Medium Rare Jullie Y. Daza “As old as time” is the saying that the rich get richer and the poor beget children. Likewise, money begets money – the bank will not give you a loan because you’re so poor that you need money. Well, this year’s list of the world’s super billionaires (in dollars) placing 17 Filipinos in the middle of the pile proves that you can actually, factually, numerically grow your wealth during a pandemic. With Manny Villar, Ricky Razon and Lucio Tan as the richest Filipinos in the list, even Forbes’ jaded wealth watchers were awed, wowed by the “astonishing” performance of the 100 richest. After I asked a series of girl friends how they were getting along – assuming their purses were not bulging with millions – two became so concerned about my state of health that I had to assure them I was just bored. To entertain myself, I told them how I had rummaged through my notes, compiled before the New Year of 2021 and in anticipation of the Chinese Year of the Metal Ox, if only to compare 2020’s business outlook and see how far we’ve come in this 13^th month of the world’s longest, strictest lockdown. From my point of view, the following choice headlines, culled from November 2020 to January 2021, read like an impossible Cinderella fairy tale free of a midnight deadline for her carriage. Gross international reserves soared to $103.8B in Oct. PEZA ok’s P72.6B investments in 10 months Filinvest Land earns P2.6B in 9 months Security Bank books P6.7B net income in 9 months Ikea hiring 496 more for world’s biggest outlet ‘We’re back in business’ – Dominguez ‘The worst is over’ – Diokno BI optimistic about P1T in investments RCBC reports unexpected surge from seniors We share govt’s optimism – Shell president MegaWorld, DMCI report uptick in (property) sales A more buoyant outlook for Q1 of 2021 – BSP OFW remittances up 9 percent DA expects 2.5 percent growth in farms, fisheries GCash hits P1T in transactions; 254 percent growth ‘remarkable’ No way to go but up – PCCI I’m cautiously optimistic – Fernando Augusto Zobel de Ayala Exports rose 3 percent in Nov, fastest in 10 months BIR, Customs exceed 2020 targets BSP gross int’l reserves surge to $110B 12 percent rise in BGC land value