America is .. 'Our partner, our ally and our friend'

Marcos calls the US 'our partner, our ally and our friend'

Come on PalawOne. You're a seasoned veteran. What else would the guy say? Uncle Sam saved Dad's bacon. They even provided the airlift to Hawaii - stuffed with gold bars and cash.

For those unfamiliar with politics, the statements translate to:

Thanks for the bribes

and

My mates and I are going to make a shitload of cash out of this.

Gosh ...that's a crude way of putting things...maybe a little refinement in the wordings would be more palatable.

Glad to see that Jr. is at least publicly affirming his intent to have a good relationship with USA to protect The Philippines from China Sea activity. That being said, China has such deep roots here with Investments and Controlling Interests, that any pull back from them could be catastrophic economically.

Gosh ...that's a crude way of putting things...maybe a little refinement in the wordings would be more palatable.

-@manwonder

OMO but I think Fred hit the nail on the head, we all watched the goings on for 20 years.

talamban, as I said to my partner that voted for jr, time will reveal all.

Perhaps a little off topic but as a kid, the things we purchased in the late 60's and early to mid 70's was all made in the Philippines, in the 80's and still now Taiwan but mostly these days China. What happened to Filipino manufacturing? The same as Australia, offshore because of greed.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said. . . Perhaps a little off topic but as a kid, the things we purchased in the late 60's and early to mid 70's was all made in the Philippines, in the 80's and still now Taiwan but mostly these days China. What happened to Filipino manufacturing? The same as Australia, offshore because of greed.

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WTF is happening . . .Shopping at Lander's a couple days ago I bought a big bag of frozen French fries. When I got home the label said made in China.

What's next Louis Vuitton Fake Potatoes?

The world we live in Bob and while I take an interest in international affair am helpless to change where we are now,,,,,,, big big money dominates.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Yes, and looks like Marcos is going for old school, sky-rockets, marching bands and 'yankee-doodle-dandy' style of American relationships

@bigpearl Big pearl, you are right. This week a young friend of my Filipina Partner had Dinner with us. She is completing her Degree in Government Administration. She is a sharp young lady, on Scholarship at the University. I asked her what she thought was needed to help Pilipinas and the Country. Crickets... I then provided my advice. First, Education was critical to the Mass getting out of Poverty - My same feeling for the last 50+ years for any country (and my home State of Louisiana and neighboring State of Mississippi where 2 of my daughters live). But second (and to your point bigpearl, the Philippines needs to have a Manufacturing Base - Build Something - they are so far behind the rest of the AEAN countries, particularly Thailand and Vietnam. They need Value Added items. For instance, I have never understood why there is no Aquaculture here for Crayfish and Catfish Farms. In Louisiana, the rice fields are flooded to raise Crayfish. They have so many rice fields here and labor is so cheap. China exports frozen Crayfish tails to Louisiana and other parts of the world. This would add a lot to Exports, as well as provide a local delicacy to the local population who love all types of seafood. Same with Catfish - you can't even find it here. but if you go to Thailand, there are great restaurants which are built over the water which specialize in fried Catfish.

I don't care anymore, retired and like others seen it all happen and where we are going, down the tubes.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

@Enzyte Bob I buy Kirkland's Granulated Garlic cuz I understand that it is one of the only products of its kind not made in China. Anyone who thinks that China will roll over and die from Western Pressure has not seen the extent of their Claws in everything in Asia, and now South America. Reminds me of the late 70's when I was travelling extensively all over the world. On my first trip to Thailand, I could not find any Western made products - Predominately Japanese. And while on a Layover Hotel in Tokyo, the TV had Spanish Lessons for businessmen who were planning to do business in Mexico. The US is very Naïve when it comes to International Business. I participated in a number of International Equipment Exhibitions. We were the only country which did not subsidize the participants/exhibitors, whereas other countries paid for exhibition space as well as round trip product packaging and transportation expenses.

@bigpearl

Agreed. An example of the Philippine mindset. My neighbour who is married to a Filipina has a property in Dauin, a 20 minute drive from Dumaguete. He is a retired University Lecturer and shall we say an environmentally aware sort of chap.

About 6 years ago he realised that there were very few Honey Bees buzzing around. In fact a distinct lack of bees in the Philippines. Apparently the Filipinos rather than harvesting the honey actually kill the bees to get to the honey. The only bees left are up in the mountains.

So he decided to try and start up a honey farm to educate the locals about the importance of these wonderful insects that are so important to the local fauna and harvest the honey. The honey you buy from Philippine supermarkets in the main is fake honey imported from - yes you guessed it - China.

He spent about £5K on Bees from a specialist breeder in Luzon. They were 'stingless' bees smaller than the European honey bee. At the time his Filipina's wifes family had moved down from the mountain to look after the property. The father is a retired farmer, charming chap who I get on with really well. Because my neighbour spends most of his time here in Bath the project never really took off despite the detailed instructions he had left his father in law. All the bees eventually died. £5K down the swanny.

Can you imagine the increase in crop yields if the Filipinos were educated to appreciate the importance of these insects? Vietnam, a similar emerging market economy, is one of the biggest exporters of natural honey in Asia and have now leapfrogged The Philippines on GDP per capita..

There are a plethora of reasons why the Philippines is what it is today: the above example is just one of them.

While off topic lotus Eater, here in PH. you have to be on the ground and manage yourself or a failure will come.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Lotus Eater <snip>

About 6 years ago he realised that there were very few Honey Bees buzzing around. In fact a distinct lack of bees in the Philippines. Apparently the Filipinos rather than harvesting the honey actually kill the bees to get to the honey. The only bees left are up in the mountains.

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I noticed the same thing NO BEES.

I attempted to grow Tomatoes & Onions indoors with Grow Tents and Led's. Some of the tomatoes (indeterminates) grew so tall I had to move them to the outdoor balcony.

In order to fertilize the tomato flowers I had to use an electric vibrating toothbrush to spread the pollen around.

Well anyhow after a complete failure, spending hundreds of dollars for Mars Grow Tents, Led Lights, License Fees to Import Seeds from the states, The Seeds FedEx'd from the states, Business license from the Barangay, 20 bags of loam soil, Seeds, Miracle-Grow fertilizer (imported from the states), clearance from the Philippine Food & Drug Agencies and Approval by Customs.

Well I ended up with two dozen tomatoes about the size of an Olive. All in all about $25 USD per tomato.

@Enzyte Bob That is one hell of an expensive tomato. Shame you did not do it the other way around, grow olives the size of a tomato, then you would have a good supply to add to your Martini drinks

I remember your sojourn Bob with this adventure some time ago and so glad you have shared you results, we all have a go but not always do our choices work out. Same with all things in and through our lives, some successful and the failures no one wants to talk about, very glad you shared.

Cheers, Steve.

@Enzyte Bob Now I don't feel so bad. I packed a lot of Burpee tomato seeds in a BB box and first attempt at raising a Big Boy, Better Girl, Beefsteak or Rutgers (forget which it was) looked good for a while but the plants died before bearing fruit. I do have several Philippine tomatoes in the tomato patch and they do well. My wife grows them from local tomato seeds. They aren't very big, takes 2 or 3 to make a decent tomato sandwich, but they taste good if you let them get good and ripe. Filipinos like to pick them when they are still mostly green so if you want a red one you have to grow it yourself. We now have a few half grown Better Girls in pots filled with soil from the rice patty. I have my fingers crossed.

@Enzyte Bob Now I don't feel so bad. I packed a lot of Burpee tomato seeds in a BB box and first attempt at raising a Big Boy, Better Girl, Beefsteak or Rutgers (forget which it was) looked good for a while but the plants died before bearing fruit. I do have several Philippine tomatoes in the tomato patch and they do well. My wife grows them from local tomato seeds. They aren't very big, takes 2 or 3 to make a decent tomato sandwich, but they taste good if you let them get good and ripe. Filipinos like to pick them when they are still mostly green so if you want a red one you have to grow it yourself. We now have a few half grown Better Girls in pots filled with soil from the rice patty. I have my fingers crossed.

-@Moon Dog

The next time you buy Beefsteak, Big Boy seeds. . . .Determinant Seeds grow to a certain height baring fruit and then dies. Indeterminant is a constant growing vine that continually bears fruit.

I still have Brandywine Pink (Heirloom) and Beefsteak seeds.

To grow more of the Tomatoes in your picture, you can plant a slice and it will grow a new plant. Or you can cut a limb off and propagate a new plant by placing it in water and it will sprout new roots. I've done both.

I also tried to grow Vidalia Onion, Yellow Granex and Walla Walla all sweet onions. Then I have Ailsa Craig Exhibition Onion seeds, they grow more than 5 lbs. . . Yikes 5 lbs . . . 8 inches in diameter.

I started my seeds in moist paper towels, when rooted I transplanted them in 16 oz cups, then when about a foot high into three gallon fabric grow bags.

@bigpearl

When you use the word OMO Steve. Does that stand for 'Only My Opinion' or are you being paid to promote the OMO brand of washing powder?

@Moon Dog

Those tomatoes look delicious but do they taste delicious? Here in the UK I have tried growing tomatoes in my garden but due to the climate there is a fairly narrow growing window. Moreover they all ripen around the last 2 weeks of August which is the 2nd wettest month in the UK (this year was an exception). Tomatoes like plenty of sun. Too much water and they become tasteless & watery.

My favourite tomatoes  are a variety called 'Jack Hawkins' similar to what I think our American friends term 'beef' tomatoes.

Of course they are best savoured uncooked but if you have a glut you can grill them - the skins come off easily and then grind plenty of black pepper on top. Serve up with a couple of rashers of bacon, toast and of course freshly brewed coffee

@bigpearl
When you use the word OMO Steve. Does that stand for 'Only My Opinion' or are you being paid to promote the OMO brand of washing powder?
-@Lotus Eater

"Only My Opinion", that I can use OMO Washing Powder to wash OMO Furniture in an OMO Resort.

@Lotus Eater Could be One Mans Opinion.