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Bill Gates, wife call it a visit

 General
Apr 162015
 
Bill Gates, wife call it a visit

Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, left for the United States aboard a private jet at 1:47 p.m. Thursday, ending a 12-day vacation at the exclusive Amanpulo resort in Palawan. Gates and his family arrived on April 4 in Puerto Princesa City and were brought to the resort where they spent most of their time. The American philanthropist was only seen when he visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna, on April 8. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports the research and development of IRRI’s Golden Rice, a genetically manipulated variety that contains beta carotene. At noon on Thursday, a blue helicopter landed near two identical Bombardier jets which were parked on the tarmac between Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 2 and 3. Several pieces of luggage were unloaded from the helicopter which, after about half an hour, flew off. At 1:30 p.m., the helicopter returned with the Gates couple aboard. Bill had on a blue shirt over light colored slacks while Melinda was in a white shirt and red shorts. The couple, with no security escorts, got off the chopper and walked straight to a jet. Shortly after, the Bombardier started toward the runway. Gates’ two children left the country on Tuesday on a commercial flight back to the United States.–Jeannette I. Andrade Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Read More …

Ayala stays on expansion path, seeks partnerships

 General
Apr 102015
 
Ayala stays on expansion path, seeks partnerships

Ayala Corp. is set to ramp up partnerships in the coming years as it eyes new investment opportunities in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, said chair and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. The conglomerate is already undergoing changes in its business model, with power and infrastructure units seen to deliver significant returns in the next few years to add to revenues from its core telecommunications, real estate, water service, banking and electronics manufacturing arms. Ayala turned 181 years old this March and while Zobel said the company was embracing new management styles and would like to keep its growth strategies “flexible,” it would maintain a decades-old practice of executing partnerships with other groups and even business rivals. “In many cases, we have been very comfortable in sharing an opportunity with others. We have a good track record on that front,” Zobel said in a briefing following the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on Friday. “Not all Philippine corporations move in that way but both of us, Fernando and I, decided a long time ago that we would like to develop a culture where we could build trust with a variety of stakeholders,” Zobel said, referring to his brother and Ayala president, Fernando Zobel de Ayala. “We saw this [strategy] as a potential strength and we don’t see this slowing down,” he said. Recent high profile-tie ups involve most of the company’s ventures in power and infrastructure and. Ayala has won deals with Metro Pacific Investments Corp. for Read More …

Wish list of war vets remains long, unfulfilled

 General
Apr 082015
 
Wish list of war vets remains long, unfulfilled

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The list of wishes of war veterans remains long and still unfulfilled, data from the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) showed. PVAO had requested an initial P27 million subsidy for the annual Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) coverage of 12,297 World War II veterans and 53,284 living spouses to augment the subsidies of P1,200 daily for hospitalization and special medical procedures. The Department of Budget and Management and Department of Health are studying subsidizing the amount through President Aquino’s Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (universal healthcare) program. The increase of the P5,000 monthly old age pension has not come. Four bills in Congress have proposed P10,000. In a statement, PVAO said it requested priority for older veterans of World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars, finding it suitable to give them P20,000. Most of them are now in their 90s. There are pension arrears that have accrued due to delayed claims. Five bills are seeking alternative sources of funds, like the use of PVAO properties. PVAO said the repeal of the total administrative disability (TAD) pension had been proposed through two bills because no funds had been appropriated for this. “For living World War II veterans, there are no more [TAD] arrears since these had been fully settled as early as 2013,” it said. In 2013, President Aquino authorized TAD payments of P2.877 billion to 17,817 World War II veterans from 1994 to 2002. This brought the payment of TAD arrears to P6.93 billion. Unpaid TAD obligations to deceased veterans, Read More …

