Events


Mr. Oplas with officers and members of Rotary Club of Rizal South West, RI D3830 after he gave a talk on "Global cooling vs Global money and power" last May 28, 2009, Heritage Hotel, Manila. To Mr. Oplas' right is club President Lynette Velasco and Past President Maritoni Gonzales.


Panel speakers in the "Social Dialogue on Health Care" last August 17, 2009 at PRRM, Quezon City. From left to right: Edel Hernandez of 3CPNet, Mr. Oplas, Mr. Rene Magtubo of LABOR, former DAR Sec. Obet Pagdanganan (standing), former DOH Sec. Alberto Romualdez, Mr. Ernesto Beltran of PhilHealth, Mr. Reineer Gloor of PHAP, and Ms.Joyce Filomeno of AGAP.


A big number of people filled up the gallery of the House of Representatives in Manila last June 4, 2010, to press for the ratification of the lower House of the "Freedom of Information" (FOI) bill. The House leadership though, with the backing of other powerful politicians who are afraid of more information of government dealings be made more available to the public, killed the bill via technicality, by arguing that there was "no quorum" and hence, they could not ratify the bill. Various accounts showed that there was indeed a quorum. Information is power and those who stole big time, those who want to steal more, regulate and fool the public more, will not be happy with an FOI law.


Mr. Oplas attended the Atlas Liberty Forum in Los Angeles, April 24-25, 2009. In the picture, left to right, were Mr. Oplas; Peter Holle of FCCP, Canada; Jo Kwong, VP of Atlas, USA; Margaret Tse of IL, Brazil; and Xingyuan Feng of CIPA, China. Nearly 300 participants from more than 30 countries came.


Mr. Oplas giving a talk on "Global cooling reality vs Global warming politics" at the joint meeting of the Rotary Club of Makati McKinley (RCMM) and Rotary Club of Taguig-Fort Bonifacio, April 22, 2009. Looking on were RCMM President Bing Icamina, Manila Observatory Executive Director Toni Loyzaga (black suit facing the projector), and D3830 Asst. Governor Jay Tambunting.


The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) held its "Congress Briefing on the Global IT Industry" last December 3, 2008 at Edsa Shangrila Hotel. MG Thinkers President, Nonoy Oplas, was one of five speakers. He presented a paper, "ICT in the Philippines: Growth Amidst Mixed Government Intervention" (http://www.minimalgovernment.net
/media/mg_20081203.pdf). Looking on was Mr. Michael Mudd, CompTIA's Director of Public Policy, Asia-Pacific.

Symposia

  1. IPN-MG Symposium on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Health
    September 4, 2007 (morning), Manila Hotel (co-sponsorship with International Policy Network, IPN, London)
  2. Health and Wealth: Forum on Intellectual Property, Innovation and Health
    September 4, 2007 (afternoon), College of Pharmacology, UP Manila
    Principal sponsors: UP Pharmacology Association and UP Debate Circle

Regional and International Conferences Paper Presentation

Papers presented by Mr. Oplas in some international and local conferences

  1. “From Privatization to Tax Cut: Some Theoretical Considerations and Philippine Experience”
    “Pacific Rim Conference”
    May 23-24, 2007, Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii
    Sponsored by: State Policy Network, Americans for Tax Reforms, International Policy Network, Asia Forum Japan, Lion Rock Institute, Grassroot Institute Hawaii
  2. “Reducing Wastes in Government, Cutting Taxes from Citizens”
    2nd Asia Pacific Taxpayers Union (APTU) Meeting
    October 13-14, 2006, Pacific Hotel, Seoul, South Korea
    Sponsored by the Korea Taxpayers Association (KTA), and the World Taxpayers Association (WTA)
  3. “Obstacles to Free Trade: Thrashing Protectionists’ Logic”
    3rd Asian Liberty Forum
    September 11, 2006, Corus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Sponsored by Atlas Economic Research Foundation, and the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNS)
  4. “Rocking to Help Poor Countries: Man, Give Us Freer Markets, Less Aid and Fewer Taxes”
    Global Development Summit
    June 28, 2005, One White Hall Place, London, UK
    Sponsored by International Policy Network
  5. “Shrinking the Government and Expanding the Economy: Preliminary Salvo”
    Shrinking government, part1
    Shrinking government, part2
    Program in Development Economics (PDE) Reunion
    January 14, 2005, University of the Philippines School of Economics (UPSE), Quezon City, M. Manila
    Sponsored by PDE, UPSE

Regional and International Conferences Participation

Regional and international conferences attended by Mr. Oplas

  1. 2nd Pacific Rim Policy Exchange
    June 4-5, 2008, JW Marriot Hotel, Hong Kong
    Sponsored by: Americans for Tax Reforms , Property Rights Alliance, US , Lion Rock Institute, HK, and International Policy Network, UK
  2. 8th Atlas Liberty Forum
    April 25-27, 2008, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel
    Atlanta, Georgia, USA
    Sponsored by: Atlas Economic Research Foundation (www.atlasusa.org)
  3. 8th Annual Conference, Economic Freedom Network Asia
    “Preferential Trade Agreements: Local Solutions for Global Free Trade?”
    September 12-13, Corus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Sponsored by Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNS), Malaysia Institute of Economic Research (MIER), and Atlas Economic Research Foundation
  4. Atlas’ 2nd Asian Resource Bank Meeting, Colloquium on “The Constitution of Liberty in Asia”
    September 30, Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket, Phuket, Thailand
    Sponsored by Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Virginia, USA
  5. 7th Annual Conference, Economic Freedom Network Asia
    “Securing Economic Growth: Legal Structures and Property Rights in Asia”,
    October 1-2, Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket, Phuket, Thailand
    Sponsored by FNS and Atlas Economic Research Foundation
  6. Atlas 1st Asian Resource Bank Meeting
    September 15, Hong Kong
    Sponsored by The Atlas Economic Resource Foundation, Virginia, USA, and
    The Unirule Institute of Economics, Beijing, China
  7. 6th Annual Conference, Economic Freedom Network Asia
    “The Role of Government in Asian Economies”, September 16-18, Hong Kong
    Sponsored by The Hong Kong Center for Economic Research, University of Hong Kong, The Unirule Institute of Economics, Beijing, and
    The National Economic Research Institute (NERI), Beijing
  8. Mackinac Leadership Conference
    April 22-24, Midland, Michigan
    Sponsored by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy
  9. 4th Annual Liberty Forum
    April 28-29, Chicago, Illinois
    Sponsored by the Atlas Economic Research Foundation
  10. 27th Annual Resource Bank Meeting
    April 29-30, Chicago, Illinois
    Sponsored by The Heritage Foundation