BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from December 2010, page 9

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from December 2010

FPIC told to get court permission.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David The Department of Energy (DoE) requested First Philippine Industrial Corp. (FPIC) to ask the Supreme Court to allow the temporary flow of fuel to finish the required tests on the Batangas-Manila pipeline. ...

UK miner shifts focus to Zambales nickel site.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin United Kingdom-based European Nickel Plc will fast-track the definitive feasibility study for its Acoje nickel laterite project in Zambales, as it expects to start up the heap leach trial facility in the first...

Firm to save on costs with new software.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Aura Marie P. Dagcutan Personal care products firm The Rogemson Co., Inc. is adopting a software application to streamline business processes and enhance operational management. Marlie L. Cheng, Rogemson vice-president for finance,...

Gov't-MILF truce pact a peace benchmark.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Darwin T. Wee ZAMBOANGA CITY - A truce pact between the military and Moro rebels has been identified as example in forging a ceasefire with other rebel groups in Mindanao, a Cabinet official said Friday. Presidential Adviser on the...

Anti-mining protest march ends; harassment claimed.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Hundreds of protesters have completed the 150- kilometer march-caravan rally Friday in a four-day journey marred by alleged harassment and delays when unidentified men threw metal spikes that...

Family cites possible threats.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Darwin T. Wee ZAMBOANGA CITY - Neighbors and a member of the family of Victor Nunez, one of the 32 journalists and media workers killed in last year's massacre in Maguindanao province, reported the presence of two suspicious-looking...

FEATURE.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Winston A. Marbella Two iconic brands, Apple and Samsung, are tearing at each other to grab a healthy slice of the lucrative Christmas gift giving market with two tablets, the iPad and the Galaxy Tab. You can't go wrong with either...

Long weekends awaiting yearend revelers.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa TWO LONG weekends will mark the remaining days of the year after Malacanang yesterday announced the list of holidays based on a proclamation of the past administration. Presidential Communications Operations Office...

House set to concur with amnesty grant.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Noemi M. Gonzales THE HOUSE of Representatives is set to concur with a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel soldiers involved in three failed uprising against the past administration. Majority Leader Neptali M. Gonzales II...

Samsung officials prevented from leaving the Philippines.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Nathaniel R. Melican THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) has issued hold departure orders against three Korean officials of Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. (Sepco) who are facing illegal recruitment charges. The hold departure...

Firm assures stable ham prices.
December 13, 2010... PRICES of Christmas ham manufactured by CDO-Foodsphere, Inc. will not rise given stable supply, the company said in a statement yesterday. Jonathan Bendicion, assistant vice-president for marketing, said: "There is no price increase for...

Alcasid heads group leading energy use cuts.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. C. Aquino III has appointed Herminio M. Alcasid, chairman of the Philippine National Oil Co.-Development and Management Corp., as head of the Energy Audit Team tasked to oversee the implementation...

WEALTH MANAGER.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Josiah Go Among the multilevel marketing (MLM) or network marketing compensation plans being used (and abused) nowadays is the binary plan. This kind of plan allows distributors to have only two direct or first-level distributors. Any...

WEALTH MANAGER.
December 13, 2010... Monday, 13 Dec. - Last day for e-FILING by Group C, D and E taxpayers * Withholding tax on wages (Form 1601C) and final withholding tax on interest paid on deposits and yield on deposit substitute/trusts, etc. (Form 1602) for Nov. 2010 *...

WEALTH MANAGER.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Diane Claire J. Jiao Recommendation: Buy Bank of the Philippine Islands' (BPI) steady growth, coupled with its acquisition of ING Bank Manila's trust and investment management business, has earned it a "buy" tag from brokerage firm...

WEALTH MANAGER.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Juan Edgardo S. Tanyag Recommendation: Accumulate Brokerage firm A&A Securities, Inc. advised investors to accumulate Cebu Air, Inc. shares given the stock's losing streak. "Investors in Cebu Air must accumulate shares as...

