Should the Philippines deal with Russia?
Analysis and Opinion
By JoeAm
Philippine President Marcos was interviewed by Bloomberg during his visit to New York. He said the Philippines was looking at dealing with Russia to help solve pressing energy and food needs. He said the domestic needs for these essentials were more important than the political engagement between Russia and Ukraine.
The comment was surprising considering that President Marcos had just met with US President Biden at the UN and had stated the US is an ally and friend to the US. Biden is leading the allied backing of Ukraine.
One gets the impression that the alliance is a one-way opportunity for President Marcos to get stuff, but he doesn’t have to give anything. Strange concept of togetherness, but not unusual for a man who has spent a lifetime getting things. Spoiled as it were. And the Marcos family leads the nation in that characteristic, I fear.
Then there is the odd seeing of Putin’s war as political, as if it were a democratic event, you know, two sides debating. As if China invading the Philippines would be simply political. It’s not. Putin’s war is a hostile attack by Russia on a sovereign state, brutal, cruel, violating international law and human rights.
One also gets the idea that maybe President Marcos does not grasp, or find any passion at all, in the idea of human rights violations and that’s a bit unnerving. Does he know of the bombing of civilians, the executions and mass graves, the rapes and torture, the pillaging?
He wants to start his legacy as an enabler of all that?
Finally, what exactly is the energy and food emergency? Scale it. Black outs, brown outs, or price increases? How big? No rice, no potatoes, no pork, no lima beans, or just more expensive food? How much more expensive? There have been food shortages but they seem to be predominantly caused by Philippine regulatory mismanagement. So we have to help kill Ukrainians because Philippine government is corrupt and incompetent?
I think this is a wholly bad idea, this dealing with Russia.
It’s bad for the nation to step away from the principles of alliance, the nation’s shared interest and security with Europe and the US.
It’s bad for President Marcos as it is not a path to unity. It confirms the worst of what critics are saying about him. Spoiled. Self dealing. And even brutal.
He needs to suck it up and find alternative sources.
By the way, do Russian sellers pay commissions? Is that why his agencies want to deal there?
He’s Secretary of Agriculture. What are we to think?
_______________
Photo from Reuters: Ukraine removes bodies buried by Russians in a mass grave. Ukraine prepares war crimes charges against Russian military personnel, including pilots
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
No or we face sanctions
True. Thanks for adding that critical point.
Welcome, let us see how this game proceeds
for example. https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/fearing-us-sanctions-philippines-scraps-russian-helicopter-deal/
Right. I suppose food products might not be sanctioned, but I think gas and oil are. Just guessing. I don’t work too hard on Sundays. 😁😁😁
🙂 🙂 🙂
Ukraine can also provide grain, as there is a deal with Russia, brokered by Turkey, to allow freighters to load and transport Ukrainian grain.
The Philippines has a fatal tendency to ignore potential partners just because they aren’t “big enough”, a habit born out of centuries of subservience to whoever was the most powerful master at the time. Sometimes even switching masters at a flick of a finger as happened between 1942 and 1944, opportunism born out of a learned helplessness and also “pimping” (c) Micha.
Ukraine provides the grain needs of the entire world, why ignore them PH???
Because a common toxic Pinoy mentality is “Doon tayo sa malakas kumapit huwag sa mahihina at talunan” that is applied both at home and abroad.
Oo nga e
oh my goodness! pbbm sounded the death knell of his 6days visit to USA. he was there trying to entice business leaders as well as investors to invest in our country, then he turns around and pivots towards russia!
It wont be surprising if the investors he tried hard to woo will give him the flick! why would they invest here when we dont buy products from their own country? porbida! pbbm could at least buy oil and grains from US allies like canada, australia, south korea, etc. but russia!
pbbm’s business outlook must be terribly skewed!
This is always more than meets the eye. The bloomberg article even mentioned the political complications of the matter.
his political bone ay siguro hindi pa buo at missing in action, lol! sus maria! presently, we buy oil from saudi arabia, kuwai, united arab emirates at saka china. for pbbm to suddenly buy oil from russia without batting an eye! aba, pimentel sr once said we have no mechanism to buy oil from russia. maliban lang kung gusto talaga niyang happy ang china, our country buying oil from its staunchest supporter: putin given gift.
so between china and russia plying their business here, crime in our streets is likely to double: chinese kidnappings and russian scams, chinese thugs and russian mafia in our midst! what a scenario!
ay naku, he wants to play with the bigger boys, so wanting to be noticed and rocking the boat siya, independent minded kuno, lol! I hope he is ready for the aftermath of his own independent mindedness!
Russian mafia the silent syndicate here.
Re: Russian Mafia. What could have changed since 2001.
https://www.philstar.com/metro/2001/07/21/86914/bi-warned-145russian-mafia-invasion146
Remember the Euro Generals?
https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/10/23/08/pnp-violated-govt-rules-sending-generals-russia%E2%80%94senators
Ambassador LCX Please tell the Russians to keep off our Police Generals!
“Asked whether Dela Paz is liable for money laundering, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor Diwa Gunigundo said, “As far as I can gather, we need to establish predicate of the crime.”
Gunigundo said the common crimes linked with money laundering are drug trading and gambling.
Controversy broke out when Russian authorites held Dela Paz for nine days for carrying an undeclared P6.9-million worth of euros in the Moscow airport. International rules require that cash amounting to more than US$10,000 or about half a million pesos needs to be declared.
Dela Paz defended himself saying that the money was meant as a “contingency fund” for the police generals who attended the international conference. National Police Commission vice chairman Eduardo Escuedo denied knowing anything about the contigency fund, however.
Department of Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya said there is not such a thing as “contingency fund” in the PNP budget. Although he said the police may be using their own language.
It remains unclear where the money came from. Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary only approved the release of P2.3 million for the trip. ”
————–
They were there for Interpol junket, they brought too much money, I’m sure to pay Russian whores, karl.
Internal Filipino issue only. Unless they were recruited by Russians to spy for them requires different se t of proofs, but similar junkets to Quantico FBI HQ happen all the time too.
Simple embezzlement.
Not within your jurisdiction???
Ambassadors only handle int’l crimes, karl.
Understood.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks, Joe.
But BBM knows how to play the game. He’s read Micha.
Haha, what happened to his partner, ally, and friend? Couldn’t they spare him some oil, food, and gas?
The atmosphere in this arrival statement is rather weird – cabinet member audience looked more glum and depressed instead of ecstatic and triumphalist considering how it was supposed to be a homerun. Looks more like he’s trying very hard to cheerlead a team that had just lost by more than 25 points.
He had a good trip then demolished the good will with his Russian deal. Thanks for providing the link. I viewed a minute then felt I was being gamed, and left.
“Does he know of the bombing of civilians, the executions and mass graves, the rapes and torture, the pillaging?
He wants to start his legacy as an enabler of all that?”
Does he know what his father’s troops did to Muslim Filipinos, 48 years and a day ago?
“‘PALIMBANG MASSACRE’
ON THIS DAY in 1974, more than 1,500 women, men, and children were butchered by the 15th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army at the coastal community of Malisbong in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.”
We know his resistance to BBL back in 2015. I was a bit surprised that thanks to Inday Sara, he got a lot of votes in Muslim Mindanao this year. That he lost to Leni Robredo in 2016, that he got NO votes in some parts of Bangsamoro, could have been due to his father’s “legacy” there..
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02bamn8De7ULit5GvNTbf91D8oGGjogQLqS3uyELFcUNqkigLrsRhtpt1xG3dkkyd9l&id=100063499729038
More on that, Twitter thread:
(We had nearly NO news of stuff outside Luzon in those days BTW)
https://www.academia.edu/82305660/The_Philippines_and_Russia?email_work_card=view-paper based on this source Prof. Clarita Carlos already advocated exactly what Marcos Jr. Is doing now:
“..on June 10th, as reported by ANC Digital, Prof Carlos speaking asthe incoming NSA stated the following remarkable pronouncement:’We will take a neutral stance. That is what we did from the beginning, and wehave a robust relationship with Russia, and Russia might be able to supply us with much needed oil and gas. Russia is there and they are also pivoting to our area. We should take advantage of that.’..
..Then, a couple of day later, after that “historic” statement from the incoming NSA, the Russian envoy, Ambassador Marat Pavlov paid a courtesy visit to the President-Elect to convey various messages such as the congratulations fromPresident Putin and his countries’ readiness “’to increase our collaboration.’
And as far as I understand, the president-elect has also confirmed the same intention of the Philippine side (and he) would like to continue his independent(foreign) policy and to cooperate with the Russian Federation. Further, it was also reported that, ‘during the meeting, we discussed these areas of cooperation and we found out that in this turbulent period of our life, the Russian Federation could extend its hand to help the Philippines in much needed oil, gas and other sources of energy’…”
Also an important info is that it was Marcos Sr. who first established diplomatic relations with the Eastern bloc, including East Germany and Russia, with Romania and Ceausescu as one very notable partner there. Let’s see what big picture crystallizes after some time on all this.
Thanks for the terrific backgrounding, Irineo. My questions would be what products, what amounts, what price, what alternative markets, what middlemen, and are any of the products sanctioned by the US. Mainstream media should provide this information.
ah, parang lobbyist si carlos and agenting for russia, smoothing the path for the russian envoy to enter!
international trade talks – isn’t that the domain of dept of trade and foreign affairs? for national sec adviser to be talking international trade, isn’t carlos mayhap out of line and punching above her weight?
as security adviser, carlos ought to be looking at threats to our national security and god knows we have plenty threats like redtagging of citizens; this business with russia, where is the threat there that carlos must step in?
Russia is doing the game of thrones theme to Europe, winter is indeed coming. Germany only three nuclear plants left and can not activate them fast enough even if they wanted to. If Germany is in trouble then so goes the rest of Europe,
Isar 2 just north of Munich is still running. The only thing not possible is standby operation after shut down. The operator firm has said the only option is not to shut down at all by end of December as originally planned.
Don’t know the exact status of Neckarwestheim which is in “Mercedes and Porsche country” (Bavaria is “BMW and Audi country”) but it is definitely still running and the third plant can be shut down according to simulation.
A lot of coal fired plants will go on maximum capacity this winter, that’s for sure. Lots of homeowners especially in Bavaria where 10% of homes still can burn wood for heating have stocked up on wood so prices have gone up the roof.
We also have a Euro that is at its lowest compared to the dollar. An effect is lots of Americans at this year’s Oktoberfest, the first since 2019. Their dollars go a long way over here.
France has a lot of nuclear plants and will run them full blast.
Cities in Germany have turned off unneeded nighttime illumination of important buildings and monuments. Munich has suspended operation of saunas in its municipal baths. Public buildings are setting their thermostats some degrees colder and turning off warm water etc.
Thanks for the needed correction I remember you telling us that hoarding firewood is now the norm. No more night life? LCX might scrap his visit hehehe
We’ll see next Octoberfest, if Germany and W. Europe is still around, karl. I’m not a fan of radioactive dust, or radioactive anything really.
Boom!
Municipal saunas in Munich are real spas, not spakols. 😁
That was intended as an answer to Karl’s posting on nightlife above.
Hahaha
Red light business is known to make a lot of money during Oktoberfest with drunk, horny men. Of course they are still there / back, so is the normal night life meaning bars and discos.
Plus after the Oktoberfest there are two major trade fairs coming up – the Expo Real with international real estate brokers loaded with $$$€€€ then Bauma with all kinds of construction machines and well a lot of “rugged” male visitors who might go for some nights out after looking at all kinds of machinery during the day. Including the huge kind known to be used in excavation and mining. I still recall how I spent hours in the trade fair hall full of Caterpillar machines in 2019, and was vaccinated against Covid in the same exact hall last year..
Cool!
I remember the violent reaction of Juan to my poo pooing the Friend to all and enemy to none diplomatic BS of Duterte and possibly Marcos Jr. You know it was a half joke Juan, if Marcos Jr. can do that with finesse and discretion combined then all is well. But if he will present himself as someone playing games then that is not good at all.
“Friend to all and enemy to none…” – Karl
– – – – – –
I think, as a weak and small country, we’ll never get out of that stand that we took as a policy with regard to the conduct of our foreign relations.
The more friends, the merrier; the more allies, the more assistance available. So long as we don’t put a price tag on our relations or compromise our independence, continuing and improving our relationship with Russia makes perfect sense.
Thank you for that objective comment. I guess my point of fear of sanctions was misplaced, but we should not also be numb to the fact that Russia has been the aggressor here and not Ukraine. Ukraine can feed us more than Russia, but the energy supplies of Russia can not be ignored but we must not also ignore the parameters of the sanctions imposed on Russia. Food and Commodities ok beyond that, no bueno.
parang perya, tayo ang pinagfe-fiesta-han, lol! methink, independence is mostly good if we are like independent state switzerland, strong and able to police and enforced its own border. tayo, we are being pulled in many directions, friend to all kasi, enemy of none kuno. kaso enemies are already here and roaming our streets, chinese mainlanders labas pasok na bringing with them troubles from their own country, our kapolisan hard pressed to clean up after the them, keeping law and order.
friends to all, talaga? the way we repudiate our good friends and seemingly losing them, we are fast turning to be haven for international criminals, money launderers, enemies of state and big time scammers. come one, come all, friend to all baga, and enemies of none, lol!
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/06/fact-sheet-united-states-g7-and-eu-impose-severe-and-immediate-costs-on-russia/
Commitment to supporting sectors essential to humanitarian activities. As we continue escalating our sanctions and other economic measures against Russia for its brutal war against Ukraine, we reiterate our commitment to exempting essential humanitarian and related activities that benefit the Russian people and people around the world: ensuring the availability of basic foodstuffs and agricultural commodities, safeguarding access to medicine and medical devices, and enabling telecommunications services to support the flow of information and access to the internet which provides outside perspectives to the Russian people. These activities are not the target of our efforts, and U.S. and Western companies can continue to operate in these sectors in Russia. When necessary, relevant departments and agencies will issue appropriate exemptions and carveouts to ensure such activity is not disrupted.
===
This is for Russians not to starve to death, and the world not to starve along with them.
@Joe,
For food supplies and commodities the sanctioning bodies allowed Russia to continue supplying the world? Did I read that correct?
