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The Irony That COMMUNIST Vietnam, Not DEMOCRATIC Philippines, Established the Government-Owned Foreign Trade University

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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's Doi Moi Disproves the Philippines' Trust Me Bro School of Economics

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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

Why I Believe in Moving Certain Holidays for Long Weekends

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Make no mistake that I didn't vote for Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. for president. However, I support any decisions he makes if it's good. Right now, Bongbong should move towards economic charter change, for the sake of better investments. Some Filipinos still think the problem is government corruption. Never mind that Vietnam's current head of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, ate an expensive gold-crusted steak (read here ). Backlash even continued when Ninoy Aquino Day was moved to August 23, 2024, which is a Friday. August 28 is National Heroes' Day. However, the holiday was  Yesterday was Ninoy Aquino Day. For those complaining about the movement--they need to realize it's a non-working holiday. It's not like Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Eid-El Adha, Christmas, or the Gregorian New Year. Ninoy's death anniversary has its historical significance, not some religious significance. It's not like as if Bongbong's presidential decl

Remembering the Late Jesse Robredo's Quote on Systems That Force People to be Good

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It's been some time since Jesse M. Robredo died too soon. Hopefully, his wife Atty. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo is true to her word, in her willingness to amend the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, for the sake of foreign investments. It's a shame I never wrote about the late great man. The CoRRECT Movement on Facebook gave this important note on Robredo's life. Robredo said, "It's not enough for an official to be good. There has to be a system that forces them to be good." Whether or not Robredo was for charter change or a few constitutional amendments, I can't tell. For some racists, let me remind them that Robredo's real surname is Lim  and his paternal grandfather is the late Lim Pay Co.  In terms of Robredo's credentials (and I tend to sometimes brag about the credentials of those I quote), here's what the City Government of Naga website says: He is an Edward Mason Fellow and a graduate of Masters in Public Administration at the John

Do Filipino Businesses Do Worse Whenever Foreign Investments Do Well in the Philippines?

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It's still Buwan Ng Wika or Month of the Language. Even if it's not Buwan Ng Produkto or Month of the Product --I still feel the need to write this. It's because schools tend to focus more on Filipino heritage than the Tagalog language. The meme above with Atty. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna (last 2016) has an absurd statement. Where do you think the microphone and other stuff that Atty. Colmenare is using, came from ? Atty. Colmenares' statement in complete English is, "The moment you allow entry of foreign products in the Philippines, they will beat down the local businesses and industry." The claim to that claim is baloney . What's Atty. Colmenares going to encourage? Would Atty. Colmenares encourage Filipinos to blame the richer Asian neighbors (read here )? Last August 10, I wrote about asking if the Philippines is poorer because Singapore is richer . I find the statement as stupid as saying the Philippine peso is weaker because the U.S. dollar is str

#SahodItaasPresyoIbaba Economics May Be Confusing Profits for Revenues

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A really disastrous decision! As I read through Facebook, the amazing foolishness and economic illiteracy are there. What do you expect from a nation that's driven by an education system where economics was only taught in either the  third year or fourth year , under K+10? What do you expect from a nation where mathematics education focuses too much on theory rather than the wonderful application of the subject? I'm going to write about those who talk about FDIs, that only they will get rich because they will run away with the profits, etc. It's because I'm afraid there's really a lack of understanding of what profit really is.  Most people in the Philippines may be operating with the typical merkado mindset. I remember reading through the arguments of someone who quotes CTTO Merkado. Who in the world is Merkado CTTO (read here )? As I was thinking about it, I heard about how people running businesses in the merkado or marketplace, whether it's the wet market or

Is the Philippines Poorer Because Singapore is Richer?

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Lawrence Wong's Facebook Page Yesterday was Singapore's 59th foundation day. Okay, I missed it but it's not too late to write this post. Above is a photo of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shaking hands with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. Whenever Singapore is mentioned, I noticed that some Filipino clowns on Facebook (or any social media) tend to say, "Oh no! Not Singapore again! The  Singapore card again! I'm getting tired of the Singapore argument!" Some of these Filipino Facebook clowns may even have the habit of blaming the rich for their poverty, saying that the rich don't really need that money (never mind big businesses require big amounts of money to sustain it), and maybe even raise the same old Flor Contemplacion Card (read here ). This reminds me that I wrote a post mentioning that the Philippines will never get richer by blaming its richer neighbors . One of the neighbors is Singapore. It can be a common practice for the p