Honor and the Celtic Heroes Essay -- Irish Myths

The honor-code within the Mabinogi, The Tain, and Gantz’s Early Irish Myths and Sagas underlines the ethos of the traditional Celtic hero. Yet, the compliance of the honor-code could be better observed as serving the identity and reputation of the hero rather than a deeper code of morality as it might suggest. The gae bolga, Efnisien, Mider’s love for Etain, and Rhiannon’s magic bag are all instruments of unworldly power, making the impossible possible for each of the heroes. It is because of these supernatural influences that the heroes are both blessed and cursed by power’s perfection. The compliance to the honor-code plays less a role in truly enabling the hero and yet it’s essential in the development of the hero’s identity and reputation among his allies and enemies. Within The Tain, the warrior Cuchulainn is characterized as a flawless hero, destined to die young. Cuchulainn’s honor to Ulster could easily be measured by the uncountable number of warriors he’s killed with his various skills and gae bolga, yet the killing of his only son Connla and his Foster-brother Ferdia proves to be his most difficult and heroic task. Despite Emer’s plea for Cuchulainn to spare his only son, Cuchulainn provokes the boy to fight him, using his gae bolga to kill him. Cuchulainn’s honor to Ulster through the sacrifice of his son not only grieves him, but all the men of Ulster. (The Tain, p.45) Tragically, the boy expresses the essence of a warrior’s honor to the men of Ulster and to Cuchulainn in obeying his wishes to refuse no man in combat (The Tain, p.33). The boy bids his farewell to the men of Ulster saying, â€Å"If only I had five years among you I would slaughter the warriors of the world for you. . . But since it is li ke this, point me o... ...n’s kingdom for a year and killing Hafgan for Arawn. (The Mabinogi, p.38) And his honor in not talking or sleeping with Arawn’s wife earns him an enduring friendship, gaining him otherworld treasures and the kingship of Annwfn. (The Mabinogi, p.41-42) Even when his wife Rhiannon’s child is abducted and everyone wants him to divorce his wife, he loves her and see’s no fault in her, letting the teachers and men of wisdom decided her punishment. (The Mabinogi, p.51) Underlining all of the heroes of the Celtic stories is how human they are. Even Taliesin, the divinely inspired poet did not become who he was without stealing the three drops of wisdom. (The Mabinogi, p.163) The Celtic stories not only depict their successes and failures in warfare, discernment, and love, but also their painful sacrifices in attempting to keep the admiration and trust of their kingdoms. Honor and the Celtic Heroes Essay -- Irish Myths The honor-code within the Mabinogi, The Tain, and Gantz’s Early Irish Myths and Sagas underlines the ethos of the traditional Celtic hero. Yet, the compliance of the honor-code could be better observed as serving the identity and reputation of the hero rather than a deeper code of morality as it might suggest. The gae bolga, Efnisien, Mider’s love for Etain, and Rhiannon’s magic bag are all instruments of unworldly power, making the impossible possible for each of the heroes. It is because of these supernatural influences that the heroes are both blessed and cursed by power’s perfection. The compliance to the honor-code plays less a role in truly enabling the hero and yet it’s essential in the development of the hero’s identity and reputation among his allies and enemies. Within The Tain, the warrior Cuchulainn is characterized as a flawless hero, destined to die young. Cuchulainn’s honor to Ulster could easily be measured by the uncountable number of warriors he’s killed with his various skills and gae bolga, yet the killing of his only son Connla and his Foster-brother Ferdia proves to be his most difficult and heroic task. Despite Emer’s plea for Cuchulainn to spare his only son, Cuchulainn provokes the boy to fight him, using his gae bolga to kill him. Cuchulainn’s honor to Ulster through the sacrifice of his son not only grieves him, but all the men of Ulster. (The Tain, p.45) Tragically, the boy expresses the essence of a warrior’s honor to the men of Ulster and to Cuchulainn in obeying his wishes to refuse no man in combat (The Tain, p.33). The boy bids his farewell to the men of Ulster saying, â€Å"If only I had five years among you I would slaughter the warriors of the world for you. . . But since it is li ke this, point me o... ...n’s kingdom for a year and killing Hafgan for Arawn. (The Mabinogi, p.38) And his honor in not talking or sleeping with Arawn’s wife earns him an enduring friendship, gaining him otherworld treasures and the kingship of Annwfn. (The Mabinogi, p.41-42) Even when his wife Rhiannon’s child is abducted and everyone wants him to divorce his wife, he loves her and see’s no fault in her, letting the teachers and men of wisdom decided her punishment. (The Mabinogi, p.51) Underlining all of the heroes of the Celtic stories is how human they are. Even Taliesin, the divinely inspired poet did not become who he was without stealing the three drops of wisdom. (The Mabinogi, p.163) The Celtic stories not only depict their successes and failures in warfare, discernment, and love, but also their painful sacrifices in attempting to keep the admiration and trust of their kingdoms.

