BOC posts collection surplus of P200 M

 Economy
Feb 132013
 
BOC posts collection surplus of P200 M

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs is off to a good start, posting a  collection surplus of over P200 million in January this year, the first time under Ruffy Biazon’s watch. The BOC exceeded its collection target of P24.3 billion for January with total collections reaching P24.5 billion. The figure is P2.51 billion higher than the same period in 2012. The higher collection was attributed to the reorganization of key Customs personnel in the early part of January. Biazon, who took over the reins of the BOC in 2011,  is hopeful  the agency will surpass or at least meet its collection target for the year of P340 billion with the full completion of its computerization program. “We may have found the right chemistry among our officials to enable us to meet our collection target for 2013, although it remains to be seen as we progress through the year. As I have said when I announced my 2013 reconfiguration program for the BOC, the purpose of the program is to place the right people at the right assignments, where they can best deliver their talents, experience and training in revenue generation,” Biazon said. The BOC last exceeded its collection target in March 2011 under the leadership of Angelito Alvarez who stepped down from office. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Biazon is hopeful the agency will surpass or at least meet its collection target for the year of P340 billion with the full completion of its computerization Read More …

AboitizPower allots P85B for 4-year portfolio buildup

 Economy
Feb 132013
 
AboitizPower allots P85B for 4-year portfolio buildup

MANILA, Philippines – AboitizPower, the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s power generation, distribution and retail businesses, will be pouring in P85 billion over the next four years to expand its power portfolio, its top official said yesterday.  “For the next four years, AboitizPower and partners expect to invest P85 billion which will be used in building new power plants across the country,” AboitizPower president and chief executive officer Erramon Aboitiz said during a presentation yesterday at the Philippine Economic Briefing. Aboitiz said the amount would translate to roughly 1,400 to 1,500 megawatts of additional capacity and will combine AboitizPower’s and its respective partners’ investments in RP Energy, Pagbilao 3 coal-fired plant expansion, the Therma South coal plant in Mindanao and roughly three to four hydropower plants. RP Energy is a consortium of AboitizPower, PowerGen Corp. and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. For the Pagbilao 3 expansion, AboitizPower has teamed up with TeaM Energy Corp. for the construction of another 400-MW plant.  “We’re planning on building a 400-MW plant. We hope to break ground this year, hopefully in the second half and to have that ready by 2016,” Aboitiz said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Wholly-owned subsidiary Therma South Inc., meanwhile, is completing a 300-MW coal power plant in Mindanao and expects this to be ready by early 2015. For the hydropower plants, AboitizPower is looking at building around three to four new plants in the next three to four years.  “In the next three to four Read More …

Intex offers REEs for free

 Economy
Feb 132013
 
Intex offers REEs for free

MANILA, Philippines – Norwegian-based Intex Resources ASA which operates Mindoro Nickel Mining says that it can produce rare earth elements (REEs) to the country for free. The announcement came on the heels of reports that the Philippines is dead set on exploring for REEs to take advantage of China’s move to cut on REEs’ production to the global market. REEs are a group of elements that are used in a wide range of products we use every day, including hard drives, IPods, wind turbines, hybrid cars, fiber optics and energy efficient fluorescent bulbs, among others. Their properties, notably as lightweight magnets, make them key to the on-going miniaturization of electronics and the growth of green technologies. Last year, the country’s plan to produce REEs was stalled after Beijing reneged on earlier commitments to help Manila despite several “reminders” by the MGB. This came amid a dispute between Manila and Beijing over the Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. Before the dispute, Manila and Beijing were set to sign a deal to jointly explore for rare earth elements. The Philippines is already conducting its own exploration surveys in Nueva Vizcaya and Palawan, where rare earth deposits were found to be close to copper-gold mines. The MGB said that the Aquino government has earmarked P20 million for REEs’ development. The amount is for the entire reconnaissance phase for the two-year preliminary survey. It said that once the three stages of exploration go well, the program may take five years. Business ( Read More …

