The Eagle Will Not Fly Without the Poor

[prinsipe]

a good read...tried to post the text here pero masyado ata mahaba. eto na lang yun link...

http://streetlifeextension.blogspiri...-the-poor.html

sana ma-inspire din kayo.

[uls]

the big/multinational companies need the poor coz thats the market for their consumer products. Knowing the very small purchasing power of the masses, they have to package their products in sachets.

Same with telcos. they have to sell load in tingi.

As the purchasing power of the masses shrink even more, the profits of those companies are being threatened.

They realize that if the lives and income of the poor do not improve (and further deteriorate), they cant milk the poor anymore. They can only milk the poor so much before the poor completely dries up.

thats where that social responsibilty action comes in.

IN ORDER TO MILK THE COW, U HAVE TO FEED IT FIRST.

Help the poor improve their lives, give them decent paying jobs, and ur companies will have a steady mass market.

It really isnt about compassion. Its still about money.

[prinsipe]

Another speech by Mr. Antonio Meloto, this time for UP graduating students...

Tony Meloto's Commencement Speech
ISKOLAR NG BAYAN, BAYANI PARA SA BAYAN
By Antonio P. Meloto, Gawad Kalinga
U.P. Commencement Exercises
National College of Public Administration and Governance
22 April 2006

http://makeuseoftime.blogspot.com/20...nt-speech.html

[oldblue]

the big/multinational companies need the poor coz thats the market for their consumer products. Knowing the very small purchasing power of the masses, they have to package their products in sachets.

Same with telcos. they have to sell load in tingi.

As the purchasing power of the masses shrink even more, the profits of those companies are being threatened.

They realize that if the lives and income of the poor do not improve (and further deteriorate), they cant milk the poor anymore. They can only milk the poor so much before the poor completely dries up.

thats where that social responsibilty action comes in.

IN ORDER TO MILK THE COW, U HAVE TO FEED IT FIRST.

Help the poor improve their lives, give them decent paying jobs, and ur companies will have a steady mass market.

It really isnt about compassion. Its still about money.

right on! in other words, economies of scale .

[prinsipe]

ang sinabi lang naman ni Mr. Meloto mga sir e tulungan natin yung mga pooret of the poor para magkaroon sila ng pag-asa. pero to belittle yun ginagawa ng mga multi national companies in helping Gawad Kalinga is useless...kasi at least sila tumulong kahit na for the wrong reasons na in-assume nyo. I mean kung tumulong sila sa 10 families at may isang family na nagbago ang buhay dahil doon 'di ba ok yun. IMHO I think it's better to help with the wrong reasons than to have the right reasons and not doing anything at all, but to criticise those who are helping. common guys, I'm one of those dreaming of a better Philippines not for me but for the next generation. there's no way out of this pit we are in but to help each other.

peace!

[oldblue]

it's not really belittling per se. yun naman mga sinabi nya present na since the day naimbento ang business or commerce. big business cant survive without the poor. it's a given. kumbaga in order for the markets to become efficient, kailangan hindi lang take ng take or profit ng profit, it has to give also. and what he said has been happening as we speak and in fact, even before we were born.

[prinsipe]

got your point sir oldblue. pero hopefully may nakaunawa sa nais iparating ni Mr. Meloto. to tell you the truth I was a bit frustrated nun nabasa ko yun post kasi ang ganda nun laman nun speeches pero may nagative pa rin na napuna.

[chairman]

big business can't survive without the poor = wrong conclusion

why? it's not about poor or not. business in general can't survive without a market. a lot of big business survive even if their market is not "poor". BMW, Toyota, etc.. wag mo sabihin poor itong mga customers nito..

Guys, let's not second guess the intentions of businesses who help Gawad Kalinga. Pasalamat nga tayo tumutulong sila. Pero sige, let's grant that they help to ensure that they have a market, what's wrong with that? buti nga tumutulong. pwede naman hindi. they can just close shop and move somewhere else. esp the multinationals.

I for one am happy to see that businesses have now a sense of social responsibility. let's not second guess their intentions. ika nga, let's just give them the benefit of the doubt and just help them.

Ask yourself this, am I helping the poor? Gawad Kalinga? if not wag na kayo mag reklamo kasi wala rin naman kayong naitutulong... O teka, bago kayo magalit wala akong pinapatamaan. I'm making a general statement. if you're not doing anything, don't complain. If you are doing something naman, just keep doing it.

[empy]

Guys, let's not second guess the intentions of businesses who help Gawad Kalinga. Pasalamat nga tayo tumutulong sila. Pero sige, let's grant that they help to ensure that they have a market, what's wrong with that? buti nga tumutulong. pwede naman hindi. they can just close shop and move somewhere else. esp the multinationals.

I for one am happy to see that businesses have now a sense of social responsibility. let's not second guess their intentions. ika nga, let's just give them the benefit of the doubt and just help them.

