Philippines Defence Forum

[Ayan81]

Remington R-4A3 carbines with EOTech optical sights for the PMC's MBLT5

LCDR ML MARTIR (PN)
Government Arsenal, DND (Philippines) | Facebook


______________________________________________________________________________

PNP SAF operators secure Taft Avenue for Pope Visit

 

[Cossack25A1]

Remington R-4A3 carbines with EOTech optical sights for the PMC's MBLT5


View attachment 183997

View attachment 183998

LCDR ML MARTIR (PN)
Philippines Defense Forces Forum | Facebook

Reminds me of the rifles during the 75th anniversary of DND which has the EOTech sights.

 

[Cossack25A1]

While the Philippines is busy with the Pope being here, there are still some news updates about the PH military

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The US Just Gave the Philippine Military Another Boost
Aircraft will be a much-needed and long overdue shot in the arm for Manila.

By Prashanth Parameswaran
January 14, 2015
-----
On January 9, the United States disclosed that it would give the Philippines a pair of surplus Lockheed Martin C-130T Hercules transport aircraft in early 2016.

This is old news to those who follow Asian defense closely. The Philippines has been looking to boost its C-130 fleet for years, and the Obama administration has been mulling granting such aircraft to the Philippine government for a while now, with outstanding questions on issues such as the number and timing. News of the impending donation itself first broke publicly in July 2014, with the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. disclosing that the planes would be delivered in 2015 and all that was left was the finalization of documents. The official announcement now confirms that it will happen in 2016, not 2015.

There is little doubt that this is a much-needed boost for the Philippine military. The C-130s play a critical role in “strategic airlifting,” which is in high demand — especially when the country is ravaged by natural disasters and needs to transport victims, rescue personnel, and supplies, as was the case with Typhoon Hagupit in 2014. But C-130s also have broader applications, including moving and resupplying troops to tackle ongoing insurgencies at home and assisting in humanitarian disaster relief and peacekeeping operations abroad. The Philippine military used to have many more C-130s lying around a few decades ago, but they were mothballed following years of neglect that many now bemoan. As a result, the country’s capacity has long been vastly overstretched and it badly needs more of these planes.


The deal is also cost-effective, which is hardly an unimportant consideration for the two allies who just inked a new defense agreement last year with a wary eye towards China’s continued assertiveness in the South China Sea. The cash-strapped Philippines often cannot afford new equipment, and this pact offers it refurbished items that Washington is also helping pay for. Meanwhile, the United States gets to boost its ally’s capabilities with equipment it no longer needs amid lingering worries about sequestration.

While this is a boost for the Philippine military, it is also a small one. Former AFP chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista has said publicly that the Philippine Air Force should have at least nine C-130s, so this addition alone still leaves much to be desired. Other creative moves could get it to that magic number, though. For instance, while most of the old Philippine C-130s referenced earlier are beyond repair, insiders say at least a few of them can still be brought back after significant work and some time. That would be a welcome step as the country looks to finally truly modernize its military over the next few years.
-----
The US Just Gave the Philippine Military Another Boost | The Diplomat

 

[Cossack25A1]

6 Events That Will Shape Philippine Politics in 2015
The last year before the 2016 presidential elections promises to be an interesting one.

By Mong Palatino
January 18, 2015

If 2014 was the year when the Philippines struggled to recover from the devastating impact of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), what might await Philippine politics in 2015?

1. The state visit and apostolic journey of Pope Francis was a much needed spiritual boost for many people in the Philippines, the largest Catholic-dominated nation in Asia. He visited Typhoon Haiyan victims, interacted with the youth and street children, and spoke about “scandalous” poverty and corruption in front of the country’s top leaders. Will politicians heed the pope’s reminder to “reject every form of corruption that diverts resources from the poor”? The pope spent only five days in the Philippines but he has already made a huge impact on local politics.


2. Once Pope Francis leaves the Philippines, it will signal the unofficial start of campaigning for the 2016 presidential election. There will be intense bickering among politicians in the next few months. The ruling coalition is expected to consolidate its ranks and election machinery while aggressively marginalizing the political opposition. But while President Benigno Aquino III continues to be popular, he is constitutionally barred from running again and his allies are trailing behind opposition leader and Vice President Jejomar Binay in pre-election surveys.


3. The dispute with China over the conflicting territorial and maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is still the main agenda that the Philippines will continue to raise in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines has filed a case in the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal against the ownership claims of China. This will further inspire Filipinos to mobilize against what they see as China’s bully behavior in the region.


