Was it worth it?

Did you know 1: It takes about an hour of lining up and waiting if you do it shortly after the Go Nuts Donuts store in Bonifacio Global City opens for business at 10 a.m.

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Did you know 2: Oh dear. Effective Feb. 1, the Embassy of Qatar will only consider overseas Filipino workers with medical certifications from Gulf Accredited Medical Clinics Association.

This means OFWs who have taken their tests in other clinics accredited by the Department of Health and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration as well as by other embassies of Middle East countries will have to pay a second time to get that Gamca certification.

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Ernest Leung may have to spend less time nature-tripping if a multi-million court suit is filed against him next week in his capacity as president of the Philippine Stock Exchange in late 2002.

You see, the plaintiff claims he wrote and called Mr. Leung about his unhappy experiences with brokerage firm, Asia Capital Equities, two years ago. To his knowledge, the PSE investigated (and eventually took over) the brokerage firm only in the fourth quarter of 2003 when its principal, Frank Borromeo, was hospitalized and eventually went on, uhm, an extended vacation.

The current PSE president is Cayetano Paderanga Jr., who seems to be more comfortable introducing himself as an economics professor at the University of the Philippines.

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Bank notes 1: The President of the Philippines will be appointing four new membes of the seven-man Monetary Board in 2005. Five, if the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry is included.

The four members of the MB who will complete their six-year term next year are – by age now – Juan Quintos Jr., Bangko Sentral Governor Rafael Buenaventura (who is concurrent chairman of the MB), Antonino Alindogan Jr., and Melito Salazar.

These four were appointed during the administration of former President Estrada. Of the four, three are 65 years old or older.

The appointments of the remaining two MBMs – Fe Barin and Vicente Valdepenas Jr. – were made in the last year.

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Bank notes 2: Despite his resignation as National Treasurer, Eduardo Sergio Edeza hasn’t changed his boss – the Secretary of Finance.

As officer-in-charge of the Trade and Investment Development Corporation of the Philippines effective last Thursday, Boy Edeza will be reporting to he board chaired by Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong.

Nobody knows for how long, though. It is common knowledge that Nitz Amatong accepted her new job under duress and hopes to step down after the May elections. And although the salaries of Tidcorp employees are market-driven, Mr. Edeza could certainly do better (enough, perhaps, so he doesn’t have to scrimp by living with his mother).