BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from October 2009

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from October 2009

WEEKENDER.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo Somewhere in Romania, Vlad Dracul Tepes is turning over in his grave. The vampire, a creature partly based on his reputation as a sadistic torturer fond of shoving oiled stakes up anuses, has been reduced to a sparkly...

WEEKENDER: going out/movies.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo CONCERT Pirates, Mermaids & Musical Treasures: A Halloween Family Concert Metro Manila Community Orchestra Oct. 30, 6 p.m. Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Blvd.,...

WEEKENDER: going out/movies.
October 30, 2009... Mardi Gras Halloween. Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Enchanted Kingdom, Santa Rosa, Laguna. Kids ages 0-19 who come in full costume inspired by any of EK's themed zones get free park entrance. Plus, the one who sports the best costume will...

WEEKENDER: going out/movies.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Mira B. Gloria MOVIE REVIEW Patient X Directed by Yam Laranas I can't help but blame the makers of The Blair Witch Project for giving Yam Laranas the idea that he, too, can make a series of shaky video shoots and charge movie...

WEEKENDER: movies.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete MOVIE REVIEW This Is It Directed by Kenny Ortega A minute into This Is It, and you're reminded that Michael Jackson (MJ) is a source of inspiration for the creative folk, his dancers and musicians; two...

WEEKENDER: environment.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - A Filipino-Korean consortium is offering solid waste-to- energy technology to the Iloilo city government to address its garbage disposal problems. The consortium, composed of South Korea's...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CD REVIEW Michael Jackson: The Stripped Mixes MCA Music Despite his legal woes and years of bad press, legendary king of pop Michael Jackson remained the idol of his loyal fans, even after his sudden death...

WEEKENDER: health.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete Weight management is one important aspect of being physically fit and having a healthy self-esteem, so it's not surprising that when faced with the particularly daunting task of losing weight, a little...

WEEKENDER: health.
October 30, 2009... Executive check-up Today's fast-paced lifestyle leads to stress. With the daily deadlines, demands and hassles that come with a highly competitive job, stress has become a way of life for some people. Stress in small doses is not bad and in...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee The brain truly is an amazing organ. By allowing your mind to wander, you can come up with the most interesting things. Inventors and designers can easily relate to this and while it may seem like they're always...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Nanette Franco- Diyco There are at least two long-standing successful advertising campaigns on television that clearly shout happiness. One is Coke of McCann Erickson which has been trumpeting that a bottle of Coke can cause a...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 30, 2009... Flawless promotion Flawless, the aesthetic clinic, is determined to make the dream of having their own billboard a reality for two lucky patients with its latest campaign entitled "Picture Flawless." For a minimum purchase of P1,800 at any...

WEEKENDER: travel.
October 30, 2009... Shangri-La Boracay Shangri-La's Boracay Resort & Spa introduces a distinct Boracay experience with the unveiling of the loft and tree house villas, the final addition to the resort's line-up of 219 luxurious rooms and villas. Perched on a...

WEEKENDER.
October 30, 2009... PERFORMANCES Jack and the Beanstalk. Until Dec. 10. Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati. Repertory Philippines' children's musical is the award-winning Prince Street Player's Ltd. production. Baby Barredo and Joy Virata direct the performances....

WEEKENDER: travel.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Johanna D. Poblete The past is still very much present in progressive Iloilo. Old buildings have been converted into banks, restaurants or schools (although century-old structures like the University of San Agustin from 1906 and the...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Corporate Social Responsibility.
October 30, 2009... four years ago, Joey Concepcion found his ideal advocacy: make new entrepreneurs out of the impoverished. The president and CEO of food and beverage conglomerate RFM Corp. helped put up the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), a...

Popular Economics.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Alria M. Ventanilla The year 2009 saw portfolio investments flooding emerging markets as the excess liquidity from governments that ran stimulus packages vis-a-vis a low interest rate environment forced investors to look for other...

Peso skids as dollar firms.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Gerard S. dela Pena The peso extended its decline against the dollar to close at its weakest in almost five weeks as market players continued to buy back dollars while weak economic data from the US stoked risk aversion among...

Heavy falls on Wall Street pull down prices.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Share prices succumbed to selling pressure yesterday after US stocks dived over fears that economic recovery is not as near as expected. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index tumbled by 1.57% or 45.88...

COURTSIDE.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong I can't get enough of basketball books. Back when I was just in grade school and starting my lifelong love affair with the sport, I went through tomes upon tomes of encyclopedias and registers, devouring all things...

GIVE AND GO.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo The 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association is about three weeks old and so far it has been an interesting, albeit mixed, start for the entire field, with some teams out on a fast start and...

CHESS PIECE.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Bobby Ang NCAA CHESS (Seniors) School year 2009-2010 Final Standings Champion. Letran College (CSJL). 2nd place DLS-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB). 3rd place San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R). 4th place Mapua...