Elderly or Old Age Stage of Development

Participant’s Cultural BackgroundThe elderly woman is a Caucasian living in the United States and has been living within the culture of the west throughout her life. Therefore, her life has not been adversely affected by other cultures. The Western culture is such that it emphasizes individualism and independence thus each person seeks autonomy through education, employment and involvement in various social activities. Information provided to me indicated that she was a teacher before she retired and involved herself in community work. In particular, her social work revolved around providing guidance and counseling services to young adults and adolescents.According to Schulz & Jutta (1996, p. 704), aging is not universal and affects people in different ways as influenced by diverse factors that the individual is exposed to, among them being education, social support, diet and nutrition. These factors mediate the process of aging thus determine the success or failure of aging. Generally, the participant had been influenced by the factors especially education, nutrition and social support. The participant had been influenced by education owing to the fact that before her retirement, she had been a teacher and lived with her family who provided her with social support and adequate nutrition.She is a Caucasian thus culturally, her family is keen on her diet and wellbeing. Setting where participant was observed I observed the participant in her home where she lives with her family for a week. I was able to make my observations constantly because the participant does not live far from where I reside. The house is medium in size and houses six people with the participant being the oldest. She lives with her son, the son’s wife and their two children as well as a nanny. There is an open back yard behind the house where there is a swimming pool and a garden with flowers and grass.The elderly woman spends most of her day in this area with the assistance of a nurse and in some occasions in the company of her son and grandchildren. She generally deals with various aging issues. For instance, she is dealing with retirement and decreased income, dealing with loss of spouse and getting ready for her own period of death. She does not engage in energy demanding activities such as walking long distances, climbing the stairs, lifting heavy objects, among others. She claims that whenever she involves herself in strenuous activities, she breathes a lot.According Leahy, Grafe and Fuzy (2004, p.  124), when people grow older, their blood circulation becomes less efficient hence they become sensitive to diverse things such as energy demanding activities and extreme temperatures. In general, I made my observations within the compound in which the participant was residing in. During my one week of observation, I did not see her travel but she always saw her family off whenever they were going out. Behaviors displayed At this stage of development, t here are a number of behavioral characteristics that can be observed in the elderly participant physically, socially and psychologically.This is because the individual is likely to have retired, thus undergone significant evolution. 92 years of age means that the person is shifting towards the end of his or her life cycle. It is often a time when they can spend time with their grandchildren, engage in leisure activities and overlook the issues that caused stress and anxiety in the prior decades. The participant was participating in some activities that enabled her to enjoy her aging. For example, in the mornings, I would see her in the garden either trying to trim the flowers, water the garden or plant more flowers in the flower pots.Although the pace of engaging in the activities was slow, she seemed to enjoy doing that work and it sometimes required the intervention of the nurse to stop her from gardening. According to Peck’s theory, during old age, an individual experience s Ego Differentiation vs. Work Role Preoccupation where the elderly individual is prone to cling to lifestyles that he or she previously lived or engage in activities that enhance their self esteem (Saxon, Saxon & Etten, 2002, p. 26). The participant had slower responses as well as reflexes.When she is asked about something, I observed that she took a while before she responded. In addition, she seemed to be forgetting various instructions within a short period of time especially in situations when the instructions or information given were verbal. I realized this after she asked my name a couple of hours after I had told her. However, she had definite memory of visual gestures because she