amendoza

Think beyond Earth Hour, Filipinos urged

 News
Mar 272015
 
Think beyond Earth Hour, Filipinos urged

popular PH gets P9.5B in new Japan aid After US airstrikes, Iraq troops start final push for Tikrit Carla Abellana hopes Tom Rodriguez is ‘the one’ Santiago for MV Pangilinan; ad backs Poe, Ping Lacson CBCP: There is no need for divorce in PH US ‘troubled’ by Thai leader’s threat to execute journalists Aquino to form citizens’ conclave on peace agreement, say sources Rey Pamaran airs side on slapping incident with Melissa Mendez videos PBA: Ginebra’s LA Tenorio comfortable on the floor with Emman Monfort PBA: Agustin credits good defense, big men performance for win over Purefoods PBA: Warner’s maturity big thing for Globalport, says coach Gonzales Crime watchdog wants advisory body composed of bishops, inter-religious leaders Former Tarlac Governor calls Aquino to resign MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos are being urged to think beyond the symbolic gesture of switching off lights and electrical appliances when they join Earth Hour on Saturday night. Earth Hour is an annual worldwide event launched by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 to promote environmental awareness and action against climate change. During Earth Hour, lights and nonessential appliances and gadgets are turned off for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. “Earth Hour is more than a short-term gimmick,” WWF Philippines communications manager Gregg Yan said. “Earth Hour is just a start. Will we stop climate change by switching off our lights for 60 minutes? No. Not even if we do it monthly. Only through long-term solutions and will power shall we be able Read More …

Filipino death row inmate’s fate is sealed, but PH won’t give up

 News
Mar 272015
 
Filipino death row inmate’s fate is sealed, but PH won’t give up

MANILA, Philippines—Indonesia is preparing to move a Filipino death row inmate for execution after she lost her appeal in the Supreme Court earlier this week, the attorney general’s spokesperson said on Friday. The planned executions of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso and nine other mostly foreign drug traffickers have drawn international criticism after repeated pleas for mercy from the United Nations and various governments have gone unheeded by President Joko Widodo. Veloso will be moved from the city of Yogyakarta to the maximum security prison on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java, where the rest of the group awaits execution by firing squad. ‘Case is done’ “We can say that (Veloso’s) case is done,” the attorney general’s spokesperson Tony Spontana told reporters. “There will be preparations to move her soon because the plan to execute all (10 convicts) at once hasn’t changed.” The attorney general’s office has yet to announce a date for the executions. Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap. But Philippine officials have not lost hope for Veloso despite its Supreme Court ruling denying an appeal for a judicial review of the case. “Our initial appeal for judicial review was denied. Nonetheless, we will continue to exhaust all possible legal means to save the life of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso,” said Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson. According to the English-language newspaper Jakarta Post, a panel of three justices ruled on Wednesday that Veloso’s petition failed Read More …

DFA renews call for Filipinos to leave Yemen

 General
Mar 272015
 
DFA renews call for Filipinos to leave Yemen

popular PH gets P9.5B in new Japan aid After US airstrikes, Iraq troops start final push for Tikrit Carla Abellana hopes Tom Rodriguez is ‘the one’ Santiago for MV Pangilinan; ad backs Poe, Ping Lacson CBCP: There is no need for divorce in PH US ‘troubled’ by Thai leader’s threat to execute journalists Aquino to form citizens’ conclave on peace agreement, say sources Rey Pamaran airs side on slapping incident with Melissa Mendez videos PBA: Ginebra’s LA Tenorio comfortable on the floor with Emman Monfort PBA: Agustin credits good defense, big men performance for win over Purefoods PBA: Warner’s maturity big thing for Globalport, says coach Gonzales Crime watchdog wants advisory body composed of bishops, inter-religious leaders Former Tarlac Governor calls Aquino to resign MANILA, Philippines—Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Friday renewed the government’s call for the Filipinos in war-torn Yemen to come home, airing the department’s frustration over the citizens’ insistence to stay despite the present danger. “Yemen is a difficult challenge for us because the people (Filipino nationals) there are very stubborn,” Del Rosario said. Since the Department of Foreign Affairs issued a call for a mandatory repatriation in February, only four Filipinos out of the 700 living there have been repatriated. The security situation in the country continued to worsen as Saudi Arabia-led coalition began to pound areas held by the rebels through air strikes. An Alert Level 4, or Mandatory Repatriation, remains in effect with embassy officials in Yemen appealing to Filipino citizens to Read More …

