FORCED TO CONTENT: The role of the Sachet economy

FORCED TO CONTENT:

The role of the Sachet economy

by Paul Smirnoff

In a sari-sari store, anything is full of goods, ready to be sold at no time. But these products displayed seemed to be different every year, increased or reduced just to be sold as possible.

Why? Packets replaced Cans, Sachets replaced Bottles, anything tangible by the palm end up by the finger as people, for the sake of cheapness and easy satisfaction, compelled to buy those commodities just to spend less instead of expensive ones the middle class commonly or the rest of the people supposedly used to buy.

In addition to that, these kinds of products, now in packet and in sachet shows how manufacturers, compelled by profit and the like, are being mass produced without sacrificing its bigger chunk of profit being accumulated. And somehow, it is also an attempt to control costumer need and of its "buy cheap sell dear" tradition. As well as reducing the role of the manufacturer as the prime mover and be replaced by the market-for it is lucrative so to speak.

And somehow these sachets and packs lies a total change in Pilipino life. Is it the ration-ization of goods as we expected? as The Philippine Collegian article entitled "DOWNSIZE: the Sachet Phenomenon in the Philippines" by Dianne Sayaman said:

"Items of everyday life now come in small, cheap, and convenient packets. A 3-in-1 sachet of coffee starts everyone’s day. In the bathroom, somebody rips open a twin-pack sachet of shampoo and conditioner. Meanwhile, lunch for a family of six consists of corned beef poured from a tetra pack and sautéed in cooking oil from a 100-mL pack. At the end of the day, the neighborhood drunkard sips gin from a 10-mL sachet, resembling a kid drinking orange juice. The smallest of things make life easier in the Philippines. Size, at least for product packaging, does matter. More and more commodities are reducing their sizes to fit tetra packs and sachets."

If that's the case, how come the Philippines alone are being forced into using packs and sachets instead of the conventional bottle or can? Just because it is less problematic in the side of the manufacturer in accumulating profits? A compromise for its "buy cheap and sell dear" ethic and the demands of the third world consumer? Or its resort as most companies are moving out of the country (like Procter and Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive) for bigger markets while accumulating raw materials from us? And speaking of having raw materials, aren't we supposed to carry by the bulk than by the finger?

Well...

These really shows that Sachets, Packets, anything carried by the fingers render an illusion that despite people’s meager spending power, commodities are still available and affordable. It offers an enough compromise both profiteer and consumer in regards to goods, or even a measure to effectively keep dissent at bay. Creating a lesson that "buying a tetra pack of sardines sounds better than skipping a meal."

26th IB-AFP Punished for Violations of Human Rights in Agusan del Sur-NDF

26th IB-AFP Punished for Violations of Human Rights in Agusan del Sur*

Alejandro Lanaja Command
Guerilla Front 3 Operations Command, New People’s Army-Southern Mindanao
26 August 2010

The August 24 tactical offensive by the Alejandro Lanaja Command Guerilla Front 3 Operations Command-NPA in Barangay La Fortuna, Veruela, Agusan del Sur is a punitive action against the 26th Infantry Battalion-AFP for its abuses and violations of human rights.

The daring early dawn attack wiped out a team of the 26th IB-AFP with five killed and one wounded. One Minimi machine gun, two M16 rifles, about 1,800 rounds of ammunition and 10 M203 grenades were confiscated. No Red fighter was wounded.

In Veruela town alone, the 26th IB-AFP committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law directed against civilians. After the February 24, 2010 harassment operations that resulted in the killing of a 26th IB-AFP lieutenant and four enlisted personnel, the 26th IB-AFP and other units of the 402nd Brigade-4th Infantry Division-AFP threatened entire peasant villages, mauled civilians on suspicions of being NPA members, ransacked houses and made illegal arrests and other abusive acts. And being an apologist of the AFP, the Commission on Human Rights-Caraga regional office did not lift even a finger to address these clear violations of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention.

Being armed combatants of the GRP and legitimate military targets, the NPA launched a tactical offensive to punish the enemy fascists. And yesterday, the 26th IB-AFP suffered new casualties as a column of their operating troops were surprised and hit by NPA gunfire. Two enlisted personnel and a Cafgu were wounded.

