BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from July 2008

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from July 2008

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ma. Aizl Camille B. Cabarles Adversity is upon the global community and economists, analysts, leaders of the market, as well as those in the academe are not exempting any firm from the beating that would be inflicted by the hammer...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Alria M. Ventanilla Taking the entrepreneurial plunge in times of crises may seem hard but industry pundits say it is achievable and one should be keen enough to discern possible money making ventures. Asian Institute of...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Gloria Krisana L. Gallezo With oil prices soaring to high levels these past months, one would naturally expect the country's automotive industry to have suffered tremendously as what had been seen in other parts of the world. ...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Benjamin V. Buco, Jr. Ellen, a young mother working as a recruitment officer for a local shipping firm, says she missed the time when she and her husband went to the mall on weekends to relax and more importantly, to put a smile...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Benjamin V. Buco, Jr. If you are planning to put up a retail shop that will sell apparel, beauty products and other luxuries, now might be the most unwise and inconvenient time to do it. Atty. Paul A. Santos, vice-president...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Gloria Krisana L. Gallezo "There's opportunity in adversity." Quality, innovation, affordability and fuel-efficiency are just some of the things that buyers consider when buying cars. Hence, in line with the uncontrollable...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepomuceno Industry players in the real estate sector say subprime mortgage woes that threatens the economic condition of the US is not likely to be duplicated in the Philippines following the implementation of a...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Josephine B. Valle It is often said that in every adversity there lies an opportunity. In the midst of rising rice prices, when there seems no possible opportunity that can be glimpsed, agricultural economists remain...

SPECIAL FEATURE: health guide.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Agape Grace E. Miguel To most people, stress suggests a difficult task: a heavy workload, a friend coming over on a short notice, an upcoming event or even a promotion at work. Research affirms that stress can happen to...

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL REPORT: Prevailing in adversity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepomuceno While some have been expecting a drastic collapse of the real estate and banking sectors in the Philippines due to the ongoing US subprime crisis, others have been heaving a sigh of relief as the effects...

SPECIAL FEATURE: health guide.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ikka C. de Guzman It all starts with a simple command. The hypothalamus, a tiny bundle of nerves in the brain, tells the adrenal glands to unleash adrenaline and cortisone into the bloodstream, setting off a major organ...

SPECIAL FEATURE: ANC's 12th Anniversary.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Agape Grace E. Miguel From its inception in 1996, when it originally aired two daily newscasts under the Sarimanok News Network (SNN), ANC has evolved into a news channel for a niche market made up of the country's socioeconomic...

SPECIAL FEATURE: ANC's 12th Anniversary.
July 31, 2008... NEWS@8 with Ricky Carandang 8:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M.; Monday to Friday News@8 gives you the news that you need to start the day. The newscast is specifically designed with the businessman in mind. Anchor Ricky Carandang delivers the top...

SPECIAL FEATURE: ANC's 12th Anniversary.
July 31, 2008... The ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) is the pioneer of the 24-hour news programming in the Philippines, offering the latest in domestic and international news, business information and sports updates. Here are some of ANC's highlights: 1996...

COURTSIDE.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Say what you will of Ron Artest. Argue that he's a nutcase who can't possibly be a longtime boon to any squad he suits up for. Contend that he's a veritable black hole who stalls any ball movement, and...

US supports clean water initiatives through grants.
July 31, 2008... During a recent ceremony at the US Embassy hosted by Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Larry W. Walther, director of the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), presented two grant agreements to Rene Almendras, group director for...

There's no taste like home (Pancake House: A restaurant brand that.
July 31, 2008... The family dining area is the most frequently used space in any home, with the basic purpose of gathering members during meal times at least three times a day, every single day. Apart from partaking of food, though, the dining table becomes a...

Globe and Western Union launch mobile money transfer service from.
July 31, 2008... Globe Telecom and Western Union recently announced that consumers in Hawaii can now send Western Union mobile money transfers to Globe GCASH subscribers in the Philippines. This is the first time that consumers will be able to send and...

PEOPLE.
July 31, 2008... GE Money Bank Philippines' new leadership to drive next stage of growth GE Money Bank Philippines recently announced the appointment of Edward Pinto as president and CEO of the bank. Mr. Pinto is a GE veteran for 15 years with over...

BRIEFS.
July 31, 2008... IT Expo 2008 The Institute of Electronics Engineers of the Philippines (IECEP) will support the biggest gathering of IT integrators and users at the Philippine International Information Technology Expo 2008 set on Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 at...

Feeling the heat.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete Swallowing a peppercorn isn't so bad, compared to a tear-inducing red hot chili pepper that is. The dry, toasty-red Sichuan peppercorn (imported from South America in the 17th century) is not quite as...

Hidden Comfort.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete The irony of modern living is that one has little time to devote to the kitchen and so dining out becomes a default activity. But at the same time, one looks for that home-cooked feel to a dish, what people...

