Pinoy basketball teams in Shanghai

Yes, there are enough Filipino guys in Shanghai to put up two basketball teams (each with a sixth man) and to regularly play ball with each other.

Shanghai is home to branches of Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Philippine Airlines, and Bench as well as of Figaro, which is opening two branches (and two business models) in the city next month.

Figaro is operated in China by Figaro Management Consultancy, Inc., a China-incorporated subsidiary of Figaro Coffee Co.

For Figaro head Pacita Juan, building the brand abroad – it’s also putting up an outlet in Dubai in April – is more important than an initial public offering proposed by Philippine Stock Exchange president Francis Lim.

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Well, well, what’s this? The Germany-based headquarters of the Porsche Club, which is headed by Ing Porsche, has just revoked the accreditation of the Porsche Club of the Philippines, based on the report of its Philippine importer, PGA Cars, Inc., that the club no longer admits new members and that it is close to inactive.

Local car enthusiasts disagree with PGA’s assessment, considering the local Porsche Club as one of the most active clubs, with a regular Sunday run participated by at least half of its 50 or so members.

PGA Cars is headed by Robert Coyiuto Jr. while the Porsche Club of the Philippines is headed by Ismael Cruz, who founded the club when he returned home after years of working in Hong Kong.

Toto Cruz is keeping mum about what the club’s next step will be.

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Did you know 1: The Commission of Appointments has bypassed for the second time the nomination of retired Securities and Exchange Commissioner chairman Lilia Bautista as the country’s ambassador to Belgium.

As everybody knows, a third rejection would force President Macapagal-Arroyo to withdraw Ms. Bautista’s nomination.

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Did you know 2: The fourth largest player in the gas retail business (with 120 service stations nationwide) is TWA, Inc., which is headed by Arturo Lopez.

TWA imports all its stuff from Singapore and resells these here under the Flying V brand through service station partners, which are guaranteed an 80-centavo per liter profit margin even though retail prices cannot be increased by more than 50 centavos at a time by industry players.

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Did you know 3: In the last 18 months, Microsoft Phils. under Antonio Javier has gotten a bigger slice of the regional budget for good works projects under a community learning program called Unlimited Potential.

One of the more interesting projects is a pilot training program for overseas Filipino workers in Malaysia and Singapore. OFWs can go to the Filipino community center and learn how to use the computer and the Internet, for free. With these added skills, it is hoped that OFWs, many of whom work as domestic helpers and caregivers, will be more valued by their employers. At the very least, these OFWs are given another channel to communicate with their families in the Philippines.