here while you can still walk on your own!

LOL.  This is so true.  I remember when I used to work up in Michigan.  A couple folks were talking about politics.  A third jumped in, who is from Canada to give her two cents.  The two that were squabling with each other stopped and ganged up on the lady from Canada.  "You freaking Canadians.  Lets talk about what you guys got going on."  And off it went!

[robert angel]

Of course, this makes perfect sense. Putting the shoes on our feet for a second, if you have a foreign visitor running their mouth and piping in on how screwed up the U.S. is ... and we would all be like ... HUH?!?! Take your passport/visa, nasty underwear, and get your arse on an airplane and hightail it out of here while you can still walk on your own!

It's not always true, at least not in all nations. I spent a summer in Ireland, mostly with relatives (along with a lot of time in pubs) and they didn't seem to mind a bit talking about the nation's 'problems'. Maybe it's a 'misery loves company' thing. Family or stranger, they didn't seem to mind if outsiders 'conversed' with them about how heavy a lot of folks there drink, despite being poor, (but how the pubs should be able to stay open later) how teenage pregnancy's a real problem, or how the "Troubles"' between Ireland and England still exist to some degree. A few things, such as what a royal prick Oliver Cromwell was, didn't elicit much banter, but pretty much everything else did and was fair game.





They often displayed an almost morbid, dry sense of humor about pretty much everything, while still being able to make light of it before going onto another subject.



Me---"Does it ever stop raining around here?" Irishman: "Aww, come-on, mate--it only rains TWICE a year here"---  pause ---"Once for 7 months and once for five--meanwhile,  let's have ourselves another jar"



BTW,



You might want to think twice before kissing the Blarney Stone. Sometimes after the pubs close, the local lads confided in me how they'll hop the gate, climb the tower and have them selves a  good 'wee' on the stone. Just for laffs, of course. 

[Ray]

Kfc,

The truth....the Philippines is a very poor Third World Country.

The ADB report, which included numerous independent sources and was researched, written, approved, published and promulgated by a Filipino organization that is respected not only in the Philippines but by the UN, the World Bank and countless other venerable authorities.

Your post illustrating that the Philippines has a significant amount "New" of high end manufacturing with such names as Mitsubishi, Samsung, Phillips, Panasonic and NEC just to name a few is impressive.

But...what does this really prove?

Dude.....IT JUST PROVES WESTERN NATIONS EXPLOIT POOR NATIONS!

These companies are not located in the Philippines because of the beaches and the women , they come because they can exploit the cheap labor, tax advantages, corrupt politicians and poor and lax enforcement of environmental and human right laws.

Kfc, you are bragging about the corporations EXPLOITATION of the Filipino people (your wife's people) like you are proud of this?

You are repeating the EMPTY rhetoric of the EXPLOITING corporations by blaming the "negative media" trying to sell newspapers and magazines??

Kfc, Either you are naive or simply ignoring the facts right under your nose.

Your characterization of the Philippines as a "Newly Industrialzed Country" is simply...NOT TRUE.

The truth is, the Philippines is a Third World country with extremely low wages, high poverty, crumbling infrastructure and a corrupt and dysfunctional government that finds it extremely difficult (or refuses) to implement meaningful programs to get its poorest citizens out of the cycle of poverty.

Western and Eastern corporations EXPLOIT the cheap natural resources (land) and human capital (people), just as they do every other poor country.

Ironically, the Philippines, during the time of Marcos, actually did have one of the fastest growing economies in Asia and was predicted to break out of the cycle of Poverty, but of course we know what happened in 1972 with that mass murderer.

In fact, Based on the 2010 ABD report that I posted, the majority of Philippines rapidly expanding population, now over 90 million, is getting Poorer!!

The everyday poor Filipino is fighting for economic, political, environmental and social justice every day and they are being killed, arrested and harassed fighting for their constitutional and human rights.

Perhaps the most significant and obvious battle against exploitation of the poor is on the land. The Filipino farmer is in a never ending struggle to repatriate the land from those foreign and domestic corporations who have stolen their property because of the historic economic and political corruption so rampant and ingrained in the Philippine government.

Bishops, priests, community activists have long protested against the government and their foreign corporate land cronies and finally got significant Agrarian reform laws passed. But the corruption is so deep and there are so many billions of pisos ($) involved this struggle is impossible at best to win for these poor farmers because the new laws and reforms have been compromised, poorly enforced and have proven ineffective.

Why? Because the Department of Agrarian Reform does not act fairly when the poor Filipino farmer challenges the large haceinda owners and corporations. The region is still dominated by larges-scale haciendas and landowners who enforce feudal-like control over their property and workers and refuse to give up lands that were in their families' possession for generations.

The principle that "might is right" still reigns thanks to guns, goons, gold and politicians who are in large landowners' pockets.

So, instead repeating the candy coated messages of the corporations, why don't you take a look at what the Filipino Catholic Bishops, the ADB, the UN, and other respected human and constitutional rights organizations, are saying.