RESTAURANT ROW.
July 31, 2008... Delifrance Delifrance is now offering Classic and Premium Delifrance Canapes in 12-piece trays or whole trays of 25. The canapes range from chicken almond to Farmer's Ham topped with Brie, crab-stick celery and Norwegian-smoked salmon...

Banks report weak profits.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Maria Eloisa I. Calderon Bank casualties from soaring inflation continued to rise, with two more listed banks reporting lower net profits in the first semester. The Bank of the Philippine Islands, (BPI), the country's most...

Peso rebounds to P44.15.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Maria Eloisa I. Calderon The peso yesterday recovered against the dollar following a rebound in US stocks and a sharp slide in oil prices. It closed twenty-three centavos firmer at P44.15 per dollar from Tuesday's P44.38. ...

Wall Street recovery, oil price drop lift stocks.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Share prices bounced back yesterday after US stocks recovered and oil prices dropped anew, indicating that investors were becoming hopeful the market is snapping out of a slump, analysts said. The...

S&P sees rising prices clouding growth outlook of the Philippines.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Gerard S. Dela Pena Global credit watchdog Standard & Poor's (S&P) has downscaled its growth forecast for the country, saying that even if macroeconomic fundamentals remain sound despite external pressures, the outlook is...

Domestic canned sardines supply threatened (Western Mindanao fishing.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Darwin T. Wee with Aizel Joyce A. Catipay ZAMBOANGA CITY - Members of the largest commercial fishing group in Western Mindanao - which account for at least 90% of supply of the sardines and dried fish industry in the region -...

Cutting tax on fuel expected to erode fiscal position.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ruby Anne M. Rubio SCRAPPING TAXES on oil products - mulled as a way of reducing fuel prices - will compromise the country's fiscal position and its ability to respond to economic difficulties, the World Bank warned in a study it...

P18.25/kg rice restricted.
July 31, 2008... The government wants the National Food Authority (NFA) rice variety that is sold at P18.25 per kilogram pulled out permanently from public markets by September to ensure that only the poorest can buy them. In a press conference yesterday,...

STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Rene B. Azurin Management performance must be evaluated on results, not efforts. Any Juan, Rick, or Harry of a management student can tell the executive secretary and Malacanang spokesmen this. Maybe these presidential minions...

CALLING A SPADE...
July 31, 2008... Byline: Solita Collas-Monsod Same old, same old. Maybe a little more vituperative on the part of the critics, maybe a little more brown-nosey on the part of the loyalists - but on the whole, entirely predictable: the lady's opposition...

UPSHOT.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Bernardo V. Lopez When I meet friends these days, it is the same sad story. Business is down everywhere. Suddenly, I bump into a success story. It is nice to know that even with double-digit inflation and soaring gas prices,...

THE VIEW FROM TAFT.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Maribel R. Gaite I came across a parable that, I believe, can guide us in leading a meaningful life. I read it in a book written by Philip Bobbit, The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace and the Course of History. "A wise king...

Online video games to drive market for paid online content.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Paolo Luis G. Montecillo Online video gaming will drive the growth of the Asia-Pacific market for paid online content, which is expected to grow by more than a fifth this year despite software piracy. While sales of music and...

Microsoft sells discounted Office.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Joel B. Escovilla DAVAO CITY - Microsoft Philippines is selling its Office Suite of applications to students and noncommercial users at nearly half the price. George C. Parilla, Microsoft Southern Philippines marketing...

August eyed for Rapu-Rapu resumption.
July 31, 2008... Mining operations at the Rapu Rapu site in Albay province will resume in August after being suspended early this year due to debts. Dato Dr. Mohammad Ajib Anwar, chief executive of Malaysian Smelting Corp. Bhd., said the joint venture and...

Semirara eyes increased coal production following incentive.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Semirara Mining Corp. plans to ramp up coal production this year to take advantage of the six-year income tax incentive it had obtained from the Board of Investments (BoI). DMCI Holdings, Inc. President...

Oil exploration firm sells stake in Cadlao oilfield.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ava Kashima K. Austria Listed Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp. has sold its stake in the Cadlao oil field in Palawan due to unanticipated expenses that it could not carry out. In a disclosure to the stock exchange...

Steel Corp. seeks reconsideration of rehab case termination.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa Embattled firm Steel Corp. of the Philippines has asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider the termination of the company's rehabilitation proceedings, saying stockholders and creditors agree that it should not...

Bleak 2nd-half outlook for Cebu Pac.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon Low-cost airline Cebu Pacific Air, Inc. will likely post losses in the second half due to high fuel costs and a traditional drop in air travel during the rainy season, company President and Chief Executive...

