Plunder right under our noses – our seas?

Is it possible, may kumita na naman?

Antiquities that are 2,000 years old taken from our seas are wantonly being offered at international auctions.

Reports have it that deep sea explorer Phil Greco may have illegally excavated from Philippine seas and hauled out of the country artifacts worth millions of dollars in the international antiquities market but priceless in value to the Filipino people’s culture and heritage.

The good news is that the auction has been suspended temporarily pending investigation by the auction house, Guernsey’s in New York, into claims that the historical items may have been acquired illegally. This could buy our government some time to lay legal claim to those artifacts, if indeed they were spirited out of our country sans official and legal means.

With this as a backdrop some curious questions come into mind. Did our government have any part in the recovery operations? If we had, what did we benefit out of this? Or was this done right under our noses with only a chosen few profiting from these treasures that rightfully belong to the Filipino people? Did we really want to let go of these priceless artifacts?

With this very short burrowed time in our government’s hands, many are in the belief that all efforts should be exerted to the limit to get back what rightly belongs to us and summarily unmask the culprits responsible for this plunder of our heritage’s treasures and adopt stricter measures, maybe even by way of added legislature, to protect the country from a repeat of such unpardonable act.

If we can ever lay claim to riches, it is in our history. And we are even letting go of a great part of it.

A Complete Ban Can Be Bad To Business

After having stopped smoking for 17 years, I went back to the soothing habit for several months, although not as much as consuming two packs a day when I quit, and stopped completely again after experiencing a lowering of my resistance to respiratory ails – I again became so susceptible to colds and cough.

Modern medical science has determined that smoking "may" not only be hazardous to one’s health but "is" indeed a danger to our well being. But considering that tobacco has not been declared as an illegal substance anywhere in the world, our human rights dictate that it is still our choice whether to engage in this hard to break habit and wallow in its soothing properties or drop it.

But then there’s the danger of inhaling or being exposed to "second hand" smoke. Although this has not been determined to be actually as dangerous or worse, even more hazardous than actual smoking, most of the non-smokers have taken a stand that those who have decided to go on with the habit, despite the possible fatal consequences, should just commit "hara-kiri" on their own. This advocacy led to "No Smoking" areas in public places and even in private buildings.

The latest to adopt the "No Smoking" measure is the City of Makati. An ordinance has been legally passed totally banning smoking in public places – buses, jeepneys, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. – including business establishments.

I have talked to many businessmen in Makati engaged in the hospitality enterprise, especially owners of bars and cafes, about this and they all have one observation – the smoking ban is slowly but surely killing their business. Their regular clientele has been reduced dramatically as smokers would rather go to places where they can engage in the habit legally and freely – and in the process bring their friends along with them in their exodus to bars and cafes located in areas like Libis in Pasig or Malate in Manila or in Quezon City where there is no "total ban".

But many are saying that there can be a middle ground for all these and that is to allow the existence of "Smoking" and "Non-Smoking" establishments and let the market forces dictate their own viability.

People who can not absolutely stand the existence of smokers and smoke in their midst can just patronize the "Non-Smoking" bars and cafes while the smokers and those who don’t mind mingling with them can opt for the "free zone".

A total ban can really be bad for business. Besides, it’s a free country, isn’t it? Or is it?

An Array Of Business Concerns In New TV Show

The main objective of the new TV show "Breaking Barriers" (IBC TV-13, Wednesday, 10 p.m. after the PBA coverage) is to gain deeper insights into current issues – more revealing that can be culled from newspaper, radio and television reports – from people right in the middle of the particular controversy that’s being discussed.

Lined up in the succeeding telecasts after the first two episodes that had former Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez revealing the fate of the billions of pesos collected from the "Road User’s Tax", are issues of business concerns.

"Breaking Barriers" will put on center stage the issue of opening our skies to free competition from US airlines putting into jeopardy the business viability of our flag carriers while putting Robert Lim Joseph in the "hot seat". The show shall also have Ms. Cora dela Paz, the president of the SSS, to shed light into the reportedly tentative status of its funds.

Also lined up very soon is a deep look into the plight of PBA players with regard to sharing the limelight and income with questionable "Fil-Shams", the ill-implemented "integrity shattering" drug tests of the PBA management and players’ lives in retirement after the pro league.

Out to "grill" the different personalities in the midst of the issues in "Breaking Barriers" are my brother Rey and myself. Try checking it out this Wednesday. It may be worth your 30 minutes.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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