BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from February 2010, page 13

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from February 2010

Robinsons Land offers Gateway Regency.
February 2, 2010... Robinsons Land Corp. is providing the market with opportunities to turn that long-cherished dream into a living and breathing idyll, one of these is Gateway Regency, a residential condominium situated within a thriving hub of business, leisure...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
February 2, 2010... Books on elections, local autonomy launched Two new books relevant to the times and authored by Government Corporate Counsel and law professor Alberto C. Agra have been launched recently. The Survey of New Laws and Recent Jurisprudence on...

BRIEFS.
February 2, 2010... Summit scheduled Eighty-one college students from all over the Philippines will gather in Alfonso, Cavite, from Feb. 9-12, to take part in the 12th National Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC). The annual summit engages young leaders in three...

Chinese films in the springtime.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno Contemporary Chinese cinema takes center stage as the Shangri-la Plaza shopping mall trains the spotlight on outstanding films from the Mainland and Taiwan in this year's Chinese Spring Film Festival. Organized...

Gossip show goes behind the scenes.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno While most local TV networks air their prime-time newscasts in the 7 p.m. time slot, in a bit of counter-programming, Quality Television (Q-11) is airing the quirky Tweetbiz, a showbiz-oriented talk show, at that...

BRIEFS.
February 2, 2010... Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 Die-hard fans of Sony Ericsson can be one of the first to experience the multimedia features of the Xperia X2 . They can do this by signing up at the nearest Sony Ericsson Experience Shop or participating dealer shop...

PHILIPPINE SILICON VALLEY.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Dennis Posadas I could have titled this piece Saving the University Press, but that would have meant accepting the fact that university presses will forever be cost centers for their institutions. Instead, "Unleashing the University...

FRAMEWORK.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Elfren Sicangco Cruz Virtually all family business owners and consultants will say that an active board of directors is vital to a company's long-term success. But most family companies are owner-managed and the only board of...

TO TAKE A STAND.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Francis Varela In his latest TV and radio ads, Gilbert Teodoro says, "Ang gustong lumipad ay...alam kung saan pupunta, may sariling direksiyon." He fell flat on this claim in the presidential candidates forum at De La Salle University...

FENCE SITTER.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson Once the domain only of college students trying to win one for the school, debating has entered the rarefied zone of politics. There is now a sub-branch of the communications field promoting the art of putting one's...

MAP INSIGHTS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Felino A. Palafox, Jr. Despite our country's history and frequency of disasters, including very destructive earthquakes, typhoons, floods, fire, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and rising water levels due to climate change, our...

COMMENTARY.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Rafael M. Alunan III Just to put things in perspective, the Abalos-led Commission on Elections was haled to the Ombudsman for the purchase of an anomalously transacted computer system from Korea for the 2004 national elections....

Sardine industry banking on warmer seas to increase catch.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Darwin T. Wee ZAMBOANGA CITY - While most businesses in the agriculture sector are bracing for the negative impact of El Nino this year, the Fishery bureau and the sardine industry are banking on the warmer seas in the western Pacific...

Gov't misses emergency hiring target.
February 2, 2010... THE GOVERNMENT generated about 400,000 jobs under its emergency employment program last year, falling a fifth short of its targeted 500,000 jobs, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) said in a press release. It said that P3 billion out...

Tax Academy Bill Rushed
February 2, 2010... Byline: Bernard U. Allauigan THE SENATE ways and means committee yesterday approved a measure seeking to establish the Philippine Tax Academy that will train and develop tax collectors and administrators to become effective and efficient. ...

LET'S TALK TAX.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Paraluman Diaz Andres Value-added tax (VAT) is a tax on consumption. It is imposed on every sale of goods or services, or importation of goods. As its name suggests, it is a tax limited to the value added. Therefore, VAT applies only...

Tollway firm asks BCDA to reconsider bid.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa TOLLWAY OPERATOR Manila North Tollways Corp. has lodged an appeal for the government to reconsider its bid to run the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), an official said. The petition was sent out in...

