Country: Philippines

Audience: College Students

Title: Small is Beautiful by E.F. Schumacher

Intoduction:

Economic challenges lies near in the heart of many matters, such as public concerns, public health, government, people's welfare and especially in the world of business.

Part One

First and foremost, we have to tackle what are the economic challenges our country faces from history up to now. Some says that today we are living in the world full of circumstances, circumstances that even ancient medieval philosopher had not resolved.

To continue with this, may I ask you what our country thinks of resources.

Resources, from the word itself "source", some are recyclable and some are not.

In our everyday lives, we may think of what would happen if one of our basic needs is consume in high rate that even government cannot maneuver.

Energy sources are classified as nonrenewable if they cannot be replenished in a short period of time, unlike the solar and wind which can be replenished in a short period of time.

Fossil fuels were formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago, wherein according to Schumacher is an expendable income, for him it should be treated as capital since it is not renewable. Good allocation of fossil fuels should be maneuver with great care for it is used by many countries.

Philippines is rich in natural resources. It has fertile, arable lands, diverse flora and fauna, extensive coastlines, and rich mineral deposits. About 30% of the land area of the country was determined be geologically prospective by the Philippine Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau. But Only 1.5% of country's land area is covered with mining permits. Despite the rich natural resources of the Philippines, the government is restricting its exploitation. A logging ban is imposed on many areas of the country and only in select areas are "sustainable logging" allowed.

However illegal logging and small-scale illegal mining continues in many areas. In July 2012, President Benigno Aquino III ordered a stop to all mining activities in all (78 areas) protected and eco-tourism sites. A positive step in the right direction to protect the natural resources of the Philippines.

Oil can be concluded as an important commodity of today's economy. Its supply to different country has a great impact on its price.

What makes the oil change its price is by means of "supply and demand", which is the basic lesson in economics. But it is not only the thing that make the oil change in price, there are many various reasons such as "Market sentiment" and "Cyclical trends" which also play a dominant role.

Philippines as a consumer of oil is greatly affected by Oil pricing, knowing that our economy is not as strong as other Asian countries. Changes in the price of oil affects our everyday. From transportation up to the very basic needs of people like food production.

Part Two

Great thinking comes from great man. Schumacher believes that human being is naturally brilliant. It has a unique quality that makes human different from any other species. Motivation in someone's personality is important especially in Third World countries.

For example, here in the Philippines, we are blessed with our nature's beauty but it needs to be conserve.

If we will look back in the past, we may think of western civilization on how they preserve their history as well as their cultures and traditions. Many great philosophers and thinkers were native of Western country, and up to now we still rely on their theories and analysis which made our educational system a good one for giving importance to those who share their knowledge for us to cope up with the challenges.

Education doesn't mean having a "sobra saliente" grade, but it means learning on something which you can use in real life situation.

The real value of education is something to be kept in mind as treasure.

If we will relate this in our country (Philippines) we can see great discrimination between out-of-school youth and those who study. The problem is, people thinks that out-of-school youths are those people who lacks brilliant mind, not knowing that people has different situations. Some are due to broken family, some are due to financial problem and some are due to the social classes that discriminates those who cannot afford.

Land is an essential thing in every country. It is where our home stands and where our foot, steps. Man is a child of nature, and he is not the master of nature, or shall I say "we are not the master of this nature"

To boost up the lesson, the land is very important in Agriculture for it has a unique ability to be an instrument to make various agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, grains and especially land as habitat for animals.

To continue with this, People has a human nature of exploring new things to be unique over others. It’s like they want to experiment little things for them to be acknowledge by others.

In the world of industry, it is quite important to know the season. For you to be able to produce things that will be sold by consumers. For girls, beauty products is very important. It is a well-known product many years before the 20th century.

The question is how can we know the value of commodity? Well it is simple as a basic two plus two math problem. The value of commodity can be objectively measured by the average number of labor hours required to produce the commodity.

