Philippine-DPRK trade relations: Signs of times?

The Philippines has maintained an economic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) until Foreign Affairs Secretary Allan Peter Cayetano met with the United States Ambassador to the Philippines. According to reports, the Philippines is the third largest trading partner of the "hermit kingdom" in 2017 amounting to US$ 87 million.

The Philippines exports to North Korea bananas, computers, integrated circuit boards and women’s undergarments and imports "iron and steel products, which could put the country in breach of UN resolutions which restrict member states from importing numerous DPRK minerals".

Sabi, the economic trade is a sign of desperation. Possibly. Teka, economic desperation nga nino?

Proud to be "Ingrato"

Just lately, Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Bato dela Rosa called the critics on the war against drugs as a bunch of ingrates.

"Prangka lang ako. You can criticize us to high heavens but I can tell you straight sa inyong mga mata, 'yung mga critic, sabihan ko kayo, ingrato kayo. Alam ko nakikinabang din kayo sa peace and order na idinulot ng war on drugs," " he said in an ambush interview.

 Well, if the definition of being an ingrate means not being appreciative, then we are proud to be one. Bakit? Let us count the ways...

1. The war is a failure. The bald head... err, figures released by the government on the number of drug users is very telling. From the 1.8 million drug users in September 2016, the figure rose to 4.7 million in May this year and to 7 million this October 2017. If the war is successful, the figure should be declining, not increasing, unless the goal of the war is pataasan ng ihi... este, bilang.
2. The war is a failure. 13,000 plus na ang patay wala pa ring nahuhuling tatay... I mean, druglord? Asan na yung P6.4 billion worth na shabu sa customs? Sino nahuli dun -- ang caretaker ng warehouse?
3. The war is a failure. Ang PNP mismo ang nagsabi: Kailangan niya ng P900 million budget sa War on Drugs. Kung winning ang war, di ba dapat pababa ang budget? Teka, budget ba ng prescription drugs para sa DOH ang pinag-uusapan natin?
4. The war on drugs is a failure. Napapansin na tayo globally at me 39 countries sa UN ang nagsabi nito. Unless mga dilawan ang mga government officials ng mga bansang yun? Grabe ah, ang lakas ng power ng mga dilawan ngayon, kung ganun? Kaya ba kahol ng kahol ang mga anti-yellows?
5. The war on drugs is a failure. Yung mga respondents nga ng surveys na pumupuri kay PRRD nagsasabi na mahihirap lang ang nahuhuli at namamatay, ang PNP pa kaya na may intelligence fund di ito malalaman? Well, mas marami nga naman ang 16 million kaysa sa bilang ng PNP.

Graphics Credit: Rappler.com

MRT's pleasant surprise?

Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya responded to the calls for the public officials to ride the MRT (also called as the #MRTchallenge. His verdict: Riding the MRT is pleasant.

Indeed, riding the MRT for Abaya is pleasant because aside from the fanfare and media pa-cute he experienced, there are a number of reasons for riding the rail transit that commuters really failed to appreciate. These are as follows:

1. The bonus. Aside from the bonus ride commuters get when the stored value tickets amount to P3.00, they also get a bonus distance and bonus wounds when trains overshoot the rail track. That is in addition to the bonus time and place that they spent for queuing just to buy tickets and enter the station platform. Ang hirap kayang tumambay na walang tambayan.
2. The physical and mental exercise. Commuters also failed to realize that the MRT is doing them favor by forcing them to walk when the trains stop in mid-stations. Kaya nga bibihira ang mataba sa MRT. And, of course, dahil nagiging bopols na ang mga Pinoy (proof of which is that Philippine universities do not make it to at least the top 20 universities at least in Asia), the MRT is also doing a service by providing a sort of mental exercise. So commuters are forced to become creative in making excuses for being late. As a resut of that exercise, marami ang nakaka-experience ng mental stress.
3. The art of patience. It's a virtue and only MRT teaches that by teaching commuters to stay on queue that they may be able to buy ticktes or get inside the station platform. Kung sa ibang bagay, magtatakbuhan na ang mga commuters na ito lalo na kung sasakay sa bus o tatanggap ng relief goods.
4. The virtue of hoping. Siyempre, kahit late na, hoping pa rin ang mga commuters that the train will arrive at makakasakay sila lalo na sa mga alanganing istasyon gaya ng GMA-Kamuning and Santolan at the northern end, and Magallanes at the southern end. Mahirap kayang matutong umasa lalo na ang umasa sa wala.
5. The virtue of understanding. Hanggang ngayon, nobody knows what happened to the scandals and the number of investigations on MRT messes, and nobody gets punished except the commuters. And nobody knows why our great senators and officials would not want to take the MRT and take the lessons the "pleasant MRT ride" provides. Kung sabagay, mahirap nga namang isakay ang magagarang sasakyan sa MRT, di ba mga minamahal na senador at congressman?
6. The science and virtue of appreciating art. Only a few learns to appreciate art. But when commuters get inside the MRT station and look at the unoperational ticket vending machines, they immediately acquire the science and virtue of art appreciation. Ang iba nga napapakanta pa ng Mona Lisa if you ask ano ang ginagawa ng mga kahon ng latang yun. Those machines costing hundreds of thousands of pesos and even millions... "would just lie there and they die there".

O, di ba? Tama si Abaya. Riding MRT is pleasant. At dagdag ni Tikboy: educational.