BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from April 2010

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from April 2010

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... THE CAMPAIGN has turned nasty a little over a week before the historic fully automated elections as some presidential candidates have resorted to mudslinging and malicious claims. The propaganda - for better or worse - has taken its toll on...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena With sympathy over the late democracy icon former president Corazon "Cory" C. Aquino still lingering among many Filipinos, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" C. Aquino III will have to prove...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa Former president Joseph "Erap" E. Estrada will proceed from where he was unceremoniously booted out in 2001, vowing to resume his battle against poverty and corruption, and to maintain peace and order at all costs. ...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa OLONGAPO CITY Councilor John Carlos "JC" G. delos Reyes is undaunted by the gargantuan task of convincing the people to catapult him to the presidency through a values formation platform to address social, economic and...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena By how he stresses a point, Partido Bagumbayan presidential bet Sen. Richard "Dick" J. Gordon can easily be described as a visionary. Moving objects he found inside BusinessWorld's boardroom - trophies, trinkets...

SPECIAL REPORT.(Company overview)
April 30, 2010... 1. How would you address a looming fiscal crisis which would likely be inherited by the new president, something which the Arroyo administration has not done? Aquino, Benigno Simeon C. III "Noynoy" DBM (Department of Budget and...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez COMING FROM an affluent family with a no-nonsense approach to politics, second-time presidential contender Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" A. S. Madrigal has nothing to lose in espousing radical ideas in...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez This was the challenge posed to voters by independent candidate Nicanor Jesus "Nick" P. Perlas who believes that once protection of the environment is prioritized, it would be easy for the country to improve...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa NOT GIVING up on a lost bid six years ago, evangelist Eduardo C. Villanueva is giving it his last shot for the most powerful position in the land on a platform of good governance. "A righteous leader is key to...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa OF ALL nine presidential candidates, Gilberto "Gibo" C. Teodoro, Jr. has kept a sober campaign that deals mainly with how to improve the economy on a macro level and how to ensure that basic services would reach...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez THE HEAT is on Senator Manuel B. Villar, Jr., standard-bearer of the Nacionalista Party - from the controversial road extension project south of Metro Manila to alleged irregularities in the sales of shares...

SPECIAL REPORT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez THE NATION would turn a page in its political history with the conduct of fully automated elections on May 10, but the major shift in the manner of choosing the next set of leaders comes with much...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez The property industry is on a renewed quest to build sturdy structures faster and cheaper than the competition. For the country's skyline, this may mean a building boom not seen since the sector's glory days...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez Willie J. Uy, president and chief executive officer of Phinma Properties, was once an agent of change - of money, that is. Until he was made the company's general manager, Mr. Uy was head of its treasury...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Anna Patricia G. Valerio The elegantly understated office of Nestor Padilla is but a preview to the Rockwell Land president's building priorities. "If you are going to be in real estate, you've got to have taste," he says. His working...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra "There's a Chinese saying that big success depends on the heavens," said Andrew L. Tan in a previous interview. A staunch believer in proper timing, he chalks up 60% of his success to hard work and says he owes...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Hannah M. Muralla Back when the local property sector was reeling from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, a Filipino construction firm defied the odds by placing itself in one of the slump's hardest hit segments: residential real...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez At three years old, Alphaland Corporation is a new player in the industry, but it has a versatile builder at the reins. Its president, Mario Oreta, has three decades worth of law practice under his belt,...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Realty Royalties.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Anna Patricia G. Valerio Starting a company from scratch is a formidable task, but Angela de Villa-Lacson says success is just a matter of getting the best people together in a team. The collaborative tack has worked its magic for...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez Hollywood's newfound fling with foodie films, more recently in Disney Pixar's Ratatouille and Columbia Pictures' Julie & Julia, has placed the promise of culinary success within everyman's reach. But when...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez Mats Loo's story started nearly 30 years ago, when a 14-year-old boy began his apprenticeship at a small pizzeria in his hometown in Hallstahammar, Sweden. All teenagers in the country customarily carry out a...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez Bordelaise, demi glace, tartar, or tomato - a special sauce can be the crowning touch to many a meal. In some cases, however, condiments cannot cover for the blandness of a dish that skipped the seasoning...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Hannah M. Muralla At age 12, when most kids were preparing for their confirmation at church, the young Jose Gabriel Prats had another milestone to think about: his mandatory initiation into the culinary world. His mother, a...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra Like many carefree kids, the young Gene Gonzalez was determined to become an astronaut. But his was a childhood that involved a regular exposure to local fare and waiting tables at his family's small coffee shop,...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra Not all chefs can survive the local food and restaurant business, as Jeremy Young points out: the substandard pay alone is an especially bitter pill to swallow, and is often enough to drive cooks to seek work...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) president Doris Magsaysay-Ho has a conglomerate in her hands. But even as she steers the Magsaysay Group of Companies, a corporation with interests in shipping, transport, logistics...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Culinary Gurus.
April 30, 2010... Center for Culinary Arts (CCA), Manila president and The Cravings Group founder Annie Guerrero has gone a long way from playing with clay pots as a little girl and imitating her mother, her first cooking teacher and mentor, in the kitchen. ...

