Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – The Light Rail Manila Consortium led by infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and conglomerate Ayala Corp. offered yesterday to pay a P9.35-billion premium for the P65 billion Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT1) Cavite Extension project. Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya told reporters that the financial bid of the Light Rail Manila Consortium was above the expectation of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) which offered a subsidy or viability gap funding of P5 billion for the public private partnership (PPP) project.  “In fact we are willing to give a subsidy or VGF. So we were ready but it’s a good thing the proponent saw it in a different light. They see more potential than what the government sees,” Abaya said. The DOTC expects to get P25.55 billion from three major infrastructure projects including P9.35 billion from the LRT1 Cavite extension project, P14.4 billion from the Mactan-Cebu international airport project, and the P1.8 billion automated fare collection system (AFCS). “So that is more than P25 billion that the private sector is paying the government and we get a free airport, a free LRT1 extension, and a free single ticketing system,” Abaya said. Atty. Michael Arthur Sagcal, DOTC spokesperson, said the agency’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) has approved the technical bid of Light Rail Manila Consortium resulting to the opening of the financial bid yesterday. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The lead member of the group is MPIC Light Rail Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Regus Philippines, a leading provider of workspace solutions, is expanding its network in the country as it  sees greater demand from investors and companies looking for office spaces in the Philippines. “The demand for our flexible workspace solutions is growing as a result of the ‘flexible workspace’ revolution especially in the Philippines. We will continue our network expansion in support of the economic development in the Philippines,” Regus country manager for the Philippines Lars Wittig said. Aside from its 11 existing business centers, Regus is set to open another two this year. Gateway Tower Cubao will begin operating in August while Times Plaza building in Manila will open in September. Furthermore, Wittig said demand for office spaces has tripled over the past two years and Regus’ goal is to meet such demand. “At Regus, we provide the tools to make your business venture in the Philippines a success,” Wittig explained. With over 2,000 workstations all over the country, Regus offers workspace solutions that fit every customer’s needs — from lounge areas to conference rooms or private executive offices. All Regus facilities are also environment-friendly. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “Investors coming to the Philippines can have their office address at the Regus facilities and be up running in no time, focusing on their core competency first and as platform for faster company registration and administration,” Wittig added. Regus’ most basic workstation costs around P10,000 on a monthly basis. Regus has business centers in Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Noted international experts in franchising, retailing, marketing and other disciplines will share their knowledge on how franchise brands can raise their global competitiveness and succeed in an integrated ASEAN at the Franchise Asia Philippines 2014 (FAPHL 2014) International Franchise Conference on July 16 and 17 at the SMX Convention Center. Leading the cast of speakers is a best-selling author and sought after franchise expert Greg Nathan who will also be the resource speaker and facilitator for this year’s CFE program. Nathan, founder of the Franchise Relationships Institute of Australia, is widely recognized as an international thought leader on managing people issues in franchising and will give a presentation on franchisor-franchisee relationships on day one of the conference plenary sessions. The International Franchise Conference is a major component of the multi-faceted Franchise Asia Philippines 2014 slated on July 16 to 20 at the SMX Convention Center with the theme “Conquering an Integrated ASEAN”. Asia’s biggest 4-in-1 franchise event also features a three-day international franchise expo from July 18 to 20; franchise educational seminars from July 18 to 20; and the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program on July 16 and 17. The other foreign experts presenting at the international franchise conference are Fabio Trabucchi, Retail and Shopper Client Service director for TNS RI Korea handling Samsung Global Insight Leader; Stanley Kee, managing director for Southeast Asia of GfK Asia Pte Ltd. Singapore; Tony Harris, chief executive of creative agency BBDO Guerrero which conceptualized the Department of Tourism’s “It’s More Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The US and other countries are eyeing various areas, including Mindanao for their next investment ventures, Malacañang said yesterday. In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker paid a courtesy call on President Aquino and brought with her a delegation of businessmen who wanted to see where they could invest. “They are looking at potential areas of investment, like car manufacturing, energy, infrastructure in Mindanao, infrastructure on mass transit and also tourism,” Lacierda said. When US President Barack Obama made a state visit last April, he announced that Pritzker and a delegation of American businessmen would come to Manila to look into the possibility of investing in the country. Lacierda said the business climate in the country had also become more favorable following the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) by representatives of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government.  “Now that we have come to a peaceful agreement with the MILF, many countries have been looking at Mindanao as a potential area for investment. We’ve seen other countries – Asean (Association of Southeast Nations) looking into Mindanao. And so, the United States is also one of the countries interested in looking into investments in Mindanao,” Lacierda said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The CAB, signed last March 27, ended the decades-long conflict in Mindanao. Pritzker, American chief executive officers, and the US-Asen Business Council came to talk with Philippine government officials Read More …

HERO WITHIN: Everyone has their childhood super hero that inspires them to uphold good values. In photo (Joey Concepcion with wife Marissa and youngest daughter Bella). A couple of weeks ago, I shared in this column (entitled Filipino Service at its Best) what we have seen during our annual summer trip (which started as a cruise from Turkey to Venice), how Filipinos working abroad excel in service. It feels good to end our summer family trip together as a clan of 55 travelling together with no fights and arguments, and to have the chance to be with our father, who, at the age of 82,  just recently went through an operation.  It was a hectic trip, having gone also to see the canonization of two popes in Rome. Finally my own trip with my wife and kids for a detour in London. Business obligations, attending the Standard Chartered conference in London to promote our company RFM and the Philippines, and most importantly – to bring my daughter whose birthday wish as she turned 7 a couple of months back is to watch Katy Perry’s concert and the boy band One Direction. Something I don’t really look forward to, but something I guess will make her and her other sisters happy. We did go to Katy Perry’s concert and many parents were dragged by their children, but it was a great concert and great bonding moment with our children. We are yet to see One Direction. For this one I was Read More …