One of the ‘downers’ about living in the Philippines is the continual nay saying and horrible self image of most Filipinos toward their own country. Even people in the position top know better seem to be addicted to the theme of couching everything they say in the “Oh poor us, we’re a third-world country that can’t get anything done” mode. Government routinely trumpets the “heroism” of OFW’s (Overseas Filipino Workers) exporting the country’s precious education and talent resources to other countries who didn’t make the investment, but reap the benefits. Anyone who wants to work as an OFW should certainly have the right to, but hailing them as “heroes” when in fact they are primary examples of the failure of the system ought to stop.
Every Filipino working as a nurse in the US by necessity, or every engineer cleaning toilets in Saudi Arabia because it pays more than being an engineering teacher in the Philippines is not a ‘hero’, but instead ad example of the government and especially the media conglomerates of the Philippines being willing to take the easy way out … accepting money as being more important than principle. It rankles me.
Take one very important modern-day issue and look at how the Philippines deals with it, rather than how they “might” deal with it if the pride of the Philippines and its people were more important than a ‘fast buck’. Energy.
Unlike the US or an even worse energy addict, Japan, the Philippines can today satisfy 100% of its energy needs internally, if the present leadership decided not to listen to the “scriptures of George Bush” and other noted Saudi Arabian apologists. To a large extent the Philippines government and its academic community already knows this, but perhaps in the spirit of delicadeza or some other misguided effort to avoid offense even if it is needed they are reluctant to promote their own accomplishments. Great example of personal ‘meekness’. Horrible example of how a government is supposed to lead.
Let’s look at three major energy areas where the Philippines could turn from beggar to baron almost overnight:
Oil: I’m a big believer we should wean ourselves from much of our oil consumption much more aggressively than we are doing now. But, of course, we can’t do that overnight and oil will be an important source of fuel for decades to come. In some ways, that’s the bad news. But the good news is, the Philippines has oil! Now that’s good news in a world still overly dependent on it. Not in huge volumes yet, but the Galoc oilfield shows that it’s out there. I’ve little doubt more will be found. More on the oil and other misguided Philippine ‘heroism’ here in Peter Wallace’s column, a long-time out-spoken foreign commentator here in the Philippines.
Now if the government would spend half the amount of free ‘jawboning’ on this issue that they have spent ballyhooing a second-rate boxer beating a third-rate cross-dresser as a “Filipino hero”, we might get someplace.
Expand the operations in Galoc and don’t sell the oil on the open market like the other OPEC opportunists, pump it directly into the Philippine economy … or better yet, sell it at a big premium to China who is already a partner and needs oil desperately. Let’s make home-grown energy production the Manny Paquiao of the future, I doubt even Manny himself would object.
Bio Fuels: Now of course Galoc can’t immediately supply the entire energy needs of the Philippines. But it can be stretched out an made much more profitable with bio supplements. When the Philippines was the ‘Tiger of Asia’ in the 1950’s, two of the major crops that powered the economy were sugar and copra.(derivative of coconut production). Now the ares that were once rich with this trade are pretty much poor … the island of Negros is a prime example. Can you imagine how much ethanol can be produced in just one season if the cane fields of Negros were put to use making this important bio-fuel? In warm climates like the Philippines ethanol can be used in much higher percentages than in cold countries, and it’s nearly energy-free to make … the distilleries to break down the sugar are relative cheap and most of the energy can come from bagasse, the sugar cane production waste.
Bagasse , by the way, is typically just burned in the open air these days, causing pollution when it could at least be used in existing coal-fired power plants that the Philippines still depends upon. Cash crop, energy independence, very little infrastructure investment. Is the Philippines waiting for Chevron or Total or some other foreign oil giant to tell them to take the first step?
In addition to Ethanol type fuels the Philippines has millions of under-used hectares that could be put into bio-oil production, including palm oil from the nearly dead copra plantations. There are even better oil plants as well, like jojoba which will grow on higher ground that can never be effectively irrigated for rice and other ‘wet crop’ production. Like ethanol, jojoba oil can directly supplement diesel fuel at very low infrastructure costs .. while providing honest work for Filipinos in-country.
I’ll touch just briefly on Methane here as well. The University of the Philippines is already a would leader in setting up small-scale, village-sized ,methane production systems … bringing light and power to folks that would have none of they wait4d for the Meralco’s of the world to do the math. Methane digestion removes manure from the environment, captures and uses the otherwise highly polluting gas and the residue after digestion is excellent organic crop fertilizer. India already has several small cities running exclusively on methane production from dairy farms. Just recently my colleague Randy C. reported on a dairy farm going to their own methane production to offset power costs.
The hardware and the techniques are well know and within the means of small business … if only government would quit the propaganda that says we are dependent upon the oil princes.
I’ve saved the “big gun” until last. Geothermal.