RCBC income surges by 25%.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), the country's sixth largest in terms of assets, said its net income rose by a quarter in the first quarter due to higher gains from loans and Treasury operations....

FMIC profits jump on buoyant markets.(Financial report)
April 30, 2010... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon The First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC), the investment banking unit of the Metrobank Group, said profits surged in the first quarter on the back of a buoyant capital markets. It told the stock exchange yesterday...

Peso rises on US Fed decision.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Judy Dannibelle T. Chua Co The peso edged up against the dollar yesterday after the Federal Reserve's reassurance to keep US interest rates steady spurred risk taking. The local currency appreciated by 15 centavos to close at...

Prices rebound after Fed keeps rates steady.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Judy Dannibelle T. Chua Co Share prices rebounded yesterday, tracking Wall Street stocks, which rose following the Federal Reserve's assurances to keep interest rates steady, analysts said. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange...

GIVE AND GO.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo While there had been talk of it happening early on, still the trade that sent Willie Miller from the Alaska Aces to the Barangay Ginebra Kings for Cyrus Baguio caught me by surprise. Not for anything else, I...

COURTSIDE.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Don't tell the Bucks they're supposed to play the role conventional wisdom laid out for them. Don't insist that, without Andrew Bogut and Michel Redd, they're patsies against the more talented Hawks. And don't...

CHESS PIECE.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Bobby Ang The World Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Veselin Topalov started last April 24. We will begin our coverage this coming Monday. Let us finish first my report on the Russian Team Championship by reliving a...

Labor dep't-aided programs to receive Kabuhayan Awards.
April 30, 2010... As the nation observes the 108th Labor Day celebration, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) will confer the DoLE-Kabuhayan Awards to outstanding individuals and workers groups that implemented DoLE-assisted livelihood projects. ...

Philippe's Salon opens in Sofitel.
April 30, 2010... The renowned French stylist, Philippe Tordjman, brings the much talked about Philippe's Salon to the Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Mr. Tordjman is L'Oreal's Artistic Ambassador in Asia, and is one of the most sought-after stylists today. He has...

Telecommunication firm offering add-on to enhance postpaid plan.
April 30, 2010... Liberty Broadcasting Network, Inc., backed by San Miguel Corp. and QTel Group, ushers the fourth-generation technology (4G) era with its brand, wi-tribe. wi-tribe showcases the future of multimedia as it takes the online lifestyle a step...

PEOPLE.
April 30, 2010... McCann Healthcare names managing director McCann Worldgroup Philippines announces the appointment of Victor Joseph "VJ" Yamat as managing director of its health care communications discipline, McCann Healthcare, two-time winner of Specialist...

BRIEFS.
April 30, 2010... Briefing set Professional services firm SGV & Co. will hold its third quarterly executive briefing on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) called "The volving financial reporting landscape" on May 7 at the Rigodon Ballroom...

HOT THIS WEEKEND.
April 30, 2010... Concerts at the parks Paco Park Presents: A Voice Recital on April 30, 6 p.m., featuring the voice students of Thea Perez-Prosia. Concert at the Park presents Innovative Noise Collective on May 2, 6 p.m., a network of multimedia artists and...

TAKE TEN.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Behn Cervantes It may well have started with Noli de Castro. He started with this in- your-face kind of news reporting that caught the interest of the public which is now beginning to tire of over-enunciating TV reporters. He...

WEEKENDER.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo We are so accustomed to the sight of skin that it takes more than a bikini to make us blush. Nowadays, offenders must bare either nipple or nether regions to get tongues wagging and eyebrows rising. Filipino- Australian...

WEEKENDER: going out.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo FESTIVAL National Heritage Month May 1-31 Heritage Month activities in Metro Manila * Viva Intramuros Intramuros, Manila April 30 - May 2 * Misa Cantada: Saludo de la Virgen de los Desamparados Parish...

WEEKENDER: going out.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CONCERT Tears for Fears Live in Manila May 2, 8 p.m. Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City Bands find their names in the most unusual of circumstances. It is said that the name of the English pop/rock duo...

