SEVEN DESTRUCTIVE HABITS OF UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

7 DESTRUCTIVE HABITS OF UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

by Michael Lee

(from the web)

WARNING! If you want to have a fantastic life, never engage yourself in these 7 deadly habits that incompetent people do.


Number 1 - They Think, Say, & Do Negative Things.

Yup. They see problems in every opportunity.

They complain that the sun is too hot. They cursed the rain for ruining their plans for the day. They blame the wind for ruining their hair.

They think that everyone is against them. They see the problems but never the solutions.

Every little bit of difficulty is exaggerated to the point of tragedy. They regard failures as catastrophes. They become discouraged easily instead of learning from their mistakes.

They never seem to move forward because they're always afraid to come out of their comfort zones.


Number 2 - They Act Before They Think.

They move based on instinct or impulse. If they see something they like, they buy at once without any second thought.

Then they see something better. They regret & curse for not able to take advantage of the bargain.

Then they spend & spend again until nothing's left. They don't think about the future. What they're after is the pleasure they will experience at present.

They don't think about the consequences. Those who engage in unsafe sex, criminality, and the like are included in this group.


Number 3 - They Talk Much More Than They Listen

They want to be the star of the show. So they always engage in talks that would make them heroes, even to the point of lying.

Oftentimes they are not aware that what they're saying is not sensible anymore.

When other people advise them, they close their ears because they're too proud to admit their mistakes.

In their mind they're always correct. They reject suggestions because that will make them feel inferior.


Number 4 - They Give Up Easily

Successful people treat failures as stepping stones to success.

Incompetent ones call it quits upon recognizing the first signs of failure.

At first, they may be excited to start an endeavor. But then they lose interest fairly quickly, especially when they encounter errors.

Then they go & search for a new one. Same story & same results. Incompetent people don't have the persistence to go on and fulfill their dreams.


Number 5 - They Try to Bring Others Down To Their Level

Incompetent people envy other successful individuals. Instead of working hard to be like them, these incompetent ones spread rumors and try every dirty trick to bring them down.

They could've asked these successful ones nicely. But no, they're too proud. They don't want to ask advice. Moreover, they're too negative to accomplish anything.


Number 6 - They Waste Their Time

They don't know what to do next. They may just be contented on eating, getting drunk, watching TV, or worse, staring at the blank wall with no thoughts whatsoever to improve their lives.

It's perfectly fine to enjoy once in a while. But time should be managed efficiently in order to succeed. There should be a proper balance between work & pleasure.


Number 7 - They Take the Easy Way Out

If there are two roads to choose from, incompetent people would choose the wider road with less reward than the narrower road with much better rewards at the end.

They don't want any suffering or hardship. They want a good life.

What these people don't know is that what you reap is what you sow. Efforts & action will not go unnoticed.

If only they would be willing to sacrifice a little, they would be much better off.

Successful people made it through trials & error. They never give up. They are willing to do everything necessary to achieve what they aspire for in life.

NEW POWER PLANT SOON IN CEBU

Agence France-Presse - 12/20/2007 3:46 AM

Philippine consortium to build 400 million dollar power plant

The Philippines' largest bank and a leading power firm will build a 246-megawatt power plant, worth 400 million dollars on the central island of Cebu, officials announced Thursday.

Units of Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co (Metrobank) and Aboitiz Power Corp will construct the plant in Toledo City with Formosa Heavy Industries acting as contractor and technical partner, Aboitiz said in a statement.

Aboitiz Power said its unit, Abovant Holdings Inc had tied up with Metrobank's subsidiary, Global Business Power Corp (Global Power) and Global Formosa for the project.

Global Formosa is a joint venture between Global Power and Taiwan's Formosa Heavy Industries. Under the agreement, Global Formosa will own 56 percent of the joint venture while Abovant will hold the remaining 44 percent.

The plant, to be commissioned by 2010, is expected to meet Cebu's growing demand for power, with the rise of business process outsourcing buildings and new hotels in the province.

Formosa Heavy Industries already operates coal-fired power plants in Taiwan, the United States, Indonesia and the Philippines.

CESEEPS OUT-OF-TOWN TRAINING

OUT-OF-TOWN SEMINAR PICTURES

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Module 3.0: FAULT CALCULATIONS & APPLICATION IN INDUSTRIES

(PNOC-EDC, Ormoc City, Leyte: September 5, 6 & 7, 2007)

(Part of the 38 participants)

(Doods, delivering his piece)

(Noel, lecturing on Power Plant Operations)

(Ernie, on Faults in Substations)

(Doods, on the subject: "Sizing MV & HV Power Circuit Breakers"

(Doods, explaining the Symmetrical & Asymmetrical Ratings of Power Circuit Breakers)


Ely, with the PNOC backdrop)

(PNOC Managers' Housing Facilities in Milagro (This is where we were housed)

(The famous, AMEN...?)

(PNOC Module 3.0 Class Picture)

MODULE 3.0:

FAULT CALCULATIONS & APPLICATIONS
IN INDUSTRIES

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The application of Fault Calculations is the third phase in the design of the industrial power system. Without Fault Calculations, the design can never be considered complete. Module 3.0 covers in satisfactory details how electrical systems are designed from the point of view of abnormal conditions, such as faults. The course will likewise present how circuit breakers, power fuses and switchgear & cable withstand ratings are selected.

Often not fully understood, applications of fault calculations in industrial plants or power generation complexes are frequently taken-for-granted, as sizing system equipment & components are usually selected on the basis of normal conditions, only. But during abnormal conditions, faults cause disintegration of system components & ignite full-blown fires, even explosions.

As the presence of the threat of a major fault is 24/7 throughout the lifetime of the plant, understanding the nature and behavior of faults must therefore be given emphasis if preservation of lives, properties and continuity of plant operation are of prime importance. How to determine and control fault magnitudes are the mainstream of this course.

The course covers the following specific subjects of applications:

1) Establishment of Three-Phase Short Circuit Duties at any point of the system (whether power plants, industrial plants & buildings) as bases for circuit breaker interrupting ratings, power fuses as circuit protection and for switchgear short-time withstand ratings, among others.