One of the combination blessings and curses of the Philippines is that it sits on the Pacific “ring of fire”, a very active geologic zone where tectonic plates are colliding and volcanic activity is frequent. Nobody can harness a Pinatubo or a Mayon when they decide to erupt.
But the blessing part is, almost every large island has active geothermal areas where natural steam is available at usable depths under the earth.
All modern electric generation, whether coal, oil , nuclear or solar-powered is based on heat making steam to turn a turbine to power a generator.
The Philippines already has a world-class geothermal plant on Leyte (which even powers much of Cebu as well) and on Luzon. There may be others, and there ought to be many more.
The technology is well advanced, the technical knowledge is already available in the Philippines and the environmental benefits as well as the freedom from fossil fuel dependence is wonderful.
Has anyone every heard even a minor government official or a local newscaster refer to the Filipino engineers and technicians who are already making geothermal work, and work economically as ‘heroes’?
This is much more an issue of attitude and leadership than it is an issue of technology and finance. As long as the Philippine government values opportunistic boxers and foreign laborers as more ‘heroic’ than the Filipinos who apply their schooling and make things work here in the Philippines it is unlikely we’ll see the country live up top its true potential.
We need more Filipino flag waving for the right causes and less reliance on the World Bank and other countries who have no interest in the Philippines except cheap labor.
A re-definition of heroism is long overdue, methinks.
Hi Dave – I'm amazed! When I wrote an article on Oct. 22, 2008 about the Galoc fields, you were one of my harshest critics. Now, it seems that you support drilling in Galoc. I'm glad you've come around to my opinion on this. 😆
I love this blog! I really think you or Bob should start a whole new blog magazine for "Philippine Heroes". I see so much potential there in the Philippines it really is annoying that very little of it is realized, maybe if we let people know about what is being done it could give hope.
While he may not be the biggest hero in the Philippines but I came across this article the other day looking for something else.
http://www.bioenergylists.org/en/node/2229
I'm sure their are lots of others as well.
I would like to see Ocean Thermal Energy Converters 'OTECs' get more attention for alternative energy. And I'm sure their are some good sites in the Philippines for them with so much coastal frontage.
Hi Dave – BusinessWeek not too long ago had an article in this vein regarding solar. SunPower and Solaria are two companies that currently have manufacturing plants in the Philippines. Article link: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct…
Thanks for the link to my post, BTW.
The Paquiao – Dela Hoya fight was so obviously a sham that it beggars description. I wonder how much dela hoya got under the table to throw the fight so the scrappy boxer from the Philippines could win against the blundering giant dela hoya? The Philippines is so very full of potential but that potential will be unrealized for the near future as TPTB continue to rely on international handouts and perpetuating the feudal system over here. Long term I feel the Philippines is going to be forced into a position to change. Many factors come into play but the 2 major ones are:
Economy – The world economy is going quickly into the great basurahan of history. Many countries are going to find themselves strapped for cash and fighting for survival and without their input the IMF, world bank and all other monetary handouts will dry up. What money is left to the World Bank will be used on countries in even more dire straights than the Philippines (Bangladesh comes to mind). Without the equivalent of international welfare checks coming in the Philippines is going to have to revive their industry. The only way to get the funds will be to drop the idiodic land and corporate ownership laws and invite foreign investment.
From brain drain to brain food – With the worldwide economy in shambles many OFW are going to find themselves out on the street with no job. The vast majority are on work visas so no work, no visa, go home. This is a good thing though, they will be bringing with them the intelligence and schooling that left the country to be heroic as a stevedore on the LA docks. Even more important is they will be bringing with them Western ideas of government stewardship for the people and innovation and growth. Most OFW's I have met are little inclined to pay any attention to the Illustrados controlling the government here. Just as many of the early Philippine leaders and revolutionaies spent time in Spain, OFW's having spent time in America will bring with them that overwhelming desire for change.
While the rest of the world slowly dies being garroted by debt, the Philippines may start on a path to a golden era of prosperity… one can always dream.
This is out of the topic but I just can’t help but point out the fact that most Latinos, Mexicans most of all, can’t seem to give credit where credit is due. There is a small Filipino boxer who is obliterating everyone in his path and unfortunately, most of them are Mexicans. Mexicans are so delusional to think that the reason why Manny destroyed most of their so called fighters and former champs is because their either past their prime, has been, too old, drained in weight, etc. They even rode the Mayweather ( crime family ) bandwagon’s outrageous claim of PED usage by Manny hoping that this is the reason why all their fighters lost to Manny in the most brutal way. Let’s face facts: Manny owns Mexico!!!! Viva Manny Pacquiao! El Rey De Mexico, El Presidente De Mexico, El Conquistador De Mexico, Der Fuhrer De Mexico!!!!!!