Three-fourths of Pinoys see worse condition now from last year.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero Three out of four Filipinos said they are worse off now compared to last year, while 84% believe they are in the same condition from last year, a new Pulse Asia survey showed. In its July 2008 Ulat ng...

House body to force vote on ARMM polls' deferment.
July 31, 2008... A last-minute certification from the Palace transmitted to the House of Representatives yesterday on a bill postponing polls in the autonomous Muslim region will be voted upon today by the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms....

Shell: No immediate impact from lower world oil prices.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Ava Kashima K. Austria A major oil company yesterday said the recent decline in world prices is not an assurance that pump prices will immediately follow suit. In an interview with reporters yesterday, Pilipinas Shell...

State college charter gets House support.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth T. Marcelo A public educational institution catering to security training will be given fiscal and administrative authority as proposed by the House committee on higher and technical education. The proposed charter...

Longer plebiscite date key to breakthrough.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Darwin T. Wee ZAMBOANGA CITY - The Moro rebels' acceptance of a longer waiting period to hold a plebiscite for an Islamic state was key for the breakthrough in intense negotiations on Sunday. Rudy B. Rodil, vice-chairman of...

Telcos willing to extend text discount promotion.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero Telecommunication companies (telcos) have expressed willingness to extend their promotion that cut the costs of text messaging, or short message service, by half for three months. The commitment was...

Maritime industry reform bills up after vessel probe.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth T. Marcelo Upgrading the weather bureau's forecasting capabilities, creation of an admiralty court to expedite maritime cases, and requiring shipowners to submit a stowage plan are among the remedial measures eyed by a...

Military backs forging visiting forces agreement with Canada.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is backing a proposed visiting forces agreement with Canada, a military official said yesterday, even as he confirmed that talks are ongoing for the cooperation...

Arroyo offers cheaper food.
July 31, 2008... President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday launched a noodle made partly of squash, in a bid to offer a cheaper and nutritious alternative amid soaring prices. The noodle, called "Proud Harvest," was developed by the Benguet State...

Study to cut red tape in fire protection body.
July 31, 2008... The government yesterday said it is carrying out a study aimed at cutting red tape at the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), which was earlier described as among 10 most problematic state agencies because of red tape. The National...

Employees seek reversal of rule voiding province.
July 31, 2008... The Shariff Kabunsuan Provincial Employees Association has asked the Supreme Court to overturn its decision dissolving Shariff Kabunsuan as a province. In a motion for reconsideration, the provincial employees noted that the "abolition...

Sulpicio faces new civil suits.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Bernard U. Allauigan The families of victims in a recent ferry tragedy yesterday filed civil cases in court against vessel owner Sulpicio Lines, Inc. for "breach of contract of carriage and negligence." Chief Public Attorney...

Think tank notes lack of monitoring, evaluation mechanism to assess.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu The country lacks a sound monitoring and evaluation system that could aid in improving the quality of basic education, the Philippine Institute of Development Study (PIDS) said. According to a PIDS policy...

Number of poor families rising (Nearly 60% of Pinoy households say.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may have declared a 20-year low in self-rated poverty as an accomplishment but a worsening economy has consigned that result, recorded in 2007, to history. A new...

WTO talks collapse; opportunities seen for RP.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Felipe F. Salvosa II and Bernardette S. Sto. Domingo Talks to further open up global trade collapsed Tuesday night after nine days of high-level meetings in Geneva over the single issue of protecting poor farmers. The...

FOCUS.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Judy T. Gulane The meteoric rise in world oil prices has been a bane to many but a boon to those who know that the supply of oil is finite and the alternatives - and profits - lie in "green" alternatives. Filipino and Dutch...

COMMENTARY.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Albert del Rosario Official development assistance (ODA), though sourced from abroad, is the money of the Filipino people. These precious resources are negotiated in the name of the republic, for the national interest, and for...

ECONOMIC INDICATORS.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa The Philippine financial sector will likely miss investment and savings targets for 2010 according to the recent report from the National Statistical Coordination Board. The newly released Statistical...

ECONOMIC INDICATORS.
July 31, 2008... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa Export proceeds of key Philippine-made goods grew at a softer pace in May mainly on account of lower shipments of electronic products, the country's biggest export earner. Total earnings of the...

Economic Indicators.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon Despite an 11.1% drop in private construction spending in the third quarter of 2007 to P24.9 billion from P28 billion the same period in 2006, construction activity grew 10.7%, data from the National Statistics...

Economic Indicators.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Louella D. Desiderio The purchasing power of Filipinos continued to decline in June as prices of basic goods and services sustained their increase. The peso's purchasing power dropped to 64 centavos in June from 71 centavos in...

COURTSIDE.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Here's a pop query for all you frustrated golfers naturally predisposed to criticizing Michelle Wie's chase of a seeming pipe dream: If you're doing something you love and, in the process, fattening your bank...

