Rivals

During the primitive times, barter was the means of trading. It was not even mere exchange of goods at that; there was an exchange of selves in a mythical bond. Then came the Greeks who exchange goods between consumers in agoras or their markets, an activity which values contemplation. During the medieval age, the value of work and trade was viewed as imitation of God’s creation, cultivating the virtue of industriousness. At what point are we now? Most trade just to earn profit. Money is all there is.

Before, competition was far from one’s intentions. Guilds were built in order for those who have the same interests and capabilities to group together and hone their skills for the good of society. There was equal opportunity for everybody. Yes, in this new age, competition is not bad provided that it is a healthy competition. Of course people would be motivated to discover new things, to make things more efficient, and to improve quality and quantity of products to one’s advantage if rivals exist.

A monopoly is one market system that has only one seller. Some monopolies are natural monopolies and are allowed to exist, while other monopolies are prevented by antitrust laws that prevent price-fixing and aggressive tactics that keep competitors from entering the market. Monopolies have its advantages. It can lower costs and save space. It can even help save the environment since no other firms need to use more land. However, it can also use its status in order to create a barrier for other new firms. It can even lower its price, given that it already has enough money saved up, so that buyers of the new firm will turn to toward it. Also, a total opposite of this is when a monopoly decides to raise its price. It would be a burden for consumers if the good is inelastic since they have no alternative. They would be forced to pay for the goods at their loss and the gain of the monopolists.

Monopolistic competition’s major disadvantage is that competing firms are inefficient and the prices of the products usually exceed the benefits or value provided by the products or services. Also, this kind of market system emphasize on advertisements and promotional strategies. Sometimes, enormous amounts of money are wasted just because of the “brand” names. These convince consumers that differences of same products exist when actually there are none. Some goods are expensive since some firms have already established a name. A part of the price consumers are paying include advertisement costs. It is somehow an implicit way for consumers to finance advertising. These kinds of activities of monopolistic competitors intend to change people’s preferences and to create wants that otherwise would not have existed. These would eventually lead to an unproductive warfare.

In Oligopoly, there are cases where producers will unite against potential new entries in the market by controlling price fixation and there by creating an acute loss of revenue for the new producers.  When producers agree to increase the general price level, it could be favorable for them but this will also cause nightmares for consumers.

People will never be contented. When one want is satisfied, another takes its place. Many believe money makes the world go round. Some even wish for money to grow on trees. However, could money buy those which are really important for an authentic human existence?

Hinaing ng Lipunan

Ang isang sako ng bigas noon ay nagkakahalaga ng 1000 piso subalit ngayon, ito’y 1400 piso na. Ang sardinas na dati’y siyam na piso lamang ay 13 piso na. Ang de-latang gatas mula sa 32 piso ay naging 36 piso na. Ang pan de sal na karaniwang tinapay tuwing almusal ay ‘di rin nagpahuli; mula sa isang piso ay doble na ang halaga.

           

Napapansin niyo ba ang laki ng agwat mula sa dati at kasalukuyang presyo ng mga bilihin? Kung pag-iisipan, hindi na ito kailangang itanong pa. Ang ordinaryong Juan dela Cruz ay tiyak na nakakaramdaman sa krisis na nagpapahirap sa buhay. Sa panahon ngayon, malaki ang ginagampanan ng pera sa bawat estado ng mamamayan. Ang patuloy na pag-ikot nito ang nagpapatakbo sa ekonomiya ng bansa. Pera ang maaaring maging daan kung gustong mapaginhawa ang bawat kalagayan. Sa kasamaang palad, hindi lahat ay mayroon nito. Kung mayroon man, ito’y hindi sapat upang matustusan ang bawat pangangailangan.

            

Ayon sa isang kasabihan, pera ang nagpapa-ikot sa mundo. Ang pamahalaan din ay lumilikom nito para sa pondo at sa katuparan ng mga proyektong pambansa. Nagmumula ang perang naiipon, pinapasahod sa mga empleyado, at pinapagawa ng mga imprastraktura mula sa mamamayan din mismo sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatong ng buwis.