PSEi to trek lower on discouraging news.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Stocks could continue sliding this week due to negative developments abroad, analysts said. "We have not written off the prospects of a Santa Claus rally to close out trades for the year. However, given the...

Tutuban Mall launches tourism campaign.
December 13, 2010... Tutuban Mall, the country's biggest bargain center, takes another leap as it launches its Tourism Campaign for 2010. Considered a landmark structure, Tutuban is Manila's center for trade and commerce and where the famous PNR (Philippine...

Anti-narcotics agency monitoring child drug mules.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Reyan L. Arinto TACLOBAN CITY - An official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Eastern Visayas region has expressed concerns on children being used in illegal drug trade. Derrick Arnold C. Carreon, head of PDEA's...

New Bacolod Congressional District Likely by 2013: Golez
December 13, 2010... Byline: Chrysee G. Samillano BACOLOD CITY - Bacolod Rep. Anthony Rolando T. Golez, Jr. said the bill creating a second legislative district in this city has been approved on third and final reading and may be passed into law before 2013. ...

City to obtain warning devices.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Chrysee G. Samillano BACOLOD CITY - Bacolod will be the first city in Western Visayas region to receive automatic weather stations that will serve as early warning devices. Arnel Manoos, weather facilitator specialist at the...

Compostela Valley capital seeking status upgrade.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - Nabunturan, the capital town of Compostela Valley, is vying to become a city in the next five years by targeting higher revenues from tourism and mining. Karen Santiago-Malaki, municipal...

CORPORATE WATCH.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Amelia H. C. Ylagan It must have been a forest. The dancers - their backs turned to the audience - all in demi-pointe, must have been sylphs, in their all-white, mid-calf tulle tutus. As Frederick Chopin's familiar music started,...

FENCE SITTER.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson In his 2007 book, Discover Your Inner Economist, Tyler Cowen explores how economics affects our daily life, in terms not of interest rates on savings or the price of commodities but such mundane things as paying your...

YELLOW PAD.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III Where will the resumption of the peace talks between the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front (NDF) lead to? The negotiations have become interminable. Notwithstanding some...

MAP statement of the week.
December 13, 2010... NATIONAL BUDGET For many years under the previous administration, Congress had failed to approve the national budget on time, thus forcing the government to function under a reenacted budget. It is thus good news that for this coming fiscal...

BEYOND BRUSHSTROKES.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Marivic Rufino As a tourist destination, Bohol is a culture and nature lover's dream. The island has the famous Chocolate Hills, the tarsier, old Spanish churches, the world-class Loboc children's choir, and scenic beaches. One can...

Court of Appeals affirms dismissal of Meralco employee.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Nathaniel R. Melican THE COURT of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of a branch representative of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for failing to remit payments for electricity bills and for conducting undocumented transactions with...

Sen. Arroyo to Aquino: No apologies on Nobel case.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Johanna Paola D. Poblete A SENATOR said at the weekend that the Philippines can be too sensitive to public opinion, and the Palace too reactive in media in relation to the absence of a delegate to the Nobel Peace prize ceremony for...

'Normal honeymoon' for now (Aquino still basking in 'very good' net.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Ana Mae G. Roa President Benigno S. C. Aquino III's net satisfaction rating has improved over his already "very good" start, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed. The November 27-30 poll, results of which were made...

Celebrities, businessmen among top taxpayers.
December 13, 2010... Byline: Prinz P. Magtulis CELEBRITIES like Wilfredo "Willie" B. Revillame and businessmen like San Miguel Corp. top honcho Ramon S. Ang landed on the Bureau of Internal Revenue's (BIR) list of the biggest taxpayers for 2009, along with...

WEEKENDER.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo When December rolls around, Benedicto Cabrera's social calendar gets busier than usual. Invitations pour in from hope-fuls who wish to bask in the presence of "the" BenCab, the bearded and bespectacled National Artist...

