The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli has not been written yet, but this early, snippets of what it will contain already promises a good read on the man and the wealth of economic and monetary knowledge he has gleaned  through the years, and the insights he can shed on the Philippines' financial, economic and monetary management.

In a series of dinners with banking reporters, business editors, and the so-called 501 Group which is composed of veteran Central Bank/Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas senior reporters who have covered Room 501 or the Governor's Office,  Eli Remolona is slowly being dissected and analyzed, with bits and pieces slowly being revealed as to how he will handle his role as the seventh governor of the BSP and chairman of the Monetary Board, and as the man who has managed to elude the economic spotlight all these years.

The match-maker

Who knew that the mild mannered and bespectacled BSP Governor has had at least two successful matches already.

It turns out that the soft-spoken governor is also a very good "wingman," particularly to his immediate predecessor, Felipe Medalla, who Gov. Eli introduced to Pinky, Medalla's forever sweetheart of a wife.

Gov. Eli recounts that Medalla was immediately smitten by Pinky, and hard as it is to believe now after having known how voluble Medalla is, was nearly speechless when he first laid eyes on the vivacious Pinky. True enough, even in our dinner with Medalla during his term, Tita Pinky could easily silence the governor and take over the conversation with our gregarious 501 Group.

Gov. Eli's other match-making success is with fellow economist Dante Canlas, whose future wife he actually introduced to Dante, the difference being that Dante did not require a chaperone to conduct his courtship.

Of course, the connection among Gov. Eli, Medalla and Dante Canlas is the University of the Philippines where they at one time all shared the same faculty room, and thereby presumably, ogled all the pretty girls on campus.

But, while Gov. Eli gladly played "wingman" or chaperone to Medalla and Tita Pinky on their campus outings – but quietly and slowly fading away to give the couple more time to get to know each other, Gov. Eli was slowly, but shyly  pursuing his own wife, Marie.

Gov. Eli revealed that for a full year, he quietly adored Marie by riding the same bus that passed their residences. In fact, Gov. Eli admits, his bus stop was actually ahead of Marie's, but he continued to ride the bus past her own bus stop just to be able to see her.

Talk about the Frankie Valli’s hit song "My Eyes Adored You," with lyrics that goes

My eyes adored you

Though I never laid a hand on you

My eyes adored you

Like a million miles away from me

You couldn't see how I adored you

So close, so close and yet so far

Gov. Eli never introduced himself to Marie, but fate eventually intervened when Marie's brother-in-law introduced her to the shy UP economist. Gov. Eli only revealed his quiet pursuit of her years later.

An insider

Gov. Eli has been living a quiet life even as it turns out that he has always been a silent witness to the Philippines' economic, financial and monetary history, revealing that he was actually part of the creditors' group that negotiated the debt restructuring of the country during the tumultous term of former CB governor Jose "Jobo" Fernandez in the early 1980s as he tried to repair the damage caused by the  disastrous "window dressing" of the then CB’s reserves undertaken during the term of CB governor Jaime Laya.

Oh, how the Book of Eli would read if that chapter is written! Former governor Jobo Fernandez admitted that the talks with creditors then were a "humbling" experience, which Gov. Eli agrees were, as some of the much younger bankers then were quite aggressive and smug, with some commenting "that we need to teach the Philippines."

A quiet life

Gov. Eli, in a dinner with business editors two weeks ago, admitted that one of the consequences he "regrets" of his new hectic life is the loss of free time. His weekends, particularly, now include unexpected lunches and dinners that often turn into "business."

As a member of the Monetary Board, Gov. Eli could then leisurely spend his weekends with Marie, either with a light breakfast that he prepares for Marie either pandesal or ensaymada, and walking around Legaspi or Salcedo Village and then coffee or a leisurely meal at Mary Grace cafe.

Gov. Eli admits that he really does not cook, but his one dish that he perfected during his PhD studies in Stanford University was baked chicken with canned mushroom soup.

But back here in the Philippines, Gov. Eli actually lives a "dangerous" life, as his favorite dish is the Kapampangan dish sisig, preferably with a cracked egg on top. He also particularly likes the crispy sisig of Milky Way.

In fact, of the two dinners I've had with him, I risk my own life as he feeds us with chorizo, crispy pata, pork belly, and prawns with cheese... and he enjoys an array of desserts...oh, my heart and blood sugar!