from here:
(emphasis is mine)
Puno also said the occupying forces had been involved in the burning of houses, destruction of plantations, looting, and cattle rustling, and had forced civilians to leave area. MILF attacks have also been recently reported in the towns of Pigkawayan and Northern Kabuntalan, he said.
More than 1,500 families or over 6,500 individuals have been displaced in the towns of Midsayap and Aliosan alone as a result of atrocities committed by forces illegally occupying these areas.
In the press briefing, Puno said that after the 24-hour period, the government will exhaust all peaceful means to address the situation, but stressed “we feel entitled and authorized to undertake whatever action is necessary.”
(candidate for understatement of the news cycle)
Puno said a joint police-military task force had been formed to lead the clearing of several barangays in North Cotabato forcibly occupied by alleged members of the MILF and to strictly enforce the law against the unauthorized carrying of firearms in these areas.
……….
(A denial that is expected, but is lacking in believability, damn where are the citizen reporters when we need news, not press releases)
On the other hand, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu denied reports that its troops have forcibly occupied areas in North Cotabato. “Hindi nag-aagaw ang MILF ng lupain (The MILF does not occupy lands),” kabalu said in an interview on dzBB radio.
In the press briefing, Puno stressed that the order for the MILF to vacate the areas is not a declaration of war but “a declaration of the enforcement of the rule of law.”
For his part, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Hermogenes Esperon Jr said the actions are meant to stabilize the situation and put the rightful owners back to those lands. Esperon said the CCCHs will relay the NSC directives to the MILF side.
Defense Sec. Gilbert Teodoro Jr said the incident is not likely to impact the peace process with the MILF, saying the situation in North Cotabato is a “plain lawless incident.”
“It’s like syndicated squatting,” Teodoro said.
( Part of me understand why Teodoro released these statements but there must be a sense of accountability, tell us who they are, If they aren’t really part of your group.)
Also, Puno ordered the Philippine National Police to disarm civilian volunteer organizations particularly in Aleosan town moving openly with firearms.
Phil Gov't Give Secessionist Group Deadline
The MILF another secessionist group that would like to create an Islamic State are back to their old ways.
THIS IS WRONG!!!
FROM HERE:
Gov’t gives MILF 24 hours to move out of NCotabato areas
08/07/2008 | 10:51 AM
Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the GRP-MILF Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001
(Updated 2:05 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines – The government on Thursday gave the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) a 24-hour deadline to move out of several towns in North Cotabato that its forces had “forcibly taken.”
In a press conference at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Interior Sec. Ronaldo Puno said the MILF’s occupation of several areas in North Cotabato was unacceptable and that the government will be compelled to use “whatever action is necessary” if the rebel forces refuse to leave the area within the deadline.
The decision – which was finalized Wednesday night following a meeting of the National Security Council – came amid an already tense situation in Mindanao over disagreements on the government’s ancestral domain agreement with the MILF, whose signing was halted by the Supreme Court.
Earlier in the day, Executive Sec. Eduardo Ermita disclosed reports of unrest in Mindanao although he did not give details on the report.
“Our peace advisers informed the International Monitoring Team and the combined Coordinating Committees for the Cessation of Hostilities. We are giving those individuals that forcibly occupied these areas 24 hours to vacate. Otherwise they shall be forcibly separated from the area. We cannot allow these things to happen,” Puno said.
“The 24-hour deadline will end at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Friday),” he added.
Puno said that since July 1, several barangays in North Cotabato towns were forcibly occupied by some 800 elements of the MILF, including villages in the municipalities of Aleosan, Libungan and Midsayap.
Two Sides, Two Very Different Sides
This post on the meeting of Curtis and Michael as part of Michael’s yearlong research with Sudhir
Our journey begins with Michael and Curtis sharing a weekend together in Chicago. Each year I spend several continuous days with squatters to understand how they live on the streets. In Chicago public housing, squatters survive because some housing authority managers to pay them under-the-table to clean and fix the place — instead of unionized janitors. I learn a lot about the community by sleeping, eating, and otherwise hanging out with Curtis and his friends. This time, Michael joined me.