            

Kasama ang umiiral na pagkolekta ng iba’t ibang uri ng buwis, napagpasyahan ng pamahalaan na ipatupad ang panukala sa pagtaas ng Value Added Tax (VAT) ng ilang porsiyento.  Ito ay ipinangangalandakang magdadagdag sa "kaban ng bayan" na iginigiit naman ng ilan na solong pinakikinabangan ng rehimen at mga kaalyado nito. Ang panukala sa kabila ng masidhi at malawakang pagtutol ng mamamayan ay ipinatupad.

Ang VAT ay tumutukoy sa pagbuwis sa mga mamamayan bilang pangkalahatan, hindi lamang mahihirap, kundi ang karaniwang mamamayan, mahirap man o nasa panggitnang uri. Ang pag-iral nito ay nagkakaroon ng malaking epekto sa nakararami. Tumataas na ang presyo ng bilihin, gasolina, pamasahe, at iba pa. Sa kabila nito, patuloy pa ring tumatanggi ang rehimen na magpatupad ng makatarungang pagtaas sa sahod at sweldo.

Ang karagdagang buwis na idadagdag sa mga negosyante sa anyo ng mga hilaw na materyales ay madaling mababawi kapag naibenta na nila ang produkto. Sa sitwasyong ito, ang mahihirap, kapos at ang ordinaryo ang papasan sa patong-patong na karga dulot ng napakaraming buwis.

Hindi malunok ng ilang mamamayan ang mga panloloko ng rehimen. Ang depensa ng pamahalaan ay dapat diumano magpasalamat ang mamamayan sa pagsisikap ng kongreso na ilibre sa pagtataas ng presyo ang mga tinataguriang "pagkaing pangmahirap" tulad ng instant noodles, sardinas, toyo, patis, bagoong at mga de-lata. At kahit magtaas pa ang mga ito, ayon naman sa gabinete, barya-barya lamang diumano ang itataas ng mga presyo.

            

Kung susuriin ang lahat ng empleyado ng gobyerno, artista, opisyales, may-ari ng mga establisyimento, nag-eeksport at import, negosyante at iba pang nagbabayad ng buwis sa buong bansa, mapag-aalamang ‘di lahat ay sumusunod sa panukala ng pagbubuwis. May ilang nagsasagawa ng tax avoidance o tax evasion — ang pag-iwas sa nakatakdang buwis.

Kung ang bawat sentimo at barya na bumubuo sa papel na pera ay matapat lamang na binabayaran, marahil ay hindi na kailangang mangutang ang bansa mula sa World Bank. Magiging matagumpay lamang ang lahat kung magtutulungan ang pamahalaan at mamamayan. Ang bawat indibidwal ay makakaambag ng malaki kung ang bawat isa ay susunod sa mga patakaran at proyekto ng pamahalaan. Sa kabilang banda, ang pamahalaan ay magkakaroon ng maayos na ugnayan sa kanyang nasasakupan kung gagamitin ang kapangyarihan nito para sa ikabubuti ng lahat. Dapat iwasan ang pag-iisip ng paraan para sa ikakalamang ng sarili. Sa usaping ito, mahalagang gamitin ang kakayahan gaya ng tamang pamamahala sa pera at gamit nito upang makatamo ng ninanais na resulta. Sa pamamagitan nito, maiiwasan ang krisis na kinakaharap at dahan-dahang uunlad ang bansa.

Ang mamamayan, pamahalaan, at bansa ay maihahambing sa bawat hibla ng bahay ng gagamba. Ang konting problema o paggalaw lamang ng isang bahagi ay mararamdam ng lahat dahil ang bawat parte nito ay konektado. Sa maayos na pagganap ng bawat mahalagang parte, mapapatibay ang nasimulang koneksyon at nabuong estado — umihip man ang hangin o pumatak man ang ulan.

Ito ay base sa artikulo mula sa website na ito. http://www.pinasglobal.com/pilipinas/2011/02/evat-out-vast-in/

Heroes or Slaves?

 

Being away from one’s family, obeying commands from strangers and being discriminated are just some of the difficulties our fellow Filipino Overseas Filipino workers experience abroad. For the sake of providing life for their families, these people endure and sacrifice a lot.

