BIZ BUZZ: Changes at Pagcor?

Check the official website of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and you’ll immediately detect the glaring absence of the photo and name of the president and chief operating officer.

That’s because somebody new is said to be taking over.

Biz Buzz sources say that Juanito L. Sañosa Jr. had stepped down from the post that he was appointed to in August 2022.

As to whether he was kicked out or just retired is still the subject of intense speculation in the gaming community.

READ: Policy tweaks sought to boost PH e-games sector

Sañosa was Pagcor vice president and corporate secretary during the Duterte administration before being elevated to the post.

Said to replace him is former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chair and Administrator Wilma Eisma, who joined the Development Bank of the Philippines’ board of directors in March 2022.

Will the personnel change lead to policy changes, too? Abangan! —Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Now or never

Concerns over property market speculation have prompted European countries to review or altogether scrap their residency by investment schemes.

Portugal already removed in October last year real estate investment as a qualification for so-called golden visas, which are given to those qualified to acquire residency by buying property or making a large investment.

The Netherlands had also ended its golden visa scheme in January.

READ: Spain to scrap ‘golden visa’ program

Recently, Spain has expressed plans to follow suit and this is expected to further heat up demand for units of Hotel101 Madrid being built by “Double Dragons” Edgar “Injap” Sia II and Tony Tan Caktiong.

Hotel101 Madrid has 680 units and interest in acquiring these units has indeed intensified due to news that the investment for residency program may be altered or scrapped.

Biz Buzz sources say that it takes about a year for proposed rule changes to be finalized by the Spanish government, providing a window for those who still want to take advantage of the scheme to get that Spanish golden visa.

For them, it’s now or never. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao

COD: The Pinoy way

Even though Filipinos have gotten used to online shopping, some still prefer paying for their items only when they arrive at their doorsteps. Vin Perez, country head of logistics firm Ninja Van Philippines, said Filipinos do this for peace of mind.

Customers might be worried that the items they picked online might not be the same thing that will be delivered to their homes. Not paying right away gives shoppers another layer of protection somehow.

READ: Mobile-first shopping booms but COD payments still favored

Who can blame them for thinking such a way? Scams abound, after all.

This is why Ninja Van’s platform supports cash-on-delivery (COD) options despite the increasing adoption of digital payments in the country, Perez explained.

Still, the Ninja Van official said that customers who had made digital payments and encountered some problems with their purchase could opt for online refunds as a recourse. —Tyrone Jasper C. Piad INQ