2) For existing plants, the output of fault calculations will trigger power system audits to confirm if the operating equipment or devices in the system can withstand abnormal conditions within their operating limits without injury and damage to itself.

3) The course also covers Single-Line-to-Ground Fault Calculations necessary in sizing Neutral Grounding Impedances for generators and substations in the end view of limiting and/or controlling destructive fault current magnitudes. A substantial treatment culminating in Grounding Transformers is covered in the course for the engineer to appreciate the value of this specific application.

4) The output of Fault Calculations will also carry the fundamental reference in arming up protective relays or other protective devices wherever they are placed in the system.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the module, the participants are expected be able to:

a) Calculate the Three-Phase Fault Duties at any point of an industrial plant electrical system,

b) Calculate the Single-Line to Ground Fault Duties at any point of an industrial plant electrical system,

c) Select and apply the proper protective devices such as circuit breakers and power fuses,

d) Select and apply the proper sizes of Neutral Grounding Impedances for Power Transformers and Generators to control the magnitude of fault currents,

e) Select equipment and components that can withstand the maximum available fault current at any point of the system,

f) Establish benchmarks for Power System Audit that may be conducted after establishing the fault duties in an industrial system.

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Mod 4.0: INDUSTRIAL SUBSTATIONS & PROTECTION SYSTEMS

(PNOC-EDC, Ormoc City, Leyte: October 3, 4 & 5, 2007)

( PNOC Module 4.0 Class Picture)

MODULE 4.0:

INDUSTRIAL SUBSTATION & PROTECTION SYSTEM

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The design of the industrial complex in concept needs to consider & integrate system voltages, loads, load growths, transformer MVA sizes, system configuration, transformer connections, system grounding, distribution systems, system components, switchgears, auxiliary systems and the protection system that the substations deserve. This is what is known in the industry as “System Integration”.

System Integration requires the competency & working knowledge in International Standards. Using IEEE/ANSI and IEC Standards, Module 4.0 covers how electrical systems are designed from the point of view of primary substations & secondary power centers in industrial applications and how power is distributed downstream. As equipment, components and apparatuses involved in this task are manufactured abroad, these equipment are designed & meant to operate under the bounds of these standards. The course thus provides insights how the engineer should fit his design outputs to the standards.

Experiences in best designing practices by others as well as the benchmarks gathered from several previous technical audits are interpreted viz-a-viz the behavior of industrial plant electrical systems. Attempts to simplify and focus on specific applicable areas in the Philippine scenario but cognizant to international standards are typical in this course.

Performing various functions in the power system, the Power Substation can be transforming voltages for transmission or distribution purposes. It can also be functioning as the hook-up sub-system with other generating plants or can be as simple as receiver of bulk power from a utility source.

Among others, the course covers the following:

1) Load Metrics, System Factors & Relations,
2) Distribution System Designing,
3) The Primary Unit Power Substation Designing,
4) Small Substations & Power Center Dimensioning,
5) Substation Protective Devices,
6) Auxiliary Systems in Substations,
7) Grid Substations
8) Substation System Protection, and,
9) Arming-Up & Coordination of Protective Relays.


COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the module, the participants are expected be able to:

a) Calculate the loads of the Substation in concept,

b) Understand how the different types of Distribution Systems work and where applied,

c) Understand the functionalities of Grid Substations,

d) Determine appropriate sizes of Primary Unit Substation components, apparatuses & devices,

e) Determine appropriate sizes of components, apparatuses & devices for Power Centers and Small Substations,

f) Determine, select and specify Substation protective devices,

g) Establish, select and specify Station Battery system for Substations,

h) Understand the protection schemes for Substations,

i) Set, parameterize and co-ordinate the protective relays in Substations.

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Module 4.0 Sp: INDUSTRIAL SUBSTATIONS & PROTECTION SYSTEMS

(PANAY POWER CORP, Iloilo City: November 13, 14, 15 & 16, 2007)

(The Main Gate of PANAY POWER CORP)

(ELY on the subject, Substation Components)

(ELY, continuing his lectures)

(DOODS, discussing on System Grounding for Power Plants, Substations & Distribution Systems)

(Dinner at Iloilo's famous "Breakthrough Restaurant" with PPC personalities)

(Part of the 50 participants attending the seminar)



(Graduation Time...)


PPC Class Picture (Part Only)



PPC Class Picture (Part only)

PPC Class Picture (Part only)

COURSE COVERAGE FOR PANAY POWER CORPORATION (32 hours):

1) Relevant Codes & Standards for Substations

2) Power Plant Dimensioning in Island Generation Mode

§ Load Duration Curves
§ Sizing of Power Plant Capacity
§ Sizing of Number and Capacities of Generating Units
§ Spinning Reserves
§ Operating Capacity Planning & Scheduling

3) Power Plant Operation

§ Island Generation: Six (6) Generators in Parallel
§ Generation a Power Plant in Parallel with Another Plant
§ Generation of One Power Plant with the Grid
§ Generation of Two Power Plants with the Grid
§ Export & Import of Power
§ Hook-Up & Operational Controls

4) Three-Phase Fault Calculations & Fault Duties

§ Power Plant in Island Generation Mode
§ The Power Plant Operated with the Grid
§ Establishment of Fault Duties on Possible Conditions
§ Suitability of Existing Circuit Breakers with Grid Hook-Up
§ Application of Power Fuses & MV Power Circuit Breakers

5) Power Substation

§ Single Line Diagram of a Complete Substation
§ Equipment Set-Up for a Complete Substation
§ Lightning Arresters
§ Instrument Transformer Burdens
§ Power Substation Dimensioning
§ Design Computations for Ratings for Substation Components
§ Substation Configurations
§ Auxiliary Battery Systems in Power Substations
§ System & Equipment Grounding of Distribution Systems
§ Substation Grounding

6) Faults in Substations

§ Three – Phase Faults
§ Overview of Symmetrical Components
§ Single-Line-to-Ground Faults
§ Establishment of Fault Duties

7) Substation Protection & Relaying

§ Zones of Protection for Substations
§ Diagrammatic Presentation of Protective Relays
§ Various TCC’s of Protective Relays
§ Relay Setting, Parameterization & Coordination

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THE FILIPINO DIASPORA

THE FILIPINO DIASPORA

By Manuel ‘Bong’ A. Amora

Bong is an OFW working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 14 years. He is at present the Secretary General of OFW Congress-Riyadh, a group of community organizations advocating OFW issues and concerns. Bong is currently the President of Kalipunang Kaakabay ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat (KAKAMPI-KSA) an organization overseeing the plight and rights of OFWs in the Industrial Area of Riyadh. He is also the President of Nasipitnon-KSA, International (a hometown organization based in Saudi Arabia).

