Philippines and the ME War

@PalawOne
Marcos implements 4-day work week in gov't agencies to cushion expected oil supply woes."
So the bureaucrats get an extra day off. Some would say they only do 4 days work anyway such is the slothesome nature of civil servants.

The average worker in the Philippines gets one day off a week and when you factor in the puny wages some might call it slave labour. - @Lotus Eater

Yeh 6 days a week seems to be the norm there and from what I heard from a previous ex and an OFW, it is still 6 days a week even if they work abroad in most cases and very long hours for very little pay.

I wonder how all the OFW's working in the Middle East are coping with the ongoing war and I am sure there must be many parents in the Philippines worrying daily about their OFW daughter or son. I hope they are all okay.

Fuel prices are very likely to rise significantly as oil prices shoot upwards.

The US and/or Israel have targeted Iran's oil facilities while the markets were closed, so we can expect worse to come on Monday's opening.

https://oilprice.com/oil-price-charts/

Yeah Fred the Aussie market opened 3% down this morning and in an hour slipped to -3.5%.

Swings and merry go rounds as it always has been.

I do feel sorry for the average punter that lives day to day or week to week with fuel, food and electricity price hikes that are already hitting, us as expats will ride the storm as we do but the poor souls around the world?

All these billionaires and foolish bureaucrats, no thought for the ramifications inflicted on the people that elected them. Really matters little the country as all are the same.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Henny Penny (Chicken Little) meets Turkey Lurky while on the way to tell the King the sky is falling.

https://oilprice.com/oil-price-charts/

9:53 pm CDT 08/03/2026

WTI Crude (April Contract)

109.73 +20.26%

So, crude just hit a 20% price rise

And currently ASX (Aussie stock exchange)

has just dropped 4% this morning, except

for the energy providers.   :-( 

The King and court were smarter while the plebeians scraped up the mess. More taxes, lives lost.

Cheers, Steve.

The only losers currently is the day traders. The market swings are the cause by the Arbitrage billion dollar investment bankers.

Since Trump took office the Dow Jones is up 2993 points and the Nasdaq is up 2757 points.

The peak price for oil under Biden was $139 dollars a barrel on March 7, 2022.

The only you have to worry about is the price of Alcohol (JD) going up.

We have no need to worry about money Bob but there are plenty that aren't as fortunate as us.

Cheers, Steve.

The peak price for oil under Biden was $139 dollars a barrel on March 7, 2022.
- @Enzyte Bob

That was because the idiot removed the freely elected, legitimate government in favour of ther own people.

The push to Ukraine joining NATO would have allowed fr a pincer attack agaiinst Moscow, so Putin invaded.

Given Trump has the results of that mess to draw on, he's an even bigger idiot that Biden.

The only you have to worry about is the price of Alcohol (JD) going up. - @Enzyte Bob

Brent crude was $70/barrel before the Trump war in Iran.

At the time of posting, it's $108.

And it will get a lot worse Fred, big frigging heads and not learning from the past administration stuff ups.

Sadly I feel this scrum has just begun.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Fred said . . . .  Brent crude was $70/barrel before the Trump war in Iran.At the time of posting, it's $108.

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The biggest loser is Big Beautiful China.  50% of their oil comes from the Gulf countries.

Sorry Bob and OMO but the biggest losers are the people who can least afford the political crap that makes their lives even more miserable. Helpless sadly but as always will shovel up the brunt of stupidity.

Doubt China will give  shit, said it before there are more way to skin a cat and China is pretty good at that.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . .  Doubt China will give shit, said it before there are more way to skin a cat and China is pretty good at that.

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The world's economy is intertwined with Big Beautiful Oil. So what powers all those cargo ships that China uses to exports their products worldwide?

The only losers currently is the day traders. The market swings are the cause by the Arbitrage billion dollar investment bankers. - @Enzyte Bob

I believe almost everyone will lose from this.

