P&G writes back to me regarding my complaint vs Willing Willy

A couple of days ago Chuvaness came out with a tweet that led to her blog about Willing Willy and the six year old macho dancer.

Being a father of a 3 year old, I was deeply offended by what was done to the boy on national television.

So, I decided that perhaps the best thing to do was to write two of the largest advertisers to let them know about how I felt.

They came back with this response.

Hi Paul, 

Thank you for contacting Procter & Gamble. 

We always welcome feedback from our consumers and appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns. 

We are currently looking into your concern as a different department is handling our advertisements. We will forward your feedback to the appropriate department and we will respond to you as soon as this information becomes available. 

Thank you once again for your email.

Kind regards,

Carmela
Consumer Relations Representative
Procter & Gamble

I think it is a good indication that they acknowledged my e-mail and I do hope that I'll get more information, as they promised.

Just to be clear about this, I did not ask them to pull out their advertising support for Willing Willy or threaten to boycott their products.

I think, an organization as big as P&G which employs advertising and PR firms would be able to figure out the proper and right thing to do.

Will they send Willy Revillame a message that it's NOT okay to treat children in they way he treated them?

Let's see, let's see.

Sent Feed back to TV5 regarding Willing Willy and six year old Jan-Jan

Here's a portion of the feedback I sent to TV5 regarding Willing Willy's treatment of six year old Jan-Jan.

I am formally submitting this complaint to your office with regard to the show Willing Willie and it’s host’s (Mr. Willie Revillame) treatment of a six year old contestant in an episode that was aired on March 12, 2011.

In the said portion of the Willing Willie, a six year old boy named Jan-Jan, was made to perform a dance which was sexually suggestive.  The dance, often referred to as a “macho dance”, had the six year old boy gyrating body and thrusting his hips.  This dance is commonly performed by male strip dancers.

Video of the boy performing this dance can be found on www.youtube.com:

1.       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YRCxh9q64w&feature=player_embedded#at=312

2.       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRsg-458bUI&feature=player_embedded

I was deeply offended by what was done to the boy and believe that this teaches people that it is all right to degrade oneself for money.

For your consideration, I wish to cite the following broadcast industry regulations and laws that I believe should guide the broadcast industry with regard to their treatment of children.

The Kapisanan ng mga Brokaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Broadcast Code of 2007 states:

Article 11 Children’s program and welfare

Sec.5. Children’s programs shall not depict inappropriate sexual subjects  or violent actions.

Sec.11. The possibility that children might be among the audience should always be considered.  Materials that might be physically, mentally, psychologically, or morally harmful to children should not be aired during times when they are likely to be watching or listening.

Sec. 12. No material that might be physically, mentally, psychologically, or morally harmful to children shall be aired immediately before, during or immediately after a children's program.  (G)

Article 28.  ON-AIR DECORUM

Sec.2. Persons who appear in live programs, variety shows, game shows and other similar programs 

shall not be embarrassed, insulted, ridiculed, harassed or humiliated in whatever manner. (G)

Under RA 9208 AN ACT TO INSTITUTE POLICIES TO ELIMINATE TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN, ESTABLISHING THE NECESSARY INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR THE PROTECTION AND SUPPORT OF TRAFFICKED PERSONS, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR ITS VIOLATIONS, AND FOR OTHER

Sec. 4. Acts of Trafficking in Persons. - It shall be unlawful for any person, natural or juridical, to commit any of the following acts:

(a) To recruit, transport, transfer; harbor, provide, or receive a person by any means, including those done under the pretext of domestic or overseas employment or training or apprenticeship, for the purpose of prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude or debt bondage;

 (d) To undertake or organize tours and travel plans consisting of tourism packages or activities for the purpose of utilizing and offering persons for prostitution, pornography or sexual exploitation;

(e) To maintain or hire a person to engage in prostitution or pornography;

(f) To adopt or facilitate the adoption of persons for the purpose of prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude or debt bondage;

(g) To recruit, hire, adopt, transport or abduct a person, by means of threat or use of force, fraud, deceit, violence, coercion, or intimidation for the purpose of removal or sale of organs of said person; and

Sec. 5. Acts that Promote Trafficking in Persons. - The following acts which promote or facilitate trafficking in persons, shall be unlawful:

(c) To advertise, publish, print, broadcast or distribute, or cause the advertisement, publication, printing, broadcasting or distribution by any means, including the use of information technology and the internet, of any brochure, flyer, or any propaganda material that promotes trafficking in persons;

(g) To knowingly benefit from, financial or otherwise, or make use of, the labor or services of a person held to a condition of involuntary servitude, forced labor, or slavery.