At noon on Saturday I asked Michael and Curtis: “With only $20, how will you survive for the weekend — from now, until Monday morning?” (Curtis and I agreed to exempt rent. It was hard enough using $20 to meet food and personal needs — Michael would never figure out how to squat.) Michael wouldn’t sleep at Curtis’s place — he stayed at the Four Seasons, but to his credit, he hung out in Curtis’s neighborhood.
Classic case of culture shock;
Meanwhile, Michael drove his rental car around the neighborhood. When he returned to meet us he was exasperated. “The food here is awful! No fruit, vegetables are moldy. Only meat, canned food, and soda. What do kids eat? The guy at the store told me no one would eat fruit unless it’s in a can. Is that true?”
Curtis shook his head. I told Michael, “When we get back to New York, I will talk with you about diet and quality of food availability in poor neighborhoods.”
But Michael was growing upset. “All I see are liquor stores and dollar stores and fast food. There was one guy who said he’d buy my food stamps — 50 cents for a dollar in stamps? How can people live like this?”
Curtis laughed. He asked Michael if he’d like some chicken and beans. Michael said, “No thank you,” and sat on the cold linoleum floor. He was silent.
“How much does a banana cost,” Curtis asked Michael. Michael looked embarrassed, unable to answer.
“You don’t know, do you!” Curtis laughed. “See fruit is expensive; raw food is too much for low income people. And we don’t always have a fridge, so you got to keep things in cans. That way it can move with you. And one thing you need to know: low income people always are on the move — not just squatters, all low income folks.”
Michael started to write on paper and looked at me, as if to ask for permission. Curtis told him he could take notes freely.
This makes me think that maybe just maybe Michael could start shelters that close later when it’s not as cold:
“Why not stay at a shelter?” Michael asked.
“Not enough of them around,” Curtis replied. “And you have to be out by 6 a.m. If you got kids, you can’t take them out in the cold. So you stay in a store, or you stay in a vacant building. And no more food kitchens since the projects went down. Not a lot for poor people.”
reading his vaguely reminds me of the beginning of Dr Randy Paush’s last lecture. “Don’t pity me not unless you can do…..”
Curtis then took out a cigarette. “See this? Always have a loose cigarette. You can always use a bathroom in somebody’s house — maybe even get a shower — for one. Maybe your kid took a dump in his pants. Maybe you need some toilet tissue. Always keep a cigarette for emergencies.”
Curtis cooked another plate of chicken and beans. He was about to eat it, but once again he offered it to Michael. This time Michael accepted. Michael looked overwhelmed; his face was perspiring. Curtis refilled his coffee and gave Michael one of his cigarettes to calm him down.
“Not everyone lives like this,” I said. “And don’t feel bad for Curtis.”
“No!” Curtis exclaimed. “Don’t pity me,” he said, pouring some whiskey in Michael’s coffee. “This will help you sleep tonight …” Curtis lit a cigarette and leaned back on his busted plastic chair. “Just understand that you got to be creative. Even if you got a home, you still got to pay rent — so you take in somebody now and then. Maybe you let your friend stay in the house and they watch your kid, or clean up, or pay you …” Curtis kept on talking. Michael kept on eating.
The triumph of the human spirit. I have to go now, this is slowly bringing me to tears and this is embarrassing because I’m in my cubicle.
PS:
Juxtapose this with an article that made me realize that a lot o rich people have no idea how large a role the environment they had played in their fortunes.
article here:
It is true that the larger a household’s annual income, the more likely the household will give money to charity. Half the households in the top 10% of the income distribution make charitable donations, but only one in six of the bottom 10%. But there is a twist in the figures. The worse off give proportionately more of their income. The top fifth of households give less than 1% of their total income, while the poorest 10th give three times as much, or 3% of their income.