Political and military victories in the armed struggle and the revolutionary mass movement are accumulated as the people’s war continues its forward march towards a strategic advance.

*Url: http://theprwcblogs.blogspot.com/2010/08/26th-ib-afp-punished-for-violations-of.html

NDF-EV in solidarity with the Catholic Church against large-scale foreign mining in Region 8

NDF-EV in solidarity with the Catholic Church

against large-scale foreign mining in Region 8

Fr. Santiago Salas

NDF - Eastern Visayas

August 26, 2010

The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas today said it is one with the Catholic Church in fighting large-scale foreign mining in Region 8. "We agree with the stand of the Palo Archdiocese that large-scale mining today will not benefit the people but only foreign capitalists, as well as seriously damage the environment,"said Fr. Santiago Salas, NDF-EV spokesperson. "Indeed, foreign mining seeks the quickest way to make profits from simple raw materials extraction and export, without contributing to our industrial development and without regard for safeguarding the environment. Thus, the Aquino government's fast-tracking of foreign mining projects in Samar and Leyte is immoral and unjust for betraying the people and the national patrimony, as well as being anti-development and anti-environment."

Fr. Salas added that the foreign mining issue also opens up other related issues of the people regarding genuine economic development. "An economic issue like foreign mining brings up the dire socio-economic conditions of the masses of the people who suffer from landlessness and joblessness. Meanwhile, the minority made up of the landlords, big business and big bureaucrats control and plunder the economy together with foreign monopoly capital. The Aquino government's push for large-scale foreign mining is therefore plain highway robbery in the interests of the few. On the other hand, any plan for national development should have agrarian reform and national industrialization to benefit the majority who are the peasants and workers. Genuine land reform will liberate the peasantry from poverty and contribute to the production of raw materials for industrial production. National industrialization will create jobs and manufacture the country's needs."

The NDF-EV spokesperson called for broad unity against large-scale foreign mining in the region. "The various sectors can unite and carry out mass actions and other activities in demanding a stop to foreign mining in the region and for the scrapping of the Mining Act which makes it possible. They must furthermore continue the struggle against the the Aquino regime's economic policies that are anti-people, anti-national and subordinate to imperialist globalization. They must assert genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization as essential for economic development. In the future, the struggle for economic emancipation and sovereignty will find fruition when the people's democratic government has been built to serve the interests of the majority."

*Url: http://theprwcblogs.blogspot.com/2010/08/ndf-ev-in-solidarity-with-catholic.html

Kim Jong Il Inspects Pyongyang Cornstarch Factory-KCNA

Kim Jong Il Inspects Pyongyang Cornstarch Factory

Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave field guidance to the technologically updated Pyongyang Cornstarch Factory as required by the IT age.

After being briefed on the factory in front of a huge map showing its panoramic view, Kim Jong Il looked round various places including the confectionary production process put on a CNC basis with indigenous technology and home-made equipment and the products exhibition to acquaint himself in detail with its updating and technical equipment and production there.

He highly appreciated the feats performed by the builders and their helpers, expressing great satisfaction over the fact that the factory automated all the production processes ranging from the feeding of raw materials to the packing of products by putting them on a CNC basis and thus dramatically increased the production and established a high level of cultured practice in hygiene and production.

It is a miracle that the technological updating of the factory was successfully completed in a matter of several months, he said, adding that this stirring reality eloquently proves that officials can bring about an epochal change in improving the standard of people's diet in a short span of time when they keep hold on science and technology with ardent love for the people and devoted service for them.

He extended thanks to relevant enterprises and teachers and researchers of Kim Chaek University of Technology and other universities and institutes which made positive contributions to the technological updating of the factory.

Noting that the factory has an important role to play in improving the standard of the citizens' diet, he set forth important tasks which would serve as guidelines for managing and operating the factory.

He underscored the need to continue dynamically pushing forward the modernization and scientization of production processes on the basis of the achievements already made by the factory.

An important task to be carried out by the factory is to steadily boost the production of foodstuff including confectionary and, at the same time, improve their quality, he noted, stressing that in order to supply tasty and attractive sweets and biscuit to people it is necessary to intensify the research into this field and successfully settle the problems of spices and coloring matters while improving designs for goods.

He pointed out that in order to keep production going at a high rate it is necessary to take thorough measures for the supply of raw materials, specifying the orientation and ways to do so. He showed such great care as settling the issues raised.

