Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – Instant noodles, Instagram, instant information at your fingertips … all designed to save time and make our lives a little easier. Don’t you wish that the more important things in life – like being financially prepared for the “what if’s” of life, and having enough funds for future goals – were instant as well? Pioneer Life Inc. has made this wish come true, with InstaLife – a first-in-the-market variable unit linked (VUL) product that gives clients instant protection and while investing for their future. With its automatic acceptance feature, no medical tests are necessary to be covered. Clients are instantly insured upon application and payment of the first premium. InstaLife is open to individuals from 0 to 40 years old, making it perfect for young, single or married individuals who want to invest and at the same time be insured without the hassle of going through medical examinations and filling out lengthy health questionnaires. Some of its features include doubling your policy amount on the third policy year, receiving a death benefit equivalent to the sum of the policy amount and fund value, and investing in one of the country’s best performing managed and equity funds for long-term growth of your money. Award winning fund manager Fritz Ocampo has frequently cited Pioneer’s equity fund as one of the “most consistent top performer” in the market – its seven-year track record can be credited to its “good fund managers and very good investments team.”  Business ( Article MRec Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. welcomes Cristina Tolentino as the AVP and business unit head for SM Tickets, the largest and only ticketing brand with purchasing booths available nationwide.  With 12 years of experience in sales and sponsorship, Tolentino specializes in advertising, account management, and product partnership. As the newly appointed head of SM Tickets,  Tolentino will be responsible for expanding the brand by partner acquisition and sustenance, building brand loyalty by improving its customer relations, and assuring patrons of value-for-money by developing programs and platforms for the customers’ advantage.

MANILA, Philippines – The government’s borrowings fell by 33 percent last year, due largely to higher revenues and prudent management of its debt. Data from the Department of Finance showed that the government borrowed P369.06 billion from local and foreign sources to help fund state projects and programs and pay maturing obligations.  The amount represented 66.5 percent of the P554.7 billion in loans the state took out in 2013. Of the total borrowings, the bigger share of P266.12 billion was sourced from the domestic market, mainly through the sale of Treasury bills and bonds.  The amount was 48.9 percent lower than the P520.3 billion secured the previous year. Debt from foreign lenders, meanwhile, surged to P102.94 billion or three times the P33.8 billion recorded a year earlier.  This comprised P56.6 billion in program loans, global bonds swap  (P28.67 billion), and project loans (P17.64 billion). Foreign borrowings are done largely through the sale of sovereign bonds in the international capital market and by tapping cheap loans in the form of official development assistance (ODA) from multilateral development institutions. The biggest sources of ODAs are the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 In December alone, borrowings reached P38.34 billion, of which P31 billion was sourced from domestic lenders. The country has seen the ratio of its debt-to-gross domestic product decline in the past few years from a peak of more than 70 percent a decade ago mainly due to Read More …

UPGRADES to the airports in Kalibo and Northern Mindanao have been declared ready for use in time for the high season of domestic travel, while construction will start on the new airport in Bohol during the dry months, officials said.

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The stock market touched the 8,000 level for the first time today as investors cheered the drop in crude prices. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index skyrocketed to as high as 8,007.98 before profit takers started trimming down the gains. By the final bell, the local barometer was up by 0.27 percent or 21.45 points to 7,899.41. On the other hand, the broader all-share index gained 0.08 percent or 3.81 points to 4,550.21. Trading volume reached 1.05 billion shares worth P9.51 billion ($212.29 million) with 106 stocks declining, 74 advancing, and 47 unchanged. Of the six counters, only the mining and oil and the property sector bucked the trend. Online brokerage 2TradeAsia.com said participants cheered the latest overnight drop in crude prices. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Brent crude oil was down 47 cents to 55.94 US dollars a barrel as Iran and world powers discuss a deal over Tehran’s nuclear program that could result in increase in Iranian oil. “This marks the 23rd all-time record this year out of 58 sessions so far. Thus the PSEi laid to rest all doubts on whether it could hit 8,000 this year but does raise the question of whether it can be sustained,”  analyst Justino Calaycay of Accord Capital Equities Corp. said. Stocks in the 30-company index closed mixed. Investors picked up shares of Ayala Corp., SM Investments, Corp., and Globe Telecom, Inc. but sold down Megaworld Corp. and Alliance Global Group, Inc.