It would not surprise me, but I don’t know. I just think of the major US companies like coca cola, mcdonalds, etc, who gave up millions, and Europe getting gas cut off, and the Philippines sees it as political. I’m gobsmacked. Or naive as Carlo thinks.
Thanks Joe. No you are not naive. No way
In light of RU-UA war, what happened to western brands in Russia?
McDonald’s was bought by a Siberian investor and rebranded. It has an option to buy back the brick and mortar outlets in 15 years. No french fries because of potato shortage.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/12/whats-in-a-name-russia-rebrands-mcdonalds-restaurant-chain
It lost 3% in net sales from the RU-UA war but gained 9.7% in global sales.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/26/mcdonalds-mcd-q2-2022-earnings-.html
There are ongoing court cases on the “Russification” of western brands by savvy Russians.
“Moscow entrepreneurs Alexander Gershtein and Vadim Ryabchenko, who own a bandage and medical materials manufacturing business, applied for around 20 trademarks including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Mercedes Benz and P&G’s Pampers diaper brand. ”
https://news.yahoo.com/coca-cola-mcdonalds-left-russia-101415856.html
Russia will be a pariah state for decades. Those pirated trade marks, for instance, will have to be dissolved. Putin is the biggest screw-up for a nation since, well, Brexit. haha
ps, three links kicks a post into moderation.
@Karl
Technically yes, the language of the sanctioning party has that provision, but taken in the wider context that there’s also at the same time sanctions in place against Russian banks and financial institutions, the transaction on the payment side cannot be completed.
In effect what that provision really entails is that the sanctioning party can grab Russian wheat, fertilizer, and oil without paying for it.
They’ve also frozen Russian assets (dollars and gold ) deposited in foreign banks. Frozen is a euphemism for stealing because it’s unlikely they’ll ever going to return or unfreeze those.
Many many thanks for thar Micha.
Slightly OT, Marcos Jr. has a spliced video that makes it look as if he was talking to a full UN General Assembly. Good many already know it isn’t true.
And the difference between what Marcos Jr. and Atty. Leni post when there is a major storm happening.
One fixated on image the other on work.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0PMEdWi2XHWBKkKBNbYFWWjKKUXm2nHU6UBkd4YunFiUc9K3KYWbEQfdq1mnWeYhyl&id=1959704394136944
about the splice video, may hiya pala siya, lol! at nagnakaw ng audience. dapat standing ovation din ang ninakaw, dyahi naman kung nakaupo lang yong audience, at yong delegate lang niya ang nagpalakpakan.
The purpose of spending people’s tax money to participate in global assemblies is to “read the room.” There will be plenty of “tell” about the prevailing beliefs that could guide global leaders’ diplomatic/foreign policies: a packed room, standing ovations , body language, hard-hitting speeches, etc.
I’d say if UNGA participants were asked the question posed in this article, plenty would say NO.
“I want to thank the 101 countries that voted for my video address to take place. It was a vote not only about the format. It was the vote about principles. Only seven countries voted against: Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria,” Zelenskyy said. “Seven. Seven who are afraid of the video address. Seven who respond to principles with a red button. Only seven. One hundred and one — and seven.”
(There were also 19 abstentions.)
“Those who speak of neutrality, when human values and peace are under attack, mean something else. They talk about indifference — everyone for themselves.” ~ Zelensky, UNGA 11/2022 speech
https://news.yahoo.com/full-speech-zelensky-tells-un-222735048.html
The headline: Full speech: Zelensky tells UN Ukraine is ready for ‘true, honest and fair peace’
I hope all of these will end soon. Not like the Arab wars which are the true forever wars that existed pre-biblical times.
As the comic Asterix and the Black Gold clearly illustrates.
Absolutely!
Hitties sounds like Houthies.
Yes they would say no. And President Zelensky, the courage of the western world, would look the yes people directly in the eye and just stare. And their stomach acid would leak from their bodies and eat them alive.
My reading for the glum faces of cabinet members who were part of the New York entourage during the arrival ceremonies of King Ferdinand II is that they were under strict orders to secure from those Mericans at least one or two Memorandum of Agreement/Understanding that he could brandish upon arrival to our impressionable kababayans. It was supposed to be a homerun. FDI commitments left and right. Investments, investments, and more investments.
Failing to get any, they got a drubbing from His Excellency.
Hence, the morose cheerless faces.
That also plausibly explains why on the last day of his visit, he gave that Bloomberg interview hinting at his openness to acquire oil from Russia instead – ostensibly to spite those unresponsive Americans.
aba, his mother and putin would be like a house in fire, lol!
Really, literature may be your calling, Micha. Gosh, with you and kasambahay penning these wonderfully descriptive missives, I might have to reorient the blog. Why, we all know LCX can do fiction. 😂🤣😂
LOL! but seriously, this is the next step…
https://www.lamina1.com
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That’s how the Marcoses operate. Mom and dad used to do it too when they went on foreign trips – projection of power and importance by having formal departure and arrival ceremonies and bragging how successful the royal trip was by announcing they’ve managed to secure either approval of new foreign loans or securing agreement from Khadaffi, Ronald Reagan, or the Shah of Iran.
Mom must have dictated the script to Junior : impress them with your oratorical skills and bring in the goods – anything you could brag or boast that will cement people’s paghanga to your leadership.
This time though he got nothing. Bokya is the Filipino word. No commitment from JB or Cargill or the World Bank for new investment and loan facility. They knew he’s the dictator’s son and propping him up is bad PR for them.
There was also that little sit in protest at the Asia Society venue, so overall it was not a morale boosting trip for Ferdinand Junior.
It does all seem a show, lots of sizzle, no bacon yet.
bacon can come later, had pbbm played his part well and held off touting the russian deal even though he was already considering it.
after personally thanking US investors for seeing him, pbbm ought to follow up with cold calls before investors forget about him.
hello, johny whathisname, this is pres marcos of the philippines, we met two weeks ago, and how are you?
pbbm has to show how sincerity and would be honored to have their business in philippines, and looking forward to seeing them again, here.
if he doesn’t succeed 1st time, he could try again.
oh, and it’s best if he does the calling, not let his servants do it.
Good assessment, good resolution. Step back, aim for consistency, try again.
@Joe:
Your view on diplomacy and geopolitics is quite myopic. If all the world’s countries have the same way of thinking as you are, then the whole world would be in chaos.
The big reasons why Russia invaded Ukraine it’s because Russia wanted a buffer-state to protect themselves against the West by land and sea and also they want a warm-water port at the Black Sea since many of Russia’s ports are unusable in the winter months.
Also, China’s main reason why they build a lot of artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea is because they want to avoid the US and its allies to blockade the Straight of Malacca, the world’s busiest chokepoint.
China might convince the next monarch or PM of Thailand to build that canal to bypass the Malacca Straight and straight to the Indian Ocean.
For a shortcut to the Pacific, they might find a way to the Visayas then another canal cutting through Quezon.
I see. So you’d just ignore the war, it’s political, and deal with Russia, no problem?
he is mayhap, terribly myopic, lol!
Putin is asking Ukraine to cede her sovereignty over Donbas . It’s like the BARM being supervised by Malaysia.
Minsk-2 Agreement .
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2020/05/minsk-conundrum-western-policy-and-russias-war-eastern-ukraine-0/minsk-2-agreement
As for the wisdom of the non-aligned strategy, plenty of non-aligns during the Cold War, it worked out for them in the long run. So it can work out for PBBM now, the challege is to
divine which sides gonna win and balance.
PBBM can play with Russia precisely because the Philippines is in Asia, meaning USA has to consider PBBM’s stance with China too, which means USA can overlook Russian-Philippine dealings, and karl’s correct above
if Russian resources cannot be provided for by USA or others, then they’ll allow it, no sanctions, especially since China can simply play the middleman in all this, and Philippines
still gets oil/gas. food stuff though USA can provide that. PBBM is right to juggle, only question is if he’s good at it.
Geez, I wish the world were as simple as you make it in your mind.
The simple part is in knowing that you’re a 3rd world country. the not so simple part, Joe, is figure out how to play that role. cuz America could really care less. it has interests, now its interested because of China, but the reason theres Chinese islands there in the South China Sea is precisely because the USA was not interested at that time.
So think back during Martial Law years, USA did not care about Marcos because the Cold War was going on, and USA cared more about Dominoes falling and having more communist countries. So my point is interests have to align. Yes, they align in South China Sea, but they need not align in Ukraine, nor in Russia. because the Philippines doesn’t figure
in that region.
There are Philippine interests like if they can get cheap oil/gas why not get it from Russia. the main calculus for PBBM is what is Biden gonna do, and I doubt he’ll sanction PBBM for this infraction, if anything Biden might negotiate and say, Hey BBM, don’t get your oil/gas from Putin, I’ll talk to MBS in Saudi Arabia,
And secure for you some oil/gas for cheap.
Its all negotiation, Joe. interests and interests aligning and getting good deals. that’s how it works. PBBM has to play the role of a 3rd world whore. And get while the getting is good.
Cuz the USA is thinking this… so the Philippines has to bite the chorizo once in a while, to remind the USA who he’s dealing with. And thats how the cookie crumbles.
Good points. Thanks.
I shoulda been an ambassador to somewhere , Joe.
Okay, you can wear two hats like Karl. You are the Society of Honor’s Chief Troll, and it’s Ambassador in Chief. Our job as readers is to figure out which hat you’re wearing from one comment to the next. Congratulations on your appointment! 🍺🍺
By the way, Karl, do you have records of any appointments for Micha? If not, I’ve got some in mind.
I would love to hear about Micha’s appointment.
Ooooh interesting combination there, diplomacy and disruption. I’ll do my best , Joe. Thanks.
And we shall feast,
Oooooops, I meant this video (same restaurant),
Ireneo, have you been here?
disrupt (v.)
“break or burst asunder, separate forcibly.” 1650s, but rare before c. 1820, from Latin disruptus, past participle of disrumpere “break apart, split, shatter, break to pieces,” from dis- “apart” (see dis-) + rumpere “to break,” from PIE root *runp- “to break” (see corrupt (adj.)). Or perhaps a back-formation from disruption. Earlier was disrump (1580s). Related: Disrupted; disrupting.
Borrowed from Latin disruptus, from disrumpo, commonly dirumpo (“to break or burst asunder”), from dis-, di- (“apart, asunder”) + rumpo (“to break”).
diplomacy (n.)
“the science of formal intercourse between nations through authorized agents; the art of negotiating and drafting treaties;” more loosely, “transactions and management of international business in general,” 1793, from French diplomatie, formed from diplomate “diplomat” (on model of aristocratie from aristocrate), from Modern Latin diplomaticus (1680s), from Latin diploma (genitive diplomatis) “official document conferring a privilege” (see diploma; for sense evolution, see diplomatic).
It is obvious to any one who has been in charge of the interests of his country abroad that the day secrecy is abolished negotiations of any kind will become impossible. [Jules Cambon, “The Diplomatist” (transl. Christopher Rede Turner), 1931]
Meaning “dexterity or skill in managing negotiations of any kind” is by 1848.
You beat me to it, Joe — Lance is talking realpolitik sense I can follow. In probably different languages and nuances, Clarita Carlos and Lance may have parallel advice to Pres Marcos Jr.
Clarita should consult Lance. He will not charge much — a new computer and enough vegetables and fruits to feed the good microbes in his gut (not to mention his octogenarian prostrate) will do it. Right, Lance? 🤣
Feast on Lechon? Not good for our old gut, Lance. Avoid.
I can just smell. no eating. bad for gut yes.
Absolutely correct, NH. as a Google PhD, and full time Chief Troll here as well as my new title of Chief Ambassador. I am 100% pro bono.
But dried mangoes won’t hurt. 😉
Maybe the Philippines can still reactivate its own homegrown answer to the Le Carre characters Smiley and Karla.. after all he is 9 years younger than Enrile (char).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_T._Almonte
“was the National Security Advisor and Director-General of the National Security Council in the Cabinet of Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos.[1] He was also the head of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the Director of the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (EIIB) during the administration of Pres. Corazon Aquino.”
One can see in the links below that he helped Marcos open diplomatic contacts to Russia also.. but his greatest brinksmanship was this:
“..Under pressure from the American government, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos wielded support of its campaign in the Vietnam War. Capt. Almonte was assigned in a three-man advance party along with Maj. Fidel Ramos to lay down the ground work for the arrival of the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAGV).
Capt. Almonte acted as the Intelligence Officer for PHILCAGV. And, in this capacity, without escaping controversy and the ire of the American intelligence community in Vietnam, Capt. Almonte was able to successfully contact his counterparts in the National Liberation Front, or commonly known as the Viet Cong. This later on built Capt. Almonte’s reputation as a deep-penetration agent, and one whose exploits is nothing less than ‘shadowy, sneaky, mysterious and enigmatic.’..”
“Building good relations with the local Viet Cong commander in the Tay Ninh Province, in the southwestern part of South Vietnam, he assured them that the PHILCAGV was in their country to help build and provide civic services and not conduct combat operations. Unlike the South Korean contingent, PHILCAGV was able to keep its casualties down. Instead of the usual one-year assignment, Capt. Almonte rotated three years in Vietnam with the PHILCAGV. For his gallantry in Vietnam from 1967–1969, he was awarded by Pres. Marcos the Distinguished Conduct Star.”
At the end of the day, its all about keeping casualties down, Ireneo. Good on him. I wonder if he knew Lansdale then, he would’ve been in Saigon 1965-1968, near Tay Ninh province.
or if he took part of this operation also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Igloo_White#Operations_in_South_Vietnam or enjoyed its fruits.
Very interesting , thanks!
Joe, your mistake re this blog is in thinking PBBM has to be beholden to Biden or Uncle Sam. BUT the Philippines maybe PBBM cuz of his dad but the US abandoned them too, is not beholden to the Philippines.
The US and Philippines are not married, the Philippines can see other dudes. It should be an open relationship and not a closed one.
“I know that whatever agreements are being struck up there will not change your appetites, nor will it change mine,” Rhaenyra says.
The Philippines and USA are more like Laenor and Rhaenyra.
