Fire Prevention

Originally published in the Manila Bulletin on 13 March 2005. March is the start of the really hot Summer Season in the Philippines, and is Fire Prevention Month. This article is dedicated to the brave and dedicated members of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and the various Volunteer Fire Brigades in the Philippines.


Consumers' Post
Ethel Timbol

Fire Prevention Month

It's March again, and Fire Prevention Month.

With the start of the hot and dry summer season, the risk of fires increases. How prepared are you and your family to prevent, and if necessary, survive a fire?

Electrical fires, kitchen fires, and candles are the most common causes of house fires.
Check your home?s electrical wiring system. Are all your fuses and circuit breakers in good shape?

Check your fuse box, do you have proper fuses and none of those quick fix jumpers you slipped in when the fuse last blew?

Electrical circuits, wirings, and devices are designed with specific loads in mind and exceeding this load will cause overheating and possibly, a fire.

Immediately shut off and replace switches that are hot to the touch. Have an electrician determine the cause of the overheating and upgrade either the switch or the wiring.
If your electric fan is older than two years, there is a risk the fan may overheat and burst into flame, particularly if you?ve had the motor "rewound." Many rewinders remove the thermal fuse that prevents the fan from overheating and igniting, so it may be better to buy a new electric fan once the motor gives way.

It?s important to keep the fan clean and well lubricated, and the same is true with airconditioners. Clean fans and air-conditioners are more efficient and save electricity.
Since a fan may catch fire, it is important to use it away from flammable items such as curtains and most upholstery.

Poor quality extensions cords and even good quality overloaded cords can start a fire. Use extension cords wisely!

Never buy cheap 20 peso extension cords found in tiangges! Your extension cords should carry the "PS mark." The PS mark is your assurance that these products have been tested to comply with sound electrical standards.

Extension cords have varying wire gauges, where a lower number has a thicker wire. Most house wiring has a 10 or 12 ga., much thicker than a typical extension cord.
General purpose extension cords should be at least 18 ga., which have a safe load of 800 watts. Compute the total load of the devices plugged into the extension cord by adding the wattage figures usually found on the device.

Your extension cord should be at least as thick as the cord of the device you are plugging into it.
Some appliances, such as refrigerators, airconditioners, etc., should never be used with an extension cord. If you don't have a plug near the appliance, have a qualified electrician install an outlet near the appliance.

Never lay an extension cord under a rug or carpet where it will be stepped on, fraying the insulation and possibly causing a fire. Route it out of harm's way.

Kitchens are another source of house fires. If you use a gas stove, check your fittings monthly, and have your gas hose replaced yearly.

The rubber in these hoses tend to deteriorate over time, especially in a hot country such as ours. Install and use a safety device. In Quezon City, these devices are mandatory.

Microwave ovens, oven toasters, electric stoves, and refrigerators should be on separate outlet circuits. If there is only a limited number of outlets, don?t use high drain appliances plugged into the same outlet at the same time.

When cooking, don?t wear an outfit with long, loose sleeves which could catch fire.

Keep your kitchen organized and safe. Matches and lighters should be kept in a tin canister with a lid in a cool place out of the reach of children. Teach young children that fire is a tool, and not a toy.

When frying in oil, have the pan lid nearby so you can use it to shield yourself from spattering oil and cover the pan if the oil catches fire.

It is also a good idea to keep a jar of baking soda near the stove, and a small box of sand under the sink. Either can be used to douse an oil fire.

Being able to quickly extinguish a kitchen fire will prevent it from becoming a neighborhood disaster.

A gallon jug of water nearby is also handy, but never pour water onto burning oil! Use it only for wetting rags and the surrounding area.

If you can afford a fire extinguisher, keep a dry chemical type (good for wood, oil, and electrical fires) in the kitchen.

Smoke detectors are also a good investment. They cost very little, yet can be real lifesavers. Place a unit just outside the kitchen (not inside as normal cooking will trigger it), and another one just outside the bedrooms.

While bedrooms are relatively lower risk areas, evaluate the furnishings in the room: Are the curtains made of fire resistant materials? Are all of the electrical wiring (including extension cords) of good quality and properly laid out (e.g. not under the rugs).

