A six-month adventure for Purisima

Why would the top guy of the country’s number one accounting firm want to give up his job for a government post that he may end up holding for only six months? That question lingered in my mind when it was announced that Cesar Purisima, chairman and managing partner of SGV/Ernst and Young in this country accepted Ate Glo’s offer to take over the Department of Trade and Industry from Mar Roxas, who resigned to run for senator.

I got my chance to find out from Purisima himself when he turned up at the Edsa Plaza Tuesday Club this week. As soon as I sat down, I asked him what he expected to accomplish in a short period of six months that also happened to be a heated presidential campaign period. Well, he said there is still much he could do in six months, at least by way of seeing to it our investment climate does not deteriorate further.

For one thing, he plans to hold the hands of current investors, making sure that they don’t think of closing shop and flying off to China, Thailand or Malaysia. There is a lot of hand holding to do, he said, specially by way of explaining to investors what exactly is happening as our turbulent political processes take their course. The insanity of our politics may scare investors.

Purisima also plans to build on the gains of Mar Roxas, specially in Mar’s attempt to attract IT related investments to the country. Purisima agrees we have to graduate beyond call centers but that is a good start, he says. He plans to coordinate with DepEd and the colleges offering computer courses to make sure the IT curriculum offered are relevant to industry needs. I guess he will also try to get the educational system to upgrade standards so that graduates can pass accreditation examinations that they now dismally fail.

The new DTI head also plans to make the front line bureaucracy more responsive to market needs and more importantly, be more results oriented. He observed that in a briefing they gave him, a lot of activities like seminars were reported. It is not enough to have these activities, he said. It is important that they produce measurable results that actually benefit the country.

Hence, the DTI attaches abroad will be asked to pinpoint one or two specific companies to target for investment. Right now, the attaches have a general responsibility for investment promotion and end up with nothing specific by way of investments signed up and established here. He wants the attaches to make sure that they can bag one or two significant investments each. Tutok, eka nga. Mabibisto kung sino ang nagbabakasyon lang abroad.

I also brought up a concern voiced in an e-mail message from Cesar dela Cruz, an OFW based in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. According to dela Cruz, "fake" Pinoy products are being sold to the Pinoys in the Middle East. Many of these products are uniquely Filipino foods. "Halimbawa po sa ito ay ang mga Sardinas (Ligo brand), patis (Rufina brand), suka, toyo, bagoong, at iba pa."

According to dela Cruz, "most of these food products bear similar labels as the original but if you will read the label carefully, mapapansin mo ang napakaliit na text that says "Product of Thailand" or "Product of Singapore"." He said that the Rufina Patis made in Thailand "ay may ganitong nakasulat: Rufina Patis – ang patis na may uri!" Isn’t this a violation of international trade laws?"

Secretary Purisima said he would look into this. It is also possible that Rufina Patis entered into a manufacturing agreement with a Thai company and is exporting to the Middle East from Thailand. Sometimes, such an arrangement is advantageous to the Filipino company because the cost of labor and materials may be cheaper in Thailand. Or maybe, the red tape associated with exporting products is not as debilitating in Thailand as it is back here.

Whatever the reason, this is something Secretary Purisima must investigate. It could happen that investment conditions in our country are so bad so that even Pinoys would rather export from Thailand. Oishi snacks, a Pinoy snack food enterprise that has made it big in China and Vietnam is exporting to the Middle East out of its manufacturing plant in Vietnam.

Going back to our question on why Mr. Purisima decided to quit SGV to work for government… I could sense that he just wants the opportunity to serve and face bigger challenges. Besides, he is a bachelor and without the responsibility for a family, he can do what he wants without worrying if he is earning enough. He doesn’t mind being a caretaker head because he expects to do much in six months time by being extra focused on achieving very definite results.

Epidemic In The Making

I mentioned in a previous column that my daughter Trishy is doing part of her internship as a child development major in an elementary school in Balara. As I wrote previously, the physical conditions are quite dismal in the grade 1 class she is assigned to – cramped with over 50 pupils, little ventilation, bad lighting and the advanced pupils mixed with the laggards.

Now you can add one more serious problem: an epidemic waiting to happen. Last Monday, she found out to her horror that one of her pupils had the mumps. Yet, the pupil was allowed to attend class and mix with the other pupils who will likely catch the disease from the close contact. This is terrible.

I wonder if the DepEd Secretary, whose house is just a few kilometers from Balara, knows of the deplorable conditions in the elementary school there. I wonder too if the Department of Health gets involved in situations like this. Is the health of those poor pupils of no value to this government such that no precautions are taken to prevent the outbreak of epidemics?

Ay, naku. Nagtanong pa ako!

Mistaken Identity?

Strange things happen and a friend of mine told me of one such strange thing that happened last Dec. 26. My friend was at John Hay in Baguio when a waiter approached him to ask if he was Boo Chanco. My friend, whose only resemblance to me is his eyeglasses and possibly, a shiny top, said he isn’t but he knows Boo Chanco. He asked why.

The waiter said he was asked to look out for Boo Chanco because a reservation has been made in his name and to give him all the courtesies. Well, whoever it was who made the reservation, it wasn’t me. I was in Kuala Lumpur that day. I avoid Baguio during the holiday season. Too crowded.

Interesting… I wonder… Mistaken identity? Or impostor?

Another Ditty

Sa Pilipino… Ang aming bati

Maawa ka … Sa ating lahi

From our anonymous composer, here’s another local Christmas carol, this time sung to the tune of "SA MAYBAHAY…ANG AMING BATI"…

Kinabukasan … Namimiligro

Magising ka’t …‘wag ka nang magpaloko!

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@bayantel.com.ph