Of Mice And Men Essays (894 words) - English-language Films

Of Mice And Men Overall, I thought the Of Mice and Men movie was fantastic and very well done by Gary Sinise. Gary Sinise is the director of the movie and also plays the role of George. This movie was made in 1992, and for a fairly old movie it is very nice. I feel that the movie is at a much higher level in entertainment than the book it was derived from. In the movie you can actually see and hear things that you probably would not catch on to in the book. For example there are the facial expressions from the talented actors and actresses. The music soundtrack of Of Mice and Men is very well composed. At the very beginning of the movie, a spirited mood was set in the audience when we saw Lennie and George running away from these men who were chasing them. I especially liked how the music is classical, which is very appealing to all age groups and genders. The music was a huge part of the movie; it set the mood for the scene the audience was seeing. The instruments used in the songs were very effective, such as the violin. The setting in the movie was just as it was described in the book. The time setting of the story takes place in the 1930s, when there is the Great Depression. It seems to take place in the southern part of the United States, because of the increased ethnic tensions we see in the movie. For example there is Crooks, who is isolated from everyone else because of the color of his skin. Also, the clothing worn by the actors were very true to the time frame. The audience can actually feel that they are back in that time period by watching this movie. The clothing worn by Lennie and George showed that they were not well off, as were the majority of the population during the Great Depression. In the movie, the actors were very good. In scenes the audience would get emotional. An example is when Carlson shoots Candy's old dog, and Candy lies down on the bed and tosses and turns in pain. In the movie, I actually felt sympathetic for Curley's wife since she seemed to always be the victim. This is something I had not felt in the book. Also, the very last scene when George shoots Lennie and then he starts to cry. In many ways the movie is very similar to the book. Right from the beginning of the movie you can see that Lennie has a mental illness, and George is taking care of him like a father. Also, you can tell that George gets impatient with Lennie numerous times and that he gets frustrated very easily. The character's speeches were very strong in language, just like the speeches were in the novel. The characters in the movie are almost exactly like their book counterparts. Lennie is very big and bulky, while George is small with a tanned face. In the movie, Lennie is absolutely crazy about rabbits, if not more than in the book. Throughout the movie we see time and time again how much Lennie cares for rabbits, he says numerous times, "An' I get to tend the rabbits!" Whenever he says that you can see the gleam in his eye. Slim is well respected, and he acts and dresses like he is the best without being a showoff. We get this feeling that Curley OWNS his wife and pushes her around. This is evident when we actually see him yelling at her to "go home where she belongs," and "shutup, I wasn't talking to you!" Also, Curley's wife tells George and Lennie outside the barn one night how Curley broke all her records because she would charge ten cents for a dance. Like most films derived from novels, there are many differences. In the very beginning of the movie we see why George and Lennie are running away. They are running away because Lennie had accidentally harassed a girl by grabbing on to her dress and not letting go of it. In the movie I had felt that George only took care of Lennie because he had to, not because he wanted to. Even though George had promised Lennie's Aunt Clara to care for him, he did not seem to enjoy it one bit. This was evident when George kicks Lennie several times when he was drinking water saying to "not drink

Lincoln and His Generals essays

Lincoln and His Generals essays Book Report: Lincoln and His Generals Harry T. Williams was born on May 19, 1909. When in college, he was encouraged by a professor to study history. This professors main interest was the Civil War era and had a great effect on Williams. He attended Platteville State Teachers College (later Wisconsin State University at Platteville) where he received a B.Ed in 1931. Williams continued education into graduate school was mainly due to the lack of work during the Great Depression. He went on to earn a Ph.M. in 1932, and Ph.D. in 1937, from the University of Wisconsin (Dawson 431). Lincoln and His Generals was the breakthrough book for Williams who had only written one book previously. This book provided him with many national and local acclaims. He book was on the best seller list, he received rave reviews in national publications, and scholarly awards where he was teaching at the time, L.S.U. He would go on to become a very respected writer during his forty-year career. He would also win the Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for his book Huey Long (437). Williams main theme in Lincoln and His Generals is about the Civil War being the first modern war and Lincolns function in the position of President. He introduces the state of the Union army as one that has no shape to it. This includes the lack of any plan of attack, as the thought of war had not been translated into any type of scheme. The armies lacked organization and communication, and existing qualified generals were old and inept. The first task that Lincoln had was the immediate selection of Generals. Lincolns selection process was sometimes based on political and personal grounds, and he was in the position of selecting from a pool of generals that had no experience leading a large army. Williams tells us that even if the selection was for political reasons, Lincoln had the national cohesion in mind. It appears that control was ...

Absurdity Of Existence Illustrated In Dumb Waiter

Absurdity Of Existence Illustrated In Dumb Waiter ‘There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false’. I believe that these assertions still make sense and do still apply to the exploration of reality through art. So as a writer I stand by them but as a citizen I cannot. As a citizen I must ask: What is true? What is false?’ ( Harold Pinter ) The theme of nothingness is one of the major themes discussed in existentialism, which, while pervading the movement, shows a common affinity between the Absurd and Existentialism rejecting all of the philosophies, sciences, political theories, and religions which fail to mirror manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s essence as a conscious being. Existentialism discovers and discusses the themes and topics which present a living crueler, darker, and more hopeless than a naturalistic or modern one. Existentialism had a great influence on the thinkers and artists of the time, an influence which led them to the revision of their insight concerning man and his position in the universe. Pinter, like existentialists is involved in the discord of living. His characterization reveals the same anguish apparent in Existentialism. Almost all of the writers who had influenced Pinterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s dramaturgy (concerning Dumb Waiter, Pinterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s work is heavily influenced by Samuel Beckett) were either founders or forerunners of the avant-garde Theatre of the Absurd. Pinter sees the funny side of the absurd. Since there is nothing for Pinter that is not funny, he employs a comic way of expression to laugh at everything, even at the tragic parts of existence. In a Pinter play, the apparently funny scene (considering Dumb Waiter, the scene in which Ben rushes toward Gus in a very threatening way) is simultaneously frightening and inhumane in terms of what the characters are experiencing. The Dumb Waiter, like many other Pinter pla ys, follows the relationship by which the nature of the man-to-man connection is analyzed. In it nothing is ever accomplished through dialogue. Most human interaction in day-to-day life accomplishes nothing more than passing time. Therefore when reading, or indeed watching the play we are overwhelmed by the futility of existence. Most conversation that occurs between Ben and Gus are pointless, and each character has trouble dealing with each other, and therefore, society. The characters are situated in a world where dream and the real are mixed up, tragic and comic are interwoven, the choice becomes a real catastrophe, and disconnected situations are what determine the individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ prospect of the future life. The two killers in The Dumb Waiter are locked up in a room before they carry out their killing. Pinter contrasts the violence of their jobs with their commonplace language and concerns; on the surface we have a bare plot accompanying with a complex implication un derneath it. It reveals a more complex reality that is not comprehensible when observed superficially; such themes as loneliness, lack of communication, fear of the world outside, and the terror of future become the major concern of the absurdist writer. It probes into the essence of manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s position in the universe and his inquiry for knowledge. The two characters on the stage, though apparently limited and undeveloped, examine a deeper and wider extent of human existence in which man is a play-thing employed by some superior beings (here someone called Wilson whose identity is unclear) to play their roles on the stage like puppets of no importance. Unaware Gus asks many questions, inquiring for knowledge, attempting to step beyond oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s limitations, an attempt which is futile in existentialism. Gus is the one who commits the crime and wants to transcend and find the cause-and-effect relationship in the course of the events, while, since the effect in exis tentialism precedes the cause, reasoning is an absurd thing. However, Gusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s desire for knowledge is discernible from the very beginning of the play: Ben. Kaw! What about this? Listen to this! He refers to the paper A man of eighty-seven wanted to cross the road. But there was a lot of traffic, see? He couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t see how he was going to squeeze through. So he crawled under a lorry. Gus. He what? Ben. He crawled under a lorry. A stationary lorry. Gus. No? Ben. The lorry started and ran over him. Gus. Go on! Ben. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s what it says here. Gus. Get away. Ben. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s enough to make you want to puke, isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸t it? Gus. Who advised him to do a thing like that? Ben. A man of eighty-seven crawling under a lorry! Gus. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s unbelievable. Ben. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s down here in black and white. Gus. Incredible. Or considering another part of the play: GUS I asked you a question. BEN Enough! GUS (with growing agitation). I asked you before. Who moved in? You said the people who had it before moved out. Well, who moved in? BEN (hunched). Shut up GUS I told you, didn’t I? BEN (standing). Shut up! GUS (feverishly). I told you before who owned this place, didn’t I? I told you BEN hits him viciously on the shoulder. I told you who ran this place, didn’t I? BEN hits him viciously on the shoulder As it is seen in this opening conversation, It is clear here that Gus is no longer the uncertain and subservient partner. Gus questions the possibility of that event in the society. He is looking for the cause, the origin or motivation by asking, â€Å"Who advised him to do a thing like that?† Meanwhile, Ben accepts it as it is without questioning its possibility. â€Å"Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s down here in black and white†, he simply states. Gus wants to know more about his job, about the disorders he sees in the basement or those who are on the upper floor. It is this perpetual questio ning that entrants him as the victim of the final scene. He is Benà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s Labrador, doing exactly as told as if he were unable to think for himself. Gus questions everything: Oh, I wanted to ask you something? . . . Gus. What time is he getting in touch? Ben reads. What time is he getting in touch? Ben. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s the matter with you? It could be any time. Any time . . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Gus (moves to the foot of Ben’s bed).Well, I was going to ask you a question. Ben. What? Gus. Have you noticed the time that tank takes to fill? Ben. What tank? Gus. In the lavatory. Here Gus is after knowledge so as to decrease the fear of unknown in himself while, Ben by preventing the thought of danger, does not allow the fear to imprison his mind. This, of course, makes the whole difference. Thus, the desire for knowledge itself causes the final catastrophe (the murder of Gus). If Be n had the knowledge to respond to Gusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s questions, there would be no conflict at all, and Gus could act more freely, or die knowingly. But life in Pinterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s view, like all other absurdist-existentialist writers, is a big game in which everything happens arbitrarily, and the gun that you have aimed at the other, may suddenly turn back at yourself.

Observational Studty Survey Research Statistics Project

Observational Studty Survey Research - Statistics Project Example However, more research or more information should be provided in this area of study in an effort to come up with preventive and control measures in addition to improvement and development programs on smoking cessation and anxiety disorders. Despite the fact that smoking has been identified as one of the leading health hazards, more that 21% of the population of United States still continue with the habit of smoking. High smoking prevalence rates have been observed among people with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety. Despite this realization, researches on the correlation between smoking and anxiety continue to receive less attention among researchers in comparison to other psychiatric conditions commonly witnessed with tobacco intake. This paper with the use of already existing literature, critically examines the correlation between anxiety and tobacco and nicotine dependence/use. To achieve this, the paper is based on a survey conducted by students from Pierce College and CSUN. Following the limitations on the extent of the researches carried out on the same issue, the paper had to include other reviews in addition to the survey and borrowed information from already conducted studies (Billings and Moss, 1998). The data on the correlation between smoking and anxiety has proved to be inconsistent depending on the smoking stage of the subject being investigated. Some of the evidences from different researches are in support of the notion that anxiety increases the smoking initiation risks. This includes a research conducted by Patton on adolescents which indicates that anxiety symptoms predicted and initiated smoking experiments among peers which in the long run increased the chances of such teenagers growing up to be daily smokers (Billings and Moss, 1998). There are several factors that have been observed to influence the relationship

Guidelines for Application Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Guidelines for Application - Assignment Example The paper is free of any grammatical or punctuation errors. The student presents a cohesive flow of information within the paper. There is some use of evidence and illustrations throughout the paper. The introduction of the paper clearly explains the topic and states the purpose of the paper. The student gives a brief and complete summary of most of the information contained in the paper. The student also correctly uses APA referencing guidelines throughout the paper. The paper has very few grammatical and punctuation errors. The flow if information is acceptable. There is use of some of evidence and illustrations in the paper. There is an introduction that explains the topic and tries to state the purpose of the paper. The paper’s summary highlights some of the main points of the paper. The student uses APA referencing format and his or her paper has few grammatical and punctuation errors. The flow of information is illogical. There is limited use of evidence and illustrations in the paper. The introduction does not explain the topic and the purpose of the paper logically. The paper’s summary does not talk about some the main points of the paper. The student does not use the correct APA referencing format and his or her paper has very many grammatical and punctuation errors. The body of the paper does not highlight any of the major elements of blood flow through the heart. Subheadings are not used and the summary is either missing or does not state the major points of the paper. The body of the paper highlights some of the important elements of blood flow through the heart. Different subheadings are used for various stages that describe the blood flow process. The summary at the end of the paper is brief and concise and consists some of the major points discussed in the body of the paper. The body of the paper highlights most of the important elements of blood flow through the heart.