4. The next six months is crucial to implement the roadmap for peace which the government has drafted in cooperation with the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The initial challenge is to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress without it being diluted; and to convince legal scholars and critics that it does not violate the 1987 Constitution. If Aquino succeeds in establishing the Bangsamoro transition authority before the end of his term next year, it will be a major legacy of his administration.

Another initiative that Aquino can pursue is the resumption of the stalled peace talks with communist rebels.


5. The economic experience of the Philippines will be under global scrutiny as it prepares to host the annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Aquino earlier announced that the theme of this year’s APEC gathering is “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World”.

“As the clamor for progress that leaves no one behind resounds the world over, the Philippines has the opportunity to set a global example of inclusivity this year,” Aquino said. But while he is proud of the country’s strong economic fundamentals, critics will probably remind APEC participants about the failure of the economy under Aquino to solve poverty and deep inequality in society.

The last time Manila hosted the APEC summit was in 1996.

The planned economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN 2015) will be another major event, but whether or not it will figure prominently in the country’s politics remains to be seen.


6. Disaster recovery will be a priority for both the national and local governments. Aquino cannot allow the slow pace of rehabilitation in the Haiyan-affected towns to continue if he wants to get a better assessment of his administration. His leadership will be defined by the success or failure of his disaster recovery program in Samar and Leyte. As for local politicians in other disaster-hit towns, they risk losing public support if they appear ineffective in distributing relief and making aid money useful in reviving the local economy.

These 12 months are a period of preparation for the Philippines’ big year in 2016, when the country is due to vote in a new president. It is a year in which the current government will seek to take bold steps to leave a positive and lasting legacy while the opposition tries to present itself as a credible alternative. Because of this, 2015 promises to be an exciting year for Philippine politics.

-----

6 Events That Will Shape Philippine Politics in 2015 | The Diplomat

 

[Pinoy]

Pope Francis in Manila: Pope departs Philippines after record-breaking Mass
19 January 2015

Pope Francis has departed for Rome after drawing huge crowds during his five-day visit to the Philippines.

Tens of thousands of people lined the route of the Pope's motorcade to catch a last glimpse of the pontiff on his way to Villamor Air Base.

A crowd estimated at a record six million braved stormy weather to attend an outdoor Mass in Manila on Sunday.

The Pope has spent a week in Asia, also visiting Sri Lanka, marking it as a growth region for the Catholic Church.

More than 80 million people are Catholic in the Philippines and the Pope was surrounded by adoring crowds everywhere he went.

The Pope has dedicated his trip to the Philippines to the poor and marginal

School children performed as the Pope departed for Rome

On Monday, the streets were packed again as the leader of the Catholic Church made his way to the airport.

President Benigno Aquino led a departure ceremony on the tarmac as children sang and danced, chanting "Pope Francis we love you".

The Pope gave a final wave before boarding the Philippines Airlines plane.

Catholics in Asia

• Philippines - 75,940,000 - Third highest population of Catholics in the world behind Brazil and Mexico

• India - 10,570,000

• China - 9,000,000

• Indonesia - 7,230,000

• Australia - 6,500,000

• South Korea - 5,270,000

Source: Pew Research (2010 estimates)

On Sunday, the Pope's Asia tour culminated with what organisers say was a world record for a papal gathering as he celebrated an outdoor Mass in Manila's Rizal Park.

The previous record of five million people was estimated to have been set during a Mass by John Paul II at the same venue in 1995.

During his visit, Pope Francis has spoken out repeatedly on the need to reduce poverty and inequality. He dedicated the final homily of his trip to children.

An outdoor mass in Rizal Park broke the world record for a papal gathering

"We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected," he said. "And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of hope and condemned to a life on the streets."

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Manila said as much as he could Pope Francis tried to identify with the poor in the Philippines; wearing a cheap plastic raincoat, riding in a pope-mobile modelled on the mass transport Filipino Jeepney and hugging street children.

He also pushed those in a position of power to help the poor and destitute.

The Pope also said the main reason he chose to visit the Philippines was to meet survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 7,000 people in November 2013.

On Saturday he visited Tacloban, the city in the central Philippines worst affected by the powerful storm.

BBC News - Pope Francis in Manila: Pope departs Philippines after record-breaking Mass

 

[Aepsilons]

Pope Francis in Manila: Pope departs Philippines after record-breaking Mass
19 January 2015

View attachment 184887
Pope Francis has departed for Rome after drawing huge crowds during his five-day visit to the Philippines.

