Mischief is afoot

It seems that there is a campaign anew to unseat Transportation Secretary Jaime “Jimmy” Bautista just because he is not swayed by influence peddling, corruption, or a desire to hang on to power through shady deal making.

He has always been a simple man who never took advantage of his privileged position.

To those who know Jimmy, he has always been an upright accountant who had loyally served taipan Lucio Tan  for most of his private career. He preferred (and continues to prefer) to stay in the background, diligently crunching numbers to ensure that the LT Group of Companies’ financials were always in the black. Now, in a similar role for President Marcos, he is ensuring that vital transport projects are bid out to the best proponents and making progress within the President’s term.

Even when he rose to the top as the president of Philippine Airlines, one of the LT Group’s crown jewels, Jimmy still preferred to work as a servant-leader, never trying to hog the limelight or lay claim to the success of his hard work and instead wanting inclusive acclaim for his team.

He has never courted attention or wanted to be noticed. To veteran reporters who have covered the taipan and Jimmy, his loyalty was never questioned and he never engaged with members of the media to talk about his work or his boss. In fact, Jimmy would always find an excuse to avoid talking with reporters while always being pleasant, friendly, but unassuming, as opposed to those who want to be noticed and make a name for themselves, or give the impression that they are “key” personnel.

When he retired from the LT Group of Companies, Jimmy was content to finally be a totally private person, happy to remain a loving husband to wife Joji and their daughter. He lived and raised his family quietly and simply.

His appointment by President Marcos to head the important Department of Transportation was a surprise as he had never really aspired to be in government. He never actively sought any job or position, and merely accepted a job offer that he wanted to fulfill diligently and competently.

But as we all know, even before he was officially sworn into office, there was already an attempt to derail his appointment. That didn’t work and Jimmy set to work right away to get the North-South Commuter Railway project started and to privatize the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, while rationalizing the heavily criticized EDSA carousel.

Both the North-South Commuter Railway Project and the EDSA carousel are still works in progress, hampered by right-of-way problems, and preparation of bidding parameters for an EDSA Busway Project which would be an improvement of the EDSA carousel.

The NAIA privatization is proving to be a success, with the winning bidder making progress in improving the efficiency of the country’s premier international gateway.

Thus, it is so strange that rumors are being spread anew, supposedly from the Private Sector Advisory Council or PSAC, that members of the advisory body are disappointed and frustrated about the “lack of progress” as stated in a Bilyonaryo Babbler article, and that the PSAC members “believe fresh leadership is needed to revitalize” the DOTr and another government agency.

Mischief is afoot and Bautista is once again in someone’s crosshairs.

Holiday Inn is now Halal certified

Holiday Inn and Suites Manila Galleria, part of the iconic twin towers that mark the EDSA-Ortigas corridor, is now Halal-certified and is ready to welcome Muslim guests.

This was announced recently by Pat Puyat Palanca, general manager of the hotel, who explained that the hotel had already been working on its Halal certification for sometime.

Halal is an Arabic word that simply means lawful or permitted, but generally refers to what’s allowed under Islamic Law. It’s the opposite of haram, which means unlawful or prohibited.

According to Palanca, Holiday Inn & Suites has been able to comply with Halal requirements, such as separate food preparation/kitchen for Halal food. For meat to be certified halal, halal guidelines say that the animal must be slaughtered in a manner known as dhabiha. That means cutting through the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe in order to drain all blood from the carcass. In Islam, the consumption of blood is considered haram or unlawful.

A Muslim must recite a dedication known as tasmiya or shahada during this process. A carrion – an animal that dies of illness or natural causes – is also considered haram. An animal must be alive, healthy and conscious at the time of slaughter for its meat to be considered halal.

Another welcome development for Holiday Inn and Suites, Palanca revealed, is that just in time for Valentine’s Day, the hotel is also now ready to welcome guests who want to bring along their beloved fur babies during their hotel staycation.

Pat herself is a fur mama to a golden retriever. According to her, “we believe that pets are part of the family and they deserve to be treated with gentle kindness. With this project, we are excited to provide a seamless and enjoyable experience for pet owners and their furry friends.”

Starting Friday, Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, Holiday Inn & Suites is rolling out its welcome mat for families with fur babies with the launch of the hotel’s pet-friendly staycation campaign for select suite rooms.

The hotel has set clear pet policies to ensure a safe and comfortable environment, with a nightly pet fee to be charged to cover deep cleaning and maintenance that will ensure a fresh space for every guest.