I once noticed a boss and his underling walk past a disfigured kid begging for alms, guess who gave who some money and I was behind them so I know they weren’t sharing their charitable act.
Nice Article On Science Math Education
I don’t agree with some of his view points/ opinion but there are a lot of gems. I also believe that what he says is applicable with almost all unglamorous exploits. Informed citizens are very hard to find in a world obsessed with celebrities.
from here:
The precipitous drop in American science students has been visible for years. In 1998 the House released a national science-policy report, “Unlocking Our Future,” that fussily described “a serious incongruity between the perceived utility of a degree in science and engineering by potential students and the present and future need for those with training.”
Let me offer a different explanation. Students respond more profoundly to cultural imperatives than to market forces. In the United States, students are insulated from the commercial market’s demand for their knowledge and skills. That market lies a long way off — often too far to see. But they are not insulated one bit from the worldview promoted by their teachers, textbooks, and entertainment. From those sources, students pick up attitudes, motivations, and a lively sense of what life is about. School has always been as much about learning the ropes as it is about learning the rotes. We do, however, have some new ropes, and they aren’t very science-friendly. Rather, they lead students who look upon the difficulties of pursuing science to ask, “Why bother?”
Success in the sciences unquestionably takes a lot of hard work, sustained over many years. Students usually have to catch the science bug in grade school and stick with it to develop the competencies in math and the mastery of complex theories they need to progress up the ladder. Those who succeed at the level where they can eventually pursue graduate degrees must have not only abundant intellectual talent but also a powerful interest in sticking to a long course of cumulative study. A century ago, Max Weber wrote of “Science as a Vocation,” and, indeed, students need to feel something like a calling for science to surmount the numerous obstacles on the way to an advanced degree.
At least on the emotional level, contemporary American education sides with the obstacles. It begins by treating children as psychologically fragile beings who will fail to learn — and worse, fail to develop as “whole persons” — if not constantly praised. The self-esteem movement may have its merits, but preparing students for arduous intellectual ascents aren’t among them. What the movement most commonly yields is a surfeit of college freshmen who “feel good” about themselves for no discernible reason and who grossly overrate their meager attainments.
The intellectual lassitude we breed in students, their unearned and inflated self-confidence, undercuts both the self-discipline and the intellectual modesty that is needed for the apprentice years in the sciences. Modesty? Yes, for while talented scientists are often proud of their talent and accomplishments, they universally subscribe to the humbling need to prove themselves against the most-unyielding standards of inquiry. That willingness to play by nature’s rules runs in contrast to the make-it-up-as-you-go-along insouciance that characterizes so many variants of postmodernism and that flatters itself as being a higher form of pragmatism.
The aversion to long-term and deeply committed study of science among American students also stems from other cultural imperatives. We rank the manufacture of “self-esteem” above hard-won achievement, but we also have immersed a generation in wall-to-wall promotion of diversity and multiculturalism as being the worthiest form of educational endeavor; we have foregrounded the redistributional dreams of “social justice” over heroic aspirations to discover, invent, and thereby create new wealth; and we have endlessly extolled the virtue of “sustainability” against the ravages of “progress.” Do all that, and you create an educational system that is essentially hostile to advanced achievement in the sciences and technology. Moreover, those threads have a certainty and unity that make them not just a collection of educational conceits but also part of a compelling worldview.
The antiscience agenda is visible as early as kindergarten, with its infantile versions of the diversity agenda and its early budding of self-esteem lessons. But it complicates and propagates all the way up through grade school and high school. In college it often drops the mask of diffuse benevolence and hardens into a fascination with “identity.”
That could be a good thing if the introspections were enriched by professors who could show students where Plato or Shakespeare had touched such depths, or who could startle them by showing where Hobbes or Tocqueville had seen them coming. But in a curriculum dissolved in the sea of minutiae and professorial enthusiasms, the opportunity to pass through moody introspection and back into the sturdy world of real people grows rare.
