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June 14 - 20, 2010 Email:businessmatters@hotmail.ph Vol. IV No 0007

 2   June 14 - 20, 2010
 Global Matters
June 14 - 20, 2010 3
 Health & Wellness
4   June 14 - 20, 2010
 Environment
June 14 - 20, 2010 5
 6   June 14 - 20, 2010
 June 14 - 20, 2010 7
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Opinion June 14 - 20, 2010

EyeOpener
By Ber Pacheco

LITO U. GAGNI
Editor
CEFERINO M. ACOSTA III
News
DENN A. MENESES
Lifestyle
ROWENA P. FESTIN
Copy
RAMIL T. SARMIENTO
Layout
RAUL S. GONZALEZ, BERNARDO PACHECO,
ALFRED SANTIAGO JR., GEORGE T. SIY
Columnists

Business Matters is published Monday to Friday by

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 Motoring
June 14 - 20, 2010 9
 10   June 14 - 20, 2010
 June 14-20, 2010
Advertising during a recession
HOW do you sufficiently
convince businesses that in
recessionary times, advertising
should not be the first thing they
cut, as during these times is when
they need most to express their
special deals and prices to a
consumer base hungry for
bargains?
D. E. Wilson
Mississippi, USA
You are right about your
premise that businesses should
advertise during a recession. Given
that most companies regard
advertising as an expense rather
than an investment, it is the first
thing that they cut when hard times
prevail. So your question basically
is: how do you tell your clients that
when the going gets tough, the
smart ones advertise?
First off, it might be a stretch
to ask your clients, albeit politely,
what their reason/s is/are for cutting
advertising, lest they give you the
boot offhand. The rationale here
though is that, the motivation for
advertising during good times may
not be the same motivation to
advertise in slow times.
Be that as it may, you can
perhaps tell them that when
companies cut down on their
advertising during an economic
crisis – whether global or local –
such a move leaves an empty space
in consumers’ minds, a void which
any marketing person worth his
PhD would quickly grab at and take
advantage of without a moment’s
hesitation.
An analogy that I can think of
to compare this scenario with is
going on vacation during the so-
called lean season, when hotels and
resorts are near empty and airline
Love it From page 12)
the world does. We fasten seat belts,
stop at intersections, obey traffic
signs, heed traffic enforcers, observe
speed limits, defer to fellow
motorists, and follow common road
courtesy — that is, when we are not
in the country’s chaotic interchange
of tapered lanes and frenzied
highways; when obnoxious drivers
are the rule rather than the
exception, and vehicles run like rats
blinded by the light.
When we are in Singapore,
LA, Toronto, Tokyo or Jeddah, we
cross the streets using pedestrian
lanes, overpasses, as well as
underpasses. We throw away
garbage at designated times and
appropriate places, properly
wrapped and segregated. We do not
toss cigarette butts, candy wrappers,
chewing gum residue and paper
scraps any which way but the trash
can.
We queue up at bus and railway
stations, patiently and without
raising a fuss. We don’t bother
neighbors with boisterous karaoke
singing, all-night card games,
stereos blaring at mega decibel,
rowdy laughter heard a block away.
We toe the line, conscientiously (no
spitting and vandalizing, for
heaven’s sake), lest Big Brother
knocks us off our feet. and rams
down our throats a ticket back to
ignominy.
Here at home, we don’t clear
Life Matters
seats are sold almost at giveaway
prices. Not only do the “smart”
tourists get the best rates, the best
seats and the best deals – which can
translate to at least 50% off of
regular tags – but they also get to
go about their business of
sightseeing, shopping, swimming,
dining and what-have-you without
the hassle of being pushed and
shoved around by a multitude of
other people wanting to do the same
thing.
I mean, would you rather not
go on vacation when the airports
are less crowded and there are more
rooms at the inn, so to speak? Stress
levels usually rise when crowds are
thick and service is poor, surely. Not
to mention that you are able to
spend less money on the essentials,
i.e. fares, accommodation, food,
etc., and you have more space to
move around at your own pace,
which are what vacations are all
about anyway.
The same is true with
advertising at a time when
everybody else has opted out. There
is an opportunity – a big one,
actually – to get your message
tables after eating at McDonald’s
because we are used to having
someone else clean up behind us.
Maids, we grew up with them at
our beck and call, didn’t we. When
we are lazy to reach for a glass of
water sitting at our elbow’s end,
they do it for us, don’t they? And
we don’t have to be rich to have one
in the household, do we.
They do our laundry, cook our
food, clean our rooms, arrange our
closets, clean the sink, blow off the
cobwebs of our shoddy existence.
Which are exactly the things we do,
less for ourselves but more for other
people, when we depart for greener
pastures or settle in some land of
milk and honey.
