Unethical but Legal 1.

PCSO Lotto

From http://www.pcso.gov.ph/about.html The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is the principal government agency for raising and providing funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character. The PCSO holds and conducts charity sweepstakes, races, and lotteries and engages in health and welfare-related investments, projects, and activities to provide for permanent and continuing sources of funds for its programs. It also undertakes other activities to enhance and expand such fund-generating operations as well as strengthen the agencys fund-management capabilities. The main products of the PCSO are the sweepstakes and the lottery games. The Sweepstakes game has steadily been evolving through the years to be able to conform with the changing times, to keep the game interesting to all Sweepstakes enthusiasts and to hopefully attract more clients, and to maintain a variety of Sweepstakes products readily available in the market. Various game types have been introduced and other game innovations are constantly being conceptualized, particularly of the traditional and scratch and match variety. Since its inception in 1934, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has lived up to the challenge of its mandated mission and purpose and has remained unwavering in carrying out its vision of uplifting the quality of life of the Filipino people. The agency has well established itself as a model government institution with its unquestioned dedication to serve the disadvantaged sectors of society. With these, the PCSO has developed a strong credence and incontestable acceptance from Filipinos who have all come to believe and get comfort on the fact that the PCSO will always be there for them, as long as needs need to be satisfied and hopes and dreams need to be given life and fulfilment. In adherence to its main thrust of providing funds for health programs and other charities, the PCSO is engaged in various social welfare and development programs. The main programs of the agency are as follows: endowment fund/quality health care program, individual medical assistance program, community outreach program, ambulance donation program, national calamity and disaster program, and hospital renovation and improvement of health care facilities. Also, the agency makes mandatory contributions to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Comprehensive and Integrated Shelter and Urban Development Financing Program (CISUDFP), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Centennial Commission (PCC), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) as well as regular quarterly and monthly contributions to charitable institutions engaged in giving welfare services to the children and youth who are either abandoned or exploited, the elderly, and the physically and mentally handicapped, among others.

Reasons why it is categorized as unethical but legal People may be unaware that Lotto is just a legalized form of gambling, which doesnt make it more ethical than Jueteng. These gambling schemes are ethically unacceptable for they dont make the life of the people better. In the PCSOs vision and mission above, it says that it aims to uplift the Life of the Filipino people. However, this mission somehow deviates from the reality for these gambling schemes manifest unethical treatment of the poor. Mostly, the low-income individuals are the one who plays these games. Instead of properly using their money to support their family and to save the money for a more valuable cost, people tend to get addicted to Lotto hoping to be an instant millionaire. They begin to get lazy to go to work and may even have family problems because of this. In these events, it can be concluded that PCSO Lotto doesnt really help the Filipino people because lotto as a form of gambling it makes the Filipinos risk their money for an uncertain result of investment. Even though profit from lotteries go to charity, no one can guarantee that the allotted money for the programs will be given fully to the rightful recipients because of corruption. Also, the profit may not be sufficient for Lotto can make the poor poorer doubling the cost of societal problems. Although Lotto is legal, it somehow lures financially uneducated individuals to gain profit.

Unethical and Illegal 1. Well Resource Mining Inc. Activity: Dredging in beaches (classified as Illegal Mining) Last November 11, 2012, Imbestigador showed a disturbing incident happening in Cagayan De Oro City. There are mining firms mostly foreign that do black sand mining. One of which is the Well Resource Mining Inc. It was discovered that this firm doesnt have a mining permit. The company only declared that it would only do dredging. Dredging is defined as an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location. It is said to keep waterways navigable. To have a permit for dredging or do small scale mining the following are required: (a) the necessity of removing the sand bar to avoid flooding of the Buguey Lagoon and erosion in nearby area; (b) mode of mining is non-destructive since magnetite sticks are used to recover the black sand magnetite; (c) the project is covered by an ECC issued by the EMB Regional office; (d) the project was endorsed by the concerned residents of Minanga Este; (e) the project provides employment and livelihood opportunities to about 200- 300 barangay residents. On the contrary, Well Resource Mining Inc. did not follow the guidelines listed. Shown in the Video footage of Imbestigador, the mining firm did not only do dredging. It also conducts large-scale mining for it uses heavy equipments, dumptrucks, and processive tanks (used to refine the sands).

The companys actions are illegal for it doesnt abide the Philippine mining act of 1985, which is the prohibition on the extraction of sand and gravel from beaches. The law specifies that beaches and offshore areas within 500 meters from the mean low tide level and onshore areas within 200 meters from the mean low tide level along the shore are closed to mining applications. The illegal mining conducted by the company is also unethical for it causes environmental degradation, and a threat to public safety. Although it employs barangay residents, the mining of black sand destroys the livelihood of the fishermen and farmers. The illegal mining activity of the company led to fish kills and destruction of the crops. This act also causes the water from the sea to enter the residents homes due to the destruction of sand barriers. Another proof of how unsafe this activity, is the death of a grade school kid who was over run by a magnetite Dump truck owned by the company. The life of the students there are always in danger because Well Resource Mining Company is near the Amunitan Elementary School and Baua National High school. In addition, the company also violates the rights of the people because as seen in the video, the employees claim that the sea shore is off limits to public. Sources: http://www.slideshare.net/no2mininginpalawan/edited-chronological-events-on-blacksand-mining-in-gonzaga-and-buguey-cagayan-province http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dredging