He is also one of those who worked for the creation of an OFW-Led National Political Party named Partidong Pangdaigdigang Pilipino - "A Worldwide Filipino Alliance".

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DOOD’s Note: This piece is Bong’s notes for a presentation on the subject as requested by a group of college students of UP Cebu. Overwhelmed by the Global Filipinos’ large contribution to the country’s economy, I took upon myself Bong’s sharing posted here. It contains a lot of information that we Filipinos should appreciate. To the Global Filipinos, our heroes, thank you – this is for you..!

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PROLOUGE

Many years ago, a Filipina school teacher named Tonya worked as a chambermaid for a budget hotel in Taipei. Tonya’s husband, a technician, had a job in the more distant Nigeria, Africa. They supported three children staying with her parents and were saving up in hopes of one day operating a small business. Tonya’s unfinished house in Northern Mindanao was waiting for funds, but to her, it can wait. More important at the moment were her children, her parents and others – their subsistence assured and the kids’ school expenses taken cared of … fine!

Tonya and her husband are OFW’s or Overseas Filipino Workers, so to speak.

An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a Filipino who is employed in work outside the Philippines. Some eight million of them, still citizens of the country; they left to seek work abroad, attracted by jobs with salaries that far exceed those in the Philippines. Others left simply because there are no more jobs available in the country. To survive, they had to bite hard the bullet.

Since then, the story of Tonya’s dispersed family has been replicated several times again and again as millions of Filipinos have been forced to leave the country in search of gainful employments. Fully, about 11 million Global Filipinos are working abroad today – that is already including some 3 million, the more fortunate ones, who are permanent residents or now citizens of other countries. Note that 11 million is 12 percent of the nation's population of 91.5 million or 30.7 percent of the country’s labor force of 35.79 million.

Unemployment in the Philippines plays around eight percent or about 2.8 million, while underemployment is running at a crushing 25 percent or 8.9 million of the country’s workforce. No wonder that ‘Population below Poverty Line’ in the Philippines is 40% of the population or a whopping 36.6 million.

Typical to the big chunk of the country’s workforce, Tonya and her husband have to work somewhere else in the world, firstly - to feed hungry mouths and secondly, for a little flicker of hope of a promising future.


THE DIASPORA

Just what is… diaspora?

Diaspora, according to Wikipedia means the scattering or dispersion of a group of people to anywhere else in the world. Its history dates back to the Jews when they were forcibly expelled and scattered after their captivity in Babylon. As far as one can see, some 7 million Jews outside the State of Israel are everywhere in the world today.

In terms of numbers, the Filipino Diaspora, at 11 million now outnumbers the original Jewish Diaspora. Each year, the Philippines is sending out more than a million to work abroad through its overseas employment program. Every hour, some 100 migrant workers leave the Philippines. Overseas Filipinos are typically known to be as doctors, accountants, IT professionals, engineers, technicians, entertainers, teachers, nurses, seamen, military servicemen, domestic helpers and caregivers.

(Please click to enlarge the Table)

Professor Belinda Aquino, Director of the Center for Philippines Studies at the University of Hawaii, points to "push & pull" as one of the many reasons that explain the Filipino Diaspora.

Sadly, ‘pushing’ Filipinos out of the country, according to Professor Aquino, is a faltering economy that cannot provide enough jobs. Another push comes from the wide disparities in a society where there are only a few rich families with world class wealth while a large majority is mired in poverty. To the global Filipino, working outside the country is ‘greener pasture’. The United States attracts most of the greener pasture seeking Filipinos but the Middle Eastern States and our South East Asian neighbors are fast catching up.

This disparity is also true if we look at ourselves with our neighbor-countries. Sorted by the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Method, the Per Capita Income of the Philippines according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is at US$ 5,365. Malaysia on the other hand, is US$ 11,957 - that’s 2.2 times higher than the Philippines’. Just to have a taste how the neighboring city-state of Singapore performs, hold your breath; it is at US$ 33,471 and Thailand at US$ 9,193. This goes to show how poor we are compared to our neighbors. As a consolation, Vietnam has only US$ 3,393 but Vietnam's economy is now fast propping up. By the way, ‘per capita income’ tell us how the average citizen earns per year.

BONG - with DFA Undersecretary for the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs Rafael E. Seguis and Vice Consul Ezzedin Tago

‘Pulling’ Filipinos abroad are demands for specialists and professionals like doctors, engineers, nurses, caregivers, and medical technicians. They are the more fortunate ones who are now mostly entrenched in the Northern Americas. In United States alone, some 4 million Filipinos, about 2.5 to 2.8 million of them are now permanent residents or citizens handling responsible positions in their employments. Today, that pull has spread further to manual workers, maids, clerks, bartenders, cooks, and waitresses. For instance, in under-populated Saudi Arabia are more than one million Filipino workers – that includes me, my relatives, my friends and my town mates. Another 500,000 Filipinos are in the other Middle Eastern states – and that includes my town mates, cousins and nieces. Even Filipino entertainers go on extended tours.

ECONOMICS OF A COUNTRY

The economic well-being of a country has always been equated to exports that should far outweigh the national imports.

It’s worthwhile to mention that Philippines’ present exports are semi-conductors, electronic components, garments, copper products, sugar, coconut oil, fruits, and most importantly or most ironically, ‘labor – in warm human bodies’.

