Where Globe and Smart meet

Did you know 1: Chowking Foods Corp. president and chief executive officer Rufino dela Rosa is seriously thinking of putting up outlets in India, the second most populous country in the world, next year.

Nearing saturation point in the Philippines, Chowking is eyeing the global market to sustain its double-digit annual growth. (Last year, the company posted a 40 percent increase in sales).

Right now, Chowking has eight stores in the United States, and three each in Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates.

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Did you know 2: Ayala Land Inc. is currently reviewing itself, with the end view of making the company more efficient and effective in meeting the needs of its customers.

This review is the brainchild of president and chief executive officer Jaime Ayala, who used to do such reviews for other companies when he was with McKinsey. Luckily for Jim Ayala, he’s got the full backing of his chairman, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, who strongly believes that ALI mustn’t sit on its laurels because, well, of competition.

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Did you know 3: From only 20 kilos last year, Bote Central Inc. owners Basil and Vie Reyes sold 500 kilos of exotic coffee alamid – that’s coffee beans excreted by coffee-eating wild civets, which are also sold in Malaysia and Indonesia as coffee luwak – this year and hopes to hit one ton next year.

Of the 500 kilos harvested from November 2004 to May 2005, 300 kilos were sold to Japan at US$80 a kilo. The balance 200 kilos are sold locally.

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If Commissioner Guillermo Parayno Jr. is collecting more taxes these days, part of the credit must certainly go to hard-working and honest career officers within the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

One such example is assistant revenue district officer Petro-nilo Fernando, a CPA assigned to the Marikina City office who does his job with efficiency and, when necessary, with compassion (read: he’s clean).

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Instead of blocking out the other, Globe Telecom Inc., headed by Gerardo Ablaza Jr., and Smart Communications Inc., headed by president and chief executive officer Napoleon Nazareno, have agreed to work together for a program called Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students or Gilas.

Basically, Gilas aims to provide Internet connectivity to all of the country’s 5,443 public high schools. The five-year program headed by Luigi Bernas is estimated to cost P1.5 billion.

Aside from the telcos, the program has raised funds from overseas Filipinos such as Russ Berrie & Co. (the company that produces those cute and huggable animals) vice-chairman Angelica Urra-Berrie.