Tens of thousands of people lined the route of the Pope's motorcade to catch a last glimpse of the pontiff on his way to Villamor Air Base.

A crowd estimated at a record six million braved stormy weather to attend an outdoor Mass in Manila on Sunday.

The Pope has spent a week in Asia, also visiting Sri Lanka, marking it as a growth region for the Catholic Church.

More than 80 million people are Catholic in the Philippines and the Pope was surrounded by adoring crowds everywhere he went.

View attachment 184888
The Pope has dedicated his trip to the Philippines to the poor and marginal

View attachment 184890
School children performed as the Pope departed for Rome

On Monday, the streets were packed again as the leader of the Catholic Church made his way to the airport.

President Benigno Aquino led a departure ceremony on the tarmac as children sang and danced, chanting "Pope Francis we love you".

The Pope gave a final wave before boarding the Philippines Airlines plane.

View attachment 184893

Catholics in Asia

• Philippines - 75,940,000 - Third highest population of Catholics in the world behind Brazil and Mexico

• India - 10,570,000

• China - 9,000,000

• Indonesia - 7,230,000

• Australia - 6,500,000

• South Korea - 5,270,000

Source: Pew Research (2010 estimates)

On Sunday, the Pope's Asia tour culminated with what organisers say was a world record for a papal gathering as he celebrated an outdoor Mass in Manila's Rizal Park.

The previous record of five million people was estimated to have been set during a Mass by John Paul II at the same venue in 1995.

During his visit, Pope Francis has spoken out repeatedly on the need to reduce poverty and inequality. He dedicated the final homily of his trip to children.

View attachment 184894
An outdoor mass in Rizal Park broke the world record for a papal gathering

"We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected," he said. "And we need to care for our young people, not allowing them to be robbed of hope and condemned to a life on the streets."

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Manila said as much as he could Pope Francis tried to identify with the poor in the Philippines; wearing a cheap plastic raincoat, riding in a pope-mobile modelled on the mass transport Filipino Jeepney and hugging street children.

He also pushed those in a position of power to help the poor and destitute.

The Pope also said the main reason he chose to visit the Philippines was to meet survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 7,000 people in November 2013.

On Saturday he visited Tacloban, the city in the central Philippines worst affected by the powerful storm.

View attachment 184896

BBC News - Pope Francis in Manila: Pope departs Philippines after record-breaking Mass

Sanctus Papam,

Pax Vobiscum In Nominum Deum Iesus Christus. Amen.

 

[Ayan81]

PAF to acquire 3 modern flight simulators for P246 M

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is acquiring three modern flight simulators for P246.4 million to help pilots operate efficiently the soon-to-be-delivered T-50 fighter jets from South Korea.

The Department of National Defense (DND) said it is bidding out the project designed to enhance the operational capability of the PAF.

“This will allow pilots an almost full sensory experience that can aid improving flight instruction, enhancing proficiency, minimizing risks associated with emergency procedures training, reducing accidents, filling up downtimes, and saving on aircraft operational and maintenance costs,” Defense Undersecretary Efren Fernandez, chair of the Bids and Award Committee for the project, said.

“The DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines now invite bids from eligible bidders for the Full Motion Flight Simulator Acquisition Project. Delivery of the goods is required within a period of 600 calendar days from the opening of the Letter of Credit (LC),” Fernandez said.

Sources said the government is set to acquire more fighter jets from other countries.

Prior to the opening of the bid for the simulator project on Feb. 10, a pre-bid conference will be held on Jan. 27 at the DND BAC Conference Room at Camp Aguinaldo.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
“The DND and the AFP reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to the contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders,” Fernandez said.

The defense department is also bidding out a P149-million contract for the construction of Air Force facilities in Tawi-Tawi and Palawan as part of the military’s upgrade of its maritime defense and rescue capabilities in the West Philippine Sea and Sulu Sea.

The DND has also signed an P888-million contract with Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems Land and C41 for the acquisition of 28 armored infantry vehicles to boost the fighting capability of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army (PA).

Part of the project is retrofitting 24 of the army’s M113 armored personnel carriers with turrets from decommissioned Scorpion light reconnaissance tanks, transforming the M113s into fire support vehicles from merely “battle taxis.” Mounted on Scorpion’s turrets are 76mm cannon and 7.62mm machinegun.

The upgraded M113 fire support vehicle will also be equipped with a new fire control system and thermal imaging system.

