The signature mantra of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has always been the same as that of its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), in that it seeks to promote the lowering of trade barriers which will allow more market access in a global market economy.
The effects of lowering such barriers, especially in the agricultural sector, has been the root cause of long-standing disputes (caffeinesparks has an excellent entry regarding them here) brought about by the advantages large food producers, like the US and the European Union, enjoy, and which destroys the livelihood of indigenous farmers in many countries.
This brings thousands of protesters that seek the abolition of the WTO in every venue where it conducts its annual meetings.
However, in stark contrast to their efforts to liberalize trade, developed countries have made moves to regulate the Movement of Natural Persons, otherwise known as WTO Mode 4; a term equivocal to what Filipinos call OFWs. The initial discussions regarding Mode 4 was conducted in the joint WTO-World Bank symposium held in Geneva in 2002.
In the recently concluded WTO talks held in Hong Kong, representatives from the Philippines took a hardline stance against renewed moves by Japan, the US and the EU to regulate the entry of labor into their countries. The developed countries apparently want to limit movement to that of skilled labor, like lawyers and accountants.
The stance is inevitable: the Philippines receives over $8 billion of remittances a year from wages received for unskilled labor.
And there is reason to be proud to fight against it. The Philippines is one of the countries that is being flooded by cheap agricultural imports while a huge number of our farmers starve to death. Is raising trade barriers for our main export (unskilled labor) the reward of developed countries for our lowering of trade barriers for their products?
The agenda of these countries is all too clear. Free trade for all, as long as they are the beneficiaries, and to hell with everyone else.
To that I say that we fight, make some noise, and urge everyone to make trade fair.
6 responses so far ↓
1 cathy // Dec 21, 2005 at 11:54 pm
ot,
just to greet you and your family Merry Christmas.
2 Anonymous // Jan 6, 2006 at 2:06 pm
So if you’re so smart, why are you still a loser living in Asia’s toilet bowl?
3 Jon Limjap // Jan 7, 2006 at 3:24 pm
You know the funny thing about guys like you is that even if you think this place is full of shit, you’re reading about it.
Why bother reading shit?
The answer to your question is simple: because of cowards like you.
You see, most Filipinos are just like you. They think this country is such a big pile of shit.
What they (including you) don’t see through all the bullshit is the wealth underneath (you see, shit is a nutrient-rich fertilizer, if you’ve forgotten your elementary science smarty pants).
What wealth underneath am I talking about? Well, let’s see… that wealth that made and is still making Tan, Sy, Tancaktiong and the Ayalas rich and richer. And that wealth that’s coming out of all those BPO dollars.
Don’t get me? Don’t bother.
4 Anonymous // Feb 15, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Here’s an idea, don’t buy anything from us and we won’t buy from you. Don’t hire any of us and we won’t hire any of you. Clean up your act before playing with the big boys - losers!
5 Jon Limjap // Feb 17, 2006 at 1:10 pm
^^Good idea about the buying thing. We’re not buying anything from you anymore anyway. Most of the stuff we need, we buy from China.
And most Filipinos are either working in Europe or the Middle East or are seaborne; they’re not in the mainland US. So your second “problem” is not a big deal too… except for the call center people.
No big deal. Teaching dumb obnoxious Americans how to solve problems is a big headache anyway. And what’s that thing with that big American call center company who’s facing Chapter 11 bankruptcy right now? Seems like even companies that side of the world can’t clean shit.
6 Anonymous // Feb 19, 2006 at 2:36 pm
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