could spot her son’s car from a distance. According to Leahy, Grafe and Fuzy (2004, p. 123), aging affects the person’s ability to remember and concentrate because it affects memory.It is difficult for the old to think fast and logically due to old age. However, the degree of memory loss differs with individuals. In most cases, the elderly often experience memory loss of recent activities whereas past activities are easily remembered. The elderly woman has lost several things ranging from independence, friends, health to family although she may have increased wisdom. The elderly are faced with some developmental tasks such as bending with declined physical energy and loss of well being. This is indicated by her behaviors such as having difficulties picking up things when they fall.For example, during one of my observations, she was walking towards the car but her hat was blown off by the wind. However, she was not able to bend and pick hence was assisted by her grandson. In addition, her reaction to the hat that had been blown off was slow in both speed and verbal response. Saxon, Saxon and Etten (2002, p. 26) point out that in the process of aging, Body Transcendence vs. Body Preoccupation influences the elderly to an extent that for older adults with the capa city to rise above preoccupation with their health, they have the ability to engage in activities that grant them individual satisfaction.Her vision, taste, hearing, and smell are quite poor. For her vision, she usually has difficulties reading and noting details in some visual objects and this explains the reason why she always wears her spectacles. She is not able to see small sized objects. For example, in case a button falls on the carpet, she cannot find it. Her taste is also poor because she always complains about food and drinks. For instance, she often complains about food having inadequate salt which is rarely the case or that the fruit juice given to her is tasteless.Her hearing has been impaired by old age because when communicating with her, one has to speak loudly or talk close to her ears. On several occasions, her grandchildren are forced to almost shout so that she can hear them. This has brought frustration to the participant owing to the fact that she finds it stre nuous to communicate with those around her. In the course of my observation, I noted that the participant did not have a good sense of smell. I made this observation when the nanny burnt the food and while everyone else was finding fault in the strange smell, she just said, â€Å"I don’t smell anything†.Schulz & Jutta (1996) point out that during aging, it is common for the elderly to loose their senses of smell, touch, taste, hearing and sight. This is attributed to the decline in the ability of the senses of the body to function adequately. In conclusion, it is evident that old age results to changes in diverse aspects of life to psychological and physical changes in the life of the elderly. Aging affects persons differently depending on factors such as nutrition, social support, education and diet.Conversely, aging generally results to a decline in the ability of the body to function due to a decline in the capacity of a number of body parts to function e. g. respir atory system, urinary system, circulatory system, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system and hence affecting the activities they get involved in. Therefore, at old age, the elderly should be well taken care of because they do not have the ability to function effectively as they used to in their previous years (Leahy, Grafe & Fuzy, 2004). References Leahy, W., Grafe, J. & Fuzy, J. L. (2004). Providing Home Care: A Textbook for Home Health Aides. Albuquerque: Hartman Publishing Inc. Saxon, V. S.S, Saxon, V. S. & Etten, M. J. (2002). Physical Change & Aging: A Guide for the Helping Professionals. New York: Springer Publishing Company Schulz, R. & Jutta, H. (1996). A Life Span of Successful Aging. Journal of American Psychologist. Vol. 51 (7), pp.702- 714

Baroque period examples

