BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from March 2007

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from March 2007

SPECIAL FEATURE: Where to Invest Your Money.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena "We're already above the hump," said stock broker Astro del Castillo on the current condition of the local bourse. "We're still sensitive to the movement in the world...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Where to Invest Your Money.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Today, the Philippine economy is fueled by resurging local business activity as well as the influx of remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The government's improved fiscal performance has...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Where to Invest Your Money.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Monitoring unit investment trust funds (UITFs) has been made simpler and more convenient as Equitable PCI Bank (EPCIB) introduces the Unit Trust Online, an innovative way to receive updates on the EPCIB...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Where to Invest Your Money.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena Investing may sound intimidating if you have just begun mulling the possibility of putting your money in an instrument that will give you the greatest yield. But you can...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Where to Invest Your Money.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena Novice and seasoned investors alike are responsible for examining the track record of the institution they intend to invest in. Part of the task is to leap through the...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Shopping.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Leslie Samantha L. Marcelo The buzzword among mall developers nowadays is "experience" - a realization, perhaps, that when it comes to sophisticated consumers, brand strength alone cannot be...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Shopping.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Stores Specialists, Inc. brings to the Philippines the Spring/Summer 2007 Collection of high-end fashion and apparel brands Bally and Bottega Veneta. The Bally Men's and Women's Spring/Summer 2007...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Shopping.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Toy Kingdom was recently cited as the best toy store in the Philippines, copping the Category Killer Award during the 2006 Outstanding Filipino Retailers of the Year event held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Shopping.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Cherry C. Bobadilla Eireen Diokno-Bernardo runs a business up in her attic. From time to time, she checks on her two children watching TV in the living room. She returns to her tiny office...

WEEKENDER.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Allan E. Lalisan Salamanca is a night animal. At midnight the city shimmers like a torch in a forest, offering brilliance amid dim surroundings. By day, Salamanca is like a child that...

WEEKENDER: movies.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Noel Vera MOVIE REVIEW Rocky Balboa Directed by Sylvester Stallone I was never a big fan of the Rocky movies. Built on the dreams of actor-writer Sylvester Stallone, wearing...

WEEKENDER: movies.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno MOVIE REVIEW The Chanting (Kuntilanak) Directed by Rizal Mantovani The horror suspense flick The Chanting is not an excellent movie worthy of overwhelming...

WEEKENDER: movies.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jet Damaso MOVIE REVIEW Happily N'ever After Directed by by Paul J. Bolger and Yvette Kaplan It follows the same fairy-tale spoof concept that made Shrek such a huge success,...

WEEKENDER: environment.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento Alabel, Sarangani - For decades now, Tito Ortizona has braved the waters of the vast 214,000-hectare Sarangani Bay, oblivious to the dangers his fishing activity would...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno He has toured around the world. He has won a Grammy award as part of the American R&B group Black Eyed Peas. He is a popular music figure wherever he performs. But above...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno She is already featured in billboards and television commercials, endorsing various products ranging from baby lotion, milk formula, ready- to-wear clothing line, shampoo...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Terence A. Hockenhull Occasionally, individuals who are in a position to make an instant decision without recourse to others in the same company attend sales meetings. However, as most...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Nanette Franco-Diyco I was addressing a group of women, most of them mothers with children about to embark on their grand summer vacation. I touched on the continuing responsibility of...

WEEKENDER: travel.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Sarwell Q. Meniano Tacloban City - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here has drawn up a plan to protect, develop and manage the Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge in...

WEEKENDER: travel.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Summer Spree at Somerset Somerset of the Ascott Group offers a summer spree package which covers three days and two nights of summer bliss right in the heart of the city. It also includes the...

WEEKENDER.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) PERFORMANCES Carmen. Saturdays until May, 7:30 p.m. Aliw Theater, Star City, CCP Complex. Ballet Manila presents Carmen with Lisa Macuja Elizalde in the title role. Ballet at the Mall....

WEEKENDER: hot this week.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Anna Barbara L. Lorenzo Forget about half-fish and half-human creatures, or freaks with three heads. Compagnie XY is a circus all right, but it brings performances with the signature...

