| |
| CHEAP and poor quality consumer products have been with most of Papua New Guineans ever since they learned how to eat cheap rice and cheap canned meat and fish. Over the years, low-priced imports from These were also among the very first imports of this country even before it gained independence from This simply shows that in PNG, there’s market for everything imported, whether or not they are of good quality. In a country with almost 90 percent of consumers wallowing in poverty, the people’s first consideration would always be the product’s affordability. Whether or not it is of good quality is one luxury that could only come up later. The most important thing at the moment is that there’s something the family could use. First-time users of imported foodstuff like rice (especially those who have just been weaned from eating taro, sweet potato, yam, banana and the like), canned foods and clothing, and other consumables like toothpastes, detergents, perfumes, hair-and-body care items, and lately electronic goods, simply have no idea whether the products they bought were of good quality. This is because they have no experience yet with the better counterparts. And those with fewer kina in their pockets tend to go for the only item their money could buy, and this is obviously the one being sold cheap, which, in most cases, could also be of poor make. When I was a young boy in the 50s, I remember receiving a toy gun from may father as Christmas present. I did not want to play with it because it was made in I wanted one “Made in USA”, because by buddies carried US-made toy guns, which they claimed were durable, thus the better ones. In short, during those days, the Those days, But as the Philippine economy expanded and people’s incomes improved consumers with increased buying power started chasing better quality products, mostly US goods. For them, Philippine-made consumer items were “no good” and non-US brands were likewise. One major reason was that the So this was understandable. Now, immediately after the Philippines gained independence from America in July 4, 1946, having been a colony for 50 years, and trade between the two countries began, came a tsunami of US-made products – from my favorite chocolate treats M&M and Hershey and candies, to quality ready-to-wear clothing items and footwear, household appliances, perfumes and scents, electronic goods and many more. This was also the reason why the Filipinos were accused of having “colonial mentality” because they normally preferred Secondly, Right now, the number of Filipinos living across OF LATE, there has been a misplaced outcry against Asian traders (translation: Chinese merchants) in PNG and the allegedly poor- quality goods that they sell, most of them Chinese goods. Such reaction to bad consumer products is normal, and it happens all the time everywhere across the globe. This is one progress achieved by consumer movements anywhere – to be able to air complaints against bad products, especially foodstuff, and convince governments to do something about them for consumers’ welfare. But the people leading this so-called “outcry movement”, if we can call that, are denouncing low-quality imported foodstuffs and various other consumables before a group of people who are simply misinformed, unschooled and have no options or access to better-made, imported consumer products; people who have no clear understanding why such products exist and what good they do, if there’s any, to those who happened to acquire them (poor quality products). These are the people, who, even if there are top quality foodstuff and other consumer items available at local stores, will never be able to enjoy them simply because they just couldn’t afford the price. I am referring to the ill-informed grassroots, and there are close to five million of them across PNG, who barely survive their day to day existence for lack of sustainable jobs or source of sustainable livelihood. These are the people living the hand-to-mouth existence, those who are willing to forego lunch so that whatever food the family has could last for another day or two. It goes without saying that the instigators fanning the flame of anti-Asian sentiments are, by all means, nuts, plain illiterate, or that they are the usual scheming kinds with an agenda of their own more sinister than what most PNG politicians have right now. And the agenda is to make a fast buck out of people’s ignorance. Having been a consumer myself for more than 60 years, I came to categorize into three the quality of products which are normally found in the market. First, there are the cheap but poorly-made products; second, the cheap but good-enough-quality products; and third, the top-quality but expensive, beyond-every-ordinary-people products. In short, these items have been produced and marketed to give consumers the choice, a glowing virtue of active consumerism. It would be anarchy if traders would impose on consumers a particular product without giving them an option or the right to choose. All these – whatever they are -- have corresponding market out of the poor, the average, the middle-class and the rich. Simply put, there are no products that could go to waste as there’s one for everybody – the poor, the middle-class and the rich – according to their paying capacity. With that, consumers have no reason to complain against poor quality Chinese products or Asian products for that matter. All they have to do is ignore them, leave that Chinese store and walk across the road towards the other store that sells the same product but of high quality. Only they should be ready to fork more kina to be able to have it. Are they ready to pay the price? Back in the That’s why the so-called bargain districts of Divisoria and Binondo in the city of Manila, and Baclaran in the city of Paranaque – all within the bustling 17-city Metropolitan Manila – have remained the biggest trading centers in the country. Here, billion of pesos change hands everyday, from early morning to sundown. It is here where countless cheap local products and those from all over It is here where you can find everything, from the biggest to the smallest, to the simplest in design to the most outrageous, all at very affordable prices – all you have to do is ask. AFTER I WROTE in this column early this year about a group of 16 Chinese-owned variety shops at Gordon in Port Moresby, which I called “Little Binondo”, and saying they sell low-priced Chinese-made products, bargain hunters positively reacted by coming here to have a look, after which they bought a piece or two of the items. And simply by word of mouth, the place became popular among ordinary consumers who