He earnestly called on the officials, workers, and technicians of the factory to satisfactorily perform their honorable mission and duty to provide the best people with a more plentiful life at an early date as they have worked hard, steadfastly covering the road of the arduous revolution with single-minded fidelity to the Party.

He was accompanied by Jang Song Thaek, vice-chairman of the NDC of the DPRK and department director of the WPK Central Committee, Secretary Kim Ki Nam and Department Directors Kim Kyong Hui, Hong Sok Hyong and Thae Jong Su of the WPK Central Committee.

DPRK Contributes to Development of NAM-KCNA

DPRK Contributes to Development of NAM

Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- Since the Democratic People's Republic of Korea joined the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on August 25, Juche 64 (1975), its government has played an active role to develop the anti-imperialist revolutionary movement aspiring after independence.

The birth of the NAM marked a crucial occasion in strengthening the revolutionary forces of the world. With it playing an important part in the international arena, the imperialists have found obstacles in having their own way.

Upset by the NAM becoming a powerful force advancing the history of humankind along the road of independence, the imperialists have pursued "globalization", trying to sow discord among its members and press them to accept Western-style democracy, multi-party system and polycentrism.

President Kim Il Sung, with a deep understanding of the situation, published such famous works as "The Non-Aligned Movement Is A Mighty Anti-Imperialist Revolutionary Forces of Our Times" and "For the Development of the Non-Aligned Movement" to clarify the principles and tasks for promoting the unity of the NAM and invigorating the effort for global independence.

The DPRK government, on the instructions of the President, strived hard to frustrate the imperialists' moves for alienation and maintain the unity of the NAM in the international arena, including its summits and conferences of foreign ministers.

The DPRK, in line with the ideas of General Secretary Kim Jong Il and under his leadership, is still making a great contribution to preventing the split-up of the movement and advancing it in accordance with its noble mission and goal.

Scientific and Technological Symposium Held-KCNA

Scientific and Technological Symposium Held

Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- A national scientific and technological symposium in the field of natural environmental protection was held at the People's Palace of Culture Wednesday.

Present there were officials, scientists and technicians in the field.

The symposium heard 21 papers, which suggest new ideas and are applicable to production, among more than 150 subjects studied by officials, scientists and technicians in the above-said field.

They solved scientific and technological problems arising in protecting water, atmosphere, soil and ecological environment, preventing pollution and making an effective re-use of various industrial waste in recent years.

Appreciated by the participants were successes made in the researches into the subjects of great practical significance in improving the working and living conditions of working people and stepping up economic construction.

Also introduced at the symposium were papers dealing with the forest conservation and experience gained in introducing IT to researches into the environmental protection.

US Urged to Show Its Will for Nuclear Disarmament in Practice-KCNA

US Urged to Show Its Will for Nuclear Disarmament in Practice

Pyongyang, August 24 (KCNA) -- Some days ago, the foreign minister of Germany called for the complete dismantlement of U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.

Minju Joson Tuesday observes in a signed commentary in this regard:

This goes to prove that nuclear disarmament and the elimination of nukes have become a desire of humankind and an urgent need of the times.

The U.S. is now going in the direction of stepping up its nuclear strategy after stockpiling nuclear weapons in various parts of the world, challenging the desire of humankind for peace.

The nuclear arms race is escalating and the danger of a nuclear war still looming worldwide. This is entirely attributable to the consequences entailed by the U.S. nuclear policy.

It is an ultimate aim sought by the U.S. to overpower other countries and put the world under its control by a nuclear edge. Prompted by this aim, the U.S. is making a nuclear blackmail against other countries after deploying nuclear weapons in the strategically important regions.

The Korean Peninsula is now fraught with the greatest danger of a thermonuclear war in the world. The U.S. has never given up its wild ambition to stifle the DPRK with nukes.

If the U.S. truly wants peace and stability on the peninsula it should withdraw its nukes from south Korea without delay and make a right decision for denuclearizing the peninsula as early as possible.

The world is now closely following the U.S. attitude toward it. The U.S. should immediately withdraw the nukes deployed in the peninsula, Europe and the rest of the world so that it may prove that its idea of "building a world without nuclear weapons" is not an empty talk. Actions speak louder than words.