Of Media and PR Practitioners
The Philippine Star
12/03/04

Hats off to the media guardians of taipan Lucio Tan. Over the years, they have managed to cultivate and maintain an extensive network of key media personnel that facilitate a careful scrutiny of every column inch of major and minor publications for any mention of their big boss. Positive coverage is quickly and generously acknowledged but any taint of negative comments is immediately countered with prominently placed media advisories and press releases.

One such case is the letter of Lt. Gen. Salvador M. Mison (Ret.), President of Basic Holdings Corp. (a Lucio Tan company), that was published in the Mailbox, Business Section (Philippine Star issue of 25th November 2004).
Mison's letter is in reaction to my column entitled "Losing the Original Sin Tax (Bizlinks, Philippine Star, 22nd November 2004)

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mison recently, and had a very brief but interesting discussion. He reiterated his view that since cigarettes and liquor manufacturers have to pass on taxes, it would greatly benefit consumers if any new taxes were not going to be too high. Of course, he meant smoking and drinking consumers.

I believe, however, that it is not equitable to load the public and users of basic commodities like electricity and petroleum products with additional "taxes" amounting to over P50 billion a year, while collection of additional taxes from cigarette and liquor companies will amount to only P3 billion a year.

In fact, had the "original" sin tax bill not been significantly watered down, new cigarette and alcohol taxes would immediately have generated P80 billion for the government's starved coffers.

Some are luckier than others

The other interesting points raised in the Mison letter is my "maliciously" linking Lucio Tan's currently pending P27 billion tax evasion case with the P1 billion tax refund granted to Fortune Tobacco (a Lucio Tan company) plus my lack of respect for the rights of citizens like Lucio Tan.

I fully subscribe that all Filipinos, including the pseudo ones, have rights that must be respected. What is observable, however, is that some are luckier than others in the exercise of their rights.

As I had pointed out, what is public knowledge is that Lucio Tan was granted a tax refund of P1 billion while on the other hand he has continued to manage to stall the tax evasion case filed against him by the government for a number of years now.

Now, if there was any malice seen imputed in this statement of facts, I should think this exists solely in the reader's mind.

Anvil clash

Since we are discussing the actuations of some public relations people, it would be appropriate to bring up a related development.
The anvil is known to many public relations practitioners and business communicators in the Philippines as the symbol of excellence in the crafting of advocacy and communications campaigns. Now, it seems to be an instrument that is being wielded to hammer out, albeit in a tacky fashion, differences between two opposing camps.

The camp of ex-Goldilocks (also ex-Magnolia and ex-San Miguel Corp.) executive Winston Marbella together with PLDT community relations manager Evelyn del Rosario is challenging the legitimacy of the Anvil Awards that was recently launched by Globe's Jones Campos.

Marbella and company have come out with several ads that short of accuse the Campos-led Anvil Awards as charlatans while announcing that they own the "genuine" awards body.

Incidentally, the chair of Marbella's Anvil is Vic del Fierro (of the Pepsi '349' fame), while Campos's awards body is chaired by Manila Water's Joel Lacsamana and ABS-CBN Foundation's Dulce Baybay.

Submission of entries to the Anvils Awards, touted as the Oscars of Public Relations, is becoming such a harrowing experience for companies that only want their PR and communications projects rated and recognized as deserving of commendation. This impasse should end soon or else both camps could end up irreparably damaged.

By the way, Marbella is still contesting leadership of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines after Campos was sworn in recently as president of the organization when the Securities and Exchange Commission supervised an electoral proceeding participated in by more than 50 members representing various companies.

"Breaking Barriers" with F. Laxa, GM, National Housing Authority

"Breaking Barriers" on IBC-TV13 (11 p.m. every Wednesday) will feature Mr. Federico Laxa, General Manager of the National Housing Authority, on Wednesday, 8th of December, 2004.
A house is a basic need. Yet millions of Filipinos can only dream of owning one. Administrations come and go with housing programs as a major component of its promise to its constituencies. However, today millions of homeless Filipinos find themselves squatting in public and privately owned land in order to have a roof above their head as they eke out daily subsistence.

What is the program of the Arroyo administration to address this social issue? What government agencies are involved in the housing program? How will the government facing a fiscal crisis sustain the provision of this basic need? Watch it.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 4th Floor, 156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at reygamboa@linkedge.biz. If you wish to view the previous columns, you may visit my website at http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz.

TOP