Market swings suggests a two way thing, but oil prices are only going up. The reason is pretty simple - some idiot started a war.

No Nobel peace prize for him, but losses for the vast majority of people - Philippines and everywhere else.

Fred said . . . .  That was because the idiot removed the freely elected, legitimate government in favour of ther own people.

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Quite some time ago, you and I had a disagreement and you asked me to prove my statement.

Now I'm asking you to prove your statement.

Sorry Bob but the end user pays the price, China like most countries passes it onto the end consumer, as said those that can least afford the hikes and either pay or go without.

Economics 101.

Cheers, Steve.

Sorry Bob but the end user pays the price, China like most countries passes it onto the end consumer, as said those that can least afford the hikes and either pay or go without.Economics 101.Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

This is true, but the USA will suffer far more, or at least the people will.

Over 50% of the cars sold in China are EVs, and about 50% of the electricity generated is from renewables.

The same numbers are 10 and 20 in the US.

People think the US is self-sufficient in oil, but it is forced to by rather a lot as it produces light crude but uses heavy crude of the sort found in Venezuela- Hang on - didn't the US attack Venezuela for its oil a few months ago?

OK, maybe the US will take less of a hit.

The Philippines isn't in a very good position at all. We can expect to see the cost of living rise more like a rocket than Bob's hard on for Trump.

The Philippines has around 20% renewable sourced electricity, but only around 6% of its cars can use it. About 90% of the Philippines' oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Expect expensive issues.

bigpearl said . . . Sorry Bob but the end user pays the price, China like most countries passes it onto the end consumer, as said those that can least afford the hikes and either pay or go without.
Economics 101.

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Sorry you must have failed Economics 101, Big Beautiful China owns a fleet of 9375 vessels. Not included are 564K motorized fishing vessels.

I guess next you would say they are running on solar power.

Fred said . . . . That was because the idiot removed the freely elected, legitimate government in favour of ther own people.
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Quite some time ago, you and I had a disagreement and you asked me to prove my statement.
Now I'm asking you to prove your statement.

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Fred I'm still waiting for you to prove your statement.

It's not just the US that are feeling the price hikes created by stupidity, what was wrong with a few more weeks of negotiating for a resolution with Iran? A bit like the never ending meetings with Russia and Ukraine that have resolved jack sh1t. OMO but seems Putin has leverage over he who won't be named but guys? It will all come out in the end and in the mean time? The poor members of all countries suffer the stupidity of oligarchs exert one is a retentder.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . what was wrong with a few more weeks of negotiating for a resolution with Iran?

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Iran wasn't negotiating they were stalling.

Iran was not seeking a resolution, so tell me bigpearl if they were, what resolutions was Iran seeking?

Stalling perhaps Bob and it seems not only Iran is paying the price, What's the difference with Russia? What's the problem with he who won't be named? I don't get it, Power and control rings a very big bell and seems that Putin is pressing all the buttons. The truth is on the way.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . Power and control rings a very big bell and seems that Putin is pressing all the buttons. The truth is on the way.

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I don't know how Putin popped up in this discussion, but Putin has been stalemated for Four years. Actually he had grabbed 18% of the land in year one and after four years he has increased it to 19.4%.

Thrilling Bob and his turn is coming, bit like he who won't be named.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . Power and control rings a very big bell and seems that Putin is pressing all the buttons. The truth is on the way.
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I don't know how Putin popped up in this discussion, but Putin has been stalemated for Four years. Actually he had grabbed 18% of the land in year one and after four years he has increased it to 19.4%.

- @Enzyte Bob

He's taken the Russian speaking areas and left the rest.

These are the people who were denied the vote in Ukrainian elections.

However, back to the Philippines,  and the Trump war has left the population is a very difficult position.

I quick look at oil imports and a rough guesstimate of what the Trump priced oil will do to food prices, and it doesn't look good.

They aren't going to get hit as hard as the UK, but they aren't going to get away without a lot of hardship. On the bright side, obesity rates will tumble.