Note that timber, yes, the once mighty timber & lumber products from the Philippines are no longer included in the export list. And our coconut oil exports had dwindled significantly because of the palm oil competition whilst our sugar exports threatened by competition worldwide. Soon they will become endangered species.

What’s left as our significant exports are the semi-conductors & electronics components – not ‘finished products’ to note, but a second level ‘raw materials’. Now, take out the Philippines’ Export Processing & Special Economic Zones where the semi-conductors and electronics are manufactured and we will end up poorer than the proverbial Timbukto. And the unemployment rate, so with the poverty line soars even more! Thanks that Atlas Mining in Cebu (now called Carmen Copper Corp) will soon resurrect, if not, copper from the Philippines will join the de-listed items as a Philippine product.

Nor are improvements on the horizon. The Asian Development Bank has reported that, despite a 5.6 percent Philippines’ growth rate projected for 2007 (now reaching 7.0%), "job creation is inadequate to make a meaningful dent in unemployment and underemployment."


What happened to the Philippines following the diaspora?

As being said earlier, pushing Filipinos out of the country in a diaspora is a faltering national economy that cannot provide enough jobs. But a lot of Filipinos may not know it - because paradoxically, the ‘faltering’ Philippine Economy has at present been saved by the OFW’s in a manner that the country is now highly dependent on the dollar remittances by the same diaspora we are talking about.

Ranking fourth in 2006, Overseas Filipino Workers sent back to the home country some US$ 14.6 Billion in remittances. Topping the list is India at US$ 24.5 billion, followed by MEXICO at US$ 24.2 billion, then CHINA at US$ 21.0 billion, the PHILIPPINES at US$ 14.6 billion and RUSSIA at US$ 13.7 billion.

The US$ 14.6 billion are official remittances in 2006 that passed through Philippine banks. A good 50% more are moneys that are hand-carried or ‘paki-padala’ or mailed in from abroad without showing up in banks or tax records, and that makes it a whopping total of US$ 22 billion! Compare that to the country’s 2006 budget of US$ 17.6 billion; the diapora’s dollar inflow exceeded that of the national budget by 25%!

Again, we may have not noticed that the Filipino Diaspora’s remittances has now logged as the largest source of foreign income, highly surpassing the annual average of US$ 2.5 billion foreign direct investment to the country. Note also that the OFW’s remittances represent a huge chunk of 13.5% to 14.5% of the Philippines' GDP, the largest in proportion to the domestic economy among the other five countries mentioned above. WOW!

Is it worth giving big thanks to the Global Filipinos?


THE NEW HEROES

In the last forty years, the Philippine national economy has been increasingly fueled by remittances of the Filipino Diaspora. OFW’s, represent the rhetoric of the Philippines’ “bagong bayani” or “new heroes” as signified by the growing abundance of its national labor abroad. That’s in the words of our former President Fidel Ramos.

Bayani? Of course, yes…! Let us see…

As my brother Dood's blog said, "Send them home, and the number of unemployed & under-employed Filipino workforce would balloon to some 19.7 million. Not only that! Bring the OFW’s home and the yearly US$ 22 billion remittances will be lost. It could mean the Philippine peso to be plummeting to probably PhP 80 to a US Dollar. I could not imagine anymore how much a liter of gasoline would be… and the domino effects thereafter!"

BONG - with Philippine Ambassador to KSA Antonio Villamor

After India, Mexico and China, the Philippines is the fourth largest exporter of warm-bodied labor in the world. One out of eight Filipinos is an OFW, working in some 194 countries and territories and a good number of them plying the high seas of the globe.

Since the seventies, Filipino bodies have been the top Philippine export, and their corpses (about five or six return in coffins daily) are becoming a serious item in the import ledger. In the early 1990s, women comprised 55 percent of overseas foreign workers. Today, some 67 percent of Philippine overseas workers are women, outnumbering the men.


ISSUES & CONCERNS

At last, Tonya returned home but sadly, as a cargo wrapped in a wooden crate. Two weeks before that, she leaped from the 8th floor of her apartment building after having been brutally raped. A month before the incident, she was frantic to go home but couldn’t. Her employer withheld her passport and won’t listen to her pleas. She needed to come home, - her husband had just been released from an earlier kidnapping in Nigeria. Tortured, shocked and confused, her husband was able to return home with the help of others - but penniless, his state of mind, - troubled.

Tonya finally had come home for good. But sadly, her husband couldn’t even understand why there was a wake in his own home. Shattered future …, tales of broken dreams …

Of course, Tonya and her husband are players in a fictional story. But the story had been based on actual occurrences in the lives of OFW’s. The point is, although the dispersed Filipinos are earning far more than they would at home, life is often not easy.

Many overseas Filipino workers face many difficulties abroad. These include illegal recruitment, mysterious deaths, racial profiling and discrimination, and kidnappings. In some countries, such as in Hong Kong, China, Singapore and in Middle Eastern countries, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, many OFWs have reported that their pay was withheld, while others have had their documents confiscated or hidden.

Several cases have been reported on sexual abuse by employers, while thousands of Filipinas travel abroad for domestic work only to be tricked by their foreign employers into sexual slavery. Furthermore, some of these workers are even murdered.

Other problems include the risk of involvement in a conflict, such as those in Lebanon, Iraq and Nigeria. About 30,000 Filipinos were trapped between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in the fighting in Lebanon. Luckily, they suffered little in the Hezbollah rocket attacks. But luck will surely run out, may be next time, there could be no escape anymore.


CONCLUSION

The Philippine peso today has become one of the strongest currencies in Southeast Asia, second only to the Malaysian Ringgit. The monthly dollar inflows by the diaspora have made the peso Asia's best performing currency this year, up nearly 33 percent against the dollar based on the 2007 vs. 2005 figures. In September of 2005 one dollar got 56 pesos, but now it buys about 42. Many remittances into the Philippines still come from the United States, but there are also significant flows from countries that have a dollar peg, such as Hong Kong, the Gulf States and other South East Asian countries.