‘Filipino time’? There’s no
such thing as arriving fashionably
late for an appointment or event,
elsewhere in the world. Either
you’re on the dot or you’re kaput.
If anything, we make use of our
waking hours to the max – taking
on an extra job to pay the bills and
send money to the folks. On off
days, we do the tedious chores no
one else will do at our dwelling
places. Thus, there’s really not
much time to be late for anything –
fashionably or not.
We adapt very well,
chameleon-like, to new environ-
ments, taking on an entirely
different way of life like second
skin, assimilating novel cultures
and lifestyles like there’s no
tomorrow. We acquire the local
across, clearly and cleanly, because
the rest of your competitors are
silent. Not only will your voice be
heard much better because there are
only a few of you speaking, but your
market share will grow wider as
well because consumers will
gravitate to your brand due to the
image of reliability that it is creating
even in the midst of a financial
calamity.
And the latter statement is not
without basis. History books are
replete with studies conducted by
economists, business analysts and
academics during and after past
recessions showing that companies
who decided to make their presence
felt in difficult times are the ones
that achieved growth in sales and
market share. One verifiable bit of
information is the McGraw-Hill
research study of 600 business
establishments in the US which
concluded that those who
maintained or increased their ad
budgets during the 1981-82
recession experienced a 256%
increase in sales compared to those
who cut their budgets.
In fact, hundreds of studies
tongue and speak the same like
natives, with a nasal twang to boot,
even if back in high school we
couldn’t utter a straight sentence in
English. We change our wardrobe
with the change in seasons,
dressing up in stylish clothes
straight out of Cosmo and Vogue,
strutting around as veritable
fashionista wannabes.
Nothing wrong with all that,
actually. Like it or not, we are
citizens of the world – we do fine
out of the box, either by choice or
circumstance, and we pay our dues
faithfully. We stand out in the
international arena as award-
winning artists, champion athletes,
blue-chip professionals, high tech
wizards, ingenious inventors,
excellent seafarers, innovative
designers, multi-skilled workers –
at par with, sometimes even
superior to, other races.
Inside the box, however, is
another story. We pull each other
down like crabs racing to get out of
a tight hole. We thump our leaders
like it’s the only thing we do
everyday, to the point of wanton
disrespect and sheer disregard for
authority. Whatever happened to
the Filipino’s vaunted ‘bayanihan’
spirit? Where have all the heroes
gone?
What of the very few who run
this benighted land like it is their
sole birth right —those who’ve had
their time at bat, and those who
couldn’t wait for their own time to
T h e
dictionary
d e f i n e s
prudence as
the quality or
state of being
prudent;
wisdom in the
way of caution
and provision;
d i s c re t i o n ;
carefulness; hence, also, economy; frugality. It can also mean good sense,
forethought, acumen.
According to a wise man, prudence is but experience that time bestows
on all men. As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. Life’s questions
are mostly answered by having been there, done that; having gone through
the ups and downs, entrances and exits, and all the in-betweens; having
taken to heart every lesson in every season; and emerging a better person
every time.
Ask Prudence endeavors to answer questions about things that matter
– at work, in business, about relationships. There is no right or wrong answer,
however; only what good judgment dictates, or common sense necessitates.
Email your questions,
ask_prudence@hotmail.ph.
have been conducted over the years
to prove that companies should
maintain advertising during a
recession, and it’s a wonder why not
many marketers are using those
same studies to further their clients’
interests. Those same studies
showed that sales and profits
declined at companies that cut back
on advertising, and after the
recessions ended – particularly the
ones in 1923 and the ‘50s – they
continued to lag behind those that
maintained their ad budgets. The
bottom line being, slashing
advertising during economic
upheavals can result in both
immediate and long-term negative
results on a company’s financial
statements.
Another point that you can
advise your client is the fact that
when there is a collective cut on ad
spending, the demand for ad
services and media exposure drops
correspondingly. And following the
law of supply and demand, the cost
of services will consequently go
down thus providing a strong
come? Aren’t they a cacophonous
mix of graying political has-beens
who think no one else can do better,
and overfed political scions who
think they are God’s gift to Juan de
la Cruz? They have made it their
personal crusade, bordering on
obsession, to remove those who are
more corrupt and more dishonest
than they are, day in and day out.
Where have all the smart ones
gone?
Many of them upped and left
the country to break away from
being identified with the Sick Man
of Asia. The few who opted to
remain are securely ensconced in
their private comfort zones, steering
clear of politics, believing it is
beyond them to engage in the
game’s dirty tricks. And those who
do not have the means to do either
become part of the self-styled silent
majority – fence sitters, if you will,
but just minding their own business
and eking out an honest living.
