As we sat having lunch the other day I am struck by the contrasts that exist side by side in every part of Mactan Island. Fabulous resorts and filth and poverty are bed fellows here.
We recently arrived at a rather empty Japanese restaurant in a new, small mall just off the famous Quezon Highway. Travelling there by way of a nine peso (US$0.20) tricycle trip we set off on our short walk along the dusty, dirty, muddy edge of the road. No pavements here.
The path was uneven and bumpy and we had to pick our way around garbage, the odd dog, a motor bike or tricycle parked half on and half off the road. People milling around and offering a variety of products from grubby, barred windows. Jeepneys and tricycles belching their way around the road diversion.
Just a few meters off this road the small mall is an absolute contrast. Spotless new buildings, an efficient security guard controlling the traffic and neat clean shops.
After sitting in the restaurant for about half an hour I became aware of a man moving along the passage sweeping. I remembered seeing him not 15 minutes ago sweeping in the opposite direction. As we sat there for lunch he moved along slowly from one side of the mall to the other.
As I looked out not 20 metres away there was garbage lying along the dusty, litter ridden roadside.
Two countries in one. Living side by side. Poverty and wealth are close neighbours but living in harmony. In a country I've heard called, by a young man born and bred Africa, "the most Third World country I've ever been to".
But it all seems to work despite the uncontrolled population of humans and dogs and cats!!!
Monday 28 April 2014
My First brush With A Filipino Law Enforcer
Enforcer - in the Philippines they are a person employed by the state to enforce the local laws. In most other countries they would be called a policeman.
Like in most developing (3rd World) countries they are severely underpaid and have a strong incentive to subsidize their meager pay at every opportunity.
Last week I took a friend to the airport for an early flight ... very early, as we dropped him off at about 04:15. The airport at this time was hectic with taxis and departing passengers everywhere. So as we left the airport area we were in a stream of traffic ... made up mainly of taxis.
One fantastic feature of Mactan island, which derives a large proportion of income from foreign holiday makers, is that they either don't have too many road signs, or they are so old and faded you can't read them, or they are "disguised" by a myriad of other signs or overgrown foliage. This guarantees that the odds are well stacked against you as a foreigner. The chances are stacked that at some time you are going to transgress (or violate) some traffic law.
This is compounded by another two factors. The first is that the laws for locals are different from those for foreigners ... so don't use a local as the basis for application of a law. The second is that as a foreigner you are a target. Immediately identified as an easy mark.
You don't know or understand the law and when you are stopped there is a veiled threat that the legal process to pay the fine and collect your confiscated license will be very inconvenient and time consuming. So if you are on holiday, where are you going to find the place where you have been told they will be taking your license? How much will it cost to get there? How long will it take to pay the fine?
So there is a very, very strong incentive to finalize the minor "violation" as quickly as possible. This is done by means of a negotiated "spot fine". There is no receipt and the matter is over.
As we left the airport I was in a stream of taxis and didn't notice that there was a feint sign at the beginning of some concrete bollards indicating that I was in the "taxi" lane and I should have been in the other lane. I wasn't concerned as it seemed to be inconsequential. Not true.
As I lowered the window the enforcer requested my license and after taking it and studying it and me, advised me that I had violated some traffic law. So what now. I was holding up a long stream of taxis so was instructed to pull over to the side of the road. My mind immediately went into 3rd world negotiating mode.
As he sauntered (in a manner which traffic police internationally have perfected) across to the car he was fingering his ticketing book. However 3rd world police are very easy to read. They don't start writing the ticket but start telling you about the consequences if they start writing as they flip the pages of the book.
What follows is a short and sweet negotiation. You handing over of a small amount of money for the "spot fine", your licence being handed back and both of you going on your way as if nothing happened.
However that is not quite the end for me. I have now vowed that I'll never again be part of this problem.
Corruption requires cooperation - there are two parties who must agree to be dishonest ... I'm not going to be one of them.
