VIRTUAL REALITY: APEC and the new Trans-Pacific Partnership

By Tony Lopez

AT the summit of leaders of states and territories that straddle the Pacific Ocean, the most important topics that should have been discussed are countries that do not belong to the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc—Iran and eurozone nations, particularly Italy and Greece.
China was a hot topic, but only because the host of this year’s summit, United States President Barack Obama, seemed to blame the Chinese currency, the yuan—it is devalued (undervalued is more appropriate term) by 20 to 25 percent, according to him—for the current joblessness in America and the diminished competitiveness of US exports vis-à-vis China.
China, by the way, has the biggest representation in APEC, thanks to a technicality—mainland China, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), and Hong Kong. In this particular group, members are economies, not states or countries.
That is not counting Singapore, which is veritably a Chinese city, and Malaysia, which has an economically dominant Chinese community.
So when Obama brings up a topic as sensitive as revaluing the yuan, he naturally goes nowhere.
China is also being cajoled into contributing to a European rescue fund for debt-ridden eurozone countries—Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain, or PIIGS.
China has $3.2 trillion reserves, arguably the world’s largest foreign currency cash hoard. Additionally, Taiwan has $400.77 billion; Hong Kong, $277.2 billion; and Singapore, $242.28 billion.
The US has $146.58 billion foreign reserves—paltry by the standards of rich APEC members like Japan ($1.137 trillion) and Russia ($516.8 billion).
Eurozone nations, meanwhile, have combined reserves of just $886.35 billion, which is not even enough to pay for Italy’s $2.6-trillion debt.
It seems that collectively, the 17 countries of the euro are technically bankrupt. Their bloc owes more in foreign debts than what they earn from their exports of goods and services and income from foreign dividends and royalties. That is why they need to create a financial firewall or total bailout fund of one trillion euros ($1.4 trillion). China is supposed to contribute substantially to this rescue fund.
As of June 30, 2010, the US has foreign debts of $14.8 trillion; the European Union (EU), $13.72 trillion; the United Kingdom, $8.98 trillion; Germany, $84.7 trillion; France, $4.69 trillion; Italy, $2.23 trillion ($2.6 trillion today); and Spain, $2.16 trillion.
After nearly a quarter century, APEC still has to assert its relevance and explain what it is all about. The original idea, it seems to me, is that APEC is supposed to promote harmony and increased trade in the world’s most dynamic region.
The Asia-Pacific bloc’s 21 members span four continents and collectively account for 40 percent of the world’s population, 54 percent of the world gross domestic product (GDP), and 44 percent of total world trade.
To me, those who benefit the most from APEC are businessmen who are able to secure an APEC card—a visa-free travel card that speeds up processing at immigration counters in the bloc’s member economies.
As for the peoples of APEC, they have been battered by two major financial crises—the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis that was triggered by the run in Thailand and the 2008 financial meltdown and recession that was triggered by the subprime mortgage collapse in America.
All is not lost with APEC, though. Actively being pursued is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an ambitious, next-generation Asia-Pacific trade agreement.
“The TPP will boost our economies, lower barriers to trade and investment, increase exports, and create more jobs for our people, which is my number-one priority,” Obama said when he addressed the APEC summit on November 12 in his home state of Hawaii.

“Along with our trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, the TPP will also help achieve my goal of doubling US exports, which support millions of American jobs,” he added.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has expressed his country’s interest in the TPP. Obama readily welcomed the Japanese participation, noting that “eliminating the barriers to trade between our two countries could provide a historic opportunity to deepen our economic relationship, as well as strengthen Japan’s ties with some of its closest partners in the region.”
The TPP, the prestigious Economist magazine wrote also on November 12, “has suddenly emerged as the most promising trade liberalization initiative since the Doha Round of world trade talks stalled in 2008. On November 11, Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, announced its intention to join America and eight other countries in negotiating what its advocates hope would emerge as the new gold standard for free trade in the world’s most dynamic economic zone.”
The ten-country deal, according to Reuters, will cover a market 40 percent bigger than the EU. The agreement calls for free movement of almost everything, except labor.
With the eurozone in shambles, The Economist pointed out, the TPP “would further shift the world’s center of economic gravity from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.”
Noda’s “decision may spur other big economies, such as Canada, to make renewed efforts to join the negotiations, which currently include America, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. If America and Japan can pull off such a deal, the TPP could challenge China’s own free-trade push in the region, which revolves around the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), South Korea and Japan, rather than the Pacific Rim,” the magazine said.
“By joining with America, Japan also hopes to influence global technological standards in industries like electric cars and clean energy, rather than having those heavily swayed by China,” it added.

