Shredded money

Oh dear. Two presidential aspirants are tapping into the Chinese-Filipino community not only for money but, hopefully, also for votes – from their workers, that is.

One connection is the son of a former president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. Another connection is an officer of the Chinese-Filipino Business club.

In the coming weeks, the two presidential aspirants are scheduled to meet one family association after another. On a larger scale are those future meetings with different associations based on which part of China the family can trace its roots.

* * *

Expect increased importation of tobacco leaves in the coming months.

Cigarette manufacturers are said to be down to a less-than-one-year inventory. The normal inventory level of tobacco leaves is three years.

Here’s the problem. Manufacturers have refused to take delivery of the tobacco leaf harvest this year even if these same manufacturers have already advanced part of the money to the farmers. The leaves are deemed to be unacceptable because farmers watered their plants with salty water from artesian wells during the unusually dry summer months.

As everybody knows, saline leaves do not burn well.

* * *

Did you know 1: Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II is now focused on short gestation but high visibility projects. His schedule until the end of the year is also more eschewed towards provincial visits.

* * *

Did you know 2: The Bangko Sentral is taking delivery in the third quarter of a machine that would transform all those shredded old money into bricks, tiles, and possibly panelling.

The idea here is somewhat akin to those giveaway paperweights given as presents to important guests by Hong Kong big shots, each one made up $HK100 million – shredded, of course.

* * *

Did you know 3: Carol Sy, who is representing the small stockholders in the Philippine Estate Administration-Amari deal nullified by the Supreme Court, is one of the daughters-in-law of SM founder Henry Sy.

Yes, this is the same Ms. Sy who is said to have been a good influence on her husband.

* * *

Did you know 4: Try as he can, low-key Stradcom Corp. chairman Cezar Quiambao is again in the news. This time, the noise is how Stradcom has effectively become the only accredited private emission testing center of the Land Transportation Office.

Stradcom, which handled LTO’s computerization project, is majority owned by Mr. Quiambao’s Strategic Alliance Development Corp. Stradec is also the partner of Indonesia’s Citra in building and operating the Skyway.