Mabuhay Miles Golf set Nov. 6 at Eagle Ridge.
October 30, 2009... GEN. TRIAS, Cavite - A topnotch field of over 300 golfers comprising company chief executives, presidents and other captains of business and industry will suit up on Nov. 6 for the 2009 Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational at the Eagle Ridge Golf...

IBM, university link for jobs.
October 30, 2009... IBM and Angeles University Foundation (AUF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the development of a services science university curriculum that will support the nation's specialized human resource needed in the services industry. ...

Sanctuarium eases the pain of grief.
October 30, 2009... Sanctuarium, located at Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, makes life easier for the bereaved with a full range of services from the time of death to the burial. Sanctuarium offers religious services for Catholics, Christians and Buddhists. There...

Victory Liner cited as 'Baguio Builder'.
October 30, 2009... As the summer capital of Philippines marks its centennial year this year, one of the highlights of the celebration is the "Builders of Baguio" awards - a compendium of 100 of the most important people and organizations who have greatly...

PEOPLE.
October 30, 2009... MAP Management Men for 2009 named Antonio "Tony" T. Aquino, president and chief executive of Ayala Land and former president of Manila Water Co.; and Dr. Jesus "Jess" P. Estanislao, chairman of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and...

BRIEFS.
October 30, 2009... Forum scheduled As part of its thrust towards promoting good governance in our country, the World Bank in partnership with the Ateneo School of Government, Asian Institute of Management-Center for Development Management and the Kaya Natin!...

TAKE TEN.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Behn Cervantes I am a daring soul. Since the prospect of enjoying far-away places with strange-sounding names is far more attractive than a few hours of discomfiture, I will dare a long trip in a public vehicle. The farther the...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Corporate Social Responsibility.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida Its critics call it window dressing. But being branded a public relations device has not stopped corporate social responsibility from flourishing in the country. Marketing mechanism or not, local companies are...

VANTAGE POINT.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Luis V. Teodoro Aconference among lawyers and journalists from several Asian countries including the Philippines is concluding in Cebu. Sponsored by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) through the London-based Open Society...

VECTOR.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Sonny Coloma It used to be the other way around: think global, act local. Not anymore, said Harish Manwani, Unilever's president for Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, at last month's human capital summit held in Singapore. ...

FENCE SITTER.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Antonio R. Samson All efforts of any political campaign center on the achievement of popularity (and electability) reflected in the survey results. Being front- runner seems to bring in all sorts of advantages that include...

STREETWISE.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo Yesterday, Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero, a popular contender in the May 2010 presidential elections, resigned from his party, the National People's Coalition, in a clear bid to distance himself from NPC Chair,...

RULE OF LAW.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Augusto R. Bundang I don't know if the recent typhoons would alter the dynamics of the current presidential race. Prior to the onslaught of Ondoy and Pepeng, Noynoy Aquino still led the pack, garnering as high as 60% preference...

TRADE TRIPPER.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jemy Gatdula Was thinking about writing something in relation to Halloween and horror movies but decided not to. Instead, here's something even more boringly scarifying: the intricacies behind the concept of "public interest" in trade...

IN THE WORKPLACE.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Reylito A.H. Elbo One of our department managers, a 40-something guy, keeps on hiring agency workers even if it appears that there's no job waiting for them. I can't understand why he's doing it. He was able to convince our CEO that...

Gov't grants contract to British miner.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales The government has allowed a British miner to fully own and operate a gold and molybdenum mine in Northern Luzon, the fourth such arrangement under a landmark law that allowed foreigners to exploit the country's...

SEC approves Megaworld's sale of up to P5B in bonds.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon CORPORATE REGULATORS have approved the plan of listed property firm Megaworld Corp. to sell up to P5 billion worth of bonds to partially fund the development of its latest project, the North Bonifacio in Taguig. ...

Benguet unit inks nickel deal with Sinophil.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales A subsidiary of listed Benguet Corp., BenguetCorp Nickel Mines, Inc., has signed an agreement with another miner for a nickel project in Zambales. "Wholly owned subsidiary BenguetCorp signed [on Oct. 28] an...

Manila Jockey Club in fund-raising exercise.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Listed Manila Jockey Club, Inc. will be raising money by selling new shares to existing stockholders. In a disclosure yesterday, Manila Jockey Club said its board had approved a stock rights offering where...

Petron seeking zero tariff on crude oil.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa Oil refiner Petron Corp. has petitioned the government to eliminate tariffs on crude oil, a raw material, the Tariff Commission yesterday said. A Petron spokesperson confirmed this, explaining that such a...

Family-owned firms not exempted from following rules for derivative.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Ira P. Pedrasa The Supreme Court has clarified anew the rules before a stockholder can file a "derivative" suit before the courts. A derivative suit is a case instituted by a shareholder on behalf of a corporation. The complaint is...

