BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from July 2009

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from July 2009

WEEKENDER.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete There are 97 known traditional healers or manghihilot within a one- kilometer radius from the Philippine General Hospital. While practitioners of Western medicine have disdained the indigenous healing practices, and...

WEEKENDER: going out.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo THEATER The Vagina Monologues By Eve Ensler Presented by The New Voice Co. July 31, 7;30 p.m. Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave. cor. Buendia, Makati "The woman's vagina is hard to...

WEEKENDER: going out.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo VISIT National Artist Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco's studio Dona Aurora St. Angono, Rizal Termites and floodwater have no respect for greatness. They will not, out of deference to Carlos "Botong" V....

WEEKENDER: going out.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo Being the only municipality that can count two National Artists counting among its sons - visual artist Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco and composer Lucio San Pedro - Angono, Rizal has become known as the Art Capital of...

WEEKENDER: movies.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Mira B. Gloria MOVIE REVIEW Oh My Girl Directed by Dante Nico Garcia "And I paid P160 for that?" This was the question that crossed my mind after I saw Oh My Girl, Regal film's supposed banner film project for 2009....

WEEKENDER: staying in.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Alessandra C. Poblador Take one look at the bookmarks of any up-to-date Web-user today - it is a guarantee that a social networking Web site has made the list. In fact, social networking has become such an integral part of modern...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CD REVIEW Addicted to Acoustic Princess Vicor Records Credit TV programs like MTV Unplugged during the 1990s for making acoustic music popular. The show featured rock stars, and pop icons as they...

WEEKENDER: environment.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - A pioneering effort in the disposal of plastic waste is being implemented by the Iloilo City government in partnership with a cement manufacturer. Their aim is to convert the city's dump site into...

WEEKENDER: health.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee Much has already been said and written about HPV or the Human Papillomavirus. Many of the features, however, have focused on cervical cancer and how it is a preventable cancer as long as active steps are taken...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee With the growing number of converts who swear by its efficacy in keeping skin smooth and moisturized, it's puzzling why a beauty bar brand still needs to discredit other soap brands. This was what went through...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo On the strength of the Apple image, Senco Link Technologies, an authorized reseller of Apple products and information technology solutions provider, recently opened a Mac store right inside Ateneo de Manila University...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
July 31, 2009... One of Korea's fastest growing salons, Park Jun's Beauty Lab, recently opened its first branch in the country at Glorietta 3 in Makati. The two-level salon occupies what were once the ground and lower ground floors of the Woman boutique....

WEEKENDER: marketing.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Nanette Franco-Diyco Bad news is considered good by many publishers and journalists because, let's face it, their newspapers are bound to sell more copies. It's human nature to want to read details of tragedies perhaps because, deep...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Terence A. Hockenhull In the years I have worked in the Philippines, I have been somewhat surprised to find that few employees are solely motivated by money. Indeed, I can think of numerous examples of employees taking pay cuts or...

WEEKENDER: travel.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Rosanna Mae A. Labitag One of the country's premier land developers has come up with another reason to visit Tagaytay. Amid the mushrooming of hotels in this area, Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) recently opened the...

WEEKENDER.
July 31, 2009... PERFORMANCES Recital: Pianist Ariel Dechosa. July 31, 8 p.m. Philamlife Auditorium, UN Ave., Ermita, Manila. Ariel Dechosa will perform in a fund-raising piano recital. The program consists of Bach's Prelude in B Minor, Brahm's Sonata in F...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Phils. Finest Legal Counsel.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida Given the country's contorted bureaucratic cast, keeping a local corporation squeaky clean can be tough business. For such bold attempts, companies turn to the best-trained corporate counsels who, aside from...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Phils. Finest Legal Counsel.
July 31, 2009... Navigating the legal labyrinth for Lopez-led First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPHC) is Rodolfo Waga, Jr. vice president for the firm's legal division and also its assistant corporate secretary who, besides shepherding the holdings group...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Phils. Finest Legal Counsel.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida Corporate law is rarely the subject of courtroom dramas, but an increasingly scrupulous business environment has made sure that this office-based field gets its own share of legal excitement. No longer just...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Phils. Finest Legal Counsel.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida Conservative, disciplined, quiet and soft-spoken are unusual traits for the typical fire-breathing lawyer, but his acquaintances insist that these are precisely what Anthony Rosete, legal head, assistant...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Phils. Finest Legal Counsel.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida As headwoman of the Government Service Insurance System's legal division, Estrella C. Elamparo has made a career out of battling with the big leagues. In the office, however, the GSIS chief legal counsel can...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Phils. Finest Legal Counsel.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida It's hard to imagine how Jannet Regalado gets any sleep these days. Besides supervising the legal tasks of 13 firms - seven group companies and six joint ventures - and four company pension trust funds, Shell's...

