Rare occurence

Rare talaga when I agree with Sen. Kiko Pangilinan about something.

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I did not know this... 1999 was our best year pala. Who would have thought...

From the Duckster:

The Heritage Foundation/ Wall Street Journal rates the Philippines’ economy as "mostly unfree" with a score of 3.23 (best is 1; worst is 5). We are ranked 98th out of 157 countries rated.

The best score for the country for the last ten years was 2.89 in 1999 and you know who was president then. Certainly, it was not Gloria; neither was it Ramos.

The Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom is now on its 12th anniversary. The idea is that of a user-friendly "index of economic freedom" as a tool for policymakers and investors. The Heritage Foundation has been developing a systematic, empirical measurement of economic freedom in countries throughout the world. Here is what Heritage/Wall Street has to say about the Philippines:

"Under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, inflation has risen and the economy is both low on capital and high on bureaucratic mismanagement In 2004, tsunami aid graft was but one sign of rampant corruption, along with human trafficking and a ballooning black market.

"Foreign direct investment in 2004 leveled off at $1 billion, well below the $3 billion to $4 billion of other Asean countries. The population has increased, exacerbating the problems of an inadequate infrastructure. Arroyo has also increased government spending, which combined with lagging tax revenues, has led to massive deficits. The government is slow in promoting privatization, as the state still owns a majority of Filipino corporations. The chief obstacles to stable growth remain high tax rates, poor infrastructure, extensive government ownership of business, low foreign investment, and entrenched government corruption."

As for press freedom, we ain't as free as we used to anymore.

As to press freedom, the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) rates us 139th in the world out of 167 countries rated. (North Korea is the167th.) Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world, as well as the right to inform the public and to be informed, in accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Here is what RSF has to say about the Philippines: "Killings of journalists in the Philippines increased, along with censorship, mainly by local officials. President Gloria Arroyo showed intolerance towards the media, especially foreign, for exposing corruption. On Mindanao Island, security forces were frequently involved in the murder or obstruction of journalists."

How many more martyrs for press freedom will the Philippines contribute this year?