Who holds your future

Filipinos are generally optimists. They look into the future and believe things will be brighter. Today, millions of Filipinos will do just that, look at 2006 and wonder what the year will be like. If like me, you’re looking forward and wondering what the future holds, here’s a thought to ponder upon. It’s not about what the future holds, its about WHO holds your future?

You can entrust your future in three different hands. Other people’s hands, your own hands, or God’s hands. Who holds your future? If you’ve put it in other people’s hands, like your boss, your spouse, your relatives, etc. chances are they will fail you at one point or another. If you put it in your hands, the odds may be better, but truth to tell, we can only see so far. But if you put your life in God’s hands, then your future is on solid ground.

A lot of us today will be asking that question. What does the future hold? On the first day of 2006, why not rephrase that and ask, who holds my future? Better yet, why not put your future in God’s hands. There’s no better day to start than today.

Happy New Year.

What’s next for Smart

It’s been about a month since the shakeup at Smart Communications with marketing whiz Boy Martirez resigning and finance head Peter Lawrence being asked to resign happened. My friends in the investment banking circle have told me they are looking at Smart’s December performance to see if the company’s financial performance will plummet due to the crisis. The bets among my friends is that yes, Smart will take a nose dive in December.

So I asked Butch Jimenez, who was tasked to replace Boy in an OIC (is that temporary?) capacity and who concurrently runs the retail business group of PLDT how Smart is doing, and he said, "Smart is doing very well."

"The marching orders I got from our CEO, Polly Nazareno is simple. Just pull the team together and move them forward," said Butch. "In my first meeting with the whole team, I took that order one step further and made everyone realize the whole world was looking at them, and that they needed to deliver a December performance that will exceed everyone’s expectations and break every target set in front of them."

Butch believes everyone in Smart will pull through, and that they will deliver a performance in December that is "simply amazing." He kept reiterating that Smart is a great organization with great people.

"Our goal was to beat our revenue target for the whole month of December before Christmas day, then break through the ceiling after that," said Butch.

He didn’t tell me if they got it done or not, but with the sound of his voice, I could just sense he believes Smart will pull off a record breaking month.

I asked Butch to give me an indication of what 2006 will look like. He simply answered, "We will come out with guns a blazin’."

And if you’re wondering who is leading the race for 3G technology (this wonderful new mobile communications technology), watch ‘The Buzz’ today (on ABS-CBN). PLDT and Smart chairman Manny Pangilinan will be making a video call on his Smart 3G phone to talk show host Kris Aquino via Smart’s 3G network. Right now, there are very few mobile phones that are 3G capable (Nokia’s N series) but if Nokia delivers as promised, we will soon start seeing more affordable 3G handsets.

Not a super body

Why the big fuzz about Executive Order 474 or the issuance creating the so-called energy super body?

It does not appear to be a super body to me. After it, it does not require any agency to report to it. It cannot order the Department of Energy around. It does not have regulatory functions over other government agencies. But it appears to be more of a body created to assist the already overloaded DOE when it comes to bringing in more private investments into the country and to help the department coordinate with other agencies during the difficult times that may lie ahead.

The EO creates the Philippine Strategic Oil, Gas, Energy Resources, and Power Infrastructure Office (PSOGERPIO). Since its role is to bring in more private investments which undoubtedly the energy sector needs, it does not run contrary at all to the privatization efforts of government mandated under the EPIRA and Oil Deregulation laws, two heavily criticized laws to start with. It does not discuss financing nor guaranteeing of government projects.

I don’t think the EO will turn off potential investors. Red tape, corruption, and poor coordination among agencies are the factors that drive away investors. An office that ensures that procedures are facilitated will in fact attract them.

Certifying projects as ‘national priority’ is a message to all government agencies to lay their sticky fingers off the project and just get it implemented. Get the permits in order and ensure that administrative timeframes are followed. As the old placard goes, "Do not delay."

The EO does not take away any of the mandates of the DOE. Instead, it supports the DOE in dealing with the crisis. And any hand from the Office of the President will surely be of help.

We have seen that the DOE is helpless in dealing with weekly oil price increases, sending a grim message that nothing can be done. Natural gas facilities remain in limbo, selling of the country’s power assets has been very slow and controversial, while renewable energy, alternative fuels, and indigenous resource investments have been minimal while an oil and power crisis looms in the horizon. All indications show that the department needs a lot of help. If this new body can help come up with the solution, then why not?

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