Ginebra Kings takes game 1 of PBA Finals
105 to 95, The Gin Kings were able to fend off a tenacious Air21 comeback.
dani rodrik on doha round
from this article of dani rodrik:
We live under the most liberal trade regime in history not because the WTO enforces it, but because important countries — rich and poor alike — find greater openness to be in their best interest.
The real risks lie elsewhere. On one side is the danger that today’s alarmism will prove self-fulfilling — that trade officials and investors will turn the doomsday scenario into reality by panicking. On the other side is the danger that a completed “development round” will fail to live up to the high expectations that it has spawned, further eroding the legitimacy of global trade rules over the longer run. In the end, it may well be the atmospherics — psychology and expectations — rather than the actual economic results on the ground that will determine the outcomes.
So don’t cry for Doha. It never was a development round, and tomorrow’s world will hardly look any different from yesterday’s.
A Radio Broadcaster Gunned Down
the news report here:
this is why the Philippines is 2nd most dangerous place for journalist in a 2006 report.
Sweet Picture Of A Filipino Couple Biking
just saw this pic from bayesain heresy blog from the nytimes
here:
Obama's Energy Independence Promise and Challenge
read the whole thing here, thanks to paul krugman for the pointer.
Obama’s Promises:
If I am President, I will immediately direct the full resources of the federal government and the full energy of the private sector to a single, overarching goal – in ten years, we will eliminate the need for oil from the entire Middle East and Venezuela. To do this, we will invest $150 billion over the next ten years and leverage billions more in private capital to build a new energy economy that harnesses American energy and creates five million new American jobs.
First, we will help states like Michigan build the fuel-efficient cars we need, and we will get one million 150 mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrids on our roads within six years.
………………
The second step I’ll take is to require that 10% of our energy comes from renewable sources by the end of my first term – more than double what we have now. To meet these goals, we will invest more in the clean technology research and development that’s occurring in labs and research facilities all across the country and right here at MSU, where you’re working with farm owners to develop this state’s wind potential and developing nanotechnology that will make solar cells cheaper.
……………..
Finally, the third step I will take is to call on businesses, government, and the American people to meet the goal of reducing our demand for electricity 15% by the end of the next decade. This is by far the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to reduce our energy consumption – and it will save us $130 billion on our energy bills.
his challenge:
This is the choice that we face in the months ahead. This is the challenge we must meet. This is the opportunity we must seize – and this may be our last chance to seize it.
And if it seems too difficult or improbable, I ask you to think about the struggles and the challenges that past generations have overcome. Think about how World War II forced us to transform a peacetime economy still climbing out of Depression into an Arsenal of Democracy that could wage war across three continents. And when President Roosevelt’s advisors informed him that his goals for wartime production were impossible to meet, he waved them off and said “believe me, the production people can do it if they really try.” And they did.
Think about when the scientists and engineers told John F. Kennedy that they had no idea how to put a man on the moon, he told them they would find a way. And we found one. Remember how we trained a generation for a new, industrial economy by building a nationwide system of public high schools; how we laid down railroad tracks and highways across an entire continent; how we pushed the boundaries of science and technology to unlock the very building blocks of human life.
I ask you to draw hope from the improbable progress this nation has made and look to the future with confidence that we too can meet the great test of our time. I ask you to join me, in November and in the years to come, to ensure that we will not only control our own energy, but once again control our own destiny, and forge a new and better future for the country that we love. Thank you.
PS couldn’t help myself:
You won’t hear me say this too often, but I couldn’t agree more with the explanation that Senator McCain offered a few weeks ago. He said, “Our dangerous dependence on foreign oil has been thirty years in the making, and was caused by the failure of politicians in Washington to think long-term about the future of the country.”