Agree. If I were to rewrite the blog, I’d argue for transparency rather than no deal. Transparency should include:
-products
-amounts
-prices
-alternative markets and prices
-middlemen
-size of commissions, if any
The last point recognizes that Duterte’s main reason for friendliness toward China was so his Yang/Go/Lau crony connection could thrive, and Dennis Uy, too. Maybe Marcos has Russian cronies, I don’t know.
Yeah, checks and balances is good. I agree with that.
I disagree with Micha by the way , I like these press conference meetings of BBM’s upon returning from trip. I hope it becomes habit.
I wish our President did a personal play by play like this every time they returned from trips.
Your transparency can be added there maybe, Joe. Where PBBM shares these info for the press and social media types to fact check.
I am not going to hold my breath. Transparency and this administration , IMHO, are not compatible.
The Marcoses had demonstrated that it’s none of anybody’s business what they did while they were in Malacanang. It will be refreshing if they start listening to the people and being accountable and transparent especially with expenses that the public perceive as personal indulgences. A lot of Filipinos are suspicious because there are documentations of Imelda treating the nation’s coffer as her personal ATM machine and Senior squirreling money abroad in the past.
They say that they want to reclaim their family’s reputation. They can do that by showing Filipinos that they can deal with honesty, accountability and transparency this time around.
Please write a blog about transparency and the Marcoses. The RU energy deal is not the only issue needing the people’s input and sunshine.
Ambassador LCX
Trace who said it first.
“Therefore I say that it is a narrow policy to suppose that this country or that is to be marked out as the eternal ally or the perpetual enemy of England. We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow.”
Lord Palmerston
That s a very interesting question , karl, I would say the shift from personalities to interests happened when the USA was created. and then driven home further when Napoleon was waging war challenging the old ways of doing things which was monarchs dealing with each other based on if they’re friendly or not, depending on each’s personalities. So
interests as policy came about in America precisely because we had no Kings or Queens.
So when Lord Palmerston said what he said in your quote, he was simply addressing the detritus of Napoleon’s ravaging of Europes monarchy system among others. And Palmerston said it to shut Queen Victoria and Prince up for protesting, why he did what he did on his own,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_John_Temple,_3rd_Viscount_Palmerston#Hungarian_independence
Excellent! Waaay better than any of your “by the way” memes.
I have to live up to my new title, karl. 😉
@Lance:
Those ports you put in are vulnerable to enemy blockade. A hostile Ukraine could just simply block that straight between the Black Sea and the Sea Azov while the others are just too close to Turkey which is already a NATO-member. That’s why Putin wants Crimea more than any other Ukrainian territory.
PS: I also think Putin is an asshole.
Would Ukraine do that as a NATO member though? Anybody can do anything. But if we attach probabilities to it, asshole Putin’s real motive looks like something other than defense. Delusions of grandeur, perhaps. Well, that’s just my view from my soft armchair purchased from the Naivety Store.
Maybe Ukraine can’t but it’s more powerful buddies can (USA, UK, France etc.) Maybe he has delusions of grandeur but more likely that he’s in a hurry. There are rumors that Putin is terminally-ill with cancer and he’s in a hurry to achieve that before his time on earth will come.
Per CIA maybe it can be found in their fact book, the rumors are fake news.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62246914
Ukraine war: CIA chief says no intelligence that Putin is in bad health
Here’s an article saying he is ill:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/president-putin-suffering-from-rapidly-progressing-cancer-on-verge-of-losing-sight-report/ar-AAXVqWd?li=BBnba9O
Thanks. The CIA should find better double agents then.
Reviewing Putin’s reccorded speech , looks he’s fine.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/21/putin-speech-russia-ukraine-war-mobilization/
“Those ports you put in are vulnerable to enemy blockade. “
That’s why you don’t make uncalculated movements to invade, Carlo. Sure Putin was given a free bie in 2014, Obama looked away. Putin shoulda been happy with Crimea.
And the ports in Syria.
Now all that can be blockaded by NATO. Though NATO won’t because NATO has always played an incrimental game, Putin had been also until this year.
My point Putin was gifted Crimea thanks to Uncle Sam and NATO looking away, now he’ll end up losing it, because of said invasion, if he doesn’t lose his head first.
And to relate all this to Joe’s current blog, Putin is hurting,
he’ll give PBBM good deals, and PBBM can make him wait if he ever begs stuff from the Philippines like moral support or what not, my point here is PBBM has the upper hand, and can get cheap stuffs from Russia right now.
I’m sure the US will not be offended if PBBM takes advantage of the Going Out of Business SALE.
Yeah Russia will lose Crimea. Dumb move Putin.
I was a newbie to this Maritime Forum and I had no clue that Tony Carpio I was talking to was Justice Carpio… I went full stop and listening mode fast when my dad told me to shut up.
🤣😂🤣
Hahaha
Allow me to share Justice Carpio’s insights regarding PBBM’s plan to have a maritime border agreement with China thinking it would work because it worked with Indonesia.
====
Indonesia and the Phil both agreed that they have overlapping EEZs and that the overlap would be settled under Unclos. Thus, a maritime boundary agreement was struck under Unclos.
China and the Phil both state that they do not have overlapping EEZs.
China says its nine-dash line predates Unclos and thus its maritime area enclosed by the nine-dash line is not governed by Unclos. The arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s nine-dash line has no basis in fact and in law and that the entire South China Sea is governed by Unclos.
The arbitral tribunal ruled that the Phil has a full EEZ in the South China Sea measured from its archipelagic baselines.
The Phil states that its EEZ in the SCS does not overlap with China’s EEZ since the distance from Hainan to the coast of the Phil is more than 700 nautical miles. A state cannot claim a maritime zone (territorial sea, EEZ and extended continental shelf) more than 350 nautical miles from its coast.
Based on their positions, China and the Phil have no overlapping EEZ to delineate.
https://news.mongabay.com/2021/03/chinese-fishing-fleet-anchored-on-philippine-reef-raises-tensions/
china has no respect for our eez, its ‘fishing fleet’ sheltering in our reef from ‘bad weather’, but as you can see, the weather was fine!
chinese fleet did not do the norm and inform our country they would be sheltering, they were just suddenly there, their sheer number and presence threatening!
Impossible to negotiate with China.
South China sea matter is closed in the eyes of Chinese, karl.
But Chinese people are businessmen first, sure they’ll try to screw you over, but they respect a good deal when presented.
Why not focus on where you can make deals with China. just be wary of loans, but buy and sell, import export so simple to do business with China at lower levels of economy , karl.
If Filipinos partner with Chinese business men in doing these open ocean fish farms, sell the best to Japan they pay top dollar for good fish then the rest to China. then make profit do more fish farms in open ocean, then feed more Filipinos. win-win.
Non zero sum game well played.
Life is like Krav Maga or sambo or simply MMA. Before it is just like Judo where you use opponent’s strength against him or her. Now you must also know how to choke them or hit the right nerve.
Exactly, karl, that’s cuentada. All s fair in love and war. And theres more than one way to skin a cat. Seek other avenues of approach.
You’ve passed. you will now be my Chargé d’affaires , karl, officially, but unofficially on your off hours you will also still work as Barangay tanod gathering intelligence in the neighborhood and the world. and taking said unofficially gathered intelligence and applying it to your official role as TSOH Chargé d’affaires (i think as Chief Ambassador, I can confer said title but pending Joe’s approval ).
I hope Juan doesn’t say it s pandering cuz the title is in French, karl. LOL!
LOL!
As your charge de affirs I will charge you 50 bucks
That would be worth a blog article if you cared to frame it and expand it a little. It makes more sense than fighting at the government level. Better to work at the crony level, but not with corruption as the goal.
Let me read up more on this, and see if I can frame it as a PBBM should join the SCO article, Joe.
Ambassador @LCX
A penny for your thoughts on this potential non potential maritime border talks with China.
“The arbitral tribunal ruled that the Phil has a full EEZ in the South China Sea measured from its archipelagic baselines.”
Any court can come up with a judgement , karl. But if the courts aren’t able to enforce on their judgements, what good is it. Symbolic only right. For example the ICC can actually hunt down small fish, but cannot hunt down bigger fish like W. Bush for Iraq mess or Putin for Ukraine mess for example.
So Filipinos have to understand that yes there was judgement on the matter, but if Filipinos have to enforce on said judgement themselves then obviously they cannot. They have no means to do so, but they have USA as friend and ally, but USA won’t go to war with China on this matter, because
the long game take s priority now, plus because W. Bush was so busy doing something else, then Obama so busy cleaning after that something else, with Hillary making that something else much worst, people just forgot , karl, and that’s the price of not being vigilant.
In conclusion, China’s won the South China Sea. because people weren’t interested. its done.
I am convinced that Joe made the right choice for Ambassador of TSOH to the Universe.
The irony is there was no conquest done, just soon to be affected parties that didn’t pay attention enough, karl.
If PBBM really wants to play all sides, then he should also convince like 1,000 to 3,000 inactive reservists there, and encourage them to volunteer in the Ukrainian foreign forces. Then he can say see we have Filipinos in country in Ukraine helping the Ukrainians, we also need oil/gas from Russia which we’ll pay top dollar with, and to provide us with said top dollar is the USA, otherwise we’ll play footsie with China.
Problem solved. All bases covered.
That may be one view, Lance. But a tit-for-tat actions by the different participants — and we don’t know these — complicates. Seems to me, the problem is not solved, but rather worsened.
Maybe so, NH, like putting lipstick on PBBM and/or Sando all courses of action will be risky. But lemonade is what we’re making after all.
But in the case of Philippine-Russia deals during Ukraine-Russia war, the USA only has one consideration, that is Philippine-China deals.
Meaning USA can look away when it comes to Philippine-Russia especially especially when its about resources oil/gas that USA cannot provide, USA can say Hey I thought I already barfined you, I have bread and food; but Philippines can say you barfined me but its not for the whole night– barfine is usually just for short time, NH meaning one or two if virile and that’s it, barfine for whole night is if you’re young and handsome and/or well endowed only.
Maybe that’s not the most accurate metaphor, NH,
but my point is Philippine-China takes priority over Philippine-Russia, and USA-Philippine because so many willing to barfine Philippines, USA has to pay more or show its more well endowed for more enjoyment meaning ROI for said barfine for Philippines. And sending 1,000-3,000 Filipino exmilitary is good for experience all around. Thailand did so, and good for PR, like saying we like Russian oil/gas, but we also like Russian blood. 😉
My point is,
The Russian connection has been more robust than the China connection for some time. Maybe robust is not the right word. But there is a relationship.
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2015/11/19/aquino-meets-medvedev-apec-sidelines/
I would say the eskrimadors of Philippines got to Moscow first before anyone, well maybe there’d always been engineers and maids in Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall i dunno, but Russians went out to seek Filipino martial artists in the early 2000s then upon said meeting in the Philippines they’d fly them to Moscow to help ’em set up schools.
So maybe there’s engineers and maids , but I suspect more Russians know the Philippines as people who still chopped up other people for fun.
I agree , when I was there mid 2000s I saw more Russians vacation than Chinese, and more Koreans than Japanese. I won’t be surprise if Russian Spetznaz are all well versed in eskrima, Joe.
We got to learn Sambo in return. That is odd no mention of Russia in the wiki of Arnis, I am sure that is not accurate. Bruce lee got his lessons from Dan Inosanto and Inosanto learned jett kune do in return.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnis
More on Escrima.
http://whichmartialarts.com/tag/dan-inosanto/
A video from the German Arnis Federation. One can see that with bare hands arnis/escrima/kali = Jason Bourne techniques.
Sambo is like Krav Maga, karl, its just martial arts but cobbled together thus “nationalized”. But eskrima is from the Philippine islands, then with Spanish conquistadors then just using it over and over, honed, blades to hands to blades again. the Vikings, knights, samurais, even Arabs had something similar but its largely lost, where in the Philippines its still very much quality controlled.
Israeli combination of the arts am sure Mosad guys are experts.
See that part in the video where Timothee has Brolin’s neck and Brolin’s got a blade into Timothee’s gut, well that s cuentada, and its in all of martial arts really, but there s this new age fad, called WMA western Martial arts, and they don’t get that concept, summarized here…
https://www.fightology.com/post/cuentada-my-approach
“Going back to what my teachers said I should be able to do, about fifteen years ago, I resolved to figure out, for myself, how to do just that, as it was clear that no one was actually teaching that. Dismantling and restructuring my daily practice, I flipped the script. With freedom as the goal, I knew that I had to have freedom at the beginning. Hence, I began exploring applying the ideals of cuentada without using a mechanical exercise as a portal. I also made it a point to start there with new students, rather than only alluding to it as a high level goal. No teaching basics. No wasting time with teaching Filipino terminologies (the innumerable dialects and the rivalries that crop up because of them make that an exercise in futility). It’s quite simple, really. Hit but don’t get hit. Take line and immediately seize control of the opponent’s weapon but don’t let him touch your hand or your weapon unless it’s to your advantage to do so (which, surprisingly, it often can be, particularly if the opponent doesn’t know what he’s doing, and very few do).”
So because WMA folks are not finding it in their books, they are going back to FMA filipino martial arts to fill in the gaps. thus the superiority of FMA, karl. but in the end, its the person and his risk benefit and training that’ll pull him thru, i’m just saying that FMA never lost what others have lost.
again, thanks
@LCpl_X
Lance, I do not know where you got that Game Theoretic table in your post,
LCpl_X (@LCpl_X) says:
September 27, 2022 at 3:12 am.
For information: there are two Nash Equilibria in that table for Players I and II, represented by (LL, RL) and (LR, RL) with values (0,5) and (0,5) — that is, the strategy for P1 is to take either the option LL or LR; P2, to take the option RL.
It was the closest table to US-Philippines; US-Chinese; Chinese-Philippines; Chinese-Russia; Ukraine-Philippines, US-Ukraine, US-Russia, I could find.
As to how you plug in those diads, with same equation I don’t know, just wanting to point out it s all game theory. but with combinations, not just unilateral considerations, NH.
Okey dokey.
He has asked the UN to deploy more Filipinos in their peacekeeping forces. It didn’t get mech play in the news. Filipinos have long played an active role in UN peacekeeping.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/filipino-force-defied-un-commander-in-golan-crisis/
we did have filipino peacekeepers in UN and brave ones they were too.
these days, since duterte’s pivot to china, our peacekeepers have probly disbanded, and become mercenaries. some of them could already be fighting in ukraine, for the russians.