Like in most developing (3rd World) countries they are severely underpaid and have a strong incentive to subsidize their meager pay at every opportunity.
Last week I took a friend to the airport for an early flight ... very early, as we dropped him off at about 04:15. The airport at this time was hectic with taxis and departing passengers everywhere. So as we left the airport area we were in a stream of traffic ... made up mainly of taxis.
One fantastic feature of Mactan island, which derives a large proportion of income from foreign holiday makers, is that they either don't have too many road signs, or they are so old and faded you can't read them, or they are "disguised" by a myriad of other signs or overgrown foliage. This guarantees that the odds are well stacked against you as a foreigner. The chances are stacked that at some time you are going to transgress (or violate) some traffic law.
This is compounded by another two factors. The first is that the laws for locals are different from those for foreigners ... so don't use a local as the basis for application of a law. The second is that as a foreigner you are a target. Immediately identified as an easy mark.
You don't know or understand the law and when you are stopped there is a veiled threat that the legal process to pay the fine and collect your confiscated license will be very inconvenient and time consuming. So if you are on holiday, where are you going to find the place where you have been told they will be taking your license? How much will it cost to get there? How long will it take to pay the fine?
So there is a very, very strong incentive to finalize the minor "violation" as quickly as possible. This is done by means of a negotiated "spot fine". There is no receipt and the matter is over.
As we left the airport I was in a stream of taxis and didn't notice that there was a feint sign at the beginning of some concrete bollards indicating that I was in the "taxi" lane and I should have been in the other lane. I wasn't concerned as it seemed to be inconsequential. Not true.
As I lowered the window the enforcer requested my license and after taking it and studying it and me, advised me that I had violated some traffic law. So what now. I was holding up a long stream of taxis so was instructed to pull over to the side of the road. My mind immediately went into 3rd world negotiating mode.
As he sauntered (in a manner which traffic police internationally have perfected) across to the car he was fingering his ticketing book. However 3rd world police are very easy to read. They don't start writing the ticket but start telling you about the consequences if they start writing as they flip the pages of the book.
What follows is a short and sweet negotiation. You handing over of a small amount of money for the "spot fine", your licence being handed back and both of you going on your way as if nothing happened.
However that is not quite the end for me. I have now vowed that I'll never again be part of this problem.
Corruption requires cooperation - there are two parties who must agree to be dishonest ... I'm not going to be one of them.
Wednesday 9 April 2014
The Death of the Fast Food Worker
The rise of machines to replace the fast food worker. Is this a possibility? Is it feasible?
A company in San Francisco has developed a machine that replaces people in vending hamburgers and the technology is in its infancy.
Click on this article. It may sound like something like science fiction ... but it is already a reality.
Just another step in feeding decreasing employment, in a growing world population, faced with ever increasing unemployment.
Unemployment among the young is a dire growing problem throughout the world. This one source of employment for unskilled, young people will slowly be destroyed.
Government interference into the free market has increased the incentive to replace people with machines. Governments don't realise that ill-considered (may I call them dumb?) decisions often have unintended consequences. Their relentless grasp for power through handing out favours and entitlements has generated legislation that works directly against the people it was supposed to help.
There will be consequences to their short term decisions. This is one of them ... what will the others be?
A company in San Francisco has developed a machine that replaces people in vending hamburgers and the technology is in its infancy.
Click on this article. It may sound like something like science fiction ... but it is already a reality.
Just another step in feeding decreasing employment, in a growing world population, faced with ever increasing unemployment.
Unemployment among the young is a dire growing problem throughout the world. This one source of employment for unskilled, young people will slowly be destroyed.
Government interference into the free market has increased the incentive to replace people with machines. Governments don't realise that ill-considered (may I call them dumb?) decisions often have unintended consequences. Their relentless grasp for power through handing out favours and entitlements has generated legislation that works directly against the people it was supposed to help.
There will be consequences to their short term decisions. This is one of them ... what will the others be?
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