PH, Asean still far from rich living standards

 Economy
Mar 202015
 
PH, Asean still far from rich living standards

Southeast Asia’s dream of raising living standards to equal advanced economies will stretch for decades and the road will be paved with tough reforms that promise to test policymakers’ resolve. A senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said these countries faced several challenges to raising incomes, among them the need to sustain high levels of infrastructure spending amid funding constraints, and the modernization of job-generating industries. “No doubt, the process of convergence is a long one; it extends over several decades,” said David Lipton, IMF first deputy managing director, in a speech in Kuala Lumpur. He said that while some, such as Malaysia and Singapore, were nearing the high-income threshold, most countries in the region were still behind the curve in terms of so-called “convergence” with advanced markets. Twenty years ago, Malaysia’s per capita income was about $3,500. Now it has risen to $11,000 or near the $15,000 gross domestic product (GDP) per capita required for a country to be called rich. The Philippines’ GDP per capita stands at around $1,600, according to research group Trading Economics. “Full convergence with advanced economies is a more distant goal for some other Southeast Asian countries,” he said. Economies in the region are mostly stable and governments have comfortable fiscal buffers. Lipton said countries should use this space to sustain high infrastructure spending. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has estimated Asia’s infrastructure needs at $8 trillion over 10 years, of which about $1 trillion was needed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations   Read More …

Pilipino-American Retirees Association reunion tour, ball: A resounding success

 News
Mar 202015
 
Pilipino-American Retirees Association reunion tour, ball: A resounding success

Re-elected Pamra President, Reno Villanueva and wife Lynn Villanueva. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Pilipino American Retirees Association Military Retirees Association’s (Pamra) biennial tour and ball was a resounding success! The Pamra activities started with a tour in Batangas and Bicol that included visits to heritage structures, historical and natural landmarks, churches, enjoying and immersing in various cultural activities and of course feasting, on native delicacies. This biennial week long engagement is a chance for the Pamra members, not only to visit their land of origin, but also a way for these indefatigable men from the military service – comprised of retired members of the US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Army, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, Noaa, USPHS, and US Merchant Marine – to help the local economy via tourism and encourage second and third-generation Filipino-Americans to get to experience and appreciate the country of their grandparents and parents. LCDR Ireneo “Reno” Villanueva of the US Coast Guard (Ret.), currently the president of Pamra shared: “Pamra was founded in 1995 and most of the coast the coastguards who retired went back to the Philippines for a vacation. The first event happened at the Manila Hotel. After their vacation, the group was formed and since then, a reunion every two years transpires here in Manila.” Roy and Naomi Estaris of The Travel Outlet. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Villanueva served for three decades in the US Coast Guard and now that there is more time in his hands to enjoy the fruits of Read More …

Developers gear up to HLURB’s amended IRRs

 General
Mar 132015
 
Developers gear up to HLURB’s amended IRRs

AT THE recent joint SHDA and OSHDP business forum held in Makati City, HLURB Commissioner and CEO Antonio Bernardo, is joined by (from left) SHDA corporate secretary Lillian Reyes, FVP Rodel Racadio, chair Ricky Celis, second vice president Fely Ramos and national president Armenia Ballesteros; and OSHDP chair Ryan Tan, secretary general Jefferson Bongat and PRO Santiago Ducay; and SHDA PRO-Internal Rene Ledesma Jr. Early this year the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) released two sets of revised implementing rules and regulations (IRRs) for Presidential Decree No. 957—otherwise known as the “Subdivision and Condominium Buyers’ Protective Decree—to safeguard prospective buyers of real estate properties from possible fraud and other malpractices in the industry. The amended IRRs were contained in Board Resolution No. 921 and 922 and signed by Vice President Jejomar Binay who is also chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. “It is important for developers including their brokers and agents to know how these new regulations apply to them and at the same time, how to maintain compliance. Indeed, laws and regulations on housing are constantly evolving that’s why getting updated to avoid law suits is important. In order to have clear guidance and prevent misinterpretation and ambiguity on the amended IRRs, the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association Inc. (SHDA) and the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP) arranged a business forum series with HLURB Commissioner and CEO lawyer Antonio Bernardo as one of the resource speakers,” SHDA president Armenia Ballesteros Read More …

PLDT to tap $500M loan from Japan banks

 General
Mar 052015
 
PLDT to tap $500M loan from Japan banks

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. group is borrowing about $500 million from Japanese banks to partly fund the capital requirements of both PLDT and Smart Communications. PLDT senior vice president treasurer Annabelle L. Chua said the first deal covering a $200- million loan from Mizuho Bank was signed last month. Before the Japanese fiscal year calendar ends this month, the agreement for another $200-million loan will be signed with the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. Additional loans, possibly reaching $100 million, may be signed with the bank over the next few quarters, Chua said. “We are still finalizing it (the loan details),” Chua said. The PLDT group plans to fund its P39-billion ($883 million) capital expenditure program for 2015 with a combination of bank borrowings and pregenerated cash, Chua said. The bulk of the capital expenditure this year was earmarked for the telco’s 3G and 4G infrastructure, PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan said. PLDT president Napoleon L. Nazareno said the company would continue to “transform” to meet the growing demand for Internet connectivity and data access. Part of the transformation efforts is the activation of more 3G base stations and the expansion of its Time Division-Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) and Frequency Division-LTE (FD-LTE). As of the end of 2014, the PLDT group’s gross debt stood at $2.9 billion, higher by $600 million from year-ago level, mainly due its the P15-billion ($300 million) retail bond issuance in the first quarter of 2014. PLDT said its debt maturity continued to Read More …

