BIZ BUZZ: Caveat emptor on FB ads

Scams and scammers abound these days. From phishing emails to text messages promising high-paying jobs and even online sellers giving out shoddy goods, it seems ne’er-do-wells never run out of ideas on how to funnel money out of the unsuspecting public’s pockets.

Recently, even hospitals in the Philippines have not been spared.

On Facebook alone, there are numerous ad pages claiming to be official accounts of the more prominent healthcare institutions in the Philippines. These ads contain reposted content from official channels of large medical establishments like hospitals, making them appear legitimate and fool people into believing that these services are either offered or endorsed by the medical establishment.

One such ad on Facebook presents a fake partnership between St. Luke’s Medical Center and a certain Tokyo Therapy and Wellness Center based in Japan.

The ad offers a discount for the first 800 Filipinas who sign up for slimming services using “high-tech machines” or get their money back. To make the ads look more authentic, photos of St. Luke’s doctor executives are featured supposedly signing an agreement.

It is quite likely that some beauty-conscious women may end up following up on the dubious offer—and unwittingly pay reservation fees— before learning they’ve been scammed.

Maybe Facebook should also look into their policy on accepting ads. We can only imagine the thousands of other fake ads out there in the social media universe scamming unwitting Facebook subscribers.

But until then, let the buyer beware.

—Daxim L. Lucas

New Wongchuking project in Bulacan

Each year brings a new project for the cash-rich Wongchuking family who pivoted away from the tobacco business a few years ago and is now fully committed to make the growing municipality of Guiguinto, Bulacan its new base of operations.

Before the pandemic, the family began operating its T12 Polo Land Industrial Estates complex, which has since been renamed Acro City, located just 20 minutes north of Quezon City via the North Luzon Expressway.

In 2021, the group opened a premium Japanese restaurant called Mount Fuji and, last year, opened a 102-room hotel called Acro Residence in the same development site.

This year brings another business for the family, having launched Mighty King Chinese restaurant last month to give Guiguinto another upscale dining establishment. What’s more impressive is that Mighty King’s authentic cuisine is prepared by a Chinese chef who moved to the Philippines from the mainland a few years ago.

The Wongchukings are hoping that their hotel and restaurants will provide the support infrastructure that will attract more locators into their industrial estate which, at present, is primarily oriented toward the booming logistics sector.

All this is good news for Guiguinto Mayor Agatha Cruz and her father, Bulacan Rep. Ambrosio Cruz Jr., who are counting on the business friendly climate and the growing economic activity in the municipality to help it achieve cityhood in the not too distant future.

The Cruzes are hoping, too, that the Bulacan mega airport being built by San Miguel Corp.—with its land development phase now 50-percent completed—will help spur development in adjacent areas like Guiguinto.

Will this be a case of “if you build it, they will come”? We’ll know soon enough.

—Daxim L. Lucas INQ