Ken,
I realise millions of Asian & Pacific peoples live in poverty but isn't it about time that the authorities started using the $$$$ of overseas aid to improve the living conditions of their people instead of feathering their own nests & militias letting them rule with fear & bullets? Every year typhoons, hurricanes, cyclones (depending on where you live) cause havoc, destruction & death to the islands in these areas as flimsy houses are blown, washed away. And every year they expect the wealthier countries & charities to pick up the tab!

I live in a cyclone area & our houses have to be built or upgraded to a building code that reduces the amount of damage to buildings. Our insurance companies certainly know it too - some including the "We've got you too" mob refuse to cover anyone with a post code from 4700 onwards!! Others up the costs to more than double what SE Qld customers pay.

Corruption is a big problem in many Asian Countries, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Philippines from the President down. I resigned from a good paying airline job to buy a Hotel here in mid 80s. I have paid money to some very important people to get things done, A Police Chief, City Mayor, Provincial Governor and for a couple of civil Court cases I was involved, money went to two Judges, one equivalent to a District Court Judge in Australia, the other equivalent to a Supreme Court Judge. I've paid Tax Inspectors so I didn't pay tax.. You might rightly say I should not have made those payments, but that is the way business is done here. You don't pay, you are out of business !!

On the other side, I can never understand why Countries like Australia give large amounts in foreign aid. The money just goes into the pockets of elected representatives. Roads, drainage and other infrastructure are poor, electricity is always subject to outages, referred to as Brownouts. Water supply is unreliable. At our house there is no water after about 9 a.m. until around 6 p.m. at night, 7 days a week. Schools, Hospitals and Doctors are of poor standard. Even Government Public Hospitals are not free. Medicine is not free. Many die here from minor ailments. I know of a 20 year old girl living in Manila with a Heart problem. I arranged for her to see a Cardiologist at Philippine Heart Center. The Cardiologist is the brother of my Lawyer and one of the very few Doctors I would be prepared to see myself here. He has given her medication for temporary relief, but she needs surgery or she will die within the next few months. Cost of surgery is $17,000.00 in our money. No one has that sort of money and can help her. She will die. 20 years old !!!

Finally the story of a Provincial Congressman who was given funds to build a new bridge of concrete, replacing an old timber structure over a small river. A short time after completion, the new bridge collapsed. An investigation of the collapse revealed the concrete mixture was mainly sand and gravel, with a spoon full of cement. The steel bar reinforcing was shown to be about half the diameter specified and lacking in quantity specified. I don't know what happened afterwards, but the Congressman and Contractor were never charged !!

That's it for now. I think I should write a book of my experiences living in the Philippines.

Incidentally the typhoon will probably be upon us around mid day tomorrow. Forecast wind speed increased  from 90kph to 100kph. 

Yes that was my point. Very difficult to root out corruption.

Many honest people who try,  get assassinated.  Or have a minor dispute with someone, you could be murdered by a hitman

So sad.

I used to visit , Guihulngan, Negros Oriental,  with family members, but too many killings, so I no longer go there.

 

-- Edited by PeterX on Thursday 27th of December 2018 02:37:57 PM

I was watching Owen. According to the US site I monitor, it's long gone. And hopefully not too much damage was done in it's path, the rain would have been most welcome but it didn't cover more affected areas further south in the State. The system here now is classed as a Tropical Depression with wind speeds from 35 knots gusting to 45 knots. I don't think it will do a lot of damage, just produce lots of rain.

http://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/jtwc.html