Philippines and the ME War

The above is all well and good, but the point I made was that someone with likely knowledge of what Drumpf is going to post.

In other words, someone is being a naughty boy.

By the way, the name isn't a typo - the Drumpf family are immigrants, not just two of the three wives he has cheated on. Where is ICE when you need them?

Think you have missed the point Bob. A rig is one thing but harvesting the ocean floor and potentially killing everything that lives there? Thousands upon thousands of square kilometres? Bit like mowing the lawn or slashing a field,,,,, you don't see what you are destroying/killing. Oil rigs hold a small footprint.

Solar panels on an existing roof? The footprint is already there.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl . . . . no one is selling deep sea minerals yet, as of this date deep sea mining has not yet begun.

Reality Bob? It's already mapped out in quadrants and the returns on each field, The technology is there but is facing huge pushbacks from all directions and rightly so.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . Reality Bob? It's already mapped out in quadrants and the returns on each field, The technology is there but is facing huge pushbacks from all directions and rightly so.

***********************************

Yes no mining has been done. Rules and Regulations must first be created and agreed upon and then signed by international community.

Fred said . . . . When Trump was elected I removed all investments in anything American (including money markets) because I foresaw massive stupidity ahead, but I didn't expect it to hit this world altering scale.
I have lost money as the new, safer investments are less profitable, but I'm no longer risking the lot on the whims of a dangerous fool.

I can see the Philippines (and much of the rest of the region) aligning closer to China and away from the US.
*********************************

I said . . . .There are 285 Chinese Companies listed on the New Stock Exchange & Nasdaq with a capitalization of over One Trillion Dollars. That's a lot of Yuans, 7 trillion, (Seventy thousand Billions).

*So Fred, on your big switcheroo, what stocks did you sell and what stocks did you buy?

*************************

Fred I'm still waiting for your response. You are the investment guru we all look up to.

Also how can you lose money you yet to earn?

Test mining has been done but yes the international community is pushing back big time as are the local islanders, As said the sun shines every day and from me there is no argument as we save P 1,000 per day on average having solar and batteries, A fully A/C home, a fully charged car, far less pollution, no frigging blackouts and a true regulated power supply. The house (old school Filipino wiring) is fully grounded via the inverters.

Clear felling, strip mining, mono cropping is old thinking.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Well, regarding the topic Philippines and wars ..

Philippine Ship Makes History in Sydney

By Lieutenant Hinako Shiraishi,  25th March 2026  https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2026-03-25/philippine-ship-makes-history-sydney

[Photo caption: Philippine Navy ship BRP Diego Silang, Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD Lekir and Vietnam People's Navy ship VPN Quang Trung .. alongside Fleet Base East during the Exercise Kakadu Fleet Review.] Photo: Petty Officer, David Cox

For the first time in history, a Philippine Navy ship has sailed into Sydney Harbour.

As part of the multinational, Australian-led Exercise Kakadu, BRP Diego Silang entered Sydney Heads alongside 31 ships from partner nations, marking a significant milestone in Philippine-Australian defence cooperation.

Australia and the Philippines have continued to elevate their cooperation through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, since the announcement in 2023, but this marked the first time their ship sailed further south than Cairns.

On board were two Philippine Navy officers proud to share in the historic moment with their fellow crewmates, and to reflect on a country they have come to know well.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Janrey Artus, the ship’s navigational officer, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Dione Mae Umalla, the anti-surface warfare officer, both have strong personal ties to Australia, having previously visited and trained through navy-to-navy exchanges.

The experience not only deepened their professional expertise but also their connection to Australia and its people.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Artus undertook 18 months of training at HMAS Watson. Standing on the bridge as the ship passed Bradleys Head and the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, the moment carried special meaning for him.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Umalla is a trailblazer in her own right. She is one of the few women to graduate from the Philippine Military Academy since it began admitting female cadets in 1995, and did it as valedictorian.

Her time during the New Entry Officer Course (NEOC) at the Royal Australian Naval College left a lasting impression.

“I loved my time in NEOC 67. I was able to relive being a midshipman again; it was refreshing and a wonderful experience,” Lieutenant Junior Grade Umalla said.