Government agencies reject PIRA allegations against CTPL.
July 23, 2008... The Insurance Commission (IC), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) recently debunked issues raised by Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers...

Marketing educator trailblazing the industry (Swimming in the 'Blue.
July 23, 2008... In the season of the Olympics, most will associate a blue ocean to a pool where the best swimmers from all over the world compete with one another. In the field of marketing and sales, "Blue Ocean" is referred to a strategy that helps...

Software firms engage foreign counterparts.
July 23, 2008... Europe-based software firms are pursuing business opportunities in the country, following their participation in I.T. Ignite, a networking session hosted by Microsoft Philippines recently. "I personally am returning to the Philippines...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
July 23, 2008... Genius SP-T1200: Stylish touch speaker Genius introduces SP-T1200, a stylish speaker with a touch panel. SP- T1200 is an innovative speaker system that revolutionizes the way you enjoy your audio. With its touch panel, this 2.0 speaker...

BRIEFS.
July 23, 2008... Conference and expo The Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) will hold the 17th National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE) on Aug. 13-15 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Ortigas Center. Learn from world-class local retailers how...

ONSTAGE.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Juan Antonio Lanuza On June 30, I attended the recital of cellist Victor Coo - with pianist Ya-Hsin Wu assisting him - at the Francisco Santiago Hall (BDO, Tower One). During the concert, Mr. Coo introduced the compositions....

The sound of a photograph.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Samantha L. Marcelo Two unrelated solo shows on view at the Silverlens gallery, Symmetry|Duality and Stranger, both raise the synesthetic effect of photography despite being products of contrasting creative processes. A person...

ART & CULTURE.
July 23, 2008... Boston Gallery Lest You Forget, an exhibit of portraits by Marina Cruz-Garcia will be on view at the Boston Gallery from July 26, 6 p.m., to Aug. 14. Old photographs and postcards given as keepsakes and mementos are the inspirations for...

Insurers seek deadline extension.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Maria Eloisa I. Calderon Local players in the domestic insurance industry have drummed up a joint proposal extending a deadline for compliance with strict capital rules by 11 years. In a meeting last Friday, the Philippine...

Peso retreats further.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Maria Eloisa I. Calderon Surging oil prices continued to take a toll on the peso, which yesterday extended its losses against the dollar. It closed at P44.61, eight centavos weaker than Monday's finish. "The major factor is...

Depositors demand central bank to close rural bank.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Gerard S. Dela Pena Depositors complaining they can no longer withdraw their deposits from G-7 Bank Inc. yesterday demanded the central bank to close the Naga-based rural bank. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), however,...

BSP assures SMEs of continued hassle-free loan applications.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Gerard S. Dela Pena The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is open to extending the life of a circular that frees micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from the hassle of presenting certain documents when they apply for bank...

Prices retreat after investors cash in gains.
July 23, 2008... Byline: AFP and Kristine Jane R. Liu Share prices closed lower yesterday as investors cashed in their gains after an upturn during the previous trading day, dealers said. The composite index fell 0.3% or 6.64 points to 2,409.98. The...

State, Moro rebels to finalize ancestral domain agreement.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento and Darwin T. Wee POLOMOLOK, SOUTH COTABATO - The two panels in the Mindanao peace talks will meet tomorrow to firm up a major provision in the truce pact and seek a possible extended presence of the...

Military augments presence, equipment in Eastern Mindanao.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez with AFP The military yesterday sent additional troops and combat equipment to Eastern Mindanao to augment a deployment made on Sunday, a regional military spokesman said yesterday. Major Armand...

Erratic weather forces deferment of harvest festival.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Weather aberrations have affected the celebration of a harvest festival next month. Organizers were forced to defer the event to October. Organizers in Kidapawan City have canceled the...

Provincial bus operators group seeks 20-centavo/km provisional fare adjustment.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Paolo Luis G. Montecillo Provincial bus operators yesterday sought a 20-centavo-per-kilometer provisional fare increase. The P0.20 adjustment will be on top of the P0.50 provisional fare increase granted by the Land...

Arroyo supports postponing ARMM polls.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero and Bernard U. Allauigan President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday endorsed the postponement of elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) scheduled next month to give way for the...

Higher crime rate traced to rising food, fuel prices.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez The Philippine National Police has recorded a higher crime rate in Metro Manila for the first semester against the same period last year, and this was mainly attributed to rising prices of food and fuel....

Hospitals' fund launched.
July 23, 2008... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday launched a program seeking to use excess revenues from the value-added tax (VAT) on oil to upgrade provincial hospitals. Called "Katas ng VAT para sa mga...

House panel hits Del Monte on toxic cargo.
July 23, 2008... The House joint panel investigating a ferry sinking wants the shipper of a toxic chemical that went down with the vessel to be held liable. Committee members yesterday said Del Monte Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) should be held responsible...