BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from February 2010, page 4

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from February 2010

Visayas power de-loading scheme being considered for nationwide.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Marites S. Villamor with Jose Bimbo F. Santos THE ENERGY Regulatory Commission (ERC) is drafting rules that will allow distribution utilities nationwide to implement a scheme similar to the interruptible load program of the Visayan...

Veto sought of law's provision exempting OFWs from stamp tax.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Louella D. Desiderio THE FINANCE department will ask the President to veto a provision in the bicameral conference committee's version of the proposed Migrant Workers Act that exempts overseas Filipino workers' (OFW) remittances from...

Bugs attack rice plants in two Iloilo towns - DA report.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - Malaysian Black Bug infestation has been detected in two Iloilo towns, the Department of Agriculture's regional office here (DA- 6) has reported. As of Feb. 16, 72 hectares (ha) in San Enrique...

BoI presses on with interagency body for auto industry issues.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa THE BOARD of Investments (BoI) has insisted on forming an interagency council that will address issues faced by the local automotive sector, despite opposition from an industry group. The Automotive Industry...

SUITS THE C-SUITE.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jules E. Riego The Philippines claims to have one of the earliest Build-Operate- Transfer (BOT) laws in Asia and yet, today, we seem to suffer when compared with our Asian neighbors in terms of foreign investments in BOT projects. One...

ROOTS.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jose S. Arcialla S.J. The story of the prejudice against native-born candidates to the priesthood is a black mark on the otherwise glorious page of the Spanish Catholic missions. Racism and political expediency were behind it. ...

MAP statement of the week.
February 22, 2010... Watchdogs are the Citizens' Best Friend The Automated Election System (AES) will be tested for the first time in May 2010. Today, less than 90 days before election day, the public remains skeptical and unconvinced that the AES will succeed,...

CORPORATE WATCH.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Amelia H.C. Ylagan "I am sorry," Tiger Woods finally said face-to-face to the world last Friday, almost three months to the day when a tabloid first splashed his supposed extramarital affair with a nightclub madame. Soon after that...

FENCE SITTER.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson The literary scene makes use of the consolation prize to assuage the feelings of losers who were considered up to the last round of judging. The Booker Prize publishes its "short list" prior to the announcement of...

YELLOW PAD.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Filomeno S. Sta Ana III "Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth," said Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio address on Oct. 26, 1939. Black propaganda is a fixture in any elections. Even in amateurish school elections, black...

INTROSPECTIVE.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Calixto V. Chikiamco By the time this column sees print, the Congress-ratified Free Patent bill would have been signed by President Arroyo into law or barring a veto, which is unlikely, it would lapse into law a week or two from now....

BEYOND BRUSHSTROKES.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Marivic Rufino "There is one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about," said Oscar Wilde. Many tall tales circulate every day. Sifting through the news and Internet is confusing. The papers...

Stable power supply assured for Luzon (Visayas, Mindanao still to have.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos and Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez STABLE POWER supply has been assured for Luzon this week, even as Visayas and Mindanao will continue to experience outages as the dry season has forced hydroelectric plants to run at...

No rate cuts from cooking gas seller.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos A BULK seller of cooking gas will not implement a price cut this week as earlier announced due to unexpected movements in international market prices. "None this week. We will just have to wait until next month...

DoJ dismisses libel case vs tycoon, paper.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) has dismissed the libel case filed by former president Joseph E. Estrada against tycoon Alfonso T. Yuchengco and the Philippine Daily Inquirer over claims of coercion in the sale of...

Ranada new IC chief.
February 22, 2010... A NEW commissioner has been appointed to the Insurance Commission (IC). Deputy Insurance Commissioner Vida T. Chiong said in a telephone interview yesterday that Santiago Ranada will be replacing Eduardo T. Malinis. There was no reason cited for...

PMA 'adoption' scored.
February 22, 2010... ACTING DEFENSE Secretary Norberto B. Gonzales said the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) should stop "adopting" politicians, a practice that has dragged the military into partisan politics. "Instead of being nonpartisan protectors of our people,...

Agency transferred.
February 22, 2010... PRESIDENT GLORIA Macapagal-Arroyo has made the North Luzon Railways Corp. (Northrail) an attached agency of the Transportation department from the Office of the President to ensure better administration of the rail system construction between...

OFWs wooed.
February 22, 2010... Bangon Pilipinas standard-bearer Eduardo C. Villanueva is the second presidential aspirant to court overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as his party yesterday campaigned in Hong Kong. Senator Manuel B. Villar, Jr. of the Nacionalista Party first...

Gov't urged to adopt 'export recovery' incentives.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa An exporters' group wants the government to reward firms that bounce back from the economic downturn, proposing tax perks for those that rehire laid-off workers or are able to regain lost markets. The state...