TAKE TEN.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Behn Cervantes My UP friends Angie Anglionto and Sonny Pagador as well as Alan Posadas took me along to UP Mindanao when they planned to visit the campus for official business. All three belong to the Beta Sigma Fraternity. Sonny, who...

World capital markets confab to discuss global reform agenda.
July 31, 2009... Securities Commission Malaysia will host the inaugural World Capital Markets Symposium on Aug. 10 to 11 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is in line with Malaysia's commitment to promote more in-depth discussion on capital market challenges and...

PAL Express flights to automatically earn miles; payments via ATM set.
July 31, 2009... Effective last July 1, all PAL Express flights automatically earn miles that can be converted to free flights both on Philippine Airlines (PAL) and PAL Express. In addition to regular PAL flights, now even PAL Express flights earn mileage...

PEOPLE.
July 31, 2009... Marriott Hotel Manila appoints first GM The opening of the latest addition to the Marriott International list of premium hotels this August will be spearheaded by the new Marriott Hotel Manila's first general manager, Richard Martin Saul. ...

BRIEFS.
July 31, 2009... Photo exhibit opens CUSTOMERS OF SM's premiere malls can view some of the world's most moving photos when the internationally acclaimed World Press Photo Exhibition goes on view on Aug. 1 to 23. The exhibit, which features 196 photographs, is...

Discipline and focus are key to success, says Heat's Spoelstra.
July 31, 2009... Over a hundred UAAP players were given valuable basketball and life lessons in a clinic conducted by visiting Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra at the La Salle Greenhills Gymnasium yesterday. Part of the US Department of States' Sports...

CHESSPIECE.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bobby Ang San Sebastian, (known officially as Donostia-San Sebastian) is the capital city of the province of Guipuscoa, in the Basque country, Spain. Locals call themselves donostiarras, both in Basque and Spanish. The Chessbase Web...

COURTSIDE.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Shaquille O'Neal once noted, "Whoever said 'It's not whether you win or lose' probably lost." In his inimitable way, he managed to contend, if half-joking, that organized sports has become consumed with triumphs....

GIVE AND GO.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo Preparations for the 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association formally begin this weekend with the 10-team field participating in the annual rookie draft on Sunday at the Market! Market! Place in...

Meralco fall triggers market correction.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Manila Electric Co.'s (Meralco) fall yesterday triggered a long- awaited market correction although some stocks showed resiliency, analysts said. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index lost 1.37% or...

RCBC net up 10.7%.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) posted a healthy net profit in the first half on higher income from its lending and other businesses. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange...

BPI books net income of P1.75 billion in the second quarter.
July 31, 2009... Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), excluding its subsidiaries, reported a net income of P1.75 billion in the second quarter. BPI, the country's third largest lender, plus its subsidiaries reported a net income of P2.92 billion in...

Sideways finish for peso persists sans leads.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena It was another uneventful trade for the peso yesterday, with market players remaining bereft of leads. The local unit closed at P48.105 to a dollar, half-a-centavo higher than Wednesday's close of P48.11. It...

UCPB now in the black.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena Government-sequestered United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) was back in the black in the first half, partly as a result of a government lifeline. UCPB yesterday said the bank and its subsidiaries realized a net...

Security Bank seeks SEC OK for rights issue.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon Listed Security Bank Corp. is seeking the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) approval to sell P2.5 billion worth of shares to its stockholders to increase its stock funds for possible acquisitions. In a...

Layoffs expected to decline in Asia.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David Pay, benefit and work force cuts are expected to slow down in Asia, according to a survey by consulting firm Mercer. Mercer said that there were not enough respondents from the Philippines that would show a...

IN THE WORKPLACE.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Reylito A.H. Elbo With the help of technology, many of our staff and their managers live in the comfort of their air-conditioned rooms while using intranet, mobile phones, and other gadgets. Deep inside me, I feel there's something...

VECTOR.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Sonny Coloma During the First Quarter Storm of 1970, I joined the parliament of the streets in denouncing the Marcos regime. I spent a lot of time outside the classroom where I thought I learned a lot about the real conditions in...

VANTAGE POINT.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Luis V. Teodoro Astatesman she's never been. And statesmanlike she wasn't during her ninth, and hopefully last, State of the Nation Address. As many expected, she was her usual self: petulant, combative, self-righteous, arrogant. ...

FENCE SITTER.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Antonio R. Samson A corporate vacuum created by the exit of a CEO, due to retirement or abysmal performance, creates a centripetal force that sucks to the center previously marginal executives and outsiders. This exit may be...

STREETWISE.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo "Keeping silent is like silencing forever all the voices that have been silenced," says Melissa Roxas. A writer, poet, community health worker, and, incidentally, an American citizen of Filipino ancestry,...