WEEKENDER: going out.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Camille Erika R. Sarte with Alicia A. Herrera PLACE Salon de Ning Open Monday to Saturday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Peninsula Manila Makati cor. Ayala Ave., Makati The Peninsula Manila was packed with famous faces last...

WEEKENDER: going out.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo CONCERT The Pre-Christmas Concert Dec. 12, 6 p.m. St. Joseph Parish Church (Las Pinas Church), P. Diego Cera Ave., Poblacion, Las Pinas City The Las Pinas Boys choir (LPBC), a heavenly host of schoolchildren...

WEEKENDER: going out.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo THEATER REVIEW Rent Presented by 9 Works Theatrical Dec. 10-12, 4 and 8 p.m. Cinema 2, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati As a postscript to its February restaging of Jonathan Larson's Rent, 9...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Noel Vera DVD REVIEW Centurion Directed by Neil Marshall Aworld power marches into the mountainous territory of a half- civilized people and quickly finds itself immersed in a quagmire of fierce fighting, guerrilla tactics,...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo BOOK REVIEW The Gem Collection: A Compilation of Wisdom By Joseph Bismark Joseph Bismark's weekly inspirational e-mail to employees has morphed into The Gem Collection: A Compilation of Wisdom, a book...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete CD REVIEW Bread and Circuses EP The Camerawalls Lilystars Records, 2010 Indie tends to be one genre of music packed with diversity, and Bread and Circuses is a prime example of how post-punk euro-pop...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CD REVIEW * Battle Studies Expanded Edition John Mayer Columbia Records * Fly Me To The Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V Rod Stewart J Records * Glee The Music, Season Two, Volume 4 ...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Felipe F. Salvosa II BOOK REVIEW Light Of The World: The Pope, The Church and The Signs Of The Times By Peter Seewald and Pope Benedict XVI Ignatius Press Unlike press conferences or "ambush" interviews where journalists...

WEEKENDER: environment.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Marites S. Villamor, CEBU CITY - Marine scientists and conservationists are helping local governments and nongovernment organizations come up with adaptation mechanisms to mitigate the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems in...

WEEKENDER: environment.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Sarwell Q. Meniano PARANAS, SAMAR - A growing population is threatening biodiversity at the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP). Manolito D. Ragub, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional technical director for...

WEEKENDER: travel.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee The creche or belen might not be the first thing that comes to mind for city-bred folks when the holidays draw near but in places outside Manila, it is the central figure in the traditional Christmas tableau. At...

WEEKENDER: travel.
December 10, 2010... Holiday room specials at InterContinental Manila Avoid the holiday rush by booking a room at the InterContinental Manila from Dec. 17 to Jan. 3 (except Dec. 31.) With the Ayala Center and the country's premiere department stores right across...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee It is generally believed that good things come to those who wait but during the holidays, most people want to look camera-ready and picture- perfect right this instant. Seven-day miracle creams? Those are so five...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Nanette Franco-Diyco The Simbang Gabi tradition of midnight masses in the city has been changed in most churches either to an early evening Mass the day before or to a very early-before sunrise morning Mass on the nine days before...

WEEKENDER: going out.(Travel narrative)
December 10, 2010... MARATHON Running 20 Dec. 11 Bonifacio Global City, Taguig The country has been hit with a running fever. Suddenly there is growing demand for wide, open spaces and long roads for running events and marathons. Running a marathon...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Investment House Association of the Phils.
December 10, 2010... My warmest greetings to the members of the Investment House Association of the Philippines (IHAP) on your 36th Anniversary and Induction of Officers and Board of Directors. For the past 36 years, the IHAP has been at the forefront of efforts...

Farmers profit from camote.
December 10, 2010... Farmers who have ventured into the propagation of the lowly sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) in Tarlac and Albay have earned millions from their enterprise, thanks to the use of planting materials resistant to viral diseases. Work on the...

Nikon introduces COOLPIX series.
December 10, 2010... Nikon recently launched five new sleek and stylish compact digital cameras for its award-winning COOLPIX series, inspiring new ways to shoot - and share - consumers' photographic moments. The Nikon COOLPIX P7000, S1100pj, S80, S8100, and...