FROM THE CAPITOL: Building a Greener California

By Senator Leland Yee

 

Earlier this year, I authored and introduced legislation in Sacramento that close a loophole that allowed work to be done without prevailing wage on public infrastructure projects offered at so-called “no cost” by Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).
Typically, an ESCO conducts an audit in order to come up with a design to generate energy efficiency or develop energy on a public facility. Upon approval by the public agency, the ESCO typically pays for the design, construction management, and commission of the project with the understanding that whatever savings are realized from the project are then used to pay back the ESCO.
For example, if a school district can save $10,000 a year by installing energy efficient lighting and windows, the ESCO would front the cost of that upgrade, but the school district would transfer the savings to the ESCO for a fixed time period. Fortunately, Senate Bill 136, which was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. will ensure workers receive prevailing wages on energy service contracts of public agencies. 
  Despite the fact that the work is being completed on public infrastructure and will be paid back from energy savings that otherwise would have been utilized by the public agency, some have argued that such work is exempt from the prevailing wage requirements.  SB 136 removes any doubt that prevailing wage must and should be paid on these types of public infrastructure improvements. This bill will ensure all public projects are completed using prevailing wage for workers.  SB 136 will officially become state law on January 1, 2012.
While I am pleased the Governor signed the prevailing wage bill, it is very disappointing that he didn’t ensure corporations keep their promises.  SB 364 is critical to holding big businesses accountable for job creation promises in exchange for any tax breaks.
Specifically, SB 364 would have required all future tax breaks related to job creation to have clear goals and performance measures. If a corporation failed to meet those promises, the state could recoup the tax credit.
A working mother on CalWORKS or disabled senior receiving in-home supportive services has to jump through numerous bureaucratic hoops to receive minimal life-sustaining benefits, but if you are a big corporation looking for scarce tax credits, no one asks any questions.  California taxpayers deserve better.
Tax expenditures for corporations are often created with the argument that they will create jobs and fuel economic development. Yet under existing law, it is nearly impossible to track which companies are receiving tax credits and if those subsidies are meeting the goals of the expenditure. Corporations are even permitted to take taxpayer money and relocate to other states.
It is wrong for California to provide upwards of $14 billion in corporate tax credits without transparency and accountability.   If a business fails to keep its word, or in some cases even moves out of the state, taxpayers should not have to foot the bill. This legislation was a win-win for Californians – corporations either help get people back to work or the state recoups the tax break and we can save our state’s safety net.
Many California businesses receive major credits and exemptions from dozens of state taxes. In fact, the tax credits passed as part of the September 2008 and February 2009 budget “solutions” will cost the state $8.7 billion in lost revenue from 2008-09 to 2014-15 and ongoing $2-2.5 billion yearly. 

STREET TALK: A Gathering Of Game Changers

By Greg Macabenta

The 22ND Philippine Advertising Congress will be held next week, from November 16 to19, at the Watersports Complex in Pili, Camarines Sur. Like past congresses, this one has an impressive and dramatic theme, “Change the Game.”
It proceeds on the presumption that the advertising industry – in this case, composed of ad agencies, advertisers, media, and companies providing production, research and other marketing services - is a catalyst for change.
According to congress chair, Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the organizing committee envisioned a gathering of professionals and practitioners that “will hopefully inspire change.”
What that “change” is can only be surmised. One can deduce that it has to do with changing the way advertising is created, the way new media vehicles are utilized, and the way products and services are conceived, developed and promoted to consumers.
I was, frankly, hoping that “change” would also have something to do with our national life, particularly the values of our people. As I had hoped in past congresses, I continue to hope that this 22nd Congress would devote some of the creative, production, media and marketing talent overflowing in the conference to the kind of change that finally appeared possible with the assumption of the presidency by Noynoy Aquino.
I am attending the ad congress. I have a number of reasons for doing so. First of all, I simply can’t get the advertising bug out of my system. It isn’t easy getting over half a century of being on the frontlines. I will relish being with colleagues, young and old. I’m sure I can still learn a few tricks from them.
The second reason for attending the congress is the fact that my book, “How To Make A Benta – Anecdotes, Lectures & Articles from the Advertising Wars,” has just been released and, I understand, will be available in the National Book Store branches in Naga and Legaspi, as well in other branches nationwide.
While most books on advertising use case studies in the American setting, this book provides valuable insights on the making of several classic advertising campaigns, many of which I personally created. The book is also a virtual history of Philippine advertising over the past 50 years. It should prove interesting reading for both students and oldtimers alike.
The third reason, of course, is my hope that, somehow, in some future ad congress – if not in this one - the industry will finally do something to achieve the kind of change that our country and our people need.
Indeed, every ad congress is a Gathering of Game Changers, this 22nd Congress,  no less. Some of the brightest, sharpest, most creative, most innovative brains in the country populate the advertising and marketing industry. The efficiency with which these brains create products and conceive services and move them from conception to consumption is the key to economic development and growth.
Imagine what this brain power could do if focused on changing what has been described as our “damaged culture.” Imagine what the creative minds gathered in the congress could do if used to create a campaign that will awaken the Filipino to the vast natural and human resources of our country. A campaign that will imbue in every citizen a caring attitude and an entrepreneurial zeal that will enable them to effectively and profitably harness these resources.
Imagine what this Gathering of Game Changers could do if they decide to devote some of their time and talents to stirring the nobility of our people. Strengthening their love of country. Their spirit of patriotism. Implanting in their hearts the value of honest labor and inspiring them in the pursuit of excellence.
I was the chairman of the 8th Philippine Advertising Congress in November 1983, a few months after a bona fide Game Changer named Benigno Aquino, Jr. was brutally murdered. For that reason, I decided on a congress theme summed up by the acronym, ROAR - Risks, Opportunities and Responsibilities of the ad industry in the face of the crisis confronting the country.
Ninoy had returned in an effort to effect the kind of change for the Philippines that was being jeopardized by the terminal illness of President Marcos and the presence of ambitious individuals who had a different concept of change.
He did, in fact, help to achieve that change. By dying for it. His death set ablaze the smoldering embers that the Marcos dictatorship tried desperately to smother. Change happened with the revolt at EDSA.
But it was, sadly, a temporary one. Our culture had been so badly damaged that a benign revolution failed to repair it.
Two years ago, when preparations for the 21st Ad Congress were being made, I appealed to the organizers to consider the significance of the forthcoming presidential elections and the opportunity that the advertising industry had to prepare the Filipino people for it.
The country had just been ravaged by typhoon Ondoy and the advertising industry and private businesses responded heroically to the crisis. They raised money and relief goods and actively helped in alleviating the suffering of the victims.
Encouraged by this, I wrote a column item that expressed the hope that the organizers would use the ad congress as an opportunity to harness the industry’s talents to help educate the Filipino people on the need for militancy and for voting wisely in the 2010 presidential elections.
 Dodie Lucas, one of the prime movers of the Advertising Foundation, was the very first to respond to my appeal. He offered to bring it up with the congress organizing committee. But this was to no avail.
 As it turned out, it was the Ad Foundation that eventually took up the challenge, launching a competition that honored the advertisers and the print and broadcast media that mounted outstanding campaigns on voter education and clean elections.
 In October 2010, the Ad Foundation presented the Gintong Haligi Award to the DDB Group and its client, PLDT-Smart Foundation, for the Ako Mismo cam­paign; ABS-CBN for Boto Mo Ipatrol Mo; Philippine Star for The Vote 2010 and Smart Vote; Philippine Seven Corporation for 7-Elections; and Bombo Radyo for The Vote 2010.
Change did, in fact, happen as a result of the presidential elections. Since Noynoy Aquino’s assumption of the presidency, there has been renewed hope in finally cleaning up the Aegean stable that our government has become.
 But more change is required. And that change has to be initiated first of all – and most of all – among our children. Their minds are still malleable. The proper values can be implanted in them. But these values need to be nurtured up to adulthood. And this is where the creativity and the skills of the advertising industry can be put to such effective use.
It can be done. It has been done.
 Over a century ago, an individual, a Game Changer, used his creative gifts to effect change. Meaningful change. Dr. Jose Rizal wrote Noli Mi Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
 And Change happened.

(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

VIRTUAL REALITY: The Liwayway-Oishi story: 27 factories in eight countries (Pt. 2)

 From Tony Lopez

(In today’s column I am running the second part of the text of Liwayway Marketing CEO Larry Chan’s presentation before President Aquino and his official delegation during the presidential visit at the sprawling Liwayway factory complex in Shanghai, China, Sept. 2, 2011.)

BEING able to build a positive reputation in China has also allowed us to purchase 70 percent of a retail company in Shanghai with about 30 store locations in the city. It is called Lao Tong Sheng, a retailer of traditional Chinese products such as mushrooms, nuts, etc. Our Chinese partner is a district level state-owned company that chose us when they were privatizing some of their enterprises. We believe this is because of the successful partnerships we have had in the past and these state-owned enterprises still prefer to look for partners they can be comfortable with.
A star enterprise
We have also been consecutively awarded as one of the 100 Star Overseas Chinese Enterprises by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Central Government. This Office is a ministerial level department of the government with the main purpose of servicing and promoting linkages among the overseas Chinese around the world.
Aside from providing assistance in investments opportunities, they also help resolve any issues faced by the business. They also provide assistance in non-business matters such as cultural exposures, networking, education, or helping overseas Chinese get to know more about their roots in China.
According to one information we received, more than 70 percent of China’s foreign direct investments come from overseas Chinese investors.
Tapping emerging markets
My father’s focus when he entered China, Vietnam and Myanmar in the late ‘90s was to tap the emerging markets while they are still in their early stages. Being early poses its challenges as the infrastructures are still undeveloped, but in the example of Vietnam, we started in Ho Chi Minh by building a factory inside the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park.
This proved to be crucial as the management of the industrial park was able to provide valuable support while we were still trying to learn the local landscape. Now our Vietnam operations have expanded to four factories, with one in Hanoi, a second factory in the same industrial park in Ho Chi Minh, and a fourth one located in Danang located in central Vietnam.
Thailand and Indonesian markets are much more challenging markets because they are much more developed, but these are important markets to us as well.
Today, we feel that India and Cambodia are the young emerging markets similar to Vietnam in the 90s.
Philippine operations
Our Philippine operations remain very active with recent expansions in Cagayan and Cebu in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Just this year we also started operations in our Tarlac factory. The Philippines remains a very good consumer market for us with the highest consumption rate of our products among the countries we are presently in.
Our factory in Cavite also provides critical support to all our factories by manufacturing and supplying many of our machineries that are built to our specifications. We appreciate the talent and passion of our engineers towards learning new things and quality workmanship.
Supplies for our group’s exports to markets where we do not have factories all come from the
Philippines. In our case, the Philippines has several significant advantages, such as the numerous consolidators in our country making export of low value products like ours much more efficient.
Another advantage is the English packaging we use in the Philippines, which eliminates the need for us to make modifications when serving the export markets.
These are some of the limited experiences we have had as we continue to explore opportunities within Asia.

STREET TALK: MACARTHUR’S A-DAY

From Greg Macabenta

To many Americans and Europeans, D-Day, the 6th of June, is of major importance in world history – important enough to bring to the continent droves of tourists, mainly veterans of World War II who fought in the European theater, and their families. It was on that day in 1944 when allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy on the way to liberating Europe from the Nazis.
 It was in that context that I suggested to Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez, on my recent visit to Manila, that October 20 be viewed as an opportunity for tourism promotion. It was on that day in 1944 when U.S. forces, led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, landed at Red Beach in Palo, Leyte to start the liberation of the Philippines.
To veterans of the war in the Pacific, that day is as significant as D-Day. In fact, for families of the thousands of U.S. and allied soldiers buried in the American cemetery in the former Fort Bonifacio, and those who fought in Bataan, Corregidor, Leyte and the many war fronts across the archipelago, October 20 should inspire an annual sentimental journey to the Philippines – similar to that one made by Gen. MacArthur and his wife, Jean, in 1961.
 To MacArthur, October 20 was A-Day or Attack-Day. The day he would make good on his solemn vow, “I shall return!”
This fact would have been buried in the landfill of history had Filipino-American Rudy Ascercion not accidentally discovered a letter of an American sailor to his sweetheart, telling her, “Tomorrow is A-Day.”
 Asercion is executive director of a San Francisco non-profit, the West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, and a commissioner of the Veterans War Memorial Commission. He was rummaging through the archives of the Commission when he came upon the sailor’s letter.
 Intrigued, Asercion dug further and confirmed from records that A-Day was MacArthur’s code name for the start of the liberation of the Philippines.
Asercion didn’t stop there. He brought this to the attention of the White House, with the support of Yolanda Stern, President Emerita of the Federation of Filipino-American Chambers of Commerce, and Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret.), the FilAm general who blew the lid off the U.S. Army human rights abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Acknowledging that A-Day was an occasion that merited honors, Pres. George W. Bush issued a proclamation to that effect. On October 20, 2004, the first official commemoration of A-Day in America was held at the Herbst Theater, War Memorial Bldg. in San Francisco. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who was then Philippine Ambassador to Washington, graced the occasion, along with officers of the American Legion, Philippine consular officials and FilAm community leaders.
Asercion, Taguba and Stern did not stop at this decidedly significant achievement. That same year, they lobbied for the California legislature to pass a bill that would include in the social science curriculum of the state’s Department of Education the vital role played by Filipino soldiers in World War II. Recognition of this role was pivotal in the granting of benefits to Filipino veterans by the U.S. Congress and the Obama presidency – a role denied by the Rescission Act of 1946.
Unfortunately, despite positive action by the state legislature, then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have given our veterans the recognition due them.
 Unfazed, Asercion, Taguba, Stern and a more empowered FilAm community, including KAYA, a youth group that actively helped in the Obama presidential campaign, lobbied the current legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown. They finally succeeded.
 Last October 8, Brown signed AB 199, co-authored by Assembly Pro Tempore Fiona Ma and Assemblyman Paul Cook, that urges the inclusion of Filipino World War II veterans in the 7-12 public high school curriculum in California.
According to Asercion, California is one of three states authorized to print textbooks for use in schools across the U.S. This could mean that the inclusion of Filipino veterans in textbooks used in the state will result in their inclusion in social studies in schools all over the country.
 Like the Energizer bunny, Asercion just keeps going and going and going. To commemorate A-Day this year, he arranged for a luncheon in honor of 12 surviving Filipino veterans. Held at the War Memorial Building, the old soldiers and their wives had community leaders waiting on them.
 Donning waiters’ aprons were Carmen Colet, president of the San Francisco FilAm Chamber of Commerce; Rodel Rodis, president of U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance and former president of the San Francisco Community College Board, and Yolanda Stern. I also volunteered to play waiter at the event.
Gen. Taguba, who resides in the Washington DC area, could not make it to the luncheon. But he continues to plug for Filipino veterans in his current key position in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
 Also unable to attend was Assembly Pro Tempore Fiona Ma who was expected to announce, with Rodis, Stern and Asercion, the proposed curriculum mandated by AB-199.
 The curriculum will include personal testimonies of Filipino veterans recorded on audio and videotapes, as well as historical records that Asercion has doggedly exhumed from the archives of the Commission. At the luncheon, several old soldiers were videotaped relating their war experiences.
For a number of reasons, the observance of A-Day this year was not be as high-profile or as impressive as the first one held in 2004. It’s easy to point out why this is so. Blame is so much easier to identify.
But the fact is that Rudy Asercion, Gen. Tony Taguba and Yolanda Stern have lighted an ember that continues to glow, despite community apathy. It just deserves to be fanned more vigorously, indeed, more creatively. The good news is that, at Seasons' Marketplace in Milipitas, Ben Menor and other South Bay community leaders also scheduled a commemoration of A-Day on Sunday, October 23.
Like the annual Filipino festivals that I also pointed out to Mon Jimenez as presenting rich opportunities to promote the Philippines and Philippine tourism, the ember of A-Day and AB-199 can be made to burst into flame.
We hope that more zealous and caring individuals will step up to fan the ember and help dispel the darkness of our anonymity in America and in the rest of the world.
(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

FROM THE CAPITOL: Prevailing Wages on Workers

From Sen. Leland Yee

Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law legislation to ensure workers receive prevailing wages on energy service contracts of public agencies.  Senate Bill 136, which I authored and itroduced, closes a loophole that allowed work to be done without prevailing wage on public infrastructure projects offered at so-called “no cost” by Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).
Typically, an ESCO conducts an audit in order to come up with a design to generate energy efficiency or develop energy on a public facility. Upon approval by the public agency, the ESCO typically pays for the design, construction management, and commission of the project with the understanding that whatever savings are realized from the project are then used to pay back the ESCO.
For example, if a school district can save $10,000 a year by installing energy efficient lighting and windows, the ESCO would front the cost of that upgrade, but the school district would transfer the savings to the ESCO for a fixed time period.
  Despite the fact that the work is being completed on public infrastructure and will be paid back from energy savings that otherwise would have been utilized by the public agency, some have argued that such work is exempt from the prevailing wage requirements.  SB 136 removes any doubt that prevailing wage must and should be paid on these types of public infrastructure improvements. This bill will ensure all public projects are completed using prevailing wage for workers.
While I am pleased the Governor signed the prevailing wage bill, it is very disappointing that he didn’t ensure corporations keep their promises.  SB 364 is critical to holding big businesses accountable for job creation promises in exchange for any tax breaks.
Specifically, SB 364 would have required all future tax breaks related to job creation to have clear goals and performance measures. If a corporation failed to meet those promises, the state could recoup the tax credit.
A working mother on CalWORKS or disabled senior receiving in-home supportive services has to jump through numerous bureaucratic hoops to receive minimal life-sustaining benefits, but if you are a big corporation looking for scarce tax credits, no one asks any questions.  California taxpayers deserve better.
Tax expenditures for corporations are often created with the argument that they will create jobs and fuel economic development. Yet under existing law, it is nearly impossible to track which companies are receiving tax credits and if those subsidies are meeting the goals of the expenditure. Corporations are even permitted to take taxpayer money and relocate to other states.
It is wrong for California to provide upwards of $14 billion in corporate tax credits without transparency and accountability.   If a business fails to keep its word, or in some cases even moves out of the state, taxpayers should not have to foot the bill. This legislation was a win-win for Californians – corporations either help get people back to work or the state recoups the tax break and we can save our state’s safety net.
    Many California businesses receive major credits and exemptions from dozens of state taxes. In fact, the tax credits passed as part of the September 2008 and February 2009 budget “solutions” will cost the state $8.7 billion in lost revenue from 2008-09 to 2014-15 and ongoing $2-2.5 billion yearly. 

NO LIMITATIONS: Should the U.S. Ambassador apologize or resign for saying that 40% of foreign male visitors are sex tourists?

By Atty Ted Laguatan

Within the context of a round table discussion with appellate court justices on combatting human trafficking, U.S. Ambassador Harry K. Thomas was quoted as saying: "We know that 40% of foreign men who travel to the Philippines, including Americans, do so for sexual tourism."
Concerned that this statement might affect the tourist trade, Assistant Secretary Domingo Enario of the Department of Tourism in knee-jerk fashion, immediately questioned the figures cited by Ambassador Thomas.
Senators Ponce Enrile,  Panfilo Lacson and Chiz Escudero, also took pot shots at the Ambassador.
Enrile said: "...I don't think the statistics are correct."
Lacson took a stronger position: "He should at least clarify if he was misquoted by media. Otherwise, he should apologize to the Filipino people or pack his bags and go home for being tactless, offensive and being undiplomatic."
Escudero said that Thomas' statement was an embarrassment to the country.
Should Ambassador Thomas apologize or resign for saying 40% of male foreign visitors are sex tourists?
Let's be fair and look at the facts and reality. Our critical politicians and government officials appear to be confused and are missing the important issues here.
They do not deny that illegal, commercial sex is widespread and so easily accessible in the Philippines. This is an open secret.
Instead, they focus on the minutiae of statistical data. And so therefore, if one study says that only 39% of foreign men engage in sex tourism, they will point an accusing finger at the Ambassador and say: "You are wrong."
Understandably,  it is probably impossible to have exact accurate statistics of just how many foreign men come to the Philippines for sexual tourism activities. How will the researcher or statistician proceed? He can't hang around the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  foolishly asking newly arrived male tourist  questions like: "Dude, did you come to the Philippines  mainly for sex?";  or "Sir, are you a pedophile?"
However, the presence of so many foreigners in prostitution joints disguised as  nightclubs, girlie bars and massage parlors in different Philippine cities and towns  - in Pasay, Makati, Quezon City, Angeles, Olongapo, Cebu, etc. -  affirms the undeniable fact that a huge number of foreign male tourists come to the Philippines for commercial illegal sex.
Thus, the real  issue is not so much the pinpoint accuracy of the 40% figure cited by the Ambassador but whether or not a sizable number of male foreign tourists travel to the Philippines for illicit sex.
If it is the statistical data that was at issue, then if say,  it is determined that the  percentage of foreign me who travel to the Philippines is actually  more than 40% but 43% - critics of the Ambassador's statement would still say he is wrong - with them entirely  missing his point - which is, that too many foreign male tourists come here for illicit sex.
Even if only 5% of foreign male visitors come to the Philippines for illicit commercial sex, that is still too much.
In the first place, before launching criticisms and catcalls,  let's look at  why Ambassador Thomas' made this statement. Did he want Filipinos to look bad? Did he have any intentions to embarrass the country? Does he hate Filipinos?
Negative to all three questions. The humanist Ambassador Thomas  takes the campaign against human trafficking seriously. In speaking engagements, he frequently speaks of the many innocent young people condemned into terrible  situations forced by human traffickers to become  prostitutes  or slave labor workers.
In a speech last week in a  conference of overseas Filipino leaders from around the globe he said: "Human sex trafficking is unconscionable. It's not just a Philippine problem, we also have it in the United States...this is a global challenge."
It was within the setting and context of a discussion with appellate justices on the campaign against human trafficking when he made this foreign male sex tourist statement. It was taken out of context by his critics. Clearly, he made the statement not to embarrass the Philippines but to help Filipinos.
Any thinking  person who does not easily impute malice on others will clearly see the Ambassador's good intentions. His point: Many foreign male tourists come to the Philippines for illicit sex. If the market for these sex tourists continue and even increase, because of the profit involve - innocent young Filipinos will continue to be trafficked and victimized. We need to protect them.
He was not trying to drive away legitimate tourists. But what he hopes is that tourists who come for illicit sex especially pedophiles - do not come. He even encouraged the Justice Department to arrest Americans if they engage in illicit sex.
Ambassador Thomas' position is totally in line with the Department of Tourism's announced program of presenting wholesome nature and culture based offerings to foreign tourists. Certainly, we don't want the money of foreign sex tourists that destroy the bodies and souls of our people. Instead of criticizing him, Department of Tourism officials should thank and honor him.
The irresponsible statement by Senator Lacson for him to apologize or pack up is totally uncalled for. He has done nothing for which he needs to apologize and correctly affirms that he will not apologize. He should not.
It is not Ambassador Thomas' statement that should be a cause of embarrassment to us because he was merely stating the obvious. Instead, it should  be the failure of our lawmakers and corrupt law enforcers to stop widespread illegal commercial sex. This situation encourages foreign sex tourists to continue to come.
One of the U.S.' top career diplomats, Thomas became the first African American Ambassador to the Philippines. Previously, he was Director General of the Foreign Service. He has an impressive background: He graduated from the Jesuit Holy Cross College and did graduate studies at Columbia University.  He was Ambassador to Bangladesh and also held  posts in different countries: India, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Peru. He also served as Executive Director in the State Department and was Special Assistant to the former Secretary of State Condooleeza Rice.
A remarkable linguist, he speaks Spanish, Urdu, Bangla and now also speaks Tagalog - with a slight New York accent.
The previous  Ambassador Kristie  Kenney was a hard act to follow. She was very popular with Filipinos. She attended social functions, did interviews on popular TV shows, met with local leaders and watched Ateneo versus La Salle basketball games. She  secretly cheered for the Ateneo team and was an avid fan of basketball star Chris Tiu.
But in the one year and a half that Ambassador Thomas has been here, he has made a tremendous impact on Philippine affairs.
Let's  just  look at some of his other most recent  public statements which clearly indicate his goodwill towards Filipinos.
Just days ago,  he commented: "The US is very proud to ally itself with an honest government." He praised President Aquino for bringing honesty back to government.
Let's look at the significance and impact of this statement. First, it's an honest diplomatic way of saying that the past administration provided dishonest leadership. Indeed, during the past administration, the Philippines had the reputation of being the second most corrupt country in Asia and arguably maybe the most corrupt as new discoveries of corruption continue to emerge.
With Ambassador Thomas' statement to the world that we now have an honest President who's working hard to have an honest and transparent government - the world now looks at us with more respect.  Investors are now more inclined to invest in the Philippines. It also adds to  Filipinos having more faith in their government.
The Ambassador also gave a short statement two weeks ago which I believe was quite remarkable indicating that he is a true humanist. He stated: "This week marks the 39th anniversary of the imposition of martial law. It was not the  finest hour for the Philippines nor the United States."
About 30,000 people were victims of the dictatorship. Ambassador Thomas' statement was a surprisingly honest admission and condemnation  of the United States' role in propping up a corrupt and brutal dictatorship. For this alone, he deserves our highest respect.

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