It is important that each bedroom have at least two exits: The regular doorway, and a fire exit, whether a window exit or a route to another part of the house.

Window fire exits should leave to a way to descend to street level, whether through a metal ladder or a thick rope. Keys to the fire exit should be kept in a visible area within the room, but away from a window where they may be stolen.

Practice a fire escape drill at least once a year with all the members of the family, and designate a place outside the house, such as a nearby tree or street sign, that you can rendezvous in a home emergency.

If you live in a condominium, ask your building administration about their fire procedure.

Know the location of fire safety equipment, such as hoses and extinguishers. Even if you cannot operate these, if would help firefighters if you could direct them to the locations of these equipment.

Smokers should NOT smoke in the bedroom and if possible, in the entire house. Set up a smoking corner in a comfortable balcony or patio. There are many good reasons not to smoke inside the house other than fire safety. Your family's health is the main one.

Candles are another major cause of fire. Always use fat short candles, which are safer than long slim candles. Burn them in an appropriately sized glass container and place them on a flame proof surface away from any draperies. Never leave a burning candle unattended, particularly if you have pets or small children in the house.

Many households use the summer months as an opportunity to do repair and remodelling jobs around the house. Because of modern technology, new materials can help make your house fire resistant.

Fibre cement board, for example, should be used in place of plywood. Use asbestos free fiber cement board. If you can afford to take down plywood partition walls and ceilings and replace these with fiber cement boards, do so.

GI steel framing can also replace the wooden framing within your interior walls.

Walls and ceilings made of fiber cement and GI framing will not burn and will prevent a fire from spreading to an adjacent room for up to an hour.

Inspect electrical wiring while the wall coverings are off. If the wiring is more than 20 years old, consider replacing it. Vinyl insulation deteriorates and may be damaged by rats.

Electrical outlets and conduits near the floor should be relocated to waist level if your area is prone to flooding. In the rooms that need them, add outlets with new lines to the circuit breakers.

Paints also help improve your home's fire resistance. Interior and exterior walls should be painted with latex, which is non-flammable. Latex can also be applied on plywood if a primer is applied before the paint.

An even better choice is "Fire resistant" latex paint, which contains ceramic crystals that prevent the spread of fire.

If you plan to use thermal insulation, fiberglass is non-flammable,while HDPE foam burns. Use HDPE foam only if it has aluminum foil laminates on both sides.

For a little more money, consider installing a home sprinkler system using your existing plumbing and heat sensitive nozzle heads. A home sprinkler system will likely stop a small fire from spreading, saving your life and most of your property.

Unfortunately, it is possible that you may still find yourself in a fire situation.

First and foremost, STAY CALM, and THINK QUICKLY BUT CLEARLY. Your ability to think and act quickly and clearly will save lives, including your own and those of your loved ones.
Fires grow out of control faster than you expect.

In less than a minute, a small flame can transform into a major fire. Keeping a clear head will help you decide whether the small fire can be controlled and extinguished, or whether you should immediately leave the area.

Act fast! A typical home can fill up with thick black smoke in several minutes.

More fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation than the flames themselves. If you must move through smoke, crawl with your head low and close to the ground. There is always a few inches of clear air near the floor.

If you encounter a closed door, feel around the edges of the door for heat. Touch the doorknob. If it is hot, or if you can sense heat around the edges, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.

Use the rooms? secondary exit, such as a fire escape. Even if the door feels cool to the touch, open it slowly. If smoke and flames come in, slam it closed immediately.

If you must charge through smoke and flames do it with a thick wet blanket over your head, but only as a last resort. If your clothes catch fire, remember the STOP, DROP, and ROLL rule.

STOP running, DROP to the ground, and ROLL to smother the flames.

If you find escape impossible, go to the nearest bathroom. Most bathrooms are made of concrete, and supply two things needed to survive. The first is water, fill any containers in the bathroom with water. If possible throw water into the adjoining room.

The other thing the bathroom provides is breathable air. Air? This may sound disgusting under normal conditions, but if the bathroom fills up with smoke, the drain system still contains breathable air.