@ Bob … but I always think the same as you, Bob 😉 😉 😉
@ John H. — Thanks for the comment. I don't know if Bob shoiuld start such a magazine, but maybe somnebody should ;-). Indeed the hard part is as soon as someone treads on 'scared ground' such as commenting that OFW's are not heroes, but victims, people lose site of the original point which is to promote the idea of the Philippines standing on it's own two feet.
You know there are US "OFW"s as well. years ago I almnost took a job ibn Saudi Aragia, based on family neccessioty. Thousands of US citizens are working overseas today, some by choice, many by nmecessity. They have the right to do so, and I take my hat off to them for following their own path in life … but that doesn'tmake them 'heroes', it makes them US overseas workers … and the ones that could not find an adequate job to support their family in the US are victims of shortfalls in the US economy.
Overseas work and migration to another country should be a right and matte rof choice, not an economic necessity.
As for OTEC and other promising technologies I didn't go into, yes, great, bring them on. (as an example, air conditioning is the single largest utility load in the Philippines. By tapping into the cold water below the ocean's surface energe needs for air conditioning could be cut by a huge amount) …. But
I mentioned what I did strictly becuase these are all technologies not out there on the horizon, but already operating today as profit-making ventures in the Philippines … and at times I wonder if the government and the press even realizes that fact.
It's not a matter of 'if only', it's a matter of let's take stock and use what we have. I'm very much a pragmatist rather than a futurist.
@ Rabdy C … You are welcome indeed. More like thank you for tracking down that story and writing about it. "Utot curryente" is a know technology and it works … it'sd education that is needed rather than new technology.
Hi Dave: another excellent article. The brain drain is truly a real shame. Unfortunately, until there are enough real opportunities to keep those with education in the country, people will continue to try to better their lot in life elsewhere. It is not impossible, and it has happened in other places (Ireland comes to mind of the top of my head), but it takes many years and a committment by the government to change things.
As to energy, that is only a single economic sector, but you are right… There is a lot of promise. Other promising sectors are pharmaceuticals, healthcare, tourism, and… Agriculture… But MANAGED agriculture. All of this is speculation though… There are serious infrastructure and corruption constraints that hold development back and will continue to do so until they are removed.
Hi Dave
I really disagree with you on the oil aspect. The Galoc field is very small producing at most 6% of daily needs and the field will only last a few years. Also the Philippines do not have the technology to develop any potential oil field by themselves (just look at Mexico and the steep declines and murky future because they do not allow foreign companies to develop oil fields and the government takes almost all the profit for the government. The government gets 37% of its budget from Pemex). The government owns no oil companies and selling holdings in other companies in the energy business. I know Exxon was looking to develop or look for oil in the Sulu sea, but this may have been put on hold since oil has dropped more then $100 since July. If they do continue it will cost them at least 100 million with no guarantees of success. I think in terms of biofuel you were thinking of jethropa plant. I think an airline in NZ used some of it in a trial run just recently. I think one place where there is a lot of potential is sugar as you mentioned just like what the Brazilians do, which has a lot more energy output then what we use in the U.S. using corn based ethanol.
I think one thing overlooked with OFWs is that many people don't dream of a better Philippines but a dream of working in another country mainly the U.S. It also allows the government to continue its dismal performance to make the country better since they dont need to provide a better environment to find work and businesses to flourish. Since the OFWs support their families, those families look to their relatives working abroad instead of pressuring the government.
@ brspiritus — wow what a great comment. I'm going to steal part of your comment for a future post. I'll touch breifly on a couple topics here:]
. Boxing. I have no liove for boxing, it's a world-wide hotbed of corruption and criminal elements. The fight in question was, from the beginning an exhibition bout … by definition the outcome had no bearing on the sport.
As such it is doubly foolish to make a big deal about the winner. At least when two fighters are boxing 'for real' I can support fully the idea of athletes competing with honor. But exhibitions like we witnessed do nothing to advance a sport … I could have gion einto the ring istead of the "Fishnet Stocking" boy and the only difference would have been Paquiao would have demolished me in 7 seconds rather than 7 rounds. Both fighters made a bundle, allegedly. Good for them. But 'heroes'? Hardly.
2. Hope. I read the US news and get abit depressed. Not becuase things aren't going badly there in many ways, but becuase the tone of all the reports are as if an atom bomb had gone off. You know car companies have gone broke, stock markets have crashed, etc, in the past (anybody remeber back as far as 1973)? Anybody remember 18% mortgages in 1981? Some people have been hurt. They have my sympathy and support. But the US has bot gone 'down the tubes;' and it isn't going to.
