Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – Inflation is seen remaining within the three to five percent target despite the jeepney fare adjustments set to take effect on June 14, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said. BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said in an e-mail the fare adjustments for jeepney and even for trains in the Metro were already taken into consideration when the central bank made its recent inflation forecasts. “The baseline inflation projections of the BSP already incorporate adjustments in jeepney fares, as well as MRT and LRT fares,” Tetangco pointed out. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in the last week of May approved a 50-centavo fare increase and a 10-centavo hike for succeeding kilometers  for public utility jeepneys in the National Capital Region, and in Regions 3 and 4. The decision follows a rise in fuel cost seen earlier this year. The fare adjustment takes effect on June 14. “The (inflation) projections continue to show within target inflation within the policy horizon,” Tetangco said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Inflation has so far averaged 4.1 percent in the five months to May, above the midpoint of the BSP’s three to five percent target range. The central bank last May 8  forecast the rate to average 4.3 percent this year, slightly above its March 27 projection of 4.2 percent. The hike came amid higher food prices, and pending adjustments in transportation fares and power rates. Tetangco said “The projections will be reviewed in the Read More …

DAVAO CITY — Mindanao registered $7.6 billion in export receipts last year, 15% more than in 2012, despite the natural calamities that have hit the island in the last two years.

MANILA, Philippines – The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) has attracted nine investor groups for the selection and appointment of the independent power producer administrator (IPPA) for the output of the Mindanao I and II (Mt. Apo 1 and 2) geothermal power plants. PSALM president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. made the announcement after the lapse of the deadlines for the initial requirements such as the submission of a letter of interest on May 30, 2014, and payment of the P120,000 non-refundable participation fee and the execution of a confidentiality agreement and undertaking with PSALM on June 6, 2014. Of the ten investor groups which submitted letters of interest, nine have complied with the initial requirements, according to PSALM. These are EDC Mindanao Geothermal Inc., FDC Misamis Power Corp.,  GDF SUEZ Energy Philippines Inc., Good Friends Hydro Resources Corporation, SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., SPC Power Corp., Therma Southern Mindanao Inc., Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. and Vivant Geo Power Corporation. Ledesma reiterated that the deadline for the submission of bids is on Sept. 24, 2014, with the opening and evaluation of bids commencing thereafter.  PSALM will hold the pre-bid conference for the Mt. Apo 1 and 2 IPPA on June 26, 2014 at the PSALM office in Ayala Avenue, Makati City.  The bidding exercise is PSALM’s first IPPA auction in the Mindanao region.  Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The Mt. Apo IPPA will be tasked to manage the output Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Camella’s numbers tell a clear story – 250,000 homes in Mega Manila and 38 other key provinces and 65 cities and municipalities.  It is clearly a story of nearly 40 years of determined perseverance driven by the dream to give Filipinos a home they can enjoy and be proud of wherever in the Philippines they long to set down roots and raise their families.  But in June of 2014, one number gave the company inspiration like no other.  For three years running, Reader’s Digest named Camella as one of Asia’s Trusted Brands – and for the third straight year, the company was handed a Gold Award.  It was a very palpable pat on Camella’s back by Filipinos and Asians alike – indisputably a sign that the company was on the right track.  That its hard work and intense perseverance did not go unnoticed.  That the Filipino people had developed a loyalty to the brand that has taken 38 years to build, as well as a loyalty to the dream that fueled it. The Reader’s Digest’s Asia’s Trusted Brands award is the premier consumer-based international measure for brand preference across Asia.  Each year, it approaches ordinary consumers, as well as Reader’s Digest subscribers, soliciting their opinion on what brands of specific products and services are important to them.  The consumer polls are conducted across seven markets in Asia – namely, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. From this survey comes a list of the Read More …

Learn from the good and learn from the bad. This is what I constantly say in my leadership seminars. Take our bosses for example. Good bosses are everywhere and unfortunately, bad bosses are everywhere as well. You know as well as I do that some bosses behave more like jerks than inspiring leaders. Instead of inspiring their subordinates, they make life difficult for those who have no choice but to follow them. Unfortunately, this kind of leadership can cause serious problems; I have known sufferers of strokes or heart attacks as a result of high stress levels following such leaders. But then, there are those who benefit greatly from working under inspiring leaders who help them tap into their hidden potential, and excel in their skills. Leadership skills are not always taught in the way it should be. There are many teachings and seminars on theoretical leadership. They show matrixes, quadrants, and draw up frameworks for leadership. The students or seminar participants leave the room carrying with them tons of valuable theoretical principles but find them hard to relate to actual happenings in the work place. While many books and articles offer useful information in the subject of leadership skills, most of these ideas are really taught experientially. New managers or emerging leaders, for better or worse, often mimic what their former managers did when they were under their charge. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 If you are a regular reader of this column then you Read More …