Keep a small length of washing machine plastic tube in your bathroom. Put one end in your mouth, and the other end flush against the drain of the sink. Use a rag to seal the sink end, and breath in through your mouth.

For your info, there are professionally made survival kits based on this principle that have a face mask, drain coupler, and air filter.

If you are caught in a fire in a public place, such as a mall or cinema, the first thing to do is THINK CLEARLY. Quickly verify whether or not there really is a fire or other emergency, then decide what to do.

Visually identify the exit points and the paths to those points, but realize that in many cases, staying in place may be the best option.

Fires are preventable using common sense and informed knowledge. Fires are also survivable, if you have the sense and the knowledge to think clearly and quickly.

(Alex S. Timbol, president of Maccess Corporation, a management consulting firm, while doing research for this article, was impressed by information found in the websites of the Tacloban City FD, and the Region VII (Central Visayas
FD).

Beyond Taxes

The second of two parts on Tax policy and public revenue generation. This article was originally published in the Manila Bulletin on 24 April 2005, after the passage to the Revised Value Added Tax bill in the Senate, and prior to its submission to the joint legislative committee of the House and the Senate. The Senate version incorporated many of the recommendations of the first article in this series.


Consumers' Post
Ethel Timbol

The government fund drive

BEYOND TAXES. It's April 24, a week after the Annual Deadline for Tax Payments. I hope everyone filed their proper taxes and didn't try too hard to exploit loopholes.

Kudos to the Senate for retaining the existing VAT rate and focussing on removing exemptions.
As we've said before, the VAT system is a chain, whose integrity must be assured to be effective. Raising the rates in a system full of loopholes merely increases the rate of tax avoidance.

And enough with those investors threatening to leave the country if they don?t get tax exemptions. If they can't run a viable business like the 99.999% of the economy that isn?t tax exempt, perhaps it?s better they left. Hasta la Vista, Bobo!

The Executive says it still needs an estimated R60Bln to bridge the budget gap. With such a huge and troublesome deficit, it should look beyond taxes into other sources of substantial revenue.

Are there other ways for the government to raise revenues outside taxes?

Radio Spectrums, Transportation Franchises, and Government Lands are all part of the national patrimony, entrusted to government by the Constitution.

Like any good company, it is the govern-ment's duty to manage these assets to maximum advantage for its coffers.

Radio spectrums are used by both government and private entities for broadcasting and communications. AM & FM Radio, broadcast TV, Two-way radio, and cellular phones all use parts of the radio spectrum.

In the Philippines, use of these parts of the radio spectrum are awarded through a system of congressional franchises. Under this system, the right to use a part of the radio spectrum is granted through a congressional bill.

While government does not get any money from the granting of the right, one wonders how much "persuasion" it takes to approve a franchise.

Compare this to other countries where parts of the radio spectrum are auctioned off to the highest bidder.

No lobbying, no backroom deals, it?s simply he who gives the most money directly to the government treasury gets the right to put up a radio station.

Perhaps the government should consider auctioning off new broadcast radio frequencies to generate funds.

There is certainly no technical reason why we can?t have more radio stations in the AM & FM band, for example, since other cities have many more stations than we do in Metro Manila.
Same too with communications bands. When the Europeans opened up the 3G cellular bands, the auctions generated billions of dollars for the governments.

BILLIONS of dollars!

That?s how much companies are willing to pay for the right to run 3G cellular services, and that?s enough to wipe out a significant portion of our foreign debt.

Another potential money maker is transportation franchises.

In modern cities, such as New York, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore, taxis are authorized not by a franchise, but through a medallion system. A number of medallions, determined by market need, are auctioned by the regulators each year.

As a result, the government gets higher revenues. A side bonus is that with medallions costing more than the vehicle itself, operators ensure that their drivers are disciplined and follow the rules lest the regulators confiscate their costly medallions.

Another bonus is that there are more routes, and that the routes are up to date, not holdovers from the pre-WWII era.

In other countries, regulators annually review the bus and minibus route network. Whenever it is determined that a new route is required, the government, you guessed it, auctions off the right to operate these routes to the highest bidders.

There is a check and balance here, because if the authorities create a useless route, no operator will bid for it, and the government won?t get any money.

