‘The rich are different’

By Herbert Vego

HERE goes an anecdote is said about two famous American novelists in the 1920s, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway:

“The rich are different from you and me,” Fitzgerald quipped.

“Yes,” Hemingway reacted, “they have more money.”

I remembered that story while having coffee with my friend Berd Vargas (a former radio/TV broadcaster) at Festive Walk mall, where he works.

“OMG, you are now rich,” I greeted and asked him whether the radio-TV ad “Kumbinsing!” that he had conceptualized and produced for Mang Inasal barbecue chain in 2003 had netted him millions of pesos in royalty.

“I wish that were true,” he laughed. “since that ad has boosted the sales of the restaurant which now has hundreds of branches nationwide. But I get no royalty.”

“Why not call Injap and rib him for what you deserve?” I suggested.

“He is no longer accessible by phone to me,” he lamented.

“Injap” is the nickname of Mang Inasal founder Edgar “Injap” Sia II. Once a small photograph printer and laundry shop operator from Roxas City, he is probably now the richest restaurateur in Western Visayas.

In October 2010, Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired 70% of Mang Inasal for ₱3 billion.

Unlike Berd who had been very close to Injap, I met the latter only once in his original Iloilo City office at Four Season hotel. I begged him to sign a contract for a one-page ad in my magazine, Health & Wealth (now defunct).  He signed up.

Like Berd, I now find it hard to reach Edgar Sia II. But we often see him featured in the newspapers, rubbing elbows with his kind.

Going back to Fitzgerald and Hemingway, they eventually knew why the rich are different; and that was when they turned rich, too.

So, fly higher, Berd

-oOo-

MORE POWER OFFERS MORE

YESTERDAY, Daily Guardian editor Francis Allan L. Angelo wrote about “a significant step toward promoting renewable energy in the Philippines” being implemented by MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) in Iloilo City.

Thanks to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for granting MORE Power’s request to consolidate net-metering and distributed energy resources (DER) initiatives.

Net metering is an electricity policy that allows consumers with renewable energy facilities to use electricity while also contributing to the grid.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), net-metering is a program under RA 9513 or the Renewable Energy (RE) Act, which allows customers to install RE facilities within their premises up to a capacity of 100-kilowatt peak (kWp).

Consumers may install renewable energy facilities, like solar panels, on their property. Any excess electricity they produce is exported to the local distribution grid. In return, the consumers receive credits for the excess electricity on their next bill.

-oOo-

VP SARA, CANDIDATE FOR IMPEACHMENT

VICE-President Sara Duterte has only herself to blame for uttering a death threat that makes her a likely impeachment “candidate”.

She was obviously livid with anger when she said in a press conference that she had hired an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta, and Speaker Martin Romualdez in case she gets killed first.

Her exact words in Tagalog: “May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, ‘Kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke. Nagbilin na ako.’”

It was her reaction to the detention of her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, who was cited in contempt for failure to confide the truth about their confidential funds.

How could the VP’s threat be considered a “protective measure”? She could not explain why the President would even try to kill her.  There just is no motivation for that. Marcos would gain nothing from killing his VP.

On the contrary, it is Sara Duterte who could harbor a threat against Marcos’ life because, as vice-president, she is the “spare tire” who would run the country if the President dies or gets incapacitated!

No wonder Marcos could not stretch his patience anymore. He fired back with a video message which I am quoting in part:

“Kung ganun na lang kadali ang pagplano sa pagpatay ng isang presidente, papaano pa kaya ang mga pangkaraniwan na mamamayan? ‘Yang ganyang kriminal na pagtatangka ay hindi dapat pinapalampas. ‘Yan ay aking papalagan.

“Hindi na sana hahantong sa ganitong drama kung sasagutin lang sana ang mga lehitimong katanungan sa Senado at House of Representatives. Ang katotohanan ay hindi dapat i-tokhang.”