Sona Of Pnoy Essay Example for Free

Sona Of Pnoy Essay This is my sixth SONA. Once again, I face Congress and our countrymen to report on the state of our nation. More than five years have passed since we put a stop to the culture of wang-wang, not only in our streets, but in society at large; since we formally took an oath to fight corruption to eradicate poverty; and since the Filipino people, our bosses, learned how to hope once more. My bosses, this is the story of our journey along the Straight Path. Just last Friday, we inaugurated the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway. This is the first Public-Private Partnership project that we approved, and the first such PPP project opened to the public under our administration. Under the previous administrations: It was as if the government had to beg the private sector just to gain their participation. Now, companies are the ones seemingly courting the government-for MCX in particular, we were paid a premium of P925 million just so that our private partner could have the privilege of building the infrastructure we need. In fact, they are so confident that this project will earn them a profit, that they said the first month of toll operations at MCX is free. We have indeed come so far. And, in order for us to appreciate just how far we have travelled, let us recall where we started. When we came into office, we found a citizenry that had grown desensitized to the many allegations of lying, cheating, and stealing in government. Those in power boasted of the country having enough classrooms. In truth: classes had to be held in four shifts. Students went to school while it was still dark, and others would go home long after the dark of night had well and truly fallen. All of them were left in the dark because they were not accorded sufficient time in the classroom for learning. Our predecessor took pride in uninterrupted growth during her last SONA. Scrutinize what she said, however, and you would realize that a significant portion of this growth was fueled by remittances from Filipinos who had lost hope in our country. As they say: People were voting with their feet. If I were to imitate that style of governance, I would be loath to claim a success borne of forcing my countrymen to escape our shores. As the 2004 elections approached, more than 700 million pesos were allegedly used to buy fertilizer that was not suitable for crops; the endeavor was costly; and in many instances, the farmers who should have received the farming supplements never saw it. We ask: Who was nourished by such fertilizers? Definitely neither the farmers nor their crops. Perhaps  you also remember the NBN-ZTE scandal. We investigated this in the Senate; someone said there was an attempt to bribe him. When we undertook an inquiry, this person did not want to testify; he claimed executive privilege. Of course, we couldnt summon the sitting President-hence, the only one we could question was her henchman accused of bribery. Naturally, he denied the accusation. During those times, even children became familiar with the word scam. You might also remember Hello Garci, to which the answer was a mere I am sorry. The genuine bank accounts of the nonexistent Jose Pidal. The attempt to convene a Constitutional Assembly, so that they could stay in power for the rest of their lives. There was Executive Order 464, which tried to stifle the truth. The declaration of a State of Emergency, in order to do away with the checks and balances for Martial Law as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. There were midnight appointments. The policy known as Calibrated Preemptive Response, which was used against protesters. Even on the level of grammar, this is wrong. How could a response come before anything else? Its like saying you replied to someone who never texted you. These were the headlines that greeted us every time we had breakfast in the years before we came into office. The moment we assumed the presidency, we began to unearth anomaly after anomaly. In my previous SONAs, I have already mentioned some of them: In the National Food Authority, they allowed the debt to bloat from P12.3 billion pesos in 2001, to P176.8 billion in June 2010. Even worse: they continued to import rice, only to have it rot in warehouses. In PAGCOR, a billion pesos went to coffee. In the MWSS: excessive bonuses, one on top of the other. For the Laguna Lake: an attempt to waste over P18 billion just to play with mud. Indeed: I could not comprehend how those behind such controversies could willingly benefit from the suffering of our countrymen. Every government official takes an oath to do right by our countrymen and to uphold the law. But it was clear: our predecessor did precisely the opposite. We were all witnesses to the most appalling example, when 58 Filipinos were massacred in Maguindanao in November 2009. To think about committing such a crime was already heinous. To do it, which they did, was even worse. The worst offense of all: Their belief that they could get away with it, because they were in power-which is why they carried out their plans in the first place. These are only a few examples; there are many others. With this kind of situation,  can we really blame our countrymen for losing sight of hope, and consequently, leaving our country? Like you, the thought of giving up had crossed my mind. When my mother died, my confidence diminished further; our familys leader and inspiration to pursue change was gone. At her wake, someone approached me and suggested that I run for the presidency. My immediate response: I am not a masochist. I was one of the people calling for an end to impunity and wrongdoing; I understood just how dire the situation was. I was also certain they had deliberately hidden details from us, and the real problems were bigger than what we knew. When you called me to serve, my question was: If I am unable to solve these problems quickly, how long will it take before my bosses lose their patience, and instead direct all their anger at me? One of those who convinced me to run was Alex Lacson. He said: To simply put an end to all the abuse would suffice. To stop the hemorrhaging would be enough. Let us listen to him: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Alex Lacson In 2008, our country was ranked by the World Bank as one of the most corrupt in the world. Our self-confidence and morale as a people was very low. At the time, many of my friends and I were looking for a good man, not just a good politician to be our president in 2010. Then, President Cory passed away, and Senator Noynoy spoke at her funeral. That is when we truly saw him. My friends encouraged me to lead the public call to urge Senator Noynoy to run for president. My friends and I went to the house of Senator Noynoy in Times Street. We brought a yellow drum and we encouraged the public to write letters. Within 24 hours there was an outpouring of public support for Senator Noynoy to run for public office. I did not expect him to be superman and solve all our problems in the country; we expected him only to begin reform. Mr. President, thank you for heeding the call of the people in 2010, and thank you, too, for respecting my beliefs, even as we disagreed on a number of issues. Mr. President, continue to lead our country on the right path. [Applause] From the start, we already knew that corruption was the root of all our peoples suffering. Thus, our battlecry: where there is no corruption, there will be no poverty. Tremendous perseverance, courage, political will, and  faith in God and in our fellowmen were needed in order to breathe life into this ideal. Of course, the masterminds of the old system were not meek lambs, willing to see the end of their opportunity to take advantage of others. They used, and continue to use, their influence and wealth to fight our agenda of change. They also used their power to prepare life preservers for when the time of judgment came. The Ombudsman who should have been appointed to guard against corruption allegedly played blind to all the scandals of the past administration. She was impeached in the House of Representatives, and resigned from her post before she could be tried in the Senate. The Chief Justice who seemed to have a bias for the one who appointed him, was proven to have hidden we alth and properties not disclosed in his SALN. He was impeached in the House and convicted in the Senate. To replace them, we appointed men and women with integrity and independent minds. The new Ombudsman: Conchita Carpio-Morales. The new Chief Justice: Ma. Lourdes Sereno. Now, she has sufficient time to implement reform in the Judiciary. [Applause] Even in other agencies, we appointed honest and fearless leaders. We immediately placed Chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan in the COA. In the Executive, we likewise appointed uncompromising persons: Commissioner Kim Henares in the BIR and Secretary Leila de Lima [applause] in the Department of Justice. They did not back down from any challenge in fulfilling their mandates. To all of you, I give my heartfelt thanks. Whether in the top, middle, or bottom of the bureaucracy, so many have been suspended, removed from their positions, made accountable through cases filed against them, or even imprisoned. If there is anyone who still doubts that justice is blind in the Philippines, it would be best if they turned their attention to the three senators currently detained, or to a former president still under hospital arrest. There are some who say we should move on. Personally, I believe in what George Santayana said: Those who forget the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat it. Just take a look at the actions of those who have wronged us. They will first work to ensure we forget what they have done. After this, they will say, Have pity on us. They already took advantage of us; now they are trying to take advantage of the Filipinos innate penchant for forgiveness, in order to escape accountability. The next step: they will find a way to return to power. Isnt that their master plan-so that they can continue to take advantage of  us? I learned from my parents, from the church, and from the processes of our laws: Whatever reconciliation must come from the confession and repentance of those who have committed wrong. Can you remember an instance in which anyone said, Im sorry I stole from you and abused you; I am ready to change? For my part: We can only move on once justice has been attained. [Applause] We continued to reform our institutions, in order to refocus them towards their true mandates. For example: Government Owned and Controlled Corporations. Appointees to GOCCs swore to safeguard our peoples money. The sad fact is, even when the GOCCs were mired in debt, they showered themselves with benefits and incentives left and right. If we liken their institutions to cattle, theyd just as soon butcher the cow for meat, even as they milk it. This is why in the past administration, dividends collected over nine and a half years only amounted to P84.18 billion. Under our administration: the number of GOCCs has already been reduced by shutting down those deemed irrelevant, and yet because of improved management: the dividends we have collected in the five years we have been in office have now reached P131.86 billion. [Applause] It isnt unlikely that, before we step down from office, we will be able to double the dividends collected by our predecessor who had much more time to accumulate these funds. [Applause] This is the same commitment we have shown in the BIR, which is the biggest revenue-generating agency of the government. When we stepped in, the highest collection on record was in 2008, at P778.6 billion. We surpassed this by leaps and bounds. In 2012, the BIR collected P1.06 trillion-the first time in our history we have breached the 1 trillion mark for collections. [Applause] Last year, the number went up to P1.3 trillion; this 2015, we will collect up to P1.5 trillion. [Applause] We only needed five years to match, surpass, and almost double our predecessors record high-and we did this without imposing new taxes, as promised, apart from Sin Tax Reform. [Applause] How did we do this? It was simple. I believe that Commissioner Kim Henares is a kind person, but those against whom she filed cases might have a different opinion. Commissioner Kim Henares spared no tax evader. [Applause] 380 cases have already been filed against those who attempted to evade taxes. She also made the system for tax payment more efficient, and made clear to everyone their civic duty to contribute to the development of our country. For the National Budget: under the previous administration, the  budget was always reenacted, whether partially or fully. In 2007, for example, it was almost April when the General Appropriations Act (GAA) was approved. It was already worrying that projects that had been completed received funding once more. Even worse: Even the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, including salaries, were included in this reenacted budget. What this means: funds were allotted again for salaries-even if all had already received what was due them for the first three months of 2007. I wonder: Where did the excess funds that were allotted and requested for go? What we have proven: if the Executive proposes a reasonable budget, the dialogue with the members of Congress will go smoothly. The faster the GAA is passed, the quicker services will reach our countrymen, and the sooner will we be able to alleviate their suffering. The message was clear: We are serious about change; the playing field is level. The result: Confidence in our economy. When we began, I did not think that we would immediately win back the global communitys confidence in the Philippines. I only thought of fixing the crooked system to prevent our people from sinking deeper into poverty. Let me ask you: Did it ever occur to you that we would continue rising in global competitiveness rankings, and that we would be recognized for the speed with which our economy has grown? In fact, the Philippines is now being called Asias Rising Tiger, Asias Rising Star, and Asias Bright Spot. [Applause] Now, for the first time in history, we are unanimously deemed investment grade by the most prominent credit rating agencies. This is a signal to businessmen that it is worthwhile to invest in the Philippines. The risks of doing business here have decreased. Now, with lower interest rates and more flexible debt payment schedules, more investors are finding it attractive to bet on the Philippines. Through the institution and expansion of businesses, commerce becomes more lively, competition strengthens, and even more opportunities are created. All this has been a direct result of reforms we made along the Straight Path. [Applause] Just look: back in 2010, net foreign direct investment i n our country was at $1.07 billion. In 2014, net foreign direct investments reached $6.2 billion. [Applause] This is the highest ever recorded in our entire history. The numbers for domestic investments are likewise impressive; now, Filipinos are betting on their fellow Filipinos. Let us compare: from the time this was first measured back in 2003 until 2010, the  amount of approved domestic investments totaled just P1.24 trillion. Under our watch, from the third quarter of 2010 until the end of 2014, the amount invested by our countrymen in the market reached P2.09 trillion. [Applause] In manufacturing: I admit, during my first year in office, one of the things furthest from my mind was the idea that we could reinvigorate this sector. The industry faced many challenges: electricity, for one, was both expensive and unreliable. It was also no small feat to establish facilities here, because of the large investment involved in buying machines and training employees. This is why, back then, we had to import even low-tech electric fans. Thanks to the reforms that have restored confidence in our nation, manufacturing growth has accelerated-from 3 percent annually between 2001 and 2009, to 8 percent from 2010 to 2014. [Applause] It is clear: The Filipino can compete. In the past, our only selling point was low wages. Now, investors are bringing to our country factories that produce hi-tech equipment: from aircraft components, electric tricycles, printers, and other digital media products, to high-quality medical devices like aortic catheters and devices for in vitro diagnostics and hemodialysis treatment. Let us listen to a businessman who will tell us of the new business climate in the Philippines: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Peter Perfecto, Makati Business