If you?ve been to Hong Kong, or Singapore, or London, you?ve probably admired the marvelous road system of elevated highways, flyovers, loading bays, and so on.

An interesting tidbit about these road systems is that taxpayer?s money is not used for the development of these advanced roads.

Taxes are used for education, police services, and the running of government, but not for the construction of freeways. The road network is financed in other ways, as it is their view that the cost of road construction should not be bourne by non-road users.

A road user?s tax is a component of road financing, but the primary component, quite interestingly, is REAL ESTATE. Whenever the governments in these countries build a highway, it makes sure it owns much of the land through which the highway passes.

Once the highway is built, it then auctions off the land to the highest bidder, usually a property developer who can add the most value to the property, because it also increases the value of remaining lands the government still owns.

Through this cycle of building highways, selling alienable land to the highest bidder, these governments are able to build extensive road networks that enhance the productivity of their economies.

By managing the sale of property assets, governments are also able to manage urban development, encouraging development in areas with greatest need, and stabilizing property prices (much to the relief of banks) by releasing more land when prices are high.

Like it or not, the nation is in an extraordinary crisis. There is a massive public sector deficit that needs to be addressed.

Extraordinary problems require extraordinary solutions beyond taxes.

Perhaps the national government should look at examples set by Local Government Units. Because LGUs tax powers are limited by law, LGUs have been creative in finding alternative means to raise revenues.

Parking fees, event rentals (e.g. city stadiums), and co-development projects (commercial areas and low-cost housing on LGU land) help LGUs generate funds for services to its constituents.
Taxes are like toll fees, there is only so much one can charge before people start looking for alternative routes (i.e. tax evasion).

The examples cited earlier are just some of the potential revenue earners the National Government has at its disposal. There are others, but government needs to think outside the box and expand beyond "toll collection."

Like any well managed company, the National Government should generate operating revenues from wise management of assets, so that it taxes less, yet obtains the resources it needs to provide services to its people.

by ALEX S. TIMBOL, president of Maccess Corporation, a management consulting firm that helps companies think outside the box.

A VAT full of problems

The first of two parts about Taxation and Tax Policy in the Philippines.

Originally published in the Manila Bulletin on 06 Feb 2005.
Authored by Alex S. Timbol, Maccess Corporation


Consumers' Post
Ethel Timbol

A VAT full of problems

THE VAT. Despite protests from consumers, economists, and some legislators, the Value-Added Tax increase bill has speedily passed through the House, and is now on its way to the Senate.

If it does not encounter significant opposition in the Senate, it will become law and consumers can expect an additional 2% hike for most items.

The administration says that the VAT increase is necessary to balance the budget. But will it?

"An increase in Tax rate works only if there is an efficient tax administration."

An increase in Tax rate works only if there is an efficient tax administration. Otherwise, the increase merely penalizes those who already pay the proper taxes, and encourages further tax evasion.

How exactly do tax cheats get away with it? In the Philippines, tax evasion has become a game with many businesses finding ways of avoiding having to issue the document that shows that they pay their taxes: The Official Receipt.

Oftentimes we are given an "Order Slip," or a "Delivery Receipt," or a "Sales Invoice," or a "Job Order," any of which, they claim, is as good as a receipt, but under the law is NOT!

Bars and restaurants are the biggest offenders in the "Sales Invoice" and "Order Slip" racket!

Most hope their guests are either is such a rush or too drunk to notice that these are not Official Receipts. Some bars even physically threaten guests who demand Official Receipts!

Other bars issue receipts so infrequently that they "qualify" for an exemption that allows establishments with sales below P200,000/year to opt for non-VAT registration.

Non-VAT registration means receipts are subject to a flat 3% turnover tax, without input tax credits.

It also means the receipt cannot be expensed as Input VAT, conveniently eliminating the main reason why the customer would want the receipt in the first place.

This would be fine if we're talking about neighborhood eateries, but we've seen non-VAT receipts from large bars and fancy restaurants!

That makes me wonder just what exactly do they serve in these places that tax inspectors believe that these multi-million peso establishments have sales of less than P200,000/year!

