Their name, your nam

The Metro Manila Development Authority has banned caroling in its covered cities, particularly along the main streets where children, under the excuse of observing the age-old tradition, weave in and out of traffic, stopping vehicles and begging for money from motorists. The MMDA officials justify this by citing fatal accidents involving such young people. It, however, says caroling can be done in suburban areas where those doing it go from house to house and hope their owners will be generous in response to their Christmas songs.

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In some neighborhoods in Bacolod, we often see and hear very young children playing makeshift instruments like coco shell maracas, and tambourines made of bottletops flattened and strung up, singing “White Christmas” or “Santa Claus is coming to town”, rather off-key, but fervently. One cannot resist them, but I heard there are some naughty ones who will sing “Thank you, thank you, ang babagit ninyo (how stingy you are)” if you don't give them enough.

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South Korea , too. A super-tanker carrying 260,000 tons of crude oil was hit by a barge, causing about 66,000 barrels to spill into the South Korean waters near Malipo Beach . Although late reports said the leak has been contained, and the tanker is no longer in danger of sinking, the oil spill has spread to about seven kilometers and has alarmed residents and officials. We can only sympathize with the Koreans, remembering our own horror when a similar spill occurred near Guimaras Island , the effects of which are still being felt until now. We don't know yet what the people and the government there are doing about it. In the Philippines , people even cut their hair to send to the spill site, believing it could control the spread of oil.

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The Philippine Constitutional Association, or Philconsa, has declared that the curfew imposed by the government after the Peninsula affair, was unconstitutional. We could've told them. How can any order that is unlikely to reach the people it is intended for be legal? Many were apprehended that very night because they didn't know the curfew had been imposed. Only those who were watching TV or listening to the radio at the time knew, print media could not publish it until the morning after. Those who were detained could probably file charges against the police, if they wish.

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A Manila businessman is in trouble because he has been sued by an American magnate for allegedly using his name in vain. Real estate tycoon Andrew Tan had set up a condominium in Salcedo Village , Makati and named it “The Trumps”. That did not flatter the famous Donald Trump who felt Tan is taking advantage of his famous name. So he is suing to make him find another name for his condo. I don't know if any amount for damages has been given, but this is an interesting affair, indeed.

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If Tan had thought he would be coming up trumps by the choice of name for his project, he must now be regretting it. As far as I know, Donald Trump, who used to be great copy for the media with his former wife, Ivana, is also the owner of that fabulous building in New York , reportedly purchased by our own Imelda. Isn't he also the one who owns the franchise for the Miss Universe contest? So Andrew Tan has picked a good opponent in this court case.

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Unlike in the Philippines where we don't seem to mind seeing people use the business name of others with impunity, people in other countries do not take kindly to such practices. One of the most highly publicized cases in the U.S. , a few years ago, was that of a Filipina who set up a carinderia type eatery there to cater to her fellow Pinoys. Since her name is Asuncion , and her nickname was “Sony”, she took that as the name of her eatery which did very well, until it came to the attention of the moguls behind the multinational Japanese-based firm “SONY”.

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Aling Sony was shocked when she was told that a case had been filed against her by SONY. She reasoned that she had only used her own name, which she was entitled to. But the lawyers of the giant firm, drawing on all the jurisprudence they could find, were able to convince the court that poor Aling Sony could not use the name of their company. I forgot whether she had to pay damages, but she had to change her resto's name. I only hope she did not pick McDo or Jollibee. What's in the name, you ask? Plenty.*

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