were after cheap items and good bargains. Others came from villages in hired PMV trucks. When they left the stores’ compound, they carried various items they would be taking back home in the village. Finally, they discovered a place where their money could easily match up with products they liked. And they are Chinese. This simply shows that cheap Asian products – whether Chinese-made, Taiwanese-made, Malaysian-made, Singaporean-made, Japan-made, and what have you – always have a ready market. Ordinary consumers would always gravitate towards them because such items are what they could easily afford. There’s no need to hold a mass demonstration to expose or denounce cheap imported goods as there’s just no point doing this. Because at the end of the day, those who supported this mass action would go home, still poor as they are, only to go back to the store the next day to buy the same cheap but poor-quality products that, ironically, are the ones giving them sustenance. They know such products very well, being the ones they could readily afford. Meanwhile, in the other store, there’s that expensive, high-quality item waiting for them to pick. But alas, there’s no taker. So, the basic moral of this story is simple: Those who demand quality should be ready to pay for it. Otherwise, they should settle with what they could easily afford. And don’t expect that these cheap items would go away. Never, because everyday, there would be a new army of consumers who’ll be looking for products that suit their pockets, and these are usually the cheap and poor-quality Chinese-made. To see the original website posting, please visit the weblink below: For any feedback, please email the writer: alfredophernandez@ |
Thursday, June 11, 2009
In defense of cheap and poor-quality Chinese products in Papua New Guinea
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How Voco Point, Lae, got its name
mv Umboi at Voco Point
mv Rita at the Lutheran Shipping wharf at Voco Point in Lae
mv Gejamsaoc off Voco Point with the Huon Gulf in the background
Lutheran Shipping's pride mv Gejamsaoc and mv Rita at Voco Point in LaeVoco Point, Lae, is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.
The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, Siassi, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.
The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.
In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.
However, to this day, many people – including those who work and live there – do not know how Voco Point got its name.
The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.
Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.
It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.
They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.
Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.
The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.
The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.
Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.
According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.
The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.
The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.
They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.
In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.
The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.
Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.
This may explain how traces of the old Ahi-Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.
It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast - from Salamaua to Siassi.
In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.
This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called yaayaa.
According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.
Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.
But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and PNG, and continues in the same vein.
Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.
This is Voco Point, also known as Asiawi.
On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.
The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, Siassi, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.
The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.
In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.
It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.
However, to this day, many people – including those who work and live there – do not know how Voco Point got its name.
The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.
Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.
It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.
They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.
Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.
The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.
The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.
Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.
According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.
The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.
The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.
They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.
In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.
The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.
Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.
This may explain how traces of the old Ahi-Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.
It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast - from Salamaua to Siassi.
In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.
This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called yaayaa.
According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.
Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.
As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.
Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.
But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and PNG, and continues in the same vein.
Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.
This is Voco Point, also known as Asiawi.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
British volunteers build facilities along Black Cat Trail
Volunteers with local children
Trekforce leader Adam Hickman and a local child
Toilet construction
Toilet
Rafting Fransisco River.jpg)
Jungle training at Gabesis
Jungle training at Gabensis
Group in the toilet pit
Entertainment at Komiatum
Construction of shower facility
Cement wall for the toiletIt may not exactly be in the same league as the high rise property developments in the major cities of Papua New Guinea, nevertheless, it is property development in a remote part of Papua New Guinea.