Do migrant Filipinos,
especially the ones who have
acquired another citizenship,
possess the moral ascendancy to
rant and rave about what is
happening in the Philippines while
doing nothing more than just
paying the requisite lip service from
where they snugly sit and watch?
Rizal and Ninoy, nearly a century
removed from each other, decided
to leave the safety and comfort of
Madrid and Boston, respectively; to
face the ‘battle field’ here, not there,
11
reactions, or thoughts to:
justification to undertake
advertising during an unfavorable
business climate. It gives the
company the right opportunity to
say something that is relevant to the
period – i.e. special deals, price cuts,
discounts, etc. – more efficiently,
with focus on value and quality and,
maybe, new uses for the products
they are selling.
And while we’re at it, media
outlets (such as yourself, I presume)
would also do well to offer their own
special deals at a time when even
their biggest clients are staying
away from the airwaves and the
printed pages. Special deals such
as bundled ads, goodwill ads, 2+1
or 3+1 offers, hefty discounts, etc.
– in other words, deals that will give
more value for your client’s money.
Essentially, what it all boils
down to is: Let the competition cut
their advertising budget. Maintain
yours, if you can’t increase it. And
to paraphrase what one wise guy
said, tough times don’t last, but
smart ones do. Play the smart card,
and see what happens.
as it were. They bit the bullet, went
for the jugular, put their money
where their mouths were, and their
deaths fanned the flames of two
disparate revolutions.
On the other hand, Joma and
Jalandoni, ageing ideologues both,
prefer to go on living it up in the
Netherlands, in exile so-called;
while their lesser cadres have been
lurching for years and years in the
hinterlands of Samar and Quezon,
the two of them apparently not
sharing the heroic notion that the
Filipino is worth dying for. No way,
Jose, oh no.
Foreigners looking in have a
better perspective of us as a nation
than we have of ourselves. To the
outside world, we are a cheerful,
hospitable people; decent and laid-
back; talented and industrious;
respectful and morally upright;
strong and resilient.
Our country is blest with an
abundance of natural wealth that
other countries only dream about,
and yet we take the first available
chance to leave its shores to find “a
better life”. In contrast, strangers
who come adrift find it hard to leave
for one reason or another. “The
place grows on you”, they say, but
we don’t know that because we
grew up looking the other way, not
really seeing, never listening.
Only in the Philippines.
(Excerpted from the book,
The Heart Is The Matter)
 12
WATERING HOLES: TAUMBAYAN
Tambayan
in the city
By ROWENA P. FESTIN
DO you know what is Pssst na
may dahong sumisilip? Adobong
inihaw? Chicken na lasang sosi?
Have you tried tusok-tusok the fish
balls and kikiam in a restaurant?
And at the same time enjoyed
watching a ventriloquist or a theater
performance, listened to poetry
reading, sang without fear that
somebody might stab you if you are
out of tune, watched an indie film
showing, looked at paintings or
photo exhibits, or simply sat back,
Goings-on at Taumbayan (clockwise): Psst na may dahong sumisilip; menu for the books; Lolita Carbon performs;
the owner entertains; photographs and memories on the wall.
THOUGHTS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
Love it or leave it
“ONLY in the Philippines” is
a phrase we Filipinos love to parody
ourselves with, often derisively
rather than self-deprecatingly. We
like to think of them – not us, - as a
peculiar race, rightly or not; an odd
mix of cultural pigeonholes labeled
according to one’s own stereotypes;
a bizarre hodgepodge of undesirable
characteristics that put a bad taste
in the mouth or make one’s head
drop in disgrace.
The list of ‘undesirables’, or a
semblance of it, is rather long —
mostly embarrassing, a little
savored the food and wondered
whatever happened to the old
Kamuning district?
All these things one gets to see
and do in just one intimate venue
called Taumbayan, an intimate bar
in Kamuning, Quezon City, the
perfect hangout for weary minds
and bodies in need of unwinding
after a long, hard day. Evoking the
memories of a college tambayan as
By DENN A. MENESES
amusing; at times downright funny,
sometimes pitifully so; now and
then inexplicably humiliating, but
always with a tinge of sarcasm that
tells a lot about us as a people. More
is the pity, because instead of raising
the bar of our national
consciousness, we plunge ourselves
deep into the global gutters – and
we seem to take immense pleasure
in doing so.
Aren’t we a masochistic
society? How did we become what
we say we have become anyway?
Not that the images reflected
well as the reminiscences that go
with it but with a decidedly unique
ambiance, it is a place to rewind
and recharge with friends.
Taumbayan is a play on tambayan
and taong-bayan (citizen) and the
place is owned by Joel Saracho, a
theater artist and journalist, and
other theater friends.
