Recession in Ireland?

The talk of the town now in Ireland is about recession. Its government and people are worried about it. Some sectors are asking what happened to the Celtic Tiger? Seemingly, it is sick. The economy is bad. The housing sector is not doing well. The government is blaming its officials for “mismanagement” of its public money. For instance, there is a question of government’s spending on tribunals. It is a costly one at the expense of the Irish people. On the other hand, health care and public schools are not given much attention by the government. What will happen then to Ireland when suddenly it collapses economically?

Cancel the Franchise of Sulpicio Lines, Inc.

For the past weeks since the Princess of the Stars, a passenger vessel owned by Sulpicio Lines, Inc., sank at the height of typhoon Frank, I was watching the news and reading the opinions of newspaper columnists. I am convinced that our Philippine government should cancel the Franchise that it had given to Sulpicio Lines.

One convincing reason is that  the company did not learn from its past sea disasters involving its own passenger vessels. One tragedy perhaps is pardonable. But to be involved in FOUR major sea tragedies is too much to accept in a civilized world.  It is a sign that the company is not taking seriously its business which should always take into account the safety of its passengers. I think I would go with the opinion of one sanator that Sulpicio Lines should rather engaged itself in a funeral parlor business rather that in a passenger shipping business. This might be a joke but it tells the frustration of the Filipino people on the way Sulpicio lines is handling its business.

 

Madam President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the members of our honorable Philippine Congress,  this is a time that you look into the welfare of our Filipino people. We cannot afford to wait another sea tragedy before we take seriously our maritime laws. The track records of sea tragedies of Sulpicio Lines should be an opportunity for you to tell the maritime business community that the safely of the Filipino people is the paramount concern of the government. Cancellation of the Franchise of Sulpicio Lines now is a strong message to them.