Electric cooperative financier eyes more loans for members.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Don Gil K. Carreon The Rural Electrification Financing Corp., (REFC) a firm set up by electric cooperatives to provide members an additional financing source, hiked its capital by half to P300 million, in anticipation of more...

Meralco, Smart tie up for announcements.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jose Bimbo F. Santos Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) unit Smart Communications, Inc. will launch a new service in a move that could further strengthen the telecom company's top position....

Nationalist People's Coalition open to backing other bets.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Bernard U. Allauigan and Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) has decided not to field a presidential candidate in next year's elections following the resignation of its presumptive bet, Senator Francis...

PPCRV OK'd as citizen's arm.
October 30, 2009... The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) as citizen's arm for next year's elections. In Resolution SPP 09-299 promulgated on Oct. 26, the poll body said the group has...

Arroyo to act on results of peace consultations.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said she would act on results of peace process consultations held by the Bishop- Ulama Conference that were presented during her visit here. "We would...

Typhoon Santi threatening to hit Central Luzon, Metro Manila.
October 30, 2009... Typhoon Santi (international name: Mirinae) is expected to make landfall over Aurora-northern Quezon tomorrow morning, with Metro Manila experiencing stormy weather Friday night and Central Luzon likely bearing the brunt, the Philippine...

Flood warning system up in Q1 - PAGASA.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Adriel M. Paglinawan The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), seeking to mitigate flooding in Metro Manila, is targeting to operationalize a flood warning system by the first quarter...

Tariff cuts for auto parts to be delayed.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa CAR PART MAKERS will enjoy continued protection from competing Japanese imports next year as several products will likely be exempted from a round of tariff cuts under a bilateral pact, Trade Senior...

Awarding of contract to operate Batangas Port targeted by yearend.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David THE PORT management office of Batangas said that it hopes to award the contract to operate the second phase of its base port by the end of the year. In a press briefing yesterday, Batangas port manager Alex T....

Government pays more debts as of September.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero THE GOVERNMENT paid more debts as of September as it raised its deficit ceiling to sustain economic pump-priming efforts. Treasury bureau data released yesterday showed that debt service as of end-September...

BoC to bid out work to build x-ray covers.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Alexis Douglas B. Romero THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) is bidding out a P55.84-million contract for the construction of four radiation-protected containers for x-ray machines. Verne Y. Enciso, special assistant of Customs...

Philippines to stay a net rice importer unless mills are upgraded.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Marites S. Villamor MACTAN, CEBU - Unless rice mills are upgraded nationwide, a trader- miller warned in a forum here that the Philippines will find it difficult to achieve self-sufficiency and could remain a net rice importer...

UBS keeps outlook for RP.
October 30, 2009... In a research note dated Oct. 28, Swiss banking giant UBS said it has kept growth projections for most Southeast Asian economies, with the Philippines to grow by 1.3% this year. But Philippine growth for next year was revised to 5% from 4.6%....

Not enough for MDGs.
October 30, 2009... Declining tax collections could pose a "serious problem" to the Philippines' efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, Joseph T. Yap, president of state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)...

Households cut costs.
October 30, 2009... Filipino households affected by the global financial crisis adopted cost-cutting measures such as borrowing, pawning and selling assets, taking children out of school, and shifting to state health centers and hospitals to cope, the Philippine...

Five-year broad agreement on relations with China inked.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Bernardette S. Sto. Domingo with AFP Manila and Beijing yesterday signed an agreement that laid out the general strategic direction of relations over the next five years, a pact that would essentially be implemented by the new...

Gun amnesty program extension proposed.
October 30, 2009... The Philippine National Police (PNP) has sought a one-month extension of the gun amnesty period that set to end on Oct. 31 to allow loose firearms owners in storm-hit areas to avail of the scheme. The PNP, through Interior Secretary and...

Holiday pay rules issued.
October 30, 2009... THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment yesterday released pay rules for holidays in November. In a statement yesterday, Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque said workers who will report on Nov. 1 and 2 are entitled to 130% of the daily rate for...

State should provide detailed child well-being data: think tank.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Benjamin V. Buco Jr. The government should create a database on child wellbeing indicators to provide a clearer picture of poor children at the local level, a new report prepared by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies...

Metro Manila police on full alert for holidays.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Bernard U. Allauigan Metro Manila police are on full alert starting today as thousands are expected to flock to cemeteries and columbaria for All Saints' and All Souls' days on Nov. 1-2. A total of 15,000 policemen will be deployed...

House bill seeks construction of dam.
October 30, 2009... A House bill has been filed providing for funds to construct, operate and maintain another dam in Bulacan province north of Metro Manila. House Bill (HB) 6879 authored by Bulacan Reps. Ma. Victoria R. Sy- Alvarado (1st district), Pedro M....

