A big blow

How PLDT group chairman Manny Pangilinan will deal with this recent blow on his cash cow Smart Communications is worth observing.

After all, the resignation of his main marketing man Boy Martirez, who is credited for building Smart from its obscure beginnings to the powerhouse it is today, is definitely a big blow. Telecommunications in this country after all is a marketing game and the loss of Boy will surely impact on Smart’s ability to face increasing competition in the market.

It was Boy’s out-of-the-box ideas that gave rise to Smart going after the mass market, beginning with the sache or tingi marketing strategy that saw retailers selling load electronically at small denominations. Boy will surely be missed at Smart.

Good for Boy that he left Smart at the peak of his marketing career. Now, foreign telcos are lining up and wining and dining him to join their organization, hoping that Boy can replicate for them what he did for Smart. Still loyal to Smart to the end, Boy reportedly would not entertain the idea of joining another local telco.

Smart’s woes however are far from over.

This column just learned that after firing Smart’s chief financial consultant Peter Lawrence, whose arrogant ways ways will surely not be missed (Peter one time referred to Manny as stupid, something that did not escape the latter’s attention), another foreign consultant, Canadian Don Rae who acts as Smart’s chief operations officer and is in charge of new technologies such as 3G and capex, will be booted out of Smart in a year’s time. These two have reportedly been not in good terms with Boy, due to policy differences.

Another issue that Manny has to deal with is the growing discontent within the ranks, many of who have been loyal to Boy. After all, Boy was with Smart from the beginning, a total of 13 years, and that length of time can develop strong loyalties.

Yes to Philippine coffee

Figaro chief executive Chit Juan’s efforts to promote the Philippine coffee industry are indeed admirable.

The 1990s have seen a steep decline in local coffee production, which is sad considering that in the 1800s, the Philippines was the fourth largest coffee producer in the world. Many rice coffee lands were converted to residential, commercial, and industrial uses due to a significant drop in world coffee prices. More could be earned from other cash crops like mangoes and bananas. Only 120,000 hectares of coffee farms remained, mostly in Batangas, Bukidnon, Benguet, Cavite, Kalinga, Apayao, Davao and Claveria.

As of 2003, local coffee consumption is at 60,000 metric tons while production is only 27,000 metric tons, which means that around 33,000 tons is being imported. This my friends is a waste of precious foreign exchange. The Philippines buys coffee from other countries like Vietnam, spending around $36 million in the process.

The Philippines is one of only three countries, our of 70 coffee-producing countries in the world, that still grow Liberica or Barako on a large scale. But with the drastic drop in coffee production in recent years, as well as the preference for Robusta by instant coffee manufacturers, there is a danger that Barako will soon be extinct.

Thanks to Figaro Foundation’s activities to increase production beginning in 1999, more and more farmers are switching to coffee production. Last year alone, at least 180 hectares of idle farms in Amadeo, Cavite were conferted to productive coffee farms. The price of Philippine Liberica or barako has also improved to P70 per kilo, which makes it very profitable for farmers to produce.

The foundation is working with the Cavite State University to find prolific strains of Liberica to increase yield. It has also been conducting coffee farm tours during the harvest months of January and February to boost awareness and to have a better appreciation of local coffee production.

Also last year, the Wild About Organic campaign was launched. In organic coffee farming, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are a big no-no. Instead, farm wastes and compost are used to promote nutrient recycling to feed the soil. Diversification and intercropping are also promoted so that farmers can realize additional income. Just this year, the foundation together with the German Development Service are training farmers in organic coffee farming.

The next time you indulge yourself in imported coffee, think twice.

Heil Hitler!

He is referred to in hushed tones as Hitler of the airport. Barely over five feet tall, this guy reportedly goes around the Manila International Airport Terminals complete with five alalays. He shouts at airport personnel who he thinks are not working double-time, confiscates airport passes of locators whenever he feels like it (especially when he doesn’t like your face), demands free merienda for him and his boys when in the airport from concessionaires and the latest we heard is gets a cut from the collections/tips of airport porters.

Airport personnel are quick to do what he pleases because it seems he can get away with anything and general manager Al Cusi is just looking the other way.

Why this seeming tolerance by Cusi of his actions? Only they can tell......

Next time you find yourself in the airport, watch out for this guy. He isn’t hard to miss. An entourage of at least five, giving out orders for everyone to hear, food everywhere he goes, airport personnel short of bowing to him etc etc etc.

And oh, he drives a Nissan Safari and I thought government was serious on cutting down on costs!

And for those of you who might want to win some pogi points with this guy, he smokes Winston Lights, loves collecting Oakley shades and surely wouldn’t mind a new cellular phone every week.

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