Discon 2006

Dec. 11, 2006

One of the sessions I enjoyed during the Discon, Dec. 7-8, was the "GoNegosyo".
The speakers there were:

1. Coring Ramos -- owner of National Bookstore
2. Vivienne Tan -- owner of Entrepreneurial School of Asia (ESA), daughter of lucio tan
3. Paolo Bediones -- showbiz na, biznezman pa; owns iTech.ph
4. Joey Concepcion -- pres/ceo of RFM corp., one of the country's biggest food conglomerates. But Joey went there as a government bureaucrat -- as "Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship"
5. Gov. Butch -- PAGCOR big boss
6. DGE Ato Magadia -- finance/petrochem big boss
Cito Beltran of ABS-CBN was the host.

All the speakers were very articulate. Well, they mean business when they open their mouth. Cito was also a good facilitator.

But what all the speakers failed to mention, or forgot to emphasize, was the role of handsomeness as business capital. Yeah -- you're good looking, like many of my male classmates, and that facilitates business transaction because it enhances the aura of good looks and good environment between you and your potential business partner. Some of you may ask, what or who do I mean? Well, no need to look far and out: see guys like Inky Reyes and Rey Alas; Boboy Intal and Ces Singson; Allan and Raffy Tuvera; Ricky Espiritu and Noy Indonto; and many more!

And yes, I would like to hazard to say that my face maybe qualified for the above criteria also, hehehe. EXCEPT that my good looks failed to attract the positive energies of capitalism and entrepreneurship unto me. Thus, I'm on the "exception to the rule" above, Argh! Poor me!

But seriously guys, if I had the chance to ask Joey Concepcion one question, I would have asked him -- Isn't Malacanang joking when they say they want to "promote entrepreneurship" while Malacanang is also the architect of many-many taxes, government fees, permits, licenses, inspections, accreditations, regulations? I mean, check www.doingbusiness.org, or WB and IFC websites (www.worldbank.org, www.ifc.org) on "Doing business", check on paying taxes. The Philippines has one of the most number of business-related taxes in the whole of Asia! In 2004 for instance, we were the "multiple tax capital of Asia" where medium-size businesses pay on average 62 different taxes and fees to the government, national and local -- much plentier than the socialist governments of China and Vietnam.
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Matt Monro... about this guy. I heard tokayo Noy Indonto that this man is actually no son of Matt Monro; rather, he was the son of Marilyn Monro! hehehehe. His voice is not as stratospheric as the voice of his father, but he got the aura and looks of the original Matt Monro, so he got some spell unto himself that he cast successfully unto his audience, and voila -- Matt Monro singing Barry Manilow, The Beatles and Queen!

When he sang the queen's "crazy little thing called love", I nearly pulled classmate Lilibeth de la Cruz or Rose Acoba to the stage and swing and gyrate like Freddie Mercury while Matt Monro was rockin n rollin that song! But I restrained myself, hehehe. When he sang "NY NY", that's when restrained energies of some of my classmates blurted out, and an instant broadway-dance-musicale was staged on the stage! Really, it was a colorful scene!

Joey Lina was lucky to have been selected by the man to duet with him. Joey was a big guy in the place -- he was the president of the host club and president of the hotel! Well, Joey sang like gamely. But if Matt chose another classmate, he may have been threatened that another singer sensation might displace him someday. We know the guy -- Inky Reyes! He can rock n roll, jazz n jest, swing and sway.

Sitti-Sitti, Otso-Otso

Another fun-filled part of Discon Day 1 was the Gov’s cocktail party at Allegria Lounge, Casino Filipino Pavilion. Two buses fetched us from Manila Hotel – to spare those who brought their cars the hassle of driving and looking for parking at the Pavilion.

It was a night of cocktails, beer and serbesa; wine and vino (not kulafu J); music and jamming, and dancin and rollin. And so that was Sitti Navarro – a name I’ve heard from some friends, a voice I’ve heard from some bars. Her voice is not as towering as many female professional singers, but she got the poise, and the admiration of the head of the District. Gov. Butch and wife Maling obviously enjoyed Sitti’s music. So Sitti serenaded everyone with her melodramatic voice, “bosa nova” style (not “liches-nova” J)

Two guys were lucky to have the opportunity to jam with her – Lorenz Tato’s clubmate, and Gov. Jimmy. The latter sang something like “I got you under my skin”, one of Toni Francisco’s favorites because she sings this song with a swaying head, smiling face and sometimes closed eyes. Toni, di ba yan ang kanta ng mga wrappers ng lumpia? Hehehe. I think Sitti made a mistake of not inviting to jam with her one of the silent but promising voices in the district – Ces Singzon! You guys heard him sing? I haven’t too! But I heard him preside in one of his club meetings. In one instance, he introduced his guest speaker rap style, ala-Francis Magalona! And in another, he parried a question during the open forum reggae style, ala-Bob Marley! Hehe, ayos ba obserbasyon ko Ces?

After the Sitti-sitti show, another band came up, the Souled Out Band, and it was an otso-otso show. Most of the remaining guys in the tables were enticed by this band to dance and roll on the dance floor! I thought that with the energies in various district and club activities of Rose Acoba, Jay Tambunting and other classmates, if these guys were rock singers, they should be in this band!

A male classmate whom I met a week after told me that he was knocked down with hang-over the following day after the Pavilion fellowships. Thus, he wasn't able to attend the 2nd day of the Discon! hehehe.