WEEKENDER: hot this week.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CONCERT M.Y.M.P. In Love March 31, 8:30 p.m. The Centerstage, SM Southmall Almanza Alabang-Zapote, National Road, Las Pinas City What started as a way...

Cebu business event goes to Manila.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Riding on the success of Cebu's recent hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the Cebu Business Month (CBM) was formally brought to Manila in ceremonies held at the Makati...

Cisco unveils latest application.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Cisco recently unveiled the Cisco Unified Communications System 6.0, a comprehensive communications system for voice, video, and data. This new product introduces capabilities expected to...

Sedona named 'Best Minivan'.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) The Kia Sedona, called "Carnival" in some markets, was named "Best Minivan" by MotorWeek during its 2007 Drivers' Choice Awards. The recognition marks the first time Kia has received a Drivers'...

BRIEFS.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Lenten musical The Greenhills Christian Fellowship (GCF) is presenting "My Utmost for His Highest," an Easter cantata presentation in time for the Lenten Season. It is based on the Christian classic...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Perez Optical Perez Optical recently opened a branch at Eastwood City's Citywalk 2 in Libis. The optical shop offers a vast assortment of optical products ranging from colored lenses, eye glasses,...

QTV-11 sharpens its focus.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno From slippers to flip-flops. That is how GMA Network Inc. describes the change in its sister channel, Quality Television (QTV)-11, which steps into a stylish new look to...

TAKE TEN.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Behn Cervantes When chum Nestor was to appear in the colorful role of Fagin in Ateneo's production of the well-loved West End musical Oliver, I asked who was playing Nancy. After all, the...

RCBC eyes acquisitions to keep rank.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Paolo Joseph L. Lising Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) plans to buy smaller banks under its five-year expansion plan as it tries to increase assets and maximize profits. RCBC...

BPI eyes 10%-12% income rise.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ma. Eloisa I. Calderon Second-largest lender Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) expects its net income to grow by 10% to 12% this year, bullish on prospects of increased loan volume and...

Stocks dip, track correction on Wall Street.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Allan E. Lalisan Share prices yesterday finished lower in response to a strong correc- tion in US markets overnight, quelling investors' enthusiasm over the listing of additional shares by...

CHESS PIECE.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Bobby Ang The Xavier chess team is organizing an 18-hour advanced chess clinic to be held at Xavier School (Greenhills, San Juan) starting April 9th. The clinic was originally meant to serve...

THE HOARSE WHISPERER.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Jenny Ortuoste You've seen it on cable TV or even live - horses galloping around an oval track, their hooves kicking up sand, their manes and tails flying in the wind as they chase victory....

COURTSIDE.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Another loss, another pining. That's how it has been for the Miami Heat, who, with a poor effort in Toronto yesterday, once again showed why they have become the National...

GIVE AND GO.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo As serious as the allegations lodged against him are, we should still cut some slack for pool champion Ronnie Alcano. That is, until there is clear evidence finding...

68,000 bets beat deadline.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ira May Joyce P. Pedrasa Some 68,000 candidates for the local elections would have trooped to the different Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices nationwide until 12 a.m. today, the...

Militant group SJS wants oil firms out.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Paul C.H. How Militant group Social Justice Society (SJS) is asking the Supreme Court to affirm its March 7 decision requiring oil companies to stop operations within the Pandacan area in...

Evidence vs Satur justifies arrest - SolGen.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Paul C.H. How The Office of the Solicitor General (SolGen) maintains that evidence against Bayan Muna Rep. Saturnino C. Ocampo is strong enough to justify the murder charges against him, for...

May 14 elections an acid test of credibility, trustworthiness.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero More than two decades after they gathered along Epifanio de los Santos Ave. (EDSA) to defend democracy through extra-constitutional means, Filipinos will choose...

April meets set for halal standards.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Darwin T. Wee Zamboanga City - The National Inter-Agency Committee on Halal will start a series of consultation meetings in April in preparation for the formulation of the Philippine...

Sugar millers briefed on their benefits.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Nanette L. Guadalquiver Bacolod City - Representatives from the sugar millers sector in Negros Occidental were briefed on the guidelines to the implementation of the Employees' Compensation...

