People Power Means Purchasing Power

For many politicians, people empowerment means downloading more responsibilities and obligations to the people. For me, people empowerment means free market policies that will increase earning capacity and purchasing power of the people. I believe that when people have freedom to choose, they will buy the products and services that are more efficient, which will naturally put the inferior products and services out of business, yes including administrations of government. When you put more power on government, it will supress and exploit the market, and you are tying down your own people into a self-made bondage. We want lesser power of the government, more power to the open society.

Jose Rizal may not be Your Hero

Dec 30 po ngayon. Gunitain natin ang pagka-bayani ni Jose Rizal na aktibista, reformista, and political exhortationist sa kanyang panahon. Ang tanong, kung ikaw ba ay nabubuhay sa panahon ni Jose Rizal, ikaw ba ay supporter niya or pinagtawanan mo lang siya habang ikaw ay nag-eenjoy sa hindi maka-taong sistema? Aber aber? Kung hindi ka sumusuporta sa mga tao na nakikipaglaban sa bulok na sistema, wala kang karapatan mag celebrate ngayon, you have no sense of ownership of Jose Rizal's heroism. Sa totoo lang.

CAN'T STOP ILLEGAL LOGGING IN MINDANAO

QUESTION: Cmdr John, they say it is illegal logging that caused the devastation in Mindanao. What can you say about this?

ANSWER: Housing is one of the primary needs of human being. Man cannot live without house. There are six layers of housing materials according to budget.

(1) VERY POOR - Grass or Nipa roof, bamboo structure, whatever lumber available nearby by self harvesting, forget the flooring.

(2) POOR - Nipa roof, coco lumber structure, whatever wood available nearby by self-harvesting, forget the flooring.

(3) LOWER MIDDLE CLASS - Ordinary galvanized roof, whatever wood available in market, wood or bamboo flooring.

(4) MIDDLE CLASS - Galvanized roof, wood and cement structure, cemented floor.

(5) UPPER MIDDLE CLASS - Galvanized roof, cement and steel structure, ceramic tile floor.

(6) RICH - Galvanized or brick roof, cement and steel structure, marble floor, first class wood finish and furnishings.

ANALYSIS

Mindanao is homeland of 2 million impoverished households. The poor consume so much wood for housing and cooking fuel.

As long as poverty persists, no one can stop the Mindanaoans from harvesting their trees. When you talk about illegal loggingin Mindanao, you are talking about more than a million violators, halos lahat mahihirap.

After Sendong destroyed their houses, they have to build new houses. It means there is going to be a surge in demand for lumber, more trees is going to be cut. All the tree cutting for the past 20 years, they are all gonna harvest such huge volume in 2012 to be able to rebuild.

SHELTER IN EVACUATION CAMP IS RESORT FOR MINDANAO POOR

QUESTION: Cmdr John, why is it that we have not heard Mindanaoans complain about their shelter and life in evacuation camp in schools despite lack of water and sanitation?

ANSWER: Life in evacuation camp is already like a RESORT VACATION for the poor people of Mindanao. Lifestyle, security, and provisions of survival in the evacuation camp is hundred times more pleasant compared to their normal lives. You should have seen the realities of poverty in Mindanao before Sendong.

Sabi nila, kawawa ang mga evacuees, malamig matulog sa semento na walang banig. hehehehe, baka hindi pa kayo nakatulog sa pinag-tagpi-tagping kahoy, hehehe mas masarap sa semento.

Trust

A person who will least likely do wrong is more trustworthy compared to a person who will least likely squeal.