To generate heat, nuclear power is used. It includes nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. It helps in the way that it can produce electricity in a very low price compared to solar energy. But it can have a slight risk of accidental contamination. 

AN ACT PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING LANE VIOLATORS ON NATIONAL ROADS - PUP Model Congress

  Background of the Study

Road safety depends on how societies choose to manage transport systems, land use and urban development in relation to their overall health and safety objectives and how they are balanced with economic, social and environmental considerations.,

As of 2011, the country’s road system comprised about 215,000 km, of which about 15% were classified as national roads, thereby falling under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

A total of 6,941 Filipinos died in 2010 as a result of road traffic crashes, and thousands more were injured or disabled. Users of motorcycles make up a large proportion of those killed on the road. Data in Metro Manila indicate that 34% of all fatal road crashes and 37% of non-fatal injuries from road traffic crashes involve motorcycles.

In 2014 alone, the Land Transportation Office reported a total of 483 injuries; 28 of these are caused by public utility buses. While the leading cause of road accidents is driver error, it cannot be denied that violation of traffic rules and regulations contributes to this factor.

In the same year, according to the statistics from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), vehicles registered with the LTO has a total 8.08 million. Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), motorcycle-related injuries comprise 56% of the total identified transport incidents nationwide. This is no surprise since more than half of the vehicles nationwide are motorcycles with a total of almost 4.5 million.

According to the 2015 Census of Population, 90.88 Million (90%) of our 100.98 Million population constitute the riding public. The working age group that is most vulnerable to accidents are consists of people 15-64 years old. This people are usually students enrolled in the State Universities, University Belt (Manila); as well as economically independent employees working in well-known cities like Manila, Pasig and Quezon City. Within the group, those 20-24 years old are the most frequent victims of road crashes between 2006 and 2014, followed by 25-29 age group. Vulnerable road users include pedestrians and motorcyclists. They usually suffer the most severe injuries as a result of road traffic collisions, with continuing health problems and require more assistance than those who are inside a more than two-wheel vehicle.

Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) also named as the notorious road and as the longest and most-traveled thoroughfare in the Metro, the concentration of cars increases the odds that a collision can happen. The number of accidents on this road reached such a high that MMDA officials had it blessed by the Catholic Church in 2012.

Quirino Highway, this road sees a high volume of vehicles on a daily basis, given that it’s one of the access roads that lead out of Quezon City, cutting through Novaliches, parts of Bulacan, and the North Luzon Expressway Interchange.

Alabang-Zapote Road, as an access road out of Las Piñas and to the southern areas of the country, and because of its proximity to Metro Manila, it gets clogged up by people heading to and from the metro.

Recently, The MMDA previously established motorcycle lanes on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City which is dubbed as “killer highway” because of its high fatality count, the 18-lane thoroughfare is the home of reckless bus drivers, stubborn jaywalkers, and rash riders, basically creating the trifecta of a dangerous highway. Also, it’s important to point out that there are more passenger casualties that occurred here than driver or pedestrian accidents, with around 450 riders either injured or killed; as well as in the Macapagal Boulevard in the cities of Pasay and Parañaque. The fourth lane from the sidewalk was designated as the EDSA motorcycle lane or “blue lane” by MMDA Memorandum Circular No. 1 in 2012 to curb motorcycle-related accidents.

On the other hand, the above mentioned Memorandum Circular seems depriving on the side of Motorcycle Riders since they are the only one that will be penalized on the said violation. It seems biased and creates the question of “How about those more than two-wheel vehicle that will use the motorcycle lane? Are they free from any charges? “.

On the contrary, the proposed bill at hand will consider two pivotal concept.

First, the fact that Motorcyclists are also Taxpayers like those more than two-wheel vehicle rider and should enjoy their rights on the public roads. This act will provide a “just and fair concept”, by clarifying the equality between two-wheel and more than two-wheel riders on the National Roads.

