How to distract Paeng

There’s talk that AB Capital Securities, Inc. president Filomeno Francisco might give Alicia Morales-Arroyo a run for the chairmanship of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

As everybody knows, Ping Francisco is the loyal man of Ramon del Rosario Jr., the country’s finance secretary during the watch of former President Ramos. Aleli Morales-Arroyo is the "favorite" sister-in-law (by extension) of President Macapagal-Arroyo. Her husband, Ignacito Arroyo, is the President’s favorite in-law.

Unless something dramatic happens, the PSE elections will push through, as scheduled, on March 29.

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Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development director Rhodora Leano is putting up by June this year a showroom for Philippine products at the ground floor of the Oppen Bldg. Along G. Puyat Ave., Makati.

Here’s the good news, Dodit Leano is initially charging exhibitors a rental fee of less than P8,000 for a two months’ showing in the prime location.

The P8,000 is the subsidized rate BSMED charges new participants to the five-day National Trade Fair starting March 12 at SM Megamall.

Ms. Leano’s idea is to change the trade exhibit/sale (which will either be by product or by province/region) every two months to give exposure to as many small-and medium-sized enterprises as possible.

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Bank notes 1: Now is the best time to bet against Bangko Sentral Governor Rafael Buenaventura at the Manila Golf Club.

Here are the top three topics guaranteed to distract Paeng Buenaventura while playing golf:

• the pending amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Law – technically, the burden is shared with Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Lilia Bautista and Insurance Commissioner Eduardo Malinis but Mr. Buenaventura has been doing more than his share to ensure the country meets the March 15 "deadest of deadlines" set by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force;

• the AGILE (Accelerating Growth Investment and Liberalization through Equity) project, which has a respresentative holding office at the Bangko Sentral complex as well as other representatives in 17 or so other government agencies; and

• the weakening peso, which – and Mr. Buenaventura keeps on explaining but nobody seems to be listening – the Bangko Sentral is not mandated to support (but occasionally does). You see, the Bangko Sentral’s primary job is price stability.

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Bank notes 2: Deogracias Vistan is no longer unemployed. He’s now the managing partner of Vistan & Associates.

Oh yes, Sonny Vistan also the chairman of the recently incorporated Dangal ng Bulacan Foundation, Inc., with two former Development Bank of the Philippines chief executive officers making up the other two top slots. Alfredo Antonio, who co-founded Asia Managers Equity, Inc. with Francis Estrada, is the foundation vice-chairman; and Remedios Macalincag is president.

The foundation, which is initially open only to Dangal ng Lipi awardees (and these include everyone from former Central Bank governor Jaime Laya to entertainers such as Dolphy and Joey de Leon), is committed to the economic progress of Bulacan.