IN THE WORKPLACE.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Reylito A.H. Elbo I am an ordinary employee in one major Japanese company who is surprised at the way our operations manager is pushing for the cause of the employees' union where I'm also a...

Mindanao rural development thrust to get $84-million World Bank loans.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) The World Bank will provide another 83.752 million in loans to complete the second phase of the Mindanao Rural Development Program, or MRDP2. In a statement, the World Bank said its Board of...

PSALM writes off P5.78 billion worth of electric cooperatives' loans.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) has written off a total of P5.78 billion worth of loans of electric cooperatives from the government as of February 28, a move that may...

Biliran ceramics industry gets gov't help.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Reyan L. Arinto Tacloban - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Eastern Visayas has revived programs that designed to raise production and intensify marketing of ceramic products...

Palace seeks to prod ship industry growth.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Josefa Labay Cagoco Malacanang has ordered the Department of Transportation and Communications, through its arm the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), to lead in crafting a prospective...

Large taxpayers service pushing shift towards industries-based.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Judy T. Gulane The Bureau of Internal Revenue plans to restructure its Large Taxpayers Service (LTS) according to key industries in order to improve its monitoring of the country's top...

Poultry exports rise 33.8%.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Beverly T. Natividad Poultry meat exports rose 33.8% in February from January, driven by shipments to Japan. Data obtained from the Department of Agriculture-attached Bureau of Animal...

Southeast Asia starts drafting fruits, vegetables standards.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Geefee P. Alba Cagayan de Oro - Agriculture officials from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have started drafting regional standards for fruits and...

LEFT FIELD.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Antonio R. Samson Broadway is a long street in Manhattan that intersects 10 avenues. Like other places that stand for the type of shops that concentrate there (Banawe for auto spare parts,...

VECTOR.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Sonny Coloma "When I get old and losing my hair, many years from now...Will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine...I could be handy mending a fuse, who...

ONE MAN'S MEAT.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Benjamin G. Defensor This is the third installment of a discussion on the business of education by Dr. Emilio T. Antonio. To introduce his discussion, Dr. Antonio said education is "a public...

RULE OF LAW.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Basilio H. Alo Sometimes it's hard to comprehend the realities behind the independent surveys showing how poverty is at a record high of 53% while a government- funded ad shows how the six...

STREETWISE.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo The truth has a sure, if painfully slow, way of coming out in the open. In the past couple of weeks, two highly significant events in the international arena, taking...

City's autonomy upheld.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Josefa Labay Cagoco President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has upheld Puerto Princesa City's bid for autonomy by after declaring it a highly urbanized city through proclamation 1264. The...

Lopez firm to raise P5 billion for capex, acquisitions.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales First Philippine Holdings Corp. (First Holdings), the listed holding company of the Lopez group, will issue up to P5 billion in fixed rate corporate notes, proceeds...

Ascott renovates former Oakwood property, looks for more investments.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ruby Anne M. Rubio Singapore-based The Ascott Group will spend up to $4.6 million for the renovation of its first serviced residence in the country that will carry the Ascott brand, Ascott...

Korean firm bags P542-M contract to expand substations.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales The National Transmission Corp. (Transco) has awarded a P542.2-million supply contract to Korean Iljin Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. for the expansion of its six...

Yuchengco school allocates P1B for new Laguna campus.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Bernardette S. Sto. Domingo Yuchengco-led Malayan Colleges Laguna, Inc., is planning to invest more than a billion pesos for the completion of a new academic institution in a sprawling...

McDonald's owner gets refund.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Paul C.H. How The Court of Tax Appeals has granted George T. Yang-led Golden Arches Development Corp. a P48.9-million refund or tax credit certificate for excess creditable withholding taxes...

BUSINESS CASE LAW.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Judge Artemio S. Tipon (Ret.) Under the Corporation Code, where a corporation is an injured party, its power to sue is lodged with its board of directors or trustees. But an individual...

Hyundai lineup.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. has expanded its lineup of vehicles in the Philippines to 12, introducing a sedan, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a sports car to the local market. At the Manila...