TRADE TRIPPER.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Jemy Gatdula Some weeks ago the WTO reported that the number of new anti-dumping investigations initiated by its members increased by 17% in the latter half of 2008. This is complemented by the fact that actual impositions of new...

RULE OF LAW.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Basilio H. Alo Controversies have erupted lately regarding the cutting of trees, with environmentalists insisting that trees must be preserved because their existence is nature's way of balancing itself and giving communities oxygen...

Gov't expecting P13 billion from sale of FTI area this quarter.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero THE GOVERNMENT expects to generate P13 billion, up from the P10 billion estimated earlier this year, from the sale of parts of the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) this quarter, the Finance department said. "The...

ADB creates $2-M project to preserve Coral Triangle.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Michael Paolo T. Jamias THE ASIAN Development Bank (ADB) announced in a statement yesterday the creation of $2.3-million technical assistance project to strengthen coastal and marine ecosystems management under the Coral Triangle...

Online taxpayer registration expanded.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero SELF-EMPLOYED individuals and employers can now secure a tax identification number (TIN) and avail of other registration services online. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said the enhanced...

Flour millers asked to cut prices further.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa LARGE BAKING firms yesterday urged millers to again reduce flour prices, so bread costs, in turn can be slashed. Bakers, said Philippine Baking Industry Group incoming president Walter Co, will cut loaf...

Senate to Sit on Charter Change Proposal
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bernard U. Allauigan and Ira P. Pedrasa The Senate is expected to reject a plan of the House of Representatives to convene the Legislature into a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, a move seen better left for the 15th...

Scrapped agreement's renegotiation rejected.
July 31, 2009... The government yesterday ruled out a renegotiation of the scrapped territorial pact with Moro rebels and would instead include the subject as a provision in the final peace pact. Rafael E. Seguis, government chief negotiator and Foreign...

Army division completes 29 projects in S. Mindanao.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Louella D. Desiderio and Darwin T. Wee The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has completed 29 development projects worth P49 million in Southern Mindanao for the first half. Capt. Rosa Maria Cristina R. Manuel, public affairs...

Cooking gas price cut seen at P1 per kilogram - Reyes.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes said cooking gas prices may decrease by a peso per kilogram next month based on the current trend of world contract prices. "We'll see a decrease in the price of LPG [next...

International aid community shows optimism on Mindanao.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento GENERAL SANTOS CITY - Foreign and domestic aid extended to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in parts of Mindanao have reached nearly P1 billion, an indication of the international community's optimism on the...

Issues on tree-cutting rules identified.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales The Environment department is crafting guidelines for the cutting and earth balling of trees amid clamors to ban tree cutting, the department said in a press release yesterday. "Our technical men in the...

Suspension lifted.
July 31, 2009... The Office of the President (OP) has lifted the suspension order imposed by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) on Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito R. Zuno. The issue stemmed from his upholding the findings of state prosecutors...

Registration sites set.
July 31, 2009... The Philippine National Police (PNP) will set up stations in towns and cities nationwide to facilitate the registration of unlicensed firearms as part of the general amnesty program. Interior Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno said in a statement...

Convention scheduled.
July 31, 2009... The administration party Lakas-Kampi-Christian-Muslim Democrats will hold a national convention in mid-October to choose its presidential bet in next year's elections, a party official said yesterday. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F....

Marijuana uprooted.
July 31, 2009... DAVAO CITY - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has uprooted 1,700 marijuana plants, with an estimated street price of P249,000 from two fields in Lamiango, Kiblawan, Davao del Sur. In a report to local media dated July 29, the drug...

State told to defend automated poll pact.
July 31, 2009... The Supreme Court has ordered the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to justify the automated poll contract in light of the foreign partner's involvement in the controversial 2005 referendum in Venezuela. In Wednesday's oral arguments,...

SM's high-end property unit sees sales reaching P1 billion.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu The high-end property unit of the SM group is hoping to close the year with better profits as demand for luxury living in themed community Tagaytay Highlands remains robust. Highlands Prime, Inc. President...

Mall operator expects double-digit Q2 growth.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Things continue to look good for the country's largest mall operator, which yesterday hinted of positive April to May results. "It is good. Revenue is definitely double digit but for net profit, I cannot...

British miner finds gold in Batangas mine.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales BritAIN'S Avocet Mining Plc has found gold resources in the gold and silver property of Canadian Mindoro Resources Ltd. (MRL) in southern Luzon after a number of drillings. Avocet Mining recently completed...

Newspaper readership up in A and B market.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon Philippine newspapers are not yet going the way of their foreign counterparts whose demise has been hastened by the economic crunch, as readership continues to pick up in the upscale market, a recent study by market...