I wonder if said volunteering countries get a say in where they can do UN peacekeeping, I know the Filipino UN peacekeepers in Golan Hghts were well regarded.
No such parameters or perimeters methinks
https://www.unv.org/tags/peacekeepers
LCX
If life were only that simple.
There is this benign0 who keeps on saying: “It’s simple really” . Really now.
I know the military is trained to do theory and practice in a day( I think that is a figure of speech because..No Way)
Your out of the box over simplification is exactly that oversimplifications.
Which part, karl?
Easy peasy then simply do this and presto no more problemo…basically everything you propose. Hope all is that simple. Ok to be possitive, maybe I am just being grouchy again.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines%E2%80%93Russia_relations FYI, some research:
“..The diplomatic ties of the Philippines and the Soviet Union was reinitiated by President Ferdinand Marcos’ Executive Secretary Alejandro Melchor Jr. and his then-aide-de-camp Major Jose T. Almonte through the help of Professor Ajit Singh Rye of the Institute of Asian Studies in the University of the Philippines.[3]
It was through Professor Rye that Secretary Melchor and Major Almonte were able to pave way for an endorsement to Indira Gandhi for a dialogue with Moscow. At the time, the Philippines had been considered the United States’ strongest ally in Southeast Asia and a reliable partner during the Cold War. However, the Marcos administration believed that the United States was going to lose the Vietnam War, and thus saw the need to establish ties with the “enemy.”[3]
With one visit to New Delhi in 1975, Major Almonte met with the Soviet Ambassador, which then led to a flight by Secretary Melchor and Major Almonte to the Kremlin where they were received as state guests.[3] This meeting led to the creation of formal ties between the Philippines and the USSR in 1976.
In 1980, President Ferdinand Marcos with his wife Imelda Marcos met Yuri Andropov’s Acting Chairman of the Presidium of the Soviet Union Vasily Kuznetsov during a conference meeting in Moscow..”
..During the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Russo-Philippine relations have advanced vastly. As reported by Russia’s ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev, “D
‘During the last two years, our two countries concluded more documents on bilateral cooperation in different fields than the previous 40 years.’..”
https://www.ellentordesillas.com/2012/07/13/remembering-alex-melchor-on-his-10th-death-anniversary/ re Alex Melchor
“..Alejandro Melchor Jr. served in government for more than 50 years under nine presidents as a Philippine Navy Officer; as Undersec, of Defense and as Acting Secretary of Defense; as Executive Secretary; and later was appointed as Philippine Ambassador to Russia by then President Corazon Aquino..”
So the former Marcos Executive Secretary and ex-Navy who helped pave the way for diplomatic relations with the Soviets became the Ambassador to Moscow in Cory’s time..
..the son of Prof. Rye is UP Math Prof. and with Octa group. Ajit Rye was naturalized as Filipino.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines%E2%80%93Soviet_Union_relations
“..It was 20 years after the formation of the Soviet Union before the Philippines consider establishing ties between the two countries. Salvador P. Lopez proposed a review of relations with the Soviet Union and its allies, reduced dependence on the United States and an Asian policy that would take into account China’s emergence as a power of Asia. The administration of Diosdado Macapagal rejected these proposals.[3]
During the presidency of Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos, relations between the Philippines and the Soviet Union reached their peak. In a Foreign Policy statement released in January 1967, Marcos acknowledged the need to pursue the establishment of Philippine ties with the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China[4] more vigorously. Also in the same month, Foreign Affairs secretary Narciso Ramos spoke of possible relaxation on the ban against trading with socialist states.[5] As part of Marcos’ foreign policy, the Philippines sent missions to the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, East Germany and Bulgaria. Formal diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 2, 1976.[2][6]..”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines%E2%80%93Russia_relations#Filipino_migration_to_Russia
“..Filipino economic migrants began to flock to Russia in the early 2000s. In 2004, 2,010 Filipino nationals were registered to be staying in Russia. In 2013, that number increased to 4,335 according to statistics from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). However, the estimated total becomes about 8,000 Filipinos in Russia when illegal immigrants are taken into account. About 93% of all Filipinos in Russia are in Moscow. Many Overseas Filipino Workers in Russia has professional training but most of them work in the household service sector as cleaners, cooks, drivers and nannies.[5] The PH Department of Foreign Affairs counted “around 6,000 Filipinos living and working in Russia as of June 2017.”[6]
Due to a sharp increase in the number of Filipino nationals being sought to work in private homes throughout Russia, the Philippine Government has deemed it necessary to impose new requirements on the direct hiring of Filipino housekeepers and nannies in Russia in order to secure their well-being through placement in qualified households as well as ensure the engagement of only competent staff.[7]..”
The name Rye is so familiar to me also because Prof. Rye’s daughter Indira was my UP Elementary School classmate.
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/357158/how-a-sikh-found-love-and-a-life-in-the-philippines/
“..Lourdes Napalinga, or Lulu, was a Filipina journalist—independent, smart and feisty. Ajit Singh Rye came from India, 4,630 kilometers away, to study in Manila on a scholarship.He was the only son of five children of Prab Singh and Isher Kaur of the small village of Sujon, and was delivered to the world by a half-blind midwife of the untouchable caste. His mother read to him Hindu and Sikh scriptures and instilled in him a deep sense of social consciousness, filial piety and respect for elders.
The young Rye came to Manila by boat in 1951, wearing a turban covering his long hair, a beard and a bracelet, while carrying a small sword, too—the mark of a true-blue Sikh. He had let go of all these accoutrements by the time he knew Lulu, all but his traditional bracelet.
He first enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and later moved to the University of the Philippines in Diliman (UP), where he became a student research assistant in 1952. There, he became a lecturer and instructor of political science in 1956. Thirteen years later, he became assistant professor. To gain Filipino citizenship, he learned by heart our National Anthem and Panatang Makabayan, and he got it in 1976. He became dean of the UP Asian Center, the graduate school for Philippine and Asian Studies, from 1986 to 1991..
..It was at the National Press Club in Manila that Rye first met Lulu Napalinga. A graduate of journalism from UST, she was writing for Kahirup magazine in Bacolod, and later published it herself in Manila. It was a meeting that blossomed into romance. They wed six months later, in 1961.
Recalls Santosh Powar, daughter of Rye’s sister Bachan: ‘My mom would sit and tell us stories, and tears would trickle down her cheeks whenever she talked for hours about our Mamaji (Uncle) who has gone to a foreign land.’..”
I’m thinking those Russians that came to Philippines early 2000s,
probably around the same time as Putin’s rise were sent there specifically by Putin as his soft power strategy, becuz most who were training with eskrimadors around mid-2000s were said to be 2nd or 3rd wave of these Russians who looked military or maybe just martial artists work out and are fit they looked military.
But we now know that Putin had this big plan for soft power that extended to Asia as well as Africa since very early on. And he was on the right path too, he just miscalculated in Ukraine, shoulda been happy with Crimea anexation but got too greedy.
As for bombais , Ireneo, I heard they were the ones responsible for these loan shark schemes of money lending (Five Six or Three Five). Maybe not Sikhs because Sikhs tend to be honorable, but other bombais in Manila. is this true historically?
The Soviets already had a soft power strategy and studied all kinds of tongues.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Makarenko
“In 1952 he graduated from the Moscow Suvorov Military School with honours and continued his education at the Faculty of Economics, Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU).[1] In 1957–1964 after graduating from MGU, V. A. Makarenko used to work as an editor and later as the Chief-Editor at the State Publishers for National and Foreign Dictionaries (Moscow). He edited and published the ever first in Russia Tagalog–Russian Dictionary (1960), Russian–Tagalog Dictionary (1965) and some others..
..In 1960–1964, V. A. Makarenko was doing PhD studies in linguistics at the Institute of Oriental Languages, MGU. In 1960 he initiated the teaching of Tagalog as second oriental language for students from Malay/Indonesian Department. Since 1964 V. A. Makarenko has been teaching Tagalog and been giving lectures on theoretical linguistics (introduction to special philology, theoretical grammar, historical linguistics), conducted special seminars on Austronesian linguistics. In 1966 he got PhD with thesis “Morphological Structure in Modern Tagalog”..
.. In 1997 the Tagalog Department at MGU has been restored and V. A. Makarenko again began teaching Tagalog and Philippines literature there. He has been always active also in the field of linguistics researches both in his country and on international arena as well..”
One could say that the 1990s were just a pause in what was always the politics of the Russian Empire. Of course just like Putin, Prof. Makarenko (pretty well known in Filipino academic circles of course) was a Soviet old hand – I think his military school background is a sign.
Good digging!
ICYMI, related OT. Sara Duterte greeted the PRC in MANDARIN on it’s 73rd..
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02sdMRsd1undDHma1bdykgxG5KKw88USTs337Sh6CE56rcL8YXrw5KUTa4ygFHdB4Rl&id=134752476678442
An important source as well on the so-called Golden Age of Marcos:
https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/09/27/opinion/columns/a-night-of-four-presidents/1859975/
(Start of quote)..t was the 79th birthday of President Diosdado Macapagal (president from Dec. 30, 1961 to Dec. 30, 1965) at the Philippine International Convention Center Banquet Hall. The program was titled “A Salute to a Good President.” Dadong’s re-election defeat in the hands of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (Dec. 30, 1965 to Feb. 25, 1986) and the latter’s proclamation of martial law, which he opposed by writing the book Democracy in the Philippines, may have caused his being underrated and under-appreciated for many years.
President Cory Aquino (Feb. 25, 1986 to June 30, 1992) was preparing a speech for this occasion: “Today we honor a good man. I might have said that we are honoring ‘a great President,’ but this is a lesser achievement than to be what Diosdado Macapagal was and remains to this day, a great and good man.
“He was a good man even as President, and that is a very difficult thing to be…. President Macapagal did not enrich himself in office. He left as he had come to power, with only his powerful mind and his unimpeachable integrity….
“President Macapagal left this nation alone to realize its full economic potential…. By the end of his term, the richest and most promising country in Asia, save for Japan.”
In one part of the speech, she compared him with Marcos: “Today, we honor a man who was his exact opposite…. When Macapagal left office, we had virtually no foreign debt. When Marcos was driven out of office, he left us in ruins.”..(end of quote)
What I know as this is what my mother told me is that Peso and Deutsche Mark had parity in 1968 when we came back from Europe, I researched and yes $-PHP rate was 1:4 then just like the $-DM rate. In fact it was 1 dollar to 2 pesos after the war, some say it was too high for the Philippines to export cheaply and high enough for Pinoys to easily buy “isteytsayd” goods.
I haven’t looked into this deeper but what if Marcos Sr. simply coasted along the economic strength left by Macapagal, just like Duterte coasted on the strong economy PNoy left? I think this is what among other things Ninotchka Rosca meant when she called the Philippines “The Land of Constant Beginnings”. Though sonny will certainly recall the Stonehill affair which sunk Macapagal in the end, but of course I learned that at school during the Marcos period.
Just like we were taught that Benigno Aquino Sr. and Manuel Roxas collaborated with the Japanese, while I learned about what Mariano Marcos did and what guerrillas did to him only much much later.
Of course the daughter of Macapagal is well known to us. GMA. She started her government career as a USec or ASec somewhere in Cory’s time. She was even endorsed by Cory vs. Erap during Edsa Dos. It was later that Cory was to drop her I dunno if b4 or after Hello Garci.
After Garci then later apologized to Erap
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2008/12/23/425901/cory-erap-sorry-edsa-ii-mistake
compared to erap, inday sara is more scene stealer, lol! pbbm made a much talked about speech a UNCA, then sara up the anti and give a speech in mandarin!
and now that inday sara has set the trend, she would have to deliver her speech in mandarin again but with better intonation and with more feeling. PRC’s 74th reckons, followed by the 75th, etc. sara would probly make this a yearly speech event and much anticipated: see if her mandarin has improved dramatically.
now, if pbbm can only speak russian, inday sara would just have to raise the anti, again!
“… Ninotchka Rosca … called the Philippines “The Land of Constant Beginnings”. …. Though sonny will certainly recall the Stonehill affair which sunk Macapagal … I learned that at school during the Marcos period. …”
PiE, TY for alluding to that time (1962) in PH history. Ms Rosca was already an accomplished artist & observer of the Filipino psyche; those times when reportage of events stood free from the equivocations of socmed today. Yet ironically the same medium does save essential takeaways for posterity with renderings made by credible people who lived in those times.
Here’s Wiki’s recall of the Stonehill scandal:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehill_scandal
As Chief Ambassador, I think my Inday Sara’s Chinese is good form. Just like speaking English for English speaking masters (Micha is right). The Russians spoke Arabic in the Middle East really well, better than Americans ever could, they were usually in Arab news speaking prestine Arabic explaining their side and talk shit about Americans. then Americans came on a spoke on English and had to be translated. Bad form. but theyd say religious stuff like Alhamdu L’allah which would’ve translate too good because they were n’t muslims.
so many fuck ups, I just hope Bong Go coached Inday Sara well, and that she did say stuff, like Premier Xi has big balls I’d like to fondle.
I remember talking to taxi drivers there in mid 2000s saying how they had to learn Japanese, but now the tides have turned and they have to learn Korean now, because plenty of Koreans now, then they’d usually say something like we have to learn Chinese soon, and i guess that soon is now, LOL!. all GROs and bargirls know how to say Cheers! when toasting in Japanese and Korean, but I didn’t ever hear a Chinese toast, but now I’m sure they are toasting in Chinese there, i have no idea how that would sound,
as Chief Ambassador , I say speak or know different languages. master simple phrases that make said speakers of that language smile and be at home, that’s just basic diplomacy.
“but what if Marcos Sr. simply coasted along the economic strength left by Macapagal, just like Duterte coasted on the strong economy PNoy left?”
Economic policies take a few years to take effect, so that truth also is accurate here, Obama inherited W.’s economy, Trump inherited Obama’s and Biden Trump’s. raya a couple of thread back i think stated how 2017 DU30 had inflation, well that would be PNOY’s inflation cuz 2017 when voted into office 2016 is too early to be DU30’s , i never researched to fact check if there is documented 2017 inflation but that’s usually how that works. you can only blame maybe 2 to 3 years after being in office depending on said economic issue.