Club One of the most important things this administration has accomplished was reversing the corruption trends of the previous administration. Without the rule of law, the advantage went to corporations that were complicit with the systemic bribery and a faulty tax system. President Aquino has walked the talk. He has delivered on his promises. They arrested the former president, the three senators, and ousted a Chief Justice who were all once thought to be untouchable. The strong message has been sent. Because of the rule of law and the commitment to good governance this administration has made, our foreign direct investments rose from P2 billion to P6.2 billion. We have made a huge leap forward: jumping 33 places in the rankings set by the world Economic Forum; and according to them, this is a result of this administrations anti-corruption agenda-all because of the changes that this government has enacted. It is the responsibility of each Filipino to learn from these recent achievements and ensure that we continue moving forward with the coming administration. [Applause] We all know that the primary measure of economic improvement for the common Filipino is the creation of jobs. Let us look at what weve achieved in this area. Every year, around 80,000 new entrants join our labor force. Now, consider the fact that there are reports of overseas Filipinos returning home. In 2011, our Department of Foreign Affairs reported that there were around 9.51 million overseas Filipinos. Based on the latest estimates in December 2014, that number went down to 9.07 million. It is reasonable to say that a good number of the estimated 400,000 Filipinos represented by that decrease came home and were able to find work. [Applause] Despite the fact that there are new entrants, returnees, and previously unemployed Filipinos, our unemployment rate still dropped to 6.8 percent last year. This is the lowest recorded in a decade. [Applause] Let me be clear: We created permanent jobs; we did not hire an abundance of street sweepers during the period the labor survey was condu cted, just to boost results. Together with creating real jobs, we are also fostering a good relationship between labor and management throughout the country. Let us compare. In the nine and a half years of the previous administration, the number of strikes that occurred were 199, or roughly 21 strikes for each year. In our five years in office, the total strikes were only 15. [Applause] In fact, in 2013, there was only a single strike recorded in the country. This is the lowest recorded in the history of DOLE. [Applause] It is because of this that we are truly impressed with Secretary Linda Baldoz and our labor and management sector. [Applause] To Sec. Linda: you are not only efficient; you are also very positive which makes you the type of colleague who is a pleasure to work with. That is why you are considered the Pastor of the Cabinet. Thank you, very much, for all your efforts, Linda. [Applause] The transformation has indeed been vast. Before, the signs we would always see proclaimed, No Vacancy, didnt they? Today, announcements that say, For Immediate Hiring are scattered everywhere; you need only open a newspaper to see classified ads from many companies who are hiring. Some of them have even been getting creative with incentives. Theres this one company that says: just come in for an interview and your breakfast is on them. Once youre hired, theyll cover your treat to friends and family to celebrate your new job. Some businessmen have even mentioned to me that they are  finding it difficult to hire accountants. I remember when I was younger, a lot of people were taking up BS Commerce, Major in Accountancy. When I visited Bicol University, I mentioned this to their president. I had to ask: Am I correct in the knowledge that your university has an accountancy program? Their reply: Yes, but even we are having trouble filling our accounting department. Why? Their president said that their students, even in their t hird year of college, are already being recruited by accounting and auditing firms. [Applause] This is happening precisely because we have worked to address what is called the job-skills mismatch. In the past, so many of our countrymen were saying that they had no jobs, even when there were so many unfilled positions listed in the PhilJob-Net website. The simple reason: the skillset of our countrymen did not match what the market needed. The solution to this was also simple: Talk to prospective employers and ask them what skills are demanded by the positions they are opening. Now, it is in these skills that we train Filipinos, so that they can maximize opportunities. The principle behind our strategy of governance: instead of giving our countrymen fish, we will teach them how to fish. We are ensuring that the progress we have made and the opportunities that have been created can be maximized by our fellowmen. We cannot wait for the benefits of growth to trickle down to the poorest Filipinos; we cannot leave it to chance, or hope for the best. Our commitment: Inclusive growth. The agenda: assistance, knowledge, skills training, and health, to ensure that no one is left behind. One of our mechanisms: the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. We have vastly expanded the scope of this program. Now, more than 4.4 million households are feeling the benefits of this program. [Applause] This is extremely far from the 786,523 households covered by the program when we entered office. This year, 333,673 graduated from high school; they are part of the first batch of beneficiaries under the expanded Pantawid Pamilya. 13,469 of these youth graduated with honors and a variety of awards. [Applause] In fact, the two beneficiaries I met were accepted into Civil Engineering, a quota course in the University of the Philippines. All of these beneficiaries will gain important knowledge; instead of entering menial jobs once they graduate, it is almost certain that they will find jobs that will pay them a decent salary. Their income tax alone will repay the states investment, and we will be able to continue the cycle of  empowering those in need. The brighter future that awaits the honor students the program assisted is just an added bonus. Let us listen to one of those assisted by Pantawid Pamilya. Translated transcript of Testimonial of Alyannah, CCT beneficiary I work much harder now. I knew the trials my family faced because of poverty. When we were enrolled in the Conditional Cash Transfer program, I saw that people wanted to help us. I knew they wanted nothing in return-but, for me, the only way I could repay their kindness was through my studies. The money we get from the government was never wasted. We were able to finance all of my school expenses. I was so happy when I got into my dream school, the University of the Philippines. The CCT program gave me a chance to get a good education, which helped me finish high school; and now Im on my way to college. I know this program is on the receiving end of a lot of criticism, but I want to tell President Benigno Aquino that they need only to look at me-at us. We are proof that the money set aside by the government for this program is not a dole-out. The money goes towards a worthy pursuit, which I know one day will help uplif t the entire country. [Applause] Under Pantawid Pamilya, in exchange for assistance, the primary focus of beneficiaries must be the education of their children. This has already borne early fruit: according to studies conducted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, in 2008, there were 2.9 million out-of-school children in the country. The years passed and our population grew, but in 2013, only 1.2 million out-of-school children remained. Let me emphasize the difference: 1.7 million. [Applause] Its as if we filled around 42,500 empty classrooms with students. Of course, apart from the Pantawid Pamilya, the Alternative Learning System also helped to ensure that even indigenous peoples and street children are not left behind. And yet, there are still some who ask: Where are the results of Pantawid Pamilya? Our answer: Oh come on. They seem to think that Pantawid Pamilya is like a magic tablet that, once taken by a child in kindergarten, turns that child into a college graduate after only a few hours. [La ughter and applause] Perhaps, they did not have enough time to study during their time; let us help them count: K to 12 lasts 13 years, while my term only lasts for six. Now we see  whos trying to deceive us. There are even some who had the guts to raise an outcry and shout: There are leakages in Pantawid Pamilya. Then we discovered they used data from 2009, just to have something to criticize. Let me remind them: I became President halfway through 2010; perhaps you should be asking another president to explain the alleged leakage. [Applause] I guarantee that, when the time comes that the beneficiaries of this program are contributing to the economy, those who are criticizing it today will be falling over themselves to proclaim that they are the father or mother of the expanded Pantawid Pamilya. Now, in the sector of education: we are making sure that the deficits of the past are erased and the needs of the present are addressed, even as we prepare for the future. In just our first two years in office, we were able to close the backlogs we inherited of 61.7 million textbooks and 2.5 million school chairs. In 2013, the backlog of 66,800 classrooms was finally eliminated and the backlog of 145,827 teachers was likewise addressed, with the help of our LGU partners. [Applause] According to the estimates of DepEd, from 2010 up to 2017, the total amount of new students: 4.7 million. This is because of the increase of enrollees and the implementation of the K to 12 program. In order to meet this vast increase, we need to add an estimated 118,000 classrooms to what we already have. 33,608 of these have already been constructed. This year, we are slated to construct more than 41,000 more. Funds for the remaining 43,000 classrooms have already been included in the proposed 2016 budget that we will pass tomorrow, which we hope you will approve. [Applause] The number of teachers we will need are estimated at 130,000. In 2014, we have already hired 29,444. This year, the total number of teachers we target to hire: 39,000. The remaining 60,000 positions will be covered in the proposed 2016 budget, which we hope you will approve as well. [Applause] According to Bro. Armin, the sum total of the classrooms our administration has constructed and the teachers we have hired exceeds the cumulative total of classrooms built and teachers hired in the past twenty years before we came into office. We have already turned over 73.9 million textbooks that will be followed by an addition 88.7 million this year. In 2015 as well, 1.6 million school seats were delivered to schools, and we will add another 1.6 million before the en d of the year. After eliminating the existing backlog in classrooms, we constructed or continue to construct 33,621 classrooms, while  allotting funds for the construction of 41,728 more. For teachers: 39,000 are already being hired by DepEd for this school year alone. Tomorrow, we will submit the budget for 2016; included in it are funds for an additional 103.2 million textbooks, 4.4 million school seats, 43,000 classrooms, and 60,000 new teaching positions. Everyone can see: we will not leave further sources of headaches for those who will succeed us. [Applause] Let me be clear: We implemented K to 12 because it is not practical to cram learning in a 10-year basic education cycle. May I remind you, that we are one of the three countries left in the world with a 10-year basic education cycle. The credentials of our countrymen working overseas are already being questioned; there are also some who have been demoted because our diplomas are supposedly not proof of sufficient knowledge. If the past educational system can be likened to a mango induced to ripen under artificial circumstances; now, we are ensuring that the abilities of our students are fully developed, so that they can take hold of their futures. Let us listen to a story that is proof of this: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Rezia Joy Jianoran My father has been a jeepney driver all my life. When I was in my second year of high school, my mom suffered a stroke. I didnt ask, but I knew that they couldnt afford to send me to college. Instead of dropping out of school, I decided to continue my studies under the K to 12 program. My chosen track of specialization was the Drafting Technology course. Part of the K to 12 program is the career immersion. I was assigned to CLP Metal, a metal fabrication company. I was tasked to design machines. This machine was designed to de-hair pigs. Once a pig is processed, after several seconds, it comes out without any hair. A machine like this can only be bought abroad. Because of the design by CLP, were able to adjust to the budget restrictions of our customers. Im extremely proud because when you think about it: how many 19-year olds can say they have designed a machine? Im proud that Im a K to 12 graduate because I can now support my family. And Im learning while Im earning. [Applause] Should these graduates choose to go into tech-voc, the programs we enhanced are already waiting for them. 7.8 million have already graduated from the  different courses of the Technical Vocational Education and Training overseen by TESDA. Under the Training for Work Scholarship Program alone, the number of graduates have already reached 821,962. Perhaps you are wondering: what is their situation today? According to studies, 71.9 percent of graduates were able to find employment right away, compared to the 28.5 percent recorded before. There are even some industries breaking records: for example, the employment rate for the entire semiconductors and electronics industry has already reached 91.26 percent-just a little more, and well be at 100 percent. [Applause] Secretary Joel Villanueva told us before of an OFW forced to return home; she thought there was no hope to improve her lot in life. Then, she studied hilot wellness massage in TESDA; now, her spa already has 4 branches. In my last SONA, I also told you of a PWD who was once a barker; he is now an escalation supervisor in a BPO. [Applause] A success story from the Sari-sari Store Training and Access to Resources Program, or STAR: there was a sari-sari store owner who used to earn 800 pesos a day; now, her daily earnings have reached 4,000 pesos. If you sum everything up, her earnings are more or less equivalent to my salary, even if we do not experience the same type of stress. [Laughter] How did this happen? She was trained in bookkeeping, inventory management, accounting, and other disciplines. Whats extremely impressive: the STAR program even teaches students how to ensure that their profits are maximized. Let us listen to one of those who benefited from TESDAs program: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Ma. Theresa Tomaro, TESDA Star Program trainee My husband and I were both unemployed when we started training with the STAR program. We were taught how to manage and grow a business. When we started our sari-sari store, it was made out of bamboo. Now, its walls are made of concrete. This not only helps us, but also our children. We are able to give them good lives. Ive been able to sell a lot of things. My income has doubled since then. Id like to thank Secretary Joel Villanueva because of their program, I was able to have the opportunity to show my ability to run my own business. [Applause] Now, on the sector of health. To many Filipinos, falling ill poses a serious challenge to the fulfillment of their dreams. Families climbing the ladder of progress, return back to zero once they are struck by illness. Not only  are their savings emptied, they also fall deep into debt. When we came into office, only 47 million Filipinos were beneficiaries of PhilHealth. We have almost doubled this number: just this past June, PhilHealth coverage has reached 89.4 million Filipinos. [Applause] The transformation we wrought: Before, during elections, new PhilHealth beneficiaries seemed to sprout up like mushrooms. Instead of the basis for membership being the interest of Filipinos, it became manipulated to serve the electoral candidates interest. Now, we have corrected that system. There is more good news in the sector of health. In 2012, we announced: If your family is part of the lowest quintile, or the poorest 20 percent of our population, and you are seeking treatment in public hospitals, then we guarantee that you will