"Delivery Receipts" are the favorite of computer shops, particularly discount resellers. Since price competition is tight, these companies advertise prices as "VAT-exclusive," a clear violation of Tax law.

A receipt from them "costs" 10% over the advertised price!

It makes one wonder how these imported products get to our shores, since the VAT system is designed so that the importer pays most of the VAT.

The retailer, whose markup (or Value Added) is typically 5%, is liable only for a tenth of that, or half a percent of the item's price, and therefore shouldn't be too concerned about issuing official receipts since most of the VAT would have been paid by his suppliers.

Now, if the importer did not pay the proper taxes... eh, anong tawag duon?

"Job Orders," and "Service Orders" are the ploy of choice for repair shops and service providers, such as laundromats. Oftentimes, they just stamp Paid on the Job order without ever issuing the Official Receipt.

The only time an establishment should not issue an OR to the customer is when the purchase is paid by credit card, in which case it should issue a "Credit Invoice," instead.

The "Official Receipt" is issued to the card company instead. Good Luck getting banks to demand a receipt because it means the merchant will just move to another servicing bank.

The consumer, in turn, is supposed to get an Official Receipt from the card issuer.

In these days of electronic fund transfers, how will the consumer get his OR? If you've paid your credit card bill, your bank should send you an Official Receipt, not just a payment slip or deposit slip.

Remember, unless it says "Official Receipt," it is not a receipt and that establishment is one reason why the government is raising taxes.

Another problem is fake and unreported Official Receipts or Cash Invoices.

These are particularly bad for the tax collection effort, because ORs and Invoices are used as proof that the supplier has paid his proper taxes--creating a supposedly airtight chain ending with the consumer.

Have you ever bought pre-paid cards?

Today, you can buy pre-paid cards for many things, not just for cell phones, there are Landline cards, Internet Cards, Donation Cards, Gift Cards, and so on. Have you ever been able to get a receipt for any of these cards?

Many of the shops which sell these cards don't issue receipts, and our inquiries reveal that the distributors don't issue receipts either, because the suppliers of these cards don't issue them either. Yet many of these prepaid card issuers are claiming zero tax liabilities because of huge input tax credits with minimal reported output tax sales!

Perhaps the BIR should require that the pre-paid card itself be the official receipt!

That's both the elegance and liability of a VAT system.

The elegance is that if the supplier or importer or producer doesn't issue receipts, the distributor will still issue the receipt and pay the tax, or the retailer will issue the receipt and pay the tax.

The liability is that if there is collusion from the supplier or importer to the distributor to the retailer not to issue receipts, no tax will be collected at all!

Most of the 121 countries with a VAT system rely heavily on technology to validate input and output VAT claims.

We've said previously in this column that the government should look to free open-source software, not only because of potential savings running into the billions of pesos, but also because it will speed up the implementation of critical technology projects, such as a tax verification system.

Without an integrated system, the BIR has no way of verifying if VAT inputs were actually paid. Even the VAT reporting system is faulty, since the BIR does not require filers to provide the VAT registration of Input Tax claims.

Perhaps the BIR should start here: Requiring Input Tax claims to be documented with VAT registration numbers. This way, it can verify if suppliers are indeed declaring their sales.

Hopefully, our more responsible legislators and government officials will see that the real problem is inefficient tax collections, too many exemptions, and defective rules and procedures.

The Department of Finance estimates that tax leakages are almost as high as the actual tax collected. This means that the government could collect almost twice as much money if it can plug these leakages. This is certainly more than a 2% increase in the VAT rate may provide.

Perhaps our legislators should also review the exemptions under the VAT law. Some of these exemptions have no basis for being there.

It is interesting to watch these congressional debates: there is bound to be quite a few legislators lobbying that such and such industry, whose importance to the economy is often overstated, to lobby for "exemptions."

It almost like playing follow the money, where one wonders what the connection is between the legislator and the industry he is championing.

Please, Messrs. legislators, enough with the exemptions, we pay our taxes, and let?s make sure everyone else does, no matter how self-important they imagine themselves to be to our struggling economy!

