Philippines
On Getting to Know the Filipino Informal Settler
TRESPASSERS OR VICTIMS? - There is a debate as to whether informal settlers form a threat to urban development, or whether they should be relocated. In this photo is an informal settlement along the Philippine National Railways. (Photo: Kounosu/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)
How well do you know the Filipino informal settler? Is he poor and underprivileged? What happens if you force him to pay rent? Well, short of actually starting a conversation with one, we can get to know the Filipino informal settler through data. Read on to find out more.
On Trains and Tribulations - The LRT South Extension and Fare Hikes
The Light Rail Transit Line 1 South Extension Project is now out for bidding, with the contract to be awarded in the second quarter of this year. The rail system is under intense public scrutiny amidst talks of fare hikes, but as in most cases, a look at the data can lend some meaningful context to these debates: fare hikes, capacity constraints, and South Extension feasibility.
It’s a fact of life in Manila that you won’t really know when you’ll arrive at your destination, resulting from intolerable congestion and poor public transport, a problem that has gained political traction in recent years. In this photo, an LRT-1 train arrives at Blumentritt station. (Photo: public domain/Wikipedia)
On Christmas in the Philippines
The Ayala Triangle light show in Makati City is just one example of how Filipinos celebrate the holidays. (Photo by kamaraderie/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Philippines seems to be having its fair share of the international limelight nowadays - including with regard to how Filipinos celebrate Christmas. We like to use data to see things from a new perspective here, so let’s take a look at how the numbers celebrate the holidays as well!
On the Effectiveness of Sin Taxes in the Philippines (2013 Q3 Update)
UPDATE (Sept 16 2014)
This post has been updated with 2014 Q2 data.
How are the new sin taxes faring in the 3rd quarter after their implementation? The numbers say - pretty good. (Photo: Fried Dough/Flickr, CC BY 2.0, cropped)
SIN TAXED - How effective are higher sin taxes at reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption? Some say it’s a ‘tax on the poor’ and it would only lead to downshifting to cheaper, more dangerous brands, others are all for it, armed with the basic principle of demand. Newly released 3rd quarter national accounts can shed light on the situation.
This is an update of a previous post I made a few months back to incorporate the new Q3 statistics. If you want to see the details of the sin taxes, you can check the previous article.
On the Globe iPhone Forever Plan: Am I just "paying for the phone"?
An iPhone, every year, forever! But is it worth it?
FOREVER? - Globe Telecom has recently announced a new postpaid plan for iPhone-loving subscribers. You can trade-in your old iPhone every year for the latest model, provided that you abide by a lock-in period, of course. The question is: are you getting some benefit or do you just ‘pay for the phone with the plan payments?
On Yolanda (Haiyan) Foreign Aid: Who is giving what, and to whom?
Foreign aid for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) has reached staggering levels, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs pegging the value at P19.53 billion. Data on these massive aid flows can be visualized to show the donors, and through which channels the donations were made.
On True Filipino Resilience
The scale of death and destruction in the eastern provinces of Leyte and Samar is immense. (Photo: EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection/Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)
TRUE RESILIENCE IS PREPAREDNESS - Super Typhoon Yolanda (international codename Haiyan) struck the Philippine central islands last November 8, 2012. The humanitarian disaster was immense, with the death toll well into the thousands. The Philippines will recover and get back to business, but by no means can this cycle of rebuilding and destruction continue for the island nation.