WEEKENDER: going out.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CONCERT Kelly Clarkson: All I Ever Wanted May 1, 8 p.m. Araneta Coliseum Cubao, Quezon City To say that the life of singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson has been a wild ride seems to be an understatement....

WEEKENDER: staying in.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno She is Kristina to family and friends, and Cassandra to others. But ever since her famous mother - singer-actress Sharon Cuneta - started calling her by her two-letter nickname, Kristina Cassandra Cuneta Concepcion...

WEEKENDER: health.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Louise G. Dumas CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - This city's health office wants local residents to practice SEX regularly. "SEX is healthy," said Dr. Rachel D. Dilla, assistant city health officer, explaining the acronym stands for Stopping...

WEEKENDER: health.
April 30, 2010... Asian Hospital service Asian Hospital and Medical Center believes that care and support for patients should be provided even beyond the corners of the hospital. It is within this concept that the Asian Hospital and Medical Center Supportive...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Nanette Franco-Diyco One of the quickest ways to impress your bosses, communicating to them your discipline, reliability and built-in professionalism, is to be prompt in reporting for work. This is no longer easy because of today's...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Terence A. Hockenhull A sales force tasked with increasing sales by an additional 20% within a relatively short time frame is unlikely to go out and look for new customers. They will almost certainly approach their existing client...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
April 30, 2010... 7-Eleven informal poll Presidential aspirant Benigno Simeon C. "Noynoy" Aquino tops the mock poll hosted by global convenience chain 7-Eleven in the 7-Elections. As of April 26, Aquino leads with 38% of the votes - a mere 1% off from the...

WEEKENDER: travel.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Maricel E. Estavillo A day trek to the crater lake of Mt. Pinatubo is a painful sacrifice - but a small one to pay - for a glimpse into one of nature's otherworldly creations. With a bit of planning and a few trappings, it is still...

WEEKENDER: travel.
April 30, 2010... Discovery Suites It's all about Mom from May 7 to 16 at Discovery Suites as the premier serviced residence in the Ortigas business district observes Mother's Day. Moms can enjoy the luxury of the Junior Suite for P6,888 nett or delight in the...

Cebu exporters press for action in face of peso's continued surge.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Marites S. Villamor CEBU CITY - The Export Development Council's (EDC) executive committee will discuss today exporters' request for a clearer action plan in the face of an appreciating peso. The Cebu chapter of the Philippine...

Tuna firms look to Australia, New Zealand.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Joel B. Escovilla DAVAO CITY - As the European Union further tightens its standards for tuna products, the federation of fisheries in General Santos is looking at new market opportunities with the implementation of the ASEAN-Australia...

DA starts cloud seeding in Iloilo.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - The Department of Agriculture (DA) has started its cloud seeding operation in Iloilo, where the bulk of the ricelands affected by the dry spell in Western Visayas is located. Larry P....

Private testing labs to check on ceramic tile makers.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa Three ceramic testing laboratories have been accredited to check on tile manufacturers' compliance with safety standards, the Trade department said on Thursday. This is expected to eliminate the backlog at...

Wage boards in Davao and N. Mindanao take varying positions in labor.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - Regional tripartite wage boards in Mindanao are taking varying positions on labor's current demand for higher wages. Davao's Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board said it is considering...

Food manufacturers to ride on economic recovery for growth.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa THE LOCAL food industry expects continued sales growth this year, in line with the forecast recovery of the economy, industry leaders said last Wednesday. Food manufacturers, in general, expect better...

Competition for Taiwan locators belittled.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa THE PHILIPPINES could still lure Taiwanese ventures even as China becomes a competing investment site after both Northeast Asian economies seal an economic cooperation pact this June, a Taipei-based state...

VANTAGE POINT.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Luis V. Teodoro Contrary to Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra's delusion that he's the most hated person in the Philippines, he isn't. It's not because he doesn't qualify. It's because there are literally hundreds of other...

VECTOR.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Sonny Coloma If you feel beleaguered and besieged in the heat of battle, would you call in your octogenarian mother to pitch for you? Presidential aspirants Joseph Ejercito Estrada and Richard Gordon assailed fellow candidate Manuel...

FENCE SITTER.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson To be newsworthy, a verbal exchange needs to involve at least two well-known personalities, currently in the news. A tiff between angry motorists hardly rates a mention in the news, unless one of them is shot dead....

STREETWISE.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo A number of friends and sympathizers of the national democratic movement have voiced their disagreement with or downright disapproval of the tactical alliance between Makabayan, the umbrella organization of...

