Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

Henry Rose Lee There's always the statement about stubborn boomers, isn't there? I'm glad not every boomer I meet is stubborn. There's this sad truth— we have boomers who tend to think everyone after them is "having it easy"—all the while ignoring the convenience cost . As of recent, I thought about how funny Facebook posts can be against the Philippines and foreign investments. I could see some classic Gen Z rants (done by the now-defunct Philippine Anti-Fascist League) posting against FDI as "destructive and exploitative". I often assume that there's a pipeline of ideas, like the parents were probably members of Makabayan Bloc's fronts. This time, I want to focus on a particularly funny pattern I wish I noticed sooner. That pattern is all about Filipino boomers (1946—1964) using foreign-made smartphones to type anti-FDI rants ! I noticed several anti-FDI rants (especially in the comments section  of several constitutional reform pages or in...

As a middle-aged man, I thought about my recent  dentist visit and the gentle chastisement for  not going for more than 10 years. I received a very severe prophylaxis and  fluoride treatment, and I had to gargle Orahex for seven days. I was suddenly reminded of my step-by-step process of preventive or restorative dentistry . Right now, the process is slow but the dentist not giving a one-stop fix may be better in the long run, like me not taking cryptocurrency hoping for a quick win . Back in the 1990s, I remember Nutrition Month. Sure, we had the promotion for eating healthy foods, avoiding junk food (which really causes health problems, no questions asked), the need to eat vegetables, but we had the slogan, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." It was based on an outdated Welsh proverb. In fact, it was an era of reactive healthcare . I heard people didn't bother to to any doctor unless they felt bad. The same went for dental care, where the dentist's income was ba...

Ateneo de Manila   It's sad, but life can get complicated. I'm currently having a series of lessons learned from certain health problems, for taking my health for granted. Right now, I'm thinking about making a blog entry on another person that I admire in the world of business and economics, namely Indian Singaporean, and founder of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy , Kishore Mahbubani. It was last October 2, 2026, when Mahbubani went to the Ateneo de Manila University, one of my dream universities back when I was younger. It was too bad I was in the middle of recovering from health issues that may kick in unawares in my 40s. When I think about it, I wonder if Hilario Davide Jr. even had the chance to be there, and I assume that the two probably met because they were both grandfathers who were once United Nations diplomats . Insights given by Mahbubani at the ADMU I gave thought to how Mahbubani recommends the Philippines, as a fellow ASEAN member, to deal with the ...

It's #ThrowbackThursdays, and I thought about making another post. I remember the time in the 1990s when the PCs and the Internet were luxuries . Yes, several of them tend to drive the costs up, given the price of PCs and the Internet. They also had this inconvenience factor: using the Internet means I couldn't make a call, unlike today, with the use of the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). Today, I can type this entry and make a phone call at the same time. The PCs were also inconvenient because, as far as I can remember, there was a tendency for hang-ups  and brownouts in the 1990s Philippines, which were annoying inconveniences .  Technological development will always have its earlier stages . The product life cycle is often Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline. That would explain why Windows had to continuously evolve. The technology would've been so new, meaning that even the production process may have been harder. A PC would've been more expensive because of ...

Some time ago, I remember doing the act of exonerating the Chinese language teachers (siansi), saying the lesson wasn't their fault but the fault of the system . It became absolutely necessary to remove Hokkien from the Chinese classroom if one expects Chinese to be learned better .  Right now, I still remember my lesson from who many considered the strictest Chinese siansi we had at Bethany Christian School. I remember the old language textbook, considered Chinese Language Arts during her time (called 華語, Huáyǔ) how Chinese was getting over a billion speakers . Until now, I exonerate her because the lesson wasn't her fault. She was just doing her job, including coloring my report card red . She was right about Mandarin's rise in the global market. She was just stuck with being told to use the wrong methods .  As I was watching this video, seeing that even America's richest are now learning Standard Mandarin. Why is that? The China Daily gave this news that made me (1)...

Foreign Trade University I opened my mobile phone and found an article from the Inquirer  that said the Philippines must adopt Southeast Asian models. Not surprisingly, the IBON Foundation was highlighted as among those who made the case. This is an excerpt from the Inquirer article: For Ibon Foundation, “the government should be able to control local oil prices and should not have to pass the burden of rising global prices on to consumers, as shown by other Southeast Asian countries with stronger state intervention.” It cited Vietnam, where oil prices are capped and the Price Stabilization Fund is tapped . It should be crazy that IBON should mention Vietnam. However, IBON continues to promote a flawed view on Foreign Direct Investment . Months ago, IBON (via its executive director, Jose Enrique "Sonny" Africa) even gave a flawed proposal in Follow the Money . Sure, Vietnam has these policies on capping and a price stabilization fund.  What has allowed Vietnam to successfull...

News Feed 360 A few days ago, I wrote an article where I talked about whether or not the best source for anti-reform Filipinos is well— chismis ?  This time, with the news from Business World  that Taiwan plans to build a $1-B plant in Clark City, I felt the need to write a "follow-up" to my article on the best source being chismis.  THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said company is building a $1-billion manufacturing facility in New Clark City (NCC), Tarlac. The agreement has been signed and an advance payment was made, BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang told reporters last week. He said the facility will be located within Filinvest Innovation Park in New Clark City, Tarlac, making it one of the biggest locators in the estate . Mr. Bingcang said the facility will specialize in technology-related manufacturing, without providing details or identifying the company. However, this article will not focus on the business opportuni...