IPVG unit to list by way of introduction.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David Listed information technology company IPVG Corp. said yesterday its online gaming unit would soon list by way of introduction on the stock exchange, after obtaining the bourse's approval. In a disclosure, IPVG...

Minola oil manufacturer eyes exports to China, Middle East.
February 2, 2010... Sequestered CIIF-Oil Mills Group will ramp up exports of the Minola cooking oil brand this year by tapping additional overseas retail markets. CIIF-Oil Mills President Jesus L. Arranza said in a statement the firm wants exports to contribute...

Roxas Holdings seeks investor for sweeteners.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Listed Roxas Holdings, Inc., one of the country's largest sugar producers, is looking for a strategic partner that will help it venture outside its raw sugar production business. In an interview, Roxas Holdings...

Brewery completes purchase of San Miguel overseas unit.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales San Miguel Brewery, Inc. has completed the $300-million purchase of the international brewery operations of parent San Miguel Corp., a development that will allow the food and beverage conglomerate to...

Canadian mining outfit raises $5 million from share sale.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Canadian miner MBMI Resources, Inc. has raised $5 million from the sale of shares to private investors, with the proceeds to be used to pare debts and fund nickel exploration projects in Palawan. MBMI Resources...

TVI Pacific unit makes 11th shipment to Swiss trader.
February 2, 2010... Canadian-backed TVI Resource Development (Phils.), Inc. has completed its eleventh shipment of copper concentrates produced at the Canatuan mine in Zamboanga del Norte. The miner said on its Web site yesterday that the 55,161 dry metric tons...

RFM hikes '09 profits, contains raw material costs.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Profits of listed food and beverage firm RFM Corp. rose by almost half to P365 million given the lower cost of raw materials and higher sales, the firm told the bourse yesterday. "Based on its unaudited...

Truck body firm to double sales growth.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa Centro Manufacturing Corp., a supplier of truck bodies to big-name vehicle assemblers, expects higher sales this year over 2009, an official yesterday said. The firm is aiming for 55% sales growth for 2010...

Listed racing club delays closing of asset sale.
February 2, 2010... The sale of listed Philippine Racing Club, Inc.'s stake in listed JTH Davies Holdings, Inc. has been moved to a latter date. "The share purchase agreement (SPA) has been amended this afternoon. The original SPA, which provides that the...

Government offering 'enhanced autonomy' to Moro rebels (MILF standing.
February 2, 2010... Byline: AFP and Gerard S. dela Pena THE GOVERNMENT has offered Moro rebels "enhanced autonomy" in the hope of sealing a peace accord to end 40 years of rebellion, the government's peace process chief said yesterday. Presidential Adviser on...

Pump prices cut; cooking gas retailers follow suit.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos THE THREE major oil companies have cut pump prices, tracking the lower rates of smaller colleagues on account of softening world prices. Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum, Corp. and Total Philippines...

Senate, House Differences Imperil Passage of Early Voting Bill
February 2, 2010... THE SENATE and House of Representatives remain at odds over the proposed early voting for media members and those in so-called security- risk areas. This as the Senate approved on third and final reading yesterday a measure allowing advanced...

Information Access Bill Ratified
February 2, 2010... THE SENATE yesterday ratified the bill allowing transparency in governance through disclosure of non-classified state information. The House of Representatives has scheduled ratification of the proposed Freedom of Information Act on or before...

Comelec delays anew printing of ballots.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Adriel M. Paglinawan THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has delayed anew by one week the printing of ballots to accommodate other party-list groups that may be accredited to participate in the May elections. The printing was...

Associate justice, prosecutor nominated to top position.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council (JBC) has received two nominations for Chief Justice - an outsider and a senior associate justice. In a press conference yesterday, Justice Secretary Agnes VST. Devanadera said Special...

Small banana growers hit body on spray issue.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - A group of small banana growers in Davao del Norte has criticized the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for requesting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to issue a general policy banning aerial...