Bank offers rewarding dining experience.
December 10, 2010... Citibank offers the "Best Deals Promise" best deals in its over 1,000 partner dining establishments in the country. Citibank's Best Deals Promise guarantees to reimburse the difference in cash between Citibank's offer and that of another bank...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
December 10, 2010... Cravings Restaurant launches holiday cakes This Christmas, Cravings is introducing a special "My Holiday Cakes" edition - four luscious cakes created using your favorites Mars confectionery. Start with the lusciously sinful Total Decadent...

BRIEFS.
December 10, 2010... Convention set Let luck hop into your life as the World of Feng Shui (WOFS) Philippines welcomes the upcoming year of the Golden Rabbit through the luck-laden 6th Marites Allen 2011 Philippine Feng Shui Updates on Jan. 22, 2011 at the...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Nat'l Energy Consciousness Month.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Hannah M. Muralla For all its noble intentions, the corporate-led cultivation of renewable energy also comes at a cost to humanity. Increased global demand for biofuel, for instance, is threatening to eat into the world's food...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Nat'l Energy Consciousness Month.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez As fossil fuels fall out of favor as an energy source, enterprising inventors have come up with interesting ways to produce power. Some, like kinetically lit night clubs, are ready for application, while...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Nat'l Energy Consciousness Month.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra Good news for gearheads who are going the green way: newer advances in alternative fuel could soon make guilty gas-ups a thing of the past. Green Earth Technologies' G-Oil There is enough oil in a single...

BDO sees 2011 as challenging but is prepared.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Ann Rozainne R. Gregorio Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc. (BDO), the country's largest in terms of resources, sees 2011 as a challenging year given an uncertain global environment and prospects of interest rate rises, but emphasized it is...

PSEi slides with no news to prompt investors.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales The main index declined yesterday amid lackluster trading with no local or international news to guide investors, analysts said. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 0.28% or 11.67 points to...

COURTSIDE.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong As far as breakups go, Avery Johnson's split from the Mavericks in 2008 could not but be deemed typical for head coaches no longer in the good graces of their employers. He was, for the most part, an excellent...

GIVE AND GO.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo In a rare focus shift, Philippine football has found itself front and center and hogging local sports talk this week. This, as the RP men's football team takes the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup...

CHESS PIECE.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Bobby Ang Eugene Torre played well in the just-concluded 2010 Asian Games and he deserves great credit for the silver medal finish of the Philippine team there. He had four wins (Dhamir, IM Khamrakulov, GMs Adhiban and Gopal) three...

VANTAGE POINT.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Luis V. Teodoro Julian Assange could be Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2010. If he is so named, he will be in the same company as Charles Lindbergh (1927), Mahatma Gandhi (1930), Queen Elizabeth II (1952), Pope John Paul II...

FENCE SITTER.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson CEOs are turning into celebrities and recognized even by those who don't follow business news. However, it's not just the money they make for themselves or their companies that bestows fame to the previously...

STREETWISE.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo Contrary to skeptics' views, there are objective conditions that auger positively for the upcoming resumption of formal peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the...

SURVEIL.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Amina Rasul As a new member of the BusinessWorld family, allow me to thank you all for giving me an opportunity to share with you thoughts from the South, from Mindanao, from the Muslim world, from women, from a minority community. ...

TRADE TRIPPER.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Jemy Gatdula The disappointing (yet unsurprising) thing about the twisting of the Pope's words on condoms by the pro-RH advocates and some newspapers (probably the same thing; but this does not include BusinessWorld) is how incredibly...

Rice inventory increases, but corn dips at start of November.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin THE COUNTRY's rice inventory rose 28% to 3.79 million metric tons (MT) at the start of November from 2.96 million MT in the same period last year, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed. ...

Customs plans amnesty offer in Q1 2011 (Program coverage still under.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Prinz P. Magtulis THE CUSTOMS bureau plans to implement an amnesty program for delinquent importers early next year, after the Finance department reconciles two versions of the scheme, officials said in separate interviews Monday...