So Micha always posts about neoliberalist crap the Philippine gov’t always swallows hook line and sinker, so why not as part of BBM’s program start inviting new economists have them be visiting professors at UP and other big schools there, to teach young Filipino economists these new ways of understanding of economic theories and practical apps. I’m sure there are new Economic PhDs stateside many probably Filipino-AMs who would love to teach there for a year or two. like Thomasites , BBM just needs to seek or maybe establish programs to open up colleges economic depts. to new
anti-neolib professors. WB/IMF surely will hate it, but its good for Philippines, watch this video:
she *didn’t say stuff like
Ambassador Tell the mandarin teachers of your Inday Sara to not rush things so their principal would look good in youtube.
I think its the thought that counts, I dont think the Chinese are expecting my Inday Sara to be fluent overnite, karl.
yeah that is why i said not to rush things
It would probably take 1 year to perfect it, karl. Then the perfect opportunity would’ve passed her by. See below my response to Ireneo. Or contact chempo for his opinion on this. But I gotta feeling as Chief Ambassador , I’m right.
The OVP could have used a Chinese caption rather than speaking in Mandarin. Mispronounced word/s may lead to misunderstanding . Or they could have hired a Chinese tutor. KZ Tandingan, a Filipino artist/singer have done it.
I’m sure the Chinese ambassador in Manila speaks English even Tagalog, isk. So inday sara didn’t have to speak Chinese at all, but whether on her own or upon advice, thought it prudent to do so,
as courtesy,
the audience I don’t think are the Filipinos, the audience are the Chinese. now the criticism that’s going around that Inday Sara hasn’t addressed the typhoon victims, well
those are separate occasions, one for Chinese occasion the other an emergency, better addressed by BBM himself, since he is the president as well as his region up north.
But the other side not yet considered is that this is all orchestrated by the palace , by BBM, along with his US visit, then Russia deals, then this talking Chinese knowing full well it’ll go viral, if you see it as orchestrated,
then everything I’ve commented on in this particular thread blog, is relevant, BBM and Sara Duterte are carving out the new Philippine doctrine similar to DU30 but now more nuanced.
And they are playing all three countries at once. which as i’ve stated IMHO is wise.
According to a Chinoy she totally messed it up. She doesn’t get along with Bong Go BTW that is an open secret. Seems based on an exchange of comments to the Tweet below she called the Ambassador a tarsier.
As an Ambassador, you wouldn’t like that or expect it in a festive greeting, though you would probably expect Micha to call you that or worse.
Of course there a tons of joke videos and memes circulating about Sara now.
https://fb.watch/fO_rB0KDI5/
Hahaha… for sure Micha cannot be an Ambassador for anyone or to anywhere. no diplomatic acuity.
Us diplomats and for sure Ambassadors have an acute sense of culture as well as delicadeza.
I think the Chinese in general like it when non-Chinese attempt to speak Chinese. I once met a Chinese girl, non romantic mind you although couldve been, but in the airport passing thru, and we were on the same flight so I asked her name and she said Susan which I knew wasn’t her real name, so
I asked her, that’s not your name what s your real name , and she said it in Chinese which did kinda sould like Susan, so I kept on repeating it until I had it right, and she was really genuinely happy for the effort, like I gave her name (her Chinese name ) some importance. and she appreciated it.
If I was staying in HK I would’ve probably boned her, she was that smitten Ireneo, but alas we were just travelers passing by.
My point, the Chinese know their language is really hard, so they’ll take what they can get knowing mistakes in intonation and accents will happen and focus on the effort, and reward said effort not expecting perfection.
Filipinos might be laughing as they are prone to do, but the Chinese will remember it as brownie points for my Inday Sara, and that’s how diplomacy works, no laughing all culture and delicadeza.
Of course , chempo would be our expert here on the language and culture.
ps. — Joe, I’m enjoying my new role as Chief Ambassador, I might have to forget Chief Troll. 😉
@corporal C
Yes I know, I only have ankle deep tolerance for suffering fools like you.
And that’s why you’re not Chief Ambassador, Micha!
Micha, I’m not sure if I conveyed the title formally or not. But you are the blog’s Chief Economist. We recognize that you have knowledge that the rest of us don’t have, and benefit greatly from your insights. Informally, I am going to call you Ed, as in Ed Hominum.
Hahaha…apologies for sometimes blowing my top with the chief troll.:-)
I can relate.
That’s totally acceptable and encouraged reaction towards the Chief Troll, Micha. if you’re not being emotional then the Chief Troll is not doing his job!
Let it be on record that besides Edgar I am to the other one who told LCX : FY, so I too can relate.
I found in the bar scene in Saigon that as long as you used the fake name, you were in the sex game. As soon as you got to the real name, you got to know the girl. Quite remarkable, the change.
What does it mean if someone is pandering?
It means to please other people by doing or saying what you think they want you to do or say.
The vice president did a shameful thing: she just pandered to the Chinese in speaking a language that she has no knowledge of.
Why not do it in Filipino with Chinese caption? She spoke Chinese with Chinese caption! What the…Que barbaridad!
I’d rather she speak from the heart using her own language than mouth like a robot a language she knows nothing about. Was she trying to impress the Chinese of her knowledge of their language? Well, sorry, that’s a blatant pandering coming from the second highest position in the land. She came out cartoonish in comedic fashion.
And this is the woman LCpl is gushing about as a future leader? Eso es una locura!
“It means to please other people by doing or saying what you think they want you to do or say.”
So by your own definition you’re pandering to me, Juan, because you’re speaking English? no, you’re speaking English because you know I don’t speak Tagalog or Visaya, so out of courtesy and more importantly to get points across we find common ground, that’s English.
If my Inday Sara did a similar message to the US embassy in English on say Fourth of July, would that be pandering? check your definition, Juan, methinks its tainted by bias first.
I’m assuming, for obvious reason, you took offense on my negative observation on VP Sara speaking robotic Chinese. All I can say is, whoever advised her in doing that should be fired.
A simple ‘maligayang pambansang araw’ in Filipino (or in English) with Chinese caption, fresh, candid and warmth expression of emotion from a national leader will surely suffice to the Chinese including the local ones.
Anyway, there’s always the first time.
If my Inday Sara did a similar message to the US embassy in English on say Fourth of July, would that be pandering? – LCpl
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No. Everyone will understand your Inday Sara is doing right because not only will it be sincere but also in accord with reality. Filipino and English, for purposes of communication and instruction are the official languages of the Philippines.
Mandarin? We just use it for pandering purposes.
How about Spanish, Juan?
Rizal’s novels were in Spanish was that “pandering” as well??? 😉
If a Cebuano Visayan like Inday Sara speaks Tagalog is that “pandering”, cuz think about it, how many Tagalogs can speak Visaya? see my point?
You’re playing loose with your definition of “pandering” to fit your own biases, when you should be using the word courtesy. Ergo you’re wrong.
Spain ruled us for 300+ years. Rizal was educated in Spanish. Filipinos spoke Spanish during the time. Clearly, no pandering there.
If a Visayan speaks Tagalog, nothing wrong there because both are Filipino dialects.
One question, why can’t you qualify or support why VP Sara did was correct?
I did already, Juan.
When a person that doesn’t speak another language, and tries and memorizes and learns another person’s language what ever little, that’s usually seen as good manners.
think about how many Tagalogs don’t know how to speak other Filipino languages, but other Filipinos that speak other languages are expected to speak Tagalog.
So for example if your yaya was from Cebu or from Samar, and you learned her Bisaya and Waray language, she would appreciate you for it, correct? she would appreciate every little effort like even simple phrases, but with so many maids in NCR that speak other languages other than Tagalog,
and no Tagalogs with yayas from all over Philippines speak other Philippine languages, that’s worst than pandering, right, Juan. that is the problem linguistically speaking.
So my point is simple, its simple common courtesy to extend and learn others language because in doing so you’re learning their culture, thus learning about them, its personal, and that’s what diplomacy is all about, people to people.
You speak Tagalog, Juan, i assume, how many other Filipino languages do you speak? Well I can already tell you if you were Cebuano you’d already know Tagalog, cuz of movies and school, but if you were Tausug you’d know Bisaya and Tagalog, that’s three!!!
You’re making fun of her, but you’ve never even attempted to say what she’s said on that video, I don’t know what she said but I can guarantee you I’d have to work on it really hard to be able to say all what she said , Juan. that took some time and effort, and i’m sure the Chinese appreciated her for it, but
you prefer to ridicule her for it, try attempting what she did, i dont know if she memorized or was reading a prompt but it sure did n’t look like it, try it for yourself, maybe you’d stop making fun of her for it, if you tried, Juan.
The effort is commendable. Period. And I’m sure you only speak Tagalog, because its them that tend to be chauvinistic when it comes to languages in the Philippines. they speak Tagalog and English, and look down upon other languages in the Philippines, and that’s a fact, jack.
And that’s why you’re wrong.
When a person that doesn’t speak another language, and tries and memorizes and learns another person’s language what ever little, that’s usually seen as good manners. – LCpl
– – – – – –
Not necessarily, my friend, most often, people consider it funny and humorous for trying hard to do something you’re not. The operative word is ‘learn’. Trying and memorizing are not proper terms in the political world. You have to know, learn, you have to have adequate knowledge of something you are trying to do.
Otherwise, you are just another trying hard copycat. And that, unfortunately, is not enough.
think about how many Tagalogs don’t know how to speak other Filipino languages, but other Filipinos that speak other languages are expected to speak Tagalog. – LCpl
– – – – – –
You are comparing apples and oranges there. If that is a smokescreen you’re not doing better, my friend. Remember, all Filipinos share the same culture, mores, quirks, etc. We can try to speak and learn other Filipino dialects and that would be fine. In fact, we even experience embarrassment and being laugh at by fellow Filipinos when we stumble around speaking a dialect that are foreign to us.
So for example if your yaya was from Cebu or from Samar, and you learned her Bisaya and Waray language, she would appreciate you for it, correct? she would appreciate every little effort like even simple phrases, but with so many maids in NCR that speak other languages other than Tagalog, and no Tagalogs with yayas from all over Philippines speak other Philippine languages, that’s worst than pandering, right, Juan. that is the problem linguistically speaking. – LCpl
– – – – – –
I hope you realize what you attempting to show there: you are equating the VP to a yaya/domestic helper, which is not a very good example.
So my point is simple, its simple common courtesy to extend and learn others language… – LCpl
– – – – – –
Again, that is not necessarily true. Just mouthing and reading from a teleprompter a foreign language is not equivalent to learning culture.
You’re making fun of her, but you’ve never even attempted to say what she’s said on that video, I don’t know what she said… – LCpl
– – – – – –
Far from it, I don’t make fun of stupidity even if it’s the VP doing it. In fact, I said whoever advised her to doing it should be fired. It is not funny and it is not fair to the VP.
I’m not after China appreciating our VP I’m after seeing the VP not put in a bad light and be made fun of.
I have to reiterate, you have not shown any solid proof why you think the VP was right in speaking a foreign language as if she was auditioning for something that requires speaking in Chinese. Have you realize what she’s attempting was just wishing China ‘happy national day’? She can just say in seconds Guóqìng rì kuàilè (happy national day in English) and be done with it.
So why go with those ululation? Trying to impress or acting just like the yaya/domestic you just made example of?
Just a thought.
First you don’t speak Chinese, nor do I.
So we don’t know how well her Chinese really is. there’s biased commentaries, but in the end, I think her attempt was heart felt.
From the video it looks good, sure didn’t sound like native Chinese but I couldn’t have done better.
As for VP as yaya, no she’s not she’s like 25% Jewish, she looks mestiza, and has the education and pedigree of a non-yaya, but she has the common touch, so she understands all the yayas working in NCR babysitting Tagalog babies , and I’m sure that’s the reason all the yayas voted her in to office, Juan.
In conclusion, she’s no yaya but yayas love her.
That is the common touch, you can be laughed at like when I tried to say Mahal kita to the bargirls I barfined, and I would say playfully Mahal kaayo which means Very expensive, my point here sure theres laughter because its not your language, but there are two sorts of laughter one of endearment which means they are loving that you’re learning their language,
and one out of ridicule, you’re doing the latter Juan ridiculing showing your true color, whereas when most Filipinos laugh its in appreciation, but again this is the parity problem of Tagalogs,
you say you’re equal same same but again I submit, the question why don’t Tagalogs speak other Filipino languages, the answer is you do laugh at non-Tagalogs when they speak bad Tagalog to you it hurts your ear, but non-Tagalogs don’t feel the same when Tagalogs speak their language, precisely because one is seen as superior to another language (namely non-Tagalog). that is why you’re laughing , Juan, in meanness.
Whereas the bargirls I practiced with laughed in delight. Because then they get a tongue lashing (that’s MRP by the way). 😉
So you’re simply being mean. Hence your intention is not constructive, nor is it healthy, becaue its done out of spite. And only Tagalogs would do this to other Filipinos, not vice versa. Due to language parity. Thus Tagalogs view languages differently than non-Tagalogs. I’m sure if we took the survey of who’s laughing at the VP for speaking Chinese it would be overwhelmingly Tagalogs, just Tagalogs, whereas non-Tagalogs won’t pay it no mind.
There are so many levels to this. Language and power as Lance evidences in his Tagalog-Visayan interactions. Javanese are way more dominant in Indonesia, ALL Presidents so far were Javanese and only one was born outside Java, but Bahasa is the National language so it gives a veneer of equality which isn’t really there. Something Americans often don’t get is how acutely aware Malay peoples are of ceremonial nuances like language used (in Chabacano there are two levels of speech formal and casual, Javanese had four and now has a fifth for mass media, Tagalog lost the speech levels except for the use of “po”, “kayo” etc.) or which funerals are attended, which deaths commemorated, who is given greetings – and NOT. Sometimes I find the ritualistic aspects re flag, national anthem downright exaggerated.