Second, since the said Memorandum was only made through an Ordinance, its effect are only vested on specified cities. Its influence will be made possible through this Act since it will cover National Roads which are the Primary and Secondary Roads that will cover several places.

There are many reasons where accidents occur, listed below are the frequent instances:

Overtaking, which is the act of driving around another slower vehicle to get ahead of it. Collisions can occur when drivers miscalculate the distance and speed of oncoming vehicles.

Losing brakes is one of the most common causes of road accidents.

When a driver turns without signaling, other drivers may not be able to adjust their speed and direction quickly enough.

Some road accidents are also caused by an interplay of mechanical defects in the car and poor road conditions such as potholes and slippery road surfaces.

Every year, thousands of small children are injured by drivers who don’t look when backing up. Rear view and side mirrors may not show small children or animals near one’s car.

Drivers who are in a hurry, distracted, or sleepy are prone to accidents. Vehicle riders can cut the risk of severe injury and deaths from unexpected vehicle accidents which are becoming a public health epidemic in the Philippines. With an efficient transportation system, the government can lessen accidents by implementing a proper driver’s education program. The country can boost its economic configuration through discipline. To move people faster but also make sure they will safely reach their destinations free from any disturbance.

Introduced by Nazarra Christia R. Laurel

 

AN ACT

PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING LANE VIOLATORS

ON NATIONAL ROADS

Explanatory Note

The Philippine transport system relies heavily on the road network. The road network in the country plays a critical role and needs to be improved for both commerce and social movement of citizens.

There are still certain roads out there that require extra care when being navigated. Some of these roads are notorious for having high incidences of casualties, or incidences of vehicular collision. These national roads can be considered some of the most accident prone roads in the Philippines, requiring care and caution when navigating through them.

While there isn’t any law prohibiting lane splitting here in the Philippines, which is the act of driving a motorcycle between two lanes to get ahead in traffic, it’s best to avoid doing it.

Consequently, the government should focus on the improvement of rules and regulations on national roads. Maintenance of discipline will lead to economic development benefiting the states as a whole.

The approval of this Bill is expected to benefit both the commuters and motorists on national roads by providing an efficient and effective mass transit system.

Introduced by Nazarra Christia R. Laurel

 

AN ACT

PROHIBITING AND PENALIZING LANE VIOLATORS

ON NATIONAL ROAD

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Follow your Lane” Act of 2017.

Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to secure and safeguard its citizenry, particularly the operators or drivers of vehicles and their passengers, from the ruinous and extremely injurious effects of fatal or life threatening accidents and crashes. Towards this end, it shall pursue a more proactive and preventive approach to secure the safety of motorists, their passengers and pedestrians at all times.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act,

National Roads refers to the national primary roads which form parts of the main trunk line system and directly connect three or more major cities and metropolitan areas; as well as the national secondary roads which are roads that complement the primary roads and provide access to other major population centers. They directly link smaller cities and provincial capitals, airports, seaports, and tourist centers to the primary roads.

Vehicle refers to any motor vehicle considered as a private or public transport conveyance or common carrier duly registered with the Land Transportation Office.

Lane refers to the portion of national roads which is made to be used by different type of vehicles.

Motorcycle lane refers to the outer most lane or portion of the national roads made to be used by a two-wheel vehicle.

Regular Lane refers to all lane except the Motorcycle Lane portion of the roads, made to be used by a vehicle with a width ranging from 1.5 meters and above or a more than two-wheel vehicle.

Section 3. Implementing Rules and Regulations.

Making the outer most lane the Motorcycle Lane as a portion given to the Two-wheel Vehicle; and the Regular Lane as a portion given to more than two-wheel Vehicle.

The secretaries of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) shall issue their office suggestion on necessary rules, orders and circulars for the effective implementation of this Act.

Section 4. Prohibited Acts. Vehicle Drivers of Motorcycle Lane and Regular vehicle Lane shall not violate the rules of this Act. Proper lane must be follow at all times; unless otherwise provided in this act.