Regulator aims to issue rules for digital TV by first quarter.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Aura Marie P. Dagcutan THE TELECOMMUNICATION regulator aims to issue the rules for digital television within the first quarter of next year. A statement sent by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), quoting Commissioner...

Energy department to roll out solar project in N. Samar.
December 10, 2010... TACLOBAN CITY - The government will roll out early next year a project to power off-grid households in Northern Samar using solar energy. Some 300 households in Northern Samar will benefit from the Solar Home System technology to be set up by...

Coconut industry seen needing P8B to raise production.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin THE COCONUT industry will need about P8.02 billion in funding to boost production from 2011-2016, Philippine Coconut Authority Administrator Oscar G. Garin said in a presentation at the start yesterday of the...

Exports expected to top target.
December 10, 2010... THE COUNTRY's exports of coconut products are expected to surpass the government's target for this year, the head of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said yesterday. "The country's exports of coconut products for 2010 are expected to...

New PNOC-EC head wants to start four projects in 2011.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David The Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) wants to start four priority projects next year, the state firm's new head said yesterday. Former Manila mayor Gemiliano C. Lopez, Jr. told reporters...

Alcantara group investing $1B on coal, hydro power plants.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - Alcantara-led Conal Holdings Corp. will commission five power plants, four in Mindanao, within the next five years to help boost power supply. The company is expected to invest roughly $1 billion...

Eastern claims Petron blocking Subic facility.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David Oil retailer Eastern Petroleum Corp. yesterday accused Petron Corp. of "bullying" and blocking the opening of Eastern's "mega facility" at Subic free port. Eastern Petroleum President Ferdinand L. Martinez...

IP Converge lists shares, eyes expansion.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Information and telecommunications firm IP Converge Data Center, Inc. is all set for a P200-million expansion after securing P190.9 million from an initial public offering, the last for the local bourse this...

PAL says holiday bookings up by 10% as ground workers prepare to.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Aura Marie P. Dagcutan Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) yesterday reported a 10% increase in flight bookings during the holidays, as ground workers threatened to go on strike amid the Lucio C. Tan-led carrier's plans to...

Lawmakers seek curbs on subcontracting.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Noemi M. Gonzales The House Committee on Labor and Employment has approved in principle the proposed Security of Tenure Act seeking tighter rules on subcontracting. "The committee is not encouraging subcontracting. Contractual...

Bukidnon farm workers camp out of capitol to demand minimum wage.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Louise G. Dumas MALAYBALAY - Around 500 farm workers from different municipalities in Bukidnon province set up a "Kampuhan sa Mag-uuma," or farmers' camp, in front of the provincial capitol in protest of the low salaries they receive...

ERRATUM.
December 10, 2010... MoneyGram has a global network of nearly 210,000 agent locations in more than 190 countries and territories. This corrects the figure in a Nov. 17 article, "Cebuana Lhuillier upgraded to MoneyGram direct agent," that stated it has only 33,000...

IN THE WORKPLACE.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Reylito A. H. Elbo We're now in a holiday mood where gift-giving is tradition. Can you please give us some ideas on what to consider when crafting corporate policies on accepting gifts and entertainment from suppliers and...

Southern peace talks to start soon; gov't awaiting MILF nod.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Darwin T. Wee ZAMBOANGA CITY - The southern peace talks will start soon, government peace panel member Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said, with the government panel awaiting response from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for...

Reds demand releases before negotiations.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Joel B. Escovilla DAVAO CITY - The Aquino administration should release political prisoners and lift the terror tag on communist insurgents prior to the resumption of peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, a Mindanao...

Customs bureau files four cases under RATS totaling P250M.
December 10, 2010... Byline: Prinz P. Magtulis THE CUSTOMS bureau yesterday filed four cases of underdec-laration, smuggling, illegal importation and violation of intellectual property rights before the Justice department under its Run After The Smugglers (RATS)...