Rich in deep colour and intense contrast of shadows, 17th century Baroque paintings tended to show the most dramatic and culminating moments of a scene, whose simplicity and clarity was supposed to appeal to the viewer’s senses rather than mind. Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ (1602) represents Judas’ treacherous kiss and the capture of Jesus Christ by soldiers. A contrast between defenseless Christ’s humility and the guards’ formidable armour and determination is intensified by the use of light and dark shadows, known as chiaroscuro and typical of Baroque painting.The scene’s emotional intensity is emphasized by the horrified expression of St Mark fleeing out of the painting (Lubbock, 2007). Both Rubens’ Deposition (Lille’s version) and Rembrandt’s The Descent from the Cross (1633) represent Jesus’ dead body, the central figure, being lowered from the cross and surrounded by His lamenting followers. A similar co ntrast between light and dark, although to a different extent, is used to intensify the dramatic moment (Jones, 2004; Lussier).Caravaggio, Rubens, and Rembrandt produced their masterpieces at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was fighting against the spreading Protestant Reformation in Europe. Trying to strengthen its position and authority, the Church encouraged painting representing religious scenes which, along with preaching, could help inspire devotion and promote its official doctrine. Although various biblical scenes proliferated in art at that time, most artists also introduced their own features to the new artistic style.Caravaggio used models when depicting Christ and other biblical figures often introducing dirty reality in his works (Lubbock, 2007). Rubens was preoccupied in his paintings with the description of life as it was realistically depicting flesh of both living and dead naked human beings. The subject of death is one of his favourite themes (Jones, 2004). R embrandt was interested in capturing the psychological aspect of human actions and expressions and showing it in his paintings. His subjects are dynamic and his works fill the viewer with sadness and compassion (Lussier).All three works of art helped promote the ideals taught by the Roman Catholic Church and enhance the authority of biblical figures. Caravaggio’s Christ does not resist His fate, and by showing humility and faith He emphasizes the importance of spiritual strength rather than physical fight and encourages His followers to do the same (Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ). Rembrandt’s figures are dressed in contemporary clothes emphasizing that the Saviour’s death has been the central event of human existence at all ages.The beaten dead body of Christ is realistic and not different from an ordinary human being arousing compassion and inspiring devotion (Lussier). A realistic depiction of Christ’s dead body by Rubens is similarly compuls ive, and the sorrowful faces and desperate gestures of the surrounding women are supposed to fill the viewers with compassion and make them bow their heads in worship (Campbell, 2004). These masterpieces are simple in terms of subject matter, produce immediate emotional impact on viewers, and make them emotionally participate in the sacred scenes.All three paintings represent scenes from Jesus Christ’s life and death. The composition in Rubens’ Deposition and Rembrandt’s The Descent from the Cross gives us the impression of a movement from the upper part of the paintings to their lower part, as if to enhance the idea of the Saviour’s death and His descent into the tomb. In Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ the figures are moving from right to left as though through Jesus who is not moving. Caravaggio’s composition seems to emphasize the spiritual difference which exists between Him and the rest of us.The way the figures are represented in al l three works is also different to some extent. Caravaggio did not depict the whole bodies of his figures, but only parts of them, the rest of the space being filled with fragments of clothes, armour, and dark shadows (Lubbock, 2007). Rembrandt and Rubens realistically and with great detail depict Christ’s dead body and those of other figures. Rubens also depicts the ideal human bodies of the men lowering Christ in the same way classical painters did (Lussier).References Campbell, P. (2004, April 1). In Lille. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. lrb. co. uk/v26/n07/print/camp01_. html Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. nga. gov/exhibitions/caravbr-2. htm Jones, J. (2004, April 3). Flesh of Genius. The Guardian on the Web. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. guardian. co. uk/artanddesign/2004/apr/03/art Lubbock, T.(2007, April 6). Caravaggio: The Takin g of Christ (1602-3). The Independent on the Web. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. independent. co. uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/caravaggio-the-taking-of-christ-16023-744398. html Lussier, L. The Descent from the Cross: Two Paintings once assumed to be painted by Rembrandt. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. geocities. com/Hollywood/Bungalow/2201/cross/rembrandt. html

The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995: How Special Is It?

