Dissecting data on employment
What are we to make of the latest employment and unemployment estimates based on the April 2013 Labor Force Survey? What story or stories do the numbers tell? Here is my spin:
On sustaining growth, poor infrastructure
Can the Philippines sustain strong growth while underspending in public infrastructure? Impossible. Rated as having the poorest, or at least second poorest, state of public infrastructure in the ASEAN-5 region, the Philippines has to spend more than half a trillion pesos annually for public infrastructure in the next few years
Unchecked, and with more variations
“Culture of impunity” has to describe how people behave when they think they are untouchable or are above the law. Thus, a culture of impunity and the rule of law are antithetical.
Unchecked, and with more variations
"Cculture of impunity” has to describe how people behave when they think they are untouchable or are above the law. Thus, a culture of impunity and the rule of law are antithetical. Through the years, the Filipino people have been witness to this culture of impunity in practice.
Observations on the road: Northern Luzon
Through wide road travel, I observe mainly how economic activity takes its course. Thus, I make judgments on the main outlines of progress or decline or transformations that are happening.
How to make growth sustainable, inclusive
The economy grew 7.8% in the first quarter of 2013, giving President Aquino something to brag about when he delivers his SONA on July 22nd. The expectation is the second quarter will be equally strong because of election spending. But does that make the economy’s growth sustainable and is it inclusive?
Now to make the growth inclusive…
The President and his economic managers now face two equally important challenges over the remaining three and one-fourth years of his term: how to sustain those growth rates, and how to ensure that the growth will benefit the poor, i.e., it is “inclusive.”
How good are national roads in Northern Luzon?
I have been a road traveler all over the country mainly as a student of Philippine development. Pleasurable tourism is only secondary to my purpose. Road travel is one laboratory that I use extensively to test and improve my judgments against reality.
Brilliant strategy
Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio has been in the news lately because of his commencement address at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) Graduate School of Law a couple of weeks ago. His discussion of the issues involved in our West Philippine Sea dispute with China is the clearest I have...
Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)
The Philippine Stock Exchange is planning to take over the fixed-income trading platform under Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx). Have the PSE officials done due diligence on their proposed acquisition? Have they checked the controversial birth of PDEx? Are they willing to risk the rising and untarnished reputation of PSE by "buying" a damaged...