Blocked application.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Eastern Telecommunications Phils. Inc. (ETPI) of businessman Roberto V. Ongpin, is blocking the application of coastal station operator Zenith Telecommunications Co. to roll out a radio communications...

Expanded presence.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Robinsons Homes, Inc. will expand its presence in the Ilocos region after it entered into a joint venture with 5-Sisters Trading Ventures Corp. owned by the Juan family from Laoag City. In a statement,...

Dividends, refinancing.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) For the first time in three years, Lopez-led ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. will issue cash dividends to its shareholders and refinance $85 million in outstanding loan. In a disclosure to the stock exchange,...

'Slight' deficits seen after 2008 (To allow for more infrastructure.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Judy T. Gulane The government will forgo budget surpluses in 2009 and 2010 and may even consider incurring "manageable" deficits during these years just to increase infrastructure spending,...

Progress made in trade talks, negotiator says.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Reagan D. Tan The stance of poorer countries on key farm issues appears to be more acceptable to the European Union (EU), raising the possibility of a breakthrough in global trade talks, but...

Adverse impact of VAT minimal - IMF (... but mitigation measures need.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Judy T. Gulane The poor were not adversely affected by value-added tax (VAT) reforms pushed through by the government, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said, as their incomes were...

Meralco nets P13.88 billion n turnaround.
March 30, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Iris Cecilia C. Gonzales Manila Electric Co., the country's largest power distributor, yesterday reported a net income of P13.88 billion for 2006, a turnaround from a restated P207-million...

Rural banks may invest in unrelated firms.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Rural and cooperative banks may now invest in unrelated businesses, a policy that is expected to allow these banks to get rid of their bad assets. In a circular, the central bank said these banks...

Cashew nuts producer gets help from US-funded program.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Michael D. Banos Cagayan de Oro City - Rosie Bilog never dreamed she would one day be rubbing shoulders with the ambassador of the world's most powerful country. Like many of her...

US women boost mat-weaving trade in Sarangani.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento General Santos City - A group of American women has extended assistance to their indigenous counterparts in Malapatan, Sarangani, in a bid to bolster their mat-weaving...

Government eyes more abaca farms in Samar to offset losses.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Sarwell Q. Meniano Tacloban City - The Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) plans to plant abaca in an additional 1,150 hectares of farms in Samar to offset the losses due to abaca...

Perk up.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee The name Coffee World Lifestyle Cafe might not ring a bell for most coffee drinkers but the people behind the cafes at the SM Mall of Asia and SM Southmall have been in the...

Shares track Wall Street's slide overnight.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: AFP with Allan E. Lalisan Share prices closed lower yesterday as they tracked Wall Street's weaker performance overnight. Analysts said the market would continue to see low turnover at...

International summer school tackles urbanization in region.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Michael D. Banos Cagayan de Oro - Asian and German academics and professionals are undergoing an international summer school at this city's South East Asian Rural Social Leadership Institute...

Ayala Land to build science museum in Bonifacio Global City.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ruby Anne M. Rubio After promoting culture through historical and contemporary art exhibitions and museum events through the Ayala Museum in Makati City, the Ayala Corp. is looking at...

Agency allots P908 million for housing loans.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ruby Anne M. Rubio Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), a government firm catering to the housing needs of the poor will release P907.5 million in group housing loans to finance the...

Resident seeks restraining order against Avida's QC project.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Ruby Anne M. Rubio A resident wants the Makati Regional Court to stop the construction of five 22-storey towers by Avida Land, Inc., a wholly owned unit of Ayala Land, Inc., at Boni Serrano...

STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Rene B. Azurin I need to disagree with Mr. Washington SyCip. Although he does not spell out exactly what political freedoms he would sacrifice on the altar of economic growth, he does make...

Salceda to run for governor.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Josefa Labay Cagoco After barely two months in office, Presidential Chief-of-Staff and outgoing Albay Rep. Joey S. Salceda has decided to leave Malacanang to run for governor in his...

Task forces to handle cases.
March 29, 2007... (From BusinessWorld (Philippines)) Byline: Paul C.H. How President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Department of Justice to form task forces composed of regional state prosecutors to handle cases on the continued spate of...