Alpha males

Did you know 1: Foundation for Upgrading the Standard of Education has a new home, courtesy of vice-chairman Lucio Tan.

The building, which has an Allied Bank branch on the ground floor, is called the Pearl of the Orient and is right across the US Embassy. It was recently foreclosed by Allied Banking Corp., which is headed by Rey Maclang.

Because its members are mostly presidents of universities, the honorific title of "Dr." is pretty common here. In the case of FUSE president Salvador Escudero III, his title is not because he holds a post-graduate degree but because he graduated with a degree in veterinary medicine.

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Did you know 2: Retired banker Enrique Herbosa made his second hole-in-one shortly after his 70th birthday.

Toti Herbosa, who is the proud dad of Punongbayan & Araullo corporate finance head Antonio Herbosa, scored the feat at hole no. 2 of the Sta. Elena Golf Club last Friday while playing with Stephen Cu and Virgilio Ramirez.

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New United Coconut Planters Bank chairman Jose Perez reported for work yesterday to begin updating himself with the bank’s business. Technically, Baby Perez didn’t have to show his face until his first board meeting as chairman, which is set for the last week of this month.

Mr. Perez’s predecessor, Deogracias Vistan, presided over the bank’s board last Friday. During that meeting, Sonny Vistan looked liked he was about to cry when – no, no, not when his letter of resignation was read out but when directors individually praised him for his leadership which will allow the bank to breakeven one year ahead of its 2006 target.

By the way, that unscheduled part of the agenda extended last Friday’s meeting by about 30 minutes.

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It should be interesting to see how alpha males like Vitaliano Nanagas II and Reynaldo David will get along as chairman and president/chief executive officer, respectively, of the Development Bank of the Philippines starting October 1.

Both are former Citibankers. Rey David is older than Lanny Nanagas.

Mr. David’s expertise is treasury. In fact, he was such as hotshot as the head of Citibank’s treasurer operation that he was reportedly often consulted by then Bangko Sentral Governor Gregorio Licaros on foreign exchange issues.

Mr. Nanagas’s expertise is investment banking, which he has put to good use as a financial consultant to then Cardinal Sin.

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During the wake of now-defunct Bancom Developmnt Corp., – the country’s largest investment bank in the 1970s – co-founder Augusto Barcelon, former Solid Banking Corp. president Wilfredo Tecson openly wept.

You see, Willy Tecson is now the last of that batch of banking giants that included former Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chester Babst and former Equitable Banking Corp. president Manuel Morales.

Mr. Barcelon is survived by his wife, Teresita Ayala, who kisses her wedding ring right after receiving Communion these days because that is the moment when she feels closest to her husband.

In life, the Barcelon couple always kiss each other’s wedding rings before turning off the bedroom lights at night. Their reason? It’s difficult to stay mad at each other when you are reminded of your wedding vows.