Properly implemented, the VAT is no more onerous a tax burden than a turnover tax.
In many ways, a VAT system is superior to a turnover tax because it limits the total tax in the supply chain to the VAT rate, which in our case is 10%, and encourages the growth of small businesses and subcontractors. So why have exemptions?

All these exemptions make for a very complicated tax system.

More importantly, it allows discretionary judgements.

When does a business fall under an exempted category and when does it not? Is it up to the discretion of the taxman? Hmmm... I wonder how much it would take for a business to move from one category to another.

Also, all this complexity with exemptions, and now, multi-tiered tax rates threaten to further complicate the tax system. Complex system lead to lower compliance. Figure that out. The more convoluted the tax system becomes with all these exemptions, multi-tier rates, and what-not the more difficult and costly it is to collect the proper taxes.

Remove the exemptions, fix up the tax administration, have the BIR review its implementing guidelines, and try to collect most of that tax leakage before burdening us with a tax increase. We voted for you, Messrs. Legislators, and we?ll remember how you voted on these tax bills.

And to you, my fellow consumers:

Always demand a receipt when paying! I mean a real OFFICIAL RECEIPT, not a "Service Invoice," or "Order Slip," or "Job Order," or "Delivery Receipt!"

If the establishment demands an additional payment for an Official Receipt or steadfastly refuses to issue an Official Receipt, call the BIR?s call center to report the violation, making a note of the establishment?s name and VAT registration (which sometimes appears on the other documents to make them look official).

Tax evasion means HIGHER TAXES for those who do pay their taxes, ... and that usually means us!

Firewire is a form of SCSI

Originally published in Quadlist--a mailing list for Macintosh Quadra users. Republished in lowendmac.com in 2000. Authored by Alex Timbol, Maccess Corporation.


FireWire Is a Form of SCSI

This article was posted to Quadlist by Alex Timbol. It is reprinted here with his permission.

FireWire is a version of the SCSI-3 spec, which defines both serial and parallel implementations.

While it is true that the SCSI versions that run on parallel busses transfer 8-bits (SCSI-1, SCSI-2), 16-bits (SCSI-2 Wide), or 32-bits (SCSI-2 Ultrawide) per cycle, it does not necessarily follow that it is faster than a high performance serial implementation, such as FireWire or FibreChannel.

The main problem with parallel data bus implementations is crosstalk among multiple data lines (8,16, or 32 lines).

Crosstalk effectively limits the clock rate of the SCSI bus as higher clock frequencies result in tighter coupling among the signal lines, and consequently higher crosstalk.

Crosstalk is responsible for the bus length restrictions and cable shielding requirements of conventional SCSI cable. It is the brick wall that limits performance on existing parallel data bus implementations.

A serial bus does not have a problem with crosstalk because there is only one data line.

Without crosstalk as an issue, a serial bus can run at a higher clock rate and take advantage of complex waveform encoding - allowing each wave cycle to carry more than one bit of data by altering not only each pulse's amplitude, but also its phase, frequency and zero crossover points - over relatively simpler and cheaper cabling.

Another advantage of the serial bus is that interrupting a single data stream is easier to do, allowing less costly implementations of hot swap functionality.

On parallel busses, hot swapping requires complex buffering and expensive connectors such as SCA (used in high end hard disks), which are designed to simultaneously break all electrical connections to avoid damaging bus components.

In the early days of computing, parallel data busses, which could move entire words (as opposed to bits) of data, were preferred over serial busses to compensate for the slow data rates of older bus controllers. With today's high speed serial bus controllers, controller speed is no longer a speed limiting issue.

In the future it may be necessary to combine the benefits of high speed bus controllers with the advantages of parallel busses by using a crosstalk resistant medium such as fiber optic cable, but at the moment, there is no reason to do so, given the gigabyte data rates that have been achieved by high speed serial implementations.

Say NO to Software Piracy

Originally Published in the Manila Bulletin, October 24, 2004.
Archive Here. Authored by Alex Timbol, Maccess Corporation


Consumers' Post
Ethel Timbol

SAY NO TO SOFTWARE PIRACY

Up to 72% of the software in local computers is pirated, according to the Business Software Alliance, an industry watchdog composed of leading commercial software vendors. With Office applications selling for up to twenty five thousand pesos per user license, and illegal copies at fifty pesos, it is tempting to use pirated software.

