The blame game begins

With the sinking of MV Princess of the Stars, all authorities, government agencies, and the companies involved in this tragic incident that made the Philippines infamous once again has embarked on a new game--The blame game.

1. The Filipino people, I believe, blames Sulpicio Lines for sailing even though they knew that there was a typhoon.
2. Sulpicio Lines blames the Coast Guard for allowing them to sail even though they knew that there was a typhoon.
3. Sulpico Lines blames the weather bureau for not predicting the path of the typhoon properly. Hence, they unwittingly sailed through the eye of the typhoon. Killing 800 people and possibly polluting the whole region with the pesticide endosulfan.
4. The Coast Guard blames Sulpicio Lines for not telling them about the 10 metric tons of the endosulfan in their cargo.
5. Sulpicio Lines blames Del Monte for not telling them about the endosulfan and for not specifying that it is highly poisonous.
6. Sulpicio Lines blames the Coast Guard for not asking them whether or not they were carrying endosulfan. Endosulfan is not on their list of dangerous chemicals.
7. Del Monte blames Sulpicio Lines because "Under the law, Sulpicio must exercise extraordinary diligence in ensuring that all cargo arrive safely at their destination," Del Monte said.
7. Bayer Philippines says "what endosulfan?". They stopped producing it in 1991.
8. I even read some comments that the people on the ship should not have taken the ship knowing that there was a typhoon coming. This implies that the tragedy was actually the fault of the passengers themselves.
9. PAGASA, the weather bureau, will probably blame the "brain drain" of their meteorologist to Singapore and other developed countries for their inability to correctly predict the path of the typhoon.

In my opinion it is the fault of everybody that 800 people died that day.

1. It is the fault of Sulpicio Lines for sailing knowing there will be a typhoon. They do have enough experience to know. Three other ships they owned perished the same way.
2. It is the fault of the Coast Guard for letting them sail.
3. It is the fault of PAGASA for not accurately predicting the weather.
4. It is the fault of Del Monte for shipping endosulfan in a passenger liner.
5. It is the fault of Bayer for still selling endosulfan in the Philippines when has been banned in most countries.
6. It is the fault of the Philippine Government for losing all its talented and skilled people to the brain drain. It is also the fault of the government that the shipping industry is not well regulated. In a country of 7100 islands, this is just unacceptable.
7. It is the fault of the Filipino people for forgetting too quickly what happened to Dona Paz, Dona Marilyn, MV Princess of the World and MV Princess of the Orient. If we don't want these tragedies to happen again then we should be more vigilant in preventing them. Why is Sulpicio Lines still in operation anyway after all these tragedies? We should demand good service from companies, and all government agencies tasked to monitor them.

Photo from Abs-cbnnews.com

Technorati tags: Sulpicio+Lines MV+Princess+of+the+stars Philippines tragedy Bayer Del+Monte PAGASA endosulfan pesticide pollution

Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich, according to William M. Mercer, a London-based consulting firm, is the city with the highest quality of life in the world for 6 consecutive years. They analyzed 215 cities based on 39 different criteria, including leisure and relaxation, safety, cleanliness, political and economical stability, and medical care (Manila is 123). Well, since this is where I live, I guess, life cannot get better than this. Actually, in the same survey, Switzerland together with Germany are the only countries with 3 cities in the top 10 (Zurich-1, Geneva-2, Berne-9) . Well, that confirms it then , it really doesn't get better than this.

What do these criteria translate to in everyday life? Well...
1. The Zurich Lake, around which the city is built is so clean! When the weather is nice in the summer, people would go by the lake to swim. No fee, just bring your swimsuit. The place just transforms into a resort. I won't even be surprised if one can directly drink from from the lake actually.
2. The trains and trams arrive precisely on time (to the second!). Now, I start getting irritated if the tram is 1 minute late.
3. The city vacuums (!) the street everyday.
4. The swiss franc is one of the most stable currencies in the world.
5. Everyone has health insurance.
6. Very low crime rate (in fact probably there is none at all that sometimes the big news of the day is that of man caught peeping in the women's changing room of a department store!).
7. The city supplies red plastic bags and trash cans for dog poop. You can find dog poop plastic dispensers throughout the city specially in parks (even in the forest!). The Swiss diligently picks up the poop after their dogs. It is totally embarrassing NOT to do it. This results in a totally dog poop free city.

Though famous for being an overly expensive city (9th in the world in terms of cost of living), it also gives the world's highest salaries. It's so expensive here that if one is earning less than 3500 sfr (3200 USD), one is considered to be living below the poverty line.

To be continued....

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There are many vacation packages one can choose from today. People looking for a summer heaven might have their pick in myrtle beach vacation packages, or the more exclusive caribbean vacation packages. Then there are summer deals like san diego vacation packages. Then there are always the cancun vacation packages for families who love a fun time.
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Technorati tags: zurich cost+of+living quality+of+life

No! No! No!

