DFA’s Alex Lamadrid, Qatar Amb. Abdullah Ahmed Yousif Almutawa, Saudi Amb. Mohammed Ameen Wali, and Egyptian Amb. Salwa Moufid

December 5, the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is regarded as Thailand’s National Day. The Thais, members of the diplomatic corps, the media, friends and business partners all gathered at Manila’s bastion of traditional Thai hospitality, the Dusit Hotel for a celebratory dinner in honor of His Majesty. Having reigned since June 9, 1946, King Bhumibol is the world’s longest-serving current Head of State and the longest-serving monarch in Thai history. The year 2006 also marks the Diamond Jubilee, the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the King’s Accession to the Throne, and witnessed official visits of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont to the Philippines on Oct. 23 2006, and Jan. 11 to 13 2007 for the 12th ASEAN Summit.

Passkorn Bevasree, Manoon Manukhachorn, and Natpawee Pruksasin of Ateneo De Manila University

Swedish Amb. Annika Markovic, IMF Rep. Reza Baqir and Zarreen Baqir

Formal diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Thailand were established with the signing of a Treaty of Friendship in Washington, DC, on June 14, 1949. Thailand and the Philippines share a distinct partnership as two of the five founding members of ASEAN when it was created in Bangkok on Aug. 8, 1967. The two countries are likewise key movers in other regional forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, A Toast to the Thais on King Bhumibol’s Birthday the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC). The Philippines was among the pioneering countries in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) initiative in Thailand.

Mariwasa’s Thavi Tanboonrit, Dori and Maritel Shani of Oody’s and Cabalen, with UPPC’s Mr. Sarote

DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo, Thai Amb. Asha Dvitiyananda, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Fernando Filoni

EU Commission’s Holger Rommen and Kirsten Maher-Rommen carrying Juliet Rommen, Valerie Bailey, Nancy Brooks, and Rob Bailey

In 2005, Thailand ranked as the Philippines’ tenth largest trading partner, while the Philippines was Thailand’s 14th largest. The latest official figures showed that total bilateral trade between the Philippines and Thailand amounted to USD 2.24 billion in 2005. What’s On and Expat congratulates the people and government of Thailand led by His Majesty, King Bhumibol, and H.E. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, and its Embassy in the Philippines, headed by H.E. Ambassador Asha Dvitiyananda, on the occasion of their National Day.

Health Careers of America Chief International Operations Elaine MacKenzie, NUCO Industries Managing Director Lincoln Ferris, Phil. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice Chairman Veronica Carandang

Australian Embassy’s Paul and Nicola Rosenzweig, US Embassy’s Marine Attache Major Scott Knapp and Josette Knapp

Aida Sotto, Jojo Castillo, Manecrat Cuevas, Punnee Taylor
and See See Szeto

Matsuoka Generation (Phils) Inc. president Miri Kaku, Hobbies Unlimited Managing Partner Romson Velez, Cita Del Rosario, Isuzu Autoparts Manufacturing Corp VP Masakiyo Arai, and Keiko Arai

AFP’s Major General Bocobo and Mrs. Bocobo, Royal Thai Embassy’s Defence and Air Attache Group Captain Nirum Yimsuan and Mrs. Yimsuan

Consul Tony Rufino, Mme. Noriko Yamazaki and Indonesian
Amb. Irzan Tandjung

Anan Pikultipsakorn, Royal Thai Embassy’s Sukhanya Pisanpatanakul and Porntip Pibulnakarintr

Consul Oscar De Venecia, Argentine Amb. Mario Schuff, Mme. Ning Chesnel, Mme. Cosetta Fedele, Thai Amb. Asha Dvitiyananda, Finnish Amb. Riitta Resch and French Amb. Gerard Chesnel

Prasert Wongphuthorn, Pitsamai Phomchaiyapoon,
Siriwan Arsasri and Chainapong
Upasen

Indonesian Amb. Irzan Tandjung and Sen. Edgardo Angara

German Embassy’s Rolf Saligmann and Austrian Amb. Herbert Jaeger

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JUST ABOUT EVERYONE has a story to tell about the establishment. Formerly known as the Cebu Plaza Hotel (now the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu), the place was the venue of countless social events and historical milestones that have first established Cebu’s place as a budding tourism destination in the mid-70s. Locals and foreigners alike have shared fond memories of the hotel that went far beyond a particular meal or gathering. Baby-boomers reminisce over their school proms, dates, and disco socials. Most especially, the hotel was a starting board for present-day industry stakeholders and professionals who rightfully credit the hotel for their beginnings. In short, nearly everything in Cebu started with the Cebu Plaza Hotel.