But what if I told you that there is a FREE legal alternative to pirated commercial software? And what if I told you that this is compatible with your existing computer? And that this is as good as, if not better, than commercial software, and is used by millions of people worldwide?

Welcome to the world of Open Source, where quality software is free.

Open Source software is a child of the Internet age: The result of millions of volunteers working together to create a public collection of quality software. CNN, in its technology forecast, cites Open Source as a leading trend for 2004.

Indeed, the world?s most successful e-Businesses: AOL-TimeWarner, Yahoo!, Amazon, & eBay build their businesses on it, crediting Open Source for their ability to rapidly develop new online products. Amazon's Chief Techie Al Vermeulen, revealing the secret to his IT strategy, states unequivocally that companies should "embrace Open Source."

The world's largest technology companies: IBM, Hewlett-Packard, SUN, Intel, Apple, & others support Open Source. IBM and HP are the largest enterprise integrators of Open Source solutions and their massive data centers, including several in the Philippines, run almost exclusively on Open Source.

Even Apple junked its old MacOS, in favor of the Open Source based futuristic MacOS X, proving that even traditional tech companies can benefit from Open Source.

These industry leaders do more than promote Open Source software, they also contribute substantially: Donating funds, resources, and "Opening" programs to the movement.

AmericaOnLine contributed the code-base of Netscape, which has since evolved to the Mozilla and Firefox Web Browsers. Leading publications praise Firefox, citing high performance, improved security, and advanced features missing from built-in Web Browsers.

SUN contributed the code base of StarOffice, the foundation of the wildly popular OpenOffice.org

With over seven million downloads, the free OpenOffice, available in dozens of languages, is fast becoming a global standard in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

In the Philippines, thousands of small and medium sized companies are adopting Open Source software. And why not? Workstations & office servers can be installed without expensive software licenses.

Even major businesses are migrating to Open Source software: One financial services conglomerate reportedly saved BILLIONS by shifting to Open Source software.

With this groundswell of support for Open Source software, we can't help but wonder why the Department of Education is pushing computers with expensive commercial software to school teachers.

For half DepEd's price of P25,000 ($490), any competent computer shop can sell a similar white box PC with an Open Source operating system and applications.

Prefer a commercial operating system? Add a commercial operating system for P5,000 (USD 90), and use Open Source applications for a price that's still below DepEd's offering.

But that's really missing the point, if Filipinos are going to develop IT skills, why are we limiting ourselves to training teachers and students to be USERS of commercial software? Are we trying to create software developers, or data clerks and typists?

Open Source software gets its name from the fact that program blueprints, or "Source" are OPEN-ly available. The part of software that runs is called the binary. Only computers understand it.

Commercial software includes only the binary, while the "Source" remains a tightly guarded secret of its publisher.

With Open Source, inquisitive teachers & students may examine a program's Source to learn how it works, and even try their hand at adding new features. Modifying commercial software is illegal, and impossible without access to the source code. With Open Source, technology transfer is assured, and the country trains software developers.

Vietnam, which launched its own low-cost PC initiative, actively endorses Open Source to its educators. Apart from the lower cost of the Vietnam PC, they are also quite clear on why they chose Open Source: It allows users to learn how it is made and commercial software does not. Perhaps Sec. Abad should look into this and seek the advice of NGOs promoting Open Source.

Of all the government agencies, only the Department of Science and Technology has been waving the Open Source flag. The DOST endorses it because they see it as a way for the government to save billions in taxpayers' money. They have even created a version of the Open Source Linux OS, called Bayanihan Linux.

Open Source saves money not only because the software is free, but also because it runs perfectly well on five years old junk PCs in government office stockrooms.

And because Open Source solutions do not require money, Open Source databases, web servers, online transaction systems, and info kiosks may be implemented without having to go through the lengthly process of requesting a budget from our already cash strapped government.

With Open Source, even barangay halls can be computerized, and many government agencies, including some GOCCs would no longer be loss makers, bringing us one step closer to solving the budget deficit.