Four of the M113s will have the capability of Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) armed with 25mm automatic cannons. Six will be equipped with additional .50 caliber heavy machineguns.

The M113s will also get upgrades on their armor protection and amphibious capability.

The Israeli firm will throw in, for free, four M113 armored recovery and repair vehicles.

The Army expects to roll out the 28 combat vehicles by January 2015, said Defense Undersecretary Patrick Velez. At present, the Army is heavily dependent on 105mm and 155mm howitzers in providing fire support for troops battling Abu Sayyaf terrorists or communist rebels.

PAF to acquire 3 modern flight simulators for P246 M | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com

 

[Pinoy]

17,000 troops, 150,000 policemen, 100 snipers, 26 aircraft, armored vehicles, naval vessels return to mother units
January 20th, 2015

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police have lifted red and full alert status respectively. PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben M. Mayor said “at 6 o’clock in the morning today, we’re back from full alert to normal alert.” While the AFP lifted red alert status two hours after Pope Francis took off on a Philippine Air Lines Airbus 340 yesterday.

17,000 AFP troops 5,000 of which are reservists, 26 aircraft, 100 snipers, dozens of K-9 units and squads of lightly armored vehicles and naval vessels, 150,000 policemen goes back to their home units.

“I know that you all made your own sacrifices in performing your professional duty as police officers to accomplish this mission. This historic visit serves to add greater spiritual and professional experience for the PNP in handling similar major events,” PNP Officer-in-Charge Deputy Director General Leonardo A. Espin told 150,000 policemen.

17,000 troops, 150,000 policemen, 100 snipers, 26 aircraft, armored vehicles, naval vessels return to mother units



A business decision to amend the Constitution
January 20, 2015

FURTHER OPENING the economy to foreign businesses, investments and products in the last 20 years has had its rewards. Telecommunications, banking and insurance, retail, energy et al. have all been “liberalized” in one form or another, and this has resulted in business expansion. Both production and consumption have gone up, leading to economic development and growth.

But, such move has also been at the expense of some local industries rendered uncompetitive. Trade liberalization has also resulted in what appears to be rampant smuggling or dumping. The lowering of trade barriers has prompted importations, and despite a drastic cut in tariffs, smuggling continues to be a problem.

At the retail level, the Philippines has become a shopping Mecca. The proliferation of foreign brands and products -- many manufactured in China or Vietnam or India -- has offered a sort of disincentive for Filipinos to shop abroad. Most everything can be bought here now, at competitive prices and in pesos.

Come now businessmen, local and foreign, reiterating their long-standing call for amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution. They claim these amendments are “critical for sustaining [economic] growth beyond 2016,” when the Second Aquino Administration ends its six-year term.

One news report quoted an official of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines as saying, “additional reforms... remain very important in the ‘last two minutes’ to sustain economic growth,” citing the urgency of “replacing equity restrictions [in the Constitution] with laws.”

Another businessman was quoted as saying that “the growth in the economy Malacañang is so proud of does not include the poor. We need a more open economy to do that. Opening the economy fully to FDI [Foreign Direct Investments] sends a strong signal to the world [that] this is a country with a truly level field open to all.”

To date, the administration’s legislative priorities reportedly include amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Road Right of Way (RRoW) laws; the Cabotage law; the rationalization of fiscal incentives; the rationalization of the mining fiscal regime; the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act; the Antitrust Act; the National Land Use Act; the Strategic Trade Management Act; and the Customs Modernization Act.

Not on the priority list, despite seemingly strong lobbying by influential businessmen, is a resolution filed by Speaker Sonny Belmonte in July 2013 that later became Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) Number 1. The House of Representatives requires at least a two-thirds vote from its members to pass that proposal, which will relax the 60-40 rule that limits foreign ownership in certain industries.

The Belmonte resolution proposes to add the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to the foreign ownership sections of the Constitution, particularly for land, public utilities, natural resources, and media and advertising. And this is precisely to allow future legislation -- rather than the Constitution -- to set foreign equity restrictions, if necessary.

As noted by Senate President Franklin Drilon to the media previously, “with the insertion of the phrase... in the pertinent provisions of the Constitution, we will be more flexible in crafting laws in light of the changing economic landscape. We support this approach in amending our economic policy.”

I support the proposed amendment, since we are practically moving toward it anyway. As things are, one need not look far to realize the extent that foreign businesses, investments and products have influenced the Philippine economy’s path and growth. And I truly believe there is not enough capital broadly owned locally to help grow the economy by leaps and bounds.