Rules on listing by way of introduction shelved.
February 22, 2010... Rules on listing by way of introduction have been temporarily shelved by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). No explanation was given for the suspension - listing applications already in the pipeline will continue to be processed - but the...

Push for garment sector perks from US in crucial stage.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa The Philippines will have to trim the list of garment tariffs it wants the United States to lower as lobbying now enters advanced stages, public and private sector officials said late last week. A delegation...

WEALTH MANAGER.
February 22, 2010... Byline: J. Albert Gamboa In February 1986, millions of Filipinos gathered along EDSA and other public places nationwide to take a stand for democracy. Even without arms, they stopped tanks and defied a dictatorial regime. The result: a...

Annual reports seen boosting share prices.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepumoceno PHILIPPINE SHARE prices would likely go up this week as listed companies will be disclosing their financial performance for last year. "[This] week, the market might stop from correcting and track an...

COURTSIDE.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong As far as mea culpas go, Tiger Woods's thirteen-and-a-half-minute monologue last Saturday, Manila time, was a mixed bag. On one hand, he deserves praise for going against his natural inclination and opening himself...

CHESS PIECE.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Bobby Ang Many years ago this author invested a lot of time studying the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d5) and managed to compile quite a good score with it....

Korea rejects PAL plea for more flights.
February 22, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David The Foreign Affairs department has urged civil aviation authorities to work for the lifting of poor safety ratings on the country's airports, pointing out that the Korean Civil Aviation Board had rejected the...

WEEKENDER.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Alicia A. Herrera James Cooper leans into a makeup table right behind the set for the musical Cats in a theater in Adelaide, Australia. As he swiftly swipes a brush across his face, creating a stripe aslant his forehead, he explains...

WEEKENDER.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo During the Cats press conference that presented Lea Salonga as the new Grizabella, an Andrew Lloyd Webber piano medley warmed up the audience for the Tony Award winner's first public performance of "Memory." Under the...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Executive Sedans.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra The past year was marked by several innovations in the domestic automotive scene, majority of which point to a new direction for the industry: the age of the green car. In a country that ranks among the top 40...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Executive Sedans.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Hannah M. Muralla The Philippine automotive sector has by far remained resilient in the face of numerous bumps last year. Compared to its counterparts in the region, which recorded negative double-digit performances in the first nine...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Executive Sedans.
February 19, 2010... Mitsubishi Motors Philippines invites speed and high performance car buffs to drive the Lancer EX GT-A 6-speed CVT, which combines the class of a European brand and the reliability of a Japanese car. The Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT-A 6-speed CVT...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Executive Sedans.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Victoria T. Vizcarra The feel of the wheel seals the deal, so goes the auto salesperson's mantra. But before signing that dotted line, see to it that you've put the car through its paces. According to a motoring reference guide issued...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Executive Sedans.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Anna Patricia G. Valerio Now a family garage staple, the ubiquitous sedan had to rise from humble beginnings before it could become the most popular form of personal transport. Unlike today's rich and roomy models, the sedan of the...

WEEKENDER: going out.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo THEATER Tatlong Mariya Presented by Tanghalang Pilipino Feb. 19-28, March 12-21, Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City When Loy Arcenas said that...

WEEKENDER: going out.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CONCERT FILharmoniKA Symphonic Inaugural Gala Feb. 19, 8 p.m. PhilAm Life Theater, PhilAm Life Bldg., UN Ave., Ermita, Manila There are those who cannot help but associate him with his sister Lea through...

WEEKENDER: travel.
February 19, 2010... SEAIR lean season fares Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) launches exciting promos at the 17th Travel Tour Expo on Feb. 19 to 21 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia. This weekend, holiday makers can purchase one-way tickets to...

WEEKENDER: movies.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Noel Vera MOVIE REVIEW Invictus Directed by Clint Eastwood Always felt Clint Eastwood, possibly one of the oldest, longest- working, most respected American directors still around, was too problematical. Always thought he...

WEEKENDER: health.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee Skin clinics have long offered treatments that are hardly cosmetic in nature but more about wellness. The effects of a facial or a vigorous body scrub followed by a massage are not as lasting as cosmetic surgery...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee The Tupperware brand is one familiar with many Filipinos who grew up attending picnics or going to parties where the colorful food containers were an indispensable part of any event. It even became part of local...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete Fostering an emotional tie to a product is still an effective marketing tool for Moleskine. The little black notebook originally manufactured by a small family-owned company in the city of Tours, was revived in 1997...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Nanette Franco- Diyco I received a sizable number of desk calendars and agenda books, corporate giveaways for the New Year that we never seem to have enough of. I was particularly struck by the oh-so-quaint flower designs on the...

