City Works to Boost Trade with China

By Germelina A. Lacorte
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY — Davao is looking forward to the signing of a ?sister city? agreement with Nanning, a city in Guanxi province in China, to access opportunities in that country?s fast-growing consumer market in the future.

Davao officials here are trying to forge a ?sister city? agreement with Nanning City to boost trade, economic and tourism activities between the two regions.

“Just as Nanning will be Davao’s gateway to China, Davao will also be Nanning’s gateway to the East Asean Growth Area (Eaga),” Davao city mayor Rodrigo Duterte told Nanning city delegates here last week, referring to the backdoor economic polygon composed of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP).
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Cha-cha and Corruption: A Shallow Solution to a Deep-Rooted Problem

The current ?people?s initiative? for Cha-cha is itself a mockery of the essence of genuine people?s governance because it reportedly involves bribing voters and local government officials — a classic example of graft and corruption.

By Antonio Tujan Jr.
Ibon Features

MANILA — The shift to a parliamentary system under the proposed charter change (Cha-cha) would ?significantly reduce? corruption in the political system, according to House Speaker Jose de Venecia.

De Venecia said the proposed shift would set elections on a five-year cycle and provide state funding to move the country towards a strong two-party system. He added that a parliamentary government tainted by corruption could fall through a no-confidence vote introduced in parliament but a presidential system offers only the difficult process of impeachment to remove a president.

But the proposed shift to a Parliamentary system is a shallow response to a societal problem that is more deep-rooted that government realizes, or cares to admit.
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