Monday, August 22, 2011

The Philippines on a Scale of 1 to 10


A westerner's view of the Philippines, based on overall attributes in each category, with a 10 rating being the best possible:

Philippine Ferry Operations: 2
President Aquino: 7
Catholic Church: 4
Philippine Education: 5
Tourism: 3
Customs: 2
Philippine Airlines: 5
Manila: 3
Clark/Subic: 7
Philippine Physical Beauty: 8
Sanitation: 2
Domestic water: 4
Electricity: 5
Army: 4
Police: 4
Immigration: 4
Foreign Affairs: 2
Constitution: 7
Obedience to Laws: 3
Tax Policy: 2
Agribusiness: 3
Imports/Exports: 6
Retail Services: 6
Congress: 5
Courts: 2
Fishing: 3
Banking: 5
Newspapers: 6
Television: 4
Attorneys: 3
Arts: 5
Cuisine: 8
Career Opportunities: 2
Muslim Faith: 5
Human Rights: 5
Roads: 6
Zoning: 1
Air Cleanliness: 5
Doctor Care: 3
Hospital Care: 4
Inter-Island Transportation: 8
Gasoline: 7
Garages/Mechanics: 5
Traffic Control: 1
Family Safety Net: 8
Forestry Management: 2
Mining Management: 3
Technology Infrastructure: 2
Telephone Service: 8
Internet Service: 5
Family Values: 4
Social Services: 3
Beaches: 7
Treatment of Animals: 1
Common Sense: 4
Planning: 2
Efficiency: 3
Personal Self Esteem: 4
Courtesy: 2
Hard Work (Labor): 8
Problem Solving: 4

In economic terms, the hard work is not converted to value because planning and problem solving are weak; the economic engines are powered by favoritism instead of productivity and bogged down in the angst that arises when any opposing idea is taken personally. Poor services are an outcome of this dynamic. President Aquino is forthrightly trying to change the fundamentals, the malaise that cripples honest effort, and therefore scores high.

11 comments:

  1. "Philippine Ferry Operations: 2" why 2? which ferry r u referring 2? my experiences on boats of all kinds in the country have been fine. i've sailed on the "superferry" a few times. interisland ferries in visayas, and a car ferry in mindanao (davao to samal island)

    ReplyDelete
  2. GabbyD, because many are old, top heavy and often overloaded. They sink because of poor condition or poor decisions to sail them into storms. People die needlessly (several just this past week when one caught on fire).

    I do note in my evaluation that, overall, the transportation between islands is good, with a variety of air and sea craft, or bridges. But those ferries, and the management thereof, need a serious upgrade.

    ReplyDelete
  3. An average of 4.28...

    Poor, i should say, according to your standards.

    Apparently, you've just given the trolls more than 60 reasons to attack this article, equipped with their own set of impressions, and hell, ratings.

    On the other hand, if a study was conducted to justify each number, then we might be giving the trolls and their impulsive reactions a run for their buck.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wait, may I add:

    The third sentence sounds rather exciting, if the trolls decide to take the bait;

    The last sentence though, well, sounds boring. Forget i even said that...

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1DC, thanks for the math. 4.28 is higher than I would have expected. I would merely ask any troll or inquiring mind to offer his valuation, and defend it, and I will offer my own. And change it . . . hahaha.

    This ain't exactly science.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think your spot on Joe. Here's how I rate some of the categories:

    Common Sense: 1
    Courts: 1
    Immigration: 2
    Army: 2
    Police: 2

    ReplyDelete
  7. Justice: 0
    Investigation: 0

    Ampatuan would have been found Guilty-by-Popular-Demand. Fortunately, Ampatuan was offered absolution and redemption of his massacred victims by Rubber-Stamp-President-to-the-Oligarch Benigno-the-Third for turning State Witness against Benigno-the-Turd's personal nemesis, Gloria Makapal-Arroyo.

    Criminal Ampatuan has affidavited his witness account without forensics and evidence.

    Gloria Makapal-Arryo will be found guilty-by-affidavits

    ReplyDelete
  8. Justice: 0
    Investigation: 0

    Senate investigation is an investigation-by-asking-around. The senate that manufactures laws can't seem to follow paper trails of Arroyos' hellicopters. They'd rather ask around instead of:

    1. Checking Bureau of Air Transportation's registered owner of the hellecopters;
    2. If it's registered to a corporation, to check SEC the incorporators, board of directors and stockholders;
    3. To check the corporation if the hellecopters were taken up as fixed assets, therefore, the corporation is the owner
    4. If it was taken up as receivables, therefore, the corporation is fronting for a person or corporation

    To this date, the foreign-educated-ivy-school-graduate Senators prefers asking-around-investigations. I WONDER WHY ?

    ReplyDelete
  9. HARDWORK should be zero as in "0". Filipinos measure hardwork by the perspiration they made. Since PHilippines is hot, therefore, they perspire the more, the more they perspire, the more they are working hard.

    A priest friend of the family, explained it to me intelligently. "Filipinos do not work hard because it is hot in the PHilippines. All Tropical countries are not progressive because it is hot to work in that condition" VERY INTELLIGENT. I believe the priest must be correct because all priests has speed dial to their respective Gods and Goddesses.

    Who'd want to work? Who'd want to study? When Phiippines requires Filipinos to wear long sleeves and neck ties, children (college and highschool) are to wear long pants made of materials that is sooo hot.

    And who made Filipinos wear uncomfortable clothes in hot humid tropical weather ? OF COURSE, THE FOREIGN-EDUCATED IVY-SCHOOL LAWMAKERS WHO ARE BUNCH OF HAUGHTY-SNOOTY-ENGLISCHTZES-SNOBS !

    ReplyDelete
  10. DECLARATIVELY SPEAKING, something is wrong with Filipino minds. Maybe it's already fried because it is hot and humid. Or, Philippines could be a place of the souls that were reincarnated while waiting in line to be judged by their respective Gods and Goddesses. And their leaders are the instrument of punishments of their Gods.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anon, amendments so noted.

    Mariano, INTERROGATIVELY SPEAKING, shall I laugh or cry?

    ReplyDelete

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