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Andrew Tan unveils his bold vision for The Mactan Newtown

Economy

May 112014

Andrew Tan unveils his bold vision for The Mactan Newtown

The Philippines’ township and BPO pioneer: Andrew L. Tan of Megaworld is also the “liquor king” due to his Emperador becoming the world’s biggest brandy manufacturer. He is reportedly negotiating to buy the Whyte & Mackay liquor business in Scotland for US$700 million. A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done. —Ralph Lauren Vision is the art of seeing the invisible. —Jonathan Swift MACTAN, Cebu — The Philippines’ third wealthiest billionaire, top taxpayer, real estate leader, McDonald’s tycoon and world’s largest brandy manufacturer Andrew L. Tan recently unveiled his bold vision to help boost tourism and economic growth in central Philippines with his property giant, Megaworld’s 28.8-hectare The Mactan Newtown in Cebu province. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: In five to seven years, Megaworld will invest P30 billion to develop the township as a master-planned mixed-use tourism, residential, commercial, information technology, educational and leisure complex. Overlooking the scenic azure waters of Hilutungan Channel, The Mactan Newtown is rising fast with new luxury residential and office condominiums, five proposed hotel projects (two of which will be beachfront hotels), the proposed three-level Plaza Magellan lifestyle mall and other facilities beside the historic Mactan Shrine (which Megaworld has offered to help the national government to rehabilitate and improve). This mega project is also near Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa. What are the success secrets of Tan as a phenomenal self-made entrepreneur and dynamic property Read More …

Is honor in business dead?

Economy

Apr 272014

We humans love honor. We admire it. We love movies about it. We hero-worship people who display courageous acts of honor. We live in a country filled with amazing stories of honor — of Manuel Quezon honoring his word during the darkest days of Corregidor, of Ninoy Aquino sacrificing his life for principle. The list could go on and on. We love and admire it so much. Yet how many want to actually be honorable? I have to wonder, what has happened to honor? Is it dead? Has it been replaced by the slick politician, smooth-talking lawyer, and the “cover-your-ass-at-all-costs” executive? Replaced by a Wall Street mentality of “It’s all about me and screw everyone else”? Seems we live in a world of “Blame somebody else.” There used to be a time when the mantra of the seas was, “The captain goes down with his ship. And captains did this. They put the safety of the crew and passengers above all else. This was the price of leadership of being a ship captain, and if you didn’t like it, then don’t take the damn job. Open the paper today and what do we see? We see the captain of a South Korean ferry who basically is the first one to jump off the listing ship and into a lifeboat, while he leaves over 250 teenagers to fend for themselves, under his orders to “stay below decks” and hence ensure their death during capsizing. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: Read More …

Communicating the promise of heaven

Economy

Apr 202014

How sweet is rest after fatigue! How sweet will heaven be when our journey is ended?—George Whitefield The pearly gates of heaven — that is, if we believe in heaven — reopen every Easter, the feast of the resurrected Christ. It is always a happy event. As the story was told and continues to be told, the entrance was closed to mankind from the time Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden for flagrantly disobeying God. And Jesus had to become man and act in perfect obedience to the will of the Father to make up for the first couple’s sin to once again open the door to eternal life. No one has really come out to describe with conviction and definitiveness what heaven really looks like. Of late, though, we have a number of accounts sharing what it is. We have heard of near-death experiences detailing heaven as a place where angels play sweet harp music, where dead relatives and friends reunite with a possible new entrant, and where everything is white and bright. And we have also come across children’s books and pieces of poetry portraying it as nirvana — rainbows exuding vibrant colors, exotic animals roaming around in perfect harmony, peaceful towns, bluish surroundings and people playing and laughing. Everyone has a verbal and visual image of heaven. Most religions do, too, and they should all be respected. Colton Burpo is a four-year-old boy who seemingly died and whose soul made a short Read More …

