BusinessWorld (Philippines) articles from October 2011

BusinessWorld (Philippines) archives from October 2011

SPECIAL FEATURE: Era of Revolutionized Smartphone.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Anna Patricia G. Valerio SIRI, the speech recognition application that the recently launched iPhone 4s comes with, has proven that a phone could also be a personal assistant to anyone who might have doubted it. The introduction of...

WEALTH MANAGER.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Judy Dannibelle T. Chua Co Recommendation: Buy on dip ANGPING & Associates Securities, Inc. has placed a "buy on dip" tag on Energy Development Corp. shares, citing market volatility due to this week's shortened trading period....

WEALTH MANAGER.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Mariae Francesca C. Ramos Recommendation: Trading buy SHARES in Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) have received a "trading buy" tag from Wealth Securities, Inc., following the completion of the telco's acquisition of JG...

Charity is now in fashion.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee Followers of local fashion were spoiled for choice this month with a series of shows scheduled throughout October. Designer Inno Sotto and his team spearheaded the weekly Fashion Watch Quartet while brothers Audie...

TAKE TEN.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Behn Cervantes We were in our 20s then when we excitedly flew to Honolulu as East West Center scholars. Fr. Dever must have been middle-aged then but we felt young in relation to his pre-World War II era. When we returned to teach in...

Fashion Watch Quartet Of gardens and the Mediterranean.
October 31, 2011... Byline: camille Erika R. Sarte Philippine Fashion Watch Quartet held its last two shows last week - right in the middle of the ongoing Philippine Fashion Week. The Fashion Watch shows featured three designers. First to show last Monday was...

International Bazaar set for Nov. 20.
October 31, 2011... THE ANNUAL International Bazaar will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forums I, II and III at the CCP Complex on Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The bazaar is an annual event where imported and local goods are sold...

CHESS PIECE.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Bobby Ang I recently bought a nice wooden chessboard with pieces from "New in Chess". It was quite attractive and I laid out all the pieces on the board to get the general view of the board. Suddenly, after a few minutes of just...

COURTSIDE.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Anthony L. Cuaycong Nope, the Cardinals weren't perfect. Were they made for destiny from the get-go, they would have led Major League Baseball in regular-season wins, and then swept through the playoffs as if the championship were...

College hoops: San Beda back-to-back NCAA champion.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Michael Angelo S. Murillo THE MENDIOLA area in Manila is once again the center of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball. This, as the San Beda Red Lions were crowned as the champions of the country's oldest...

Hot money slows in Oct.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales HOT MONEY inflows further slowed in the first two weeks of October as the euro zone debt crisis continued to rattle investors. Central bank data showed that net inflows of foreign portfolio investments,...

DBP loans climb 18% as of September.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Ann Rozainne R. Gregorio STATE-RUN Development Bank of the Philippines' (DBP) loan releases rose by 18% in the nine months to September as it continued to exercise its mandate of extending financing for development projects. In a...

FMIC eyes P7B from 5-year bonds as it readies debt sale.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Ann Gregorio FIRST METRO Investment Corp. (FMIC) will begin issuing five-year bonds beginning this Thursday as it launches its first debt sale to lengthen its debt maturity profile. "We will launch the debt sale on Nov. 3. An...

YIELD TRACKER.
October 31, 2011... DEBT YIELDS rallied across the board last week as the Philippine government managed to keep the fiscal deficit low while Europe came up with a plan to contain its debt crisis. Yields on government securities went down by an average 36.21...

Sectoral indices jump on EU news, profits.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Franz Jonathan G. de la Fuente ALL SECTORS advanced last week as confidence rose after euro zone leaders approved a plan to address a crippling debt crisis and amid indications of healthy corporate earnings in the third quarter. ...

Landbank Visayas to add more ATMs.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Sarwell Q. Meniano TACLOBAN CITY - State-run Land Bank of the Philippines plans to set up 14 more automated teller machines (ATMs) in Eastern Visayas by the end of 2012 to cope with a projected increase in transactions. Landbank...

Government subsidies grow to P1.7 billion in September.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Diane Claire J. Jiao THE GOVERNMENT has released a total of P1.708 billion in subsidies in September, more than five times the P319 million posted the year prior, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed. Subsidies now total...

