Perspective and Perception:
By Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired
Toronto-Canada
October 13, 2021
PRESIDENT'S PERFORMANCE RATING . According to the Social Weather Stations( SWS), the performance satisfaction rating of President Duterte dropped to 75 percent in the May and June 2021 surveys, from an all-time high of 84 % in November 2020. The SWS poll results on the President's satisfaction ratings were released on September 22, 2021.
Some 84 percent of the respondents indicated that they were "somewhat" or "very satisfied" with the president's performance while six percent said they were "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied", and 9 % were undecided. SWS said that the net satisfaction rating of President Duterte gave him an“excellent” +79 grade, the highest the President received since he assumed office in 2016. It was in June 2018, however, that the President obtained the lowest net satisfaction rating at +45, that is 66 percent "satisfied" and 19 percent dissatisfied. The net satisfaction rating is the rounded-off difference between those who said that they are "satisfied" and "dissatisfied" with the performance of the country's chief executive." Maging tuloy-tuloy na kayang pababa o tataas pa ang itong grado o antas ng Pangulo hanggang sa huling taon ng kaniyang pamamahala sa bansa?. Abangan!
ELECTION CAMPAIGN COST: For the May 9, 2022 polls, the Commission on Elections expects over 60 million registered voters nationwide. Politica conversations are focusing more on possible election campaign costs related to mounting nowadays a successful candidacy, especially for the top posts in the country. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7166 provides that candidates for president and vice president are each allowed to spend no more than an “aggregate” sum of Php 10 per registered voter nationwide; for senators and party-list reps, Php 3; and for “candidates without a political party and without support from any political party,” Php 5. In addition, a registered political party may spend Php 5 for every registered voter in the “constituencies where it has official candidates.” Thus, the presidential tandem is allowed to spend a maximum of Php 600 million each or Php 1.2 billion for both. Each registered political party supporting the team can spend Php 300 million. The 12 senatorial candidates of the team can spend Php 180 million each, or Php 2.16 billion for all 12.
In respect of campaign cost, an investment banker estimates that a presidential candidate "would or could spend a staggering Php 5 billion to run an election campaign." It sounds like an "awful lot of money" or short of "lunacy". And, to "less than honorable politicians or presidentiables", the ROI or return on investment could possibly be "less than one year".
A corrupt leader or politician could "recoup his investment" from several and possible sources such as 1) the "National Budget" and (2) the "Sweetheart Deals"—the franchises and permits granted or denied, the favored business transactions, the tax leakages, the regulatory reach; which are correlated to our GDP." Assuming that the take from corruption is feasible and that Php 5 billion campaign funds are sourced from "illegal means", the ROI is actually infinite" and it sounds like the "plunder of a country", according to the banker. . "Kapag ganito ang gagastusin, ay talagang yong mayaman or may mayamang taga-pondo lamang ang puedeng lumaban at sumabak sa pulitika. Kaawa-awa at walang pag-asa naman ang isang magaling at mahirap lamang na kakandidato!
BANKRUPTCY "CRASH": Asia's oldest airline, and our country's premier global passenger carrier, the Philippine Airlines, in early September 2021, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA, according to a business report. PAL will also "complete a parallel filing for recognition in the Philippines under the Financial Insolvency and Rehabilitation (FRIA) Act of 2010."
The move was "to pursue a lender-based restructuring plan aiming at helping the loss-making airline get back on its feet." In a statement by PAL, the restructuring proposal, subject to approval by a New York court, includes "an agreement with lessors and lenders to reduce debt payments by over US $ 2 billion and reduce its fleet size by 25%." The bankruptcy filing, allows a company to continue operations while it restructures its finances. The plan will not affect passengers and employees. The company said that “PAL will continue to operate flights in the normal course of business in accordance with safety regulations, and the company expects to continue to meet its current financial obligations throughout this process,”
The global coronavirus pandemic crisis impacted the company, which "sank the airline deeper into the red in 2020 to mark the fourth consecutive year that it recorded hefty losses". With support from its lenders, aviation partners, and other creditors PAL hopes to overcome the unprecedented impact of the global pandemic and emerge stronger for the long-term”. "Sana naman ay tunay na malampasan itong kalagayan at suliranin ng ating Pambansang Sasakyan Pamhimpapawid para sa mga kawani at higit sa lahat, sa ating bansang Pilipinas."( Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired)
GLIMPSES OF SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PHILIPPINES – Nr. 18
By Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired
Toronto-Canada
October 13, 2021
PRESIDENT'S PERFORMANCE RATING . According to the Social Weather Stations( SWS), the performance satisfaction rating of President Duterte dropped to 75 percent in the May and June 2021 surveys, from an all-time high of 84 % in November 2020. The SWS poll results on the President's satisfaction ratings were released on September 22, 2021.