Section 5. Penalties. Any persons violating the provision of this act shall be imposed the penalty of:

(a) For first offense, a fine in the amount of one thousand pesos (P 1,000) and a   suspension of driver's license of the driver for 7 days;

(b) For second offense, a fine in the amount of two thousand five hundred pesos (P 2,500) and suspension of the driver's license of the driver 21 days;

(c)For third offense, a fine in the amount of five thousand pesos (P5, 000) and revocation of the driver's license of the driver. The person who commit a prohibited act is banned in the application of Driver’s License for 6 months.

Section 6.Offenses and Manner of Imposition. Offenses with corresponding penalties are classified into light, less grave or, grave, depending on their gravity or depravity and effects on the general public.

The following light offenses shall be punishable by paragraph (a) Section 4 of this

Act.

The minimum of the penalty shall be imposed where only mitigating and no aggravating circumstances are present.

The following less grave offenses shall be punishable by paragraph (b) Section 4 of this Act.

The medium of the penalty shall be imposed where no mitigating and only aggravating circumstances are present.

The following grave offenses shall be punishable by paragraph (c) Section 4 of this Act.

The maximum of the penalty shall be imposed where aggravating and mitigating circumstances are present.

Section 7. Mitigating and Aggravating Circumstances. In the determination of the penalties to be imposed, mitigating and/ or aggravating circumstances attendant to the commission of the offense shall be considered.

The following circumstances shall be appreciated:

(a) Mitigating Circumstance

Physical illness;

Age

Time and place of offense;

Length of experience as a driver

Technical vehicle problem

Carrying person/s in need of urgent emergency action

First Offense

(b) Aggravating Circumstances

Habituality

Driving under influence of drugs

Driving under influence of liquor

Fraudulent means to commit or conceal the offense

Driving with revoked driver’s license

Reckless Driving

Unregistered vehicle

Other analogous circumstances

In addition to the above penalties, if the prohibited act of a vehicle rider shall result in the injury or death of any affected person or passenger, the penalty of monetary charges to be determined by the appropriate courts or Prision correccional, an imprisonment of two years and 1 day to six years shall be imposed or Reclusion perpetua where the person charged shall be pardoned after undergoing the penalty for thirty years, unless such person by reason of his conduct or some other serious cause shall be considered by the Chief Executive as unworthy of pardon..

SEC. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 9. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general circulation.

Proposed Policy Memo for the benefit of Kuwaiti Overseas Filipino Workers

Introduction

Low average salary and limited benefits offered by local employers in the Philippines are the two main reasons why individuals work abroad. Many Filipinos look for a better opportunity in other countries hoping for a bigger income. Some who went overseas gets luck and some unfortunately didn’t. College graduates with different degrees and specialization are estimated to be bigger than the job vacancies here in our country resulting to the rising percentage of unemployment.

On the other hand, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) offers the Kafala or Sponsorship system wherein a foreign worker would only be handled by a sponsor. The sponsor is responsible and makes an investment to the foreign worker by paying the visa and other papers needed in the validation process. Foreign worker becomes vulnerable to exploitation in other countries by being dependent on his employer that holds her legal documents.

In Kafala System, there is no contract between the exact employer and worker, only contract between the recruitment agency and worker are given that diminishes worker’s labor rights.

Pros and Cons of being a foreign worker in Kuwait

Besides of being member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Kuwait is a small country, petroleum-based economy. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued unit of currency in the world and according to World Bank, Kuwait is the fourth richest country in the world per capita and one of the largest makers and exporters of oil.

The following are interesting facts and Pros on why Kuwait has a good economy:

(1) Kuwait is not a populated place which lets them to hire more foreign workers.

(2) Kuwait gives opportunity to its neighboring countries in Asia like Philippines.

(3) Kuwait recognizes the religion of non-Muslim citizens and lets them free to worship in their own belief.

