Biz Buzz: Looking for bounty hunters

The Department of Agrarian Reform ( DAR) is not taking any form of graft and corruption lightly, it seems. Proof of this is the fact that it recently linked arms with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to catch the so-called “bad apples” among its employees.

So much so that PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica and Agrarian Reform Undersecretary David Erro said anybody who could provide the government information leading to the filing of charges against erring government officials would receive as much as 25 percent of PACC’s recovered ill-gotten wealth.

Erro added that DAR wanted to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, referring to the controversial multimillion peso scams involving the Malampaya Fund and Priority Development Assistance Fund more known as the pork barrel scam, which tainted the “good image of the department.”

Belgica said the idea behind the bounty offer was in line with the directive of President

Duterte to cleanse the government of corrupt personnel who were undermining its propoor programs by sapping its resources through illicit activities.

Currently, there are about 800 DAR officials and employees that are under investiga- tion after the agency received complaints pertaining to abuse of authority, favoritism and undue patronage.

We hope all these will eventually lead to tangible results. —KARL R. OCAMPO

Globe magician joins Smart

PLDT Inc. is going full-blast with its turnaround, and it appears part of that strategy means getting highly skilled professionals.

One such individual, we heard, is Dan Horan, who is now with PLDT’s business transformation unit.

Horan served a short stint as chief digital officer and chief marketing officer for Amdocs. He is also well-known in the telco industry for another important role. Horan, after all, was the previous senior adviser for Globe’s important consumer business group.

He joined Globe in 2014 and oversaw a crucial period during which the telco closed a once considerable gap with PLDT’s Smart Communications’ mobile business.

In any case, PLDT’s turnaround strategy seems to have firmed up. Its wireless business, on a downward trend for at least the previous eight quarters, posted a modest gain in the first quarter of the 2018. Further gains here can only boost the bottom line, coupled with its historically strong home and enterprise segments. PLDT chair and CEO

Manuel V. Pangilinan said they were far from celebrating a victory, noting that “we can do better.” Still, it provides some validation that the company is heading in the right direction. —MIGUEL R. CAMUS

Culinary tourism

Celebrity chef Margarita Fores —named Asia’s Best Female Chef for 2016 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards—will be at the center stage of culinary tourism when she starts operating in June a Filipino food village at Islas Pinas, a part of the 1.2-hectare retail space on the ground floor of the newly inaugurated Double-Dragon Plaza along the Bay area.

While Fores’ restaurants like Cibo, Lusso and Grace Park do not exactly cater to the mass market, this Filipino food village will offer casual dining in a 2,500-square-meter space at a lower-than-her usual price range. At an estimated price point of P250 to P350 per head, customers can enjoy food specialties from various regions in the Philippines.

“They can go around to order from differently themed areas. They can buy street food like fishball, balut and others just like buying from a sidewalk vendor,” said Double-Dragon co-chair Edgar “Injap” Sia II.

There will also be a dampa-like area, where foodies can choose fresh seafood from the market and order them to be cooked the way they like it.

With President Duterte’s appointment of Bernadette

Romulo Puyat, formerly agriculture undersecretary, as the country’s new Tourism chief and with her passion for culinary tourism, Sia said the opening of Islas Pinas would be very timely. There was a preview of Islas Pinas in last Monday’s inauguration of Double-Dragon Plaza but public opening will be in June.

Fores will handle all the food operations at Islas Pinas while other concessionaires will take care of the pasalubong/ novelty/handicraft shops.

Islas Pinas will use an electronic card payment system for both food and nonfood items.

“When you enter, you get a card. Then, customers will use the card to pay. They will tap the card anywhere in the 2,500square-meter food village. Then, when they go out, there is a cashier where they can pay for all the purchases,” Sia said.

“We will also have daily entertainment and traditional Filipino dances,” he said.

With DoubleDragon Plaza at Meridian Park only 15 minutes away from the airport, Sia is hopeful that Islas Pinas can do its share in promoting tourism. —DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA