South Korean leisure firm to build P20-billion resort complexes in Subic
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—A South Korean-owned leisure company plans to put up two resort complexes here costing P20 billion, with the first phase set for completion before November 2015, when the Philippines will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit meeting for the second time.
DENR, DBP tie up to boost tree-plantation projects
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) recently forged ties to boost the development of tree plantations in the country.
Techpoint marks PHL market dominance, eyes tablet sector
AFTER 10 years of leading the country’s entry-level TV market, Techpoint Enterprise—distributor of Nextbase and Devant products in the Philippines—is looking at the very competitive mobile tablet market.
Online opportunities for Filipino graphic designers
FILIPINO graphic designers will have more opportunities to earn as 99designs, a freelance online-based graphic design community, is looking forward to do more business in the country.
G-8 faces uncertain recoveries, turbulent markets
ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland—Europe is mired in debt and recession. Financial markets have hit violent ups and downs on fears that US stimulus efforts may soon be scaled back. Japan is finally looking up after years of stagnation—but it remains an open question if the recovery will stick.
News
‘Wider infrastructure development crucial to PHL growth’
Wider infrastructure development is crucial for the Philippines to push a faster and more robust economic growth in the next three years, research from the Standard Chartered Bank showed on Monday.
PHL seeks $684.5 million worth of fresh loans from ADB
The national government is seeking some $684.5 million worth of fresh loans and technical assistance (TA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Major reshuffle of senior officers in military set
SENIOR military officers are set to be reshuffled to key positions owing to mandatory retirements and other circumstances.
MVP on track to acquiring Tarlac’s biggest hospital
MAKATI CITY—Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), said they are set to sign an investment agreement with officials of the Central Luzon Doctors Hospital (CLDH) in July as part of the MPIC’s move to acquire Tarlac province’s biggest hospital.
The rules of the games have changed
THERE are events that occur in human history that change forever the way the world works. We often mark these with phrases like “The Day the Airplane was Invented” or something like it. But like the airplane or computer, these life-changing events were part of a process, not earth-shattering occurrences.
G-8 faces uncertain recoveries, turbulent markets
ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland—Europe is mired in debt and recession. Financial markets have hit violent ups and downs on fears that US stimulus efforts may soon be scaled back. Japan is finally looking up after years of stagnation—but it remains an open question if the recovery will stick.
Business
ChemrezTech declares P117.3-million dividend
LISTED Chemrez Technologies Inc. declared on Monday P117.3 million in cash dividends, 25 percent lower than last year’s P158.6 million.
Philmaize continues to hope for government approval on corn grain export
Corn farmers and traders belonging to the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) said they are still awaiting the government’s decision to allow them to export corn grains to other countries.
BIR misses collection goal by P3.22 billion in May
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) missed it collection target of P115.12 billion by 2.8 percent in May, to only P111.9 billion. The shortfall amounted to P3.22 billion.
Is there a career in franchising?
A GRADUATING student sent this e-mail from one of the universities in the South. I shall call her Elizabeth.
Techpoint marks PHL market dominance, eyes tablet sector
AFTER 10 years of leading the country’s entry-level TV market, Techpoint Enterprise—distributor of Nextbase and Devant products in the Philippines—is looking at the very competitive mobile tablet market.
Asean needs to be flexible for 2015
ASSOCIATION of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) integration should not be a blanket initiative; instead governments and practitioners need to take into account the unique characteristics and different growth levels of the countries when planning a regional capital market convergence, according to experts.
Sports
Ginobili a surprise package as Spurs move a win shy of snatching crown
SAN ANTONIO—Manu Ginobili had 24 points and 10 assists in a surprise start to spark the San Antonio Spurs to a 114-104 victory over the Miami Heat in Game Five of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals on Sunday, pushing the Spurs one victory away from their fifth championship.
Lifestyle
Cool elegance
THE Tyre House, designed by A. Quincy Jones in the 1950s and recently restored by the Silver Lake architecture firm Escher GuneWardena, is a dreamy testament to Los Angeles’s age of cool. Step inside the house’s expansive, all-white living area and an 11-foot-high ceiling angles gracefully down toward a white brick fireplace that floats toward one end. Sliding glass doors open to a courtyard and pool on one side, to a steep driveway that disappears from sight on the other. Cork floors and a white sofa effortlessly sweeping along the wall add to the sensation of visual harmony.
‘Man of Steel’ posts biggest June opening ever with $113.1 million
MAN of Steel was the kryptonite to any box-office rival this weekend, monopolizing ticket sales and flying away with No. 1.
The queen of the North
NAMED after Queen Isabela II of Spain, the province of Isabela is known as the largest corn producer in the country. Most of the corn is harvested and sold to feed millers who, in turn, sell the feeds to poultry and livestock growers. Isabela is also a major rice-production area, and known as the Rice Granary of the North.
Features
Fueling national growth
THE deregulation of the oil industry during the last 15 years has enabled market competition in the country. Since the enactment of Republic Act 8749, the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998, this sector, which used to be the domain of the so-called Big Three, namely, Caltex, Shell and Petron, has seen the entry of different independent entities, ensuring a level playing field. Slowly making their presence felt, these new players now comprise 26 percent, or a little over a quarter of the whole downstream oil industry market.
It’s a battle of upgrades
THE Philippines has been in the international news because of its remarkable economic growth over the past quarters. Despite the many challenges in the different arenas of business and politics, the country and its people seem to be in synergy to overcome economic challenges.
Human genes cannot be patented, US Court says
WASHINGTON—The US Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out attempts to patent human genes, siding with advocates who say the multibillion-dollar biotechnology industry should not have exclusive control over genetic information found inside the human body.
Developers urged to go “green’
IN a recent press briefing held at the Shangri-La Makati, CBRE Philippines, a leading commercial real-estate services firm, revealed that the country’s office sector shows no signs of slowing down, with occupancy rates at 97 percent across Metro Manila’s central business districts (CBDs) in the first quarter. In Metro Manila alone, the occupancy rate has consistently been above 90 percent since 2011.
Why would hackers target my little company?
If your business is relatively small and isn’t involved in financial services or national defense, you might assume that data security isn’t a big issue for you. Why would someone from the presumably limited pool of hackers take the time to target your company?
DepEd allots P100M to educate IPs
THE Department of Education (DepEd) seeks to strengthen access to basic education for the children of indigenous peoples (IPs) with a P100-million program aimed to hone the skills and knowledge of these youngsters in the provinces across Mindanao and the Visayas.
More restrictions proposed on using chimpanzees for research
WASHINGTON—The federal government moved to further protect chimpanzees, proposing to change the animals’ endangered status and increase oversight of their use in research.
Chinese state media chide US over surveillance revelations
BEIJING—Officially, the Chinese government has nothing to say about Edward Snowden. But unofficially, its representatives are happy to dump on the United States.
2013 Hyundai Accent CRDi Hatchback: Diesel power
IT has been almost six years since I first drove the first-generation Hyundai Accent. My verdict then? It was a car with no dramatic body styling and no-frills interior designed for practical people.
The Himalayas are changing–for the worse
JHIRPU PHULPINGKATT, Nepal—Residents of Jhirpu Phulpingkatt, a village nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, about 110 kilometers from Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, are on red alert.
Pope tells kids: ‘I didn’t want to be pope’
VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis revealed on Friday that he never wanted to be pope and that he’s living in the Vatican hotel for his “psychiatric” health.
Malditas: No qualms conquering the field...the world
Women’s football has already gone beyond national boundaries and it surely has gone beyond gender. When the football team Azkals came out on television holding the not-so-familiar ball—football—there were mixed reactions, especially from those who are basketball fanatics.
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