The news here in the Philippine sis even more depressing. Most of the depressing aspect is, things are not nearly as bad here as in the US (they may get worse, but they sure aren't today) and yet the media and government spokespersons deliver a national eulogy every night. It's not all bleak, people (people of all countries). We;re strong, we're belessed and we have brains …
let;s use them to make money rather than sing funeral dirges. There's a _lot_ of opportunity in the Philippines.
@ John M — thans as always for your thoughtful comments. I certainly don't dispute there are infrastructure and leadership problems … but I do adviocate that people start moving toward a goal rather than waiting to be saved.
Interesting too are several comments about the 'brain drain'.. I don't know what it costs overall to 'produce' a college graduate here in the Philippines, ready to go to work and produce somehting for, say, a 40 year working life. people are no different than machine parts, though, if you look at the economics. I've seen US studies that indicate the cost there may be $250 or $300,000 USD. Let's cut the figure to, say 20% to match Philippine costs … that would mean every eager young college grad who goes off to be a janitor in the KSA has cost the Philippine economy upward of 1,5 million pesoes. So 600,000 a year 'outbound workers is a loss to the country as a whole of something like 180000000000 pesos. Are their 'heroic' remittances going to return that much or more? I make a guess of NO. It would be cheaper to give each of those people a government 9as in World bank loan) funded stipend than to let them rubn away and make other countries richer. But it would be even better to crate jobs so they didn't have to leave like thieves in the night.
You know PGMA and Bill Clinton were classmates at Georgetown. The president later tuaght economics. Therefore I am fully confident she could do the math better than I.
Dave: you are correct on the costs, even adjusting for the differences, it is still a huge cost. I see two reasons:
1. Cultural: the loyalty here is to one's family. I'll use becky as an example: she is loyal to her family, town, province, and country, in that order. Her reason for going overseas was to help her family. She never considered herself a hero or anything like that, but just felt bound to generate income in any way she could. Most OFW's I've met are similar. In Abu Dhabi, the people there, and their loyalties was clear… The divisions north to south, family name to family name were always present, if not apparent to an outsider. Most wanted to someday return home, but the economics simply forbade it (I am dealing with this now with her brother, whose contract is up next year).
2. The lack of entrepreneurial spirit… You may disagree with me on this. I met a taxi driver on the way to the airport. He held a Master of Radiology from UP. Driving a taxi. He could not support his family working in a Manila hospital and was driving a taxi (earning twice as much) until his paperwork for Canada came through… An absolute waste of skills.
As a side note… I am disgusted by the economy news. The US has, even with this blip, 300million consumers and a high standard of living, and will continue to do so. This blip just shifts that consumption around. It is significant in that it is the worst in many years, but things will not come to an end. Too much damn media with not enough to talk about.
Dave I can't remember to 1973 because I was born in 1974 :P. Anyhow I agree, forget the 70's and early 80's go back to the Great Depression. many companies folded up then and it wasn't the end of the world, it was the beginning of an opportunity for new companies to fill the gap. When a company expands too much too fast soon they find they are ossified and unable to compete in an open maket against newer companies with growth on their side. It is the natural cyclical order of things in the universe, birth, growth, age, decay, death… and so back to the beginning.
With all the OFW's I talked to one thing was said by all of them. As they prepared to leave to go wherever they were going for work they thought only of the money they would make and how much they would be able to send home to their families. Once they got to their destinations however, they received a huge slap in the face with the reality of just how much more the cost of living is in western countries. Soon they were faced with poverty in a foreign country so they could send money back to the Philippines… oftentimes subsidizing their families back home to be indigent. Being a semi OFW myself I saw how my wife's extended family reacted when they found out about my contract in Alaska. Their eyes lit up with delight. They'd never dream of asking me for money but they pester my wife to the point of ultimate frustration. This is the biggest reason I'm buying land on Samal to build a house… to get away from the family!
Dave, most higher education is paid for by the student and not subsidized by the Philippine government. The government does lose out on the cost of public education and some higher education costs like UP. There is a brain drain of course and some of these OFW's especially the accountants/business and engineering professions can have a impact on growing the number of jobs in the Philippines for other Filipinos. Nurses on the other hand especially if they are taking care of the elderly do not expand the economy by creating more productive jobs.
Culturally, Filipinos number one priority is family and going on down to finally the government. My gf is Illocano and most of her family still like Marcos mainly because he was Illocano, though he set the development of the country back decade and was a thief.
@ Neil — thanks for your comments … I'm going to briefly touch on two at once here. First, your disagreement with me on oil.
Disagreement is fine, but I fail to see where we actually disagree. I think several people have not read the first line that I wrote. I am anti-drilling, period. I think in the year 2009 further drilling for oil is a century-pld answer. It is perpetuated by the big oil companies who contrubte heavily to politics in many countries, esepcially the US.
I recommend that the Philippines assert their government rights and make better use of Galoc, since Pandora's box is already open. I think it was dumb environmentally, especially dumb territorially, and likely less than astute financially to risk a unique resource like Palawan for more cruddy barrels of oil that are not unique at all, but could come from anywhere.