Index retreats as investors cash in gains.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepomuceno Stocks retreated yesterday as investors cashed in gains made during the bourse's six-day advance. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped 0.62% or 18.73 points to 2,999.94 after...

COURTSIDE.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Emir Preldzic will probably not play a single game in the National Basketball Association, but, in the grand scheme of things, it won't matter a whit. In light of yesterday's bombshell at the trade front, he all...

GIVE AND GO.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo It was a homecoming unlike those in the past, but for Filipino boxer Z "The Dream" Gorres, his return to the country early this week was very welcome after all he had gone through. Accompanied by his wife...

CHESS PIECE.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Bobby Ang There is a bit of good news on the local Philippine Chess scene. The National Book Store is putting together a series of chess tournaments aimed at kiddies (two categories: 15-under and 11-under) to be held at the...

RP to host ASEAN ministers for culture and arts meetings.
February 19, 2010... Declared as the "cultural capital" for years 2010 and 2011 by the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines will be hosting the 4th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts...

CCA Kitchen offers lifestyle courses.
February 19, 2010... The CCA Kitchen, a satellite school of CCA, Manila located at the third level of Eastwood Mall, is offering special limited-run Lifestyle Courses tailor-fit for different kinds of lifestyle and different members of the family. These Lifestyle...

Pepsi-Cola Phils. posts Q2 financial results.
February 19, 2010... Pepsi-Cola products Philippines, Inc. continued its strong performance in the 2nd quarter of the current fiscal year ending June 2010, registering high growth rates in operating income and net income. From previous year levels, revenues grew...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
February 19, 2010... Cebu Pacific bares Travel Fund virtual wallet Cebu Pacific (CEB) passengers no longer have to worry whenever their flights need to be rebooked or canceled since it recently launched the Travel Fund, an innovative service that allows its...

BRIEFS.
February 19, 2010... Nominations accepted Nominations for the 4th Annual International ICT Awards-Philippines 2010 is still open. The awards will highlight the tremendous success of some of the world's premier companies engaged in business process outsourcing...

Movies from beyond Manila.
February 19, 2010... Cinema Rehiyon 2010 - a non-competition film festival, and one of the seven flagship projects of this year's Philippine International Arts Festival Ani ng Sining celebration organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts - is...

TAKE TEN.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Behn Cervantes Without meaning disrespect to the memory of the late President Corazon C. Aquino, I am always taken aback when political opportunists declare her the Savior of Democracy. EDSA I is correctly termed "People Power" for...

Banks need to report units' performance.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon The country's largest banks are submitting better financial reports but need to be more transparent on how their subsidiaries perform, said an accounting professor at the University of the Philippines (UP). ...

Peso sheds 22 centavos as dollar firms up.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepumoceno The peso yesterday retreated after breaching the P45-to-the-dollar territory on Wednesday as the dollar recovered against major currencies overseas. The local currency shed 22 centavos to close at P46.20...

VANTAGE POINT.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Luis V. Teodoro It shouldn't be solely a matter of law. But the tempest over the Commission on Election's warning that mass media practitioners who are candidates for public office this May or endorsers of candidates should go on...

VECTOR.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Sonny Coloma Next week's commemoration of the 24th anniversary of the EDSA People Power revolt underlines the crucial significance of the May 10 elections. EDSA Uno was triggered by massive electoral fraud aimed at prolonging the...

FENCE SITTER.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Antonio R. Samson In high school, our theater fare was decidedly Shakespearian. We were made to read, memorize, and occasionally perform at least four of the Bard's staples including, in no particular order - Julius Caesar, Hamlet,...

STREETWISE.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo Respected human rights lawyer Romeo T. Capulong minced no words in stating before the Court of Appeals hearing the petition for habeas corpus of the Morong 43 that de facto martial rule was in effect vis--vis...

RULE OF LAW.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Augusto R. Bundang Dictionary.com defines "corruption" as moral perversion, depravity or rottenness. Since the time of President Ferdinand Marcos, the matter of corruption has gathered much attention. Corruption has always been...

TRADE TRIPPER.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Jemy Gatdula Your friendly neighborhood Trade Tripper isn't exactly the biggest fan of free trade agreements or FTAs. Although, pragmatically speaking, I should because with the increase in FTAs comes an increase in complexity in the...

Firms cleared for power option scheme.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos THE ENERGY Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to issue clearance for 500 commercial and industrial power consumers to choose their electricity suppliers under the power supply option program (PSOP) which will...

ICT mission to Taiwan set.
February 19, 2010... THE GOVERNMENT will send a mission to Taiwan later this year to follow up on investment leads gathered at a recently held information and communication technology (ICT) trade fair, a state office said in a statement yesterday. The...