There are good as well as bad effects of the strong peso.

In effect, at almost US$ 100 per barrel of crude, we spent less pesos for the dollars paid for the 350,000 barrels of petrol oil imported everyday. That had greatly helped dampen the gasoline price at the pump.

On the other hand, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves says that overall, the strong currency helps the economy. "The government has a large stock of debt. For every peso of appreciation, the government saves about P 4.5 to P 5 billion ($100 million) in interest payments. …. The strong peso would generally have a net favorable effect on the Philippines because by and large the stack of debt has really a tremendous effect on the Philippines' situation."

Per Manila Bulletin, July 5, 2007 issue, “the Department of Finance (DoF) said that because of the strong local currency, the government saved P20 Billion from interest payments in the first half of 2007. Based on DoF documents, the National Government spent P129 Billion in interest expense for the January-June period, better than the program of P149.9 billion.

For the second quarter the government has programmed interest payments of P55.60 billion, and P12.11 billion for the month of June alone. The full-year program for interest expenses is P303.23 billion.

Note that Government’s interest expenses are the second biggest item in the national budget. The DoF said government will save about P40 billion in interest payments this year. Last year the DoF reported P30 billion as interest savings on past loans and about P18 billion from its debt exchange program.

Based on Bureau of Treasury numbers, the government paid P310.1 billion in interest payments last year, way below the program of P340 billion because of lower rates and peso appreciation. DoF officials said the government will continue to pay lower interest payments in the next three years until it drops to below P200 billion by 2010. The government’s expected outstanding debt this year is P3.924 trillion, or 58.3 percent of gross domestic product.”

But the strong peso hurts the very people who help prop it up. Tonya, the chambermaid, made the equivalent of about US$ 500 a month before her 'death'. In peso terms, she should now earn P 21,000, down from about P 28,000 two years ago. She used to send P 18,000 a month home, but the weaker dollar and higher living costs in Taipei have cut that to P 10,000.

The government acknowledges that the Global Filipinos suffer from the strong peso. But those workers are suffering because the dollars and other currencies they earn are worth less, and that means fewer pesos to help their families.

But then, the overseas Filipinos have to support families back home, and whether they like it or not; they have to remit regardless of what the level of the peso is. That, again is biting the bullet hard…

Quo vadis, Pinoy…? In the end, there is still no other way, but the Filipino Diaspora.

Bong

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR - PART V

DISCOVERING KUALA LUMPUR - PART 5
(Last Part of a Series of Five)

By Doods A. Amora, PEE

OUR FINAL NIGHT AT THE HOTEL

Back at the hotel, Kitty took a catnap as going back to work in a few hours had become imminent. Kitty’s cue call was at 12:00 o’clock midnight and the rendezvous at the hotel lobby with the 14-man crew of Qatar Airways, at 1:00 o’clock AM. But the rest of us couldn’t resist the temptation in scouring over our new toys - the laptop, the camera and the pasalubongs we’ve just shopped a few hours past.

Exploring over the new laptop, a Dell 125 GB HDD, Dual Core, 2.0 GB RAM, 2 MHz, 9-cell battery, 7-in-1 card reader in Vista Operating System complete with webcam & microphone, was to us very intriguing and satisfying. Although it was not the top-of-the-line unit, my budget won’t allow the more powerful ones available at 160 GB & 200 GB HDD. But the new laptop was very much superior to my Toshiba unit which two years ago was the top. At a price of only RM 2,700.00 (PhP 35,640.00), it was indeed an excellent buy! Same laptop could have been bought in Cebu today at PhP 70,000.00 or more!

AT THE HOTEL LOBBY - SENDING OFF KITTY

Of course we couldn’t as well help but tinker on the Olympus 7.1 Mega-Pixel, 18x Zoom, 2.0 GB XD Memory Digital Camera that is equipped with the usual automatic & 2x image stabilizers including shutter speed adjustments, lens opening and image editing ready features which can only be found in a professional camera. Complete with a lens shield, 4 x 3,500 milli-amp rechargeable batteries, tripod stand and bag, the camera was acquired at PhP 25,000.00. The same can be bought in Cebu at about PhP 38,000.00.

Hence for shopping pleasure, computers, cell phones, cameras, home theaters, professional sound systems, stereo systems, microphones, audio speakers, amplifiers are the best items to shop in Kuala Lumpur. And mind you, the price marks can be haggled; for instance, our Dell Laptop was tagged at RM 3,100.00 but we finally got it at RM 2,700.00.

Pasalubong…? Forget about the shoes & the clothes. They are about same as ours, price wise. Souvenir items & tiny electronics…? Yes. Souvenir T-Shirts, flash drives, cell-phone mini disks, i-pods, MP3 gadgets and other small-size electronics – they are best for pasalubongs, and don’t forget, the replica of the Petronas Towers.


REMINISCING THE SIGHTS

At the hotel lobby, we met once again Noralyn, Sharmaine and the rest of the crew in their white & maroon uniforms. We also met the amiable Captain Pilot and the First Officer who were all very kind to us. At 1:00 AM, Kitty and company boarded the bus that would bring them to the KL International Airport.

For us, we would be leaving the hotel room by 5:50 AM. So the rest of the time was spent in stuffing everything into the bags. There was no more time to sleep…

For the brief moments left, I found myself reliving the scenes I glimpsed the other day - the mosques, the national museum, the national monument, the shopping malls, the monorail, the skyscrapers among others…

ONE OF THE SEVERAL MOSQUES IN KUALA LUMPUR

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

THE NATIONAL MONUMENT

THE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT BUILDING

A SHOPPING MALL ENTRANCE (Note the Monorail Station)

ANOTHER GROUP OF SKYSCRAPERS

THE SLIM TWIN HOTELS - HILTON & LE MERIDIEN

A MONORAIL STATION (Note the Forest at the Background)

A CLOSE–UP LOOK AT THE MONORAIL CAR

TO THE AIRPORT

Avoiding hassles, we took the hotel taxi for RM 115 (that’s already including the 50% surcharge for 12:00 AM – 6:00 AM trip). On our way to the airport, the sights of Kuala Lumpur, still in dark shroud but in the verge of daybreak, again refreshed us. Passing through the streets, the multi-hued decorative lights are still glittering; with several cars racing to their homes apparently from all-night partying; while the Petronas Towers this time partly lit, but not short of its magic - posing again in a different pompous face.