I abhor the entire idea of drilling for oil in the Philippines, it perpetuates a childish 'need' for oil that would find a solution if the country was not being led astray by oil company money. Some say Galoc can supply 6 percent of the country's need, some say more … since the risk has already been taken and 6 percent is better than zero percent I think the current government could make better use of the position they find themselves in, that's all.
'Now regarding the cost of promoting the OFW program. I never said the government paid the cost of sending OFW's to school. I said, and believe me their is plenty of proof world-wide on this, that a healthy adult graduated from a bachelor-level school, in their early 20's has cost, over all, their country that amount of money. If you do the math … from the mother's prenatal care through housing, clothing feeding and 'tuitioning' a child to reach qualifed young adulat status, I think you'll find that someone (usually plural) has invested that much. The government, by virtue of basic infrastructure, roads, schools, etc. has contributed along with the child's parents, other benefactors, etc. have all shared that cost.
But the country (not the politicians or the formal government) stands to reap back many more times that cost overall, if that person stays and becomes a productive citizen. The country as a whole will gain much more than just the monetary value that person earns in a lifetime.
What would the net cost to the US have been if Bill Gates had emigrated to, say, Australia when he left school becuase the US government was spending tax dollars to export our people? We'd probably still be exchanging our comments on Microsoft software, but how much richer would Australia and how much poorer would the US have been as a consequence.
To make along story short … and unlike some countries run by ignoramuses, the President of the Philippines and many of the other senior leaders certainly have the intellect and the education to see this … of those 600,000 thousand people who are pushed out the door evry year, how many might be another Bill Gates?
That, to me is the true tragedy of the Philippines … a crisis of courage to stabd up and say, "Houston, we have a problem, and we have to fix it,".
I don't propose it is easy, but I do know until someone has the moral fiber to say it there can be no solution..
Anyway, thanks for sharing.
@ brspiritus: Well in 1973 the OPEC nations, as a reaction to the US openly supporting Isreal in war against Arab nations, got together and cut the flow of oil to the US.
People lined up for blocks to be able to buy a few gallons of cas at a time, Businesses struggled and some failed, unemployment soared. the stock market tumbled, etc. I was waiting in thiose gas lines. It's the only time before or since in the US that I dearly wished I had a gun in the car with me … it was that scary. Heating oil was rationed out as well … it wasn't a matter of how much it cost to heat your house, it was a matter of _if_ you could heat your house.
A few weeks back I saw a neat graph on someone's web site … wish i had snagged a copy. It was one of those stock market 'year at a glance' things .,, three years of market performance, one year on each line.
The graphs were unlabeled. the challenge was to pick out the one that represented 1929 just by the trend of the graph. It was basically impossible,. For all the world turmoil the 'great crash' of 1929 caused it is just another blip on the charts today.
A thought for all to hold dear as we venture off into 2009 … this current 'crisis' will become just another blip of the needle too … better times will surely come … be of good cheer.
Yeah mom told me how much of a joy it was to be pregnant through that time, I was born Jan 13, 1974… superbowl sunday no less ( Dolphins vs The Vikings, Miami cleaned house). I like to beleive as you do that troubles won't last forever… but it's still a matter of how long they will last before things improve. I think if the .gov just stepped back a little and stopped trying to salvage the situation with more worthless paper money then things would self correct rather quickly.
John H, I found that link very interesting–maybe you could help showcase similar discoveries are being made,
Dave, I agree with you that there is a wealth of untapped power in the philippines that is not being tapped into yet.
I must take exception though, to you and others about your description of OFWs' as not being true heros–I think that although often exploited and under-respected, one's drive, courage and sacrifice to help themselves and families should be respected. It's easy for us to talk about "principal" when we don't have a large family to feed and and no job. The average filipino doesn't really have time or the luxury of try to figure out what might be wrong with government issues, but must just hustle the best way that they can to survive. I'm not touting the OFW 's decision to go abroad as necessarilarly being a good one but sometimes seen as the only one.
As far as Manny Pacquao and anyone's opinion of boxing goes, what's wrong with having a small town guy who makes good on guts and talent being a national hero?
If my 2 centavos is worth a read . I'm not interested in the oil crisis but I do drive so it does effect me but that is as far as it goes There is a oil refining plant 2 hours from my house it says " made in the USA, no out side sources their prices went up just like everyone else who imported oil so it's follow the leader – mo-money mo-money- mo money , that's all they want just like in the Philippines and every other country greed will drive the economy ….and i do believe the OFW is a hero to some people … Me ,myself I am bring a solar panel and a wind generator , 2000W inverter ,I don't like brownouts …no oil just sun it's fun 🙂 🙂 ….Phil N Jess
God for you Phil N Jess–individual change and awareness has to start with somebody even on a small scale.