So much can be saved that the Government of the State of California is shifting to Open Source to help solve its deficit. It is even suing giant commercial software companies (dismissed August 2005)for what it describes as "overcharging." As Gov. Arnold says: "Hasta la Vista, Baby!"

Unfortunately, despite potential savings & productivity gains running to billions, & the promise of faster IT empowerment, many government agencies are reluctant to adopt Open Source, and some are even actively opposing it.

The DTI's Software Patents proposal is one example. Developed in conjunction with commercial software associations, provisions in DTI's version have been rejected in similar proposals in the US, Europe, & Australia as detrimental to Open Source.

DTI's Intellectual Property Office would have us believe that Software Patents are needed to protect software developers. This is nonsense. Commercial software, like this newspaper, is already protected by COPYRIGHT. (As of 2006, the IPO has adopted the European position of NO PATENTS ON SOFTWARE.)

Software Patents are like a newspaper asking to patent the news to protect it from "free" radio, TV, and Internet news. Well, we've had to work a little bit harder, but this 104-year old newspaper has prospered despite "free" radio, TV, and Internet news, and we've done it without having to patent the news! Copyright works just fine.

So it puzzles me that, unlike the governments of Germany, France, Italy, UK, Israel, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, & Vietnam which have adopted policies PROMOTING Open Source, our government is endorsing expensive commercial software to our children's teachers, proposing laws to cripple Open Source, and continuing to spend BILLIONS on commercial software. Hey, that's our money! Let's try to save some of it!

Please, Madame President, Governors, and Mayors: Say "Hasta la Vista, Baby!" to bureaucrats advocating expensive commercial software! Please see through thinly veiled attempts to block Open Source! The best way to end Software Piracy is to promote free Open Source software.

Start at http://www.opensource.org/ to learn more. Read the "Halloween Documents," essays on unsuccessful, yet continuing, attempts to undermine Open Source. Read news reports, case studies, and how governments worldwide are adopting Open Source.

Follow links to find out which Open Source software is the equivalent of your commercial software, then follow these easy steps to try it out yourself:

First, understand that there is no need to erase your hard drive to use it. It runs on the operating system in your computer right now and can be installed alongside your existing software.

Next, obtain a copy of the Open Source software. Open Source developers, e.g. mozilla.org and OpenOffice.org, provide download links. If you don't have an Internet connection, obtain a copy from local Open Source Software & Open Minds Associations. Groups in major schools and universities also distribute the software.

Finally, run the installer & try out the software. Try out its ability to open and save existing files. See how well it handles them. Try out the interface. Open Source software follows the standards of the operating system they work on. If you already use commercial software, then you should feel at home with open source software.

Consider installing it on your office and home computers.

Teach your kids how to use it. Try TuxType, a free typing tutor. Try all the different varieties. Ever wanted to do photo editing and illustration? Try the Graphic Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP, then try Inkscape, Dia, and Blender 3D, and see how useful your computer really is.

Top schools: UP, Ateneo, La Salle, Mapua, AIM, and others, are shifting to Open Source and encouraging students to do so. Familiarizing kids now will help them later on.

If you have already purchased commercial software, you may un-install it, put it back into its original box, and sell it to raise money. Moreover, once you've expunged commercial software, you'll no longer worry about software asset management. With Open Source software, it's just install and forget.

If you've been running pirated software, now is a good time to remove it. Using pirated commercial software is illegal, and exposes you and your business to criminal liability.

If even your operating system is pirated, purchase a license with the money saved with Open Source applications. With a licensed OS & open source applications, you've gone legal at a minimal cost to you and your business. (Filipino made open source business software here.)

You may even consider shifting to an Open Source OS, such as Linux, and never worry about software fees again.

If you are happy with Open Source software, and ecstatic about the money saved, then help spread the message.

A CD of Open Source software compiled yourself costs a few pesos, yet is an excellent Christmas gift to anyone with a computer. Give copies to friends, nearby businesses, the local public school, barangay office, local government, and even the local church.

With free Open Source software, not only are you permitted to copy, distribute, and install Open Source software, but you are ENCOURAGED to do so.

Additional Resources:

Global Perspectives on Open Source (.pdf file)

Open Source Software in the Philippines (.pdf file)