Reflections on 2011 Davao, Payatas and Ilocos Sur Medical Missions
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OPINION HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS Mayor 3 PMAH Installs 2012 12 Cayetano? Officers and Board of Governors January 28, 2012 H a w a i i ’ s O n l y w e e k l y F i l i p i n O - a m e r i c a n n e w s p a p e r Reflections on 2011 Davao, Payatas anD ilocos suR MeDical Missions Bernie Bernales, a volunteer from Hawaii, quietly watches over the Pediatric Pharmacy during the Cabugao Medical Mission. FCCH PREPS FOR 22ND PHILIPPINE TRADE MISSION Residents of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur wait patiently to be seen by medical mission physicians and volunteers By Teresita Bernales, Ed. D. │Photos by Althone BOrjA ach time a medical mission in the Philippines is conducted, two questions are asked frequently of delegates—who are the ben- eficiaries and why do people volunteer to join the mission? As E the name implies, it is to help the sick and needy and the sec- ond one usually generates a lot of discussion. Who are the poor of the P4869 (P162/per day) to meet ulation served is the poorest of Dr. Federico Macaranas of the Asian Institute of Management during Philippines? Dr. Belinda the monthly basic food needs the poor who do not see a doc- the investment and business opportunities in the Philippines forum Aquino cited in a recent alone. P162 a day is about tor when sick because they lack held recently at the Philippine Consulate Hawaii Filipino Chronicle $3.73. However, the poorest of money to buy medicines. By Maita Millalos article that in 2010 data, ap- the poor subsists on $1.25 a Regarding the question as proximately 28 percent of day, barely enough for one to why delegates join such mis- he Filipino Chamber of Mission to the Philippines Filipinos fall within the meal a day. It is this population sions of mercy, doing so pro- Commerce of Hawaii which will take place Febru- poverty index, which is that the Ohana Medical Mission vides a sense of personal T (FCCH) and its newly ary 10-21, 2012. formed subsidiary the Hawaii- HPBEC aims to identify roughly equivalent to 3 mil- (OMM), the UST Titan Frater- satisfaction, fulfillment and well- Philippines Business and Eco- quality programs and re- lion families. nity and Ilocos Sur Association being. According to a medical nomic Council (HPBEC) are sources that would A family of 5 needs served in this mission. The pop- (continued on page 4) preparing for the 22nd Trade (continued on page 4) HAWAII FILIPINO CHRONICLE HAWAII-FILIPINO NEWS LEGAL NOTES 94-356 WAIPAHU DEPOT RD., 2ND FLR. WAIPAHU, HI 96797 Congress of Visayan10 Opting-Out to 13 Organizations to Mark Prevent Longer 27th Anniversary Wait for Visa 2 News Edition JanUary 28, 2012 editorial Support Companies That Keep Workers continues to replace jobs in practically all other Employed industries across the board. From the largest to hotography industry giant Kodak joins a list smallest companies, the practice of business of other once-mighty companies filing for survival increasingly true today revolves around P bankruptcy due to an inability to compete how efficient can product output be achieved in today's global digital economy. Kodak was a with the least amount of cost. In other words, pioneering company that invented the hand- while the rhetoric nationwide is how can the held camera. The company capitalized and U.S. improve employment and job growth; in dominated the photography industry through its practice, the preference really for companies is advances in technology. Yet ironically, it is finding the most optimal ways to maintain busi- today's even faster digital technology that ness operations with the savings cost of having pushed Kodak to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. less employees. Utilizing and embracing the lat- Just last year about the same time, Borders est technology are enabling companies to Group Inc., the second largest U.S. bookstore achieve this goal. chain, also filed for bankruptcy due to the rise So what we see in today's "technology-en- of online book businesses like Amazon.com Inc. abled" economy is a lose-lose contradiction. We and the increased popularity of digital books. need more workers to stimulate our overall Borders rocketed in the books and music retail economy through consumer spending; but at industry in the 1970s. It, along with other big box the same time, companies rely on technology giants, drove countless of small books and to cut jobs to operate more efficiently for lower music sellers out of business simply due to overhead costs. Where do we draw the line is greater size of inventory and lower pricing. Yet unknown because the downside of our "tech- ironically, Borders' recent demise comes at the hands of an even larger nology-enabled" economy is not being openly and intellectually discussed venue where the price of books and music is even more affordable among our leaders. through the global internet market. Even the way we measure productivity is a statistical contradiction Free market proponents could easily advance this example of small on this matter. For example, it is estimated that every one percent of an- business being replaced by big business then being replaced yet again nual productivity growth in the U.S. will cost the elimination of 1.3 million by another bigger business as a natural course of economic practice. jobs. Annual productivity by and large is a positive economic indicator. The But if we pause to think of what's really happening, we see a clearer pic- higher that percentage should mean that a greater percentage of compa- ture of why the world economy is in trouble. What we see is more jobs nies are operating more efficiently. But again, at what cost. In this case, 1 being lost. Borders alone had 19,500 employees as of 2010. Other large percent better means an estimated 1.3 million jobs loss at the same prod- booksellers that closed include Crown Books (one of the four largest uct output. So if our companies produce more in less time with the help of book retailers), Kroch & Brentano, and Lauriat's. All of them employing advancing technology, the fact that we have less workers employed is ir- thousands of workers. The music store chains suffered even greater relevant in measuring productivity growth. losses. Almost all of the music chain stores left the retail business and only a few operate online. As far as all the neighborhood books and Difficult choices music stores these giant chains have replaced, these small businesses The rapid and constant loss of jobs due to technological advance- now have little chance of successfully reopening and competing with the ments makes it increasingly difficult for students today to decide which ca- online sellers. reer to pursue. Careers once thought to be desired, today have little Loss of jobs due to "consumer preference" as in this example of the appeal because of shrinking job availability, even in the high tech indus- books and music industry may be a sad commentary but much easier to try. At the moment, aside from healthcare and a few blue-collar, skilled accept than the increasing practice of replacement of workers due to tech- professions, pursuing a career in education is considered a safe bet for job nology. opportunities in the short and long term. But in another example of our technology Replacing WoRkeRs "technology-enabled" economy, there is a disturbing movement in the very On a much grander scale, today's "technology-enabled" economy birth stages which has students learning lessons by watching education (continued on page 3) NEWS EDITION www.thefilipinochronicle.com www.efilipinochronicle.com Contributing Writers Advertising/Marketing Director Belinda Aquino, Ph.D., Clement Bautista, Chona A. Montesines-Sonido Charlie Y. SONIDO, M.D. Columnists Teresita Bernales, Ed.D., Linda Dela Cruz, Carlota Ader Publisher and Executive Editor Fiedes Doctor, Danny de Gracia II, M.A., Account Executives Carlo Cadiz, M.D. Caroline Weygan-Hildebrand, Amelia Jacang, Carlota Ader Sen. Will Espero Chona A. M.D., Caroline Julian, Maita Milallos, Paul J. P. Orias MONTESINES-SONIDO Grace F. Fong, Ed.D. Melvin Palalay, M.D., Glenn Wakai Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, Ph.D. Creative Designer Big Island Distributor Publisher and Managing Editor J. P. Orias Junggoi Peralta Grace Larson Pacita Saludes Ditas Udani Dennis GALOLO Reuben S. Seguritan, Esq. Philippine Correspondent Edwin QUINABO Charlie Sonido, M.D. Greg Garcia Maui Distributor Emmanuel S. Tipon,Esq. Associate Editors Photography Cecile Piros Felino S. Tubera Tim Llena Randall SHIROMA Amado Yoro Molokai Distributor Design Consultant Sylvia Yuen, Ph.D. Administrative Assistant Shalimar Pagulayan Maria Watanabe The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle is published weekly by the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. It is mailed directly to subscribers and distributed at various outlets around Oahu and the neighbor islands. Editorial and advertising deadlines are three weeks prior to publication date. Subscriptions are available at $75 per year for Oahu and the neighbor islands, continental U.S. $85, foreign country $95. Copyright 2007-2012. The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle Inc. is located at 94-356 Waipahu Depot, Waipahu, HI 96797. Telephone: (808) 678-8930. Facsimile: (808) 678-1829. E-mail: [email protected]. Opinions expressed by the columnists and contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Hawaii Filipino Chronicle management. Reproduction of the contents in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the management. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. 3 JanUary 28, 2012 opinion News Edition “honest, tough, and smart” and ple divorced from their cars), it greater public safety. Mayor Cayetano? recalls their 30-year friendship, is too expensive and will bank- “both personal and political.” rupt the city, and the city will be Who Will Win by atty.