Maniolas

PEOPLE, quality and service. After 20 years in the Philippines, TGIFriday’s Restaurant still puts a premium on these three elements. THE BISTRO Group COO Jean Paul Manuud And The Bistro Group—the business that launched the first American casual dining chain here in the Philippines—believes that these three ingredients will carry it through many more years in the competitive industry. Jean Paul Manuud, president and chief operating officer of The Bistro Group, admits that the journey to the 20-year mark was not all smooth sailing. “We were pioneers in the serving of huge portions of food, refillable iced teas, Jack Daniel’s, huge hats and the singing of the birthday songs to the celebrant. All these concepts were ‘alien’ to the Philippine food industry,” he says. Manuud adds that the competition was tough even back then. The most important challenge was to be consistent in terms of food and service quality “We prepare our food fresh, from scratch every day. There is no compromise on quality. We used premium ingredients,” he adds, noting that customers can really tell if short cuts were made. “This is why we don’t make it difficult for our customer. Before they leave, we fix the problem. It’s our way of turning garbage into gold,” he says. It has been a long-standing rule in TGIFriday’s to make the experience of the customer its top priority. “We don’t spend much on mainstream or on TV. Rather we focus on providing the best customer service. If the customer is not Read More …

popular Ex-Pacquiao sparring partner Khan also wants a piece of Mayweather Pulse Asia survey: Binay falling, Poe surging Roxas to PNP chief: You’re suspended Malversation case part of plot to sideline Estrada clan, allies – JV Ejercito Metro Pacific renews offer to run railway Joma Sison denies NPA out to harm Pope Francis during PH visit Palace denies pressuring Sandigan justices on pork scam cases Douthit leads SEAG hopefuls videos Filipino street kids greet Pope Francis on his birthday The naked truth behind the Oblation Run UP Lantern Parade 2014 Simbang Gabi at the Gesu (Day 1) Indie Bravo! Night of renegades, game changers and amazing grace President Benigno Aquino. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Tuesday condemned the attack in the military-run school in Pakistan, calling it an “affront to all civilized peoples.” “Today, we join the world in condemning the outrage perpetrated on innocent schoolchildren, and school officials and personnel in Peshawar, Pakistan,” President Benigno Aquino III said in a statement sent to media. Aquino said the Taliban’s killing of at least 126 people, mostly children, is “an act of terror and savagery (that) deserves nothing less than our condemnation.” He said the attack has “dishonored Islam.” “The senseless deaths of so many young lives, and the barbarism of this attack is an affront to all civilized peoples,” he added. “In this moment of grief and sadness for the people of Pakistan, the Filipino people are one with them in mourning. Today, every person of goodwill Read More …

MANILA, Philippines–Long-term bets by foreign firms in the country rose to a fresh record high in September as the Philippines, one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, remained attractive to investors. Data released on Wednesday showed that foreign direct investments (FDIs) more than doubled in September. FDIs come in the form of significant equity placements, advances by multinationals to local units, and foreign firms’ earnings reinvested in local operations. The figure brought the total for the first three quarters of 2014 to a new record high, despite recent capacity constraints that threatened to choke capital formation onshore. “The sustained increase in net inflows during the month reflects continued investor confidence in the country’s solid macroeconomic fundamentals,” the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in a statement. Net inflow of FDIs rose by 116 percent in September to $680 million over the same month last year. For the nine months ending in September, FDI net inflows grew to $4.88 billion—higher than any full-year total on record. Direct investments usually bankroll the construction of new facilities or the expansion of foreign firms’ new or existing operations in the country. These are considered a better measure of international investors’ confidence in the country because the placements tie them to the economy’s fortunes for the long term. Because the investments fund business expansion, FDIs may also result in the creation of new jobs. Data showed that the net inflow of equity capital increased significantly to $161 million from just $7 million last year. Read More …

SEOUL, South Korea— Fishermen recovered 11 more bodies from the western Bering Sea Wednesday near where a South Korean fishing ship sank earlier this week. The bodies appear to be from the ship lost Monday in the waters near Russia, according to an official from the foreign ministry who didn’t want to be named citing office rules. One fisherman’s body was recovered Monday and seven fishermen were rescued. More than 50 went missing when the ship sank on Monday. The bodies were found by fishing vessels searching the debris of the sunken Oryong 501, said the ministry official. Furious relatives have blamed the company and the ship’s captain for not doing enough to save their family members. Rough seas and bad weather mean there is little hope that anyone will be found alive. Coast guard helicopters from Russia and the United States and at least five fishing ships were searching for the missing, according to an official from Seoul’s foreign ministry, who didn’t want to be named citing office rules. The US rescue ship Munro should arrive Thursday to help the search effort. The crew included 35 Indonesians, 13 Filipinos, 11 South Koreans and one Russian inspector, according to the South Korean government. It’s believed the ship began to list after stormy weather caused seawater to flood its storage areas, according to officials from the government and the company that owns the ship. The ship left South Korea on July 10 to catch pollock, a winter delicacy in South Korea, Read More …