5 soldiers dead in Abra attack, says military.
February 2, 2010... LANGILANG - Communist insurgents have killed five soldiers and wounded eight others in an ambush in the mountainous North, officials said yesterday. The soldiers were walking through Malibcong town in the northern province of Abra on Sunday...

ICT sector in limbo over bill inaction.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Chrysee G. Samillano BACOLOD CITY - The information and communications technology (ICT) sector here expressed dismay over the Senate's failure to prioritize the passage of the bill creating the Department of Information and...

BSP considering next steps (Inflation still the primary.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon The BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) is closely looking at inflation and financial market conditions as it charts the next steps in its planned reversal of loose monetary policy. "Any changes to our monetary...

Renewable energy deals awarded.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos Over a hundred renewable energy (RE) contracts were awarded yesterday by the Energy department, which said it expected some $1.5 billion in investments. "The significance of this is that people are expressing...

Print still losing ground to TV, radio.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David Print continues to lose out to television and radio with advertisers spending even more money on broadcast campaigns in the last three months of 2009, a Nielsen study showed. Overall media spending totalled...

Auction for Ilijan plant attracts interest of at least four firms.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos At least four firms have declared their interest in bidding for the right to manage the state's contracted capacity for the privately owned 1,200-megawatt Ilijan Combined Cycle Power Plant in Batangas. Listed...

Cost of Bataan nuke plant rehab set at $1 billion.
February 2, 2010... Rehabilitating the moth-balled Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) will cost $1 billion, according to an estimate provided by Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) to National Power Corp. (Napocor). "[The] estimate is $1 billion," Napocor...

Erratum.
February 2, 2010... "Damayan" or "abuloy," where individuals pool money to help someone in need, is not considered an insurance activity. It is, therefore, not among the informal insurance schemes that Joint IC-CDA-SEC Memorandum Circular No. 01-2010 seeks to...

SPECIAL FEATURE: EntrepreNEWS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra hocolate and alcohol have had a long secret love affair, often inside a devilish dessert for sweet-toothed grown-ups. Two years ago, the Abesamis sisters decided to make this delicious liaison public, through a...

SPECIAL FEATURE: EntrepreNEWS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez Drinks, food and an uncommon occasion are enough ingredients for a decent party. These days, however, most holiday bashes want an extra splash of color. The right decorations, gifts, giveaways, and even...

SPECIAL FEATURE: EntrepreNEWS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Hannah Muralla Extracurricular activities often reflect positively on a person's leadership skills and do make a good impression on potential employers. Jimzon Kristian Jimenez' early exposure to after-class activities did just...

SPECIAL FEATURE: EntrepreNEWS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Agape Grace E. Miguel Fiancees who want their wedding day documented by a field expert should remember the name Jason Magbanua. Mr. Magbanua is a wedding videographer who has made a name for himself producing cinematic wedding...

SPECIAL FEATURE: EntrepreNEWS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Federico C. Gonzalez There has been no better time for potential entrepreneurs to get a quick and low-cost assessment of their business idea, by way of third party review or competition, and to secure some form of support or funding....

SPECIAL FEATURE: EntrepreNEWS.
February 2, 2010... Byline: Jovy J. Jader Companies have adapted to changing times by focusing on three core areas: building brand and market equity, developing customer alliances, and integrating their supply chains. Establishing powerful brands and strong...

WEALTH MANAGER.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Gloria Krisana L. Gallezo Recommendation: HOLD Analysts gave fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) a "hold" tag despite a favorable earnings outlook given 2010 being an election year. Local brokerage firm AB Capital...

WEALTH MANAGER.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Ma. Aizl Camille B. Cabarles Recommendation: BUY Analysts gave Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) a "good buy" recommendation given the Pangilinan-led firm's potential revenue sources. "MPIC has always been bullish. It is a...