As the Foundation for Economic Freedom has noted in a previous statement, “It is a well-known fact that foreign companies already own and control media companies, telecoms and power distribution companies, despite the constitutional limitation on foreign ownership. Overall, the liberalization of foreign ownership restrictions will reduce the corruption of our institutions...”

One report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) noted that the Philippines has the most restrictive environment for foreign investments in Southeast Asia. OECD’s FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index indicates the Philippines as the most restrictive among 64 developed and developing countries across 22 sectors that include agriculture, mining, electricity, manufacturing, as well as “main services” like transport, construction, distribution, communications, real estate, financial and professional services.

The report deemed Singapore the most open to FDI in the region, while Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia come next. The Philippines and Vietnam have “less appeal to OECD investors,” while Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are likely to be export-oriented in the medium term given their vast wealth of mineral and water resources and a pool of relatively cheap labor.

The concern with the Belmonte proposal, however, is that it will place solely on Congress the burden of legislating new equity limits for foreign investments, and according to Guillermo M. Luz, National Competitiveness Council private sector co-chairman, “with all the bills they have to pass -- which are equally important -- then the amendments might take a long time to get passed.”

In a statement previously, the Foundation for Economic Freedom noted that the Belmonte proposal would help “promote inclusive growth and strengthen national security” and that it would ”provide the key to opening up areas of the economy to more foreign investments, thereby providing more competition, facilitating technology transfer, generating jobs, and improving consumer choice.

This was after noting that current economic growth “has not led to more jobs and reduced poverty,” since growth “has been primarily consumption-driven, not investment-driven.” The foundation also noted that “by increasing FDIs, the country will increase the economic interest of our friends and allies in the international community to maintain our territorial integrity and to uphold freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea.”

It added that “well-capitalized foreign companies can help modernize and provide competition in strategic sectors of the economy like seaports, airports, telecommunications, shipping, and air transport,” and that “the quality and quantity of bidders for PPP (Public-Private Partnerships) will dramatically improve.

As for concerns over further liberalization and lifting foreign ownership restrictions, the foundation noted that these could “be fully debated and addressed when the corresponding legislation is introduced in Congress” after the Belmonte proposal is passed.

Lifting foreign ownership restrictions can be complemented by a tax similar to that proposed in South Korea, where companies can be imposed a 10% levy on excessive cash piles. This is to prompt successful companies to spend more money on higher wages and new investments to aid the economy, rather than company owners keeping the cash for themselves.

Marvin Tort is a former Managing Editor of BusinessWorld, and former chariman of the Philippine Press Council.

BusinessWorld | A business decision to amend the Constitution

 

[Cossack25A1]

A business decision to amend the Constitution
January 20, 2015

View attachment 185318
FURTHER OPENING the economy to foreign businesses, investments and products in the last 20 years has had its rewards. Telecommunications, banking and insurance, retail, energy et al. have all been “liberalized” in one form or another, and this has resulted in business expansion. Both production and consumption have gone up, leading to economic development and growth.

But, such move has also been at the expense of some local industries rendered uncompetitive. Trade liberalization has also resulted in what appears to be rampant smuggling or dumping. The lowering of trade barriers has prompted importations, and despite a drastic cut in tariffs, smuggling continues to be a problem.

At the retail level, the Philippines has become a shopping Mecca. The proliferation of foreign brands and products -- many manufactured in China or Vietnam or India -- has offered a sort of disincentive for Filipinos to shop abroad. Most everything can be bought here now, at competitive prices and in pesos.

Come now businessmen, local and foreign, reiterating their long-standing call for amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution. They claim these amendments are “critical for sustaining [economic] growth beyond 2016,” when the Second Aquino Administration ends its six-year term.

One news report quoted an official of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines as saying, “additional reforms... remain very important in the ‘last two minutes’ to sustain economic growth,” citing the urgency of “replacing equity restrictions [in the Constitution] with laws.”

Another businessman was quoted as saying that “the growth in the economy Malacañang is so proud of does not include the poor. We need a more open economy to do that. Opening the economy fully to FDI [Foreign Direct Investments] sends a strong signal to the world [that] this is a country with a truly level field open to all.”

To date, the administration’s legislative priorities reportedly include amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Road Right of Way (RRoW) laws; the Cabotage law; the rationalization of fiscal incentives; the rationalization of the mining fiscal regime; the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act; the Antitrust Act; the National Land Use Act; the Strategic Trade Management Act; and the Customs Modernization Act.