A KL STREET AT DAYBREAK

With a few slivers of sunlight appearing coyly in the early morning horizon, we approached the airport complex at around 6:50 AM. At a distance we saw the silhouette of the imposing KLIA Control Tower, dubbed as the tallest airport control tower in the world. Standing at 150 meters high, it looks like a giant torch, but they name it 'the slim lady' as its shape self-explain the name. Then as we moved closer, we saw the façade of the airport, brightly lit but blanketed in the early morning mist - its scale, simply amazing!

THE LEFT WING AIRPORT FAÇADE AT DAYBREAK

Having reached the portals of the airport, our taxi driver promptly alighted ahead of us, and then unloaded our baggage to the trolley carts. This time we got a nice taxi driver, huh? He politely refused the tip, we were pleasantly surprised. After all, there were also good taxi drivers in Kuala Lumpur, and I thought they are a majority.

THE ‘SLIM LADY’ – Dubbed as The Tallest Control Tower in the World

THE DEPARTURE AREA OF KLIA

The Departure Pavillions of the Airport Terminal were mammoth high-ceiling unified cathedrals with even more impressive sights. Unlike the arrival area, the departure vestibules hosted a lot of people and a beehive of people’s activities! I noticed that in the check-in area, send-off parties and well-wishers are allowed inside. But then, the luxury of space appeared too huge as if easily diluting & dispersing the crowd, in effect, engulfing the people in its veil.

FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE AIRPORT TERMINAL

Again in a luxury of space, the Departure Pavillions repleted themselves with signages, information screens, glass walls & windows, stainless steel frameworks and monarchial floors. The hosts of geometrically formed steel structures and the glass casings mystified me once more. Like that of the arrival hall, the columns are shaped into conical trunks akin to the palm oil trees. And despite all the people around… the airport is very clean, clinically sterile, no eyesores… What a view! I took time in allowing my eyes feasting to its fullness before remembering that we yet need to find our check-in counter.

THE CHECK-IN PAVILLION OF KLIA

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CHECK-IN PAVILLION OF KLIA

THE CHECKING IN PROCESS

Systematic…? Yes!

Spread all over the departure hall, were large “Flight Information” screens where passengers were guided in locating which counters specific flights were assigned. For ‘no-baggage’ passengers, there could be no need for the counters as one can check-in through the on-line computers.

ONE OF THE TWELVE 'CHECK-IN ISLANDS'

I noticed there were about 216 Check-In Counters, in twelve “Islands” (as they call them). The Islands were identified by alphabets A – M (excluding I) where several manned counters (about 15 – 20 counters) are in each island. Multi check-in services are available, designed for the travelers’ convenience. It means that passengers to any destination could ‘check-in’ at any counter in the Island where his/her flight had been assigned.

We easily found our Check-In Island at “C”. While queuing, we noticed the group from Bacolod City whom we met the other day at the Petronas Towers Photo Plaza was on the same flight.

After checking in, as there was still much time left we decided to walk around for more sight-seeing. We understood that the next step would be the Immigration Processing located one level below the check-in floor. But we needed to take our breakfast before going down when I experienced the unexpected.

THAT’S OUR CHECK–IN ISLAND “C”

On our way to KFC, Jacky Chan, yes… at the corner of my eye, I saw Jacky Chan, one of the world’s top action star; seemingly incognito in eye shades and dark long-sleeved jacket with two bodyguards ahead and another two behind, walking briskly to our direction. In his haste, he almost came rubbing elbows with me! My astonishment didn’t prevent me from uttering automatically, “Hi Jacky. I watched all your movies, it’s nice to see you here!”, I couldn’t believe my ears hearing me saying them!

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE DEPARTURE PAVILLION

To the height of my surprise, he turned his face to me, smiling naughtily, he retorted in English but in Chinese tone, “Thank you. I just opened my Coffee Shop at Starhill Gallery. I need to catch a plane to Singapore. So long, thanks again!” I hurriedly summoned my son Boboy to take pictures of us, but agile as in his action movies, I lost him swiftly to the executive lounge…! WOW, what a day!

AIRPORT FACILITIES

The terminal itself offers facilities only found in leading airports in the world, among them are as follows: a Business Centre, Executive Lounges, Children’s Play Area, Praying Rooms, First Class Restaurants, Medical Clinic, Reflexology & Massage, Viewing Galleries, Visitor’s Service Centers, Duty-Free Shops, Travellators and an 80-room Transit Hotel. In addition, a 441-room Five Star Hotel, The Pan Pacific Hotel Kuala Lumpur International Airport, is available within walking distance from the airport terminal building for other airport users to stay and enjoy all the facilities, close to KLIA.

POSING IN A CORNER OF THE TERMINAL (The Floor Below is the Wide Immigration Counter Area)

Again, “Dilarang Merokok”, now said in English, as smoking is not allowed within the airport premises. Although there were designated smoking areas, one has to go out of the building if one is still in the Check-In Pavilion. But once past the immigration counters, one has to ride the aero-train to the Satellite Building before one can whiff his first smoke.

THE RAINFOREST BEHIND THE GLASS WALL

THE PRE-DEPARTURE WINGS

The Terminal has 61 immigration counters for departing passengers, 48 for arriving passengers and 16 for transfer passengers.

AT THE PRE-DEPARTURE CORRIDOR, Saying ADIEU TO KUALA LUMPUR!

The Pre-Departure Wings are long corridors leading to the boarding gates. The corridors are walled with tinted blue glass panels on both sides - one facing the tarmac and the other facing part of the rain forest within the airport premises. An array of comfortable seats, sleeping seats, massage seats and flight information bulletin screens abound the corridors. And the lights on high ceilings – again, they appeared like heavenly bodies reflecting on the regal floors even in a bright morning. The glass walls provided an unobstructed view to the tarmac, the aircraft stands, the boarding bridges and the parking aircrafts.

