6% rating

The number of basketball fans seem to be decreasing, judging from the current six-percent rating of Philippine Basketball Association games shown on television. Last year, the televised PBA games had an eight-percent rating. (Telenovelas can easily draw in 20 percent viewership.)

The poor TV rating of PBA games raises at least two questions.

One, how do Channel 4 and 13, which jointly won this year’s TV rights, expect to break even, much less make money? Two, how can companies sponsoring basketball teams at a cost of at least P70 million a year justify the advertising expense to their shareholders.

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Did you know 1: The Armed Forces of the Philippines Retirement and Separation Benefits System was supposed to have become self-sufficient by this year. Said another way, it was supposed to internally generate the P10 billion needed this year by its members.

Not to worry. Since the pension fund cannot raise the money internally, the P10 billion will be drawn from the national budget.

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Did you know 2: Former Ilocos Sur Luis Singson is about to open for business a 30-room or so boutique hotel in the capital of Vigan.

Chavit Singson is looking for a professional manager, an iffy thing since anything less than 60 rooms is, on paper, an unviable proposition.

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Bank notes 1: For some reason or another, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. president Antonio Abacan Jr. isn’t part of the core group of the Dangal ng Lipi Foundation, which was put up by prominent Bulakeños (most of whom are bankers).

The foundation has former Equitable PCI Bank president Deogracias Vistan as chairman; former Development Bank of the Philippines chairman and chief executive officer Alfredo Antonio as vice-chairman; and former DBP president and CEO–there was a change in a job description Remedios Macalincag as president.

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Bank notes 2: United Coconut Planters Bank chairman and chief executive officer Edward Go should be busier now than ever for two reasons.

One, the bank – the country’s first universal bank – will celebrate its 40th anniversary next month. Two, Eddie Go’s boss, Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho, is pushing for a plan that would privatize the bank without getting those guys at the Presidential Committee on Good Governance unhappy. (PCGG nominees control the UCPB board).

Then again, Mr. Go has a hell of a workhorse in executive vice-president Andrew Alcid, who acts as president and chief operating officer in fact but doesn’t have the official titles until now.