Not on the priority list, despite seemingly strong lobbying by influential businessmen, is a resolution filed by Speaker Sonny Belmonte in July 2013 that later became Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) Number 1. The House of Representatives requires at least a two-thirds vote from its members to pass that proposal, which will relax the 60-40 rule that limits foreign ownership in certain industries.

The Belmonte resolution proposes to add the phrase “unless otherwise provided by law” to the foreign ownership sections of the Constitution, particularly for land, public utilities, natural resources, and media and advertising. And this is precisely to allow future legislation -- rather than the Constitution -- to set foreign equity restrictions, if necessary.

As noted by Senate President Franklin Drilon to the media previously, “with the insertion of the phrase... in the pertinent provisions of the Constitution, we will be more flexible in crafting laws in light of the changing economic landscape. We support this approach in amending our economic policy.”

I support the proposed amendment, since we are practically moving toward it anyway. As things are, one need not look far to realize the extent that foreign businesses, investments and products have influenced the Philippine economy’s path and growth. And I truly believe there is not enough capital broadly owned locally to help grow the economy by leaps and bounds.

As the Foundation for Economic Freedom has noted in a previous statement, “It is a well-known fact that foreign companies already own and control media companies, telecoms and power distribution companies, despite the constitutional limitation on foreign ownership. Overall, the liberalization of foreign ownership restrictions will reduce the corruption of our institutions...”

One report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) noted that the Philippines has the most restrictive environment for foreign investments in Southeast Asia. OECD’s FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index indicates the Philippines as the most restrictive among 64 developed and developing countries across 22 sectors that include agriculture, mining, electricity, manufacturing, as well as “main services” like transport, construction, distribution, communications, real estate, financial and professional services.

The report deemed Singapore the most open to FDI in the region, while Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia come next. The Philippines and Vietnam have “less appeal to OECD investors,” while Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are likely to be export-oriented in the medium term given their vast wealth of mineral and water resources and a pool of relatively cheap labor.

The concern with the Belmonte proposal, however, is that it will place solely on Congress the burden of legislating new equity limits for foreign investments, and according to Guillermo M. Luz, National Competitiveness Council private sector co-chairman, “with all the bills they have to pass -- which are equally important -- then the amendments might take a long time to get passed.”

In a statement previously, the Foundation for Economic Freedom noted that the Belmonte proposal would help “promote inclusive growth and strengthen national security” and that it would ”provide the key to opening up areas of the economy to more foreign investments, thereby providing more competition, facilitating technology transfer, generating jobs, and improving consumer choice.

This was after noting that current economic growth “has not led to more jobs and reduced poverty,” since growth “has been primarily consumption-driven, not investment-driven.” The foundation also noted that “by increasing FDIs, the country will increase the economic interest of our friends and allies in the international community to maintain our territorial integrity and to uphold freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea.”

It added that “well-capitalized foreign companies can help modernize and provide competition in strategic sectors of the economy like seaports, airports, telecommunications, shipping, and air transport,” and that “the quality and quantity of bidders for PPP (Public-Private Partnerships) will dramatically improve.

As for concerns over further liberalization and lifting foreign ownership restrictions, the foundation noted that these could “be fully debated and addressed when the corresponding legislation is introduced in Congress” after the Belmonte proposal is passed.

Lifting foreign ownership restrictions can be complemented by a tax similar to that proposed in South Korea, where companies can be imposed a 10% levy on excessive cash piles. This is to prompt successful companies to spend more money on higher wages and new investments to aid the economy, rather than company owners keeping the cash for themselves.

Marvin Tort is a former Managing Editor of BusinessWorld, and former chariman of the Philippine Press Council.

BusinessWorld | A business decision to amend the Constitution

This is bad news for Bob Ong and Fsjal, specially the former as he definitely hates the idea of removing the 60/40 Economic Restriction and would rather prefer that his oligarchy friends to continue dominating the Philippine economy and give low-quality services and keep decent jobs out of the common Filipino's reach and instead go out of the country to find them!

 

[Fsjal]

This is bad news for Bob Ong and Fsjal, specially the former as he definitely hates the idea of removing the 60/40 Economic Restriction and would rather prefer that his oligarchy friends to continue dominating the Philippine economy and give low-quality services and keep decent jobs out of the common Filipino's reach and instead go out of the country to find them!