Filipina killed.
October 30, 2009... A FILIPINA election worker was among five United Nations workers killed in a Taliban suicide attack in Afghanistan's capital, the Foreign Affairs department said yesterday. The woman was identified as 40-year-old Jossie Esto, an election...

License suspended.
October 30, 2009... THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had suspended the license of Dagupan Bus Lines after one of its units was involved in a freak accident last Tuesday in Isabela province that killed eight persons. In a telephone...

Orders scrapped.
October 30, 2009... THE BUREAU of Immigration (BI) has declared as obsolete all watch list orders that have been issued at least five years ago. In a memorandum circular dated Sept. 24, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan said: "Due to the considerable...

System review sought.
October 30, 2009... DAVAO CITY - The autonomous Muslim region needs to review its justice system to allow local government units to adopt unconventional ways to settle disputes, a civil society leader told local media. Guiamel M. Alim, executive director of...

Business community bucks fuel price freeze.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Jessica Anne D. Hermosa Business groups have joined the chorus of oil firms opposing a fuel price freeze, warning that market interventions - now becoming more frequent - will scare off investors and cause a supply shortage. Some...

IMF says Asia taking the lead as world recovers.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Paolo Luis G. Montecillo Asia-Pacific countries like the Philippines need to look for new areas of growth to ensure that their economies stay vibrant, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. The region, the multilateral lender...

Controls to stay until rescinded by Malacanang.
October 30, 2009... A Malacanang-ordered cap on fuel prices in Luzon will remain in effect until revoked by the president, rules governing the directive said. An Energy department circular containing the implementing rules also said that oil industry players,...

Remittances to lose their luster.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Paolo Luis G. Montecillo Remittances from migrant workers will remain a major growth driver in the medium term but could lose significance after, the chief of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) said. DBP President...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 30, 2009... Byline: Terence A. Hockenhull A visit to any of the local hardware stores located within malls will find a number of young men standing behind tables demonstrating everything from wonder glue to stay-sharp knives. Armed with little more than...

SPECIAL FEATURE: health guide.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Katrina Paola B. Alvarez Maybe it's a cough that won't go away. Maybe it's a recurring rash, or an odd facial tic. Or maybe it's just a personal hunch that something is wrong. For most people, a stubborn discomfort means it's time...

SPECIAL FEATURE: health guide.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Bernice Marie V. Berida Eating healthy has gotten a tad more appealing. Knocking on the metro's diet-conscious doorsteps is The Sexy Chef, a food delivery service owned by sisters Rachel and Barni Alejandro. The duo prepares dishes...

SPECIAL FEATURE: health guide.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Hannah M. Muralla Most cancers are preventable, but most cases are also not diagnosed until they are already in their advanced, incurable stages. There are simple ways to pinpoint the earliest signs of the illness, symptoms that when...

SPECIAL FEATURE: health guide.
October 29, 2009... Top 10. The most common cancers in the Philippines, according to a study cited by Dr. Trixie Tiangco of The Medical City Cancer Center, are lungs, breast, liver, cervix (for women), prostate (for men), stomach, colon, oral cavity, rectum, and...

Spooky happenings.
October 29, 2009... Pumpkins, ghouls and ghosts populate hotels and restaurants as they hold a variety of Halloween promos ranging from special dishes to overnight stays and parties. At the InterContinental Manila, there will be special room packages and a...

PSEi retreats for second day on lack of news.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Kristine Jane R. Liu Share prices fell for the second straight time yesterday as investors stayed out of the market due to lack of leads, analysts said. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) lost 0.93% or 27.53...

COURTSIDE.
October 29, 2009... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Cavaliers fans could not believe their eyes. They had just witnessed their stalwarts lose on the first game of the 2009-10 campaign, not exactly the beginning the immediate-past Eastern Conference finalists...

DPWH prepares for All Saints' Day, launches assistance scheme.
October 29, 2009... In preparation for the expected influx of motorists going to their respective provinces to commemorate All Saints' Day, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assured that all national roads are well- maintained and free from any...

Airbus A318 Elite passes milestone of 10th aircraft delivery.
October 29, 2009... Airbus' A318 Elite has successfully passed the milestone of its 10th aircraft delivery, highlighting the widespread and growing appeal of this new member of the family, which was launched less than four years ago, in November 2005. The A318...

CONSUMER GUIDE.
October 29, 2009... Oakwood Premier offers weekend getaway Experience the comforts of the new Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center in Ortigas where every Friday and Saturday, guests can enjoy a two-night stay for just the price of one. Rates begin at P6,500 for...

BRIEFS.
October 29, 2009... Application starts Filipino World War II (WWII) veterans have until Feb. 16, 2010 to file their claims for the FVEC benefit that was included among the many provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed by the US...