Was he a look alike or not?

Spy Bits received information supposedly confirmed by two others that a top Aquino Cabinet official was stone drunk at the Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati during the height of the Quirino Grandstand hostage crisis. The Cabinet official was reportedly at the lobby of the Peninsula with two lady companions, drinking the night away while the hostage situation was turning for the worse. If this is true, this alleged insensitive and immature behavior is worth investigating. This could be what one might describe as symptoms of people who are suddenly thrust into power and literally get drunk with it, driving them to “hubris” – the arrogance of power before its fall. There are people however who supposedly know this government official and heard about such rumors, and claim that the story is absolutely not true. They further said the rumored Cabinet secretary could have just been a “look alike.”

Health and wealth

JPMorgan (Hong Kong) arranged an exclusive health and wealth forum on “The Changing Face of Aging” conducted by doctors from the Stanford University Medical Center and Executives of JPMorgan at the Tower Club the other night. Most of those who were invited were senior citizens like businessmen Ricky Delgado, Susing Pineda, ACCRA senior partner Avelino Cruz and stockbrokers Toto Cruz and Tong Mañalac. All of them were eager to know how they could continue preserving their health and wealth as they grow older each passing day. With life expectancy rates increasing, the population of people over 65 will almost double in two decades – which would have far-reaching global implications particularly in terms of healthcare.

The Stanford doctors discussed aging with dementia. An estimated 30 million people worldwide are now suffering from this condition. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, with more than 60 percent of those afflicted living in developing countries with a marked increase in heavily populated countries like China, India and Latin America. The JPMorgan forum on the other hand presented ways on how one can prepare for old age and be able to afford quality health care.

Still on health, news anchor Cheryl Cosim informed Spy Bits about her new program on ABC 5,  “Alagang Kapatid,” that would tackle various health concerns and the latest medical developments. The show, which will air every Saturday starting Sept.11, hopes to provide helpful tips and information that could possibly save lives especially during critical times such as the current dengue outbreak that have infected so many people. The program is directed towards majority of Filipinos who cannot afford health care.

The chosen few

In keeping with his promise to travel light on his foreign trips, President Noynoy Aquino has invited a very select few to join him on his first official trip to the United States. Among the “chosen few” are businessmen Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and his brother Fernando Zobel de Ayala. On the other hand, The Ayala Foundation USA has invited several businessmen to attend the Philippine Development Forum and Gala in San Jose, California where President Noy will be the special guest of honor. The forum, which will be hosted by Karen Davila, will discuss such topics as strategic philanthropy, the state of the Philippine economy and the potential of the Philippines as an engine of innovation and entrepreneurship. The other businessmen who are expected to attend are Tony Boy Cojuangco and Ricky Razon.

Toyota’s newest star

Toyota Motor Philippines vice chairman Alfred Ty informed us about their latest Toyota star – the Alphard – which is a very hot and popular vehicle in Japan and has already been sold out barely a month after its launching in the Philippine market. The Alphard (which has an Arabic origin and means the brightest star in the constellation) has been described as a “business class on wheels” and combines classic elegance with advanced technology. In the Philippines where traffic has been described as “simply horrendous,” this very luxurious van that seats seven people with two captain’s chairs that recline with an ottoman, could turn out to be the best way to relax you when going through the very stressful traffic in Metro Manila. The 2.4-liter model which costs about P2.8 million has already been sold out. Alfred Ty tells us Toyota, Phils. will be bringing in the 3.5 liter version by the end of October at a price tag of P2.98 million. According to one dealer, they have already pre-sold all their Alphard allocation as of two weeks ago.

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