Pinoy scientist who brings food in space

 News
Apr 042015
 
Pinoy scientist who brings food in space

APOLLO ARQUIZA proudly showing the Philippine flag embroidered on his jacket. BANGKOK, Thailand—Apollo Arquiza is not the usual scientist in a lab coat talking about space and mathematical equations. Instead, he talks about the looming food shortage in the world especially in disaster-prone areas like the Philippines and how the food technology he helped developed for space missions could also be used on Earth. He was in Thailand for a week for a study and field visits sponsored by the Thailand Institute of Scientific Technology Research under the Ministry of Science and Technology. Balik Scientist Program After staying in the United States since 2005 for his PhD in Biological and Environmental Engineering and Advance Life Support at Cornell University, Arquiza, also a research assistant and lecturer, is in the Philippines under the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). During the 90-day program, Arquiza collaborated with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and DOST regarding the food processing technology. “During the harvest season, vegetables and fruits in the Philippines can be brought at lower prices. The idea is for the local government to buy these products directly from the farmers who, in turn, will be processed and used as ‘food for calamity,’” Arquiza explains. DOST and FNRI arranged Arquiza’s visits to calamity-hit areas in the Philippines like Tacloban City and Cagayan de Oro. “The usual food pack distributed during calamity includes sardines, noodles and rice. But these are not really nutritious. So we need to Read More …

PHLPost, BOC ink MOA to simplify examination and delivery of mail parcels

 News
Apr 042015
 
PHLPost, BOC ink MOA to simplify examination and delivery of mail parcels

The Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) inked a landmark memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will make the process of clearing and delivery of parcels and other mail matters faster and simpler, benefitting thousands of consumers and Philippine residents who rely on the postal service to send and receive packages from abroad. The MOA rationalizes and simplifies the joint operations and customs processes between PHLPost and BOC, superseding policies and procedures that have not been updated since 1973. “This refinement in the processes will be beneficial to the common Filipino, the Filipino worker, and the Filipino family who receive gifts and buy items from abroad. The streamlined method will speed up the system with a centralized design in collecting duties and taxes so that items get released faster. It took painstaking efforts from the present administration of both PHLPost and BOC to synergize and institute significant reforms, but more than the profit, our ultimate goal is to serve the people, especially that the holiday season is coming,” said PHLPost postmaster general and CEO Josie dela Cruz. Under the MOA, PHLPost and BOC shall centralize examination and assessment of customs duties for all parcels and mail matters at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) for those that arrived by air and at the surface mail exchange department (SMED) for those conveyed by sea. BOC will close down all other customs facilities and operations in other post offices and distribution centers nationwide and designates PHLPost as its authorized Read More …

Boracay declared favorite beach destination of Malaysians this year

 News
Apr 042015
 
Boracay declared favorite beach destination of Malaysians this year

Boracay. DON LEJANO/INQUIRER.net The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has declared Boracay the Favorite Beach Destination in 2015 by the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) for its annual Matta Fair at Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur recently. The announcement was made in a press conference held at the Matta Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Matta organizing committee chair S. Jayakumar said that the Philippines is rich in natural resources and biodiversity, and also praised Boracay’s fine white sand beaches. “Boracay has consistently been part of the list of the best beaches in the world, as evidenced by awards bestowed on it by major travel magazines and organizations. It is a pleasure for Malaysians to discover the island, with its pristine white sands and breathtaking beaches, which captivated many visitors for nature tripping, watersports and beach hopping,” Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya says. At the press conference, the embassy also formally launched the Second Ambassador’s Tour to the Philippines, this time to Cebu and Bohol. Malaya says that now is the best time to visit the Philippines, amid the country’s hosting of major international conferences, and its strong economic growth. “Now is the best time to visit the Philippines. For one, the Philippine government has declared this year as Visit Philippines Year 2015 (VPY 2015). The flurry of festivals, concerts, conferences, other activities and events lined up will draw in both domestic and foreign tourists in the country. The country is also hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Read More …

In PH, Coca-Cola GM feels right at home

 Economy
Apr 042015
 
In PH, Coca-Cola GM feels right at home

DIEGO Eduardo Granizo, president and general manager of Coca-Cola Philippines A Kenneth Cobonpue dining table in Chile marked Diego Eduardo Granizo’s first encounter with the Philippines. Granizo, the newly appointed president and general manager of Coca-Cola Philippines, admits that he barely knew anything about the country when his wife chanced upon the table in 2008. “When we were in Chile, my wife fell in love with this one particular dining table, and she said, you know this is by a designer named Kenneth Cobonpue. And little did we know he was a Filipino designer. Actually, she even bought a couple of things that are from a Filipino designer,” Granizo tells the Inquirer. It thus came as no surprise that, when Granizo, his wife and two kids arrived in the country, the first thing they did was to travel to Cebu to visit Cobonpue’s showroom. Granizo, who is turning 46 this month, took over the helm of Coca-Cola Philippines last January, following a stint in Germany, where he served as the commercial strategy and operations director for the beverage company. Prior to that, Granizo was the franchise operation and key account director for Coca-Cola in Chile from 2009 and 2010. He also served as general manager for the Ecuador operations in 2007. Transitions The Ecuadorian in Granizo immediately felt at home in the Philippines, whose culture, language, weather and, to some extent, food, are fairly similar to what he grew up with. Even his family seems to agree. “I usually gauge Read More …