not have to pay a single centavo. Beginning in 2014, this has expanded to cover the next quintile of our society. This means that for the poorest 40 percent of the population, treatment in public hospitals is free. This is the care that some have called inefficient and uncaring. The only thing I have to say to them, as Aiza Seguerra said back in the day: I thank you, bow. [Applause] Now, let us hear some of the results of the improved PhilHealth program: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Danilo Espiritu, PhilHealth beneficiary I was diagnosed with quadruple clogs in the coronary area. We didnt know how we could afford the operation. The first hospital we went to said the operation would cost 300,000 pesos. At [the Philippine General Hospital], it would cost 700,000 pesos. At UST hospital, they said it was 800,000 pesos. But when one of the doctors learned that my wife was covered by PhilHealth, he said our case qualified under the Z-Package, and we could push through with the operation. We just stood up then and went to fix the paperwork, and I was provided the opportunity to extend my life. The service I got at the hospital was comparable to that received by a private hospital patient. I wasnt considered a charity case. I was a full-fledged paying patient, and PhilHealth paid for my operation. To be honest, I didnt pay for anything. The little money that we did save, we were able to use for the post-operation expenses. Im thankful for PhilHealth and our government for implementing these kinds of projects, which genuinely help people in need. ____________________ Translated transcript of Testimonial of Governor Lilia Pineda Sin Tax should have been implemented earlier; its the answer to our goal of providing universal healthcare. It was a big help to the province of Pampanga: in the past, the Capitol spent over 400 million pesos a year in health aid. But when the Sin Tax Law was implemented, those who needed healthcare were covered by PhilHealth. We are truly grateful to President Aquino because the project provided a huge relief for Pampanga. The money saved was used to fund other important projects. The proceeds of the Sin Tax also went towards the construction of a birthing station, hospital renovations, and the construction of health centers. Were so thankful to the President for caring for the poor who suffer sickness. [Applause] Let us again return to the story of the past five years. We went after the corrupt and we cleaned the systems, which redounded to confidence in our markets. Businesses came into the country, opportunities expanded, all while we empowered Filipinos to gain decent employment. They patronized these businesses, which, having recognized that the playing field is level, know they can profit without having to resort to illegal activities. They then expand their operations, and employ even more people. This is a cycle: justice, trust, economic growth, the creation of opportunities, progress. Boss, this is the very spirit of, Where there is no corruption, there is no poverty. [Applause] And we did not just achieve change. The transformation we are experiencing today has already exceeded the expectations we had in the beginning. The Cadastral Survey, which was started in 1913, has been completed by us. It took almost a century for those who came before us to complete 46 percent of this survey. The more than half left to be done, we finished in just five years in government. This Cadastral Survey identifies the boundaries of the land covered by each city, municipality, and province in the Philippines. In ARMM, for example, it was as if the land gave birth to more land: according to the maps, there are only 1.2 million hectares belonging to the region, but if we were to add up all the lands being claimed, they would reach a total of 3.7 million hectares. Now, because we have fixed the land record system through the Cadastral Survey, no new land will be birthed in ARMM. In 2011, we conducted an inventory of sitios, and we identified those that were still without electricity. Through the Sitio  Electrification Program, we were able to bring light to 25,257 communities identified through this inventory. On top of this, because of the use of solar energy and other technology, even far-flung and isolated areas that would be difficult to connect to the grid already have electricity. Now, around 93 percent of sitios in the Philippines have already been energized; the DOE has guaranteed that, before we step down from office, all the rest of the sitios from the 2011 tally will have electricity. [Applause] Now, let us watch a farmer who has benefited from our Sitio Electrification Program. Translated transcript It was difficult when we didnt have electricity; you just had to bear with it. We could only power our homes with fuel sources. We first got electricity this July, and we were so happy when switched on the lights here at home for the very first time. We can now watch movie tapes or listen to good music. The children are now able to study at night. Im even able to work at night because now I can charge my spotlight during the day, and because Im more productive, I earn more. Our lives have changed for the better now that we finally have access to electricity. Were able to be more efficient-an example would be our weaving. With sewing machines, we can create more beautiful designs, which we can sell at a better price. Food processing needs equipment, which runs on electricity. Students can use the Internet for research. Electricity has brought good things to Bauko. Congratulations to our President for making Bauko a better place to live in. [Applause] In the sector of aviation, there has also been a steady stream of good news: in 2013, the International Civil Aviation Organization lifted the significant safety concerns it had imposed on our country back in 2009. In the same year, the European Union allowed our flag carrier to resume its flights to Europe. The following year saw another local carrier receiving approval from the European Union, while the US Federal Aviation Administration upgraded us to Category 1, from the Category 2 downgrade we had received in 2008. Because of these developments, incoming and outgoing flights are increasing, and it is also becoming easier for tourists to fly around the Philippines. Even better news: just this June, the EU Air Safety  Committee removed its ban on all our air carriers-the first time that it has lifted its ban on the entire civil aviation sector of a country. Now, all our airlines will be able to fly directly to the United Kingdom, Italy, and other countries part of the EU. In seafaring: in 2006, the European Maritime Safety Agency or EMSA was already questioning our compliance to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. Because of this, there was a threat that the EU would no longer recognize our maritime education certificates. If we did not act, there would have been the chance that an estimated 80,000 Filipino seafarers working on European boats would be out of jobs. MARINA and the DOTC went to work quickly in order to match our maritime education certificates to global standards. To this day, the EU continues to recognize our certifications. Come EMSAs next audit, which will begin in October, MARINA guarantees: We will definitely pass. [Applause] To Sec. Jun Abaya: May you not waver in your resolve, even when it seems that some have forgotten all that you have done for our sailors, ICAOs lifting of the significant safety concerns it had imposed on our sector, the European Unions lifting of the ban on our airplanes, and the Federal Aviation [Administration] upgrading us to Category 1. It was also you who banned boats from setting out to see during typhoons, which helped to keep passengers away from danger. It is now rare for us to receive news about ships sinking during typhoons. All of these achievements have seemingly been cast aside, because of the complicated challenges in the public transport sector. The biggest example of this is the MRT. Few mention that we have partners from the private sector in this endeavor, who remember their entitlements, but seem to have forgotten their obligations. This partner of ours is supposed to be in charge of maintenance. In 2008, there should have been a general overhaul of the MRT, but upon DOTCs inspection, only token cosmetic changes were undertaken. This lack of care practically guaranteed the breakdown of our trains. Is it not in the interest of all companies to make sure that they get their moneys worth from their investment? Yet, they allowed the situation to deteriorate, to the point where, at very short notice, they just passed the job of improving the MRT onto us. When we made moves to undertake improvements, suddenly, they wanted to take back the responsibility of maintenance. However, their proposal was significantly more expensive than  hours. This would, of course, translate to added expense and aggravation for our people. We did not agree to this, and began the process of obtaining new train coaches. But because the MRTC was adamant, they were able to obtain a TRO on the procurement. That is why the MRT situation has come to this. Sec. Jun: You, I, and the entire population of Metro Manila are not pleased with what is happening. The private sector relegated their responsibility to us; when we made moves to provide a solution, they blocked us. It is clear that our agenda and that of the MRTC will never meet. Now, we are taking steps to buy out the corporation. Once this is fixed, the state will be the sole decisionmaker. While we are undertaking this process, we are already implementing immediate maintenance work. Bigger, more long-term solutions are also set to arrive. Next month, we can expect the delivery of the prototype for new coaches; once this passes scrutiny, beginning in January, three coaches will be delivered every month until our order of 48 coaches has been completed. The process to obtain new rails is underway, together with the upgrading of the signaling and automatic fare collecting systems; all this, we expect to be completed before we step down from office. The power supply of our trains will be upgraded before the end of 2016. There are 12 escalators that will be fixed before the end of the year, while the procurement for the rehabilitation of 34 more escalators and 32 elevators is ongoing. Let me remind everyone: When it comes to these matters, we cannot take shortcuts in the processes; we do not want our measures to be hampered by lawsuits left and right. There are some who say that I wear blinders, when it comes to those who have long been my companions on the Straight Path. Me? I see the good things, but I also see the bad. Am I the one with blinders? Or is it those who insist on seeing only the bad things? On our Armed Forces: Back in November 2010, tensions arose once more between North and South Korea; there were fears that war would break out in the peninsula. We needed a plan to evacuate the 46,000 Filipinos in South Korea, as well as the eight Filipinos in North Korea. When I asked the AFP about the assets we could use in an evacuation, they said that the Air Force has a lone C-130. The shortest duration for a round trip? 10 hours. The capacity: around 100 people. I made some calculations: We needed to move 46,000 Filipinos away from conflict, which meant that, under the most ideal conditions, we would need 460 round trips, which would take 4,600 hours each. This is equivalent  to 200 days of travel. No one can count on an old C-130 to cope with such heavy usage. If we deployed ships, each could carry 1,000 people at a time, but we would be lucky if each round trip could be completed within 10 days. Should further conflict break out, there was the chance that the entire situation would have been over by the time we evacuated of our people. We took immediate action to address these limitations. Now, from one functional C-130, we now have three at our disposal, and we are planning to acquire two more. There are others to accompany them: The first of three C-295 medium lift transports has arrived, with the other two arriving within the year. We also expect the delivery of two more light lift transports before the end of 2015. [Applause] If we ever encounter another spate of problems like what happened in 2013, we are going to need more assets. When Yolanda struck, our docks were destroyed, and our ability to deliver aid was hampered. In s uch situations, landing craft utilities are invaluable because of their ability to dock on any shore. Now, we have increased the number of our landing craft utilities from four to ten. There is the BRP Tagbanua. By next week, two Landing Craft Heavy will arrive from Australia; the turnover of these vessels was very generous: they even came with spare parts and generators. We plan on buying three more; once all the paperwork has been put in order, the processes to procure them will begin. These vessels will reduce our dependence on the kindness of other nations; we will be able to accelerate delivery to different parts of the Philippines, and more promptly send aid, supplies, and other heavy equipment such as bulldozers, which are needed for clearing and relief operations. [Applause] To better watch over our territory, we have also acquired 12 FA-50 fighters to replace our F5 fighter jets that were retired in 2005. The first two units will arrive in December, and the rest of the deliveries will be completed by 2017. We have also acquired war ships such as the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and the Ramon Alcaraz, seven of 13 AW-109 helicopters, six of eight Bell-412 helicopters, 617 troop carrier trucks, and 50,629 assault rifles. Our target is to obtain two more frigates, six Close Air Support Aircrafts, 142 armored personnel carriers, and other new items such as 49,135 units of force protection equipment, 2,884 grenade launchers, and an additional 23,622 assault rifles. [Applause] In total, we have completed 56 projects for modernization, and I have approved 30 more. Compare this to the 45 projects completed by the three  administrations that came before us combined. Let us listen to one of our servicemen from the Air Force: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Jun Perry, member of the Philippine Air Force For the record, Sir, our Air Force now has actual force. There was a joke or stigma back then that the Air Force was all air and no force. Ive only recently joined the Philippine Air Force, but I spent four years in the Philippine Military Academy, where we learned of the value of air power and air defense. During those four years, we found that the Philippine Air Force was losing its strength. But luckily the long wait is over. In December of 2012, President Aquino signed RA 10349. Now, the Philippine Air Force is receiving adequate advancement. It boosts morale. Ive heard confirmation from our Army classmates themselves. One of them even said: Mistah, when I heard the sound of the chopper taking flight, I was so inspired. This is a dream that has slowly, but surely turned into a reality. [Applause] As for our police, for the first time in our history, each of our policemen has his or her own firearm. Furthermore, to improve the capacity of our police force to shoot, scoot, and communicate, we have distributed 302 patrol jeeps, which are only part of the 2,523 that we have procured. We have also distributed 179 of 577 new utility vehicles, as well as 12,399 handheld radios. We are likewise procuring 30,136 long firearms, 3,328 investigative kits, and another 16,867 radios. Let us listen to some of our policemen, who talk about how these efforts have helped them in their work: Translated transcript of Testimonial of Melvin Velasquez When I entered the police service in 2003, I was issued a .38 revolver. Sometimes some of the criminals we encountered were equipped with high-powered weapons. The .38 revolver paled in comparison to the ones used by criminals. In fact, I had to buy my own gun. It is difficult for us law enforcers when we encounter situations where we really have to risk our lives. It was a big change when all policemen were finally given their own guns. We know that we can depend on the firearms issued by the government to us. Those of us in the service dream of owning our own house and lot; it was only during this administration that such a dream was realized. As a  low-ranking law enforcer, I really feel the reforms instituted by our President-one of which is the value accorded to the national police. The only way we can possibly repay all these good things is by fulfilling our duties in the correct and right way-even if it means sacrificing my life.

