Editorial

Ignoring Europe

European businessmen were accurate in their observation that the Philippines had long ignored Europe as a major source of foreign investments and a market for exports. Philippine companies and exporters have always trained their sights on the United States for their market and source of capital, presumably because of historical ties.

The fact is that Europe has long emerged as a major market for many countries, and an alternative source of foreign investments for some member-nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. But the Philippines has not taken advantage of this development, preferring to stay heavily dependent on its trade with the US.

The European Chamber of Commerce last week egged local businessmen to shift their focus from the US to Europe to boost trade and investments amid the tough global economic environment.

?The Philippines over the past few decades has always looked east [United States]. Maybe, it is worthwhile to look west [Europe],? says Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. Hubert d?Aboville, president of the chamber, agreed, saying that Europe was the number one world market in terms of value and its over 500 million consumers. ?Yet it is not known by the Philippines.?

For starters, the Philippines should respond to the European Union?s call to sign a free trade agreement to improve the flow of goods and investments. Europe has already initiated talks for such an agreement but Manila appears to be reluctant in doing so.

It is, thus, not surprising to learn that neighboring countries have bigger trade volumes with Europe. ?The Philippines is getting little foreign direct investments from Europe. What Vietnam gets in 10 days, the Philippines gets in one year. Vietnam is making the effort to go west. We have everything to gain to go toward Europe,? says D?Aboville. Thailand, another country that has good trade relations with Europe, exported 500,000 tons of chicken while the Philippines did not ship a single kilo.

Manila should re-examine its foreign trade and investment priorities. Europe is trying to knock on Manila?s door to no avail. With Philippine exports falling 40 percent on consecutive months, Europe could be the perfect alternative market, if local authorities would just listen.

Power of the purse
It took President Arroyo about a month and a half to approve the P1.414-trillion national budget from the time it was sent to her office. This did not jibe with the calculation of lawmakers that the President would sign the 2009 general appropriations act into law in two weeks? time after Congress passed the final version of the money measure in late January. Due to the delay in approving the new budget, the government was forced to rely on the reenacted 2008 budget. Worse, the new budget will take effect only on April 1?or two weeks after the presidential signing as prescribed by law.

People are capital, not cost
We all know we?re right smack in the middle of a global crisis because everyone has been making references to it nonstop?it?s practically coming out of people?s ears. Of course we?ve also become aware of the crisis because contrary to what some so-called experts so brazenly claim, we?re not deaf and blind. And we?re definitely not stupid.

Too good for the SEC?
(First of two parts)
What?s a silver-haired 74-year-old lady who has lived a full life serving government and raising six children doing at the center of an ugly controversy involving a businessman-politician duping people of their hard-earned funds?

The new adoption law in perspective
By Atty. Rita Linda V. Jimeno
It was reported last week that adopting children would now be made easier and faster. On March 12, the President signed Republic Act 9523 which requires the Social Welfare Department to certify that an abandoned, surrendered or neglected child is legally available for adoption before any judicial proceeding for adoption may begin.

Logic in the law
By Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino
One reason the public complains about prosecutors and judges is that the rules of reasoning in the law?what conclusions can be drawn and what cannot?are not the usual rules by which the average individual infers and deduces.

Too good for the SEC? (First of two parts) What?s a silver-haired 74-year-old lady who has lived a full life serving government and raising six children doing at the center of an ugly controversy involving a businessman-politician duping people of their hard-earned funds?

Too good for the SEC?
(First of two parts)
What?s a silver-haired 74-year-old lady who has lived a full life serving government and raising six children doing at the center of an ugly controversy involving a businessman-politician duping people of their hard-earned funds?