“The friendships I built in Australia and the trust between our navies show that this relationship is about people as much as it is about defence.

“When we operate together, it feels seamless because we understand each other, both professionally and culturally.”

Diego Silang joined vessels from 18 other nations for the Kakadu Fleet Review in Sydney Harbour, highlighting strong regional maritime cooperation and the deep partnerships fostered through Kakadu.

--

The news is showing chaotic scenes of long queues at petrol stations and there are reports of very big price hikes.

Is that depiction accurate,  or are news channels enhancing the story?

@PalawOne

PESO at 61?

should be good for all!

https://news.sky.com/video/how-war-in-t … s-13525222

The Philippines government says it is looking for alternative supplies. Russia, Iran, and Venezuela might well be able to help.

This is down to a decision- Support/cower to the US, or look after their own country's needs.

I saw this morning on the news, Richard Quest interviewing an EU member, can't remember his position but he was adamant that the EU is going full steam on electrifying, he said they will never buy oil or gas from Russia even if the Ukraine war ends, whittling themselves off reliance on hydrocarbons and over being held at ransom with price hikes generally created by the stupidity of others.

Maybe your right Fred that countries like the Philippines should be doing more to electrify even if it means approaching China,,,,,, LOL I'm sure that will get up the nose of certain people.

Also perhaps governments should offer incentives to the populace to go electric, sometimes that's all it takes to get people on board. Australia has been doing it for 20 years that I know of.

A little laugh. We are off grid but can flick a few breakers and isolate our supply and reconnect to the grid, the flexibility and joy of that costs us less than 6 pesos a month for the meter charge, every month we get a bill and pay it with gCash on the phone. I mentioned to the better half that I/we haven't seen a bill for months, what's going on? Told me he will drop into Luelco and ask.

Turns out one of the 6 peso payments never went through and unbeknowns to us they disconnected the meter and we never noticed 5 months ago. 224 pesos to reconnect and 6 pesos owing. They don't have an auto debit system like most countries so it's a pay the bill when the meter reader leaves one. Modern tech at its best.

Cheers, Steve.

Political considerations have to come second to saving your country.

You do business with the best - Simple.

If that means working with China, that's what should happen.

For the European Union that might be difficult given Germany is a large alternatives manufacturer and would need to ramp up production, not sure how well it would be received going to China but certainly so many S/E Asian countries it's easy. Many simply need to open their eyes and take the plunge.

Worked for us simply being grid tied in Australia and here it's a no brainer to go off grid in PH.

Trouble is Fred electrifying is not going to help those that rely on fossil fuels to run their businesses that simply put food on the table for their family. As said earlier that sometimes the government needs to step in and help but that becomes a double edge sword for them with less revenue on fuel usage.

Here the only incentives to buy an EV is a little lower rego, no numberplate restrictions offered by the government and they are now coming to realise their coffers are dwindling with less taxes on fuel. Australia is the same and now with the take up of so many EV's they are losing billions in revenue and have been looking at a road user tax for going electric even though they promote it, go figure.

I'm happy.

Cheers, Steve

Trouble is Fred electrifying is not going to help those that rely on fossil fuels to run their businesses that simply put food on the table for their family.

Cheers, Steve - @bigpearl

Large scale local solar can drastically reduce dependency on fossil fuels,  including for factories and schools.

Home systems, especially when used to charge EVs, also takes strain from the grid.

Renewable energy isn't a cure-all at this point, but it reduces the need to import, and mitigates the mess oil wars cause.

Steve,

I'm not against solar or electric vehicles but is not the right fit for me. I will be long dead before any R.O.I. is returned. Same with an EV, for my limited use of a car, it's not practical for me either electric or carbon fuel. Grab is my best bet.

I can't imagine the cost of Jeepneys being replaced by EV's.

Maybe many carbon fueled vehicles will be replaced when their useful life is over. People in third world countries the cost of an EV is beyond their reach, especially in third world countries.

Most home owners cannot afford the system you have and will have to rely on commercial electric suppliers.