Some 84 percent of the respondents indicated that they were "somewhat" or "very satisfied" with the president's performance while six percent said they were "somewhat dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied", and 9 % were undecided. SWS said that the net satisfaction rating of President Duterte gave him an“excellent” +79 grade, the highest the President received since he assumed office in 2016. It was in June 2018, however, that the President obtained the lowest net satisfaction rating at +45, that is 66 percent "satisfied" and 19 percent dissatisfied. The net satisfaction rating is the rounded-off difference between those who said that they are "satisfied" and "dissatisfied" with the performance of the country's chief executive." Maging tuloy-tuloy na kayang pababa o tataas pa ang itong grado o antas ng Pangulo hanggang sa huling taon ng kaniyang pamamahala sa bansa?. Abangan!
ELECTION CAMPAIGN COST: For the May 9, 2022 polls, the Commission on Elections expects over 60 million registered voters nationwide. Politica conversations are focusing more on possible election campaign costs related to mounting nowadays a successful candidacy, especially for the top posts in the country. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 7166 provides that candidates for president and vice president are each allowed to spend no more than an “aggregate” sum of Php 10 per registered voter nationwide; for senators and party-list reps, Php 3; and for “candidates without a political party and without support from any political party,” Php 5. In addition, a registered political party may spend Php 5 for every registered voter in the “constituencies where it has official candidates.” Thus, the presidential tandem is allowed to spend a maximum of Php 600 million each or Php 1.2 billion for both. Each registered political party supporting the team can spend Php 300 million. The 12 senatorial candidates of the team can spend Php 180 million each, or Php 2.16 billion for all 12.
In respect of campaign cost, an investment banker estimates that a presidential candidate "would or could spend a staggering Php 5 billion to run an election campaign." It sounds like an "awful lot of money" or short of "lunacy". And, to "less than honorable politicians or presidentiables", the ROI or return on investment could possibly be "less than one year".
A corrupt leader or politician could "recoup his investment" from several and possible sources such as 1) the "National Budget" and (2) the "Sweetheart Deals"—the franchises and permits granted or denied, the favored business transactions, the tax leakages, the regulatory reach; which are correlated to our GDP." Assuming that the take from corruption is feasible and that Php 5 billion campaign funds are sourced from "illegal means", the ROI is actually infinite" and it sounds like the "plunder of a country", according to the banker. . "Kapag ganito ang gagastusin, ay talagang yong mayaman or may mayamang taga-pondo lamang ang puedeng lumaban at sumabak sa pulitika. Kaawa-awa at walang pag-asa naman ang isang magaling at mahirap lamang na kakandidato!
BANKRUPTCY "CRASH": Asia's oldest airline, and our country's premier global passenger carrier, the Philippine Airlines, in early September 2021, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA, according to a business report. PAL will also "complete a parallel filing for recognition in the Philippines under the Financial Insolvency and Rehabilitation (FRIA) Act of 2010."
The move was "to pursue a lender-based restructuring plan aiming at helping the loss-making airline get back on its feet." In a statement by PAL, the restructuring proposal, subject to approval by a New York court, includes "an agreement with lessors and lenders to reduce debt payments by over US $ 2 billion and reduce its fleet size by 25%." The bankruptcy filing, allows a company to continue operations while it restructures its finances. The plan will not affect passengers and employees. The company said that “PAL will continue to operate flights in the normal course of business in accordance with safety regulations, and the company expects to continue to meet its current financial obligations throughout this process,”
The global coronavirus pandemic crisis impacted the company, which "sank the airline deeper into the red in 2020 to mark the fourth consecutive year that it recorded hefty losses". With support from its lenders, aviation partners, and other creditors PAL hopes to overcome the unprecedented impact of the global pandemic and emerge stronger for the long-term”. "Sana naman ay tunay na malampasan itong kalagayan at suliranin ng ating Pambansang Sasakyan Pamhimpapawid para sa mga kawani at higit sa lahat, sa ating bansang Pilipinas."( Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired)