"The Privatization of Public Hospitals"

    Privatization is the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service or public property from the public sector or the government to the private sector, either to a business that operate for a profit or to a non-profit organization. There are certain laws that tackle the so called “Privatization”. One concrete example of these laws is the House Bill 6069 or an Act Creating National Government Hospital Corporations. House Bill 6069 was filed by Bacolod Rep. Anthony Rolando Golez, Jr., which has been passed by the Committee on Health in the House of Representatives last May 16. The House Bill 6069 aims to privatize privatize or corporatize 26 public hospitals like Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC), Veterans Regional Hospital, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, Region I Medical Center, Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, Jose B. Lingad Memorial Medical Center, Batangas Regional Hospital, Bicol Medical Center, Bicol Research Training and Teaching Hospital, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, Amang Rodriguez Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), Western Visayas Medical Center, Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC), Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC), Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, Caraga Regional Hospital, Davao Regional Hospital, and Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro, Sr. Regional Training and Teaching Hospital. 

    The House Bill 6069 is similar to the law passed by Senator Franklin Drilon which is the Senate Bill 3130 or the National Government Hospital Corporate Restructuring Act, which also has the same content as HB 6069. Why is there a privatization? How does it help our economy? According to the Economic Analysts, privatization is usually done to public properties those are not supplying the needs of the people and generate income for the government projects. Does this mean that these 26 public hospitals don’t supply the needs of the people and generate income for the government projects? It is really a question to us citizens whether this law can improve our economic status. The government believes that a corporation will improve if it is controlled by the private sector because there would be enough capital for the improvement that will be applied to the business unlike if it is controlled by the government where there is a problem where to get the income. Our country is experiencing budget deficit because of the disequilibrium in the prices we conduct and income that is not properly distributed.

   House Bill 6069 was all strongly opposed by progressive groups. The opposing groups said that privatizing public hospitals reduce overall access of the poor to health services, increase the number of seriously-ill people unable to get treatment, and result in more deaths from diseases  due to the fact that it would be controlled by a private sector where the price to be declared depends on him/her. Based on my own opinion, the House Bill 6069 or the Senate Bill 3130 lacks points of strength because it remains unclear or vague to us the objectives of this House Bill but it is said to us that it aims to privatize 26 public hospitals but do we know what comes next? The government should look and study the law because enforcing the law would affect the economy because there would 26 public hospitals that would be privatize which is a large number for me considering that these are public hospitals not owned by the private sector. For every law there is a purpose and that purpose has also another purpose behind it.

                                                                                                                              -- Anton Miguel Jordan

"The Slow Progression of Our Agriculture"

The News Article

     Looking at the situation of the Philippines, it is true that we are behind the economic growth of other Asian countries like China, Indonesia and Thailand. The reason for this low economic growth originates from the sector of agriculture due to the low capital and investments for machinery infrastructures and other improvements and halted implementation of land reform and production process. The situation of the sector of agriculture had gone worse through the course of the years. The Philippines have a slow implementation of land reform which causes the farmers to rebel against the government due to the fact they want their own land to harvest and low productivity output which causes our economic growth rate to decline or diminish. According to Washington SyCip, founder of the financial auditing company SyCip Gorres and Velayo, commented on the agricultural status of the Philippines and compared it with other Asian Countries like China, Japan and Thailand. It was said that the Philippines is one the most agricultural countries in the world because the country contains abundant natural resources. It was also said that we were the ones who taught other civilizations how to farm and harvest but what happen to our agricultural magnitude?

     In every country, the Sector of Agriculture is the main sector of one's economy for it delivers raw products to the industry to be processed and keeps our economy stable but if left unchecked our economy may fall. What is the problem with our economy? Analyzing the statement of SyCip, the Philippines lags on the implementation of Land Reform and Productivity Output. Even though our economic growth has increased by 5.9 percent in the Gross Domestic Product, it is not enough to boast it because if we compare it with other countries like China which has a 7.8 percent growth in their GDP over the same period and Indonesia which has a 6.4 percent growth in their GDP over the same period. This information tells us that our economic growth is getting worse due to the lack of attention on the sector of agriculture.

     What should we do to improve our Agricultural status? After all improving our agricultural status would be start of a good economic status. Based on my own opinion, the only way to improve our agricultural status is to stop corruption because stopping it would lead to a chain of reaction that would eventually lead to a stable economy. We should also have an equal distribution of income so that the Sector of Agriculture particularly the farmers and their families would have enough income or capital in giving their best in harvesting crops. Our government should also build infrastructures and machinery to help or to make their work easier and quicker so that our economy would grow up fast. Let us give them a land so that they would achieve freedom and happiness. Let us contemplate on the different successes of our neighbor countries and let us see them as an inspiration for a bright future for all of us.

                                                                                                                              -- Anton Miguel Jordan

"The Fight for One Land"

     Agriculture is one of the primary sectors of our country perhaps it is the most important sector because the Sector of Agriculture supplies raw materials, brings in money from the different countries, buys products from the Sector of Industry and gives jobs to the less fortunate or the jobless. It is also visible to us that the Sector of Agriculture is one of the most in need sectors of our country because they lack lands to harvest crops, income that will satisfy their needs and technology that will make their works easier. There are many issues that have existed in the past years issues that concern about the land ownership, satisfaction of needs and other points of land issues. The most famous issue that concerns about the Sector of Agriculture is about the issue of the Hacienda Luisita which is own by the Cojuangco clan. It is the most famous issue in Agriculture for it has appeared in news up to the present. To give you more information about Hacienda Luisita, Hacienda Luisita is a 6,435-hectare sugar plantation estate located in the province of Tarlac, Philippines, owned by the Cojuangco family, which includes the late former President Corazón C. Aquino and her son, incumbent President Benigno S. Aquino III. It spans various municipalities in the province, including the capital Tarlac City.

   Hacienda Luisita was bought by Jose Cojuangco Sr. who borrow money from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or Central Bank of the Philippines in order to buy this property. There is an agreement that after 10 years he would turn it over and give it to the farmers of the land, an agreement that was never fulfilled. The farmers continue to fight for their land even there is a risk when they continue it. These little people are fighting the big men of our country which I consider unfair. The government should look into this problem and give the land that is rightfully theirs after 10 years of the purchase of the land. I also realized that there is a secret agenda which works behind the Corona Impeachment Trial. It is said that Former Supreme Chief Justice wants to give the Hacienda Luisita to the farmers but President Benigno Aquino III pointed out his attention on him and quickly finds a way to stop him from giving their property to the farmers. The way was the so-called Impeachment Trial. 

    Agencies like the CARP,  NARRA and other NGOs should focus their attention in giving the land to the farmers. This is the only thing they want even though this is not the only thing they need. Francisco Nakpil, one of the workers, are just one of the many who are fighting for their right in Hacienda Luisita until the very end. This is not just an issue of land distribution but it is also an issue that pertains about the relationship of the government and the people. These little people who we called the farmers fight till the very end until they receive what is rightfully theirs. They would not surrender even though they are hurt by the combined forces of the AFP and PNP in their previous attempt to conduct a rally. That land is more valuable to them than the owners of the land because it would provide them more income and happiness once they have the land. They fight for one land, a land that is the only hope for them.

                                                                                                                              -- Anton Miguel Jordan