TR EMERITUS

GMA News TV, 15 November 2009 President Gloria Arroyo has called for the protection of migrant workers, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), in a world seeing an acceleration of human movement. Speaking before some 600 members of the Filipino community at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, Mrs. Arroyo on Saturday said trade can expand only as much as human capital is allowed mobility. "And the world might as well recognize the fact and make it orderly," Arroyo was quoted as saying in a Malacañang statement. The President is in Singapore to attend a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). In her speech, she said APEC needs to put the flow of human capital in the same way the World Trade Organization (WTO) puts the flow of trade in order. "Because we are pioneers in this new age of global labor, it is our obligation to make sure that we protect our workers wherever they may be," she said. In the Philippines, she said, the country is capable of continuing its fiscal stimulus program, all because of the resiliency of its economy. She said leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) agree that there is need to cushion the impact of the global recession on the poor and members of the most vulnerable sectors of society. "The problem is how to finance the stimulus program," she said. She also said APEC can claim that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, is on a solid comeback trail "We can still finance the fiscal stimulus. Our bonds are still very, very marketable. I think we are resilient and will bounce back to the rapid growth that we achieved before the global recession slowed us somewhat. At least our economy never turned negative even at the height of the crisis," she said. Mrs. Arroyo also lauded members of the Filipino community in Singapore, saying they demonstrate they are comparable to the best workers anywhere in the world. She acknowledged the contributions made by OFWs to the economic development of the Philippines From January to August this year, she noted, OFWs remitted $11 billion to their families back home. She said OFWs in Singapore are hardworking and talented. She added they do very well in all imaginable occupations, whether they are working as doctors, nurses, healthcare workers; information and communication technology technicians, architects and engineers. "OFWs in Singapore have moved up the value chain to higher-paying jobs that require more complex skills," Mrs. Arroyo said. She added that through the OFWs' efforts, Singaporeans have come to admire Filipino culture. She noted she had just opened two exhibits of Filipino art works at the Singapore Art Museum. Mrs. Arroyo encouraged everyone to support these events and invite their Singaporean and other friends to see and experience their country's culture. Yet, Mrs. Arroyo would have preferred to see Filipinos staying home with their families. "My vision is to make our economy competitive enough so that one day going abroad will just be a career choice, not the only option for our hardworking Filipino workers," she said. She also thanked the OFWs for their donations to the victims of recent floods and landslides in country. "That again shows how Filipinos in Singapore remember the folks back home no matter how successful they have become," she said. There are an estimated 144,000 Filipinos in Singapore, many of whom excel in various fields such as banking and finance, medicine, education, information technology, retail services, engineering, and entertainment. Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo will speak on behalf of the Asean in a dialogue with the United States. As coordinator for Asean, Arroyo, during the ASEAN-US Summit, will sit beside US President Barack Obama. The meeting between Obama and the Asean leaders would take about at least an hour, the Palace statement said. Mrs. Arroyo will be the fourth speaker after the welcome remarks of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the opening remarks of Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Obama, respectively. She will speak specifically on what needs to be done to improve the US-Asean Plan of Action that was signed five years ago. Asean will review what has transpired since and prepare for a new five-year partnership. The Asean leaders and Obama will come up with a joint statement at the end of the summit. - GMANews.TV  Read More →

作者:李卖蚬 有个人在餐馆吃饭，看到汤碗里有一只苍蝇，便叫来侍者问："怎么汤碗里有只苍蝇？“侍者回答说：”你只花5块钱就有菜有汤，你还想吃什么？“ 本来真正的问题是餐馆的卫生情况 (hygiene)，结果被侍者偷梁换柱，问题变成”你花了多少钱“。如果顾客不警觉，与侍者在“花了多少钱”上争吵，侍者便成功的转移视线，避开真正的问题。搞不好最后顾客还要赞同5块钱的确很便宜！ 所以碰到这种侍者，明眼的旁人就要帮忙拆穿他的诡辩。 把中国网民对老李演讲内容的愤怒反应归咎并转移到“制衡“一词的翻译不够严谨就是一个例子。难道说，如果译文用“平衡”而非“制衡”，中国网民就不会被激怒吗？ 不久前的张元元事件也是一个例子。张元元事件的真正重点是国人对政府很宽松的外来人口政策非常不满，却得不到政府认真的回应（政府只一味高高在上的对人民说外来人口是为了保住人民的饭碗）。张元元秀绿卡事件只是给众多受影响而不满的国人一个泄愤的出口。但早报却避开事件背后的主要问题，它的”你花了多少钱”就是只取其表面，把讨论导向 移民的融入等课题，任你新移民、老移民的争个不休；更有人毫不避忌的嘲笑那些批评张元元的国人为荒谬，只怕你不来和他争吵，如此，人们便可忘了汤碗里的那只苍蝇。 来源：大马华人网站  Read More →

Written by our Correspondent U.S. President Barack Obama had failed to raise the issue of "political repression" with his Singapore hosts during the APEC Summit. A White Paper released last week by law firm Amsterdam & Peroff, which was given extensive publicity in the United States, had called on President Obama to address concerns that the Singapore government is oppressing its political opponents and critics back home. On the contrary, during their meeting held at the Istana, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Obama had a good discussion on a wide range of issues. Both reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relations between Singapore and the United States, said a statement from the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Singapore is a key strategic ally of the United States in the region. PM Lee's father, the indefatigable MM Lee Kuan Yew recently called on the United States to stay active in Asia to "counter" the rising influence of China. Though U.S-based NGOs such as Freedom House and International Bar Association have constantly expressed concerns about Singapore's political system and judiciary, official circles have refrained from criticizing the Singapore government so far. Dr Chee has gone on a series of talk shows in the United States to highlight the political repression in Singapore. His interviews were not even reported by the Singapore media. While the foreign media has portrayed him as an opposition "leader", Dr Chee can hardly be considered as one in Singapore's weak and divided opposition. The three opposition MPs in parliament have chosen to distance themselves from him and his method of lobbying the west to exert pressure on the Singapore government has won him few fans so far. Unlike his predecessor, President Obama appears to be a pragmatic leader who is more interested in diplomacy than realpolitik. He had refrained from meeting with exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama at the White House out of fear of offending China.  Read More →