Diplomats speaking the language of the host country is common courtesy. Filipino diplomats who often DIDN’T learn German, French or whichever language in European host countries up to the 1980s and talked fake expat English instead were disliked by a lot of local officials. No wonder the Philippines failed to build deeper relationships with European nations then, though individual senior and junior officials who took the effort to learn kept it from being even worse. Indonesians by contrast built a solid relationship with Germany, though I guess it was easier for them to speak German than the very similar Dutch language due to the colonial past.
In Czech Republic for quite a while the best way to get silence was to speak to especially older people in GERMAN, the language they often associated with occupation. What worked at times was to start talking in English and they might even switch to German by themselves. Speaking to Portuguese in Spanish often turned them off in my experience, but they were happy to show off their English and a bit of Portuguese spoken to them was something they appreciated.
Merkel might speak English but she never did in official functions. She definitely spoke Russian and Putin speaks perfect German but both used interpreters always. Children of Communism who keep their cards close to their chests. And indeed as Germany has occupied Russia and Merkel grew up in occupied East Germany, yes it felt like occupation to most there I heard unlike the Americans who weren’t seen that way in the West, no one gave in an inch I guess.
So how one judges Inday Sara speaking Chinese depends I guess also on one’s attitude to the SCS and also how one sees her father’s record of being too close for comfort to Red China. That children are judged by their parents is a Filipino thing also that is alien to most Americans. So far only two times have sons of US Presidents become Presidents in over 200 years, Adam’s and Bush, in the Philippines there were GMA, PNoy and now Marcos Jr. in two decades, maybe a second Duterte will happen. Anyhow I tend to agree with Joe that a short sentence in Chinese and the rest in English or Filipino may have been better. She is a VP not an Ambassador.
I understand Joe’s annoyance at Filipinos getting caught up in ritualistic discussions but that is the Filipino culture which puts huge importance on how the national anthem is sung and whether a President went to meet certain coffins. I find it “OA” myself at times but well. Koreans who have seven levels of speech may get totally worked up at someone using a too informal speech level or not calling one sunbaenim, Oppa etc., though calling a lady Ajumma if she isn’t that old yet or a man Ajusshi (aunt or uncle) is a not so subtle insult over there..
I hear you brother. 🙂
The thing is, you are presuming you know the intent of the Vice President. It is not pandering to express appreciation for a friendship and wish for good will, even clumsily. The message comes through, I would hope, as sincere. I think she would have been better off just using a few Chinese words in the introduction, then go Filipino or English, but she chose to dive into the pool. It is a trivial matter, and I find the obsession with her, both pro and con, reflective of the Filipino penchant for star worship.
The thing is, you are presuming you know the intent of the Vice President. It is not pandering… – JoeAm
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Presume or not, she’s the vice president and not just an upcoming nubile starlet impressing casting directors wishing to land a role in an Asian movie. In the entertainment business, it’s called trying hard.
I’m a critic and I have to say my piece because I’m sure no one here, except maybe LCpl, will advice the vice president in doing what she did. It’s phony, it’s fake. If you act bogus sincerity flies out the window.
I will say the same if another politician did the same.
“It’s phony, it’s fake. “
Prove its fake, Juan. Make your case.
Prove its fake, Juan. Make your case. – LCpl
– – – – – –
There’s no case my friend. Everything is there, very clear our vice president obsequiously greeted China ‘happy national day’ in clownish Chinese.
If it’s good enough for you, fine. I’ll pass.
Juan means insincere LCX not fake fake.
You are entitled to your view. I don’t like the young battleaxe myself, and hate to see her getting so much press coverage on this.
karl, what ever Juan means, if he can’t back it then its just his opinion.
To pander, or not to pander; is it pandering, or is it not: that is the question — whether we have beaten the topic to death or should we pursue the argument or move on to another item related to the current blog topic, perchance to dream … 🤣
Joke videos and memes. I cannot imagine doing a meme of someone’s screw up. It’s mean. And if she didn’t screw up, it’s cruel and a lie. This is why, today, I honestly can’t distinguish between pinks and DDS. They are all illogical, mean people seeking political gain (after the election is over) by bending the truth and TRYING to hurt people.
Okay, I admit a few minor transgressions myself, like using three-stooge photos to represent government officials. But pinks, as a class, have lost the Robredo narrative, if they ever got it to begin with. They also don’t seem to me to be very high on Jesus.
methink, pinks showed they also know how to fight dirty, very dirty, lol! that’s how the other got to the top after all. and two can play that game now. I dont detest pinks metamorphosing, if I may borrow cayetano’s thingamajig, the better way to know the layout.
true, the fight maybe over, but this is just metamorphosing.
what is good enough for them, latently good enough for the pinks too. nice to know what not to do, but did it anyway. change of scenery? catharsis!
so far, no one seems to be able to unify the changes of scenery. no one ring to rule them all. too hard basket.
Me too I still talk to pink on twitter, but I still would not blame Joe if he would not take the accusations of being an apologist sitting down. If symptoms persist insult your doctor.
pssst! many pinks are nasty on twitter, but in person they’re quite nice and would break bread with anyone.
Alam ko naman yun. Me nagblock nga sakin dahil di lang nagustuhan tweet ko pero oks lang yun. kami nga magkapatid nagblockan sa fb a few years back but we still see each other often so unblock din eventually.
Yes, and I suppose there is nothing wrong with agitating for what one wants, but I don’t see what they want other than unelecting Marcos and driving Duterte back to Davao. There seems to be no leader and no goals. Maybe getting Bongbong to admit his father and his family are scoundrels? Apology? So these are people’s psychological needs moreso than the nation’s, but they will say it is the nation’s. I personally would rather see De Lima freed than try to get blood out of a stone. Or zero in on corruption and the weakness of the nation at rooting it out. Weak CSI would be another. Ending red tagging.
The Senate has been freed from the Executive stranglehold it seems to me. So use them. Form a people’s coalition of no color, Chel Dioko or somesuch as leader, an organized set of goals, and pull all the pink advocates together for constructive purposes. I’d say extracting apology to somehow right the wrongs of the father is a poor objective.
Well I guess in the meantime, scratching on the aura of demigods some want to give to the present President and VP is at least fun. This foto where Marcos Jr. looks dwarfish among other things was my morning laugh for today.
At least he is in the middle.
Well, color me mababaw ang kaligayahan, but in the lowest left picture he reminds me of “what, me worry?” Alfred E. Neuman of MAD magazine.
Shared and quoted.
what else can he do! the job is probly so boring with all that mountains of paper work he has to wade through, hands to shakes, memos of understanding to mull and really understand, dates and meetings to attend to, faces and names to memorize, no wonder he goes awol!
and since he wanted the job so much and let nothing stand on his way, he must now fulfill his obligation, maybe by attending fashion show in paris with the wife. how about tennis tournament, or golf pro? the list is endless!
what, me worry? after all that fun and amusement, when he comes home, the problems he put on hold and tried running away from – will still be there and waiting for him, mayhap only now more pressing and dire! the subs he left in charge, probly unwilling to take charge for fear of being undone and compromising themselves. and nothing gets done.
sure, while overseas he is only a text away and keeps in touch, kaso, his phone is off line, it’s too noisy to talk and callers are fob off. have respect, will you? and leave him alone!
Ambassador LCX, I am filing a diplomatic protest on behalf of Latin America.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/09/20/opinion/columns/china-to-latin-america-all-your-fish-belong-to-us/1859122
It seems red tide is everywhere . Thanks for the link.
No problem
Thanks for bringing this to the Chief Ambassadors attention, karl.
I’ll see what I can do. Off the top of my head the RimPac military exercise should be adjusted to tackle this issue. then expansion of US Coast Guard capabilities. but China is hungry. and as you can see Africa is getting screwed big time.
https://www.voanews.com/a/fishy-business-report-details-chinese-fleet-s-illegal-operations-in-west-africa-/6519387.html
JOHANNESBURG —
It’s the classic postcard image of Ghana: brightly colored, narrow wooden fishing boats pulling into the dock of seaside village, bringing in the daily catch. But increasingly this way of life is under threat, with a new investigation showing how Chinese vessels engaged in illegal fishing are depleting stocks, sometimes even selling the fish back to the local communities whose livelihoods and food security have been undermined.
China is the world’s biggest fish producer and has the largest distant-water fleet (CDWF) — officially 2,701 vessels but likely thousands more — many of which engage in high instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, according to an NGO, the Environmental Justice Foundation.
The group’s report this week found that some 90% of Ghana’s industrial trawl fleet is actually owned by Chinese corporations using local “front” companies to register as Ghanaian and get around the law.
“EJF has identified continuous instances of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and human rights abuses associated with the CDWF in West Africa, especially Ghana, where Chinese companies use elaborate schemes to hide the ultimate beneficial ownership of their so-called Ghanaian domestic vessels. These schemes include joint ventures, shell companies and subsidiaries,” it said.
Because a lot of this is about front companies, then this should be tackled by the CIA and other organizations worldwide that deal with front companies, karl.
Coast Guard of course can also enforce if given the mandate by the rest of Latin America.
But I’m thinking the Marines and Special Ops would love to partake in these as it will hone their craft of boarding, searching and seizing personnel and materiel, already plenty of ex-CIA and ex-Special Ops are in Africa right now handling the land based ivory trade, Rhino horns, pangolins being massacre for the Chinese home remedy market. funded by NGOs and private entities.
The more public side would be PR, just make the chinese feel bad about eating fish from Africa and South America, then locals in Africa and Latin America can be made aware of fish being taken from them by Chinese.
At the end of the day, China has to eat, so the best fix is to figure out how to feed China so, I would have my Inday Sara go on TV again and tell Premier Xi in Chinese to stop stealing everyone else’s fish and maybe scale up their plant based protein production, i heard crickets can be farmed and their bodies grounded in a substance very much like ground beef, well kinda.
But I don’t know how to say crickets in Chinese , karl.
Thanks for the infographic on global fishing.
They still believe they are the center of attention of the earth.
center of attention, cannot be helped. that’s where coronavirus started, bird flu as well, and then let loose to the world.
They want to overtake Africa as ground zero for pandemics.
Amabasador LCX any zero-sum game solutions?
https://www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2022-25-how-to-solve-the-south-china-sea-disputes-by-bill-hayton/
This was the reply of Justice Carpio: “Good to know, but we need China’s consent”
“The suggested solution of Bill Hayton requires submission to voluntary arbitration by all disputant states. China refuses to submit to voluntary arbitration the territorial dispute in the Spratlys or the Paracel. There is no international treaty or convention requiring any of the South China Sea disputant states to submit to compulsory arbitration their territorial disputes, unlike the maritime dispute which is covered by the compulsory arbitration procedure under Unclos. In short, Hayton’s idea is nice but requires consent of China, which we know will never submit any of its territorial dispute to third party arbitration.”
I agree with Justic Carpio, karl.
Although there is UNCLOS , in the end its a de jure vs. de facto situation.
China was allowed to squat for so long, that they ended up building and building , so because they were ignored for so long, its de facto now theirs.
De jure its the Philippines, but unless the Philippines is wiling to go to war with China, it’ll never happen.
So the islands are theirs, but the seas all surrounding nations can still ply and enforce their waters and traverse int’ll waters.
China will only give it up for something bigger like concessions in space or the Moon, which is a diplomatic matter. Make a deal.
They can arbitrate to their hearts content, karl, but unless theres actual military enforcement of said resolutions, its just words. Sorry.
China’s got everyone looking into the South China sea so that no ones looking at what China’s doing everywhere else, like in Philippine sea or Celebes sea for example.
The South China sea is lost, let US handle it to ensure it remains open for shipping.
As to the fishing. best solution is to find other ways of increasing fish production, and maybe Philippine sea is where you can farm larger amounts of fish to feed hungry China, if China’s not stealing but buying from the Philippines even better.
opportunity for philippines.
Ambassador of TSOH to the Universe is apt.
this time Imee has a point.
https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/31/imee-marcos-grills-dfas-manalo-for-xeroxing-defense-strategy-of-other-nations/
ooopsies.
They could have just called DND Sec and the national Security adviser instead of submitting a white paper.
And the senate should have the copies of past legislation on national defense and security, well no excuses for the DFA except say oops.
I dont know kung bakit nagtatanga-tangahan itong si manalo! I am presuming outgoing dfa sec ted locsin had already given manalo few days job orientation and has left a ‘diplomatic bag’ for manalo to use and peruse. manalo ought to have been fully acclimatize to the job and could hit the floor running.
manalo would have already known the minutest details of his job, have met fellow diplomats and been schooled in diplomatic nuances.
chances are manalo has also meet the intel officers (spies!) attached to his office, his trusted sources of info, and can access diplomatic hotlines the world over!
Exactly.
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3193637/how-russian-nuclear-threats-over-ukraine-are-pushing-europe
====
Heydarian and other authors are saying that China can end the war.
I have no problem with that, what happens next is the problem.
NATO’s just growing China’s SCO, karl, why end the war. its good for China, but for Russia and Ukraine. good for NATO and USA too.
* bad for Russia and Ukraine.
Please repeat….No defense contracting while on ambassador duty.
Only defense contractors benefit form a war.
https://mb.com.ph/2022/09/08/imee-on-ph-us-edca-we-will-push-the-right-button/
Funny here she told everyone that MDT needs to be clarified because it is not clear.
while two years ago she wants edca abolished but not vfa
and it seems that she knows what she is talking about.
The best leverage from which to renegotiate and thus get more from EDCA, karl, is thru SCO:
https://www.wionews.com/world/us-may-use-our-military-bases-in-case-of-a-taiwan-conflict-says-philippine-ambassador-to-the-us-512925
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/ukraine-philippines-03102022161248.html
What Did Imee after the US Ambassador said that the US can use our bases?
Can’t find a link of the results of the US visit of Senator Imee Marcos.
But I read a viber post with no link.
I’m just being funny! imee did not push the right button and got out-buttoned, lol!
if there was sibling rivalry and she was competing with pbbm and trying to outdo him in the world stage, she is mayhap put on the backburner.
I’ll give it time, dirt and scum float to the surface, then we’ll hear more of imee’s adventurism.
Her buttons were pushed hehehe. Her cousin Babe reminded her that he is the workhorse of the family.
@irineo
is Hussein askary overly pro china
https://mobile.twitter.com/husseinaskary/with_replies
sample video spreading where he implies US warns Africa to be wary of china , but china built everything there including the airport, etc….
