Proof that our growth hasn't trickled down

Our special presentation on our talk show on Straight from the Sky, we are honored to have with us a young fellow whose mother, Atty. Jo Imbong is the legal counsel of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and therefore was at the ramparts in the battle against the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill that was recently passed into law. But our guest, Atty. James Imbong is on record as the first person to file a case before the Supreme Court, questioning the legality or the constitutionality of the RH law because he, like many of us, believes that the 1987 constitution protects the family unit as a sacred and basic right of a Filipino.

I first knew about Atty. James Imbong when he was a guest in Karen Davila's “Headstart” where they discussed an issue that we predicted would ensue after the RH Bill was passed… divorce. It was more than obvious that Karen Davila and her other guest, a woman from Gabriela was pushing for divorce to happen in this country and Atty. James Imbong proudly held his own. So watch this very interesting interview on SkyCable's channel 61 at 8:00pm followed by a replay in MyTV channel 39 at 9:00pm.

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That the Philippines is experiencing a 6.8 percent growth in our economy has even former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo giving compliments to Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III. As we learned, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said that our GDP growth was pegged at 6.6% for the entire year in 2012. But where was this growth happening in this country? Let's analyze this!

A simple breakdown offered by NEDA would be 4.2% was contributed by the service sector, mostly call centers, real estate development, rentals, employment agencies, transportation sector, communications or Telcos and trade. 2.1% came from the manufacturing sector, utilities and construction companies. And lastly 0.3% was contributed by the agriculture, forest and fisheries sector where the majority of the Filipino people belong.

Perhaps former Pres. GMA may have praised Pres. PNoy for at least not bungling the economy, which at the way his “Student government” is running things in Malacañang could very well have happened. But the NEDA report tells it as it is… where a few Cebuano friends of mine also shared the same concern… that this economic growth and development was not trickling down to the level of the poor where it is most needed.

So again let me point out… where is the 4.2% or the 2.1% growth happening? It is happening in call centers, real estate development or rentals, telecommunications, transportation sector like airlines and ships, power companies and construction companies. And might I ask who are the people who own these businesses? They are mostly from the top 20 Corporations operating in this country… where their CEO's live in Forbes Park or other exclusive subdivisions. Need I say more?

Three years more of the Aquino Regime and when the dust finally settles, we will still have a large majority of Filipinos still trapped in that vicious cycle of poverty. Thanks to our ignorant masses for voting the wrong people to lead this country… in the end, they maintain the status quo in this country where the politicians get richer and their cronies even more rich than them while the poor Filipino who sold their votes haven't improved their lot.

Speaking of rentals, which was part and parcel of our economic growth. I was at the General Aviation (GenAv) last Thursday to interview the Cebu Aero Flying Club and it was a good opportunity to check out how things were in that part of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and also to see my son Capt. JV Avila earning his wings.

It was then that I learned that there was a bid conference at the MCIAA offices because the hangars for the GenAv where being bided out. Wait! Bided out? Why bid out a hangar is its owners still want to continue with their aviation business? This is the problem with the current leadership in the MCIAA board when they no longer have any businessman helping them conduct even simple business matters.

My family runs a realty business and as a matter of practice whenever a contract of lease expires, the present occupant is always given the right of first refusal. If the owner wants to continue his business with the proper increases in rentals to arrest the inflation rate, then a new contract is drawn and signed by the lessor and the lessee. So we ask, “Why bid out the GenAv when there are already occupants having business operations there?”

Mind you, airplanes are not exactly cheap and there are not many Aviation companies having aviation related businesses here. The MCIAA should encourage the Aviation industry rather than kill it with rentals they cannot afford to pay. I wish the MCIAA board would reconsider this.

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