Why should I care for the removal of the Economic Restriction? It's not like I'm living in the Philippines right now. Plus, economic liberalization is a good thing.

Explain why I would hate the removal?

Protip: You can't.

 

[Cossack25A1]

Why should I care for the removal of the Economic Restriction? It's not like I'm living in the Philippines right now. Plus, economic liberalization is a good thing.

Explain why I would hate the removal?

Protip: You can't.

Considering that you mentioned before that your family still have business here and you also mentioned before that you belong to the Tsinoy class, I am pretty sure that your company don't like competition from foreign firms.

 

[Bob Ong]

This is bad news for Bob Ong and Fsjal, specially the former as he definitely hates the idea of removing the 60/40 Economic Restriction and would rather prefer that his oligarchy friends to continue dominating the Philippine economy and give low-quality services and keep decent jobs out of the common Filipino's reach and instead go out of the country to find them!

LOL you really spilled your ignorant, uneducated mind here. Obviously you hate tsinoys because we have work habits and innovativeness.

Well what I'm just trying to point out regarding 60/40 restrictions are the uncertainties that will be created by opening up our country to foreign investors...it should be first studied and create a check and balance regulations that will ensure its good objectives are met. Certain scenarios that will hurt the local industry from the entry of foreign investors should be determined first so that mechanisms are prepared before allowing the entry of foreign investors. I also believe that determining which industry should foreign investors be allowed is a starting point for the analysis before creating a law that generally encompass all industries. Foreign investors entry should be allowed at a proper time and place they are needed most for the benefit of the local labor and industry.

Besides the problem isn't really the 60/40 restrictions but bureaucratic red tape and extreme graft and corruption in the government. Anyway most Filipinos belong to the agricultural sector. The government should focus on this sector if it wants to curb the problem of high unemployment.

Considering that you mentioned before that your family still have business here and you also mentioned before that you belong to the Tsinoy class, I am pretty sure that your company don't like competition from foreign firms.

Competition is good besides who has more money to invest in the country? it's us!

Fact! No conclusive study saying that removing economic protectionism leads to more investments. Some Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam restrict foreign ownership too in some of their industries yet they receive higher FDIs than us.

 

[Cossack25A1]

LOL you really spilled your ignorant, uneducated mind here. Obviously you hate tsinoys because we have work habits and innovativeness.

Well what I'm just trying to point out regarding 60/40 restrictions are the uncertainties that will be created by opening up our country to foreign investors...it should be first studied and create a check and balance regulations that will ensure its good objectives are met. Certain scenarios that will hurt the local industry from the entry of foreign investors should be determined first so that mechanisms are prepared before allowing the entry of foreign investors. I also believe that determining which industry should foreign investors be allowed is a starting point for the analysis before creating a law that generally encompass all industries. Foreign investors entry should be allowed at a proper time and place they are needed most for the benefit of the local labor and industry.

Besides the problem isn't really the 60/40 restrictions but bureaucratic red tape and extreme graft and corruption in the government. Anyway most Filipinos belong to the agricultural sector. The government should focus on this sector if it wants to curb the problem of high unemployment.

Oh no, I am not ignorant and uneducated unlike you who have been blinded. So I guess it is okay for local Tsinoy companies to hire people for the first 5-months then terminate them?

Your quote here completely reveals that you are in favor of economic restrictions. Even if those graft and corruption, red tapes and kickbacks are eliminated, if there are still restriction in this country, most foreign investor would never even invest here because of its restrictive rules. From the 60s when the "Filipino First Policy" was enforced up to now, did it do anything good to the country? Did it retained the country's status as second richest country in Asia which at those time is tied with the Americans? No and instead that policy became inward and took advantage by the local Tsinoy oligarchy,

It is because of this so-called Filipino First Policy became part of the reason why there are few to almost no foreign direct investments in this country; the Tsinoy oligarchy and the media they control always spews information that FDI are evil and relaxing and removal of the restriction is also evil.

I guess you really never get the idea why the 60/40 Economic Restriction should be axed. I guess you would prefer Filipinos to get out of the Philippine Islands and seek work outside the country while leaving their family behind, destroying the basic family foundation of the common Filipino while the Tsinoy are living happily ever after.

If you think the OFW system is better then you are a FOOL because this is how I see your reply.

Competition is good besides who has more money to invest in the country? it's us!

Fact! No conclusive study saying that removing economic protectionism leads to more investments. Some Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam restrict foreign ownership too in some of their industries yet they receive higher FDIs than us.