WEALTH MANAGER.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepumoceno Recommendation: SELL Investors should take profits now from their remaining shares in The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) ahead of an expected deeper plunge in the stock's price, analysts said. ...

WEALTH MANAGER.
February 1, 2010... Monday, 1 February - Last day of REGISTRATION of computerized books of accounts and other accounting records in CD-R, DVD-R or other optical media together with affidavit attesting to the completeness, accuracy and appropriateness of the...

WEALTH MANAGER.
February 1, 2010... Byline: J. Albert Gamboa It's that time of the year when leaders from business, government, media, science, religion, civil society and the arts converge in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum (WEF). "Improve the State of the...

Rebound seen but cautiousness to reign.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Share prices are expected to bounce back this week as investors grow more confident of an economic recovery after the release of fourth-quarter growth data last week. Investors, however, would remain...

Jr. NBA set to hold open clinics.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo Following successful coaching and school clinics in Cebu, Davao and the National Capital Region in January, the Jr, NBA Philippines is set to hold Open Clinics this month. Open to the general public, the...

COURTSIDE.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Justine Henin was extremely gracious in defeat. It didn't matter that she came short of finishing her first major tournament off retirement in storybook fashion, just as fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters did at Flushing...

CHESS PIECE.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Bobby Ang GM Loek Van Wely, born Oct. 7, 1972, has won the Dutch chess championship six times straight from 2000 to 2005. He took over the mantle of best Dutch player from Jan Timman and Jeroen Piket. Of course, players like Predrag...

China elite travelers recognize Palawan as top destination.
February 1, 2010... Palawan, the country's renowned eco-tourism site, is once again hailed as among the top 10 best destinations for elite travelers in China. Initiated by Ctrip.com, China's leading and trusted online travel agency, and popular high-end travel...

DMCI Homes upgrades service features.
February 1, 2010... Committed to providing the needs of middle-income-earning professionals and start-up families, DMCI Homes is always seeking ways to add value to their properties and anticipating the future needs of their clientele. The latest milestone to...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
February 1, 2010... Xtreme Valentine's Day in Subic, Pampanga This season of the hearts, treat your special someone with extreme Valentine weekend in Subic and Pampanga with the big bites of Xtremely Xpresso Cafe, Central Luzon's leading homegrown restaurant. ...

BRIEFS.
February 1, 2010... Exhibition set The classic KEM International Franchise Exhibition 2010 is organized for the 12th year in Greece were 200 high profile franchise companies from all over the world will meet in Athens from Feb. 19 to 22 at HELLEXPO PALACE, 39,...

Neo-classical Tod's.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete Tod's returns to its understated, classic style, focusing on sprucing up old favorites such as the iconic D-bag - the first bag launched by Tod's - in pastel spring colors of lilac and camel, and a vivid deep blue,...

TAKE TEN.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Behn Cervantes I guess as you get older, you become wiser, and, as a result, you value time more. Yes, I am more concerned about time now. Much more these days, actually, because I realized that it is what life is basically all about...

Benchmarks.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete Go up to the playground, on the roughly hewn third floor of dimensione building at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig, and you'll find sections of a bench/Pinoy Lab Exhibit titled Objects. Garments. Ornaments. - a...

Bread to cost more next week.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa BAKERS will make good on their earlier announced plans to raise bread prices this month due to costlier sugar, industry groups said on Friday. A 600-gram loaf will cost P2 more by Feb. 8 or 9 while P1 will...

Cagayan de Oro firms cite better 2010 outlook.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Louise G. Dumas CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - Members of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Industries (COCI) are optimistic that the performance of their businesses this year will outdo that of 2009, a statement the chamber released over the...

SUITS THE C-SUITE.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Warren R. Bituin Philippine firms must find ways to improve the effectiveness of information security management initiatives as they face more sophisticated threats in this turbulent economic landscape and fast-evolving technology...

San Miguel appeals bid for SCTEx contract.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa A unit of diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corp. has appealed to the government to reconsider its bid for the contract to operate the Subic- Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx). Northlink Toll Management,...

