CHICAGO, Illinois (The Adobo Chronicles) – In his speech before a small group of Filipino Americans in Chicago this week, President Aquino touted his administration’s programs to improve the economic standing of the Philippines, calling his country the new “Darling of Asia.”

Aquino’s trip to Chicago was meant to attract U.S. companies to invest in the Philippines.

ABS-CBN News is reporting that Aquino left Chicago empty-handed, except for a pair of signed jerseys of the Chicago Bulls amd Boston Celtics, top teams in the American National Basketball Association (NBA).

The Adobo Chronicles spoke with representatives of some of the U.S. companies Aquino was trying to woo.  They were one in saying that they had already previously invested a lot of money in the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, and lost. “We can’t risk more investments in the Philippines at this time,” they said.

Aquino is now in Canada. Maybe he’ll have better luck there. Or maybe not.