Cabatos 1 Lawdemhar T. Cabatos Ms. Louyzza Maria Victoria H. Vasquez English 10 21 March 2013 The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995: How Special Is It? Approved on February 24, 1995, the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, the â€Å"act providing for the legal framework and mechanisms for the creation, operation, administration, and coordination of special economic zones in the Philippines, creating for this purpose, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and for other purposes,† took effect on the very day President Fidel Valdez Ramos imprinted his signature on the bill (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916).It is the government? s declared policy to materialize state policies and provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Section 20, Article II of the 1987 Constitution states, â€Å"The State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments† and Section 12 of Article XII declares that â€Å"The State shall promote the preferential use of Filipino labor, domestic materials and locally produced goods, and adopt measures that help make them competitive,† (â€Å"The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines†). By virtue of Republic Act No. 916, the Philippine government hopes to fulfill the mandates of its constitution. Before we deal on how special Republic Act No. 7916 really is, what are special economic zones (SEZs)? Defined in Republic Act No. 7916, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) or ECOZONES are â€Å"selected areas with highly developed or which have the potential to be Cabatos 2 developed into agro-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers. An ECOZONE may contain any or all of the following: industrial estates (IEs), export processing zones (EPZs), free trade zones, and tourist/recreational centers. The law defines an industrial estate (IE) as â€Å"a tract of land subdivi ded and developed according to a comprehensive plan under a unified continuous management and with provisions for basic infrastructure and utilities, with or without pre-built standard factory buildings and community facilities for the use of the community of industries. † An export processing zone (EPZ) is â€Å"a specialized industrial estate located physically and/or administratively outside customs territory, predominantly oriented to export production. A free trade zone is â€Å"an isolated policed area adjacent to a port of entry (as a seaport) and/or airport where imported goods may be unloaded for immediate transshipment or stored, repacked, sorted, mixed, or otherwise manipulated without being subject to import duties† (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916†). For years, industrialization has been centered in key cities – the National Capital Region for Luzon, Cebu for Visayas and Davao and Cagayan de Oro for Mindanao – leaving other regions trailin g behind the Philippine industrialization scheme.Thus, special economic zones, as stated in the objectives of the law, are created to promote rural industrialization by transforming selected areas in the country into highly developed industrial, commercial and financial centers thereby promoting flow of both foreign and local investors and generating employment opportunities for the area? s labor force and ultimately supporting the government? s effort to reduce unemployment (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916†). Economic zones are also thought to promote balanced growth by providing jobs especially to rural areas.Employment generation by special economic zones, in theory, bridges the poverty gap among social classes and balances the regional income inequality among regions (Clarete and Veron). Cabatos 3 To promote the flow of local and foreign investors into special economic zones, the law provides special incentives to enterprises located in special economic zones, including exemp tions from taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code. The law states that no taxes, local or national, shall be imposed on business enterprises operating within the ECOZONES.Instead, five percent (5%) of the gross income within the ECOZONE shall be remitted to the national government. Incentives are also given to enterprises located in export processing zones (EPZs) and free trade zones. Special permits for the importation of capital equipment and raw materials that are not subject to duties, taxes and other import restrictions are given to these businesses (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916†). Through giving prospective investors tax incentives, the government aims to reel in foreign investors and urge local investors to establish businesses in special economic zones.Prior to the establishment of special economic zones in the Philippines, other Asian countries have already created special economic zones with the goal of attracting foreign direct investment, easing extensive u nemployment, supporting a wider economic improvement policy, and as experimental laboratories and test economies for the application of new policies and approaches (Farole and Akinci). Studies have been conducted in recent years to look into the cost-to-benefit ratio and economic and social impacts of policies enacted for the creation of special economic zones in these countries.In China, for example, the Third Plenum of the 11th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party adopted the Open Door Policy in 1978 and in 1980, four municipalities in two provinces were designated as special economic zones, opening China to global contact and influences. Almost immediately, the four special economic zones accounted for 59. 