Hans Hauri

All these Hans Hauri readily acknowledged, as he is fully aware of the hotel’s legendary heritage and valued contributions to the industry and to Cebu’s economic landscape in general. As the city’s first five-star establishment, the Cebu Plaza Hotel has indeed hosted innumerable events that have slowly firmed up Cebu’s name in the international MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) scene.

“The hotel has touched most of Cebu’s emotions. Their first romance, debut, graduation, business deal, Jaycees and Rotary conventions, etc. Social events reigned in Cebu because of the hotel. And people have had their first sample of truly fine dining at Don Sergio’s, the hotel’s prime dining outlet,” Hauri recounted.

Backgrounder
This towering Swiss national has been a seasoned hotelier for over 26 years. Fluent in German, English, and French, he was general manager for several prestigious hotel chains such as the Hilton, The Peninsula, Shangri-La, and Meritus. Prior to his incumbent position, Hauri was general
manager of JC Mandarin Shanghai, the flagship hotel of Meritus Hotels and Resorts. To recall, Cebu Plaza Hotel was closed by Metrobank sometime April 2003 due to mounting debts and industry competition. Luckily, Marco Polo Hotels came into the picture in 2005 and embarked on massive renovation schemes in order to prepare the hotel for the Asean Summit held last month. The hotel re-opened last April 2006 with no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the special guest of honor.

In place is a spanking new urban resort with 329 rooms equipped with broadband Internet access, dazzling Swarovski-accented chandeliers, lobby music, the Continental Club Lounge, refurbished function rooms, a sparkling mango-shaped swimming pool with mini-falls, a scenic elevator, and much more.

The Call to Culture
A devoted fan of Cebu, this general manager has bought several copies of the same guidebook on Cebu (partly authored by this writer) distributing it to many clients over the past year in a sincere show of appreciation of the place. He also talks extensively about Cebu to his friends and invites them to come over for a visit.

A cultural enthusiast himself, he has traveled extensively down Southern Cebu and has witnessed first-hand the heritage attractions in the adjoining municipalities. He spoke of the ancient churches and its relics, the artifacts, and even the citizen registry. All in all, he stresses culture as the more important factor over commercialism. “Cebu is so rich in culture and heritage which few foreigners know about. Even the Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans know little about Cebu beyond the beaches. I wish they would explore more of the place and stay in a city hotel,” he revealed.

Furthermore, he has also visited Bohol via a fast ferry and has fallen in love with their eco-tourism landmarks such as the tarsier, the natural sandy beaches, the Chocolate Hills, the Loboc River Cruise, and others. One thing he wishes is for the positive things to be highlighted and the negative news downplayed. Cebu should be promoted first, he said, and the rest will follow.

No real need to play up the negative since this can also prove detrimental to the tourism situation, he continued. He also urged the tour guides to innovate and update themselves on the travel itineraries. “Times have changed, they should not take it easy,” he urged, “the Internet and media have made advances in the industry. The guides have to be more imaginative since the present itinerary is already very old.”

Job Duties
While other new managers embark on sweeping changes and drastic measures almost as soon as they warm their seats, Hauri prefers to consult with his subordinates and allow for gradual changes to take place over the next few months. “I don’t demand that they adjust to me. I adjust to them and decide on the proper measures to be introduced over time. This way, I don’t upset the normalcy of the system and the people don’t experience ‘culture shock’ in the workplace,” he declared.