[video src="https://im.ezgif.com/tmp/ezgif-1-2a4011427d.mp4" /]
BBM should focus on getting into the SCO, karl. or at least be like Turkey as Dialogue partner status. Turkey’s member of NATO. As a Philippine ally, it could follow Turkey’s NATO and SCO status similarly.
The main cementing factor of SCO I think will be Chinese CBDC, karl. If PBBM wants to prevent a Sri Langka for Philippines, hedge this eventuality and look into China’s CBDC regime.
This Swedish Hussein Askary is really pushing the belt and road inititiative @LCX tell him BRI is passe and it is time for Shanghai noon or what ever that shanghai cooperative is called.
what wll happen to the electronic currency inititiave of China btw?
karl,
both are not passe at all, BRI and CBDC are very much in play, i’ve submitted the article to Joe, so we’ll continue then. UNCLOS i think is passe, because this stuff does not represent reality on the ground.
that’s the premise at least, we’ll discuss then…
Alrighty
Article set up fine, LCX. I’ll publish it this afternoon. Found a great home page photo.
OT
The link shows Germany’s Consumer Price Index from 2000 to the present. I believe, it indicates among others, why it is not simple for Germany to deal with Putin’s Russia.
Highest inflation since 1951, according to today’s papers.
There are already a lot of energy saving measures I have mentioned.
In addition all kinds of state assistance, calibrated for different groups.
But still, there is another wave of bankruptcies now, after Covid bankruptcies.
The only advantage – for Munich – of the high $:€ rate many Americans at the Oktoberfest.
Businesses that hardly made money since 2019 can make money again, at least that.
is Dr. Sarah Buchner popular there, Ireneo?
Ooooooops, i meant this video, not start up your love life!!! LOL!
Thanks for the crisp big-picture description.
I believe — looking forward — this painful episode will be good for the generally clear-thinking and efficient Germans, that includes you, if I may say so, Irineo. It may help too if they can somehow imagine themselves in the shoes of the brave and inspiring Ukrainians.
[I am a constant admirer of Germans and Japanese.]
I think this is a wholly bad idea, this dealing with Russia. – JoeAm
– – – – – –
If we take into account what’s happening in Ukraine right now the decision to deal with Russia would be favoring on the side of the popular view: Russia is an aggressor, hence, better not deal with her. We should not deal with the bad guy, ever.
That should be the final decision and we move on however myopic the view is.
Most times, in international relations the bad guy image tend to be relative in a sense that super power countries tend to have a cycle of wrong decisions based on aggression or just simple play for power. I say that because if we’re going to base our decision to deal with other countries on the basis of whether a country has committed or committing mistakes by waging war or aggression, we would have no country, particularly a super power one, to be friends with. The US, China, and other big and powerful countries including Russia has time and again committed transgression and waged unnecessary wars with other countries. And we all know this.
So, what should Pres. Marcos do?
The subject of the deal is to address the pressing energy and food requirements of the country, which Russia can render assistance with. I say, deal with Russia because it is not personal. The Philippines having positive activities with Russia simply means Filipinos and Russian people are one in promoting goodwill and understanding between the two countries. The focus is on the people-to people cooperation aspect of the relation. That is the diplomatic side of the equation. With regard to relations on the political and military level as well as other governmental functions both countries can iron out the mechanics of it taking note not to impinge on the relations and commitments of both with other countries.
Ergo, I’m all for it.
The last part is important, not to impinge on existing relationships and commitments with other countries. Even as one should not be subservient, one should know as a country whom to trust more and whom to trust a bit less.
Of course and unfortunately in the Philippines which country or foreign actors to trust is often not defined by national interest but by trapos money interest. Scary for instance as I read in the link about the Stonehill scandal of the 1960s possibly it was three Presidents involved: Garcia (famous for Filipino First policy), Macapagal (who fell due to that) and even Marcos Sr. himself. Suspicion against Inday Sara Duterte is due to alleged links to Chinese business interests.
The calculations of Realpolitik are complex as one can end up abandoned if one misplays. Also one has to know how big a player one is in terms of leverage. Turkey has its leverage for many reasons and can afford to do certain things politically that other NATO members can’t.
In terms of defence and military of course one can only be allied with one superpower. Dutz allowing Chinese navy ships to stop over in Davao was already stretching things for a US ally.
Making sure the MDT really means “matik resbak” in the worst case is smart foreign policy thinking though and Imee is asking the right questions there, whether one likes her chin or not. Though I think the MDT is one reason why China doesn’t dare attack the BRP Sierra Madre.
It might also be wrong to think in terms of superpower allies only. Partnerships with neighbors like Indonesia may be just as important. Getting together with all other SCS/WPS parties and then multilateral talks with China is more Macchiavellian than bilateral talks – read The Prince..
..I wonder how “Macchiavellian” Prof. Carlos really is. I wonder if DFA actually has a “desk” meaning specialists for every major region and especially potential partner, specialists who know more than a little about the history and ideally speak the language of the other country.
” I wonder if DFA actually has a “desk” meaning specialists for every major region and especially potential partner, specialists who know more than a little about the history and ideally speak the language of the other country.”
I wondered similarly, Irineo. IMO there is a lot of learning to be mined in THE PRINCE and must be required mastery for DFA senior diplomats.
dfa probly has eyes and ears everywhere, there is constant movement of info coming and going and being updated, and phones are always ringing even in the middle of the night.
apparently good and timely info dont come cheap! and sources that brought those info could well risk their lives.
Ksmbahay, I found this interesting as a starting reader until I get a hold of the booklet:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince#Summary
The parallelism between the PH and Italy is extremely intriguing. One can think archipelagic vs. land mass; PH regions vs Italian regions. We avoided language & cultural balkanization by having centralization via single colonial overlords. Hmmm …
Also looking at Taiwan, UK, Greece, & others
Italy was united due to the efforts of nationalists and the ambitions of the House of Savoy who became the Kings of Italy. There was of course the resistance to Austrian control of the North and Spanish control of the South, and the most bitter fight with the Vatican State for Rome.
Finally there was the schooling of an entire population in the “Italian” language, actually Florentine, the language of Macchiavelli as well as that of Dante Alighieri.
Dante himself was an interesting example of an Italian politician in that he placed all his political enemies in Hell in the Divine Comedy he wrote, including one Pope who wronged him.
The degree of political factionalism in Dante’s time was also intriguing. As Northern Italy of then was still strongly linked to the Holy Roman Empire, politicians were either Guelphs, followers of the Emperor and of the House of Hannover, or Ghibellines, followers of the Pope, literally followers of the House of Hohenstaufen, the rival dynasty, but in Florence the Guelphs had split into White and Black Guelphs, with the exiled Dante Alighieri one of the latter.
And a party that is basically a descendant of Mussolini’s party won the elections on Sunday. Political parties have gone through a lot of permutations after the war, with the old Christian Democrat party fissioning and parliaments constantly dissolving with attendant new elections.
Had Machiavelli, Da Vinci and Amerigo Vespucci and his family, to include the Medicis, had their way Florence would’ve conquered the New World, and the world would look totally different.
The two buds, Machiavelli and Da Vinci were trying to make Florence into a port capital by diverting and controlling the Arno, as Venice was in decline.
The feat was too great an undertaking i suppose and fate did not
allow said dream to transpire, so all we got is the New World named after the Vespuccis, namely Amerigo. The politics Machiavelli couldn’t tame, but the river, according to plans left by da Vinci, seemed engineeringly possible.
JL, Irineo: thanks for the food for thought.
And if the Philippines broke US sanction rules, what would your asterisk be on commitments with other countries? That there is no signed agreement and Russia is not shooting on US ships so the Mutual Defense Treaty does not apply? The MDT requires the Philippines to assist the US if fired on. What is the unwritten moral code underpinning the MDT? And how does a country that cries about China in her territory stealing clams not agree IN PRINCIPLE with the Ukraine, a country that fights because Russia is doing just a tad more than stealing clams? How does the Philippines gain any credibility in going around Asia asking other countries to abide by the arbitration win?
My current posture is that we need data on proposed purchases to make a decision whether or not to support the purchases. I think your view that it’s no big deal is rather simplistic.
And if the Philippines broke US sanction rules, what would your asterisk be on commitments with other countries? – JoeAm
– – – – – –
I don’t see RP breaking with the US on sanctions against Russia. One, unless the US would declare we are nothing to them, we are solid when it comes to US asking us favors. Second, we are not a member of G7 or European Union, major countries that have advanced economies that would really put a toll on sanctions. We have a minimal role in the field of sanctions. Lastly, Russia is no stranger to sanctions and I would hazard to guess that she will not take it against RP because she knows we are not material in the scheme things.
With regard to the Mutual Defense Treaty, that was out of sight when I read the issue of dealing with Russia. The Treaty was about assistance between US and RP camps in case of external attacks. How it plays with the Russia deal is not clear to me. With regard to Ukraine, I don’t see it playing any role in our desire to have a deal with Russia. We’re both friends to both sides. Their problem emanates from their history which we have no business dwelling on. Of course, we’ve been open about our support for Ukraine and for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. That’s how narrow and clear our stand is on the issue.
Lastly, unless Ukraine or the US will express dissatisfaction with our intent to enter into a deal with Russia, I don’t see any complication with it.
Got it. A reasonable position. Thanks.
The Philippines as a UN member, doing business at this time with Russia is not appropriate in my opinion.
We are not material to the scheme of things- Juan.
Are a we just a bunch of Rocks blocking the way of vessels going to South China Sea from the Pacific and vice versa?
We are not a gatekeeper of the Malacca Strait unlike Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore who happens to be expanding its port making the idea of a Kra canal useless and stupid by the day.
We do not know for the life of us how to be a third player of rice exporters in this region.
Again our export of nurses and doctors has created a shortage here, why because all enrolled in seafaring and HRM?
We can not dream to be a manufacturing giant all we could do is assemble. Our procurement law is a plan to failure.
We cannot launch a rocket, etc.
LCX so many videos again. I might post that what are you sinking again. j/k
but seriously videos are not friendly to old devices and gadgets.
Sanctions can be mean but must be utilitarian or for the good of many and not zero sum.
https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/us-pressures-the-netherlands-to-ban-asml-from-selling-more-chip-tech-to-china/
You tell a company not to sell to China or not to buy from Russia so on and so forth.
Taiwan might agree for a semicon factory in the US because of the recent earth quake which proved that from Japan to Indonesia you are in an earth quake belt.
Iran is telling Russia: China and India are my my customers so do whatever tantrums you are doing over there.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202207084285
China’s Imports Of Iranian Oil Push India To Ignore Russia Sanctions
What would happen if tomorrow PBBM will say that Iran reached out to him for our Oil needs? @Juan would that be playing with fire? or does not matter since we are not part of the grand scheme of things?
The clearest remark I read was, hey, if you belong to the UN you should not be supporting Russia. From isk.
Russia being a permanent member of the UN Security Council will veto ISk’s resolution.
The Russians need to figure it by themselves. Russia is not Putin.
The UN is about solidarity. A simplistic reasoning but it is based on principle .
OK very good.
The UN is about solidarity. A simplistic reasoning but it is based on principle. – isk
– – – – – –
That is the idea, unfortunately there is also politics in the UN. There is no cut and dry system in addressing complicated issues like the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ironically, politics is also one tool that can solve it.
Agree.
Got it. Thanks.
Karl, that’s a hard question if not a tricky one. Hard because the chances of Iran reaching out to us, without a quid pro quo, is close to nil. Unless she sees in us something to bargain for or ‘play’ with I don’t think Iran will take the first move about our oil needs.
The realistic scenario is we reach out to Iran about our oil requirements. Would that be ‘playing with fire’? The answer is no. One, there is no politics there. Iran is selling and we are buying, purely a normal business transaction. The tricky part comes in when and if the US will take is as an affront to her vis-a-vis her running entanglements with Iran. If that would be the case, we are going into the realm of politics and that is where the tricky part lies.
The US can berate, reproach, admonish stop, lecture or even threaten us (not with violence but like not talking or ignoring us) just to remind us who the boss is. On our part, as a sovereign nation, PBBM may see the situation as a test to his leadership and grab the opportunity to show to the Filipino people his patriotism by standing up with them and defend our right to conduct business with other countries to acquire our needs free of politics. And pocket some oil funds for himself along the way while pleading behind closed doors with Uncle Sam to please allow us to get our needed oil from Iran (Just joking here!).
But really, it is that tricky.
Many thanks I know it is hard and tricky thanks for your time.
US Sanctions Several Entities In China, UAE, India Over Iran’s Trade https://www.iranintl.com/en/202209294605
India has another think coming.
https://maritime-executive.com/editorials/thailand-perseveres-with-new-vision-for-kra-canal
It might still happen if China will force the issue.
@LCX
VP Sara is going with the president to Japan in her capacity as Education Secretary.
Maybe she will ask for more Kumon teachers.
I suggest she ask for Nihonggo instructors so not we do not waste our JPEPA agreements.
We can provide man power if we learn Nihongo or Nippongo quicker.
Plus Kumon exposes a lot of gifted kids here.
oops she had been there a few days ago. My bad.
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/846394/sara-duterte-holds-education-related-activities-during-japan-trip/story/
its like buying pandesal and opening the bag only to say where are the pandesals? report of sara’s japan trip is much like that, in me not so humble opinion.
so what was the education related activities they talked about? that they all wear mask sitting and not standing, lol! for a confidential fund of 500million, I had expected sara to dive deeper for filipino education.
sara’s current edu project ‘you can be vp’ to inspire learners to dream big and aim high, is starting to sound mediocre to my itchy ears! if I were to aim high, I would want to be president, not vp; to be director, not undersec; to be principal and not assistant principal; the driver not the conductor: know what I mean?
aiming for 2nd best when you can be the best, that’s probly the way it is in dabaw, lol!
anyhow, sara’s japan trip is scant on edu details and mayhap to make up for volume, report was padded with her entourage and security details, and the lucky person called ‘jen’.
tell me more about jen.
jen with no surname, just trix and jen’; both with no formal names given and no surnames. and what I know about ‘jen’ is from the link you posted above, below is a copy.