Turkey seeks pilgrimage tourists from PH

 General
Apr 042015
 
Turkey seeks pilgrimage tourists from PH

The early Christians dug caves into the soft rocks of Cappadocia and constructed chapels, monasteries and underground cities. Photos By Tina Arceo-Dumlao Turkey, which straddles the continents of Asia and Europe, is home to the second most number of mentioned places in the Bible, next only to the Holy Land of Israel. This fact is lost, however, on most Filipinos who are in the market for pilgrimage tours. Nevertheless, the Philippines, where over 85 percent of the population of about 100 million profess to be Catholic, presents a potentially lucrative market for Istanbul-based D’Archo Travel founded by travel industry veterans Dogan Senay and Aysel Eroskay. D’Archo Travel has thus made it its mission this year to strengthen its presence in the Philippines, in partnership with local pilgrimage tour specialist Larry’s Classic Tours, and market Turkey as a top-of-mind destination for those who want to see some of the places mentioned in the Bible. “[We are] investing in the Philippines because Turkey is not widely known as the second most important biblical land in the world,” Eroskay told the Inquirer. “Our goal is to present Turkey as a new pilgrimage destination, particularly to those who have visited the Holy Land many times. The Philippines has the largest potential for Catholic pilgrimage tours.” Visitors today flock to these caves to marvel at the paintings. There is certainly a huge room for growth. Data from the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies showed that tourist arrivals in Turkey increased from 31.782 million in 2012 Read More …

US stocks edge higher after 2 days of losses

 General
Apr 022015
 
US stocks edge higher after 2 days of losses

This May 11, 2007 file photo shows a Wall Street sign in front of the flag-draped facade of the New York Stock Exchange. US stocks are edging higher Thursday, April 2, 2015, as the market shakes off two days of losses. AP US stocks moved higher in early trading Thursday, rebounding after a two-day slide. The government said that applications for unemployment aid fell sharply last week, a sign that the U.S. job market remains strong despite tepid economic growth this year. Oil prices eased after climbing the day before. KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 100 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,798 as of 10:09 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,069. The Nasdaq composite gained 14 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,894. BACK TO WORK: The Labor Department said applications for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to a seasonally adjusted 268,000. The decrease is a sign of a strong job market despite evidence of tepid economic growth in the opening months of 2015. MIND THE GAP: The Commerce Department said that the nation’s trade deficit plummeted 16.9 percent to $35.4 billion in February. The trade gap fell as imports and exports sank, driven by a since-settled trade dispute and a global economic slowdown that has cut into oil prices and caused the dollar to rise in value. EARNINGS AHEAD: Investors have been weighing mixed economic data this week in advance of the next round of corporate Read More …

UP Law wins Oxford Moot Court tilt, a first for PH

 News
Mar 282015
 
UP Law wins Oxford Moot Court tilt, a first for PH

Mooters from the University of the Philippines are declared as the overall champ in the international rounds of the Price Media Law Moot Court Competition in the United Kingdom. Photo taken from Harry Roque’s Facebook page For expert arguments on an issue close to home, a team of state scholars ruled an international moot court competition in the United Kingdom this week, taking the first championship ever for thePhilippines. A team from the University of the Philippines law school was declared the overall champ in the international rounds of the Price Media Law Moot Court Competition, held at the Oxford University in the United Kingdom from March 24 to 27. The victory came just as the premier state university celebrated another topnotch finish in the bar examinations, with four of its graduates among the top 10 passers, the most for any school. READ: San Beda graduate tops 2014 bar exams UP Law professor Harry Roque, the team’s coach, announced the school’s victory on Facebook past midnight Friday (Manila time), moments after the Philippine team emerged as champs in a unanimous decision. “The UP team was composed of veteran mooters deeply committed to the cause of human rights. Their incredible mastery of freedom of expression led to their victory in Oxford, which is a first for thecountry,” Roque said when reached via text message before dawn Saturday. “It proves anew that UP law is truly amongst the best law schools in the whole world. Its victory was a victory of the Read More …

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