8% of the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in China. Since then, the SEZs continued to result in high rates of Cabatos 4 economic growth in China (Yeung, Lee and Kee).Analysis on the economic statistics of Chinese municipalities from 1978 to 2007 showed how special econ omic zones benefit the economy of China. Special economic zones increase per capita municipal foreign direct investment by 58% in foreign-invested and export-oriented industrial enterprises. Further analysis on the statistics also showed that the special economic zones increased municipal foreign owned capital stock while keeping the domestic capital and investment at a competitive level.Special economic zones also bring more advanced technology and increased total factor productivity by 0. 6% (Wang). Despite the economic benefits special economic zones have brought to China, several cases have turned up showing unsuccessful implementation of special economic zones in several countries. Quite a number of zones have become „white elephants? , zones that resulted in an industry taking advantage of tax breaks and incentives but are unable to generate substantial employment or export returns (Farole and Akinci).Similar to the SEZs, Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) have been est ablished in South Africa. However, unlike the impressive performance of special economic zones in other countries which transformed their economies into tiger economies, IDZs in South Africa have failed to sufficiently attract foreign investments or compete internationally (Altbeker, McKeown and Bernstein). In India, the designation of special economic zones has generated and constantly increased employment in regions where special economic zones are established. Figures may seem large, but when employment enerated by special economic zones in India is analyzed on a national level, special economic zones in India accounted for only less than one percent (1%) of the total manufacturing employment since their establishment in 1966 (Aggarwal). Cabatos 5 In the Philippines, special economic zones have already been established even before the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 became a law. It was in 1923 that the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines first conceptualized the creation of export processing zones or special economic zones.By 1967 the first export processing zone, the Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ) was established by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 66 of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Since then, several others have been established including two of the country? s major special economic zones – the Clark Special Economic Zone and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (Mallari and Padilla). The Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 was the government? s response to the call of rural industrialization of the 1993-1998 Medium Term Philippine Development Plan.In pursuit for the aim of dispersing the industrialization scheme outside the National Capital Region, the government developed special economic zones through its Philippines 2000 program (Mallari and Padilla). With the SEZs? goal of promoting the flow of investments and generation of employment, studies have been conducted focusing on three of the major special economic zones in the country, the Bataan Export Processing Zone (BEPZ), the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, to look into the benefits and drawbacks of creating these special economic zones to Philippine economy and society.Looking into the working conditions of the Bataan Export Processing Zone, survey results have shown that majority of the labor force was composed of female workers, accounting for seventy-four percent (74%) of the total workforce, 67% of which are young or are 24 years old and below. Moreover, workers have been found to be well-educated relative to the job they have been hired for in the Bataan Export Processing Zone. Sixty percent (60%) had finished high school education and 16% pursued a post-secondary education (Mallari and Padilla). Cabatos 6 Significant difference in the wage of male and female workers was lso observed. Female workers were given a lower basic wage relative to that of male workers. Furthermore, one-third of the employees were paid below the minimum wage for the Bataan region. Despite the uneven and insufficient wages of workers, laborers sill work six days per week. A quarter of the labor force worked for 60 hours and 5% worked for more than 70 hours per week, where 46% worked overtime. The study reported that the working hours of workers per week in the Bataan Export Processing Zone were greater than the standard working hours of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week (Mallari and Padilla).In conclusion, the Bataan Export Processing Zone was observed to have failed in creating sufficient opportunities of employment for the labor force in Mariveles, Bataan because of the limited capacity of enterprises to absorb the ever-increasing supply of labor in the area. The BEPZ, despite being momentarily able to generate adequate employment opportunities, has not catalyzed the growth of other economic activities in the region (Mallari and Padilla). The Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone were creat ed by virtue of Republic Act No. 227, otherwise known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992. The act aimed to convert Clark and Subic U. S. military bases, together with their