Work injuries ease but labor still pushing passage of safety laws.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Ma. Aizl Camille B. Cabarles The number of non-farm employees injured while on duty declined by a fifth in 2007, latest data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) showed. But a labor leader and former government...

IN THE WORKPLACE.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Reylito A.H Elbo I was asked by my boss to review our annual employee recognition program on attendance and punctuality. She wants to implement the revised policy at the soonest possible time. Do you have any idea on how to make it...

State of emergency sought to avert power crisis in Mindanao.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos THE PRESIDENT should declare the whole of Mindanao under a state of emergency to avert a power crisis that might affect the elections in May, a lawmaker from the island said yesterday. "We are asking for this...

DAR junks petition to stop Bacolod property sale.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Chrysee G. Samillano BACOLOD CITY - The Provincial Agrarian Reform Adjudicator has denied for lack of merit the petition to stop the sale of a property to the city government for an urban resettlement program. Provincial Agrarian...

State prosecutors to seek transfer of Legacy case trial.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa State prosecutors will ask for the transfer of one of the cases involving the failed Legacy Group of Companies to another branch of the Cagayan de Oro Regional Trial Court due to the alleged special treatment given to...

Key policy rate seen holding steady until the third quarter.
February 19, 2010... THE CENTRAL BANK is likely to hold interest rates at current levels until the third quarter to support economic growth and will be more open to tweaking the rediscounting facility further, British investment bank Barclays Capital said in a...

Advertisers advised to maximize potentials of social media.
February 19, 2010... ADVERTISERS have yet to realize the potentials of social networking sites to widen their reach. In a forum yesterday organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, experts said those who want to tap services like Twitter...

Manila opens office to ease procedures for businessmen.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Gloria Krisana L. Gallezo THE CITY OF MANILA yesterday formally opened an office designed to make it easier for businessmen to transact with the local government for their permits. The project, designed to help businessmen secure...

TAXWISE OR OTHERWISE.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Eileen Flor L. Chavez The official campaign period for national elective posts has begun, and it is expected that substantial amounts of campaign costs will be incurred. This is very evident in the scores of television, radio and...

SM malls hike profit by a tenth despite downturn, calamities.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Profits of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the country's largest mall operator, rose by a tenth last year to P7 billion from P6.4 billion, hitting the higher end of the listed firm's projections. Growth was...

Ship owners pressure gov't vs tight rules.
February 19, 2010... The National Coalition of Shipping Associations is threatening to go on strike if Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) head Ma. Elena H. Bautista continues to set rules "detrimental" to the industry. In a letter to the Transportation...

Telcos reject open bidding for last 3G license.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David Telecommunication companies have asked regulators to reconsider a draft memorandum circular ordering a bidding for the final license to operate third-generation or 3G mobile services. Firms present in a...

Ayala Land net income dragged down as sales slashed by P2.5B.
February 19, 2010... Property giant Ayala Land, Inc. saw profits decline by more than a tenth last year, as the global economic downturn dampened the real estate sector. In its financial report, Ayala Land said net income dropped to P4.681 billion last year from...

Jollibee meets profit target; to double spending this year.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales Homegrown fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. grew faster in the fourth quarter given a higher profit margin due to lower income taxes and raw material costs, as well as efficient marketing. Jollibee Foods...

Local supplier of truck bodies bags deal to market logistics equipment.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa A European crane manufacturer has appointed a Philippine distributor and parts maker to expand its market reach amid expectations of a pickup in the economy particularly trade activity this year. ...

Tollway firm preparing for tax imposition.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David The tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. reported a 26% drop in profits for 2009 after making accounting adjustments in case the government imposes taxes on toll fees. In a statement, Metro Pacific...

Negros mayoralty bet gunned down in Iloilo.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - A mayoralty candidate in Pulupandan town in Negros Occidental was shot and killed here on Wednesday night, prompting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to consider placing Pulupandan under its...

Writ of amparo available to victim's family.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa THE FAMILY of the 58th victim in the so-called Maguindanao massacre should consider filing a writ of amparo to shed light on his whereabouts, University of the Philippines lawyer Theodore O. Te said yesterday. During...

Business group satisfied with Teodoro.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez The country's premier business group yesterday said administration bet and former Defense secretary Gilberto "Gibo" C. Teodoro, Jr. of the Lakas- Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats...

EU, university present climate change schemes.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Louise G. Dumas CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The European Union (EU) delegation to the Philippines, in partnership with Xavier University, has presented schemes in adapting to climate change. In a forum entitled "Climate Change Adaptation...

DOWNSOUTH.
February 19, 2010... Byline: Hernani De Leon DAVAO CITY - For at least a year now, the peace talks and the power situation are Mindanao's priority issues. It is obvious the government's position in the peace process is fluid at this point with the recent...