So ordered

Bank notes 1: Former Adelita Vergel de Dios continues to serve as supervising director of Great Pacific Life Co. on top of her full-time job running Malayan Insurance Co., Inc.

You see, the Grepalife board chaired by Helen Yuchengco Dee can’t seem to make up its mind on who should take over the job of resigned Alfredo Antonio.

As everybody knows, Freddie Antonio keeps himself busy these days playing golf. Occasionally, he meets up with his partner, Francis Estrada, in a venture capital company.

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Bank notes 2: Catherine Weir’s star continues to rise. Aside from her regional posting, Cathy Weir is now also country manager of Citi-Hong Kong and head of its corporate bank.

Ms. Weir held a similar position in the Philippines – the one now occupied by Jim Hunt.

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Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. is so committed to corporate governance that he ordered the 10 judges who handle corporate cases in Metro Manila – the cases which used to be handled by the Securities and Exchange Commission – to attend a one-day orientation conducted by the Institute of Corporate Directors.

As everybody knows, ICD is headed by former Finance Secretary Jesus Estanislao.

Outside Metro Manila, there is a designated judge per province who handles corporate cases. Oh yes, these judges are required to submit a monthly report on how these cases are moving along to the Supreme Court.

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All that Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. president Nelson Buenaflor seems to be doing these days is opening one branch or another outside Metro Manila.

You see, Mr. Buenaflor has received orders from his immediate boss, Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr., and his boss-of-bosses, President Macapagal-Arroyo to open a Quedancor branch in all of the country’s provinces to help the small farmers and fisherfolk.

Here’s the problem. Quedancor has less than 20 branches, the operation (including salaries) of which have been budgeted for.

Opening new branches as quickly as possible means, among other things, paying for office space, equipment, and, yes, people. (Yes, Mr. Buenaflor is on hiring mode.)

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Some Nokia guys – executive vice-president for corporate relations and trade policy Veli Sundback, senior vice-president for corporate marketing Martin Sandelin, and director for corporate marketing Kimmo Lipponen – flew in from Finland to attend yesterday’s launch of text2teach.

To be piloted this schoolyear in 40 public schools nationwide, text2teach uses the cell phone to help public school teachers teach natural sciences to Grade 5 and 6 students.

If successful, this can be replicated elsewhere in the world.

By the way, one of the project’s local partners is Ayala Foundation Inc., which is chaired by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II.