When asked about his specific roles and responsibilities, he professed to teach his staff and employees the proper methods and make room for growth and development. He allows some room for freedom and achievement in order for employees to reach full potential after a certain period of time. “They can make mistakes and experiment. It is also important that they understand the error and correct it. It is a liberal style of management, though I am tough on discipline. Tardiness is a no-no and a reflection on the lack of discipline,” he affirmed.

The More Personal Side
As a father of twin boys, Hauri keeps a firm balance in his family life. His Korean wife and sons have adjusted well to his work schedule which spans Monday to Saturday. Sunday is strictly family day as he is all for quality time within his family. This means no calls and no work discussion in their circle.

In his spare time, he also goes for a round of golf, or goes on a trip to Busay (a mountain city barangay) and explores the wonders of nature around him. Island hopping is another fave activity as his wanderlust tends to get the better of him. That’s another thing about Cebu, he says, its so accessible everywhere to the sea, mountains, and the countryside.

Asked about his idols, he points out to the civic-minded businessmen who always possess the passion and drive to improve the community in their own way. “I have high respect for the good-doers. I admire their drive and energy to always improve themselves and the circumstances that surround them. They have a high regard for values and religion despite the numerous distractions around them,” he stated.

In the meantime, the hotel evidently remains in good hands as the Queen City has gained yet another firm believer who goes for a balance of priorities in the industry and well appreciates Cebu’s priceless yet overlooked assets.

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The ladies in my marketingteam at The One School looked like corporate fash­ionistas when we conducted a career talk last week in one of the high schools in Makati. When I complimented their nice attire, they exchanged gig­gles and knowing looks. One of them asked me to guess how much their outfits cost so we briefly en­gaged in a Price-is-Right game. After a couple of guesses I realized that I was way off the mark and they had obviously duped someone into giving them these name brand clothes for next to nothing. The big secret was: Ukay-Ukay.

Ukay-Ukay is a Visayan word that literally means to dig up, rummage or sort through. Today, it is popu­larly known as a generic store that sells second-hand clothes or factory overruns. Historically, ukay-ukay items were donations of foreign charitable institutions to calamity victims in the Philippines. With the en­trepreneurial spirit of Pinoy’s these hand-me-downs ended up being retailed to the consumer market.

The ukay-ukay phenomenon has been taken to the next level with its nationwide expansion. The rum­mage sales that started in Cebu and Baguio have hit the streets of Cubao, the village of BF Homes in Pa­ranaque, Aurora Boulevard, Makati Cinema Square, Tagaytay City…and the list goes on and on!

One must be mentally prepared for the musty-dusty, old-closet smell that hangs over the ukay stores. Be on guard also for pickpockets as they love to hang out in crowded places. Bring just enough money --1000 pesos can go a long way already. That can buy you around 12 pieces of clothing that can be mixed-matched to possibly six outfits.

Some more practical and helpful tips I learned from my ukay veteran officemates is that you need to dress-down and look poor so that you’ll get your way when haggling. Another piece of advice was to pay in small bills as much as possible. If they see you pay with larger bills you will not get discounted rates. Also, never-ever let go of an item unless you’re absolutely sure that you don’t like it because once you put it down it’s up for grabs. Ukay stores don’t have sizes, new stocks, or weekly deliveries that will bring in the same piece. To avoid regret, hold on to all the items you like and let the process of elimination keep you within your budget.

Ukay-ukay shopping digs deep into the Filipino psyche. Times are hard nowadays. Prices of basic necessities have gone up and consume a significant percentage of Pinoys’ income. Despite the economic crunch we find the need to do whatever it takes to stretch our meager budgets. Whether second-hand or factory-defects, with a little creativity and maybe a slight alteration, Filipinos are able to create incredible outfits.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so they say. So dive into that pile. Maybe today is your lucky day.

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News Bits

Canada launches PhP 400 M E-governance capacity building project

Transparency in government transactions and an improvement in the delivery of government services will soon increase as Canada launches its latest bilateral project with the Philippines. The Electronic Governance for Efficiency and Effectiveness (E3) project was recently launched by Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland and Sec. Ramon Sales, chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) in simple ceremonies in Makati City. The five-year E3 project is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), which provided Cad$ 9.92 million (PhP 420 million) for its completion until 2012.