Comelec to start issuing notices to campaign violators

 News
Feb 132013
 
Comelec to start issuing notices to campaign violators

After a one-day leeway, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start sending out notices to national candidates will illegal campaign posters on Wednesday. Candidates who will not remove such posters within three days after receipt of notice will be slapped with charges, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. warned on Wednesday. “Wala naman kaming taong magtatanggal ng dinidikit nila (candidates). ‘Pag di nila tinanggal after three days from notice mag-uumpisa na kami mag-file ng charges,” said Brillantes in an ambush interview in San Juan where he was attending an event by good governance group Kaya Natin!. He admitted that as of Wednesday, the second of the 90-day campaign period for national candidates, all the Comelec could do was monitor and issue warnings regarding violations on election rules. “Tignan natin within the next few days. Probably by the weekend, tapos na ho yung three days, baka makakita na tayo ng konting galaw from us. Ngayon, puro warning lang ho kami. ‘Yung mga nagdidikit, okay, ‘di pa namin kayo hahabulin pero tatanggalin din niyo ‘yan,” he said “‘Pag ‘di niyo tinanggal, kayo na ho ang bahala. Kami naman ang bahala sa inyo,” he added. Brillantes appealed to candidates who violate campaign rules not to risk possible consequences that may jeopardize their candidacy. “Kaya pakiusap ko sa mga kandidato wag na kayong mag-risk kasi kung idemanda namin kayo doon lang medyo masisira na kampanya niyo e at malamang matalo pa kayo,” he said. “We’re giving them a chance. I’m announcing ‘yung mga nagdidikit diyan Read More …

Senate war gets uglier as Miriam threatens to expose Lacson's sexuality

 News
Feb 122013
 
Senate war gets uglier as Miriam threatens to expose Lacson's sexuality

The discord within the Senate got uglier Wednesday after Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago launched another attack against Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, this time threatening to expose his real sexuality. “Maghanda ka (Lacson) dahil meron akong parliamentary immunity, ibulgar ko lahat ng kasalanan mo pati ang sexuality mo,” Santiago said in a radio interview. She noted that Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), is known to some people as “Pinky Lacson.” In a text message to GMA News Online, Lacson denied being gay as insinuated by Santiago. “I am sorry to disappoint the lady senator. If she’s insinuating some lunatic idea about my sexuality, let me emphasize this — I am not gay and I do not intend to be one,” he said. Santiago, who is waiting to be summoned by the International Criminal Court where she has been named judge, said she will try to remain a senator for another month when Congress resumes session in June to answer Lacson’s allegation that she is using Senate funds for her personal needs. ‘Pinky’ Lacson “[Tatawad ako para] masagot ko naman ‘yung mga pagbibintang ni… ‘di ko na alam pangalan niya, kasi ibang tao tawag sa kanya Ping Lacson, ibang tao naman tawag sa kanya Pinky Lacson,” the feisty lawmaker said. She also said that she will find out all of Lacson’s wrongdoings and expose them. “Tapos ikaw (Lacson) hindi ka na senador wala ka nang parliamentary immunity pag sumagot ka sa akin demanda kita ng libel,” Santiago said. Lacson Read More …

Comelec notes continued violations of campaign rules

 News
Feb 122013
 
Comelec notes continued violations of campaign rules

The Commission on Elections on Wednesday found continued violations of the campaign rules for the May elections as it started a “documentation tour” of compliance with campaign rules. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez led the team that took pictures of the campaign posters. Among the first seen by the Comelec were campaign materials of Kabataan party-list on the posts of LRT in front of Luneta Park and along Taft Avenue in Manila. Comelec spokesman James Arthur Jimenez posted on Twitter a photo of posters plastered along Taft Avenue, belonging to the youth-oriented party list. In his post, he indicated the photo was taken as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. There was also an oversized tarpaulin of Buhay party-list hanging on an electric post along Quirino Avenue. The poll body prohibits posting of campaign materials on public infrastructures, among others. Comelec earlier said those who will be found to have illegal campaign posters will be given a notice which they should act on within three days or they will be charged with an election offense. The Comelec is now enforcing campaign rules for candidates in the senatorial and party-list elections, after the campaign period for such posts started on Tuesday. “(The candidates concerned), however, will have to be given official notice of this violation, and the opportunity to address (the) problem,” Jimenez earlier said on his Twitter account.  As of posting time, the areas covered by the documentation tour are Intramuros, Finance Road, Taft Avenue and Quirino Avenue in Manila. Earlier in the Read More …

