Senator Dismayed Over Philippine Foreign Policy

Sun Star Manila

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

THE Philippine government should not be afraid to assert its position over the disputed Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine Sea, as China continues to show its force in the area it refers to as the South China Sea, a senator said on Wednesday.

Speaking in a roundtable discussion on strengthening the domestic economy amid global and local crises organized by the National Economic Protectionism Association (Nepa), Senator Manuel Villar said the Philippines currently has a “foreign policy of fear”.

“Napakaduwag ng ating bansa…para bang pag may nagalit sa atin na bansa, tayo ay nagpapanic agad at nahihiya at humihingi ng dispensa,” Villar remarked.

He said for a country scarce with resources to address territorial security, dealing with China over the Spratlys dispute should not always be based on “show of force”.

“Kailangan lang maliwanag ang mensahe kasi minsan yung ating mga ibang departamento, tulad ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), alam ko takot na takot sila ngayon,” the senator stressed.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is scheduled to meet with the chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China this week.

The Speaker’s delegation, which left Wednesday night, includes Representatives Victor Ortega (La Union), Elpidio Barzaga (Cavite), Jose Zubiri III (Bukidnon) and Tomas Apacible (Batangas).

Belmonte said “if the occasion arises”, he will reiterate the position of the Philippine government on the dispute over the Spratly islands.

The meeting will be held in Beijing and the Speaker’s delegation is expected to be back on June 28.

Another member of the House of Representatives believes that the Philippines can better defend itself from intrusions if every Filipino will be armed; this, despite efforts of the administration to dismantle private armies in the country.

“Kung gusto tayo pasukin ng ating neighbors napakadali, we are a very poor country. Wala tayong kakayahaang protektahan ang sarili natin. Maliban lang po kung i-engage ng pamahalaan ang bawat Pilipino at bigyan ng armas para sa ganoon ma-protect natin ang ating territory,” Cagayan Representative Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. told reporters in a press conference.

Enrile, however, admitted that the only thing left to do for the government is to exhaust all means for an amicable settlement on the Spratlys row.

He said politicians should stop issuing comments on the issue which will only add to the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea.

“Let s allow the DFA to negotiate, pero marami tayong nakikita sa telebisyon at napapakinggan sa radyo na tila yata gusto ring madinig ang kanilang boses. Nagkakaroon ng mixed messaging kung inatasan na ang DFA na bilang tagapagsalita, sila lang ang dapat na magsalita. Tumahimik na dapat po kami,” Enrile stressed. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)

Open Skies Policy opposed

By MARVYN N. BENANING

Manila Bulletin

April 19, 2011, 11:02pm

MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic Protectionism Association (NEPA) is backing the growing opposition to the open skies policy of the Aquino administration, saying it would only lead to destroying the country’s flag carriers.

NEPA President Bayan de la Cruz described as “ill-thought and badly-motivated executive order on open skies shoots the lights out of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific.”

De la Cruz welcomed the opposition to the new policy, which had been advocated by Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim for decades and opposed by tourism industry leaders who want reciprocity.

He added that NEPA welcomes the position of Lance Gokongwei on the matter and scores the absence of any consideration for the interest of local carriers.

“As correctly pointed out, Aquino’s executive order opens the country’s skies without any measure of reciprocal gesture from foreign countries,” De la Cruz explained.

Established in 1934, NEPA had long advocated the protection and promotion of local industries so that they can compete in the national economy and even venture internationally.

“Unfortunately, neo-liberal policies had already virtually wiped out the country’s industrial, manufacturing, and agricultural sectors. The Aquino administration’s open skies policy, among other ill-advised programs, will severely damage what remains of the service sector,” De la Cruz warned.

“Gokongwei stressed that what they are seeking is equal, and not favorable, treatment. NEPA, too, does not advocate protectionism if it means protection of monopolies like the Philippine Airlines during the Marcos years,” he added.

“It must be pointed out, however, that a level playing field is illusory in the airline business if one takes into consideration that the United States (and France) have a virtual monopoly in the production, sales and rental of aircraft in this part of the world,” De la Cruz argued.

“Moreover, the US and French government extend strong support for their airline and aircraft business – cajoling and bullying other countries to expand their markets and maintain their duopoly. It is strange why the Aquino government acts with unctuous servility to US and French interests,” the NEPA leader lamented.

“The reality of globalization is an inescapable fact of our economic and business life. However, globalization does not mean the lack of protection of local industries. Up till now, the present administration has shown a remarkable penchant for promoting foreign interests to the detriment of our own,” De la Cruz bewailed.

“We need more Gokongweis speaking out in behalf of Filipino businessmen and genuine Filipino interests. Most other business groups and businessmen sound and act like lobbyists for foreign interest. Kudos Lance!” he concluded.

by Robert Ticzon

Remate

Jul 20, 2011 4:52pm HKT

WALANG bagong mapakikinggan sa ikalawang State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III sa Lunes.

Ito ang pagtanaw ng isang organisasyon na binubuo ng mga Pilipinong mangangalakal at negosyante, gayundin ng mga kilalang ekonomista sa bansa.

Ayon kay National Economic Protectionism Association (NEPA) director Dr. Rene Ofreneo, isa sa indikasyon na hindi maganda ang magiging laman ng SONA ni Pangulong Aquino ay ang “kinopya”  lamang na 2011-2016 Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) ng kanyang administrasyon.

Nakatakda umanong talakayin ng Pangulo ang kanyang MTPDP sa SONA na ihahayag niya sa harap ng dalawang kapulungan ng Kongreso – ang Senado at Kamara de Representantes.

Sinabi ni Ofreneo na pare-pareho lamang ang polisiyang pang-ekonomiya ng lahat ng mga naging Pangulo sa loob ng 40 taon at binalangkas ito ng mga bureaucrat mula sa National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) kaya lahat ito ay palpak.

“Without exception, all development plans since 1972 have featured a labor-intensive export orientation, and 40-years of failure is enough,” ani Ofreneo na binatikos pa si NEDA Director-General Carlos Paderanga na isa umano sa utak ng MTPDP.

Samantala, kung hindi natutuwa si Ofreneo sa NEDA, hindi rin nagugustuhan ni NEPA chairman emeritus Salvador M. Enriquez ang performance ng Gabinete ni P-Noy lalo na sa implementasyon ng Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT).

Para naman kay NEPA president Bayan dela Cruz, kailangan ding ikonsidera ang pagbibigay ng exemption sa buwis sa mga maliliit na negosyanteng Pilipino upang ang matitipid nila sa pagbabayad ng tax ay maibigay nila bilang dagdag-pasahod sa kanilang manggagawa.

Aniya, sapagkat nahihirapang makaagapay ang mga Pilipinong negosyante sa pamamayagpag ng malalaking multi-national companies sa lokal nating merkado, hindi nila maibigay ang nararapat na insentibo at pasahod para sa kanilang manggagawa.