Excellent article, Dave! Married to an electrical engineer my ears are quite inundated with the same idea, same theory, or same vision for many years. You’re right! Those of us who fled the country to find work abroad are not heroes to the country but to our own family, we have to start somewhere. I could only hope that a new generation of Filipino thinkers and movers will start to become apparent – which I think it’ll happen sooner than we realize. These are the same ones the OFW relatives had helped gain the education they needed to build the foundation you just laid out.
Indeed the government in any part of the world, will experience overhaul this year and the next – a must needed change. Let’s just hope that it will be for the betterment to the future of the country.
Happy New Year!
Marcelina DeLorenz, that's a good point that you make about the benefits of OFWs helping to fund the education of family members that might make a big difference in years to come. Happy New Year to you and your family and all!
I am OFW working for Oil Company in Nigeria, alot of us here in Nigeria, Some experience kidnapping .Even do its risky to work here but we still chose to stay because we are paid thousand times higher than when we works in Philippines. As your article says our Government refers as a Hero because on heavy numbers of Filipinoes work abroad with the salary we bring to Philippines it helps or let me say support our financial /economic. Anyway im just a simple worker outside my Country but once im in Philippines, they look at me as if i dont suffer emotionally working away from my child and family. We'll its really good point, Philippines has a lot of potential but no one try. Sad, but it is the fact. I just wish more politicians will see this potential and bring jobs to Filipinoes rather than busy computing whats coming to their pockets.
Hi Dave,A real mixed bag of comments here, so i will just throw in my 10c worth regarding our economy.Like many things in life Boom/Bust is cyclical,recessions on average every 10yrs,average length 2yrs.As human beings we have great difficulty in learning from the past,we too easily forget,regards Chas.
Hi dave, Solar power – if the electric companies are given incentives to allow for grid-tied system, then the demand will definitely be there, as this will offset the high initial outlay for a solar power system. Its been a while since I read something about the Renewable energy bill, but I seem to recall there was nothing there touching this issue of encouraging the use of the grid-tied system. Oh well, I still think the times will force them to change.
We don't have a wind generator, but this is not something that will work here, as the winds are not that strong and sustained. But solar panels definitely!!
Hello!!!
Happy New Year to all!!
I am enthusiastic that Renewable Energy is discussed here in this site. Well, I am a filipino, a licensed professional engineer here in DE, NJ, and CT. I work for a company called First Solar Electric (a subsidiary of First Solar, Inc.) and we are doing Utility Scale Solar Power Plant Installation. The first project we have here in the US is the power plant in the El Dorado Valley very close to Las Vegas Nevada. I am one of the design engineer being a professional civil/structural engineer of the company.
First Solar is the leader in the world in the thin film solar industry and among the lowest cost solar provider in the world. I just hope that this industry, Solar, will gain ground in my home country. As I came from the Geothermal industry in the Philippines, being one of the engineer of the Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation now purchased by the Lopez Group, Renewable Energy is in my blood. Contributing to the environment in my own little way is my only legacy to mankind.
Thank you.
You may contact me at my email address as listed in this post. I am presently based in NJ and I originally from Negros Oriental.
Dave,
Prior to writing my first comment I haven;t read your address here in the US. Since you are coming from CO, once you will be back from the Philippines, you should get out of the Denver International Airport.. At the airport service road (Pena Boulevard), just look at your left and you will see the 2 MegaWatt AC Single Axis Solar Power Plant Installation. This Power Plant is Designed (Civil and Structural Scope) by yours truly, A FILIPINO ENGINEER, educated from the Philippines.
It is a manifestation that we Filipinos are educated and can stand side by side with any other individual from other countrries so long as we can overcome our inferiority being educated from a third world country like mine.
I am proud of my education taken from a third world country applied to a first world country like yours.
Thanks.
Dear Dave,
All the very best to you and your family in 2009!!
I'm quite sure I got off on the wrong foot with you in my past postings and Dave, allow me to apologise now. Friends?
You are right in saying that Filipinos love to talk themselves down. That alone stands many in bad stead. What you said was a mouthful but really long overdue. Many Filipinos need to be shaken to their senses that instead of feeling self-pity, they should hold on tight and say, " Yes, we can, and we can better it…! or something to that efffect. What's the point of holding back what people really want to say when it could help solve age-old problems like the yearning to be one of the best countries in the region or the world? I've lived abroad for three decades and believe me, what really makes me angry is the Philippine media undermining everything that the government is doing and the people reading their columns and articles believe every word—as if it is gospel—without trying to see the other point. Dave, we can agree on many many points, and we can also agree to disagree. However, in this case, You are dead right!!!