extensions and substations, into productive civilian and economic use of lands through the establishment of special economic zones (â€Å"Republic Act No. 7227). Similar to the performance of the Bataan Export Processing Zone, the Clark Special Economic Zone, despite having been able to continuously expand employment opportunities in Pampanga and increased the value of exports, has not proven to have generated substantial employment.The thousands of job opportunities provided for the labor supply in Pampanga is not significant in proportion with total employment of Pampanga (Mallari and Padilla). Cabatos 7 A study on the decisive factors in establishing enterprises in Subic concludes that investors opt to create businesses in Subic because of competitively-priced raw materials and the abundance of skilled and literate labor force (Go and Tatad). Add the incentives given to these enterprises and you get a multi-million dollar business enterprise booming in profit while compromising the benefits and quality of their labor force.How special then is the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 and its SEZs? We recall that the goal for the enactment of this law and the creation of special economic zones is to take the Philippine industrialization scheme outside of Metro Manila, promote rural industrialization and the spur of economic activity in less urbanized regions, generate employment and ease the regional income inequality and the poverty gap among social classes. However, there seems to be a mishap, not on the law but on the implementation of the law.In policy, special economic zones promote balanced growth by spreading the industrialization in rural regions and SEZs are indisputably effective in promoting foreign and local investments in areas where they are located. Although S EZs have been established outside the National Capital Region, it is evident that a large number of these SEZs, especially the largest and most dynamic ones have been established in areas proximate to NCR and still leaving behind Visayas and Mindanao in the economic progress of Luzon.There have been improvements in the national regional income inequality but are largely due to changes in inequality between top ranking regions in Luzon (Clarete and Veron). Just how special is it then? Cabatos 8 China and other Asian countries have done it. Why haven? t we? Is it because of the law? No. It is because of the poor system that we have, a system driven by money and stained by corruption. And unless we start the change to a cleaner, more efficient and a better system, „special? would only be in the name of Republic Act No. 7916, not on Philippine society. Cabatos 9 Works Cited Aggarwal, Aradhna. Impact of Special Economic Zones on Employment, Poverty and Human Development. † Wo rking Paper. Indian Council for Reserch on International Economic Relations. May 2007. Web. 15 March 2013 Alejandro, Ethel P. and Roselie B. Tubeo. Clark Special Economic Zone: An Assessment of Costs and Benefits. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, October 1998. Print. Altbeker, Antony, Katie McKeown and Ann Bernstein. â€Å"Special Economic Zones: Lessons for South Africa from international evidence and local. † Centre for Development and Enterprise Round Table.Johannesburg, South Africa: The Centre for Development and Enterprise, June 2012. Web. 15 March 2013 Anderson, Eric Moltzau. Economic Implications of Clark and Subic. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, September 1996. Print. Beltran, Barbara and Ma. Lumen B. Isleta. The Establishment of Industrial Estates in the Philippines: an Inquiry into the Impact of Bataan Export Processing Zone on the Philippine Economy. Quezon City: Univ ersity of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, 18 March 1981. Print. Clarete, Kenneth Jordan M. nd Alvin F. Veron. Economic Zones and the Regional Income Inequality in the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman School of Economics, April 2009. Print. Cabatos 10 Farole, Thomas and Gokhan Akinci. Special Economic Zones: Progress, Emerging Challenges and Future Directions. Washington DC: The World Bank. 2011. Web. 16 March 2013 Go, Marie Fleurdeliz Uy and Maria Raissa Cantero Tatad. A Case Study on Foreign Investment in Philippine Special Economic Zones: The Analysis of the Factors Significant to Foreign Firms Investing in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, March 1995. Print. Inciong, Leslie M. and Ma. Joy Kathleen U. Rabago. An Evaluation of the Economic Performance of Two Hybrid Ecozones: Subic Bay Freeport and Calabarzon Growth Network. Quezon City: University of the P hilippines Diliman – School of Economics, 16 October 1998. Print. Mallari, Christine Mae G. and Mary Prudence H. Padilla. Employment Generation and Working Condition at Clark Special Economic Zone. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Diliman – School of Economics, 2000. Print. â€Å"Republic Act No. 7227. † 13 March 1992.Philippine Bases Conversion and Development Authority. 20 March 2013. Web. 20 March 2013 â€Å"Republic Act No. 7916. † 24 February 1995. Official Gazette. Web. 11 March 2013. â€Å"The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines . † 11 February 1987. Official Gazette. Web. 11 March 2013 Cabatos 11 Wang, Jin. â€Å"The Economic Impact of Special Economic Zones: Evidence from Chinese Municipalities. † Job Market Paper. London School of Economics. November 2009. Web. 13 March 2013 Yeung, Yue-man, Joanna Lee and Gordon Kee. China's Special Economic Zones at 30. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. 2009. Web. 19 March 2013.