Goodbye Dear Nurses?

When nurses were in demand, an exodus of Filipino nurses left the country for a chance of a greener pasture. Even doctors here in the country decided to study nursing for them to be able to work outside. What happens here? Our skilled workers are gradually losing in number. Their exemplary services are instead imparted to those who can even be considered as strangers.

Eventually, the tides turned, the most in demand job in the world perhaps was losing its fame. However, more are still convinced that they would have a better chance in life if they have nurses in the family so mostly students enroll in the course. Much to everyone’s disappointment, nursing graduates end up unemployed or just mere volunteers. Recently, there are some schools which even think of closing their nursing programs.

It is sad to note that our present-day Florence Nightingales are now in flight. If you’re willing to wait in queue for your one-in-a-million chance of hitting the nursing jackpot, then go ahead, get a nursing degree.

A Hero’s Welcome

If Overseas Filipino Workers are considered modern day heroes, do they even feel like they’re one? When OFWs come home, they do not get a heroes welcome, a medallion or a parade. Who gets all the attention? Many Pacquiao, the excellent boxer that he is. I am not at all against Manny. He is excellent in his own field and we Filipinos are proud of him. However, is it enough to label him as a hero?

With the word hero, the first thing that comes to my mind is Rizal or Bonifacio. They died years ago but their deeds are still taken into account up to these days because of its contribution to the status of the country. Now, “modern day heroes” refer to our OFWs. The question is, do we even value the role of these people? I would bet that only a few realize their importance. Usually we treat them as ordinary people who decided to go abroad for their own sake. Well, they deserve much more than that. The Philippine government benefits from them in many ways than we can count. If a statue would be built for every OFW who sacrificed for the country and its people, then one national park wouldn’t be enough to fit them all.

 

Fueling the Economy

Every modern day “hero” renders into the government a large sum of money before leaving the country. Included in this amount are the forced membership, processing, passport and other fees. Every day, about 3000 “heroes” leave the country. With that number and with each of their payment, I believe the government coffer will not run out. Even remittances of immigrants are heavily taxed. This implies that every transaction with these OFWs means revenue for the country. Where do all the money go then? Given all these, it seems like labor are exported and people are marketed in order to fuel the economy. Now, is there a difference between these OFWs and the slaves that date back in the prehistoric times who were bought, sold, traded, given as a gift, or pledged for a debt by their owner?

These OFWs are not only a form of means to keep the economy rolling, they also suffer under the hands of their masters abroad. There are those who are victimized and battered ─ just bearing the hurt of the bruises and emotional trauma. Some end up detained in their master’s houses or in death rows in prison cells. Relatives back home might as well pray that they receive a balikbayan box instead of a wooden box containing their beloved. These actually happen to the “heroes” who do not get the attention they deserve from our very own government.

Alienated Labor

I could actually identify the work of these OFWs as alienated labor, a term coined by the philosopher Karl Marx. It is in this aspect where the worker becomes the slave of things. Ultimately, there is dignity for man as he acquires mastery over nature and his own passions. However, this time around, work has become very important that it now determines where man is to live. It is as if man’s world revolves around the performance of work that man eventually becomes nothing without it. Like a slave to its master, man responds to what work commands without even considering the harms that are inflicted as long as he earns the pay. Here, he loses his identity as he assumes that of another.

In this case, man is embodied by our OFWs who work for the sake of their family’s survival. They set aside things that they actually are passionate about. His labor is not voluntary, but coerced, forced labor.

What is a Filipino?

Filipinos are creative, talented, and hardworking people. As stressed in the article, the Philippines owes it to their people to nationalize their job industries to provide quality jobs. I notice that corruption (also mentioned in my last reaction) always plays a major role in the country’s economy. If there were just no greedy men who would use its people as source of wealth…If funds were just allocated efficiently and effectively…Perhaps, we could grow as a nation.

In a draft edition of an Oxford English dictionary, Filipino is defined as a domestic worker. A Chinese columnist even coined Philippines as a nation of servants. We are not just domestic helpers, caregivers, or entertainers. We are much more than that.

Now, what is a Filipino? Are we ready for an answer?