The Effect of Divorce on Children Essay -- Papers Marriage Cause Kids

The Effect of Divorce on Children Divorce, once uncommon in our society, is now becoming more and more frequent, disrupting our children's state of well-being. Some children of divorced families have long-term behavior problems such as depression, low self-esteem, poor school performance, acting out, and difficulties with intimate relationships. Children with divorced or divorcing parents often have a sense of abandonment, because their parents become too preoccupied with their own psychological, social, and economic distress that they forget about their kids? needs (Lamb and Sternberg, 1997). In 1988, Professor Jeanne Dise-Lewis conducted a survey of 700 middle school students. The students were asked to rate certain events as to the stress they causes. The death of a parent or close family member was the only thing that outranked divorce (Zinsmeister, 1996). A divorce in the family creates a major life change for most children. Loss of contact with friends, schoolmates, neighbors, teachers, and sometimes m oving to a new location may bring a lot of psychosocial stress upon the children, and that stress can be very harmful. Since the divorce boom started in the 1960?s, father-mother divorces have increased at an alarming rate. Today more than 1,000,000 kids experience a divorce in the family every year in the United States alone (U.S.A. Today, p. 8). As a result of the divorce, many children live in single-parent homes. This usually results in a drop in income for the family. Remarriage creates step families. Children often have a hard time adjusting to this new situation. Many of the remarriages end in divorce. As children see these marriages end, they may become more likely to accept divorce as they ente... ...e parents. "Divorce is now the single largest cause of childhood depression. Marital disruption, quite clearly, can wound children for years" (Zinsmeister, 1996). References Doob, Christopher Bates, Sociology, and Introduction, 5th ed. (Fort Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997), p 142. Driedger, Sharon Doyle. (1998) After Divorce [On-Line] Available: http://gw3.epnet. com/ehost.asp?key=xwBRPG6&site=ehost Lamb, Michael E. and Sternberg, Kathleen J. (1997) The Effects of Divorce and Custody Arrangements on Children?s Behavior, Development and Adjustment [On-Line]. Available: http://gw3.epnet.com/ehost.asp?key=xwBRPG6&site=ehost ?Minimizing the Effects of Divorce on Kids,? U.S.A. Today May 1996: 8. Zinsmeister, Karl. (1996) Divorce?s Toll on Children [On-Line] Available: http://gw3.epnet.com/ehost.asp?key=xwBRPG6&site=ehost