Furniture exports to China likely to increase.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Eliza J. Diaz TRADE FAIR servicing firm Fairs & More, Inc. (FMI) expects furniture exports to China doubling in three years, citing the East Asian economy's growing import market. The forecast came after the 17th China...

Bureau allots P237.5 million to establish fish farms, mangrove areas.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Louella D. Desiderio THE BUREAU of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is spending P237.5 million to establish mangrove areas and fish farms in coastal communities in the country to promote municipal fish production and provide...

Food exporters seek permanent sugar allocation.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Eliza J. Diaz THE EXPORT Development Council (EDC) has asked the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to give food exporters a permanent allocation of the sweetener in a bid to enhance the industry's global market competitiveness, a...

Iloilo City to collect P163M less in real property taxes.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Francis Allan L. Angelo ILOILO CITY - The Iloilo city government will lose the opportunity to earn P163 million more with its decision to fully implement the 2006 real property tax schedule instead of imposing half of the proposed...

Delinquent taxpayers in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, get reprieve.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Antonio Siegfrid O. Alegado DELINQUENT REAL property taxpayers in the city of Sta. Rosa, Laguna, will be allowed to pay all their accrued taxes and penalties on installment basis, a resolution approved on Oct. 17 and published in a...

Policy setting still appropriate - BSP (Rates likely to stay unchanged.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Neil Jerome C. Morales MONETARY authorities could keep key rates on hold for the rest of the year barring major natural disasters, with the central bank governor citing manageable inflation. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is...

Duty-free corn importation sought to avert supply woes.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Louella D. Desiderio FEED MILLERS are requesting for a permit from the Department of Agriculture (DA) to be allowed to import corn at zero tariff for the first quarter of next year, citing an increase in corn prices due to typhoons...

Sultan Kudarat aims to boost coffee production.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Romer S. Sarmiento TACURONG CITY - In a bid to narrow the gap in the country's coffee supply shortfall, Sultan Kudarat is holding the first Region 12 Coffee Congress to discuss ways to improve production and increase investments in...

Port's limited space hurting Davao's Customs collections.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - The Bureau of Customs' district office is facing space constraint in its desire to increase collections noting facilities of the Philippine Ports Authority for cargo containers are not only crowded...

SUITS THE C-SUITE.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Cirilo P. Noel The world is constantly changing, characterized by the volatility and unpredictability of today's complex business environment. Recent global events have placed the world economy at a turning point. These events...

CORPORATE WATCH.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Amelia H. C. Ylagan The celebration of Hallow E'en on October 31 first started in English 16th century. It is the evening (e'en in Olde English) before "All Hallows" or "Hallowmas" ("All Saints' Day"), November 1, the day to honor...

FENCE SITTER.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Antonio R. Samson The Malthusian problem of overpopulation and the limits of space and resources to support it can be understood in microcosm in how we allocate space in our homes. These inner spaces too impose limits to growth. The...

YELLOW PAD.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III I have greatly benefited from being exposed to or being surrounded by good writers. It goes without saying that I like to write. The family is one influence. My late dad was a good writer, though as a...

VESTIGES.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Jose S. Arcilla S. J. In 1884, the Filipinos in Madrid tendered a testimonial dinner to honor Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, two Filipino painters who had won prizes at an exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid. Lopez Jaena...

INTROSPECTIVE.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Romeo L. Bernardo The global outlook has become infinitely gloomier over the past couple of months, with the euro zone in a sovereign debt crisis and the US in what could be another recessionary environment. This puts a heavy cloud...

BEYOND BRUSHSTROKES.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Marivic Rufino It may take a long time to process and to reach the point of awakening. When we discover what is important in life - the value of creating, giving, and contributing. Happiness and abundance come from sharing. "You...

MAP statement of the week.
October 31, 2011... MAP MANAGEMENT MAN OF THE YEAR 2011 The MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (MAP) has selected Mr. ERRAMON I. ABOITIZ, president and CEO of Aboitiz Equity Ventures and Aboitiz Power Corporation, as the "MAP Management Man of the Year...