Regards,
Hill
I just attended a science conference recently and I took a seminar on solar energy. In the presentation, solar energy was still shown to be expensive compared to fossil fuels.
Even at the current rate of cost reduction, solar energy will need a revolution in technology to become cost effective. On the current path, the evolution of solar technology, will take very long to become cost effective.
This is an example why I fundamentally disagree with the assertion that economic problems arise because "agencies charged with collecting taxes don’t…” as asserted in the article "The Philippines Needs a Good Dictionary".
If entrepreneurs are not taxed to death, business can flourish…
@ Queeniebee. First, sorry this has taken a long time to answer, the holidays have been brutal to me this year, only now partiaqlly recovered from whateber it is I caught.
If you re-read what I wrote I am not denigrating OFW's … people do what they have to do and especially what their government guides them to do. That is what i disagree with … the eladership of the country, rich and secure in their own ancestral wealth spending their tim, effort and tax dollars in experting the reasl wealth of the people overseas for the benefit of other countries. You know one my favorite examples of leadership is an oft quoted phrase from John F. kennedy … 'whey should do these things not becuase they are easy, but becuase they are hard'.
You can't cure the problems that lead to the OFW situation overnight, but you certainly can't cure them, ever, by applauding the status quo that has gotten the country into this position.
If you want an example of a Filipino hero, stay tuned for my next article, I'm writing about a real, present day hero, tight here in the Philippines.
I have nothing against Manny. I just think at the leadership level there are people doing a lot more to help the Filipino rather thna make themseleves (and mainly American fight promoters) rich.
@ Phil n Jess — thanks for your comments. And thanks for adding your vote to the people who are doing somehting toward alternative energy rather than just parroting the 'it's too exspensive' chorus. Doing something for self-sufficieny is so much better than doing nothing.
@ Marcelina — thak you so uch for your comments .. and for discerning (hidden inside my usual obstuse writing — that I am not tlaking down the personal herosism or sacrifice exemplified by so many but ratther the 'hey, anything for a buck' governemtn eladership stance.
You know one of the most hopeful and yet most sad stories that's come out of the present finanical crisis here in the Philippines is that the government has dome some exstensive planning to have a 100 billion peso alternative jobs plan set up that will provide work for displaced OFW's who are forced to return to the Philippines. Sounds good. But from the other side of the coin one might as, if the government can find 100 billion pesos to spend on infrastructure improvements (which is where the targeted jobs are) they why wait on these projects for, say, an engineer to emigrate, give however many years of his/her talent and productivity to some other country, and then provide a job when as and if the overseas job goes away?
Goodness knows the Philippines needs the jobs and the Philippines needs infrastructure improvements, so if there's 100 billion sitting around Malacañang doing nothing, why not put it to use?
@ simplylheng … thanks so much for your very valuable comments. As has been pointe dout to me, it's easy to see 'solutins' to problems when you don't have to live those problems yourself, itt means a lot to me that someone who is actually in that situstion writes to give us first hand expereince.
As you may have noticed in my previous ansdwer to Marcelino, the RP governemnt has been getting alot of political mileage out of the fact they have a plan, including a sizeable initial busget, to help displaced OFW's if those folks lose the foreign jobs. OK, fine, I really can't fault them for looking ahead. But I can say it boggles the mind to see how it makes good sense to 'sit on' 100 billion pesos (perhaps like eggs the pesos will hatch?) 😉 while continuing to push,push, push for people to leave the country as the only solution.
In addition to the economics of the situation I have mentioned there are significant personal and family costs involved … fathers denied the comforts of their own family, children growing up without fathers and mothers and so on.
I can't send the situsation and I realize there is no magic wand to make it go away, I just think that a leasership role would be to advocate jobs at home rather than giving the present situation governemtn santion and applauding what is, at best, a poor situation. May your New Year go well and may you be able to return to your family soon..
@ Chasdv — Amen, my friend. Yes it's pretty hard to tell someone who has lost their job, or whose penison has just dwindled to next to nothing to 'be of good cheer', but I will say, the US and the rest of the worls have certainly weathered worse and yes, things will certainly turn around.
@ Mauro … thank you so much for your comments. Indeed one think you said strikes home becuase I had so often said it myself, as an outsider looking in … the single most crippling issue the Philippines faces today is not any of the common 'third-world' ills and ailments people normally quote .. it's that 'we can't do it becuase we're 'only' Filino' attitude. Even people high ranking in governement seem afficted with it. T^he Philippines (and the Filipibnos can be as 'first world' as they wish to let themselves be. All the best to you and your great work … building economically viable solar plants in Colorado is a heck of alot more engineeringly challeneging than building them in the Philippines.
One ote … I do have an address in the US for business purposes but the chance of me returning to the US is slim to none. The Philippines is my home for the foreseeable future and if I ever decide to leave there are a number of countries I would like to expereince before I'd return to the US.