I'll tell you....They are saying that Poverty is extreme, is increasing and is multidimensional in the Philippines.

The beautiful malls, magnificent hotels, exclusive resorts, industrial and corporate parks at Clark and other places in the Philippines are meaningless to the everyday Filipino and does not improve the life of the majority of the expanding poor in the country.

As the Asia Development Bank clearly concludes:

The Philippines must improve its infrastructure, reduce corruption, increase Small businesses, and encourage growth on a broader geographic (outside of Luzon and the NCR) and sector basis.

Kfc, stop drinking the Filipino government and Foreign corporate kool-aid.

With the TRUTH we will HELP our wives families by supporting fairness and equal protection under the law for the poor and disadvantaged, instead of being cheerleaders for corporations and the corrupt politicians and being part of the problem.

Zulu

　
Why don’t YOU stop drinking the communist koolaid?
　
This post of yours is nothing but a huge pile of horse shyt!
 

Foreign corporations provide some of the best jobs in the Philippines, with excellent pay and benefits. All this crap about exploiting the poor Filipino people is nothing but pure communist propaganda.
　
With some the ignorant garbage you post here, sometimes I really don’t know whether to laugh or throw up…
　
　
Ray
　
 

[z_k_g]

Ray,

Grow up, stop name calling and if you haven't noticed, the cold war is over and the Chinese are our closest trading partners.

Fact:  The Philippines is a Third World Country with an enormous population that is very very poor.

Not negative, this is a fact.

In the last 4 years the economy of the Philippines has seen substantial positive growth in GDP. 

This is significant and indicates as many on this forum have mentioned that the country is doing some things right.

But...the poor are getting poorer in the Philippines.

The main areas of growth in the Philippines are the Service and Industry sectors (primarily foreign corps) but the Agricultural sector is stagnant.  Poverty in the Philippines is primarily focused in Agriculture (like most developing countries with a significant province or rural population).

The exploitation of poor and the disadvantaged is nothing new.  Why?  Because Corporations exercise their exploiting agenda worldwide in their voracious appetite for low costs, low wages, low governance, low corporate taxes and high retail prices.

Anyone who's wife is from a poor third world country like the Philippines should not be bragging about the benelovalent "high wage paying" foreign corporations!! 

That's akin to calling the missionaries for the American Indians god's blessings, and Plantation Owners of the deep south in the US good employers!  In both cases either, the American Indian, or enslaved Africans, would have been a lot better off without being "helped" or "employed" so generously!

Ray, you really ought to re-look reevaluate at your rhetoric, its old, outdated and simply out of touch.

And, you really don't have any idea of what you are talking about in the context of this discussion about poverty in the Philippines.

When it comes time to engage in a real discussion about real issues you simply slip back into your cold-war, outdated and close minded McCarthism rhetoric about communism.

The fact is, Ray, that the issue of POVERTY in the Philippines is not my argument.  Its the central argument of the Filipino.

The fact is most of the Filipino lawmakers are LANDOWNERS.  Redistribution of the land is the hottest and most significant issue in the Philippines and is the key to solving and reversing the poverty increase in the country.

In the last election, one of the largest land owners in Negros, former president Arroyo was asked to voluntarily give up her families substantial landholdings as a symbolic and real gesture to take the first step in the reduction in Poverty.  She declined.

I am a strong advocate for human, economic, enviromental and civil rights.  The poor cannot fight for themselves and need advocates.

If you choose to marry a pinay you become part of the fabric of the family and its your responsibility to assist and support. 

I made it a point to educate myself about the issues and concerns of the Filipino and in this spirit I am discussing these issues.  Poverty in the Philippines is a significant issue affecting every aspect of your relationship with your pinay.

Why?

Well, I have not read of any posters on P-L who have married or courted a rich pinay from the ruling class.  At best, our pinays have been part of hard working families of modest means.

So, it is vital that we understand and discuss issues that are of concern to the families of our spouses and sweethearts.

Poverty is one of those issues.

Ray, I'm not sure if you should laugh or throw up, that's really your call.

Zul

[z_k_g]

I don't think I've ever met people who are as offended by the patronizing, condescending critiques by certain people as are Filipinos. Compared to some folks, they don't brag a lot, but you start talking down their country, no matter HOW logical and factual you think you are, you are in for some trouble, especially if it's a group of them.


If you want to roll up your sleeves, donate to a legitimate aid agency or do something like buy books for children, that's fine, but unless you're one of them, 'talk' from outside 'experts' can be exceedingly cheap to them. It's worse than worthless--they can get quite irritated. They may even take offense when a group of Filipinos is 'discussing' their nation's own problems and an outsider who's actually truly sympathetic, 'pipes in'.

Robert,

You are pretty self promoting and insincere.

You have now granted yourself the authority to decide who has the right to discuss issues on P-L because you speak for the Filipino??

Yeah....right

You are very predictable.  If you don't like my posts you go into discredit mode. 