What Senator McCain neglected to mention was that during those thirty years, he was in Washington for twenty-six of them. And in all that time, he did little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He voted against increased fuel efficiency standards and opposed legislation that included tax credits for more efficient cars. He voted against renewable sources of energy. Against clean biofuels. Against solar power. Against wind power. Against an energy bill that – while far from perfect – represented the largest investment in renewable sources of energy in the history of this country. So when Senator McCain talks about the failure of politicians in Washington to do anything about our energy crisis, it’s important to remember that he’s been a part of that failure. Now, after years of inaction, and in the face of public frustration over rising gas prices, the only energy proposal he’s really promoting is more offshore drilling – a position he recently adopted that has become the centerpiece of his plan, and one that will not make a real dent in current gas prices or meet the long-term challenge of energy independence.
Power rates could drop by P2 per kWh, UP study shows
Dr Allan Nerves was my research adviser for my undergraduate research, Very understated but a great adviser. The attack dogs are coming Doc Nerves, God Bless. Sir Ivan and Sir Wally we my professors.
from here:
Power rates could drop by P2 per kWh, UP study shows
By Donnabelle Gatdula
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Power rates could be reduced by as much as P2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) if the government and the private sector will come together to do their share in reducing electricity rates, according to initial results of a study commissioned by the University of the Philippines.
In a public forum which presented the draft study entitled “Anatomy of the Power Rates in the Philippines,” the four-man research team had listed 10 items in the power rates that would be looked at.
The study, which will be released in its final form within the month, is authored by Edna Espos, Allan Nerves, Ivan Benedict Nilo Cruz and Rowaldo del Mundo. The team is working on a UP Diliman Open Grant research program Office of the Chancellor through the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and development).
The paper has four parts including generation; transmission and distribution; other issues such as stranded cost, incremental currency exchange rate adjustment (ICERA), subsidies and taxes; and conclusion and summary of how to reduce the electricity rates by at least P2.0913 per kWh.
Among the items in the list of possible areas that could help in the reduction of power, according to the UP research team, and their corresponding savings are: Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) power cost at optimal mix (88 centavos per kWh); reduction in generation rate adjustment mechanism (GRAM)and ICERA charges of the National Power Corp. (Napocor), (30 centavos); reduction in Napocor basic average generation charge from peso appreciation (0.06 centavos); reduction in Napocor basic charge average generation charge from plants sold and removed from rate base (32 centavos); adjustment of the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) charges from removal of appraisal increase (18 centavos); adjustment of distribution charges from removal of appraisal increase (10 centavos); cost of missionary electrification assumed by government (3.73 centavos); removal of charge for benefits to host communities (0.04 centavos); removal of value-added tax (VAT) system loss 0.6 centavos and removal of government unencumbered share of natural gas royalty (15 centavos).
“The reduction in electricity rates can be effected through a combination of simple adjustment in regulatory/implementing policy and amendment of the EPIRA,” the team said.
Former energy secretary and UP College of Engineering Dean Francisco Viray said the recommendations made by the team of Professor Del Mundo should be restudied to take into account the present regulatory and legal framework.
Citing an example on the costs of the IPPs and Napocor as mentioned in the study, he said, “You cannot compare the avoided cost today (which is actually not an avoided cost as there is still a subsidy) with that when these IPP projects were conceived.” He added that rate cases or simulations are best tossed to the proper body which is the ERC.
The group also recommended that there should be an adjustment in regulatory and other policies to auction values of Napocor’s generating assets; for proper application of the performance-based rate; and ICERA.
They said these recommendations may also require legislative action such as the amendment of the EPIRA which include WESM; assignment of the government unencumbered share of the natural gas royalty by way of a corresponding reduction in generation charges; the removal of the universal charge for missionary electrification, stranded debts and stranded contract costs of Napocor, equalization of taxes and royalties; and environmental charge.
The recommendations, however, elicited different reactions from the industry stakeholders who were present during the forum.
Meralco president Jesus Francisco, for his part, said only 24.73 centavos of the proposed P2 per kWh of the UP-sponsored study would be adopted.
Francisco also noted that “while the study is supposed to analyze the cost structure and the technical, financial and regulatory elements of the electric power industry, we find that many of the recommendations are lacking in such analysis.”
“Since the full paper is still to be completed, we trust that our comments will be addressed in the final output,” he said.