The project is designed to assist targeted social service agencies in the Philippine government with their implementation plans for e-governance projects. Under the project, e-governance pilot projects will be implemented in selected rural areas of the country, to demonstrate and improve the delivery of social services, among them credit assistance, welfare, health, employment, education, micro finance, disaster relief, and agriculture.

The ultimate goal of the project is to develop efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable governance at all levels, especially on social services. It also aims to contribute to the Philippine government’s efforts to provide equitable access among indigent women and men to social services. “Canada’s key principles of effective development include the promotion of local ownership, building capacity within the public sector, and promoting good governance through the use of information and communication technology. The E3 project adopts these principles, while at the same time directly supporting one of Canada’s key development focus areas: governance,” Ambassador Sutherland said.

Improved wharf increases trade in Sulu
The outlook for economic expansion brightened considerably in Sulu when in March 2006, an improved wharf was completed through a partnership between the Sulu provincial government, Department of Public Works and Highways-ARMM and USAID’s Growth with in Mindanao (GEM) program. Since then, the transportation of passengers and products has improved, transportation costs have plummeted, and trade and industry in the immediate area has begun to expand.

The wharf, which is a kilometer away from the poblacion, now has a stairway landing structure to accommodate small motorized boats. A pier head, allowing medium-size vessels to dock at the facility has also been added, and traders from adjacent municipalities have re-established in Maimbung. By August of 2007, USAID’s Gem Program will construct, in collaboration with regional authorities, water systems and roads— throughout conflict-affected areas of Mindanao. Working with local officials, GEM is also constructing approximately 815, smaller Barangay Infrastructure Projects, such as footbridges, water systems, solar dryers, boat landings, trading centers, bridges and roads in the Mindanao region. All of the infrastructure projects supported by GEM are designed to accelerate economic growth and to improve the overall quality of life of local residents.

Education Bits

Study in UK

British Council Philippines will hold the annual Education UK Fair at the Kamia Room of the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel on Feb. 23 and 24 from 2 to 7 p.m. Aimed at increasing overseas education opportunities for Filipinos, the exhibition will feature eight colleges and universities—University of Bedfordshire, St. Patrick’s College London, Thames Valley University, University of Hertfordshire, Middlesex University, University of Portsmouth, Northumbria University and Newcastle University. University representatives will be on hand to provide detailed information about their respective institutions while accommodating queries and applications from prospective students.

Having a degree from a UK university is a mark of prestige the world over. Now, pursuing studies in the UK is within reach and may actually be a cheaper overseas education option than the usual study destinations favored by many Filipinos. In the UK, a postgraduate course normally takes one year to finish while undergraduate courses only take three years to finish. There is also a wide range of programs to choose from depending on one’s focus, length of study, cost, etc.

Free seminars about British education will also run alongside the UK Education Fair. To pre-register, please visit their website www.britishcouncil.org.ph or call (02) 914-1011 to 14.

Health Bits

Club Oasis Stay Fit offer

Club Oasis, located at Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, is offering two months of free membership if anyone signs up for a Gold or Silver membership during February. Club Oasis is an integrated fitness center with a fully equipped gymnasium, a dry sauna, a steam bath, hot and cold plunge pools, a 35 meter lap pool, a children’s pool and an outdoor whirlpool. Equipped with the best in technology and top-of-the-line brands, the fitness center also has facilities for cardio and strength training, preventive maintenance, among others. Club Oasis also offers a bonus to the Stay Fit offer. The first 20 new members to sign up will get five complimentary spa treatments at the Spa at Club Oasis. The fitness center is located on the 8th floor of Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila. For inquiries, call (02) 245-1234.

Embassy Bits

The Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly membership meeting for February on Feb. 13 at 6pm. Venue is the Oakroom, 6th floor, Oakwood Premier at Ayala Center’s Glorietta 4. Guest speaker is May Catherine C. Ciriaco, vice president for Management Services of Social Security System (SSS). Ciriaco will discuss about the “Welfare System of the Philippines”. Registration fee is Php400 for members. Pre-registration is required. For details, email to events@anzcham.com.

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