SM Retail in talks to lure more foreign brands.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Cliff Harvey C. Venzon THE RETAIL arm of SM Investments Corp. is in talks with foreign companies for more partnerships to distribute additional apparel brands in the Philippines, a ranking official said late last week. The new...

Aboitiz holding firm braces for 8.5% net income drop.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Franz Jonathan G. de la Fuente HOLDING FIRM Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. expects to end the year with an 8.5% profit decline from 2010 levels as performance in the second semester will be unable to match that from a year ago, a...

SN-Aboitiz to build new hydro facilities.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Emilia Narni J. David SN-ABOITIZ Power is looking to develop two more hydropower plants in Luzon, an official said last week after inaugurating a rehabilitated plant. The joint venture between Aboitz Power Corp. and Norway's SN...

Coal plant zoning changed.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Carmelito Q. Francisco DAVAO CITY - ABOITIZ POWER Corp. has bagged the approval of the city council here for a proposed zoning change that will allow it to build a 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in the area. The city...

Telco firms told to offer more 'M2M' solutions.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin LOCAL TELCOS are advised to ramp up so-called machine-to-machine (M2M) offerings such as digital bilboards and closed circuit television systems to take advantage of growing demand, a United Kingdom-based...

Surplus in Philippine labor lures physical therapy firm.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Eliza J. Diaz FITNESS AND physical therapy firm Stretch Ltd. is moving its headquarters to the Philippines to capitalize on the surplus of medical professionals as it plans to expand its presence in Asia and the United States, an...

Tanduay allots P1.8 billion for factory upgrades.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Cliff Harvey C. Venzon LIQUOR PRODUCER Tanduay Holdings, Inc. will spend around P1.8 billion in the next two years to upgrade its distillation, bottling, and storage facilities, a ranking official said late last week. The amount...

Penshoppe moves to serve older, more upscale market.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Noemi M. Gonzales THE APPAREL firm behind Penshoppe Clothing is looking to have the brand venture into the upscale market to further grow business on top of expansion plans in the Southeast Asian region, the brand's director said...

Phinma to open 2 more Microtels.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Franz Jonathan G. de la Fuente PHINMA CORP., encouraged by high sales, is looking to expand its Microtel Inns & Suites franchise further by putting up two hotels in Quezon City by next year, officials siad. "There is one going...

Capital hike approved.
October 31, 2011... EAST ASIA Power Resources Corp., the backdoor listing vehicle of Century Properties, Inc., has bagged corporate regulators' approval to increase authorized capital stock to P10 billion from P6 billion, paving the way for the two firms to conduct...

Power project pledged.
October 31, 2011... THE NATIONAL Power Corp. (Napocor) expects a 1-megawatt biomass power plant to rise next year in one of the off-grid areas it manages. Clenergen Philippines Corp. will put up the plant. "One of the companies we talked with, Clenergen, is...

Farm fungus controlled.
October 31, 2011... DAVAO CITY - An agrochemical company claimed it has found a solution to the dreaded Panama disease that has destroyed a fraction of Davao Region's banana farms. Robert T. del Fierro, president of Delfi Agriventures Corp., said a scientist in his...

PEZA ordered to pay contractor.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Nathaniel R. Melican THE SUPREME Court has ordered the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to pay just compensation to a contractor which had to shell out more for the agency's construction project at a time when the state...

Aquino to monitor events from Palace during holidays.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Johanna Paola D. Poblete and Mindanao Bureau PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. C. Aquino III will slow down from the daily grind for the two-day holiday ending tomorrow, a Palace aide said yesterday, taking the time off to review paperwork and...

Malacanang warns coddlers of Ligots.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Johanna Paola D. Poblete CODDLERS OF a former military comptroller and his wife who are facing arrest over tax evasion charges will be held criminally liable, the Palace warned yesterday. Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail F....

Man-made bat cave mulled in Samal.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Joel B. Escovilla DAVAO CITY - The features of a man-made bat cave in Texas is planned to be replicated in Samal Island, the owner of the local bat sanctuary said. Norma I. Monfort, president of the Monfort Bat Sanctuary and...

PNP on top of Bautista slay: Palace.
October 31, 2011... THE PALACE yesterday expressed condolences over the shooting of Ramgen Jose Bautista, son of former senator Ramon Revilla, Sr. and half-brother to Senator Ramon "Bong" B. Revilla, Jr., assuring that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be...

