BIZ BUZZ: Power lunch with cool, calm BSP chief

It is at times like these—when inflation remains elevated, financial markets are jittery and economic growth is losing steam—that being Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. is anything but easy.

Yet as the BSP celebrated its 33rd anniversary, the ever-busy central bank chief carved out time to sit down with members of the media over lunch, trading the usual podium and policy statements for a more relaxed conversation.

The discussion ranged from monetary policy and inflation to lighter stories, including how he once gave his grandchildren a tour of the BSP’s security plant complex.

For a couple of hours, both the governor and the reporters who regularly chase him for headlines got a rare breather from the daily grind.

Of course, the timeout didn’t last long.

Remolona went back to watching inflation, while reporters returned to watching Remolona.