PHILIPPINES - HEY FOLKS, GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!!!

---

Happy New Year!!!!

I have been absent, stealthing around in Somaliland and other such places.... more of that in future posts.

But first, and since I get most comments and hits from Filipinos😊)

I recently undertook a major research project on investment in South-east Asia. Now I know this is not strictly travel, but I thought all the clowns that think I am racially or otherwise biased against the Philippines might like to read this from my report:

"The recent outbreak of peace in Mindanao in the Philippines probably offers the most exciting opportunity because if there is an almost perfect agronomic environment it is in e.g., Agusan, Bukidnon or Cotabato. We place Mindanao at the highest point in our ranking because its location and agronomic conditions are almost ideal for future development”

Yes, dears, Mindanao ranks Number #1 in my company’s ranking of the best places to invest in ASEAN. It beats out Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam!

Shock, horror! For the first time my Esteemed Readers are actually able to see that one can be critical of some things (e.g.,Manila Airport or a duff hotel) but rate other aspects of a country very highly. Not at all the modern mindset of the under 40s who are apparently only able to hold one opinion at a time.

My report goes on:

“ the Philippines is a complicated environment because of its large geographic area and the fact it is an archipelago. The main areas of Luzon (mainly the central plain), the islands and Mindanao provide different agro-economic conditions not to mention different social structures based on religion (specifically Islam in the south) and ethnicity Mindanao is the second largest island in the Philippines the valleys of the Agusan and Mindanao rivers respectively. are the most productive areas along with Bukidnon North Cotabato is considered as Mindanao’s food basket. It is a major producer of cereals, tropical fruits (especially bananas), vegetables, sugarcane, coconut, coffee, freshwater fish and livestock.”

These productive (and beautiful) areas are shown on the map.

So there you have it. I’d like to hear apologies from all those who have excoriated me for never leaving a 5-star hotel in Manila (actually I worked all over the Phililippines in the ‘90s), and I’d like to hear from the Manila Barangay Committee that promised to have me arrested at the Airport next time I visited, not to mention the four semi-educated females who abused me as a racist on Facebook. Some chance.

My serious point is that we can use this web site to report honestly about our opinions (yes, dear hearts, they are opinions, not "THE TRUTH") of the various places we go to, some good, some bad, in order to help others, or we can write pretty little stories to make the weak-kneed and weak-minded feel good.

Watch this space in 2013 for more of Quartermaine's “edgy” stuff.

P.S. My report is available in its 70-page entirety on request. I’m a bit hesitant of giving the full Web coordinates here knowing the kind of responses I usually get to these posts😊)) LOL

---