(4) Kuwait has a high standard of living.

(5) Kuwait is a civilized society but maintain its autonomy from the government.

(6) Kuwaiti Nationals mainly works on the government sector.

Unfortunately, not everything flows in good condition. Several complaints arrived on the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait regarding with the nature of work. Many Filipino workers suffer from financial, emotional and sociological problems. They tend to escape from their sponsor and slip away the nightmare of their decisions, but this action results to their illegal residency.

Cons:

(1) Filipino workers claim for unpaid wages.

(2) Filipino workers in Kuwait experience extreme exploitation and oppression.

(2) Legal rights of worker were being deprived.

(3) Complaints of Filipino workers will make their relationship with the sponsor difficult.

(4) Legal documents were processed by sponsor, and confiscation of passports are just a common practice of sponsors.

(5) Filipino workers became illegal in Kuwait due to the lack of their legal papers.

(6) Filipino workers are being abused in different forms: verbal, physical, sexual abuse

The pivotal issue of our fellowmen in Kuwait is the maltreatment they are experiencing as of today. Poverty is what urges them to work abroad, flowering words that had been promised to them from the beginning and then afterwards they suffer to the changes that had been made by their sponsors.

Some Filipino workers are blessed with their sponsor, some are not. Many Filipino workers dream that someday they may reap the fruit of their labors and sacrifices in other country but unfortunately, it won’t turn to a reality due to the economic challenges. 

Many Filipinos in Kuwait are being deceived in terms of salary matters. Employers tend to deduct their wages in every little or unwanted things foreign workers had made even if they just did the right decision on their jobs, the foreign worker will always be in the panel of wrong actions and will always subject to improper behavior.

Some of our fellowmen who works in the domestic sectors are of no choice in their situation with the Kafala System, that they were stuck and being forced to work by fear of penalties. Complaints are not welcome to their sponsors that results in their escape.

The Universal Truths: Human Right and the Westernizing Illusion by Amartya Sen in SNYDER suggests the idea that the human rights are being neglected by many people especially those who resides in the world’s top ten supplier of oil. Despite of having a good outcomes by Filipino's dedication on work, some employers degrade their abilities and capabilities.

Concept of realist rises as the mighty one dominates the weaker party. Some nation gives much importance on their beliefs and cultural dominance to other countries not knowing that there is a more important thing in this world which is to restore the humanity.

International level of analysis offers an idea on why Kafala System were made and used by Kuwait government and other GCC Countries. First and foremost is to secure that their people will be protected against any harm and conflicts between their nationals and foreign workers.

Second is to achieve their economic goals without any intervention of foreign workers.

Contracts to be signed by parties

Contracts are essential document all over the world. It justifies any compact being made between parties of the same or different nationalities. Violation of contracts are always subject to execution. Through brief and concise contracts, individuals are free from oppression.

(1) There should be a three (3) required parties in the contract of Kafala System of Kuwait and other GCC Countries that will also give security to the foreign worker and not just for the employer. The basis of this are the facts gathered regarding with the situation of Filipino workers in Kuwait.

(2) Filipino workers in Kuwait and other GCC Countries should be aware of the nature of their works, and proper orientation to be given.

(3) Any act of violation/s made by party is subject to legal procedures of law and jurisprudence regardless of their nationality.

PH Government

Government lies near in the heart of many matters such as public concerns, public health and especially on International Relations. IR theorist give us the opportunity to analyze and understand the concept of other countries when it comes to public service.

The ratification of present Kafala system in Kuwait and other GCC Countries may take a long time in pursuing this matter. As we give importance to our fellowmen’s sacrifices and hard work, the PH government is in charged with the assessment of the herein proposed policy and considered to be the main actor of this project.

The Bilateral Agreement between Philippines and Kuwait must be strengthen, as well as to other member of GCC Countries. Contracts made between two or more nations must always be for the benefit of mankind as a whole.