Acer exec visits Manila for first time, leaves impressed by locals

 General
Feb 282015
 
Acer exec visits Manila for first time, leaves impressed by locals

ACER Aspire Switch 12 A company official worth his salt visits the markets where his firm maintains a presence in order to help local teams strategize and expand the business. Often, officials go on these trips to look into the problems of local teams and identify new game plans and policies to further raise revenues and market shares. But for Oliver Ahrens, senior vice president of multinational hardware and electronics firm Acer Inc., his first trip to the Philippines last week marked a departure from his normal experience. “Usually, I only come to a country when there is a need to. The Philippines is an exemption. The Philippines is, really, for us something like a poster boy for business,” Ahrens says during a briefing last week. ACER Iconia Tab 10 A3-A20FHD “If you ask me, the Philippines has, in Asia Pacific, the best go-to-market strategy, and the best new production introduction (NPI) process. Positioning products, and communicating these to the distribution channels—nobody is doing it as good as the Philippines. And this one of the reasons for our high market share here. For me, it is also a learning trip to understand a little bit more how [things are] done here,” he explains. True enough, Acer Philippines Inc. expects to sustain its strong momentum this year, with revenues projected to grow by a double-digit pace anew, while its market share in key product segments could further rise to cement its foothold in the local market. “The Philippines for us is Read More …

‘Top Sulu politicians’ behind Vietnam rice smuggle try—BOC chief

 News
Feb 252015
 
‘Top Sulu politicians’ behind Vietnam rice smuggle try—BOC chief

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Customs Deputy Commissioner Jessie Dellosa said “top Sulu politicians” were behind the attempt to smuggle Vietnam rice — which authorities seized Monday — to Western Mindanao. “Top Sulu politicians owned the smuggled rice,” Dellosa said Tuesday. Pressed for more details, he said: “Not now, just top Sulu politicians.” On Monday, authorities – including the Philippine Navy – intercepted five vessels (not four as earlier reported) off Pata Island in Sulu around 3:25 a.m. Initially, Rear Admiral Reynaldo Yoma, commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao told the Philippine Daily Inquirer there were more or less 130,000 sacks of rice seized from the vessels by elements of the Navy’s PG 388 and PG 387 under Lt. Commander Richard Rosales and elements of the 64th Marines Company under 1Lt. Leonelle Marvin Mapalo. Among the seized vessels was the Vietnam-registered M/V An Bien-89-ALCI and its 16 crew under Captain Nguyen Van Loi had been taken into custody. Seized from the foreign vessel were 116,000 sacks of imported rice – out of its original cargo of 152,000 sacks – consigned to an Alfarsi Tan Hasiman of Jolo, Sulu. Reports from the ground units revealed that the foreign cargo vessel arrived on Thursday (February 19) from Mythoi Port in Vietnam with 152,000 sacks of cargo. It started to unload its cargo on February 20 off Pata Island to local vessels that transported the contraband to various Mindanao areas. Aside from the Vietnam registered ship, four more local vessels were also seized Read More …

OFWs told: Look beyond balikbayan boxes–invest

 News
Feb 212015
 
OFWs told: Look beyond balikbayan boxes–invest

MANILA, Philippines–Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to rise above the “balikbayan box” mentality and think about venturing into business instead. “OFWs should not be blinded by the fact that they are earning good money. I have heard so many stories of OFWs and their painful struggles abroad to earn for their families but who had forgotten to save and invest for the rainy days. And they come home for good only to realize that they have to start all over again. This is a vicious cycle that OFWs themselves can put an end to by saving and investing their hard-earned income,” Baldoz said in a statement. Baldoz said OFWs must learn to resist the urge to spend too much to fill balikbayan boxes with goods for their loved ones back home but instead save the money and use it to invest. “They should open their eyes to the reality that when they come home, they should have a substitute or alternative source of income for their families. They should think of ways their hard-earned savings from long years of working abroad could be put to good and profitable use. That’s what financial literacy is all about,” she said. Changing behavior Ricardo Casco, International Organization for Migration mission coordinator, said enabling OFWs toward financial literacy entails changing their behavior. “Our task is to make OFWs realize that they have an option. That they do not have to spend their lives working abroad with nothing left when Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries