| ||||||||||||||
|
Friday, January 31, 2020
Mark 4:26-34 | Ilhwa Kim | The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing
Thursday, January 30, 2020
So many ignoramus shills are inciting PANIC over novel coronavirus
By benign0 Health
https://www.getrealpundit.com/2020/01/so-many-ignoramus-shills-are-inciting-panic-over-novel-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR38CqHkvxUURBvZPni5PB0b6y4k0K_vN4OU-tqmCETbanSX93V8wsV41hc
Scroll through social media and you’ll find a who’s who of Yellowtard Netizens kicking uptililing rampages over the novel coronavirus threat. These are the very same people who shrieked bloody “tragedy” when Taal Volcano first erupted.
People need to get a grip. Robert Dingwall writing for Wired suggests, “Fear, finger-pointing, and militaristic action against the virus are unproductive. We may be better off adjusting to a new normal of periodic outbreaks.”
Whenever new infections emerged, the first response was invariably fear that they’d become an existential threat to humanity. We are all going to die. The second response was to see the outbreak as a verdict on human failings; divine judgement has gradually been replaced by political miscalculation. The third response was to engage in action, however pointless, intended to “do something” about the threat.
Really, there’s no need to panic, because it seems, in this as in many previous cases, the panic itself does more damage than the perceived threat that caused said panic. What we need are level heads and not clucking hens we see infesting social media today.
Posted by
Ayalas more corrupt than Customs: Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out anew against the Ayalas, saying they are more corrupt than the Bureau of Customs.
“It’s not merely — it’s not merely in the water sector. It’s in the LRT and some lands that were leased to them. Would you believe it? At 70 pesos per hectare ‘yung lupa diyan sa UP,” Duterte said in a speech delivered in Quezon City Wednesday.
The President earlier ordered a review of the UP-Ayala Land Technohub lease agreement, which is believed to be disadvantageous to the government.
“Talagang if you compute, all the corruptions done by those, ‘yung mga Customs, it pales in comparison sa nakaw nitong…,” he said.
But, that’s not all there is to it. Duterte also criticized the Ayala Foundation, the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, which he likened to Salonpas, a product for pain relief.
Ayala Land on Monday belied the claims, saying the state university would receive a total value of P171 per square meter per month during the duration of the 25-year contract for a total of P10.23 billion.
The amount was derived from the P4.23 billion in lease payments and P6 billion investment in 16 commercial buildings, Ayala Land said.
"Kung ang statement nila less than P10.4 billion plus 25 years and only 16 commercial buildings eh talagang lugi. Yun ang klaro," he said.
(If their statement is true that they will pay less than P10.4 billion plus 25 years and only 16 commercial buildings then we're really at a loss. That's clear.)
"Sobrang ang laki ng kita nila," he added.
(They are earning too much)
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday the UP Technohub lease deal was "casually mentioned" during a meeting on the government's review of the water concession contracts with another Ayala-owned firm, Manila Water, and Maynilad.
"We (DOJ) have not been directed to review that lease contract as yet I understand that UP is doing its own internal review," Guevarra told ABS-CBN News in a text message.
President Duterte earlier this month promised to "correct" all government contracts before he steps down from office in 2022.
The chief executive said he ordered the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice to check all of government's existing contracts.
"All contracts that are prejudicial to the Filipino people will be corrected. 'Yan ang maaasahan mo (you can expect that), within the limited time left for me in office, sabi ko, I will correct everything, including contracts that are not to the best interest of the Filipino people," Duterte said.
Found this article interesting? Share it with your friends! 👍🏼
Duterte needs better representatives than Lorraine Badoy
By benign0 Government
https://www.getrealpundit.com/2020/01/duterte-needs-better-representatives-than-lorraine-badoy/
A video of Lorraine Badoy in a discussion panel with Ed Lingao and members of communist front Ibon Foundation is making the rounds. Apparently, the agenda of the talk was around “insights” published by Ibon Foundation on the numbers bandied around during a showcase early this month of the “legacy” of the government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to observers, Badoy was “admonished” by the talk show host for not staying within the agenda, that is, responding directly to the points raised by the Ibon people who presented figures to back their assertions that they claim debunks this “legacy”. To be fair, Badoy, rather than do this, attempted to make the discussion all about the well-known ties of Ibon Foundation with the Communist Party of the Philippines thus making it complicit with the criminal activities of the latter’s terrorist arm, the New People’s Army (NPA).
Followong the “admonishment”, Badoy could be seen stammering her way through the rest of the video and giving her hosts dagger looks. Lorraine Badoy could have handled the situation better. This is, after all, television — media for people with short attention spans. She could have just giggled her way through the interview the way “vice president” Leni Robredo does (though to some increasingly limited effect).
Seriously, Badoy should have come prepared. Ibon Foundation, after all, had done its homework and had published their “insights” well in advance of this talk session. Her response to Ibon was no different to the way Yellowtard partisans dismiss critics who raise confronting and valid points as “trolls” and “paid hacks”. Indeed, the national debate and the conduct of both sides in this debate needs to a long overdue uplift in quality and grace. Filipinos deserve nothing less.
Posted by
Mark 4:21-25 | Patrick Caulfield | A lamp is to be put on a lampstand
| ||||||||||||||
|
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
“Investigative journalist” Raissa Robles BURNED after playing doctor on Twitter!
By benign0 Media
https://www.getrealpundit.com/2020/01/investigative-journalist-raissa-robles-burned-after-playing-doctor-on-twitter/?fbclid=IwAR2baqSSqMxdnW49XT2UM_KhWLKR2iPl3QiZSb3b6_u8lyjjvasqfpbhdf4
The trouble with some “thought leaders” is that they think they can play doctor in front of a large audience with impunity. This is exactly what “investigative journalist” Raissa Robles did in a recent tweet (screenshot here).
If not for the quick fact check of an eagle-eyed Netizen, Robles would have gotten away with the misinformation she had inadvertently perpetrated.
Indeed, Robles could have simply done a quick Google and find articles such as this that show that cervical lesions could occur in people of any gender.
Being a self-proclaimed “thought leader” is a serious responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Raissa Robles should at least apologise for her reckless tweet.
Posted by
https://www.getrealpundit.com/2020/01/investigative-journalist-raissa-robles-burned-after-playing-doctor-on-twitter/?fbclid=IwAR2baqSSqMxdnW49XT2UM_KhWLKR2iPl3QiZSb3b6_u8lyjjvasqfpbhdf4
Mark 4:1-20 | Sir William Hamo Thornycroft | Imagine a sower going out to sow
| ||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
The Philippine Constitution should be amended to prevent another Leni Robredo
By benign0 Government
https://www.getrealpundit.com/2020/01/the-philippine-constitution-should-be-amended-to-prevent-another-leni-robredo/?fbclid=IwAR0Ju5tgHkowTnckNL9_DAXpYxIEYlr-5FswXupm8jfxSBdJPy_Gqrbjt18
If there’s proof that the 1987 Yellowtard Constitution is a flawed product of a kneejerk overreaction to the threat of “another Martial Law Regime”, Leni Robredo would be it. From Day One of her “vice presidency”, Robredo has taken an obstructionist approach to fulfilling her role in government. Instead of working with her new government, she has held on to her partisan loyalties.
What is interesting is that Robredo’s office even has its own spokesperson — which if you step back to think about it, doesn’t make sense. Why have a separate spokesperson if you are part of the same administration supposedly?
Unfortunately, the Philippine Constitution requires that the Vice President be elected separately. This sets up the presidency to be a fragmented one by design — one in which a vice president will not necessarily be a team player. Leni Robredo has so far shown the worst of what had been long feared ill effects of such a system.
We see this now in the way Robredo’s publicity stunts serve as an unnecessary distraction from important things of national consequence. It’s time this situation is changed to spare future administrations the headache of another Leni Robredo scenario.
Posted by
Mark 3:31-35 | Francisco de Zurbaran | Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas
| ||||||||||||||
|
Monday, January 27, 2020
Mark 3:22-30 | Michael Packer | How can Satan cast out Satan?
| ||||||||||||||
|
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Despite Ayala’s defense, UP still gets the short end of the stick
Published
THINKING PINOY
By RJ NIETO
President Rodrigo Duterte just last night agreed to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo’s recommendation to probe the lease contract between the Ayala Group and the University of the Philippines for the UP Ayala TechnoHub.
Panelo’s recommendation came a day after I published “UP Naming Binarat? UP gets only ₱22/sqm monthly from UP-Ayala TechnoHub” where I showed that Ayala paid UP a total of only ₱1.094 billion in rent payments from 2008 to 2018, based on the Commission on Audit (CoA)’s 2018 Annual Audit of the UP System.
UP v. City Treasurer of Quezon City (Supreme Court G.R. No. 214044), meanwhile, shows that the contract involves 380,630 sqm of UP (READ: Public) land, so that the said payments translate to an effective monthly rental rate of just ₱22 (rounded from ₱21.77) per sqm for that period.