Premiere posts profit.
July 31, 2009... Listed entertainment and gaming firm Premiere Entertainment Philippines yesterday reported a hike in profits for the second quarter due to increased gaming and software revenues. Officials also said the firm's listing in the Korean stock...

New business software.
July 31, 2009... Leading information technology (IT) infrastructure provider EMC Corp. yesterday launched its new "Ionix" solutions to help businesses improve services while reducing costs and risks in their operations. Ionix offers "service discovery and...

Unioil bags deal.
July 31, 2009... Oil retailer Unioil Petroleum Philippines, Inc. yesterday said it had bagged a P20-million contract for the supply of industrial and marine oil for tire manufacturer Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc. Chito Medina-Cue, Jr., Unioil Petroleum general...

Real estate firm formed.
July 31, 2009... The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the incorporation of property firm Integrated Geosolutions, Inc., whose founders include officials of the San Miguel group. The new firm has P1 billion in capital stock divided into the same...

Labor dep't sees remittances growing to $17 billion this year.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) believes remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) this year will manage to grow 3.6% to $17 billion. This is contrary to expectations by the Bangko...

Negros producers group plans online store.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Nanette L. Guadalquiver BACOLOD CITY - The Association of Negros Producers (ANP) will embark on online marketing with the planned launch of the group's portal, www.bestofnegrosisland.com, this September. The launching will be held...

Grain agency awards import contracts for 75,000 MT rice.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales THE NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA) has given the notice of awards to three winning bidders for the supply of a total 75,000 metric tons of rice, the grain agency said yesterday in a press release. The prices...

P500-million multi-fuel plant to rise in Leyte.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Sarwell Q. Meniano PALO, Leyte - Biogas technology developer Philippine Bio Sciences Co., Inc. (PhilBIO) is investing P500 million over the next 18 months to build the first multi-fuel power plant in Leyte. The facility, which will...

Debt-for-MDG swap pushed.
July 31, 2009... A JOINT resolution calling for the creation of a joint legislative- executive council to pursue proposals on debt-for-millennium development goals (MDGs) swap has been filed at the House of Representatives. Joint Resolution No. 39, authored...

Popular Economics.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Daniel Anne B. Nepomuceno "At the end of this speech, I shall step down from this stage . . . but not from the presidency. My term does not end until next year. Until then, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. The nation comes...

AGENDA FOR HOPE.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. Universities today are faced with challenges of a more global and more multicultural world. For Philippine universities, there are additional challenges of closing the Competitiveness Gap, which refers to...

New focus for 2010 stimulus (Growth and competitiveness, not just.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa A P200-billion stimulus planned for 2010 will no longer focus on job creation - the intent in this year's pump-priming - but on driving economic growth and ramping up the country's competitiveness, a ranking...

Supermarket owners stay cautious.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Marites S. Villamor CEBU CITY - Consumer confidence is reportedly up but supermarket operators expect buyers to keep spending only on essentials, preferring cheaper brands and smaller-sized packs. Market research consultant AC...

RP gain hinged on 'collaborative effort' - Tetangco.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Paolo Luis G. Montecillo A "collaborative effort" between the government and the private sector is needed if the Philippines is to take advantage of any signs of a global recovery, the central bank chief said. "We need to continue...

Failure to address poverty, lack of services may blunt recovery.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Michael Paolo T. Jamias Inequitable income growth and lack of basic services for the poor threaten to blunt Asia's recovery from the current slump, a top Asian Development Bank (ADB) official yesterday said. Hence, Asian countries...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Who's Who in Philippine Real Estate.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Anton Javier B. Dizon Statistics attest to real estate's recent shrivel amidst the economic bust, but the metro's skyline, so far, tells an entirely different story. Indeed, to minimize the crisis' adverse impact on their business,...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Who's Who in Philippine Real Estate.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Anton Javier B. Dizon Despite the ONSET of the economic slump last year, real estate industry players say that the sector's 2008 performance wasn't as bad as some analysts expected. And while adverse effects have poured over to...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Who's Who in Philippine Real Estate.
July 31, 2009... Byline: Anton Javier B. Dizon It may seem like each new house was built to benefit only its future residents, but viewed from a wider angle, the construction of every home helps stimulate economic growth, with each structure's value...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Who's Who in Philippine Real Estate.
July 31, 2009... A decade ago, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis, the metro had large swaths of underutilized land that, given the country's recovery rate, looked like it would stay that way for decades. But an emerging developer saw something else:...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Who's Who in Philippine Real Estate.
July 31, 2009... The brand Moldex may be popular for its plastic pipes, but the Moldex Group of Companies is starting to make a name for itself in a much bigger field: real estate. Within it, Moldex Realty Inc. (MRI) focuses on building horizontal structures;...