UNA may drop Chiz as candidate after proclamation rally snub

 News
Feb 122013
 
UNA may drop Chiz as candidate after proclamation rally snub

(Updated 12:30 p.m.) TAGBILARAN CITY — The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) may drop re-electionist Senator Francis Escudero as its guest candidate if he continues to snub its sorties, Vice President and coalition stalwart Jejomar Binay said Wednesday. Binay said Escudero is “likely” to be removed as UNA senatorial bet if he repeatedly fails to show up or send a representative to the coalition’s political rally, similar to what happened during the coalition’s kickoff sortie in Cebu on Tuesday night. “Sa sitwasyon ngayon, kami naman ang kawawa sa usapan na ito. Siya, dinadala natin, pero paano naman kami?” Binay told reporters. He added that Escudero will be given the chance to make up for his absence in UNA’s first official sortie, since the senator has already made a commitment to attend future political rallies of the coalition. “Alam mo naman na may usapan na sila ay sasama sa sortie naming paminsan-minsan. Tingnan natin kung darating na sila… In fairness to him [Escudero], he requested to attend the LP [Liberal Party] sortie,” Binay said. In a text message to GMA News Online, Escudero said he was not able send a representative to UNA’s rally like his fellow common candidates Sen. Loren Legarda and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares for obvious reasons. “Di tulad ni Loren, wala na akong tatay. At di tulad ni Grace, five years old pa lang mga anak ko. Sent a video message but they decided not to show it,” he said. Read More …

Moderate rains expected over Eastern Luzon, Visayas

 News
Feb 122013
 
Moderate rains expected over Eastern Luzon, Visayas

Satellite image at 8 a.m., 13 Feb 2013. Satellite image at 8 a.m., 13 Feb 2013 Weather Central Rain may fall over the eastern parts of Luzon and Visayas due to the northeast monsoon on Wednesday, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA forecaster Buddy Javier also said Metro Manila is no longer likely to experience a repeat of Tuesday’s surprise rain showers. “Kahapon kasi kaya tayo inulan, lumakas ang northeast monsoon at tumagos sa Luzon, umabot sa Metro Manila. Light rain lang naman,” Javier said in an interview on dzBB radio. Effects of Amihan monsoon “The northeast monsoon has strengthened as it now affects the entire eastern sections of Luzon and Visayas.  For the whole day today, light to moderate rainshowers or thunderstorms should be expected over eastern —Samar and Leyte provinces—  and central —Cebu and Bohol— sections of  Visayas and the whole of Mindanao, particularly in CARAGA and Davao regions,” said GMA resident meteorologist Nathaniel “Mang Tani” Cruz. “Bicol, Quezon, and parts of southern Luzon –particularly MIMAROPA)— as well as Batanes and extreme northern Luzon will also have light rains today,” he added.   24-hour weather forecast ending 8 a.m., February 14, 2013  In its 5 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA also said the northeast monsoon is affecting Eastern Luzon and Eastern Visayas. PAGASA said Eastern and Central Visayas and Caraga will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Cagayan Valley, Aurora and Quezon provinces, and Bicol will experience cloudy skies with light rain. Metro Manila and the rest Read More …

THE BEE AND THE SWEETENING OF A COUNTRY’S CULTURE

 News
Feb 122013
 
THE BEE AND THE SWEETENING OF A COUNTRY’S CULTURE

By Ana Maria Villanueva-Lykes In the US a child’s first words are usually “dada”, “momma”, and “dog”. In the Philippines, it’s “papa”, “mama” and “bee”. And it’s not just any kind of bee. It’s a special yellow and orange bee with a chef’s hat and jacket. No pants. Every toddler in the Philippines knows the sweet taste of the hotdog bits in the spaghetti just as well as Lolo is familiar with the delightful sensation of the Chicken Joy crispy skin on the tongue. Their wide eyes — both Lolo’s and apo’s — shine at the first bite. It is because of these toddlers and their lolos — and every member of the family for that matter — that Jollibee is no longer just a fast food chain but an icon. A mere burger chain has somehow managed to colonize “the youth culture and mass consumption”, as Andréa Picard would put it in her Cinema Scope feature. What is it about Jollibee that makes international film critiques call it a phenomenon and even The New York Times describe it as “strangely addicting”? Jollibee’s success has gone beyond Philippine taste in spite of the fact that others might define its fare as substandard, a taste for the masses. It has conquered the international palate, earning Jollibee the right to call itself the “Filipino Triumph”. Jollibee’s story is not just the tale of Tony Tan Caktiong but the story of the Filipino’s triumph over the red-haired clown and what others might consider Read More …

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