ONE OF THE MANY PRE-DEPARTURE LOUNGES

THE PRE-DEPARTURE CORRIDOR IN THE SATELLITE BUILDING

THE RELAXING, RECLINING SEATS

THE AERO-TRAINS LINKING THE MAIN & SATELLITE BUILDING

KLIA has 46 aerobridge gates and 106 aircraft stands. We finally found Gate 10, our boarding gate. We rested, and I suddenly felt the smell of home.

Adios, Kuala Lumpur…

PARTIAL VIEW OF THE BOARDING BRIDGES & PARKED AIRCRAFTS

A PARKED BOEING 747-400 AIRCRAFT

PARTIAL VIEW OF ONE OF THE TWO STATE-OF-THE-ART RUNWAYS

THE AWAKENING

As the hours whiled away, I couldn’t resist but making a conclusion to the new learnings I obtained from this trip. And to make a better understanding of magnitudes and scales, I couldn’t escape from comparing Malaysia to my native Philippines.

Clearly, Malaysia to my conviction is buoyant and wealthy, built within a pluralist culture in a vibrant fusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other indigenous cultures. Malaysia's ardor to Western-style industrialization is abundantly lucid in its big cities. Aside from the glinting glass towers of the 21st Century, Malaysia boasts some of the most superb beaches, mountains and national parks in Asia.

Summing it up, Kuala Lumpur - the façade of Malaysia, is an Asian tiger that roars - it has grown from relatively nothing to a modern, bustling city. One has to experience its high-altitude triumphs from the viewing deck of the world's tallest twin buildings, and then submerge down to explore its more traditional way of life in the back lanes of Chinatown. It's a modern Asian city of gleaming skyscrapers, but it retains much of the local color that has been obliterated in other Asian boom-cities such as Singapore. It has plenty of colonial buildings in its centre, still with vibrant night markets & street vendors, and a full-of-life Little India.

I must admit, what I saw was the ‘Makati’ of Kuala Lumpur. Having been mostly in the financial district of Kuala Lumpur, I haven’t had a chance at exploring the inner viscerals and the closets behind the manicured curtains of the city.

But then, a few statistics might help. With two more hours to spare, I found myself in the wi-fi section of the terminal, researching on the web…

PBCOM TOWER –The Tallest Building in the Philippines, at 55 Storeys

CONTRASTING STATISTICS

In the 18th & 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies in the area of current Malaysia, which became independent in 1957. Hence, this year 2007, Malaysia is celebrating its 50th year of self-governance. Malaysia as an independent nation is still youthful as compared to the Philippines’ 109 years. But Malaysia as a nation succeeded in diversifying its economy from the dependence on raw material exports to weighty manufacturing, services and tourism. Malaysia then transformed itself into an emerging multi-sector economy where growth is almost exclusively driven by exports - particularly in electronics and IT products. It has also grown as an oil and gas exporter, notwithstanding its mainstays in tin, timber, palm oil and rubber.

ECONOMY: Similar to the Philippines, Malaysia’s economy thrives in agriculture, industry and services. Composing the National GDP, Malaysia’s industry is the biggest contributor followed by services and agriculture. The Philippines is more agricultural and service provider while industry is only at 31% against Malaysia’s 48%. No doubt about it, Malaysia is much more industrialized while the Philippines is more agricultural & service provider.

POPULATION: Despite slightly larger than the Philippines in land area, the population of Malaysia is only 24.8 million as against the Philippines’ 91.5 million. More importantly, ‘Population Below Poverty Line’ in Malaysia is 5.1% (only about 1,265,000) while the Philippines is 40% (about a whopping 36,600,000).

LABOR FORCE: Malaysia’s Labor Force is 10.68 million (about 43% of the population) while the Philippines is at 35.79 million (about 39% of the population). Malaysia’s Labor force - by occupation can be broken down as: agriculture, 13%; industry, 36%; and services, 51% while in Philippines: agriculture, 36%; industry, 15%, services; 49%. Again, these numbers show how the Philippines had been glued to ancient style agriculture as compared to Malaysia.

METRO MANILA’S SKYLINE

KUALA LUMPUR’S SKYLINE

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: Malaysia’s unemployment rate is at 3.5% against the Philippines’ 8%. I am not sure how to interpret these stats but if basing on the work force, Malaysia’s unemployed workforce could only have been low at about 373,800 while the Philippines very high at about 2,870,000. Big thanks to the OFW’s. Send them home, with no available jobs in the country and the number of unemployed Filipino work force would balloon to some 10 to 11 million. Not only that! Bringing the OFW’s back home will wipe out the yearly US$ 15 Billion remittances. It could mean a plummeting Philippine peso to probably PhP 80 to a US Dollar. I could not imagine anymore how much a liter of gasoline would be…

PER CAPITA INCOME: Aha, this one tells us how the average citizen earns per year. Sorted by the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) Method, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that Per Capita Income of Malaysia is US$ 11,957 while the Philippines, only at US$ 5,365. That’s 2.2 times higher than the Philippines’.

Just to have a taste how the neighboring city-state of Singapore performs, hold your breath; it is at US$ 33,471 and Thailand at US$ 9,193. This goes to show how poor we are compared to our neighbors. As a consolation, Vietnam has only US$ 3,393. But with the recent surging of Vietnam, it would be sooner than expected that the Philippines will be overtaken.

AGRICULTURE: Malaysia’s agriculture products are rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice, subsistence crops, coconuts, rice, pepper, timber while Philippines’ agriculture yields sugarcane, coconuts, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples, mangoes, pork, eggs, beef and fish.

From the looks of it, one can say that even in agriculture, Malaysia’s products far more outweighs the Philippines. Note that timber, once mighty in the Philippines is no longer included in the list. And our copra exports had dwindled significantly because of the palm oil competition; whilst our sugar exports seriously threatened by competition worldwide. Soon they will become endangered species.