Why I Want To Become a Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I Want To Become a Nurse - Essay Example Hence, I believe that adopting nursing as a profession will not only provide me with my dream job, but would also enable me to polish myself as a human being. I chose to apply in the FHCHS Nursing Program for several reasons. Firstly, FHCHS is located at a distance of hardly ten minutes from my home as I live in Orlando. Secondly, FHCHS is one of very few medical centers that can provide their students with sound clinical experience because of its intrinsic association with the Florida Hospital. There may be other nursing schools with links with hospitals but I chose to apply in FHCHS in particular because of the global fame and recognition of the Florida Hospital and this Hospital being the biggest of above 350 facilities of healthcare all over the world that the Seventh-day Adventist Church has to operate. The mere idea of gaining practical experience of learning and working in the Florida Hospital fascinates me. Last but not the least, teachings and ways of this faith-based institution are consistent with my religious beliefs. I would not think of other institutions when I have got world-class education and experience at few paces from my home! I am very good at socializing with people. I am an extrovert. These qualities make me a very good nurse. I have always wanted to have a large social circle and a big network of friends. The level of association and the kind of rapport a nurse enjoys with his/her patients is conducive for long-term association between the two. Nurses can find best friends in their patients because they get an opportunity to attach to them on an emotional level. Thus, I would be making lots of friends as I work more. I want to do a lot of social work in my life. If I can bring a smile on a face with my sweet words and care, that makes my day! Nursing is one profession that would allow me to achieve that because I would be able to work for humanity. I believe that having an

Tesco Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tesco Marketing Plan - Essay Example Price competition, backed by improved efficiency, is the main feature of food retailing industry today. UK food retailers fight for survival in markets faced with over-capacity. Within rapidly changing environment, this kind of development ensures that long-term survivors are those firms who are more competitive and are better able to satisfy consumer needs and adapt to the new competitive environment. In 2004, consolidation re-shape UK retailing industry and Hypermarket retailers (like Tesco) want to make sure they don't miss out on this growing area of the UK market" (Moreau, 2004; Desjardins, 2005). The first marketing aim is to get the right goods to the right consumers, trying hard for customers. Another marketing aim is to build and promote healthy living brand. Knowing what individual customers appreciate and what they want to avoid can add up to one of differences that create a competitive advantage. C) Tesco customer groups are defined on the basis of their specific segments and buying potential whether they be country groups or individual consumer groups-of potential customers with homogeneous attributes who are likely to exhibit similar responses to a company's marketing mix. Tesco customers can be divided into five broad categories: The second group of customers share universal wants, n... Life stage of customers (students, young adults, older adults, young families, older families, over 60s); lifestyle ('Basket typology'); Customers driven by product promotions; Customers loyal to specific brands" (New Marketing Techniques Search for the Edge, n.d.). The first group of consumers is characterized by strong purchasing power. They need high quality product and ready to pay for them. This is a high-income group. The second group of customers share universal wants, needs, desires, (for name brands, novelty, entertainment, trendy, and image-oriented products). This segment is attractive both in terms of its size and its multi-billion dollar purchasing power. This segment's needs and wants are spread over various product categories: durable and nondurables goods. The third group is characterized by share few family activities; they want build-to-order solutions. They do not need a specific brand or new product, but high service and product at low price. This is a fast-growing segment. Customers driven by product promotions are not usual visitors of Tesco being attracted by low price and discount for new products. They are deluged with passive information. The fifth group includes people whose tastes are based on desired standards. Quality is the main purchasing criteria of this group. Their choices are made on the basis of price and product features. Graphically these groups can be represented as follows: 100% (customers) 50% 1 2 3 4 5 (Groups) It is important to note that there are some customers which belong to two different groups. For instance, they can represent lifestyle ('Basket typology') group, but be loyal to specific brands. D) The main competitors of Tesco are Sainsbury and Asda. Minor competitors

International sustainable business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International sustainable business - Essay Example Over the years IBM is trying to make its products and services environmentally friendly. According to a report published by the Ceres investor Coalition in December 2008, IBM was ranked the top company for climate change strategy and practices among all major technology companies. IBM’s super computers were also ranked the most high speed and energy efficient in November 2008. Apart from these rankings, there are many other recognitions and awards given to IBM for being a true Green company. In 2009, IBM launched its â€Å"Ready for Energy and Environment† validation program for business partners. In this program, they had set criteria for business partners to make eco-friendly products. Only those partners who qualified the criteria partnered with them. IBM provides a Global Asset Recovery Service (GARS). It helps the consumers to easily dispose off unwanted technology. By this service, the waste does not pollute the environment. IBM has been reusing, remarketing and recycling computers for quite a long time now. IBM helps organizations to create a ‘green’ IT infrastructure by offering different products and services. IBM virtualization, Active Energy manager, IBM System z mainframe servers, IBM system x servers, and IBM Power systems are some of the products and services that it provides in order to improve power efficiency. IBM is no doubt the leading manufacturers of computing industry. But there are many other famous brands offering technology and computing services. Among the close competitors that IBM has, Hewlett Packard (HP) is one of the giants of technology. In the scenario of Green computing, HP is more advanced than IBM. According to CNNMoney.com, HP is ranked among the top 10 green giants- the only computer’s company in the list. HP has massive e-waste recycling plants, and it is trying to cut energy consumption more and more. HP’s own machines are 100 percent recyclable. They have various products that are