Excessive pork causes hair loss and coughing!

SHORT & SWIFT: For readers who have not caught up with the short and swift world of Twitter, we share below a few of my tweets (Twitter.com@FDPascual) this week:

In Chinese lore, evil spirits travel in straight lines. As in “tuwid na daan”?

If the Philippines were renamed ScaMdinavia, what would its nationals be called? See http://tinyurl.com/lmgfqfl

Fair Warning: Excessive pork causes hair loss and fits of coughing!

NBI says Napoles owns 28 houses but doesn’t say if they include the two Houses of Congress.

The only logical & moral conclusion to the Napoles PDAF scamdal is to get rid of pork barrel. P-Noy misses even this obvious point?

INCLUSIVE GROWTH is the formula for ensuring immunity for scammers. Include key officials so everybody’s happy. And quiet.

De Lima says flight is an admission of guilt. Is that so, Ping?

Why the MNLF rebellion? Goal of Bangsamoro talks should have been INCLUSIVE PEACE, not signing a deal only with the MILF.

Palace says MNLF peace pact still valid. So why is it being replaced with another agreement with the MILF? Ang gulo ninyo!

MNLF’s Nur Misuari setting a bad example. What if ethnic groups in other regions also declare their independence?

P-Noy’s Framework Agreement carving out a Bangsamoro sub-state in Mindanao for the MILF is same banana as MoA-AD of GMA.

They used to call them simply Agreement. Then they became Memorandum of Agreement. Now they are Framework Agreement. Same banana.

Why do they call it a Banana Republic? Because of its sagging economy daw. LOL!!!

SWS says no. of families with nothing to eat at least once during 2ndQtr rose by 1-M. Feed them gov’t statistics & press releases!

Many people demand that the FOI bill be passed. Which of the dozen FOI bills are they referring to? Whichever, have they read it?

Memo Circular 8 issued in 2001 prohibits gov’t officials, rank-and-file employees, soldiers and policemen from going to casinos.

Just being in the casino, even without playing, is already a violation for LTO chief Torres. What’s so special about her?

Palace says without due process LTO chief Torres can’t be relieved for playing the slots. So just suspend her in the meantime.

Solution to P-Noy’s alleged allergy to flowers that causes him to miss official functions: Use plastic flowers. Match the kaplastikan.

PH nukes ban useless. US neither confirms nor denies if its incoming vessel carries nuclear weapons. How do we check?

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LIVELY ENCOUNTER: Back at Clark Freeport, we had a lively encounter last Friday with lawyerArthur P. Tugade, president-CEO of Clark Development Corp., who joined members of the Capampangan in Media Inc. (CAMI) for breakfast at their Bale Balita (House of News).

Tugade, 58, is a self-made businessman who had managed a dozen enterprises he founded from 2004 through 2012, and held executive positions in 12 years under his Perry’s Group of Companies named after his dearly departed son.

It is no wonder that the San Beda law graduate (cum laude, 1971) would bring to his first job in government the private-sector or corporate culture he has imbibed all these years.

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‘MALASAKIT’: After fire destroyed their house, the young Tugade spent his childhood in the slum of Tatalon in Quezon City. Providentially the priests at San Beda saw his promise and granted him scholarship from Grade 1 until he finished law in 1971.

This may explain why he evinces a down-to-earth personality that helps him relate to workers in whatever enterprise he runs. He is also trustee of Tuloy Foundation helping street children since 1993.

Tugade admitted he did not have any business plan to guide him in his new job. He leaned on his experience as a corporate executive and entrepreneur, as well as his awareness that when in government, one must do right in the spirit of “malasakit.”

He laid down a 10-point dos and don’ts described as “value and culture reinforcements“ carried over from his businesses and modified to suit public service. The list consisted of simple rules that encouraged punctuality, sincerity, and excellence.

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STRICT RULES: One clear and strict rule is that nobody in CDC will ask for or receive any bribe, commission or any material inducement, nor have a family business or “sideline” doing business with Clark.

Setting an example, he comes to the office all the way from Alabang to Clark at 6:30 a.m. and knocks off around 8 p.m. He has given up the usual perks, including an official vehicle and free gasoline, setting off similar sacrifices down the line.

He did not bring in anybody into CDC, preferring to choose assistants from the organic staff. The senior officers who resigned were not replaced, resulting in a mean and lean organization and savings.

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BOTTOM LINE: Coming in the middle of things, Tugade accepted the budget as is, but put in controls to ensure that income rose by at least five percent and expenses cut down by at least 10 percent. He looked for ways to reduce by some 30 percent even contracts also awarded.

Areas that locators were barely using were taken back or asked to be yielded so he would be able to introduce a more rational land use and land mix program.

The bottom line shows that his innovations and the cooperation of even the personnel who first thought they would be adversely affected have been paying off for CDC, its workers and its clientele.

As of July, CDC’s financial position has vastly improved. Eight new locators have signed up to do business in the zone, committing fresh investments of $31.42 million and generating 8,928 new job opportunities. Seven projects had been revived.

The perking up of business in Clark can be seen in the $175.14 million in fresh capital inflow and some 5,172 in new job opportunities.

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