Sec. 8. Prosecution of Cases. - Any person who has personal knowledge of the commission of any offense under this Act, the trafficked person, the parents, spouse, siblings, children or legal guardian may file a complaint for trafficking.

Yours truly,

-----

If you want to write your own letter, you may download this template from Scribd.

Template Complaint Letter to MVP and Advertisers of Willing Willie

Ok pala yung ph.churpchurp.com! Tweet ka lang kita na! Astig! #phchurpchurp

Ok pala yung ph.churpchurp.com! Tweet ka lang kita na! Astig! #phchurpchurp

Tara na?

A good conversation with Ivan Henares on Twitter got me around to reviewing the Tourism Act of 2009.  In particular, the sections that pertain to funding.

Mr. Henares brought up the issue that there may not be enough funds for a re-branding and promotions campaign.

I believe that a good promotion concept that is well executed can have a substantial impact on our country's tourism.  Especially if this comes after having rationalized and organized tourism shareholders as well as built up the necessary tourism infrastructure.

Carlos Celdran says that branding and building up the tourism product can happen simultaneously.  Perhaps, it can.

But I've seen restaurants open even before most of the restaurant was actually finished and most of the staff had not been trained properly.  I can tell you, it doesn't make for a great experience.

And EXPERIENCE is what we are selling. Not a flight. Not a hotel room. Not a bunch of handicrafts.

Anyway, I'll gloss over the fact that going around the country still has its inconveniences and tourist services can be inconsistent in terms of quality.  I'll gloss over a lot of other facts that tend to portray our country in a bad light  to the foreign tourists that are already here.

I'll gloss over it, pretend that we actually have a good product to sell, and that our only problem is sourcing funds for a promotion campaign.

Oddly enough, inspite of Pnoy's awesome clout with Congress, Mr. Henares says Sec. Lim suggests that the Tourism Act of 2009 doesn't have the funds it ought to have.

Looking at some of the provisions of the Tourism Act of 2009, it specifies where the funds will come from:

SEC. 16. Office of Tourism Resource Generation. - In line with the objective of ensuring a sustainable funding mechanism for the implementation of tourism policies, plans, programs, projects and activities, the Office of Tourism Resource Generation shall be tasked with the collection of necessary fees and charges which shall be used by the Department in the promotion and marketing efforts of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the development of infrastructure facilities, utilities and services of the TIEZA. The proceeds of such collection shall accrue directly and automatically to the Department. The guidelines for the collection and disbursement of these proceeds shall be defined in the implementing rules and regulations of this Act.

There is hereby created a special fund, to be disbursed and administered by the Department, called the Tourism Development Fund, which shall be used for the development, promotion and marketing of tourism and other projects of the Department that will boost tourism in the country. The Fund shall be sourced from the fees and charges which will be collected by the Department. A special account shall be established for this Fund in the National Treasury. Disbursements made from the Fund shall be subject to the usual accounting and budgeting rules and regulations. 

SEC. 34. Tourism Infrastructure Program. - The Department, in accordance with the National Tourism Development Plan and local government initiatives, shall coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation and Communications in the establishment of a tourism infrastructure program in the respective work programs of said agencies, identifying therein vital access roads, airports, seaports and other infrastructure requirement in identified tourism areas. The said agencies and the DBM shall accord priority status to the funding of this tourism infrastructure program. 

SEC. 54. Tourism Promotions Trust. - Within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the effectivity of this Act, an audit shall be conducted by the Commission on Audit to determine the true value of the assets and liabilities of the PTA. After such audit, the TIEZA and the Department, in coordination with the Privatization Council, shall determine which assets shall be put up for sale or lease; Provided, That concerned LGUs interested to manage and operate said assets shall have the right of first refusal. The TIEZA and the Department shall take into consideration the importance of maintaining and preserving the PTA assets which may already be considered cultural treasures and heritage sites, such as  the Banaue Hotel and similar assets, which shall not be sold or in any way disposed of and shall be placed under the ownership of the TIEZA for their continued maintenance.  

The Tourism Promotions Trust shall hereby be established from the proceeds of the sale or lease of the assets of the PTA. The Trust shall be managed by a governmentowned bank or financial institution selected by the Tourism Board. Said bank or institution shall report the status and profitability of the trust on a quarterly basis to the Tourism Board, the Secretary and the Joint Congressional Tourism Oversight Committee created under this Act. 