Five dead in truck accident.
October 31, 2011... FIVE PERSONS died and 38 others were injured when a truck fell into a ravine in Mt. Province late Saturday, police said yesterday. Chief Supt. Agrimero A. Cruz, Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson, said in a text message that...

3 militants dead in air raid - military.
October 31, 2011... Byline: AFP and Amilbahar S. Mawallil A MILITARY air strike has killed three extremists from a group linked to al Qaeda in Mindanao, a military spokesman said yesterday. The three members of the Abu Sayyaf group were found dead after air...

Regulator OK's initial toll rates for NAIA Expressway.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin INITIAL TOLL rates for Phase 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Expressway has been approved by the Toll Regulatory Board, according to a bulletin published in a newspaper yesterday. The almost...

Palace awaiting probe result on Basilan attack.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Johanna Paola D. Poblete and Amilbahar S. Mawallil THE PALACE is awaiting results of the military's probe on a recent attack that killed several soldiers in restive Central Mindanao, a Malacanang aide said yesterday, amid threats...

Prosecutor allowance ensured.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Rouchelle R. Dinglasan ADDITIONAL ALLOWANCES for state prosecutors from a portion of fees charged by the Justice department will be included in the proposed budget for next year, the chairman of the Senate finance committee said last...

Transport planning body reorganized.
October 31, 2011... MALACANANG HAS broadened the membership of a transport planning body under the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to include regulatory bodies and the academe in an effort to improve efficiency and implementation of programs. ...

DENR, firm to set boundaries.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Joel B. Escovilla DAVAO CITY - An agreement has been inked between the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and a private firm to undertake a project that will resolve conflicting boundaries...

Global woes to cut growth.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Diane Claire J. Jiao CONTINUING global economic troubles will cut second-half Philippine growth by nearly 1% based on calculations made by planning officials. "The world slowdown, caused by problems in the United States and Europe,...

Four PPP deals to be bid out next year.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Aubrey E. Barrameda FOUR public-private partnership (PPP) projects with an estimated cost of about P24.8 billion are scheduled to be bid out next year by the government. The deals - proposed by the Transportation department -...

P1-B upgrade set for NAIA.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Eliza J. Diaz THE COUNTRY'S Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) - recently reported as being one of the worst in the world - is being readied for a P1-billion upgrade that can be completed within a year, a National...

Fiscal Responsibility Bill Proposed by Government
October 31, 2011... Byline: Noemi M. Gonzales A BILL seeking to temper the legislation of revenue-eroding measures has been submitted by the government to the House of Representatives, a Budget department official said. "It is the executive-sponsored bill,"...

Fare hikes okayed for Singapore Airlines.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin SINGAPORE Airlines Ltd. has been allowed to hike fares for flights from Manila, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) announced during the weekend. "Please be advised that... [Singapore Airlines' request] for...

WEALTH MANAGER.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Malu Dy Buncio Recently, I had the misfortune of being caught in the turmoil caused by the wildcat strike of the PALEA, the employee union at the Philippine Airlines (PAL). As a ninang for a wedding in Cebu, I was scheduled to leave...

WEALTH MANAGER.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Thomas David F. Alejandria Recommendation: Wait to buy AB CAPITAL Securities, Inc. has placed a "wait to buy" tag on shares in Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), saying the stock's price is still high. "Investors should wait for...

WEALTH MANAGER.
October 31, 2011... Byline: J. Albert Gamboa Our world population will officially reach seven billion today. The average life expectancy for the whole of humanity now stands at 68 years old. A high-level event at the United Nations will mark this "Day of 7...

Manila, Taipei to hold air talks before yearend.
October 31, 2011... Byline: Kathleen A. Martin AIR TALKS with Taiwan have been scheduled before the end of the year, a Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) official said, with the Philippines looking to expand its share of the tourist traffic. "We already have...

WEEKENDER.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Camille Erika R. Sarte With the emerging popularity of social media marketing and at least 29,700,000 Internet users (as of June 2009) in the Philippines, it's a no- brainer for even food retailers to turn to virtual shops rather than...

