Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – One of the largest agriculture technology exhibitors in Thailand is holding a nine-day trade show in March featuring the latest solutions in animal industry, horticulture, and farm machinery. VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. will hold the AGRI-Food Business Week Asia at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) at the capital city of the neighboring Southeast Asian Nation from March 11 to 19. The trade show would be divided into three events: VIV Asia, which would showcase technologies for animal industry; Horti Asia, the show for horticultural solutions and Agri Asia, which would display farm machinery that covers the entire supply chain from pre-harvest to post-harvest. VIV Asia would be held from March 11 to March 13 while HortI Asi and Agri Asia would be held from March 17 to 19. In a recently-held press briefing, organizers said the trade show would showcase technologies and innovations from over 1,000 companies from 100 countries. The show is expected to bring together entrepreneurs from various countries such as Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and China among others. VIV Asia project manager Ruwan Berculo said several Philippine-based companies such as San Miguel Corporation are expected to send representatives to the event to view the latest technological advancements in agriculture.    Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Aside from the actual trade shows, visitors can also attend seminars related to the exhibited products and meet international industry experts.

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration has awarded another Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project after the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) named the group of Filipino-owned Megawide Construction Corp. as the winning bidder for the P2.5-billion Integrated Transport System – Southwest Terminal. Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a text message that the agency’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) has awarded the PPP project to Megawide’s MWM Terminals. This brings to nine the number of PPP projects worth P135.36 billion awarded by the Aquino administration which has raised a premium payment of over P36 billion. Aside from the ITS – Southwest Terminal, the government has awarded the Daang Hari – South Luzon Expressway link road (P2 billion), PPP for School Infrastructure Project phase 1 (P8.86 billion), the PSIP-2 (P16.28 billion), the modernization project for the Philippine Orthopedic Center (P5.98 billion), the Ninoy Aquino International Airport expressway (P15.52 billion), the automated fare collection system project (P1.72 billion), the Mactan – Cebu International Airport expansion project (P17.5 billion), and the Light Rail Transit line 1 Cavite extension project (P65 billion). On the other hand, Megawide has bagged five of the awarded PPP projects, including the Mactan Cebu International Airport expansion program together with Bangalore-based GMR Infrastructure; the modernization of Philippine Orthophedic Center together with World Citi; the P16.42 billion PPP for School Infrastructure project phase I; and the P3.86 billion PSIP phase II. MWM Terminals submitted an annual grantor payment (AGP) of P100 million, while Filinvest Land Inc. of taipan Andrew Read More …

NEW YORK — Oil prices rose initially on news of the death of Saudi Arabia’s powerful King Abdullah, but the increase was moderate and short-lived. The king’s death is unlikely to lead to a change in the kingdom’s immense crude production or change the course of oil prices in the coming months, analysts say. The benchmark U.S. crude futures contract rose more than $2 a barrel in the hours after the king’s death was announced Thursday evening in New York. But by the time commodity markets opened Friday those gains had been largely erased. In morning trading, U.S. oil was up 18 cents to $46.49 a barrel. Brent crude, an international benchmark, was up 80 cents to $49.32 a barrel in London. The small rise reflects added uncertainty about Saudi oil policy because the country’s new absolute monarch, Abdullah’s 79-year-old half brother Prince Salman, is in poor health. “It is necessary to stay watchful about Saudi politics,” said Oh Jeong-seok, head of commodity markets at state-run Korea Center for International Finance. “As he is nearly 80 years old and his health isn’t in good condition, that itself is uncertain. The price of oil goes up when there is an uncertainty.” Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Still, the months-long slump in oil prices that is providing a boost to the stumbling world economy is unlikely to reverse unless Saudi Arabia cuts production or world demand starts strengthening again. Some analysts think Saudi production won’t be lowered anytime Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), and the Department of Energy (DOE) continue to draw in more participants for the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) which would help ease projected blackouts this summer. As of Jan. 20, total committed capacity under the ILP has reached 685.07 megawatts from customers of Meralco and contestable customers or those with a monthly electricity demand of at least one megawatt and who can source their power supply from retail electricity suppliers. Of the 685.07 MW, 224.22 MW are from Meralco customers and 460.85 MW are from contestable customers. Meralco is still eyeing potential commitments of 233.30 MW from its customers and contestable customers. The latest figure, however, is still below the 1,000-MW target but the DOE and Meralco continue to talk to more potential participants. Under the ILP scheme, big power users will be asked to run their own generators when supply is short in the summer months, instead of getting their power from the Luzon grid. In exchange, they will be compensated for their fuel costs. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The electricity that would not be taken from the grid would be available to households and other users, sparing them from rotating blackouts. There is a projected power supply shortage this summer of at least 700 MW due to higher demand during the hot months.  The three largest participants in the ILP are SM Prime Holdings Inc., the mall development arm of the SM Group Read More …