Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – Temperatures outside the COBO Center in downtown Detroit, Michigan plummeted to figures well below zero Celsius, yet that didn’t hamper the enthusiasm of carmakers from coming up with sizzling hot concepts and production cars at the annual North American International Auto Show. The first major motor show of the year, NAIAS or more popularly known as the Detroit Auto Show, serves as the auto industry’s global barometer in terms of tastes and trends. This year, performance is the main driving force once again. With oil prices reverting back to decade-lows and automakers seeing a continued revival of sales globally, a great majority of them used NAIAS to showcase truly lusty rides that are guaranteed to set a car enthusiast’s heart pumping. Consider these figures: the average horsepower of cars that debuted in Detroit? 331 horsepower. Average torque? 473 Nm. Average zero to 100 km/h? 5.6 seconds. Which way you look at it, it seems power is in once more. And though countless cars were unwrapped during the show, these ten are simply the coolest (or hottest) of them all. 1 Acura / Honda NSX After countless teases, Honda, through its US-based luxury division, Acura, finally showed off the production NSX. Designed and developed in the US, the all-new NSX is powered by a turbocharged V6 engine producing in excess of 550 hp assisted by three electric motors. Power is delivered to all four wheels via Honda’s SH-AWD or Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. The production version arrives Read More …

THE AGRICULTURE department has allocated P11 billion for the first year of the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), an initiative funded by a loan from the World Bank.

MANILA, Philippines – Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded its outlook on the global airline industry to positive from stable as the sharp drop in fuel costs is expected to bolster financial performance of major players. Moody’s expects the operating profit margins of the industry to settle at 12 percent to 14 percent this year and 11.5 percent to 13.5 percent next year, instead of the estimated 8.5 percent to 9.5 percent for 2014. “US carriers will continue to garner the largest increases, leading to stronger performance relative to airlines based in increasingly competitive developing markets, and in Europe,” Moody’s vice president and senior credit officer Jonathan Root said. In a report titled “Lower Fuel Costs to Boost Operating Profit Margins; Yield Growth Still Constrained,” Moody’s said the outlook reflects expectations for the fundamental business conditions in the industry over the next 12 to 18 months. Passenger demand would also increase due to steady economic growth, higher disposable incomes and rising air travel in developing economies. Passenger demand, which is measured as revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), is estimated at five percent in 2015 and six percent in 2016. Yields are forecast at flat to two percent in 2015 and one percent to three percent in 2016. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Despite the slower yield growth, Moody’s said its profit margin and RPK forecasts support a positive outlook. With the average price of jet fuel declining $1 per gallon or more in 2015, Moody’s pointed out that Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) urged authorities to discuss more climate solutions following the recent visit of Pope Francis. The Philippines is the third most vulnerable country to climate change, a tropical archipelago besieged by no less than 20 storms yearly, the environmental group said. The group cited Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which left at least 6,000 dead and caused over $14 billion in economic damage.  “With impacts ranging from stronger typhoons, floods, droughts to forced migration, climate change is a reality that millions of Asians have had to face early. Whether or not the Philippines is a major carbon emitter is beside the point. Many countries which contribute the least to global carbon emissions are the most vulnerable, having fewer resources to cope with disasters,” the group said. As such, the group called on authorities to craft out more proactive – rather than reactive – climate solutions. The Philippine climate adaptation efforts include a four-year, 16-city study to prepare the largest Philippine cities for climate impacts, it said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The group predicts that the Philippines’ global emissions will increase beyond the current 0.35 percent due to economic and population growth coupled with rapid urbanization.  “The world must learn from Typhoons Ondoy, Sendong and Haiyan – lessons paid for in lost lives and livelihoods,” said WWF-Philippines Climate Change and Energy Program head Angela Ibay. She said the Pope’s recent visit to Tacloban shows that the Church cares Read More …

Want some knowhow with that wine?: The wine and food-pairing exercises the WSET program offers at Wine Story Academy. MANILA, Philippines – This January, those keen on embarking or continuing a career in the hotel and restaurant industry and/or who simply consider wines a source of immense pleasure can deepen their knowledge on grape varieties, food-and-wine pairings, label terminologies, and other wine-related matters. Wine Story Academy (WSA) will offer professionals representing diverse industries and serious wine enthusiasts in Manila a chance to further their careers and rekindle their passion for wine with a Wine and Sprit Education Trust (WSET) course. The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits will take place on Jan. 22-24 at the G/F of Wine Story in Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students will learn about the prominent wine regions of the world and taste 47 wines and spirits. The course will tackle the factors that influence wine, key grape varieties in wine-producing regions across the world, different types of wines, spirits and liqueurs, plus the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine. Successful students will be given a certificate and the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits lapel pin. There is no prerequisite for attending, though prior knowledge of wine basics is recommended. At present, WSA has a passing rate of 97 percent with 75 percent of all graduates achieving above-average ratings of “Pass with Distinction” and “Pass with Merit.” WSA conducts four levels of WSET Read More …