Off to Hong Kong
San Miguel president Ramon S. Ang, along with fellow directors Carmelo Santiago and Reynato Puno (yes, the former chief justice), will be in Hong Kong on Friday.
The former chief justice will have a legitimate reason to be away this weekend for the much-scaled down Edsa 1 celebrations – he will have to attend a board meeting of the San Miguel Brewery subsidiary in the Chinese territory.
The competition from Asia Brewery will incidentally also be in the Chinese territory on the same day. Lucio Tan’s brother Harry and his nephews Lucio Jr. and Michael will be in the island for a board meeting not of their beer business, but for their HK property company, Dynamic Holdings Limited.
Expected to fly in as well is MacroAsia president Joseph Chua, son-in-law of taipan Lucio Tan.
As to the San Miguel Brewery, the Hong Kong subsidiary has already issued a profit alert, saying it expected to report a profit for 2016, a turnaround from the loss in 2015.
The HK unit is even advertising now for senior sales executives who can speak and write both Chinese and English to boost sales among the territory’s so-called Western outlets in the Lan Kwai Fong and other tourist districts.
Back from London award
The Firm Villaraza and Angangco was just honored in London with the Client Choice award for its outstanding intellectual property work.
The Firm’s senior partner Bienvenido Somera buttoned up his overcoat amid the wintry weather in the UK capital to receive the honor, along with junior partners Ma. Sophia Cruz-Abrenica and Katrina Doble.
The Firm was recognized for its zealous prosecution of the unauthorized refilling by party-list Rep. Arnel Ty and his Republic Gas of LPG cylinders owned by Petron.
The Firm’s other intellectual property clients include BDO, HBO Asia, Hyundai, and Kawasaki.
Heard through the grapevine
Unlike during the pre-takeover heydays of Northwest Airlines with three daily jumbo jet flights, Delta is furthering reducing its seat offerings to and fro Manila by its decision to field a Boeing 767 instead of the bigger 777 aircraft for the airline’s lone daily frequency to and from Japan.
The reduction extends even to the trans-Pacific route, with the TokyoDetroit leg now being served by an Airbus A330-200.
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