Shaun T. Dy's Business & Economics Perspective Blog

Đoàn Thanh niên Trường Đại học Ngoại thương Facebook page Tomorrow is Vietnam's Independence Day. I planned to publish  my article on Vietnam's Doi Moi project  today. However, I felt the urgency to publish it because some people on Facebook gossip that Vietnam is supposedly protectionist. While looking at the pages and using Google Translate--I found pictures of Vietnam's Foreign Trade University (FTU) --a university located in Hanoi, Northern Vietnam. Fortunately, there was an English page since I don't speak Vietnamese.  The idea that Vietnam doesn't accept FDI is silly. Those fools at the now-defunct Philippine Anti-Fascist League (and others) believe that Vietnam's only "FDI" is selling its products worldwide. However, this is also found in the  FTU's introduction : Promoting international cooperation has always been recognized as an important measure for the development of the FTU in an increasingly globalized environment. Towards the develo

Vietnam now enjoying the benefits of open FDI Source: Quan Doi Nhan Dan Some fools on Facebook are using Vietnam as a reason why the Philippines shouldn't open to FDI. The Philippine Anti-Fascist League (whose original Facebook page has been deleted) spread the misinformation that Vietnam progressed through protectionism. According to PAFL--Vietnam's real "FDI" is in distributing its products worldwide and not by accepting FDI. The idea is absurd on so many levels. Why would countries around the world want to buy Vietnamese products, if Vietnam wouldn't even allow their MNCs to do business in Vietnam?! Instead of listening to what fools say that Vietnam is a protectionist country--let's dig into an important part of its history. This important part of its history is called Doi Moi--which literally translates to restoration . Before that, I encourage you to read my article on why using Vietnam as an excuse against economic charter change for the Philippines, is

VNUA Some time ago, I remember the   now-defunct  Philippine Anti-Fascist League Facebook page. One of its administrators (and I heard that it's actually run by a group of Gen-Z brats) berated the CoRRECT Movement. I'll put a screenshot of that statement made by one of the administrators (and I heard one of them was just a 13-year-old brat at that time). For the sake of non-Tagalog speakers (although the Philippines is my default target readers), I will translate what this prick of an administrator wrote on their  now-defunct  Facebook page. Although it's already been taken down, I believe the need to continue refuting their past arguments along with other similar pages. Refute them using common sense and research data from economists from  first-world countries ! The translation goes like this: Vietnam won the revolution, and they had a national industrialization and agrarian reform. What Vietnam's "Open FDI" means that the koriktor (a mockery of Corrector) a

Radio Free Asia Some Filipinos on Facebook continue to comment that the problem is corruption , not the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. Why do they treat the current Philippine constitution like some religious text, when Article XVII allows amendments? They blame corruption but they don't realize that Vietnam, despite its status as a Communist country and its corruption charges, has become more feasible than the Philippines. If I recall correctly, Kathy Yap-Yang of ABS-CBN, also asked that question on ANC. People could blame Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's expensive dinner . The USD-PHP dollar exchange rate in 2009 was on average, PHP 34.27, meaning that Mrs. Arroyo ate dinner worth PHP 685,400.00. What might be ignored is that President To Lam from Vietnam, who was the top cop in the country at that time, also had a costly dinner . All that happened after To Lam and his fellow comrades of the Communist Party of Vietnam laid flowers at Karl Marx&

I wrote my review of Phat Pho a few months ago . I tasted their delicious beef pho and some of that Vietnamese halo-halo. I tried their spicy beef soup (which has some pork and beef) called Bun Bo Hue. I was hesitant to try it. It's because the video I saw on YouTube added some crab and looked rather rich. Instead, I got a lighter soup which may not compromise in my quest for more weight loss.  It was served with basil leaves, mint leaves, and mung bean sprouts. That's really a lot of vegetables before eating the meat . It was a good thing there was some service water. I didn't have to add any chili because the soup was rather spicy. It used the same kind of Vietnamese noodles the pho. In my own opinion, it tastes better than the pho that I ordered. For me, this is a soup for those who love spicy food. As a person who goes to eat at Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants, I sure love it. 

It's very easy for the Philippines to brag about being a democratic country . Vietnam still considers itself a Communist country, evidenced by the hammer and sickle, and the existence of the Communist Party of Vietnam . I watched the video above this paragraph to see where Vietnam and the Philippines have their individual strengths and weaknesses. The video admits that Vietnam is export-oriented while the Philippines still strongly relies on OFWs. This reminds me of what Filipino economist Andrew J. Masigan cited back in 2021 in Business World : As usual, the dollar inflows from OFW remittances and service exports (IT-BPO industry) save us from financial ruin. Between 2016 and 2020, OFW remittances pumped-in an average of $32 billion a year while our service exports contributed an average of $36.5 billion a year . Have OFW remittances and service exports been enough to cover our deficits? No. There is a still a gap and it is funded by debt . The negative list of Vietnam is rather t

It's time for an evening dinner. Rather than go to my usual "sweet spots"--I tried out Phat Pho of the Abaca Group. I got to taste what might be called "revolutionary food" because Vietnam is under a Communist regime. Well, Abaca Group is founded by is owned by Jason Hyatt and his Chinese wife Anna whom he met in Hong Kong. I tried eating Vietnamese spring rolls and Vietnamese steamed egg. I tried the Vietnamese Pho which is their soup.  I was craving some meat and I tried the ever-popular Pho special. It contains some shaved beef, braised beef, meatballs, and some tendon. It takes around 5-10 minutes to prepare to ensure that the soup is well-prepared. The noodles are a different variety from what I get from Chinese restaurants. Condiments are added so the customer can flavor the soup according to their preference. I guess one can say it's served without much seasoning. Adding condiments such as vinegar, chili paste, chili flakes, and pepper is needed. It&

Tuoi Tre (Youth) News Checking out my Google browser landed me on an interesting piece of news. It's all about Vietnam's coconut export to the USA may reach USD 1 Billion . Reading the news makes me wonder why hasn't the democratic Philippines reached this feat in contrast to Communist Vietnam? I also want to sing the English Filipino song "The Coconut Song". Civics and Culture classes talked about Philippine coconuts. Here's an excerpt of the article from The Star which I just shared: According to food experts, Vietnam coconuts are known for their high quality and freshness . (Rich in nutrients: Vietnamese coconuts are also found to be rich in vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and fiber, which can help support overall health). As the US is about to open the market for Vietnamese coconuts and China allows official coconut import, local businesses are trying to develop raw material areas, apply for growing areas codes, and register to buil