BIZ BUZZ: Puno new Globe CFO; Eala retires

Globe Telecom Inc. chief financial officer (CFO) Rizza Maniego-Eala is leaving the telco giant after nearly 27 years of service “to pursue other personal and professional goals.”

We heard that Maniego-Eala will focus on supporting her daughter, Alex Eala, who has been thriving in the world of sports as a tennis prodigy.

Her mother can definitely share some tips and do some coaching as Maniego-Eala is the 1985 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist in the 100-meter backstroke tilt.

In the finance world, the Globe CFO is also top-tier.

In 2019, she was recognized as the Best CFO by Institutional Investor’s All-Asia Executive Team Asean Most Honored Companies and Asian Excellence Recognition Award.

Maniego-Eala received the Asia’s Best CFO Award from Corporate Governance Asia’s 10th Asian Excellence Awards the following year. In 2023, she was given the Best CFO (bronze) award from FinanceAsia’s Asia’s Best Companies.

“We take this opportunity to thank Ms. Maniego-Eala not only for her invaluable contributions, but also the leadership values she instilled not only within her team, but across the organization,” Globe said.

As she steps down on Oct. 16, corporate strategy officer and senior vice president for corporate finance Juan Carlo Puno will take over.

Puno is an alumnus of Ateneo de Manila University and Kellogg School of Management in Northwestern University.

He is also the CFO and treasurer of Globe’s corporate venture builder 917Ventures whose portfolio includes popular e-wallet brand GCash, telehealth platform KonsultaMD and electric vehicle company Gogoro. — Tyrone Jasper C. Piad

Cheap Japan visa, anyone?

Planning a trip to Japan? If you are an EastWEst JCB cardholder, applying for a tourist visa is now more affordable.

In a statement, Gotianun-led EastWest Bank said it had partnered with Rajah Travel Corp.—one of the accredited travel agencies of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines—to offer a free Japan visa application for EastWest JCB cardholders.

The promotion lasts until Sept. 30, 2024. During the promo period, EastWest JCB cardholders can apply for up to two Japan visas at no cost when the application is processed through Rajah Travel.

Visa applicants just need to present the required tickets purchased from Rajah Travel or Japan Airlines, and supporting documents to avail themselves of the offer. The process would take up to one week, depending on the case.

Figures showed there were 115,000 owners of EastWest JCB cards as of July 2024, up by 280 percent. For these cardholders, ticking off Japan from their travel bucket list would be much easier. —Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral INQ