Multi-Modal Transport System Effects on Selection of Global Supply

UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN BUSSINESS SCHOOL| Globalization of Logistics and Supply Chain: Selection Of Global Supplier Over Local Impacts On Sustainability of Supply Chain| Key words : Sustainable Supply Chain, Multi- modal/Intra-modal Transport, Transport modes, Logistics, Operations, Sustainability, Triple bottom line| | Aqeel Iqbal| 15-Apr-13|This paper is conceptualizing on combination of transport modes organisation use to maintain sustainability in their supply chain by keeping the carbon foot print to minimum, this paper utilizes desk research to evaluate the impact of this approach on the organisations who prefer global suppliers over local evaluating the trade-offs these organisations need to make in order to maintain an equilibrium of sustainability in their supply chain concluding on the fact that dependent on an organisational willingness to be environmentally sustainable future most practices don’t need a choice of cost over environment but some need sacrifice of at least one to maintain sustainability. | Introduction This research paper is aimed to critically evaluate and answer the research question of: how selection of global over local suppliers affects organisation’s sustainable supply chain strategy while considering the impact of ‘‘multi-modal’/‘intramodal’ choice’ and what trade-offs does these organisations need do in order to achieve this?To answer this research question it is essential to address two wide areas in business literature, gaining an understand of what these areas actually mean to an organisational operational strategy: first being identification of different intramodal/multimodal transport choice used in local and global supply chains; whereas the second to critically evaluate why priority is given by different organisations to select global suppliers over local, while achieving reasoning from prospective of different Industries and organisations within those industries for t he trades-off they are willing to do in order to implement selected means in to practice, while maintaining the sustainability of their supply chain. This paper divided into four nterlinked parts will use desk search to grasp understanding on wide topics of present transportation modes, multi-modal/intramodal transportation system, and sustainability of supply chain (focusing on logistics and operation function) and Impacts of selecting global supply chain; dividing each part by sub-research questions asked to the reader at end of each part; While concluding the paper on the notion that selection of the mode depends on trade-offs an organisations is willing to make between being ecological sustainable to cost and service. Transportation modes at present In the past decades the transportation system has been regarded as a separate function and an additional cost to the organisations supply chain (Huge-Brodin, 2013); which has also often been likened with the objective of cost minimis ation rather than a value adding factor (Cunningham, 1982).However, this long-established concept has been critiqued to be a value added activity in the supply chain from literature of twenty first century (E. Bo and Hammervoll, 2010; Freight best practice, 2013; Huge-Brodin, 2013) based on the emerging demand for advanced logistics services and the globalization trends, demand in cutting of lead period, short product life cycles, and increased technology use and outsourcing trends (Anthony D. Ross, 2012). This notion has lead organisations consider flexible and effective freight flow which can match and fulfil organisation needs dependent on their market and environment (Cunningham, 1982; Murphy and Farris, 1993; Huge-Brodin, 2013).In order to understand how to use the right transportation mode freight movement it is eminent to know different transportation methods used by organisations at present and critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each of them (see Appendi x A & B). (Appendix A&B) does not show one of the major transport mode pipeline mainly because of its use in movement of specific kind of freight like oil and gas thus not firmly a modal choice it has a high initial cost of setup but is full reliable cost effective and environment friendly (CEFIC, 2011; Freight best practice, 2013). There are four major categories of freight transport used presently: inland water and sea, air, pipeline, and land.Whereas most literatures in the past categorised land into sub modes in order to evaluate the effectiveness of them as Road and Rail (Murphy and Farris, 1993; Freight best practice, 2013); thus for the purpose of this paper five inclusive the sub categories will be used. Maria Feo-Valero and her colleagues (Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011) in a review to bibliography has highlighted Freight Value Of Time (FVOT) as a scale for the methods of transport mode selection; based on the rate of substitution between travel cost and time called value of time (VOT) as different modes vary majorly in consciences of amount they carry in given time and the cost to the organisation (Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011) .As different organisations in the same industries have different priories of transport mainly dependent on their locations, sustainability, market share, quantity, size and weight of inventories (Carter and Rogers, 2008; Meixell and Mario, 2008) as an example retail industry consists a combination of deep-sea mode which commute inventories internationally (may contain inventories for various competitors within the same region in a container (Fawcett and Mangan, 2002; Pettit, Liu and Beresford, 2011)) then through either rail or road depended on inventory size, weight, type and location of main warehouse and sustainable practice of the organisation is selected from which may be distributed via road transport either to depot or directly to the retail store (Wu and Dunn, 1995; Huge-Brodin, 2013). The FVOT value has been an important addition to the logistics planning following the concept of cost reduction with less recognition over time but similar frameworks illustrate results which have been used to optimize time and cost of transportation of freight (Murphy and Farris, 1993; Carter and Rogers, 2008).Which lead managers and academics to a conclusion that combination of more than one mode is mostly profitable to organisation (Murphy and Farris, 1993) but depended on type of freight and relative distance but is it that simple in present world? Multimodal/ Intermodal Transportation System Multimodal and intermodal being the two words used in literature with synonymous meaning of: ‘usage of one or more than one mode of transport’ innocently interoperated occasionally. Thus it is important to address this for the purpose of this paper: intra-model transport with only one significant difference to multimodal is that the freight being transported are not handled on every occasion when the mode of transport is changed (Freight best practice, 2013) in opposition to multi-modal where freight are andled each time for example in case of container caring automobile that arrive at deep sea port is opened and cars remove from the container are loaded on a auto-transport trailer to carry by the trailer to showroom (Worthington and Britton, 2006). For the purpose of this paper multi-modal will be used to demonstrate more than one of transport. Multi-modal transportations have answered to the cost reduction of the orthodox literature on reduction of cost and time freight transport: as discussed earlier in the retail example for the ship carrying inventories of different competitors in a shared container reducing cost by sharing of container, and dependent on the agile approach of any of these competitor time frame of getting inventors from deep sea port to stores can be reduced by using road mode rather than rail (Logistcs Cluster, 2011).As the field of transportation evolved â€Å"Deregulation of the rail and trucking industries, implementation of innovative manufacturing strategies such as Just in Time (JIT),increased emphasis on quality management† (Meixell and Mario, 2008) and stakeholder (R. E. Freeman, 1984) consideration have all contributed to cause complexity in transportation selection (Murphy and Farris, 1993) developing the traditional view of just selecting the mode and type of carrier (Meixell and Mario, 2008). In present time logistics/operation manages are bound to understand the Industries challenges faced by the organisation as explained by (Meixell and Mario, 2008) in their paper comparing â€Å"Transportation capacity shortage, and International growth, Economies of scale and scope, Security concerns, Environmental and energy used†.As research carried by (Pettit, Liu and Beresford, 2011) on the extraction and transportation of iron ore from Australia to China utilizing multimodal transportation relied on more co nvectional mode of transport Deeps Sea for country to country transportation but other than that saw were some limitations imposed on multimodal transport options for bulk cargoes. As Iron ore flows are typically as â€Å"high volume – high weight – low value and transhipment is time consuming, energy intensive and expensive† thus minimising the modes of transportation and limiting â€Å"large number of transhipment points†. As the research question point out need to investigate the sustainable options to transport the next parts of the essay will achieve an understanding: Is global multi-modal transportation a sustainable option for an organisations supply chain and what trade-offs are organisations willing to make in order to implement this modal in their supply chain?In order to answer this it is critical to first grasp an understanding of what sustainable supply chain means to an organisation? Sustainability of Supply Chain Shareholder theory stating the organisations primary focus being increasing shareholders wealth (Friedman, 1970) has overly been critiqued by the stakeholder theory over the topic of ill consideration of environmental and social sustainability (R. E. Freeman, 1984; Jensen, 2002; Murphy, 2012). Sustainability as defined by (Worthington and Britton, 2006: 510) â€Å"An approach to economic growth and development which takes account of the social and environmental consequences† also referred to as the triple bottom line approach (Elkington, 1994; Carter and Rogers, 2008; Seuring and Muller, 2008).Supply chains by definition necessitate organisations to work collectively with the purpose of adding value to the customer by physical movement of goods. In present world combination of different supply chains have come together to form a supply web (Poter. M. E, 1985,1996; Handfield and Nichols, 2002). As the research question only relates with the impact of the multi-modal choice impact on the supply chain thu s functions supporting function from Poter’s value chain model are side lined and emphases is given on the inbound/outbound logistics and operations (Poter. M. E, 1985,1996) value chain model (explaining supply chain as a combination of value adding activates within an organisational structure).Inbound/Outbound logistics being one of the most important function of the supply chain (Carter and Rogers, 2008) has been linked to sustainability because of inclusion of one the most costly and environmentally harmful sub-function (transport function) in it (Huge-Brodin, 2013) as according to (CEFIC, 2011) report Transport including freight accounts for 20% of all EU’s green house gas emissions which was projected to raise to 30% by 2020 if precautions are not taken. Sustainability a wide topic in itself has been of great interest to all the stakeholders in present time especially to customers, governments and non-Governmental organisations (NGOs); Pressurising organisations t o operate in environmental and social friendly manner and demanding transparency from organisation supply chains (Carter and Rogers, 2008; CEFIC, 2011; Freight best practice, 2013). This transparency majorly driven y corporate reporting, â€Å"Interoperable software and globalization of supply chains† making it hard and risky for an organisation to do corporate unethical activities (Carter and Rogers, 2008)as: in case logistics external stakeholders are mainly interested in the economical and the environmental impact on sustainability for example raised awareness in sustainability of environment presently as consumers looking at carbon foot print (total amount of carbon emission done in to getting the product to the end user (Freight best practice, 2013))before purchase of a product (Anthony D. Ross, 2012); Carbon footprint is one of most important variable, while calculating environmental sustainability (Anthony D. Ross, 2012; Carter and Rogers, 2008; Feo-valero, Menendez an d hidalgo, 2011).As all three Economical, social and Environmental impacts are considered while making a mode selection, (Carter and Rogers, 2008) drew a wider picture of implications in the their version of triple bottom line(3BL) (see Appendix C)by including the risk management, organisational culture, transparency and organisational strategy as the factors basing the triple bottom line of an organisation. Whereas placing a question mark at being good which relates the social and environmental factors of 3BL following the viewpoint of some scholars like (Walley and Whitehead, 1994) stating â€Å"environmental and social initiatives are costly undertakings† (Carter and Rogers, 2008).In contrast to statement by (Walley and Whitehead, 1994) some logistics and operations functions fall in the category of being sustainable in all forms as resulted in a study done in 1980 on 45 firms in Denmark; results found suggested 20 out of 45 to be cost saving options (Dielman and de Hoo, 1 993) for example: efficient routing of transport, reducing packaging, improving operational order in warehouses and having fuel efficient transportation, (Carter and Rogers, 2008) and reverse logistics for some Industries as the fabricated metal products industry and electric/electronic products industry used as topic of research by (Talbot, Lefebvre and Lefebvre, 2007).According to (Wagner, 2005) In practice, organisation try hard to achieve a win-win situation when considering the economic and the environmental aspect; but when it comes to trade-offs based on the analysis of all there dimension (Seuring and Muller, 2008) have rated the economic dimension of being the most important from the view of the organisation explaining the notion that â€Å"without economic success, there would be no supply chains† whereas trade-offs between environmental and social dimension dictions have not been clear (Wagner, 2005). This now leads to the question of: Are global multi-modal sustai nable and what trade-offs does an organisation need to make while selecting them? Global Supply chain Impacts and Trade-offs Following the challenges faced by the organisations highlighted earlier in the paper by (Meixell and Mario, 2008).As different Industries operate in different ways and organisations within those industries may also differ in operation and strategy example form the fashion retail industry being: Zara fashions, number one fashion retailer of the world benefited with highly agile supply chain function; highly integrated communication and inventory management system (Euromonitor International , 2011) . Where as in comparison its nearest competitor GAP utilizing a more leaner approach to reduce the uncertainty; both organisations being global brands but with different operational strategies and possessing their own comparative advantage within fashion industry.As both these companies source some of their products from global suppliers but because of difference in o rganisational strategies and core competency rely on different sources as Zara with its most of its operations and headquarters in Spain use more European to aid its agile approach with tradeoffs cost to small batches of inventory levels at each store every fourth week (Euromonitor International , 2011; Paloma Diaz Soloaga and Mercedes Monjo, 2010) making Zara environmentally and economical less sustainable to GAP but Zara make that up with local most manufacturing locally in Spain (Euromonitor International , 2011). As the research question converse the notion of impacts of selecting a global supplier over local supplier it is important to address the reasons for selecting one? As some nations are more comparative than other nations as explained by (Porter, 1990) possessing a unique quality that attracts organisations to select global supply chains rather than local mostly looking for economic sustainability (Yip, 1989; Elkington, 1994; Seuring and Muller, 2008).Organisations decid ing to select a global supplier than a local supplier decreases environmental sustainable supply chain but mostly has an opposite impact on economically. Successful businesses respond to both internal and external changes and amend their strategist in the same manner. In order to ain supplies globally even with increased pressure from customer demands of being ‘green’ and highly imposed governmental regulations in most regions around the globe organisation in turn making diction hard for logistics managers to do certain trade-offs to maintain sustainability on ‘cost, quality and service’, while limiting dangerous emissions to atmosphere (IBM, 2008).Managers devising an operational strategy of an organisation analyse cost and profit in perspective of corporate goals and objectives. The main Trade-offs linked to each part of sustainable supply chain as in acquisition of raw materials sourced by inbound logistics, involves purchasing purchase of ‘greenâ €™ raw material may be costly to normal material leaving a trade-off to buy form low cost supplier or environmentally friendly. Organisation indoor to stay sustainable only trade from suppliers that are certified to International Organization of Standardization standards (ISO) has lead organisations dealing in third world countries with less awareness of ISO regulations to find alternative sources of suppliers (Wu and Dunn, 1995; Anthony D. Ross, 2012).The selection of the vendor will also influence the transpiration mode of selection as for example in third world countries there is lack of infrastructure of trains is not of high speed and precise in timing as in European countries which causes delays, unpredictability and also be unsustainable by possessing extra cost and additional CO2 emissions’; where as some don’t have facility of using road rail combination at all, in both cases trucks to transport goods from remote locations of railway station or deep seapor ts may increase the Carbon foot print more than of that of a normal raw marital bought from a local supplier (Wu and Dunn, 1995).Smart Packaging is another part of logistics in which organisation can do trade-off to stay environmentally sustainable as global supplies use containers to send bulk of goods packed together reducing packaging and material handling costs; another way is being minimizing protection packaging can improve space utilization and reduce handling costs (Sony Global, 2012) at each point of transportation reducing carbon footprint. Lean approach within the supply chain makes it environmentally sustainable but adds usage of ware housing costs with storage of goods in oppositions to widely uses JIT approach (smaller regular shipments) (IBM, 2008) as warehousing occupies excess and and generation of excess packaging waste hat can be reduced by using a local supplier as organisations trade-off of selecting a leaner approach while selecting a global supplier being risk of excess inventories stuck with in the warehouse with an unpredictable customer demand (Wu and Dunn, 1995) as demonstrated by Appendix D demonstrating an example of relationship of all variables of trade-off while comparing operational strategies with shipment consolidation used by IBM (IBM, 2008) to explain effects on environment. Reverse logistics have solved this problem of excess cost of packing and return items by the customers to be sent upstream to supplier using standardized renewable packing (Walley and Whitehead, 1994; Wu and Dunn, 1995; Anthony D. Ross, 2012)but when considering a global supplier it will be addition cost of transportation to the organisation using reverse logistics resulting in excess waste creation an unsustainable option (Talbot, Lefebvre and Lefebvre, 2007; Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011).Information and communications (ICT) can also played an important role in sustainable global supply chain substituting Information with inventory levels (Wu and Dunn, 1995) devising the right routs and knowing the exact times inventory arrivals, conciliation of shipments and optimising waste by minimizing large number of suppliers to just few, maximizing truckload in forward and backward supply chain over all removing uncertainty of supply chain (Mason, Lalwani and Boughton, 2007) the tradeoffs of the initial cost of implementing the ICT systems in organisation to long term sustainable benefits (IBM, 2008; Feo-valero, Menendez and hidalgo, 2011; Sony Global B, 2012).Dependent on the trade-off an organisation is willing to make over cost, service or environment organisations can select a sustainable multimodal method of transport(see Appendix E ) as trade-offs may vary according to selection of a local supplier. Conclusion This paper was aimed to answer question of how selection of global suppliers affects organisation’s sustainable supply chain strategy in light of multi-modal choice while considering the impact and what trade-o ffs does these organisations need do in order to achieve a sustainable supply chain? It is best to conclude this paper at notion of Industries and organisations vary in the need of supply chains dependent on the variants discussed in the paper; taken as a whole, these factors explained by (Carter and Rogers, 008; Meixell and Mario, 2008) play a very important role in selection of mode transport and over all operation strategy and an organisation should assess the trade-offs based on these factors. Whereas overall the decision of using or changing the multi-modal used depends on an organisational willingness to be environmentally sustainable future most of the changes are both cost and eco friendly whereas some require to long protesting one on other. Works Cited Andrew, D. T. (2013) Globalisation Lecture, 8 January, [Online], Available: https://blackboard. glam. ac. uk/bbcswebdav/courses/PS4S34_2012_v1/Andrew%20Thomas%20-%20Globalisation%20Lecture. pdf [20 January 2013]. Anthony D. Ross, H. P. a. C. D. (2012) ‘Sustainability and supply chain infrastructure development', Management Decision, vol. 50, no. 10, pp. 891-1910. Carter, C. R. and Rogers, D. S. (2008) ‘A framework of sustainable supply chain management:moving towards new theory', International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 360-87. CEFIC (2011) Guidelines for Measuring and Managing CO2 Emission from Freight Transport Operations, March, [Online], Available: http://www. cefic. org/Documents/IndustrySupport/Transport-and-Logistics/Best%20Practice%20Guidelines%20-%20General%20Guidelines/Cefic-ECTA%20Guidelines%20for%20measuring%20and%20managing%20CO2%20emissions%20from%20transport%20operations%20Final%2030. 03. 201 [1 April 2013]. Cunningham, W. H. J. 1982) ‘Freight Modal Choice and Competition in Transportation: A Critique and Categorization of Analysis Techniques', TRANSPORTATION JOURNAL (American Society of Transportation & Logistics Inc), vol. 21, no. 4, Summer, pp. 66-75. Dielman, H. and de Hoo, S.. (1993) ‘Toward a tailor-made process of pollution prevention and cleaner production: results and implications of the PRISMA project†, in Fisher, K. andSchott, J. ,', Environmental Strategies for Industry Island Press, Washington, DC, no. 2, pp. 45-75. E. Bo and Hammervoll, T. (2010) ‘Cost-based pricing of transportation services in a wholesaler-carrier relationship: an MS Excel spreadsheet decision tool', International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, vol. 13. , no. 3, pp. 197-210.Elkington, J. (1994) ‘ Towards the sustainable corporation: Win-win-win business strategies for sustainable development', California Management Review , vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 90-100. Euromonitor International (2011) FOCUS: Zara grows in Brazil while Gap and H&M dither, 7 october, [Online], Available: http://www. just-style. com/analysis/zara-grows-in-brazil-while-gap-and-hm-dither_id112354. aspx [12 Februar y 2013]. Fawcett, S. E. and Mangan, G. M. (2002) ‘The rhetoric and reality of supply chain integration', International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 39-61. Feo-valero, M. , Menendez, l. G. nd hidalgo, R. G. (2011) ‘Valuing Freight Transport Time using Transport Demand Modelling: A Bibliographical Review', Transport Reviews, vol. 31, no. 5, September, p. 625–651. Freight best practice, (2013) Choosing and Developing a Multi-modal Transport Solution, [Online], Available: freightbestpractice. org. uk/categories/3589_586_dulliau-amlfoddol–multi-modal-. aspx [1 March 2013]. Friedman, M. (1970) ‘The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Profits', New York Times Magazine, vol. 13, no. 32. Gerry Johnson, K. S. 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Starting From Scratch Or Buying An Existing Business

