Maniolas

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque to you, saves lives. … I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.” These are strong lines from a film (A Few Good Men) that summarize the fiction. These might as well have been the lines today by the most familiar figure in the land that summarize a policy in real life. I am not suggesting the hero-or-saint dilemma. It is rather comforting and disturbing. The benefits are real, but the pain is absolute. If we cheer, do we encourage it? Or if we clam up, do we encourage it by silence? It is inspiring, too refreshing to see clean-up drives in different localities, the marketplaces and towns, following the tone from the top. Finally, a leader that makes Read More …

The COE is a requirement for the issuance of Certificate of Compliance (COC) by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). It is a prerequisite before any generating company can start operating its power project. File Photo MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued certificates of endorsements (COE) to 49 power projects as of the end of July this year, government data showed. The COE is a requirement for the issuance of Certificate of Compliance (COC) by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). It is a prerequisite before any generating company can start operating its power project. Data showed there are 26 renewable energy (RE) projects cleared with COEs. Of these RE projects, there were 22 solar farms, the largest of which is the 100-megawatt Sta. Rita solar farm of Jobin-Sqm Inc. in Subic Freeport Zone in Zambales. The list also includes the 63.3-MW solar farm of Solar Philippines Calatagan Corp. in Batangas, the 50-MW solar farm of Petro Solar Corp. in Tarlac and the 50-MW solar project of Sulu Electric Power and Light (Phils) Inc. in Palo, Leyte. The DOE granted COEs to two hydropower plants – the eight-MW hydroelectric power plant of Mindanao Energy Systems Inc. in Claveria, Misamis Oriental and the one-MW hydropower project of Mindoro Grid Corp. in San Teodoro, Oriental Mindoro. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

MANILA, Philippines – Chemical distribution firm SBS Philippines Corp. saw its net income surge to P910.7 million in the first half, buoyed by one-time gains from the disposal of its real estate investments. Net sales reached P517 million, up 12.8 percent year on year. Operating profit rose 18.9 percent to P113 million, driven by organic revenue growth, significant drop in finance charges on account of substantial debt pay downs, lowered operating expenses and higher income contributions from non-core assets. The strong sales performance was attributed to strong volume growth in cosmetics and pharmaceutical raw materials, feeds, and industrial chemical segments as SBS delivered on its strategy to increase market penetration and grow its business volumes through increased sales activities in these segments. Food ingredients continue to account for the bulk of the company’s sales at 35 percent, followed by industrial (32 percent), feeds (22 percent), and raw materials pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (11 percent). SBS president and CEO Gerry Tan said robust economic growth also contributed to the firm’s strong performance. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1  “The robust growth in the Philippine economy and the greater reliance of chemical manufacturers on third party distribution channels to access local customers continue to support our double-digit growth momentum for the year,” Tan said. Tan said the company was able to pare down net debt to P373.7 million in the first half as the excess cash was used to reduce debt consisting mainly of short-term liabilities. Necisto Sytengco, SBS chairman Read More …

The Parañaque sewer network will catch, collect and convey wastewater generated from households in nine barangays and 95 subdivisions to the company’s sewage treatment plant. MANILA, Philippines – West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. is investing P3.7 billion for a sewer network in Parañaque City, as part of efforts to expedite the provision of sewerage and sanitation services in Metro Manila. The Parañaque sewer network will catch, collect and convey wastewater generated from households in nine barangays and 95 subdivisions to the company’s sewage treatment plant. It will also ensure the proper removal of harmful elements from the wastewater and protect community health and the environment. The project involves the laying of about 65 kilometers of sewer pipes. As of last month, Maynilad had already laid around 16 kilometers of sewer pipes. “Laying new wastewater infrastructure is in line with our mandate to help reduce pollution loading into river systems,” Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez. Funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines and Japan International Cooperation Agency, the project is targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2017 and will benefit more than 500,000 customers. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Meanwhile, the company is also in close coordination with Parañaque City’s Traffic Management Office to manage traffic flow in worksites and minimize inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians. Maynilad is investing P42 billion until 2018 to accelerate improvement and expansion of its water and wastewater services. For 2016 alone, Maynilad is allocating P13.6 Read More …

Electricity rates will drop to P8.50 per kilowatthour in August, Meralco said. Meralco/Released MANILA, Philippines – Meralco announced that the residential rate for a typical household will go down this August by around P0.11 per kilowatthour (kWh), bringing it down to P8.50 per kWh. This translates to a reduction of around P22 in the electricity bill of a household with monthly consumption of 200 kWh. The reduction is due to the downward movement in the generation charge, which more than offset a higher transmission charge.  This month’s overall rate is lower by P0.62 per kWh compared to August 2015’s P9.12 per kWh. Meralco also responded to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to provide electricity to marginalized households through an ongoing partnership with the Department of Energy and the National Housing Authority. To further help its customers manage their electricity consumption, Meralco’s prepaid electricity service will be available to residents of Makati, Mandaluyong and Pasig starting October 2016. With the support of the Energy Regulatory Commission, Meralco continues to deploy its prepaid service in more areas. For more information, watch this month’s Meralco Advisory: