On Rising Fuel Prices: An analysis of the jeepneys

Who or which sector is most vocal on the issue of rising fuel prices: If the airtime devoted to interviews with sectors - i would say, its the transport sector, particularly the jeepneys, and to a lesser extent, the taxis.

First, because jeepney transport associations are and has been, well organized and form a powerful bloc. But this should be viewed on a positive note because the association provides the loud voices to represent its members. Quite lately, with the rising fuel prices, it has become more of noise than advocacy, and have used this association, to blackmail government agencies. It does so with impunity, using the riding public as the reason, to push its agenda to get subsidies and threaten us commuters with their transport strike.

Let us view the jeepney transport system in terms of cost and benefit to ALL sectors.
1. The fuel diesel has increased by 8 pesos since start of the year alone. Just for the sake of computation, if every jeepney consumes about 30 liters per day, then at today's prices at say at 46 pesos, then each jeepney pays for P1,380 pesos per day for fuel.
2. Now let us further compute,that a route for example of Fairview to Quiapo has a distance of 15 km (estimate), each jeepney covers about 30 km per round trip and makes 4 trips per day for a total of 120 km. Using 30 liters for the 120km travelled translates to a fuel efficiency of four, just FOUR (4) LITERS PER km,. a far cry from city driving using a well maintained engine, say a 2.5 liter diesel, to about 10 km/ liter.
3. This means that with a well maintained engine, jeepneys will only be consuming less than half or just 12 instead of 30 liters. Their fuel investment daily should only be only 552 pesos and not 1380 pesos. This is savings that potentially could go to the drivers of about 820 pesos daily. Instead, these are spent on fuel and goes as sales and earnings of the oil companies.

4.Using these figures, we get the following statistics:
There are 202,891 registered jeepneys with the Land Transportation Office of which a quarter or 50,085 units are in Metro Manila.
The potential loss of income of each jeepney driver is 820 pesos which goes to the oil companies instead, or for the jeepney fleet operating in metro manila, is a whooping P41.47 million daily or using just 300 days operation per year, translates to P12.4 billion yearly at today's prices. How much was the intended government subsidy again?

5. In terms of fuel saved - the 18 liters/ day saved by each jeepney in MM is equal to 901,530 liters of diesel per day or 270.5 million liters annually.

6. if we pursue a fuel efficient jeepney fleet, who will be the gainers:
The jeepney drivers - as the 828 pesos will become part of their income.
The riding public - as there is no need for a fare hike. this windfall income is much more than what jeepney drivers are asking for increase.
The government on several aspects: lesser importation of diesel, no need for the subsidy and preservation of the holy grail of the government, the VAT income that could go to the development of renewable energy.
Every Filipino as the quality of air would improve considerable- cascading its effects on better health of Filipinos,less hospital bills and medicines and more productivity as people get sick less.

7. Now, the losers if jeepneys become efficient:
All those in the trade of oil, from gas stations to large oil companies as sales would greatly be reduced. As a consequence, traders and oil companies will become more competitive (rather than colluding)in plying their trade.
The owners of jeepneys that would need to install efficient engines.this is short term pain over long term gain.
Aha, the corrupt ones in the LTOs and DENR, that allow these jeepneys to pass the emission test. Question: have you heard of any passenger jeepney that did not pass the emission test? Grapevine gossip has it that large jeepney associations are exempt from subject to emission test?
The Jeepney associations - lose their potency as there will be no big issue to pursue. They might loose their income from the collections made at distinct points in metro manila. The one at 15TH AVENUE collects 30 pesos per day for those fleet plying the fairview cubao routes and another booth at Fairview.Pretty well organized. They say it is association dues, for what and for whom.

THINK AGAIN, THERE IS NO NEED TO INCREASE THE FARES OF JEEPNEYS nor SUBSIDIZE their fuel or raise jeepney fares. The solution is simple enough. The savings generated by efficient jeepneys is more than enough to offset the diesel price increases. Its a win -win situation.

P.S. What is surprising is that in Visayas and Mindanao, prices of diesel is 5 pesos higher, but the fare rate is the same, the numbers of commuters are much smaller, yet they survive and complain much much less.

ENJOY THIS RIDE

I'm Back : going bananas on fuel prices for wrong reason

Its been a while since I last posted on this blog: One of the reasons is this:

The Philippine News media - has changed in the last few months in the way news are reported - highly reactionary to events rather than proactive; becoming a mouthpiece of interest groups rather than making an independent assessment. I will be focusing on my blogs with the hope to provide another perspective and to give readers the other side of things.

On rising fuel prices - the topic hugs the airwaves (i am an avid AM radio fan, not TV) and regularly hear the wails of radio commentators - lambasting government for the price hikes - as if the government could do something about it. Fact is - high prices of fossil fuel are here to stay - with dwindling sources, expensive methods of extraction and huge demand from galloping economies (BRIICS) that is not about to wane, its about time that the media refocus itself rage by engaging the people on ways to save energy consumption (fuel, electricity) and on urging the government to invest NOT ON SUBSIDIES but on putting the country on path to independence from fossil fuel. We are rich in geothermal resources, solar energy and wind. How much would the subsidy that the government is allotting for the transport section alone? How much has the government invested in renewable energy research and prototyping? Do your math on the cost benefit of these two investment path and compute it over say, 20 years. We know the answer.

Why ERAP is Popular

a former president who is convicted,
a deposed president who was convicted of plunder?
a sinner president who lacks the moral fiber to govern;
and who is now implicated in double murder?

yet he is popular. WHY?

Ask the press, the journalists and the media why?
Ask why reporters who keep on reporting and publishing every garbage he says?
Ask a field reporter who is star-struck every time he gets to interview the convicted plunderer;
Ask why reporters do'nt ask him direct questions?
Ask why publishers keep him in the media and in front pages of newspapers?
Ask why media cant simply IGNORE him?

is it because it boils down to getting "exclusive" news?
is it because erap sells newspapers and attracts ads?
is it because eraps calling radio stations give the hosts credibility?

Has media asked itself that ignoring him will do a lot of justice to this country
has media asked itself that reporting about him is not just about making money.
It is spreading truth and helping the masses rise from the pile of ignorance and  learn about the truth

In short ALL about him is a pile of muck NOT WORTH REPORTING.

Cost Savings Of Cebu Pacific - A Security Nightmare

Once again, I have used Cebu Pacific on a return flight to Davao and on both occasions, we did not use the bridge that was designed to ferry passengers safely from the departure area to the plane and from the plane back to the airport.

But on this occasion as in many of the Cebu Pacific flights to and from Davao, plane is parked at the tarmac or at the docking bay but were not allowed to use the bridge. In so doing, passengers have to go down the tarmac and walk, yes, I repeat WALK to the airport. Here is what happened upon arrival at NAIA 3. Opening the rear door, the passengers at the rear went down the stairs, the passengers on the front row exited through the bridge at the front door but was instructed to go down the stairs of the bridge. All passengers walked  to the airport entrance for about 100 meters, went up one floor where the bridge meets the airport, walked all the way to the other end of the airport and then went down the stairs to the conveyor belt to get the checked in luggage. If one is handicapped and forgot to request for  assistance, then this is calvary. This airline may be promoting health to its passengers but this is unheard of.

 What happened to the airport tax that we pay? Is this the service we get for the P200 pesos we pay each time we use the airport. How come PAL and other airlines does not do this? What about the other taxes that are charged with the ticket?

I complained to the attendant and her reply was that this is one one gets for cheap fare. WHATTTTT? Not all passengers are paying cheap tickets, I complained because I paid a regular-priced ticket. But more seriously, such practice is a security nightmare. Getting passengers to roam around at the tarmac is inviting possible security breach to happen. What is the use of installing all those strict security procedures when one gets to roam at the tarmac? There are no security personnel there to watch, only Cebu Pacific Attendants. Why did ATO allow this?

Shall we wait for something dreadful and deadly to happen?

Doing Business at Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines - A reflection

Because my eldest son was born outside the Philippines during my six-year study stint in Europe, we need to get his original birth certificate from the country he was born in order to fill up his records here at the National Statistics office. The NSO referred us to the Consular Records Division of the DFA.

I took a half a day off from work on Thursday afternoon of October to work on the reconstruction of his birth certificate. I have a copy of the report of live birth I filed several months after the child was born at the Consular office of that country.

Taking the  jeep from Pasay rotunda MRT station, I alighted at the corner of FB Harison and walked towards DFA. The distance from the corner to DFA compound was probably 100 meters and walking through the distance, I was harassed by at least 10 men and women branding their large laminated IDs and offering assistance in the procurement of passport. The whole entrance to the passport processing was full of more ID weilding men and women. I could not imagine how DFA could allow such chaos around the area where our own countrymen are being gyped publicly by these jackals.

But my business is at the Consular Records Division, so I was referred to Gate 1. Upon entrance, a security guard asks what your business for entering, another one inspects your bag. I was carrying a camera because I need to do a photo session later that evening. I was informed rather brusquely by the guard named R. F. Sabala that cameras are not allowed. As I would not entrust  a very expensive camera to them, because they have no secure place to store it. They would simply issue a receipt and just put is on the table. These are very delicate and expensive instruments. I informed them that the camera are in separate pieces and could not be used. I inquired why they don't allow cameras but allow mobile phones with cameras. If cameras are banned for security purposes, then DFA must also prohibit all mobile phones with cameras. These mobile phones could take pictures discreetly in comparison with what I have which is a very bulky camera. I was wondering whether the issue with cameras has something todo with journalist rather than security. Knowing that these guards are just following orders hook line and sinker, arguing with them is a waste of time. I left my camera at the guard house and placed just  on top of the table.

 I was again halted in the main entrance of the building. I was informed that I was wearing a pair of sandals and it is DFA policy that sandals are not allowed. I could not believe what I heard because I was wearing a branded leather sandals that covered at least 50% of my feet. With the plan of going to Paranaque and Laguna later in the day where flooding occurs at a slight rain, sandals are, by call of the current times, the most appropriate footgear because I could remove it and put is back again once on dry land.

If indeed there is such a no-sandals policy, then this is such as STUPID and discriminatory because I could not imagine a poor Filipino who could not afford shoes going there to transact a business will not be allowed nor an Indigenous Filipino on a G-string being barred to transact business? Have we changed the definition of being a Filipino? I could not imagine someone from a flooded area to arrive there wearing shoes to transact business? Do we tell them to turn back and get a pair of shoes? Does this mean we are less a Filipinos for coming to DFA premises if we wear only sandals?

If the intention of that anti-sandal policy is INDECENCY, DFA should revisit the policy itself and also the definition of sandals. I think that the DFA policy refers to flip flops which have been been labelled synonymously with those sleek, and decent looking sandals use of sandals. And this is how the guards have selectively applied this to me because I had an earlier argument with them with my camera. While I was complaining about this ridiculous policy, I observed that more than 50% of the women visitors are wearing even slippers and these are allowed inside without a wink!!!!

If decency is the goal of that policy, then its definition based on what i experienced is exposure of 50% of my feet. Perhaps, DFA should look not just on my feet but to the half naked (but shapely women) roaming the corridors of DFA. Perhaps the indecency there is my non-pedicured nails which may be too much for our diplomats to look at?

But this is not the end of my story, I finally reached the office of the consular records division. There I waited not very long and finally, I transacted my business with a very nice person. I have requested for a reconstruction of the birth certificate of my son and explained the urgency of my need. I was informed that it will take 1- 2 months to accomplish this because this request will have to be officially transmitted with a cover letter and sent via the snail mail.

When i suggested that we could simply scan the file and send an email to the appropriate embassy, I was flatly informed that their office have no email facility and using electronic means is not an acceptable way of facilitating business. In our present flat world where everybody is connected by internet, that in a click of a mouse, one could send information halfway accross the world, i could not imagine DFA, the Foreign Affaris of the country, still depend on a very expensive and with a high carbon footprint way of delivering its mail services. If this is the kind of service that DFA delivers to its people, how could it serve efficiently  the over 10 million overseas Filipino workers?

Anatomy of the Metro Manila Flood Part II: What It taught Us

From Saturday evening, when flood waters rose to many low lying areas of Metro Manila, the entire city was caught unprepared. Rescue efforts started only several hours after frantic calls for help have reverberated to all media and government outlets. Only after people cling to their precious lives on rooftops.

Ondoy's teaching #I: Be prepared for any kind storm, no matter how small or how far. Be prepared as a community (rescue mission members organized and equipped and instructions on roles and responsibilities) and as a family or inidividual.

Ondoy's teaching #II Precautionary approach to disaster is better than rescue missions. Anticipate and let us not wait for disaster to happen before we act.

Ondoy's teaching #III Locally organized rescue and relief missions are better placed to handle disasters than nationally coordinated ones. This is true both for rescue and relief and mopping up operations. National coordination should simply provide necessary support and logistics to the local missions. This would prevent small areas from being left out.

SOME LESSONS LEARNED TOO
1. Evacuation Centers - i could understand the use of school buildings as immediate solutions to locate victims but when such things happen in cities like metro Manila, the best place would be the Sports Complex like Rizal Colliseum, Amang Rodrigues Sports Center. Big churches could also be used. Sports complexes could handle more people, our problem with toilet facilities would be lessened, accomodate more people and more importantly, free the schools for the students to get back to school. In short, these structures were built to handle lots of people and therefore have more facilities than schhools have.

Evacuation centers need not be the immediate areas especially where conditions are not optimal. Moreover, sports complexes have gates that entry of people could be managed, thus eliminating a lot of non-calamity victims.

2. When disaster strikes, the first thing that develop countries do is call in the national guards to prevent looting. Had the police and military been immediately deployed, it would be easier to evacuate people because they will fell safer that their properties will not be stolen.

3. Again, in disaster activities, rescue and relief would be a lot more simple if we have an easy documentation system. But this is impossible when we do not have a 1) national ID, nor a 2) well documented list of addresses. Imagine the difficulty for a rescuer (particularly those new to the area) in locating an address and where all street names are under water. The numbering of houses are chaotic in many areas, and in places where we have illegal settlers, an individual identity card would go a long way under such circumstances.

WE, as a nation responded well and our generosity, volunteerism is very much alive within our hearts as Filipinos. But we could even be much much better, save more lives, if only we have the proper plan, infrastructure to support us.

Anatomy of the Metro Manila flood: Part I- It is Expected to Happen

It came to me as a no surprise that we have deadly floods in Metro Manila. The reasons are not because we have denuded our forest (well partly yes,), nor because of climate change, nor because the storm (mind you, only a category 2) that carried lots of rainfall. It is because of two main reasons:

First, we have cemented, asphalted and built over large tracks of land that rainwater could no longer be absorbed by the land. This is the natural process and in so doing replenish our ground water. So what happens when we covered and built over raw land, we simply diverted rainwater into small canals, sewage system(is there one?), reclaimed our small creeks (just compare today's map with those in 1950's), silted our major tributaries and built on or covered our catchment areas.

This last one is one of the two main reasons why we have disaster. People complained of high water along Pateros, areas around laguna lake, areas along marikina river. But you know what, these places like Provident subdivision and others are situated in FLOOD PLAINS. These are natural catchment areas. Nature has created it so that excess water will have someplace to go before they are drained out. The area and extend of these FLOOD PLAINS have been designed by nature over tens of thousand of years. It also tells us that nature has provided these catchment areas as there will be times when more rains will come that rivers and tributaries could not handle.

But our planners, architects, engineers and politician cum businessmen thought they know more. Who let and why were housing units were allowed to be built on these flood plains bespeak of extreme ignorance on laws of nature. How many times have we heard businessmen convince our planners that they will make a wasteland profitable?

Reason #2: We, as a family or individuals are not prepared. I grew up in Quezon province where i experienced typhoon almost every year. I learned in my early years the preparations we do everytime a typhoon is expected to hit us. At least two days before typhoon arrives, we make sure we have kerosene (or used oil)and matches for our light (we have no electricity then), we have enough batteries for our radio (to keep track of typhoon) and for our flashlight, we buy sufficient rice, salt and animal lard and dry firewood to last for a week, stock up water in two clay jars. To protect our house, we put support structures both at the lee and alee side, put used fish net and lots of weight on our roofs so it will not be blown away. To protect our crops, we trim excess leaves of the bananas and put extra support for the fruit bearing ones, trim excess branches of fruit trees. All our animals (pigs, chickens, ducks) are beneath our houses and extra fodder is collected. In short, imagine the amount of work just to prepare for the worst.

During the passage of the typhoon itself, it was fun for us kids to put those tin cans, pails and basins where our roof drips. This we need to keep our sleeping quarters dry. it is also a nice time with all family members present, a time for story telling, a time for prayers. Compare this with a typical Metro Manila family. Because it is a weekend and raining, most people are glued to their television set, or glued to the computer and children playing computer games. Unmindful of the threat of the storm, they go on with their normal weekend life. Only when the power was cut off did they realize that flood was fast rising. Not knowing what to do, the rest is history.