The problem tree

These days, Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II is in such a snit. To a large extent, the short fuse of Mar Roxas could be traced to having so much to do and not having enough money and people to implement them.

Said another way, Mr. Roxas gets only P1.2 billion of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s P800-billion annual budget. For that amount of money, Mr. Roxas and his people have to promote Philippine trade as best as they can.

Oh yes, the President just named DTI as the lead agency to help small- and medium-sized enterprises, without a corresponding increase in DTI's funding.

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Have you noticed that Subic Bay Metropolitan Development Authority chairman Felicito Payumo is all over the place, talking about his achievements?

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Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. president John K.C. Ng has hired a professional public relations practitioner. The consultant, of course, works hand-in-hand with the federation's elected PRO.

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Bank notes 1: There's a problem tree outside the home of United Coconut Planters Bank executive vice-president and chief operating officer Andrew Alcid. It is on this imaginary tree – right beside the front door – that Andy Alcid hangs all his work-related problems before he enters his home and transforms into husband and father.

Having spent most of his career abroad – and moving from one country assignment to another every three years. Mr. Alcid values the time he spends with his family. For his son's ninth birthday, he chose to go "undertime" so he could watch Harry Potter with his son and his friends.

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Bank notes 2: That Bangko Sentral Governor Rafael Buenaventura could take a "roasting" and give as good as he gets could be traced to his many years at Citibank. Now, this is a bank where a Filipino could say the "F" word to his expatriate boss one minute and go out together for some beer the next minute.

In the Citiculture, what is said and done at work isn't taken personally – it's just business. Those who do take it personally don't last very long.

It was, therefore, not surprisingly that the biggest tormentors of Paeng Buenaventura during last Wednesday's testimonial lunch were fellow ex-Citibankers and good friends, Bankers Association of the Philippines executive director Leonilo Coronel and former BAP president Deogracias Vistan.

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Bank notes 3: Lorenzo Tan – who spent some years in Hong Kong believes that overseas Filipino workers should not only be the country's heroes in speeches but should also be treated as very important people in action.

Now that he heads Philippine National Bank, which has the biggest number of remittance centers abroad, Yayi Tan intends to do something about this.