FirstPac hikes stake in Philex.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Hong Kong's First Pacific Co. Ltd. completed on Friday the purchase of an additional 5.9% stake in Philex Mining Corp., further strengthening First Pacific's hold in the Philippines' largest miner. The deal...

Toyota, Lexus expecting to exceed auto industry in sales growth.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. expects to hike car sales at a faster clip this year in line with the projected uptick in the economy, the firm's new president said Friday. The industry's top seller is eyeing...

Buyer of Philam Plans sees 20% sales hike.
February 1, 2010... The new owners of the erstwhile pre-need and health care units of Philippine American Life and General Insurance Co. (Philamlife) expect sales to grow by a fifth to P1.1 billion this year, with a sales force expansion. "The topline will...

Batchoy restaurant enters franchising.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - Injap Investments, Inc., the firm behind the Mang Inasal restaurant chain, will start franchising its Deco's LaPaz Batchoy this month, staking its claim as the original LaPaz batchoy brand in the...

Swaps dip to $13.6B in Dec.
February 1, 2010... The central bank's holdings of foreign currency through forward swaps fell a little in December from a record high in the previous month. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data released yesterday showed that forward swaps totaled $13.556...

T-bond rate to rise due to inflation, deficit woes.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Louella D. Desiderio The rate of 10-year Treasury bonds is expected to rise as investors worried over rising inflation and the government's budget deficit may ask for a premium. The Bureau of the Treasury will auction P8.5 billion...

Former Legacy official nabbed.
February 1, 2010... A former president of a Legacy-related bank that has been ordered closed was arrested last week in connection with a case involving the creation of a fictitious loan. In a statement yesterday, the state deposit insurer said Romualdo I. Lugtu,...

YIELD TRACKER.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepumoceno Debt yields barely moved last Friday in a trade that has been lethargic for several weeks now as investors have turned cautious. Yields on government securities rose by less than a basis point (bps), or...

ROOTS.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Jose S. Arcilla S.J. Europe in the 18th century was agonizing through an intellectual crisis. The voyages of discovery in the previous centuries had broadened horizons and modified traditional values and Christian mores. And the...

CORPORATE WATCH.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Amelia H.C. Ylagan "Nakasandal sa pader" was perhaps one of the most powerful taglines ever conceived for a bank. It zapped through layers of cynicism and distrust and created acceptability for the government-owned bank that lorded it...

FENCE SITTER.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson If a CEO is to uphold the image of a beloved father figure, he avoids messy stuff like refereeing turf wars, pushing out overstaying executives, dumping undesirable subordinates on unwilling recipients, demoting once...

MAP statement of the week.
February 1, 2010... Starting today, the MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (MAP) starts the "MAP Statement of the Week" (formerly, the "MAP Query of the Week") to encourage action on the issues it raises in its advocacy for good governance. The statement is...

YELLOW PAD.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Filomeno S. Sta Ana III It might be strange for some to read or hear me endorse a publication from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). I have been associated with causes that resist anti-development policies sponsored by multilateral...

INTROSPECTIVE.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Raul V. Fabella The giant "tug-of-war" for regulatory space is the flavor of the moment in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The recent global financial turmoil and its subsequent management highlighted two momentous...

BEYOND BRUSHSTROKES.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Marivic Rufino "The goddesses are patterns or representations of what women are like with more power and diversity of behavior that women have historically been allowed to exercise," says Jungian psychoanalyst Jean Shinoda Bolen....

Another round of power interruptions set to hit the Visayas.
February 1, 2010... CEBU CITY - A major geothermal power plant in Leyte was shut down on Saturday for preventive maintenance, compounding the generation deficiency caused by the lack of imported power from Luzon and the unavailability or derated capacities of some...

Mining industry expecting business to improve.
February 1, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales THE COUNTRY's mining industry is in for a better year due to rising demand from recovering economies, data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) show. This, as high demand and the resulting high metal...