Abs-cbnnews.com reported today that business groups are backing a moratorium to revise Boracay's "masterplan so that it would become a high-end tourist destination, with Aklan providing the low-cost accommodations and Carabao Island hosting the casino operations".This should also allow Boracay to reach an annual target of 5 million tourists. Samie Lim, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), said that a ferry system should be established "to allow the so-called “backpackers” and mass tourists to get off the island at night and then stay in cheap rooms in Aklan where they will clean up and “throw away everything.” According to him with this system “They will be able to get the best of worlds. They can stay in cheap hotels in Aklan and then go to the white-sand beaches in Boracay in the morning.” This will then allow Boracay to be exclusive to hotels with room rates at $200 to $1,000 per night. Lim added that "the moratorium on developments in the island should remain until the national government and the local units there have firmed up strategies on how to address issues like sewage system and the other facilities"

This wonderful idea was conceived after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under Lito Atienza ordered a stop to all construction activities in Boracay because of the continuing environmental degradation due to unchecked construction activities. Rich businessmen who are obviously selfish, profit oriented and have no clear notion of reality then had to figure out a way to build in Boracay despite the construction ban. Of course, they would come up with another brilliant idea to lay the blame on the public on a budget and to segregate the rich and the poor. Maximizing the benefits of those who can pay.

There are problems to this brilliant idea:

1. It is the big multi-billion peso investments that are the most harmful to the environment. Imagine constructing a golf course on a water-starved island; Imagine cutting the forest (source of water) to build condominiums; Imagine replacing wonderful fresh low-key nipa huts with monstrous 200-room concrete structures without any architecture. Actually, no, you don't need to use your imagination because these stupidities have been done in Boracay. Then big investors want the backpackers to move to Aklan! So, the big businessmen can build more golf courses and cut more forests?
2. I can barely afford nor would I go to a hotel with a room rate $200 per night and I am earning more that the average Filipino. In a country where a lot of people are below the poverty line, would it be decent to make one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines, one the all Filipinos should see (rich or poor) that expensive. Now, there is something for all budgets and it is the system that should stay.
3. A target of 5 million tourists annually? Boracay is so small. How can it support that many people? If you put too much people inside it will sink. Maybe people should decrease the target then the environmental degradation will stop.
4. What is wrong with being a "so called backpacker" (as Lim puts it). Majority of tourist are backpackers. Not everyone can afford to be a luxury tourist. Backpackers are actually the ones who "discovered" Boracay in the first place. They are also the ones who travel to appreciate the culture of the country they are visiting and not only to lie in the sun.
5. The non-multi billion peso resorts in Boracay who are catering to backpackers and budget-minded tourists can and should be forced to comply with sewage and drainage rules. Authorities should develop and implement these rules after developing a functioning drainage and sewage system.

I applaud Lito Atienza for having the guts to stop multi-billion projects to save Boracay from environmental disaster. That must have been really ugly for him, I can imagine. I am happy that rich businessmen agrees that Boracay needs saving. At least everyone agrees that Boracay's Masterplan should be changed. People should just keep in mind that greed won't save the Philippine's piece of paradise and that should the masterplan be changed, it should be changed that with sustainability and not profit in mind.

Techorati Tags:Boracay Environmental+degradation moratorium construction+ban Lito+Atienza Samie+Lim DENR

Hey Joe!

Hey Joe offers the reader a glimpse of the colorful life in Manila. I have to admit that I find it refreshing that Ted Lerner managed to convey his affection for this montrous capital and its people without hiding its realities. He managed this by his obvious understanding of the Filipino culture and its peculiarities. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on Nipa huts, and his depictions of Manila street scenes.
I like this book and I like Ted Lerner because honestly I am tired of listening to complaints about the Philippines and the Filipinos from foreigners who voluntarily live in the Philippines. Finally, there is a foreigner who seem to understand our idiosyncrasies.

Help me!

Since the only thing constant in this world is change, I need to change my plans for our annual trip to the Philippines next year. In 6 months we will be in the Philippines again (I know we just arrived a few weeks ago and I have not finished posting everything about that trip) but my only sister is getting married in early January so we have to go home. The problem is my husband will start a new job and cannot go on a long vacation. So, I have to cancel my long awaited trip to Caramoan and El Nido. This time we have no time for adventures. Now, we have only 10 days to spend in the Philippines instead of the normal 25 and I have no idea where to go. I need your help in finding that perfect beach/beach resort that would fuel my mind, body and soul to go to work for another year.

My perfect beach resort should have these components:
1. Fine white sand (like Boracay) =)
2. Have clean accommodations
3. Have good food
4. Good snorkeling
5. Can be accessed by direct flight from Manila. I don't want to travel for more than 2 hours inland after plane lands
6. Reasonable price (definition: not more than 5000 pesos per room per night)
7. Somewhere I have not been before (so Bohol, Boracay, Malapascua, Bantayan and Coron etc. are out)

If you have any suggestions or ideas (no matter how strange), please leave a comment.

Thanks a lot!