Thanks to an enthusiastic group of young men and women from Great Britain, villagers along the Black Cat Trail between Salamaua and Wau, Morobe province, can now offer proper toilet and shower facilities to trekkers of the fast-developing tourism icon.
The group of 11 young men and women came to Papua New Guinea in February this year and has been living in villages along the Black Cat Trail over the last four months, setting up facilities for trekkers, as well as teaching at Salamaua High School and Komiatum Primary School.
Last year, the first Trekforce group built a guesthouse between Skin Diwai and Banis Donkey outside Wau, while there from July-September 2008.
They were supported in their endeavours by the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Huon Gulf MP Sasa Zibe and Bulolo MP Sam Basil.
The last group of five – Claire Orton, Paul Tidbury, Tom Turner, Callum Heitler and Angus Collins – left PNG last Friday after having the time of their lives in the mountains above Salamaua.
“Trekforce is volunteer organisation which works worldwide, sending groups of 10-15 people, aged 18-25, to areas like Borneo, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Belize in Central America,” Mr Collins told me before leaving.
“We came here on Feb 5.
“We had five days jungle training in Gabensis (a village along the Wau-Bulolo Highway).
“From there, we went to Salamaua, had one night in Salamaua, and then walked to Komiatum.
“The first month was spent on building toilets.
“We dug a seven foot hole, so that no flies will go in – it’s supposed to be the most-hygienic way of building toilets.
“The second month was spent on building washrooms around the toilets.
“These will be used by trekkers.
“We’re trying to make it more comfortable for trekkers.”
The group planned to walked the Black Cat Trail, however, the recent violence in Wau put a halt to all that, and they instead spent time at Lababia Island further south of Salamaua.
After that, they came back to Salamaua, and taught students at Salamaua High School and Komiatum Primary School.
“We taught subjects such as social science, science, maths, English, arts, personal development, and making a living,” Mr Collins said.
“We were living with the teachers at the school, and after teaching, enjoyed playing basketball and football with the kids.”
All good things, however, must come to an end, and the young Britons were farewelled with a big feast at Komiatum before leaving last week.
I asked them of their best memories of PNG.
Paul Tidbury: “Spending time at Lababia Island and seeing the sights there was quite special.”
Tom Turner: “The school (Komiatum Primary), at the end of our teaching, had some dances and singsings, and some food.”
Angus Collins: “The opening of the toilets was nice.
Callum Heitler: “The people, cultures.
Claire Orton: “I really liked Salamaua, especially swimming on the reef.”
Thanks to an enthusiastic group of young men and women from Great Britain, villagers along the Black Cat Trail between Salamaua and Wau, Morobe province, can now offer proper toilet and shower facilities to trekkers of the fast-developing tourism icon.
The group of 11 young men and women came to Papua New Guinea in February this year and has been living in villages along the Black Cat Trail over the last four months, setting up facilities for trekkers, as well as teaching at Salamaua High School and Komiatum Primary School.
Last year, the first Trekforce group built a guesthouse between Skin Diwai and Banis Donkey outside Wau, while there from July-September 2008.
They were supported in their endeavours by the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority, Huon Gulf MP Sasa Zibe and Bulolo MP Sam Basil.
The last group of five – Claire Orton, Paul Tidbury, Tom Turner, Callum Heitler and Angus Collins – left PNG last Friday after having the time of their lives in the mountains above Salamaua.
“Trekforce is volunteer organisation which works worldwide, sending groups of 10-15 people, aged 18-25, to areas like Borneo, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Belize in Central America,” Mr Collins told me before leaving.
“We came here on Feb 5.
“We had five days jungle training in Gabensis (a village along the Wau-Bulolo Highway).
“From there, we went to Salamaua, had one night in Salamaua, and then walked to Komiatum.
“The first month was spent on building toilets.
“We dug a seven foot hole, so that no flies will go in – it’s supposed to be the most-hygienic way of building toilets.
“The second month was spent on building washrooms around the toilets.
“These will be used by trekkers.
“We’re trying to make it more comfortable for trekkers.”
The group planned to walked the Black Cat Trail, however, the recent violence in Wau put a halt to all that, and they instead spent time at Lababia Island further south of Salamaua.