“Duterte brought with her Grade 9 student Trix, and her mother, Jen, from Dinalupihan, Bataan, to join her in her official activities in Japan.
Jen was invited on the two-day trip as part of the “You Can Be VP” project of the OVP “to inspire learners to dream big and aim high.”
I see TY
Would you have wanted Sara to be President instead?
methink sara is already ‘president’! it was marriage made in heaven said imee. long before polling day on may 2022 there was talk of power-sharing between bbm and sara and post election, that is mayhap what we are seeing now.
while pbbm left to attend singapore’s f1 grand prix, sara’s most likely at the helm, the two of them share the job of being president, allowing one to pursue unrelated activities.
the problem there is that there could well be what is termed in psychology as staff splitting. the gabinete will pit sara vs pbbm, and favor one vs the other, causing disagreement between the two, i.e., they will tell one thing to sara and another thing to pbbm, loyal to one and less loyal to the other.
it will eventually cause low morale among staff and quality of their work will suffer.
Yeah the party boy must convince me and others that he is no pushover and take over proof.
I do not get the call for boycott those businessmen who went with PBBM. You want the economy to shut down?
I disagree with this.
Am I an enabler for disagreeing?
What say you kb? or anyone?
You are correct and someone should remind them that the election is over.
Just as there was rabid Marcos loyalists pestering PNoy during his watch, it is to be expected to see the same storyline under PBBM with the Pink on the starring role.
Protests are just that, protests. Oppositions, as history tells, will always be the thorn on the side of the incumbent. They will mouth anything even the outrageous just to rattle the one sitting in power. Oil and water don’t mix. The Marcoses and the anti-Marcoses will forever be at each other’s throats. We would see right and wrong from both sides along with the never-ending skirmishes between camps.
There is no solution to that. All we can do is take it as part of our body politic and move on. In other words, normal.
Realpolitik
pink boycotting? their number is only half that of pbbm’s supporters. those businessmen would not badly affected, pbbm will see to it.
though, it’s nice that pink has choice and use it well, here’s hoping.
When Dennis Uy bought Contis there were calls for boycotting Contis: I said no way I loved Contis before Uy so I will continue to eat there. As you said it is part of decididing on our choices.
karl,
Inday Sara in Japan.
Kumon is just math by repetition, it sucks the love of math away from kids, though the ones that excel knowing all the times table and division by heart end up liking math, but once they get to higher maths where it requires creativity the Kumon kids tend to not do too well. Prefering repetitive parts of math and not the creative aspect.
So Montesori but for math is maybe the answer, karl, the abstract nature of math but made tangible , maybe the digital gaming industry can be utilize to visualize more math for kids and thru games, and not just times table and such like Kumon. as to the Japanese (they are similar to Koreans), lots of heirarchy and lots of testing, which means lots of pigeon holing.
Not alot of innovation just copying.
Theres a reason why Chinese send so many of their students to the US, they are trying to replicate this balance of creativity and know-how. cuz in the end, the USA tends to produce more cutting edge ideas than the rest of the world, Israel and Western Europe to include the Baltic states are leading in this too.
So those many videos (i meant to just post two) are of Dr. Sarah Buchner, from Munich, who started out in construction cuz her dad was a contractor carpenter by trade, then she ended up doing businesses to streamline construction via software making the work of construction with so many materials and coordination needed, eg. plumbing before electrical and so on, so much easier.
Thus innovation.
That’s all the on-the-ground stuff needed , so going back to your businessmen tagging along I think this is what s needed , provided of course that these are the knowlegable and competent businessmen not just hacks on a junket tour. More Dr. Sarah Buchner in the Philippines, qualified and innovative.
So as education secretary, Inday Sara can be both educator and businessman like dr. Sarah Buchner, because if you wanna get Filipinos to be competitive, just math by repetition won’t do and businessmen via cronyism (read diskarte only) just won’t do either, karl.
Which leads us all to Joe’s current blog and his current position of PBBM okay with Russia and Putin deals so long as theres transparency, like what stuff are being bought, traded, business deals made, but most importantly who are these people making deals on behalf of the Filipinos whose taxpayer money they’re using. So as Dr. Sarah Buchner has streamline construction projects and resources, essentially by making them more transparent,
more coordination can be done, karl.
Because if Joe publishes this article i’m kicking around in my head right now on why PBBM should join the SCO , you really need this transparency, so more people can nitpick and offer criticism on these deals, crowd sourced if you will. You’re looking at essentially 3 banks used under the SCO, karl, which means access to funds, if theres no transparency, 80% of funds allocated for this and that in the Philippines will end up in Las Vegas, NV thanks to crony capitalism.
So you’re mistaken the SCO is no just defense, karl, not like NATO or MDT, its almost like the EU but with ready WB/IMF at their disposal, with soon currency like the Euro for the EU their own namely Chinese system of CBDC. So theres opportunity to be tapped in the SCO. And if the Philippines balances USA and China via accessing the potential of the SCO, then the Philippines would be better for it. win-win-win.
In conclusion because the SCO is unlike NATO but more like EU, the Philippines should have no compunctions joining it (none of this moro moro morality play),
only problem is how to benefit more from said membership, thus Filipinos need to be more educated, more competent, more creative, and as Ireneo has stated with “the Prince” commentary, more savvy, Machiavellian. So in effect, the Philippines as a nation will have to do away with its own crony capitalism precisely because the endeavor of opening your selves up to the bigger world requires better of you all, no
more USA to babysit, and save you all from yourselves.
Do not give a lot of teasers and spoilers.
Its the last HOW that I’m having problems framing, karl. but you just gave me an idea with W. Edwards Deming. thanks!
At your service as Charge de affairs… another 50 bucks please.
Re: innovation
You forgot this is Japan we are talking about
The Toyota way, kanban, kaizen, hara Kiri, seppoku….wait not the last two.
Thats all from this man, karl , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming#Japan
“In 1950, Japanese businessmen turned to an obscure American from Wyoming to help them rebuild an economy shattered in World War II. That industrial expert, W. Edwards Deming, taught Japan’s manufacturers how to produce top quality products economically. The Japanese used that knowledge to turn the global economy on its head and beat U.S. industry at its own game.
Companies such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Corp. adopted Deming’s concepts and became world-class producers in their fields, helping Japan become one of the planet’s dominant economic powers. Japan’s rise was the start of a regional metamorphosis. Asia eventually became a manufacturing giant. Although American companies could have learned from Deming, most ignored him for decades even as Asian competitors gobbled away at Americans’ customer base and profits.
Deming was born in 1900 in Sioux City, Iowa. Seven years later, the family moved to a farm near Camp Coulter, soon renamed Powell, Wyo., where they eked out a living. Their first home was a tarpaper shack that provided scant protection from Wyoming winters.
Deming worked his way through the electrical engineering program at the University of Wyoming by doing odd jobs including janitorial work. He graduated in 1921. After earning his doctorate in mathematics and mathematical physics from Yale University in 1928, he held a series of government and private industry jobs. His first was at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nitrogen Research Laboratory, where his work on the physical properties of materials introduced him to statistics.
In time, Deming hit on the idea of using statistics to quantify the manufacturing process: how efficient companies were, how good their products were, and how well companies were managed. He concluded that many manufacturing operations were deeply flawed and could only be improved if upper level corporate managers took an active role in fixing them.
Deming’s ideas were simple yet revolutionary. He believed that management was usually to blame for a company’s failings. If a company’s products were badly made, it was because the bosses designed an inferior manufacturing system. “Can you blame your competitor for your woes?” he asked corporate managers. “No. You did it to yourself.”
Deming particularly criticized the dominant method of quality control used by U.S. manufacturers. Under this system, products were inspected for defects only after they were made. In contrast, Deming maintained it was better to design the manufacturing process to insure that quality products were created from the start.
This made economic sense. When a poorly made product came off the production line, a company faced two undesirable options. It could scrap the piece—wasting the material, labor, energy and financing costs that went into making it—or it could ship the product and risk alienating its customers. Deming believed that making excellent items at the outset saved money and won customers, and he backed his ideas with statistical data.”
Thanks, Lance — W. Edwards Deming is my sort of guy.
Deming believed that making excellent items at the outset saved money and won customers, and he backed his ideas with statistical data.
Deming the Father of quality control. Do not know why he allowed himself to be pirated by the Japanese. But pre world war 2 We licensed manufacture for the US for war materiale the PH could have used a person like Deming so we could have gone beyond license manufacturing, but post world war 2 we were on the nationalistic buy local mood.
Deming and Japanese were a cultural fit, karl. both about perfection.
Filipinos and Deming, Filipinos would be asking for more breaks and higher pay first before making anything. LOL!
Ah, you just gave me another idea! Filipino culture.
there you go ambassador
lCX
for your next article organize all the things you have been posting here and form a master piece out of that jigsaw puzzle. then add filipino flavor
Do not worry about readership stats.
I am surprised my people power post had a life on its own with many thanks to Irineo tagging many socmed pundits. They might have ignore it a few years but when mlq3 or even boom buencamino talks people listen and retweet.
Some MLQ3 inputs for an article, one can always tag one who is quoted:
https://www.quezon.ph/1995/10/11/canned-adobo-and-other-st-adventures/
“..Filipino politicians belatedly made an effort, during the Commonwealth period, to force the pace of industrialization. This included feeble attempts at fostering scientific research and the development of new technologies. These efforts quickly bogged down in a morass of contradictory or half-hearted programs and political infighting: handicaps that plague us to the present day. Arguelles noted (in the 1950s!) that “Although there is a general enthusiasm for scientific work yet considerable difficulty is encountered when funds are requested for research projects. This may largely be due to the fact that research in the various branches of science is not readily understood, unlike projects for roads and bridges the importance of which is obvious.”
Combined with two other factors—that American scientists who played a prominent role in scientific developments could look forward to advancement in the US if they did well in the Philippines, and thus had a positive incentive (while gifted Filipino scientists languished due to official neglect), and that four decades’ worth of accumulated scientific equipment went up in smoke during the Second World War—it isn’t difficult to understand why scientific breakthroughs did little to advance the Philippines toward industrialization, with its vital underpinnings in advanced scientific and technological progress.
The irony is that Filipinos themselves have demonstrated that they are as gifted as any other nationality in terms of potential and actual achievements. Engineers at Elitool (which produced M16s under license during the Marcos era) made refinements to that automatic rifle which improved its performance—which were adopted by the parent company without any acknowledgment or an agreement to pay royalties to the Filipinos involved. Star columnist Antonio Abaya recently recounted that the head of the Malaysian aerospace industry told him that the Philippines could have built its own planes much earlier than Malaysia did—Filipino engineers, the German-trained Malaysian said, were far more advanced than their Malaysian counterparts. Besides the much-touted achievement of having invented the moon buggy, Filipino scientists are employed as nuclear power plant engineers…but they are employed abroad.
Simply put, Filipino science never managed to make the big shift, from its early concentration on a raw material-exploiting orientation, towards serving the needs of an industrialized economy. Handicapped by a lack of positive, sustained government support, prey to pointless efforts, such as Marcos’s dreams of a space program—which led to the stock-piling of volatile rocket fuel on an island near Corregidor, the discovery of which caused something of a panic among Roxas Boulevard residents a couple of years ago—and the brain drain, it is a miracle that any dedicated scientists remain in this country at all.
The sad decline of Philippine efforts in science and technology is readily apparent in the way the country has lost its edge even in the areas of excellence that were its colonial heritage. The Rice Institute at Los Baños was the Mecca of agricultural experts for decades, and produced graduates like the Thais who have increased their harvests tremendously…while the Philippines undergoes a rice shortage. The sad fate of the nata de coco industry is another depressing example of how we’ve been overtaken by our neighbors.
Things are so bad, it seems, that a former science writer for the Inquirer, the (admittedly, rather eccentric) Pio Andrade Jr., suggested (at the time when the US bases treaty was up for renegotiation during the Aquino administration) that the bases should be leased out not just for money, but also in exchange for “slightly dated scientific instruments which are just being junked by the state universities to equip a new Philippine school for science and technology… which is so sorely needed…[And] a science program whereby American engineering and science professors are sent on their sabbaticals to the Philippines to retrain engineering and science faculty of Philippine universities…’..”
And mayhap (c) kasambahay put some banana ketchup on it.
Attn ; Ambasador LCX
With Filipino Flavor(ing) at the end.
Since the world is running out of weapons to send to Ukraine. ukraine said don’t worry we are good we are experts in reverse engineering.
https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/uaf-grabs-epic-haul-of-military-hardware-abandoned-by-russian-army.html
https://identitynewsroom.com/world/europe/ukrainian-forces-reverse-engineer-spare-parts-to-keep-using-us-provided-arms/
We Filipinos should maximize our reverse engineering too
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/28/the-us-and-europe-are-running-out-of-weapons-to-send-to-ukraine.html
Russia is also out of ammo hope it would not press the button yet.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2022/07/russias-missile-inventories-kitchen-use-points-to-dwindling-stocks
Per Raissa Robles
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3194361/us-philippines-relations-marcos-jnr-weaves-new-diplomacy-could
Even if PBBM shifts his pivot foot to US, China would not disappear. Their use of maritime militia or civilian ships for military purposes will remain a headache for us. Shall we match their maritime militia by having our civilian fleet of our own, then our problem would be whom out swarms whom because they also have their drone swarm. Malampaya will dry out very soon and our only option is Recto Bank. Manny Pangilinan will forever ask who will protect us in our oil drilling efforts. The navy can’t face the Chinese maritime militia or else China would cry foul. our Coast guard is not equipped for the task. The PNP Maritime is just there for the ride.
@Carlo, @Juan any thoughts?
Zero sum no winner to take it all.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3194501/us-nuclear-arms-race-china-futile-think-tank-warns
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194524/warm-russian-ties-are-key-chinas-arctic-aspirations-report
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Two weeks of saved time by bypassing the Suez and Panama canals is the reason why China wants the Northern and Arctic Sea lane trade route.
This is a nightmare for client scientists and anti-climate change warriors. All their efforts will turn to dust once they break all the ice standing in the way of their shortcut to Greenland. The rest of the world will suffer no matter how the proponents downplay this.
I would like to hear @Carlo’s opinion on the Arctic Sea lanes.