The CoA report, in reality, provides more detail as it listed down Ayala’s annual payments per year: ₱107 million up front to cover 2008 to 2010, ₱55 million for 2011, ₱91 million in 2012, ₱96 million in 2013, and anywhere from ₱103 million to ₱111 million annually from 2014 to 2018.
Dividing the exact figures for each payment by the number of months and the total area leased, it’s easy to see that the effective rental rate was ₱7.81 from 2008 to 2010, ₱12.10 in 2011, ₱17.31 in 2012, ₱21.69 in 2013, and ₱26.68 to ₱35.41 from 2014 to 2018.
Considering that this involves a large tract of prime land in central Quezon City, it isn’t difficult to see that such rates are below what an average reasonable person would expect.
Ayala in a press release claimed it pays UP not ₱22 but ₱171 per sqm, saying it’ll pay the state university a total of ₱10.23 billion, or ₱4.23 billion in rentals plus ₱6 billion in “investment value”.
I find this claim problematic on the following grounds:
First, the numbers don’t add up. If UP gets ₱10.23 billion in total compensation for leasing out 380,630 sqm for 25 years, simple arithmetic shows the effective monthly rent is just ₱89.89 per sqm, which still sounds low.
Second, Ayala seems to have failed to consider depreciation. The ₱6 billion figure seemingly refers to the cost of improvements (buildings, roads, etc.) Ayala would have made to the leased land, improvements that UP will own after the contract expires in 2031.
I don’t understand how Ayala could expect us to believe that ₱6 billion of mostly technological buildings will still be worth ₱6 billion after 25 years of use. That’s just like Ayala telling UP, “I’ll buy a bucket and use it to sell water from your well for 25 years. I will give you just 10% of earnings, but you get to keep the bucket.”
Third, ₱6 billion for improvements sound a tad too high.
I looked at the Audited Annual Financial Statements of UP North Property Holdings, Inc. (UP North) from 2007 to 2018. UP North is the Ayala Land subsidiary that handles the project.
Based on these documents, Ayala has invested a total of ₱3.89 billion Investment Properties by the end of 2018, with the average annual cost of additional improvements at around ₱30 million.
If Ayala spends ₱30 million annually for the 12 years from 2019 to 2031, the total investments will translate to just ₱4.25 billion by the time the lease contract expires.
Thus, Ayala will need to inject massive capital to reach ₱6 billion by 2031, but this may be a severe challenge because a Google satellite view of the TechnoHub shows there’s little space left for building construction.
Fourth, is a 10% revenue share for UP fair?
Per CoA, UP’s earnings from the property come from around 10% share of lease revenues while Ayala gets the rest, which sounds unfair to UP when taken at face value. What’s more disturbing, however, is when we compare UP’s earnings to Ayala’s annual net profit.
Based on the same UP North filings, Ayala’s net profits are about five times what it pays UP in rent. For example, UP in 2018 got ₱112 million while Ayala got ₱660 million in net profit. In 2017, it was ₱116 million for UP and ₱634 million for Ayala.
Is this effective income sharing ratio fair? Malacañang should check that.
Fifth, Ayala’s net profits dwarf UP’s share. The same filings show Ayala posted a total of ₱3.683 billion in net profits on the property for the past 11 years, with an average annual net profit of ₱506.4 million for the five years spanning 2014 to 2018.
Modestly assuming Ayala posts a constant ₱500 million in annual net profits until 2031, then that’s an additional ₱6 billion on top of the ₱3.683 billion it already earned.
We are talking about net profits here, i.e., what Ayala gets after deducting all business expenses, including payments made to UP. Also note that land prices in Metro Manila are skyrocketing because of the POGO phenomenon and the metro’s rapid economic growth, so Ayala is likely to earn far more than just this.
Will this Ayala venture go broke if UP gets an extra billion or two on top of what little it currently receives?
I don’t think so.
We are talking about funding for Public Education here. We are talking about this Nation’s future in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy. So why shouldn’t we fight to give our state colleges and universities the best deal possible?
In the first place, isn’t that primarily what the UP Ayala TechnoHub is for?
For reactions, please email TP(at)ThinkingPinoy.net or leave a comment on Facebook.com/TheThinkingPinoy.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/01/24/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/historic-president-historic-times/676759/
Matthew 4:12-23 | Liz Lemon Swindle | Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near
| ||||||||||||||
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)