Of course, we beat Malaysia in pork production. Obvious, isn’t it? We are a pork-eating country and thanks to the large amount of pork needed for the politicians’ pork barrel…!

INDUSTRIES: Malaysia’s industries are rubber processing, palm oil processing & manufacturing, light manufacturing, tin mining & smelting, logging, timber & wood processing, petroleum production & refining, agriculture processing, electronics manufacturing, computers & IT equipment manufacturing. On the other hand, Philippines’ industries are as follows: electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining and fishing.

EXPORTS: Malaysia’s exports are electronic equipment, petroleum and liquefied natural gas, wood products, palm oil, rubber, textiles and chemicals. Philippines’ Exports on the other hand, are semi-conductors and electronic components, garments, copper products, coconut oil, fruits, and most importantly, labor.

You see, Malaysia’s industries and exports are very much heavy in value than that of the Philippines. Now, take out the Philippines’ Export Processing & Special Economic Zones where the semi-conductors and electronics components are manufactured and we will end up poorer than the proverbial Timbukto. Thanks that Atlas Mining in Cebu will soon resurrect, if not, copper will join the de-listed items as a Philippine product.

PETROL OIL: Very interesting. Malaysia’s oil proven reserves is at 3.1 billion bbl while the Philippines only at 152 million bbl. That’s a hefty 20 times the Philippine reserves. Oil production in Malaysia is at 770,000 bbl/day while the Philippines peak production forgettable at only 25,000 bbl/day. That’s 30 times the Philippines’ production! Malaysia imports no oil against the Philippines’ 350,000 bbl/day. That’s big advantage because unlike the Philippines, Malaysia would have no single dollar expended in oil imports.

NATURAL GAS: Malaysia’s natural gas proven reserves have been established at 2.037 trillion cu m while the Philippines only at 107.5 billion cu m. That’s almost 20 times the Philippine reserves. Natural gas production in Malaysia is at 60.9 billion cu m while the Philippines’ production at only 2.781 billion cu m. That’s 22 times the Philippines’ production.


THE FILIPINO DIASPORA

The Philippine Economy has at present been saved by the OFW’s dollar remittances. Ranking fourth in 2006, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) sent back to the home country some US$ 14.6 Billion in remittances. Topping the list is India at US$ 24.5 billion, followed by MEXICO at US$ 24.2 billion, then CHINA at US$ 21.0 billion, the PHILIPPINES at US$ 14.6 billion and RUSSIA at US$ 13.7 billion.

A lot of Filipinos may not know it, but the Philippines right now is highly dependent on remittances by Overseas Filipinos. Remittances remain as the largest source of foreign income, highly surpassing the annual average of US$ 2.5 billion foreign direct investment to the country. Note that the OFW’s remittances represent a huge chunk of 13.5% to 15% of the Philippines' GDP, the largest in proportion to the domestic economy among the other four countries mentioned.

There are more than 11 million ‘Overseas Filipinos’ worldwide, some 3 million of which are permanent residents or now citizens of other countries. An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a Filipino who is employed in work outside the Philippines. Some eight million of them OFW’s, still citizens of the country, out of a population of 91.5 million, have left the country to seek work abroad, attracted by jobs with salaries that far exceed those jobs available in the Philippines. The other big reason is - there are only a few available jobs in the country. Thus diaspora became inevitable.

Each year, the Philippines is sending out more than a million to work abroad through its overseas employment program. Others leave to become permanent residents of their country of destination. Overseas Filipinos are typically known to be as doctors, accountants, IT professionals, engineers, technicians, entertainers, teachers, nurses, seamen, airline pilots, military servicemen, domestic helpers, housekeepers, and caregivers.

However, the exodus of workers from the country resulted in what has been referred to as “brain drain”, particularly in the health and education sectors. Also, the exodus can result in underemployment, for example, in cases where doctors undergo retraining to become nurses notwithstanding an increasing number of skilled workers taking on unskilled work overseas.


WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE PHILIPPINES?

There’s no such a thing as ‘diaspora’ in Malaysia. Jobs and opportunities are everywhere. In fact, Malaysia hires a multitude of Filipino workers. Malaysia has become one destination of the Filipino diaspora.

“Malaysia – The Pearl of the Orient”, in one tourism blitz, it reads. Isn’t it that our country was supposed to be the 'Pearl of the Orient Seas'? I won’t protest, anyway; Malaysia aptly deserves it. They have overtaken us significantly - without our knowing and while we were sleeping…

In the 60’s and 70’s, our neighbors used to dream at studying in Philippine schools. During my college days, I had Malaysians, Indonesians, Thais, Saudis, Iranians, Iraqis, Jordanians, even Indians as my classmates. Today, they are nowhere in our schools. Has our educational system degenerated? Today, other Asians are now our serious competitors in the skilled labor market; in fact, most of them are now Filipino employers, not only in the technical and health services but even domestic helpers.

They have soared well and high, while the Filipinos are still deep in the brazen circuses in the Senate and Congress Halls. Crab mentality? Probably… Corruption? To me, corruption is cancer, it’s incurable I admit. It had been there since the beginning of politics, whether in the Philippines or wherever else in the world. It pains… but to me, it’s alright as long as 90% goes to the project, as I learned from the Malaysians.

Is our system of government, flawed? Probably, yes! USA, Germany, Canada, Australia and yes, Malaysia to name a few, are successful in their federal forms of government. What specific type of federalism that fits us, is beyond the capabilities of my fancies to probe.

We finally boarded the plane. Already numbed, my mind ceased working as I could no longer comprehend what’s going on.

Goodbye, Kuala Lumpur. You made me a better person.

Goodbye, Malaysia, truly Asia!


DISCLAIMER:

The articles written in these series are mostly of the author’s perceptions which are subjective in nature. Although hard information contained in this diary has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, i.e., on top of personal experiences of the author; the author, however can not be sure of the perfection, accuracy or completeness of any information written herein, as lapses and miscomprehensions are always inevitable.