Starting From Scratch Or Buying An Existing Business If you're about to have a business, you'll think about how to get it, by staring a new one or buying an existing one. Anna Bryant bought an existing salon when she had the chance instead of starting her own.The reasons for that are because she had no business experience or skills but she believes that she have the capabilities to run this salon, also she's an entrepreneur for the first time and this will save her the time of the stating period plus the effort of building the business name and make it stand in ground, it also have customers and taff and already been running for years so she can start making sales from the first day.Before buying the business there are some steps to be taken, studies, plans and more, like knowing the first owner decided to sell the business and if there are major problems within the business and figuring out how to solve them. Appraising the business is a must too because she wouldn't want to pay mor e for the business. She should get help and ask experts about all the details as she also need to sit plans about how she'll run the business and about the changes needed to be made and ake expectations to be reached. Also evaluating the risks and see how to avoid them.After finding the reasons and applying the required steps before buying, Anna Bryant is now able to make her decision. Successful Entrepreneur Effectiveness A Successful entrepreneur have special characteristics, passion, willingness to take risks, Positive attitude, Confidence, respect, and trust are all needed in the entrepreneur character. Commitment, leading skills, team building and flexibility also makes a good entrepreneur. knowledge in markets and how to run businesses and ow to communicate with others, all these characteristics build a Successful entrepreneur.Having no previous experience as an entrepreneur doesn't mean that the business won't be successful. Anna's first business succeeded because she had a l ot of a successful entrepreneur characteristics, the first was her love to the business and her passion about fashion. Courage, Wisdom, and excitement all were in her heart, and the desire to take the business to the next level all made her a great entrepreneur. Anna didn't have an experience but she was determined to gain it by consulting and getting help from others. She sat goals and put plans, she had a vision and this is one of the entrepreneur characteristics. ne of the challenges that face any business is financial management, high expenses, low sales and insignificant protlts, these problems and more which were facing Anna's business can be solved by using analysis techniques and take the right action based on the analysis process. Anna was able to improve the business finance by hiring a professional team and using their help, also by working on herself and gaining knowledge about the business market and learning some marketing techniques,. By studying the businesses' hance s, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses she was able to manage it Just right.After that she started to make changes in the business and make it more effective and attractive, by offering new services and new fashionable designs that are desirable which brought her new customers, Anna didn't wait until she make the salon exactly as she wants, she stared to work and make profits right away plus working in making the needed improvements, taking an advantage of all the available opportunities of the existing business made in easier for her to manage all the financial matters and this made her a great entrepreneur.My references Nitish. (2011). Main Reasons to Buy an Existing Business. Available: http:// accessed 29th April 2013. From E-library Slavec, Alenka-Prodan, Igor. (2012). The influence of entrepreneur's characteristics on small manufacturing firm debt financing. East European Management Studies. 17 (2), 22-23-24. The Advantages Of Franchising Owning and running a franchise ins tead of starting a business is an action taken by a lot of business people, John is one of them.Franchising have advantages which makes it a better option, as for John, a franchise have a lot benefits to offer like having big known brand to stand by you and support you for different aspects like the product knowledge, training development and sales. It was way easier that staring his own business. A franchise makes profits quickly, and it have a proven business format and it's supported by the Franchisors. It have lower risks and worries and a help is available when needed from the Franchisors who have powerful motivation.From my point of view franchising have five main advantages, Branding, it offers a strategic identity which impact on the market, big businesses spend millions on their branding and ranchisee gets the advantage of that, and the Franchisors are mostly well known for customers. Advertising, advertising takes a lot of the business expenses and a business can't survive without expensive and effective advertising. Name Recognition, which makes people guarantee the quality of the products and a known name gives them that.Reputation, which enable the Franchisee to enjoy protectiveness against lawsuits or accidents or any issues with the employees. Support, running a business needs training, and by have a Franchise you'll get all the train you need, they want you to be successtul because your success is ll possible ways. A Successful Franchise Business their success so they'll support you in Acquiring a franchise is a successful business to run, as it's cleared by the advantages of franchising. t have the benefit of having an access to the franchiser established system which have been running for a long time, franchisers spend a lot of time to modifying their system to the best it can be and hand it over to the franchisees, the system includes information about the products or services and all the details of the market methods, plus they make researc h to determine the best ocation for the franchise and some of them also manage the building and the renting matters which leave less worries for the franchisees.Another thing is, franchisees are not alone, the are supported by the franchisers who really want them to success, they train them to operate the business effectively , this is a very important reason why franchising can be a successful business. Moreover, franchisees' customers have a full awareness of the business and its products so they can trust without even trying it, means that loyal customer exists with any effort.John made it in his business and he became very successful because he had the experience of running a franchise before, he picked a good company with sound model to franchise and he started with full energy and high confidence. He received different trainings in different parts of the company, and used what he have learnt effectively and ran the business properly, he succeeded perfectly and became one of th e best too.Here are a study which clears the success of franchising: franchises success rate is 90% comparing to only 15% of business staring from scratch, meaning hat a franchisees will surely succeed as long as they follow the franchisors the instructions and use the support system effectively. My references: Don Daszkowski. Higher Likelihood of Success with a Franchise Business . Available: http://franchises. about. com/od/buyingafranchise/a/franchise-success. htm. Last accessed 1st may 2013. From the E-library: Abell-Mark1. (2010). The franchising advantage. Managing Intellectual Property. 9 (1-2), 16-17-18.GOING FOR A BUISNESS Starting a business is never easy whether it was a franchising, entrepreneurial enture or an independent small business. If I'm about to start my own business I wouldn't go for franchising, not because it won't be successful or because it's hard, it's Just that I'd rather to come up with new idea and add something to the world rather that applying the ide a of someone else, franchising may be profitable and better option tor those who are seeking tor cash and high incomes but I'm one ot those who cares more about changing the world and putting my fingerprint on it.Becoming an entrepreneur of an existing business is a good idea which will save a lot f preparing time in the starting period, still the existing business may not apply my own perspectives which means I'll have to do a lot of changes and this may cost me more that what I'll may pay if I started it myself, That's why my best option is to start from the ground. My new small business is about handmade stuff trade, not going to say it's growing fast but I follow the saying: think big and start small.My band is LA FEMME TOM and it's a one-person business so far, it's growing slowly but it's giving me all I need at the moment, plus it's helping me to spread the awareness of the mportance and the value of the handmade stuff which is one of the business aims, it is about selling my handmade stuff, giving courses on how to make them and supporting those who have a talent in this field.I sell my stuff online and in some places, I don't have my own shop yet but soon I'll do as it's planed for. The business approach is to grow and have many branches, it's in a progress development and aiming to have partners and hire working hands to take the production to the next level. Basically the business activities are about girls hobbies to fell the spear time with useful and beneficial things.