Ask yourself this, am I helping the poor? Gawad Kalinga? if not wag na kayo mag reklamo kasi wala rin naman kayong naitutulong... O teka, bago kayo magalit wala akong pinapatamaan. I'm making a general statement. if you're not doing anything, don't complain. If you are doing something naman, just keep doing it.

if corporations don't give back to the community, then how many charities will go under? ask the beneficiaries if they view the hand that feeds and clothes them with suspicion.

casting a shadow of doubt on people who give, especially if one does nothing on his own (i'm not accusing anyone here either), sounds suspiciously like another form of crab mentality to me.

[prinsipe]

if corporations don't give back to the community, then how many charities will go under? ask the beneficiaries if they view the hand that feeds and clothes them with suspicion.

casting a shadow of doubt on people who give, especially if one does nothing on his own (i'm not accusing anyone here either), sounds suspiciously like another form of crab mentality to me.

Amen to that! There's hope indeed for our beloved country.

Mabuhay ang tsikot.com!

[oldblue]

big business can't survive without the poor = wrong conclusion

why? it's not about poor or not. business in general can't survive without a market. a lot of big business survive even if their market is not "poor". BMW, Toyota, etc.. wag mo sabihin poor itong mga customers nito..

.

how 'bout Toyota employees from contractual workers to menial jobs? how about those not directly employed by the company, but are equally as important. like the fisherman who catches fish then sells to middle traders to canteen operators to be sold to toyota employees. multiply this by the number of companies here and you'll see that big business cant survive without the poor. and that's only for seafood how about paper/office supplies from local communities cutting of trees etc. and the list goes on ...

ika nga that's the "food chain" that we humans are in.
yes his words sound inspiring but his message is really nothing new. it only sounds new bec. most people either got used into believing that it's a dog eat dog world or are just plain new to the world (like students or graduates). but in reality, that is not really the case.

[nmtin]

So what's your point oldblue? Big companies should help the poor because they have no choice? This is the message I am getting from your comments. It's like your criticizing them becuase they're helping and I am sure you'll do the same if they refuse.

In my POV, just follow suit. If you are in a position to help, like donate money, time, talent and the like, do it. Teens can go on road trips, but stop over to help build a GK village. Companies can donate money and labor (during company outings). In other words, everyone can give something.

Companies don't need to help, especially the big ones, but they do it to give back. If they benefit from this well I think it becomes secodary.

[prinsipe]

tama si Mr. Meloto dito sa sinabi nya...

"We gave life to the spirit of negativity, pessimism and divisiveness in our country and succeeded in convincing ourselves that we are hopeless."

eto pa isa...

"So I speak before you as an ordinary Filipino who has discovered the potential of every Filipino to make a difference and to bring about meaningful change by learning to trust one another and to work together for the common good." the key word here is TRUST.

eto pa isa...
"Change will not come easy, that’s why we need to encourage and we need to honor all the good examples around us. We need to invite everyone to come on board. Poverty is so massive that our response to it cannot be small. We cannot rebuild this country if we do not engage every sector of society including government. It is counter-productive to judge all government officials as corrupt. In dealing with dishonest men, just be honest. We cannot change people if we make them our enemies. Engage them and bring out the best in them." my reason in posting the speeches is to inspire/encourage the motoring community to be part of this changing process. If you are not inspired/encourage then I'm sorry, kasi nun binasa ko yun speech nagkaroon ng konting pag-asa sa akin for a better Philippines. Maybe it's just me...mababaw!

Peace to all and God Bless!

[uls]

Dami idealistic minds dito.

Just like Rabbi Gellman is this Newsweek article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11167185/site/newsweek/

Rabbi Gellman believes the world runs on love, mercy, goodness and compassion. But when he was invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland early this year, he was confronted with a very different view of the world.

Regarding the example someone stated earlier--- that businesses like BMW or Toyota doesnt have poor customers---

A guy who owns an instant noodles company buys a BMW. Who buys the instant noodles that allow him to afford a BMW?

A guy who owns a supermarket buys a BMW. Who buys from the supermarket?

Lucio Tan owns Fortune Tobacco. Who buys the yosi?

Name a business. Any business. And u can trace the money back to the poor.

Yes, the poor cant buy luxury goods. But where do those people who buy luxury goods make their money from?

The Arab dude (big money) who exports crude oil. The oil companies (big money) who buy the crude oil and processes it into gasoline and diesel... now, who buys the gasoline and diesel?

The masses power the global economy. Who shops at Walmart? Who made Walmart the biggest retailer in the world?

Who buys medicine? Who made Pfizer, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline some of the biggest companies in the world? Who buys Alaxan and Biogesic?

Who eats at Jollibee? Who buys 30 or 25 pesos load from Globe and Smart?

Big companies make tons of money from the masses. But there's nothing wrong with that. its the nature of business. they exist for profit. But they do charity work. Coz it's good public relations.

