Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal must believe that marriage is made in heaven after he officiated at the wedding of Christina Codilla Garcia, daughter of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, to Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco. Heading the list of sponsors of the union were President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her predecessor and bitter political rival Joseph Ejercito Estrada who heads the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, the groom's political party.

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If “pare” is “Erap,” can he call his presidential “mare,” “Eram”?

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President Arroyo gave a fillip to the 1st RP-Russia Business Forum by announcing that she will instruct DoTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza to sign the Air Services Agreement if Russia is ready. Russia is one of our largest tourism growth markets.

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The University of Cebu founded by Dr. Augusto Go, honorary Consul General of South Korea, is one of the largest private universities in the country. Its College of Nursing is proud of its track record of over 96% of its graduates passing the nurses’ board exams. Its Maritime College has 5,000 students – 1,000 of them full scholars supported by Norway, Japan, and Cyprus.

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Norway, a traditional supporter of Philippine merchant marines, was starting to look to Vietnam when that country offered to provide the buildings. So Dr. Go put up maritime building at his expense.

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Our maritime officers and merchant marines are highly visible, and at every news of shipwreck we fear that a Filipino mariner is onboard. In fact they comprise only a small fraction of our expats earning abroad. But our seafarers account for 18% of OFW remittances – because of the high pay. A marine officer graduate starts at US$5,000.

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Technip, a giant French engineering and construction company, was prevented from hiring an additional 200 Filipino professionals for offshore drilling in Nigeria because of kidnappings. The Philippine Embassy conveyed the assurance of the firm that every expat – be they French, British, German, American, Pinoys, etc. – are given equal and full protection or assured release. But our policymakers chose to err on the side of caution. Now that jobs abroad dried up, we are having second thoughts.

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Senator Mar Roxas proposed, then withdrew his motion to rename EDSA, “Cory Ave.” That’s the problem with anagrams. The senator is too young to remember that EDSA already belongs to “Epifanio delos Santos.” NAIA should also be spelled “Ninoy Aquino,” so people know.

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Where did Makati Mayor Jojo Binay get wind of a presidential $20,000 dinner? From a New York waiter who did not get his 15% tip.

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Former Energy Secretary Vincent Perez proposed to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. a Cory-Ninoy R500 bill. Ninoy, Hindi ka na nag-iisa!

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BSP monetary board member Toting Bunye is confident that this People Power denomination will appreciate the Philippine peso.

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“Not so if BSP drops abaca and switches to polymer for Philippine peso bill,” says Congressman Joseph A. Santiago of Catanduanes. He will bring BSP to brook for not knowing the a, b, c’s of abaca growers.

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The artist Gus Albor says anyone knows mixing blue with yellow gives you green. But he understands why at the Araneta Dome the Blue Eagles and Green Archers would homogenize into yellow for Cory.

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Don’t miss Albor’s paintings and installation exhibit “Satellite: Eye in the Sky,” from Aug. 12 at the SLAB gallery, YMC Bldg., 2320 Pasong Tamo.

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