@ Hill — thanks for your comment. And for the record I don't recall any time we have been 'crosswise' in the past, so be assured I consider you a valauble reader and contributor .. if I gave that impressions, I apologize.
I'm particularly heartened by your estimation of the Philippine media … sometimes I get the idea it's just me ;-). Seriously, this is my eighth country to actually live in and there is no country I cna think of on earth where the local press seems to 'tlak down' it's own country and people.
What we really need is some good old fashioned cheerleading I think. You know there are several shows that air on The Filipino Channel which goes out to the rest of the world about starting and running a business here in the Philippines, success story after success story, yet you seldom see anyhting like that on the domestic channels.
It's really a bit strange to me .. but then again, I am a stranger in a strange land 😉
@ Kevin … thabnks for your comment. Let me ask you a couple questions abiout this conference, just for kicks.
Was the contention that solar energy is not economically viable based on $200 a barrel crus eoil or $47 a barrel crude?
What was the cost per kilowatt hour used to reach the economic conclusion?
What was the expertise level of the presenters regarding the Philippines?
The reason I ask these questions is not to be contentious but to perhaps illusttrate stah such blanket 'it won't work' contentions have been crippling the advancement of alternative power for years. It's scientifically facile. I can 'prove' solar is economically viable or 'prove' it won't be viable for 100 years if I don't have to specify the yardstick I measure with.
Also i assume this study was based on US cnsitons? On average the Philippines has 3 or 4 times the effective solar budget and electric costs here ar four to five times the cost in the US … as you see, this might move the goalposts a bit.
@ Ellen — certainly governement incentives have a role. I really think though that full integration of solar in that way is a bit far off. Funny how so many have peicke dup on the solar (and the Galoc oil fioelds) (note to myself, remeber that oil is afour-letter word) and completely bypassed the two best solutuons .. geothermal (already well underway and earning money right here in the Philippines) and biodgestrs (suitable for tiny farm holdings and proven economically viable right here in the Philippines as well).
One thing I didn't write enough about, though, is the simple fact that environmentally we ought to be doing something, regardless of profitability … but that's too idealistic for many, so I'll ratchet back on that course for another day. Anyone who tavels to the Philippines primarly by the wind is already in my corner, in deed if not by politics 😉
@ Gary — Thanks for your comment. Where the ehck were you when I was taking heat a while back for advocating that the proper role of government was as little role as possible?
If you think excess taxation is anti-entrepreneurship then you need to come to the Philippines. Tax-wise it's the wild wild west here. There are whole huge segments of small business that are just designated as the 'underground' economy … untaxed. unrecorded, unfettered by any government interference (or assistance).
I do submit. though, that is a tax be leagal,a nd if employees are apid by the government to collect that tax, they they are boundboth by law and honor to do so. That was the trust of the article you take exception to.
Whether ot not tax should be levied is indeed a totally different question. But if taxes are legally in place and employees are paid to do the job then I submit to fail is malfeasance. Ignoring laws is not an acceptable solution to changing them democratically.
Hi, Dave,
Sooooo glad we both cleared the air. I do enjoy joining this site and reading
good, sensible, even funny comments from readers and posters. Thank you
for your good articles. Much appreciated. Regards. Hill
Dave,
I can't answer your questions because I didn't take note on all the details. But the jist of it was that solar technology is expensive as the average cost for a home installation is between $20,000 and $30,000 dollars in the US. And this will take a long time to pay for itself. Solar PV panels are expessive and labor cost are expensive here in US.
Now in the Philippines, the labor cost is much lower, but the problem is getting hold of solar panels at reasonable cost. When I was in Davao, I tried to find a the only listed solar technology company but they had either moved or gone out of business. The Philippines manufactures solar panels, but I don't think they sell much there.
Too much talking, when will be the walking?????? To all concerned, can we get together and shove all of these factual sensible action items to the great minds of the Malacanang Palace?????
Hi Dave,
There was a feature in LA Times on geothermal energy. The US gov't is intensifying their search for alternative fuel and geothermal energy is one of the source that is cheap and available.
In that news article, the Philippines was identified as the #2 country in the world in terms of utilizing this resource. I remember Tiwi Albay plant in the early 80's being a fully operational then when green energy was not in vogue yet. Do you know any other new geothermal plants developed since then?
Very informative article Dave.
Gerry
Hello Dave,
Great site you have here. I have been going through your site, in order to gain perspective towards retirement in the Philippines.
Knowing about the environmental hazards associated with the Philippines, I would like you to recommend places that are safe to retire/ purchase a house.
Thank you for assisting.
Also, I just recalled. Since I have had a good time reading the comments on your site, and your responses to them; please could you work on the typo errors in your typing. It would really help.
Plenty regards,
Croesus