My post was informational and factual about issues I think are relavent to anyone who has joined P-L to consider marrying a pinay and contemplating adopting the Philippines as a second home.

We are discussing real issues here, Poverty in the Philippines, and your statement above is yet another attempt to end any meaningful discourse.

To imply that I am trying to solve the Filipino problems, put down the country or provide Filipinos with solutions is totally ludicrous. 

I think  you know better.

This is a discussions by FOREIGNERS with FOREIGNERS.....

Last time I checked P-L was not about Filipino's marrying Americans!

Can you even name one Filipino on the forum who has participated in this post?  Who considers my discussion about OSW or Poverty to be insulting?

......I didn't think so.

Get off your self righteous soap box and get real because you are simply preaching to yourself with that sillyness you posted.

You will say anything to minimize and discredit and your post illustrates as much.

I will continue to post about real issues and you can continue to reply however you wish.

Zulu

[robert angel]

Zulu,
 
Certainly you are in the minority on a lot of things that you post about---that in and of itself  is perfectly fine and in some individuals and situations, perhaps even an example of admirable courage. There's a lot to be said for 'sticking to your guns'.
 
But failure to see reason and concede when it simply makes sense, only makes you seem more Quixotic--you're flailing at windmills it seems, all the while lashing out at people as well. It does nobody any good. No, I am not saying 'Cave in, kiss up and be a team player'. No, in my singular opinion, we most definitely do need "spirited discourse" here. It's certainly more beneficial to all than is spirited discord you've been putting out lately.  It's way beyond 'point--counterpoint' lately.
 
What sometimes makes this a great place is that we can get together and describe many different experiences, as well as divergent points of view, agree or disagree and maybe somewhere along the line, say to ourselves something like--"Wow, that was interesting, informative and I never remotely thought of that--I've gotta give that credit".
 
There is hopefully a balance between being the antagonist and protagonist and a lot of room in between. From acting infalliable and impervious and being wise, or salient. Lately, in my singular opinion, you're seemingly immune to this sort openness and to a lot of other logic. Hey, if you don't 'buy into' or agree with something, fine--it happens here all the time. It just appears that you'd think that to make make any concession is seen as not only as an impossible admission of possibly being wrong, but as making yourself appear weak, something you seem afraid of.
 
Sadly and ironically, that very behavior/mindset makes you seem just that--weak, as well as insecure and as a very one dimensional person as of late. I don't think you ever really got over the emotional beatings you took maritally in the past and it shows in many ways, as yes, your posts and ideas have been under attack. Most of us who've been here long enough have been where you are--in a very reactionary mode, where we don't necessarily think logically. You chastize others for name calling, yet you regularily do the very same thing. It's natural to fight fire with fire, even if it's not as effective as utilizing water, but most folks come to realize there are several ways to solve most problems.
 
To insinuate that I "Speak for the Filipino" is absurd. It would be laughable to think I could be seen as, or worse yet, see myself as the spokesperson for an entire nation --one so foreign and diverse, as well as being 11,000 miles away. I may have a home there and have been married to a Filipina for over 20 years, but I have repeatedly admitted I probably have at least as much left yet to learn about things Filipino as I have already. Cripes--the same can be said about women, for that matter. They are all in some ways an enigma--a paradox to me.
 
Really, responding to your posts as of late isn't worth the time, but hey, I was bored and had an extra 15 minutes. You've got some good qualities, but it just seems lately that they're pretty much somewhere else. Let's hope for better, rather than bitter times, eh?

[z_k_g]

Robert,

Unfortunately we have very few participants on the Asian side to discuss issues and to engage in meaningful discourse.

You are experienced and an extremely valuable source of information about the Philippines, but you are insulting and demeaning to a fault.

And.....I agree with you...

There is no need to read or respond to anything that I post...That your choice bro...

Also, I conversely share the negative sentiments about SOME (Not All) of the content in YOUR confusing, gerrymandering, long winded and BORING posts.

But YOU are entitled like anyone else to post. 

So am I.

...Addressing your juvenile and predictable personal attacks is a waste of good television time.

Quit the petty attempts to discredit and demean....that's been your goal of late.

Cease and desist.

Zulu

[Ray]

Ray,

Grow up, stop name calling…

　
Did I call you a name son? Please show some evidence of that or kindly STFU.
　
Are you not the very same one who just the other day called another member a LIAR along with various other childish insults? Better clean up your own house before you start accusing others.
　
To insinuate that there are no communists in the Philippines is ignorant and naive. You are once again parroting the communist line with your ignorant leftist rantings. You sound just like those angry commie bitches in Bayan and Gabriela.
　
Your utter ignorance of the reality in the Philippines is stupid and insulting to Filipinos and those of us married to them. You are free to spout your ignorant leftist nonsense all you want but be prepared for someone to call you out on it every time.
　
Understood? Good!
　
　
Ray
 
 

[thekfc]

There are a few filipinas who are members of this board as well as member(s) who are living in the Philippines - I would love to read their views on this subject & the various posts made.