WEEKENDER: going out.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CONCERT MTV End Exploitation and Trafficking (MTV EXIT) Live in Manila Oct. 29, 6 p.m. Concert Grounds, SM Mall of Asia Pasay City Free Admission Human trafficking is defined by the United Nations as...

WEEKENDER: going out.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno CONCERT Jason Mraz: Special Acoustic Evening with Toca Rivera Oct. 30, 8 p.m. Smart Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City Hailed as one of the modern era's most gifted pop troubadours, American...

WEEKENDER: staying in.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Johanna Paola D. Poblete TV REVIEW True Blood: Season 4 Nov. 3 at 10 p.m. HBO The Queen is dead. The King is buried in concrete. Long live the American Vampire League (AVL)? Not quite. Barmaid Sookie Stackhouse (Anna...

WEEKENDER: health.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno For centuries, soy has been a dietary staple in Asian countries. From a legume native to China, soy has evolved in past decades to become one of the world's most widely recommended ingredients for its natural...

WEEKENDER: health.
October 28, 2011... Novartis recognized A RESPECTED pharmaceutical innovation expert has named Novartis as the best drug company of the decade. Dr. Bernard Munos, founder of InnoThink Center for Research in Biomedical Innovation, made a list of 20 pharmaceutical...

WEEKENDER: health.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Reiner W. Gloor Every 20 seconds, a child dies from pneumonia somewhere in the world. This accounts for more than one-and-a-half million children under the age of five unnecessarily dying each year due to pneumonia. This same disease...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Raoul J. Chee Kee In his V-neck shirt, jeans and sporting a goatee that's more salt than pepper, Jeff Kelley looks like a surfer at the mall. That he is but behind that laid-back exterior is an inventor and a successful businessman,...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Nanette Franco-Diyco I congratulate McCann Erickson for grabbing a creative opportunity, using the same character who had become a veritable Internet sensation borne out of a real-life tragedy. During the recent floods in Luzon, a UP...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Terence A. Hockenhull Last month, I was in Kuala Lumpur delivering a Dealer Management training program to one of Malaysia's leading telecommunications giants. I had a mixture of participants on the program: some experienced who had...

WEEKENDER: marketing.
October 28, 2011... New Butterfly Twists AN INNOVATIVE take on the classic ballet slippers, Butterfly Twists fold to a small triangular shape that allow them to fit in the smallest of handbags, glove compartments and desk drawers. Best of all, they are highly...

WEEKENDER: travel.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Sam L. Marcelo Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) is beefing up its operations within the region beginning 2012. Starting January of next year, the budget airline is increasing the number of flights to destinations such as Kuala Lumpur,...

WEEKENDER: travel.
October 28, 2011... Discovery Suites event ON SATURDAY, Oct. 29, the Columbus, Drake and Magellan function rooms of Discovery Suites will be transformed into a Halloween playroom where kids and their parents can snack on a hearty merienda buffet. Entertainment,...

WEEKENDER.
October 28, 2011... PERFORMANCES Paco Park Presents. Oct. 29, 6 p.m. Paco Park, San Marcelino, Paco, Manila. Performing are The Singing Brawners and Friends. Admission is free. For details call 302-7374. Seussical. Until mid-December. Onstage, Greenbelt 1,...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Cebu: Asian City, Global Hub.
October 28, 2011... Even before its colonization, Cebu was already a key trading port in Asia. Today, the place has grown into a cosmopolitan hub that continues to entice investors. The province consists of Cebu Island, spanning 225 kilometers, and 167...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Cebu: Asian City, Global Hub.
October 28, 2011... Byline: Gianna B. Villavicencio SUSAN SUEZO and Corinna Zosa, two friends born and raised in Cebu, are the owners of a costume jewelry brand called The House of Serenity. While all that glitters is not gold, their thriving business proves...

SPECIAL FEATURE: Cebu: Asian City, Global Hub.(Restaurant review)
October 28, 2011... Byline: Eush Tayco CEBU MAY BE KNOWN for its crispy-skinned, tender lechon, but the rest of the culinary scene is a smorgasbord of delights. From local favorites to foreign flavors, there are plenty of varieties to satisfy the epicurean in...