SEC. 55. Tourism Promotions Fund. - The proceeds of the following shall be placed in a special Tourism Promotions Fund to finance the activities of the TPB:  

a. The investment earnings from the Tourism Promotions Trust;  

b. An appropriation from the National Government of not less than Five Hundred Million Pesos (PHP 500,000,000) annually for at least five (5) years from the time of its constitution 

c. Seventy percent (70%) of the fifty percent (50%) net income of the DFPC accruing to the Department, in lieu of its statutory remittance to the National Government under Republic Act No. 7656, otherwise known as the Dividends Law of 1994;  

d. At least twenty-five percent (25%) of the fifty percent (50%) National Government share remitted by the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to the National Treasury pursuant to Republic Act No. 7656; and  

e. At least twenty-five (25%) of the National Government share remitted by the international airports and seaports to the National Treasury pursuant to Republic Act No. 7656.  

In no case shall promotions and marketing activities receive less than fifty percent (50%) of the annual utilization of the Fund. Not more than ten percent (10%) of the Fund shall be used for all other administrative and operating expenses of the TPB. The unallocated portion of the Fund shall be earmarked by the TPB as follows:  

a. For use by the TIEZA in the development of TEZs;  

b. For the Department, to enhance its programs for development planning, heritage preservation, and infrastructure development, and manpower training including, but not limited to, scholarships for trainings abroad, among others; or  

c. For such other purposes as may contribute to the development of the tourism industry. Portions of the net income of government corporations and other enterprises provided under this section due the TPB shall be remitted directly thereto on a quarterly basis. 

National Blogger's Association: Misleading

Anti-Noynoy no more...

Over the course of several months I've been blogging less and less.

It's not because the fire has gone out in me.  It's because I've been channeling my energy towards a couple of projects which I think will pay off with the sort of change that I envisioned.

One vision is that of a resilient and self-reliant community through renewable energy and sustainable farming practices.

Another vision, and this one is something which will actually sustain me in my efforts, is a phone app that will help people make better decisions.

Both of these things will succeed with or without the help of the government or the present administration.

I find it rather funny that people online are harping on every move that the Aquino administration makes as if the consequences of such actions were going to make any immediate or direct impact on their lives.

If it were a matter of cutting subsidies to the poor, perhaps. But then, that's something that I don't find all together worth protesting.

It was a conversation with Go Baguio's Lisa Araneta one afternoon that crystallized things for me.

She told me that Aquino's Administration may be a good thing, in the sense, that perhaps, people would be forced to (1) stop asking for help and answers, (2) realize that they are on their own, and (3) become more self-reliant.

The second Aquino administration won't help people cope with the reality of rising consumer prices, it can't help everyone be safe on the streets, they won't make it easier for ordinary people to uncover corruption, they won't make it easier for people to take care of their reproductive health, it can't rescue all our people in the Middle East or in Japan, etcetera.  They may make a grand exercise at convincing people that they are doing these things, but, really... They won't be able to help everyone.

So what are people going to do?

Well, they'll do what they've always done and that is to take care of themselves -- which is not something that is completely wrong. 

Ecological Entrepreneurship

Since 2009, I've been meeting more and more people who were involved in climate adaptation advocacies.  But far from being the hippie, earth loving types wearing tattered clothes and long hair, the people I met were businessmen who were advocating a different approach to saving the Earth.

Though not completely devoid of the altruism that characterizes people who work for the common interest, the people I met were pursuing an angle on promoting ecologically sound consumption habits and behavior by shedding light on possible means by which it could actually either save them money or earn them money.

One of the first people I met was Ricky Cuenca and Binky Siddayao, whose main advocacy is the propagation of a Resilient Community Program through Renewable Energy.  Here is an excerpt of a document which he wrote together with Gene Gregorio.

Our plan is to tackle all these issues on a community level, where it all begins. creatingan economic model that is based on Community Development (including the political,security, and sociological spheres) and which utilizes renewable technologies will be afirst in the region. Thus, the operative term for the project is Resilience Thru Renewables. 

II. Components 

The key components for the plan includes a mix of the following, depending on the local conditions of communities/municipalities to be targeted:  

1. Biodiesel Mini-plant– harnessing waste oil of the community and restaurantestablishments, and jatropha oil from plantations or backyards for conversion tobiofuels. The same biodiesel plant produces glycerin, a catalyst for Wastewaterand Methane waste digesters.  

2. Alternative Power Source– a Generator run by biodiesel as a primary powergenerating unit, secondary power generating units can include Solar, Wind or River/Wave Action Turbine technology.

3. Potable water– An inexpensive system that can tap groundwater, creek, or river. The water station can also be a primary producer of ice for fishing communities that need to transport their goods to market without risk of spoilage.  