Fred? Some can't see the forest or the trees, won't say another word.

Cheers, Steve.

Fred said . . . . These are the people who were denied the vote in Ukrainian elections.

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The most important thing you left out: Ukraine could not hold elections in areas it did not control.

Dunbas & Crimea

@Enzyte Bob

The history of Ukraine is a troublesome tale, one of west v east, locals v immigrants, playing out in one form or another in many countries. When the USSR was formed eastern Ukraine was scarcely developed, reindeer farmers and the like, and the Soviets encouraged mass migration of Russians. When the USSR collapsed, these ethnic Russians in the east were left in a country that was in many respects hostile to them, where they were unwelcome in the west and experienced discrimination. In fact, many Ukrainians didn't and don't believe ethnic Russians are Ukrainians at all. Twice the east succeeded in electing a Russian-speaker as President and twice coup-makers in the west violently overthrow those administrations. Eventually things turned violent as civil war broke out and Russia intervened on behalf of their compatriots. Off topic but sad

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9 … ar-on-iran

At least he's admitted it's all about oil profits.

Back to the Philippines.

The US government has proven itself to be an enemy to its allies,  but the Philippines has shifted towards the US. If the US can threaten Greenland  with invasion and has made big threats to European countries, how much do you think will worry about doing the dirty on the Philippines.

That country is on very dodgy ground.

Fred said. . . .https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9 … ar-on-iran

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Aljazeera is not a credible source of unbiased news.

What do you consider credible news sources Bob?

Thing is all us retired old coots can ride the storm as we have all been through this Sh1t before.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl asked . . . . What do you consider credible news sources Bob?
Thing is all us retired old coots can ride the storm as we have all been through this Sh1t before.

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Really most news sources are bias . . .

So I like to watch Youtube videos of the source of the information, not a news outlet telling me the second hand news. During this conflict there are many interviews of all engaged parties. After watching a number of them I can draw my own conclusions.

I've watched Aliazeera & still do, I'm not impressed.

Fred said. . . .https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9 … ar-on-iran
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Aljazeera is not a credible source of unbiased news.

- @Enzyte Bob

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/577 … n-strikes/

The South Carolina senator has pushed for harsher strikes on Iran, telling Fox News, “When this regime goes down, we are going to have a new Middle East, and we are going to make a tonne of money.”

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/a4TlthnpT_E

and on video

Happy now?

@Fred

No . . . . I get my news on many sources reporting on the same subject. I don't hold Lindsey Graham in high regard either, Graham is a squawking Parrot.

Again . . . I put little faith in news reporting "what others have said". There is a big difference between news commentators and journalists.

@Fred
No . . . . I get my news on many sources reporting on the same subject. I don't hold Lindsey Graham in high regard either, Graham is a squawking Parrot.
Again . . . I put little faith in news reporting "what others have said". There is a big difference between news commentators and journalists. - @Enzyte Bob

But there's a video of him saying it. Fox agrees.

@Fred

I didn't bother looking at the video, I don't what he said or says . . . . because of my listening to him for years I formed an opinion. He is now a hawk, several years ago he was a Rino. What ever the way the wind blows he goes.

@Fred

  but the Philippines has shifted towards the US

Not for much longer though. Your fellow China worshipper Sara Duterte has just confirmed she will run in the 2028 election.

@Fred
but the Philippines has shifted towards the US
Not for much longer though. Your fellow China worshipper Sara Duterte has just confirmed she will run in the 2028 election. - @Lotus Eater

I admire what China has done over the last 30 or more years.

I have done very naughty things with a fair number of Chinese girls.

I used to be able to manage a fair bit of Mandarin - Mostly for very well paid work and the previously mentioned bad boy times.

However, I do not worship china in exacly the same way as don't hate Trump (but I do think he's a greedy idiot who would sell out his granny for 20 bucks).

Being disinterested is a great advantage when it comes to geopolitics.