RULE OF LAW.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Augusto R. Bundang The scene of a mother breaking down in tears and feeling the hurt and agony that her son is going through is touching and most heart rending. This was what I felt after seeing the mother of presidential candidate...

TRADE TRIPPER.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jemy Gatdula This election campaign reminds me of the climactic scene in The Bridge Over The River Kwai. After foiling the attempts of his countrymen to destroy the bridge he constructed for the enemy, Alec Guinness's character...

Ayala Land accelerating property projects in Cebu.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Marites S. Villamor CEBU CITY - Ayala Land, Inc. and its units in Cebu will spend about P2 billion every year starting next year on projects designed to accelerate the development of the Cebu Business Park and Asiatown IT Park. ...

Meralco owners get P3.5B in dividends.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos First-quarter earnings of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country's largest power retailer, more than doubled due to higher energy sales. In a report to the stock exchange yesterday, Meralco also said it...

Exploration starts.
April 30, 2010... Canadian miner Philippine Metals, Inc. said yesterday it has started the first phase of exploration activity at its Taurus project in Leyte. Phase 1 of exploration is focused on two mining sites under the project, the Kambalantong-Malayahay and...

ICTSI to borrow more.
April 30, 2010... Port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) announced yesterday it would further sell notes to raise $250 million. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the company said "The proceeds of the offering will be...

New partner chosen.
April 30, 2010... Local miner Carrascal Nickel Corp. has been chosen by the Balatoc tribe of Kalinga as its new joint venture partner for the operation of the Batong Buhay mine, in lieu of Benguet Corp. Following a board meeting last April 26, state-led...

CORP FILE.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon The expression "white smile" seems redundant since the act itself oftentimes involves the showing of teeth, which naturally comes in that color. However, genes give some people teeth that are closer to yellow...

IN THE WORKPLACE.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Reylito A.H. Elbo I am a fresh marketing graduate assigned to work as a recruitment assistant in one major organization. I'd like to apply what I learned in college about marketing but I'm at a loss on how to do it in targeting,...

Comelec junks parallel manual count, cites attendant risks.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) yesterday denied the proposed parallel manual count for national and selected local positions as it could open the electoral process to fraud and protests that could delay the...

Nominees for Chief Justice down to four, says Puno.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa CHIEF JUSTICE Reynato S. Puno yesterday said a short list of his possible successor would be released on Monday, with two front-runners likely to be excluded for having "decided their fate." On the sidelines of the...

Quezon City trial court defers stay order on polling groups.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Mary Joy Katrina R. Contreras THE QUEZON City Regional Trial Court has deferred for Tuesday its decision in granting a stay order on the publication of pre-election opinion surveys. This after Judge Bayani V. Vargas of Branch 219...

Estrada ties Villar, Aquino still leads in new poll (Binay surges past.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena FORMER PRESIDENT Joseph "Erap" E. Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) is now tied with Nacionalista Party's (NP) Senator Manuel "Manny" B. Villar, Jr. at second place as the latter's score dropped...

Popular Economics.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ma. Aizl Camille B. Cabarles In the world of business where competition remains tight, identifying key areas of opportunities is crucial in keeping trade, investment, and tourism flowing in. But with globalization, flying solo is...

Police on alert for Labor Day activities.
April 30, 2010... THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) has been placed on heightened alert in preparation for expected rallies of labor groups tomorrow to commemorate Labor Day. PNP chief Director-General Jesus A. Verzosa raised on Wednesday the alert level in...

Faster ballot delivery ordered in light of labor issues in PAL.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa COMMISSION ON Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose A. R. Melo has ordered a faster delivery of ballots designated for Visayas and Mindanao in light of the labor dispute in flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL). The...

Petition vs interim pact premature - government (Negotiators still.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena OFFICIALS LEADING in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said the court petition to stop the signing of an interim peace pact is "premature" as both sides have yet to come up with a single...

Justice secretary defers decision on Ampatuan case.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa ACTING JUSTICE Secretary Alberto C. Agra will not release this week a resolution on his controversial ruling dropping the murder charges against two members of the powerful Ampatuan clan pending a supplemental motion...

Anti-graft court junks case vs Lucio Tan.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa THE SANDIGANBAYAN has dismissed an appeal for the reopening of the illegal wealth case against businessman Lucio C. Tan. In a five-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Roland B. Jurado, the court's fifth...

San Miguel gets downgrade due to acquisition of Petron.
April 30, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the corporate family rating of listed conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), as a result of its decision to proceed with a buy-in into the country's largest oil refiner. ...