4. Wastewater Treatment– By products of bio-diesel can be used as catalyst for awastewater treatment system designed for the community, if needed.

 5. Waste Management– Collection facilities for plastic and PET bottle collection and recycling, and collection of animal waste for use in methane digesters to create an alternative power source. Farm waste and biodegradables can beconverted into organic fertilizer. 

6. Carbon Credit assets development– A self reliant community can capitalize on its green technologies to generate income by earning credits on their green enterprises

The idea, really, is to make communities self-sufficient in terms of producing energy and fuel -- two of the highest costing necessities.

What, perhaps, will complete this is an organic waste to organic produce cycle. 

This is currently a model which Gene Gregorio, Dobie Naguiat, and myself have been introducing to local government units around the Philippines.

This is not only a great idea, but apparently a necessity and an opportunity at the same time.

It is a necessity, especially after the Department of Energy and Natural Resources warned Local Government Units that they faced penalties for not complying with RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Moreover, and it may not be immediately obvious, the rise in prices of petroleum products not only bring high fuel prices but higher food prices as well.

Urea and other components of chemical fertilizers are by-products from oil refining.

In a paper written on the Philippine Fertilizer Industry, it is pointed out that at least two countries in the Middle East are suppliers of a major portion of the total amount of fertilizers imported by the Philippines.

In 2004, the Philippines bought an aggregate volume of 8.8 Million tons of various fertilizer grades, with urea accounting for 30% and ammonium sulfate for 24%.  Ammonium sulfate is imported when the international market price is lower than that of domestic production.  The majority of the finished fertilzer grades are sourced from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Ukraine, China and Indonesia.  Other important suppliers include Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Russia, Korea, and Taiwan.

 In 2004, Saudi Arabia accounted for 19 percent of the fertilizer imports and Qatar, likewise, accounted for another 19 percent of fertilizer imports.  Combined, these countries supplied us with 38 percent of the total amount of fertilizers imported in that year.

In a message thread on Facebook last night, Ricky and Gene considered three possible scenarios for the tensions in the Middle East.

Scenario 1: Libya shutdown, plus widespread unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Brent price range of $110-125/bbl. 

Scenario 2: Libya shutdown, plus another shutdown in a medium-size producer, plus widespread unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. Brent price range of $125-150/bbl. 

Scenario 3: Unrest spreads to Saudi Arabia and threatens Saudi crude exports and any remaining spare capacity. Brent price range of $150-200/bbl. 

We estimate that front-month Brent prices currently include a geopolitical risk premium of $20/bbl. Our price forecast of $98 Brent on average for 2011, with prices in a $90-105 range, explicitly excludes geopolitics. However, this forecast was published on 22 February and was made the previous week before the crisis in Libya had become serious. There is definite upside risk to our price forecasts, not only for crude, but for products as well.

What are the implications?  No matter which scenario you look at, it looks like the prices of petroleum products will move up. 

That might mean unprecedented increases in the price of fuel, power, and fertilizers -- which results in the rice in the price of food.

Now, put all together, the typical Filipino can start wailing "Woe is me!".  But, to the guys I've been talking to, it looks like the arrival of opportunities.

We already have all the technologies that will help the country deal with an almost disastrous increase in the price of petroleum products.

We already have the technologies to turn cooking oil into diesel; plastic waste into diesel; organic waste to fuel; build an hybrid solar PV system -- tapping not only energy from the sun, but the wind and water as well; and convert organic trash into fertilizer -- that is 10 times cheaper than chemical fertilizer.

National Association of Bloggers in the Philippines

There is nothing wrong at all with the idea of organizing a group.  The right to assembly and free speech are guaranteed in the present constitution.

What I do take issue with is what may be a false pretense used as the rationale for organizing a National Bloggers' Association or a Philippine Bloggers' Association.

First of all, I guess the organizers of this movement for a National Bloggers' association should perhaps be honest and upfront about the nature of their involvement in the community.

The first thing you have to own up to is to tell everyone whether you are marketers or journalists?  Will the organization of such a group actually benefit your businesses or jobs as consultants?

Tell me about BLOGGERS' ethics after you come out with that.

Zonta Club of Makati Ayala's Run Against Human Trafficking

Support

Zonta Club of Makati Ayala
and
The Visayan Forum

THE RUN AGAINST TRAFFICKING Race

Sunday, 13 MARCH 2011

1K, 3K, 5K, 10K

McKinley Hill, Taguig City

Assembly 5:00 AM

Gun Start 5:50AM

Registration Sites: R.O.X and Chris Sports

For more info call: Ida Ayesa 0916-418-7257

Click here for more information on THE RAT RACE