The joint’s walls are white with
mounted pictures and posters; a
corkboard
filled with
community
announcements,
exhibits and
activities
going on at the
moment since
they do not
have a regular
calendar, and a
menu with
dishes that will
make you
chuckle.
Imagine this
list: Pika-pika,
Inihaw na
U l a m ,
Kapares sa
I n i h a w,
Panghimagas,
in the mirror are mere figments of
the imagination. Reality bites,
rather painfully, and truth is often
stranger than fiction. However, to
paraphrase a pundit, it doesn’t hurt
to acknowledge once in a while that
this country isn’t in flames yet; that
there are people in the Philippines
other than politicians, entertainers
and criminals. That there is hope,
in fact, if only we’d start believing
in ourselves more and stop bashing
one another like mad.
What is so wrong, anyway,
with being Pinoy in this age of ultra-
Taumbayan habitues (left) and paintings on its walls (above).
Panulak, Pampababa, and Toma.
The people who frequent the
restaurant come to eat and talk
about anything from politics to
environment to the latest in film
and fashion, and then go away with
a full stomach and a wide smile.
During the last presidential
election, the place became a
monitoring center and they gave
free iced tea to patrons who voted,
provided they showed their “dirty
finger”.
But the main reason to visit the
place is the food. It is all Filipino
comfort food, stuff that you can
easily prepare or find at home and
in other regular restaurants, but this
is better, and with more flair.
Imagine the simple Ensalada
Platter, steamed sitaw, okra and
eggplant served with bagoong
balayan. The vegetables are
deliciously sweet and are not soggy
from over boiling. Also a must-try
is Monggo in the Chiti, which is
monggo soup loaded with big
chunks of crispy chicharon and
tinapa. Other interesting
concoctions with equally
interesting names are Nilasing na
Boba, which is actually dinaing sa
tuba na Boneless Bangus, Nilagang
Mooh your nanay style, and
Sinigang na Baba (baboy/baka).
Take all these food with lots of
laughter and stories on the side and
you will feel good for a week. Yes,
just for a week because next week,
you have to recharge again with
friends at Taumbayan. Not because
you are very tired but because you
miss the place and the people.
So how do you go to
Taumbayan? If you are coming
from EDSA, just drive along
Kamuning Road. You will pass
through antique shops, a flea
market, bakeries, pet shops,
neighborhood repair shops, dental
clinics, apartment buildings, beauty
parlors, banks, a flower shop, and
spiritual centers. If you are coming
from E. Rodriguez, turn to Tomas
high technology and worldwide
diasporas; when good old-
fashioned values have been
seemingly consigned to the
dustbins of history and
acknowledging one’s roots has
become such a crying shame?
Discipline is an alien virtue?
The cynic only has to look at Subic
and Marikina, even Davao and
June 14-20, 2010
Morato and right turn to
Kamuning. Keep on driving until
you see the Brahma Kumaris house,
that’s T. Gener Street corner
Kamuning Road. Drive until the
next corner, and 40 T. Gener marks
the spot. You can also take the
jeepney from Cubao going to
Kamias or Timog and get off at T.
Gener.
Most days one will find Joel
Saracho at the bar, earlier if he does
not have a show or taping, talking
and laughing with costumers most
of whom he knows personally,
sharing interesting and funny
anecdotes, or assisting the staff. One
time, he said he saw a homeless
couple outside the bar reading the
book Dictionary of Art that they
scavenged from the trash. Another
time he saw a carpenter working in
the neighborhood share his baon
with the couple, the spirit of
humanity and bayanihan at work
in ordinary people.
Other times, Joel also performs
for the Taumbayan regulars, being
a theater person and free-lance TV
actor. He is also a member of
Bagong Dugo, a group of theater
actors and musicians dishing out
silly love songs and sillier social
commentaries on current issues.
Using popular tunes which they
twist, rewrite, edit, adapt to suit their
needs, the members of Bagong
Dugo fashion themselves
collectively as a band of progressive,
and nationalistic artists and mass
culture activitists.
But Joel’s interesting anecdotes
are just an added spice for the place.
The place itself is the spice. And if
you plan on going there, go early
as the place tends to fill up fast. Wi-
Fi is free, so you can upload your
blog posts and update on friends at
Facebook or harvest your Farmville
crops while you are eating your
veggies, laughing with friends or
just taking in the show, the music
and the night in a corner of
Kamuning.
Bohol, to realize that the Filipino
is ‘controllable’ and ‘manageable’
after all. In fact, when we are in
Rome - or elsewhere on the planet -
we do as the Romans do, for fear of
being deported or having one’s
fingers cut off.
We drive cars (the latest SUV
model, no less) the way the rest of
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