Tigerair Philippines leases Airbus A320 from Cebu Pacific

General

Mar 302014

Tigerair Philippines leases Airbus A320 from Cebu Pacific

Tiger’s tale: As part of the strategic alliance of Tigerair with Cebu Pacific Air, Tigerair Philippines now operates an Airbus A320 aircraft from Cebu Pacific. MANILA, Philippines – As part of the strategic alliance of Tigerair with Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), Tigerair Philippines now operates an Airbus A320 aircraft from Cebu Pacific, the first of four aircraft that will be transferred on lease to Tigerair Philippines. Tigerair Philippines pilots and cabin crew will fly the aircraft from Terminal 4. The aircraft will serve the Tigerair Philippines menu. The leased aircraft will complement the three Airbus A320 aircraft of Tigerair Philippines. “We give you more reasons to fly with us,” says Tigerair’s vice president for commercial Joey Laurente. “With our alliance with Cebu Pacific, our customers can now expect a more vibrant and dynamic Tigerair as we leverage on their wide network, flight frequencies, and customer service. Watch us move as we collaborate to bring you innovative deals in the coming days.” Tigerair flies you to Cebu, Bacolod, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, Tacloban, and Puerto Princesa. For bookings and inquiries, visit www.cebupacificair.com or call reservation hotlines 702-0888 or 230-8888. The latest seat sale can be found on CEB’s official Twitter (@cebupacificair) and Facebook pages.

Shell and nation-building

Economy

Mar 302014

Photo shows Shell employees and a tanker of the Petroleum Distribution Association of the Philippines in 1945. After the war, Stephen Crawford took over as general manager of the Shell Company of the Philippine Islands as it helped in rebuilding efforts. MANILA, Philippines – The opportunity for businesses and enterprises to step up to the challenge of nation-building becomes especially apparent in times of difficulty or crisis, such as during a war. In December 1941, when the Philippines faced the Japanese invasion during World War II, one company played a vital role in powering the lives of Filipinos, literally and figuratively. Shell, as a trusted power, energy and gas technology brand that it is today, counts that dark period in Philippine history as an important milestone in its 100 years in the country. In the few years before WWII broke out, there were around 56,000 registered motor vehicles in the Philippines. Shell, then operating under the consortium Asiatic Petroleum Corporation, had grown from its original workforce of six personnel in 1914 to about 72 expatriates and 180 Filipinos. As war broke out, the company’s oil products and tankers were immediately utilized by the defense forces. At that time, the Pandacan oil depot was already in operation, and Shell had an efficient production and distribution system in place. When enemy capture of the Pandacan installation became imminent, the United States Army set the depot ablaze to prevent the opponents from exploiting its fuel supplies. The war unraveled for four years in Read More …

GE announces $1.4 billion investment to meet world’s need for on-site power

Economy

Mar 232014

GE announces $1.4 billion investment to meet world’s need for on-site power

MANILA, Philippines – Vice chairman John G. Rice and Lorraine Bolsinger, leader of GE’s new Distributed Power business, gathered with business and government officials in Jakarta to launch GE’s Distributed Power, a new business that combines three product lines — Aeroderivative Gas Turbines, Jenbacher Gas Engines and Waukesha Gas Engines — aimed to better serve the distributed power space. GE announced an investment in the newly created business of $1.4 billion over four years to help meet the world’s growing demand for on-site power systems that are easier to finance, faster to install and more efficient and reliable for customers. In a white paper released during the event, “The Rise of Distributed Power,” GE highlights that distributed power has become increasingly popular in countries that are seeking more reliable, efficient energy options near the point of use — on or off the grid. According to the report, distributed power will grow 40 percent faster than global electricity demand between now and 2020. More communities and businesses are installing distributed power technologies to improve access to electricity in remote areas with poor or non-existent electric grids, according to the paper. In addition, in both developing and developed economies, industry is using distributed power to improve industrial and residential energy efficiency and ensure they have emergency power in the event of natural disasters and other unplanned outages. At the same time, the oil and gas industry relies heavily on on-site power to provide electricity to remote operations as well as mechanical power Read More …

Ecolab inaugurates ‘One Manila’ headquarters

Economy

Mar 162014

Ecolab inaugurates ‘One Manila’ headquarters

Hermie Limbo, general manager and country director for Ecolab and Nalco Philippines (left) and Mike Murphy, Ecolab general manager and market head, Southeast Asia and Korea, during the recent inauguration of Ecolab’s new head office. MANILA, Philippines – Ecolab Philippines, Inc. recently moved to its new head office located at the 18th floor, W Fifth Avenue Building, 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. Called “One Manila,” the sleek and contemporary 1,367-sqm office space serves as the new headquarters of Ecolab Philippines, Inc. and Nalco Philippines, Inc., which is now part of Ecolab. In December 2011, Ecolab announced the merger with Nalco that resulted in the birth of a formidable US$13 billion global entity with some 45,000 employees in 171 countries with businesses in water, hygiene, sanitation and energy. Both companies combined under the name Ecolab. The inauguration of the new corporate office was led by Mike Murphy, Ecolab general manager and market head, Southeast Asia and Korea, and Hermie Limbo, general manager and country director for Ecolab and Nalco Philippines. They were joined by members of the company’s management committee, managers and employees from different departments, including their manufacturing plant personnel from Binan and Calamba, Laguna. “Our move to our new corporate address as ‘One Manila’ is expected to strengthen the synergy of the two companies,” says Limbo. “It will definitely result in more efficient operations and increased productivity with the ultimate goal of satisfying our customers. We take pride in what we do as One Ecolab: protecting Read More …