[empy]

i don't see my POV as being idealistic. i see it as refusing to be cynical about all people without proof.

why do poor people shop at Walmart? is it because they give back to the communities they are in? maybe a little bit, but the main reason is low prices. people don't buy medicines from Pfizer because they would like to support a company that helps the Red Cross - they buy because they are sick and Pfizer makes the cure. the point is, community involvement is only a small small small influencer in a consumer's buying decision. hardly worth the billions in time and donations invested.

look, i am employed by a large multinational. i am a senior person in our Florida operation, and every year we donate hundreds of thousands of USD in employee contributions, company matching, and time spent building houses and facilities, providing hurricane relief, and many other things.

we don't do it to get more business for our community - they buy our products regardless of this, and quite honestly we don't publicize the things we do. we do it to be good citizens in the communities we do business in....and because it makes us feel like we're personally making a difference, and that benefits our employees.

it's not just us - Bill Gates donates a lot of his time and a huge chunk of his fortune to charity - does that help Microsoft make more money? probably not because not many people know he does his, and he certainly doesn't put the MS logo on his charitable activities. we can dig up more examples if need be.

you know, it's a little bit frustrating that some people can question our motives without knowing absolutely anything about what we do. but that's the way of the world so it doesn't bother me that much. i just have to remember the look on the faces of that family (single mom, four kids) we had in here two weeks ago when we handed them the keys to their brand new home. that keeps me going.

i don't want to appear self-righteous here - i am only one small part of our process, and i really don't like to talk about this stuff. so sorry if i come across as self-righteous or "hey, look at me!". it's not my intention - but i do feel strongly about this.

all i can say to those who say we have ulterior motives is, go out there and contribute your time and/or money. maybe then the charities wouldn't need the corporations.

[oldblue]

So what's your point oldblue? Big companies should help the poor because they have no choice? This is the message I am getting from your comments. It's like your criticizing them becuase they're helping and I am sure you'll do the same if they refuse.

In my POV, just follow suit. If you are in a position to help, like donate money, time, talent and the like, do it. Teens can go on road trips, but stop over to help build a GK village. Companies can donate money and labor (during company outings). In other words, everyone can give something.

Companies don't need to help, especially the big ones, but they do it to give back. If they benefit from this well I think it becomes secodary.

i am neither criticizing nor complaining nor griping.

i just agreed with *uls.

[uls]

The more u take from the world, the more pressure u feel to give back.

Donate to Red Cross? Not before making a killing with overpriced drugs.

Established the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? Not before Microsoft made billions.

Giving employees generous benefits? Not before making shareholders happy with rising share price and profits. (or as they say "exceeding analysts' expectations").

An individual making anonymous donations? Only when there's disposable income.

Would an entity give before its needs are met? maybe.

i once handed a street kid a burger i didnt finish. it was about half a burger. He ripped it in half and gave the other half (or is it 1/4) to another street kid.


I recall a story in the Bible. A rich man was boasting about the big amount he gave the church (which is just a fraction of his wealth). And he was laughing at this woman who gave a teeny tiny amount.

Then Jesus explained that the woman actually gave more coz she gave all she had.

So please dont blame me for being cynical when Big Money does charity. Until i see a company or individual give away EVERYTHING they owned, i will still be cynical.

[nmtin]

Uls, one of a the active members of Gawad Kalinga did that. Think his name is Dylan Wilks, he was one of Britain's richest men and he gave away everything. Sold his company, cars and gave up his position of power, so that he could help the poor. It all started by selling his BMW and giving the money to GK. It made him truly happy and the rest is history. Hope this story convinces you that there is still some good in this world.

[empy]

So please dont blame me for being cynical when Big Money does charity. Until i see a company or individual give away EVERYTHING they owned, i will still be cynical.

great. so why don't you set an example for all of us and do just that?

i too, recall a passage from the Bible. something about taking the board out of one's own eye before pointing out the splinter in another's.

i can't blame anybody for being cynical about rich people and corporations. but these corporate outreach campaigns are simply a collection of human beings just like you and me that are giving back to the community with the support of their corporation. i guess we're all evil with ulterior motives, huh?

[uls]

Corporations donate to charity or establish foundations for tax break or tax deduction purposes. And they do charity work for public relations and public image enhancement. The goodness that comes out of it is a consequence of that action.

The free market system created the need for charities coz free market competition creates a lot of losers. Its survival of the fittest. For every vicious, sly, cunning person who makes it in this world, thousands of others fail to make it and go hungry.

Its not good or bad. Its the nature of the free market. the free market system has been the driving force in the upsurge of mankind but it has caused a lot of suffering too.

Some are fit and tough enough to make it big in this world. Many end up eating dirt. Thats why there is a need for charities... to alleviate the suffering caused by free market competition.

On a global scale, countries compete with each other. Clear winners of that competition are the US, Japan, the EU (they had to unite to be competitive), China.. the handful of winners emerged out of more than a hundred other countries in the world. Weak countries lose the competition and become charity cases. They then have to depend on foreign aid for survival. Their people have to leave to find work in rich countries coz their home countries are uncompetitive on the world stage. Sounds familiar?

Inspirational speeches are great. But it just masks the true state of things.

The Philippines and many other poor countries failed to make it in this world. They are simply uncompetitive.

To get out of poverty, u need capital. not inspirational speeches. Not charity.

Our leaders have done a great job of scaring away capital. So we are left with inspirational speeches and charity.