Razon’s reason for dropping Las Vegas group

We talked to Bloomberry Resorts Corp. chairman Enrique “Ricky” K. Razon who admitted that he was very disappointed with Global Gaming Assets Management LLC, the Las Vegas group he contracted to manage the $1.2 billion Solaire Resort and Casino in Pasay City.

Bloomberry and GGAM entered into a five-year management services agreement in April last year, but Solaire recently fired its COO and official GGMA representative Michael French. Ricky said the Las Vegas management group had turned out to be nothing more than an expensive and glorified search team, disclosing that CEO Bill Weidner (the former president of Las Vegas Sands Corp.) visited the casino and resort complex only once – during the opening day in March. Under the management contract, GGAM is entitled to receive between six and 40 percent of earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (ebitda) from foreign VIP rollers, and from two to six percent of the remaining ebitda.

Ricky (also known as EKR) said he is regrouping and has put up his own management company to manage Solaire, the first casino operator to open at the Pagcor Entertainment City Complex along Roxas Boulevard. The state-of-the-art resort and casino complex has been doing quite well in the past two months, and the “Ports King” is more gung-ho now that a new management team is in place. He expects the new team will be able to bring in more high rollers as the Christmas season approaches.

As they say in Spanish, “tiene razon” – meaning “there is reason” why Ricky Razon terminated the Las Vegas management team.

Obama visit 12 or 24 hours?

The White House had announced that the visit of President Barack Obama to Manila on Oct. 11-12 would be the last stop of the US president’s ASEAN swing. According to our US Embassy source, an advance team was already sent here a week ago while another team will also be coming here shortly before the arrival of the American president. Our source, however, is very tight-lipped about the schedule of the US president and whether his visit here will be for 12 or 24 hours. But more likely than not, Obama will be invited to speak before the members of the two Houses of Congress in Batasan.

The Obama advance team, however, is not too keen in making the schedule of the visit anywhere near the eight-hour Manila stopover of George Bush in 2003.  If one could recall, massive preparations were made for the Bush visit, involving the deployment of close to 300 people including Secret Service agents that cost the American taxpayer close to $20 million.

Obama’s visit is certainly going to be significant for bilateral relations, with the Philippines sending a very strong signal from our staunch ally directed to our so-called “friends” from across the West Philippine Sea.

Teachers as heroes

The Department of Education is spearheading the celebration of the National Teachers’ Month, an advocacy that began in 2008 as an idea by DepEd Secretary Brother Armin Luistro together with Metrobank Foundation, Inc. president Chito Sobrepeña to recognize the contribution of Filipino teachers in shaping the country’s future leaders. It was President Noynoy Aquino who signed Presidential Proclamation 242 declaring the period from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5 of every year as “National Teachers’ Month” (NTM).

A lot of activities have been lined up to celebrate the NTM, with individuals, corporations and organizations mobilized in a multi-sectoral effort across the entire country to create a strong advocacy that “cultivates a Filipino culture that celebrates all teachers’ service and heroism,” the NTM Coordinating Council said.

Teaching is perhaps one of the most underpaid professions but despite the low pay, a lot of teachers never waver in their passion and idealism to mold the minds of our young people. In many parts of the country, teachers walk for hours and use their own resources to buy chalk, etc. just to fulfill their calling. During elections, they serve as board of election inspectors and in the process put their lives at risk. In fact, there have been too many stories about teachers dying just to protect the sanctity of the ballot especially in election hot spots like Maguindanao.

People shouldn’t have to wait for the National Teachers’ Month to say “thank you” to these everyday heroes.

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