The litany of greed

General

Jan 262014

Pump and dump: Leonardo DiCaprio as stockbroker Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. Everybody likes to win. Everybody wants to root for a winner, especially an underdog. Losing sucks. Although it is a necessary part of life, we all prefer to win. The world we live in is centered on winners. This might be deeply hardwired into our psyche to survive. Darwin could have been an economist. After all, in a dog-eat-dog world isn’t it survival of the fittest? Welcome to the jungle. The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort. Jordan is your epitome of a smooth-talking Wall Street “pump and dump” shyster who is incredibly talented but destined for a massive fail at the end. In true sex, drugs and rock-’n’-roll (money) fashion, we have an extreme example of how human wants and needs can drive us towards criminal enterprise. The criminal mind can often justify the activity as free enterprise, or, in Jordan’s words, “This is America.” Wealth can fuel the morally bankrupt. After all, who wouldn’t want a 170-foot yacht, a chopper, a palatial house, two vacation homes, sports cars, a trophy wife, a mob of minions and sycophants and almost US$1 million/week in cash flow and orgies the Romans could only have dreamed of? Unfortunately for Jordan, the law of gravity prevails at the end. It all comes crashing down and you almost feel bad for the guy. There are some real lessons and insights that come Read More …

Show me your horse and I will tell you what you are

General

Jan 262014

Show me your horse and I will tell you what you are

Horses can tutor human beings about faith and affection. Practicing psychiatric therapists use them in their treatment programs with psychologically embattled patients, who often connect with their equine buddies even when they are not capable of establishing relationships with other people. Horses are quick to smell deceit, compel people to depend on their gut feelings and to be authentic. In another horse tale, writer Ariana Strozzi powerfully revealed how horses reflect your inner world and provide dramatic, transformative changes in the way you see yourself. She mapped out a path to leadership that begins with self-understanding from an organic viewpoint. She declared, “When you learn to think more like a horse, you develop your instinctive imagination and create new possibilities for your life. And rather than focusing on what is wrong with you, shift your attention towards what you’re naturally good at. On this path, you focus on staying connected to what has meaning and purpose.” Horse sense is common sense. A horse shows you what you truly need to do to inspire and lead people. It’s about understanding how to inspire people, because a horse cares about how much you care, not about your titles or positions. A horse reacts to you exactly as you present who you are, reflecting your leadership style, and how you’re perceived and received. It considers its rider a partner, and focuses on what it does, acting and reacting with total awareness. The book Horse Sense: How to Pull Ahead On The Business Track, authored by Read More …

The only good thing to do with good advice is to pass it on

General

Jan 192014

The only good thing to do with good advice is to pass it on

We usually get advice from people we look up to and trust: an expert, a self-help book author, our boss, our spiritual adviser, or our closest friends. But how many times do we heed the advice that we get? “Most advice is terrible. Nine times out of 10 it’s about as useful as a screen door on a submarine,” psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson once commented. Good advice is authentic, tangible and makes the advice seeker follow a process. If we are the advice giver, we have to be extra cautious in giving it, and it should be based exclusively on our experience. If the advice needs to be executed differently, we have to specify what needs to be done and how it should be done. Bad advice can leave the recipient aggravated, perplexed, or headed down the erroneous trail. If done wrongly, the situation can move from bad to worse. George Lois’s Damn Good Advice (for People with Talent is an anthology of concepts that motivate us to discover new boundaries in the area of big ideas, the way to find them, to sell them and to produce them. Lois, dubbed as advertising’s original “Bad Boy,” created memorable, in-your-face campaigns that changed the fate of brands companies and personalities. Here are inspiring, shining wisdom from his tome that can set free our latent creativity. • A big campaign idea can only be expressed in words that absolutely bristle with visual possibilities. These words link up with a visual imagery, and together Read More …

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