Yeah, and once the jobs and better services created by FDI appear here in the Philippines, how long can the Tsinoy-dominated oligarchy can hold maintain their wealth once the common Filipino take jobs these FDI bring and give better services. It is no wonder why Philippines has the slowest Internet service in this region - the service and infrastructure are limited because these are no competition from foreign companies, only local companies owned by the oligarchs that is composed of Tsinoys who only care about profits.

 

[Fsjal]

Considering that you mentioned before that your family still have business here and you also mentioned before that you belong to the Tsinoy class, I am pretty sure that your company don't like competition from foreign firms.

Well, my grandfather's company is an insurance company, and I don't think foreign insurance companies do business in other nations. So, I doubt if my grandfather's company will have competition, and plus, he's close to retiring.

Also, if you want to remove the Tsinoy oligarch system, you just simply stand up against it, rather than simply sitting down and typing on the keyboard. Marcos himself was Tsinoy and people overthrew him because of corruption, embezzlement, etc. That was back then, and now, many non-Tsinoy Filipinos are just simply complaining. Surprisingly, many Filipino businessmen are Tsinoy, and I don't remember hearing a successfull Filipino businessman who isn't Tsinoy.

It's either that Tsinoys are the only Filipinos who are interested in business, or that Filipinos who are not Tsinoy can't get success due to the oligarchs, but still, it's better to fight than to back down.

Also:

"While anti-Chinese sentiments were toned down, crimes against the Chinese Filipinos, particularly kidnapping, further blossomed throughout the presidencies of Fidel Ramos (1992–1998), and Joseph Estrada (1998–2000). The police remained unsympathetic to the Chinese Filipinos, while many government officials were found to be accomplices. The combination of these factors led many Chinese Filipinos to emigrate back to China, or to either Canada or the United States."

Many Tsinoys can just simply move to the West.

 

[Cossack25A1]

Well, my grandfather's company is an insurance company, and I don't think foreign insurance companies do business in other nations. So, I doubt if my grandfather's company will have competition, and plus, he's close to retiring.

Also, if you want to remove the Tsinoy oligarch system, you just simply stand up against it, rather than simply sitting down and typing on the keyboard. Marcos himself was Tsinoy and people overthrew him because of corruption, embezzlement, etc. That was back then, and now, many non-Tsinoy Filipinos are just simply complaining. Surprisingly, many Filipino businessmen are Tsinoy, and I don't remember hearing a successfull Filipino businessman who isn't Tsinoy.

It's either that Tsinoys are the only Filipinos who are interested in business, or that Filipinos who are not Tsinoy can't get success due to the oligarchs, but still, it's better to fight than to back down.

Also:

"While anti-Chinese sentiments were toned down, crimes against the Chinese Filipinos, particularly kidnapping, further blossomed throughout the presidencies of Fidel Ramos (1992–1998), and Joseph Estrada (1998–2000). The police remained unsympathetic to the Chinese Filipinos, while many government officials were found to be accomplices. The combination of these factors led many Chinese Filipinos to emigrate back to China, or to either Canada or the United States."

Many Tsinoys can just simply move to the West.

We are not barbaric savages as you want us to be; the way you said to simply stand up against it implies that you want us to open revolt. Conflicts today are now done through information here and the best way is through the Internet were the government and the oligarchy cannot control us. And even if we go out to stand up, thanks to your Tsinoy-controlled media, no one dares because they have been brainwashed!

And your line "Surprisingly, many Filipino businessmen are Tsinoy, and I don't remember hearing a successfull Filipino businessman who isn't Tsinoy" reeks of arrogance because YOUR LOT NEVER GAVE THE COMMON FILIPINO THE CHANCE! Your lot put the restriction in the economy so that only the Tsinoys would benefit. Did that restriction even did good to the country? Hell even if you remove the corruption and red tapes, it is still a crappy world because no new jobs are created and instead your lot wants common Filipinos to move out and be slaves to other country because the FDI that are supposed to come here are restricted and no jobs are created, leading many to drop out of school because they can no longer pay the tuition fees and preventing everyone to be knowledgeable and be business minded, family structure is broken and everyone becomes an a-hole while the Tsinoys are living happily ever after here and abroad.

But since you are a Tsinoy living in Australia, I really doubt you know anything about the Philippines.

It's no wonder why Rizal said the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow, because ironically one of the slaves did become the tyrants - the Tsinoy became the upper class, oligarchs and even ruling class of this country when the Philippines became independent.