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On POGOs in the PH
From free trade perspective, those PH Offshhore Gaming Operations (POGOs) are good. Remember factor price equalization (FPE) theorem in Econ 141 or 241, free mobility of factors of production like...
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Covid 11, Dire Straits and lockdowns
I was listening to some Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) songs and checking their lyrics, three of his songs somehow portrayed the lockdown hysteria that the world has seen.(1) Telegraph Road...
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BWorld 435, Drug pricing in Asia and WHO assembly
* My article in BusinessWorld, May 14, 2020.As the COVID-19 global pandemic lingers, the search for new medicines and vaccines continues as existing treatments and medicines cannot cope with virus...
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IPR and Innovation 47, Our Joint Declaration on WHA, May 18
Minimal Government Thinkers is one of 31 independent, non-govt think tanks around the world that signed this declaration, officially launched last Monday, May 18 as officials of the WHO member-states...
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My zoom webinars today
On average I join about three webinars a week, two of which from our UPSEAA group. But today, I have three webinars and two are in conflict or have similar time slots, 3-5pm. I registered first with...
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Energy 135, Oil, gas and coal prices
Highest oil price was recorded on June 02, 2008 at $142/barrel (WTI), then April 01, 2011 at $115/barrel. Then last month we saw a seemingly unthinkable price, -$26/barrel, with intra-day low of around...
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BWorld 436, Growth lockdown and low carbon economy
* My column in BusinessWorld, May 21, 2020.The hard lockdown countries experienced deep economic contraction in their GDP in first quarter (Q1) of 2020: France -5.4%, Italy -4.8%, Spain -4.1%, Belgium...
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Agri Econ 31, Rising world rice prices, falling corn, poultry prices
This pandemic period showed big jump in world rice prices since last March. Peak price over the last five years was $18 per hundredweight (cwt) reached last April 29, 2020. A cwt = 100 pounds in the...
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My favorite political shirts
Among my favorite, most memorable shirts, below. (1) pilipinasforum@yahoogroups.com, "where immortals argue", we formed in 1999, verrry active political and economic discourses. It helped me focus my...
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Drug Price Control 47, Article in August 2010
I just found this, my guest article in Manila Times nearly 10 years ago, reposting.Below it is part of the one-page statement by various organizations on price control that will be implemented...
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Covid 12, Open up the economy, lockdowns are wrong
Oil crisis, food crisis, overpopulation crisis, NCDs crisis, inequality crisis, climate crisis, plastic crisis, US-Iran war crisis, forest fire crisis,... now Covid crisis.Soon it will emerge that like...
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BWorld 437, Drug price control, winners and losers
* My column in BusinessWorld, May 28, 2020.Some questions on Executive Order No. 104 (EO 104) — the new drug price control via the imposition of a maximum wholesale price (MWP) and a maximum retail...
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Rule of Law 29, Looting and burning are unrelated to BLM, race issues
Burning cars, shops, malls, have nothing to do with the killing of the Minneapolis policeman of George Floyd two weeks ago. Looting were done for the purpose of stealing 100%, zero relation with Floyd....
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Covid 13, Hard lockdown and hysteria caused the 17.7% unemployment rate
Philippines unemployment rate jumped high from 5.3% in January 2020 to 17.7% in April 2020. Palakpakan, clap the hard lockdown. People wanted to be employed, Government said they should be unemployed,...
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BWorld 438, Meralco lockdown billings and coal contracts
* My article in BusinessWorld, June 4, 2020.The adverse impact of prolonged community quarantine (CQ) in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon since mid-March is shown by the huge decline in electricity...
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Welfarism 36, On mandatory 20% discount for seniors, PWDs
On mandatory 20% discount for senior citizens (SCs) and persons with disability (PWDs) -- it should be voluntary, not mandatory and hence should not have been legislated. If it's voluntary, cost is on...
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Jayant Bhandari on the recent US riots
I am reposting some recent fb postings by an Indian-Canadian friend, Jayant Bhandari. I don't agree with everything he says but he's frank and clear, I like it. So here goes...June 13It is much easier...
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BWorld 439, Inter-Agency to Terminate Functional businesses (IATF)
* My column in BusinessWorld, June 11, 2010.The Philippines has perhaps the most draconian, most hysterical lockdown policies in East Asia and even in other countries in the world. From mid-March to...
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Covid 14, It's abnormal, not lousy "new normal"
This pandemic started with natural human fear of the unknown (Fotu). Then the socialists and authoritarians jumped in and expanded the hysteria. Socialists believe that many corporations,...
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Weekend Fun 71, Father's day, Husband's day
A cool Father's Day meme,(All photos and memes here I got from the web or shared in various social media)Q: Difference among Complete, Finished and Completely finished?A: If you married the right...
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