After that, they came back to Salamaua, and taught students at Salamaua High School and Komiatum Primary School.
“We taught subjects such as social science, science, maths, English, arts, personal development, and making a living,” Mr Collins said.
“We were living with the teachers at the school, and after teaching, enjoyed playing basketball and football with the kids.”
All good things, however, must come to an end, and the young Britons were farewelled with a big feast at Komiatum before leaving last week.
I asked them of their best memories of PNG.
Paul Tidbury: “Spending time at Lababia Island and seeing the sights there was quite special.”
Tom Turner: “The school (Komiatum Primary), at the end of our teaching, had some dances and singsings, and some food.”
Angus Collins: “The opening of the toilets was nice.
Callum Heitler: “The people, cultures.
Claire Orton: “I really liked Salamaua, especially swimming on the reef.”
Reaching the 50,000 mark...the sky is the limit!
My blog, in less than a year, is already reaching the 50,000 mark.
At last count, I had 49, 957 hits, and should surpass the 50,000 mark later today.
This gives me a tremendous sense of achievement, and I really feel that I have done something good for my country,
I actually started this blog in May 2006, basically out of curiosity, and never took it seriously until last July, when I made it a point to jump on the blogging bandwagon that is taking the world by storm.
I also installed a counter on my blog last July 14.
I have never looked back since and this blog has since gone on to become one of the top-ranked
The blog has helped to put
Thank you for the support from all over the world.
Blogging, and the Internet, have proven to me that we are truly living in a global village.
Fitting in my shoes (or should I say glasses?)
These are pictures of my young tyro, two-year-old Keith, who, whenever he gets the chance, fits into my shoes or wears my sunglasses.
He's a great little kid, who, despite the tragic death of his mother last year, shortly after his birth, has shown remarkable resilience.
He's fair-skinned, taken on his Mum's good looks, and is someone who I'm very proud of and love so much.
Pacific Storms brew in Australia
Captions: 1. Joycelin Leahy and Tema,a Tongan community leader 2. Joycelin Leahy with artists Micah Furseta, Lingikoni Vakauta and Lambert Ho 3. Crowd at the opening night 4. PNG talent...Jeffry Feeger, University of Queensland Prof Amareswah Galla, Daniel Waswas and Mairi Feeger at Pacific Storms Opening
Pacific Storms, a contemporary art exhibition of significant Pacific island issues curated by Papua New Guinea woman Joycelin Leahy, opened to a record crowd of 425 people at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery last Wednesday night.
It was opened by the Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Affairs, Duncan Kerr.
The turn out included audiences from around Australia, Pacific islanders, residents of Bundaberg Region and 27 of 33 artists – Papua New Guineans included - who exhibited in the show.
In his speech, Mr Kerr said the artworks challenged the traditional perceptions of Pacific cultures and their arts.
He called Pacific Storms a “superb example of contemporary Pacific Island culture”.
“I am sure that those who visit the exhibition will be surprised and perhaps startled by what they see,” Mr Kerr said.
“The works on display present a contemporary perspective of Pacific societies and cultures.
“It is a perspective that many Australians, including those in the art world, may not be prepared for.”
He said the exhibition brought an important understanding of Australia to its closest neighbors and the fact that Pacific islands’ concerns and their worlds were not so different to Australia’s.
Australia has committed $150 Million over three years under the Climate Change Adaptation Initiative to help meet high priority adaptation needs of vulnerable countries in the region, which focuses on Pacific Islands and East Timor.
Responding to other major social issues highlighted in Pacific Storms, Mr Kerr said development assistance alone could not improve long-term economic outlook or Pacific Islands, therefore, Australia had placed a greater priority on trade and economic cooperation with its Pacific partners.
“Since its opening, there have been a number of public programmes organised by curating partner, Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery,” Ms Leahy told The National.
“These included leis making and weaving which drew another crowd of 378 people last Saturday at the gallery.
“During the week, PNG artists, Daniel Waswas and Peter Leo Ella engaged with Bundaberg School children to discuss their style of artwork and talk about Pacific people and the culture.”
Pacific Storms will remain on show at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery until July 12.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)