THE VOLUME of coconut exports for the first five months of the year surged 79.72% even if average prices of coconut products dropped.
Aug 282013
Aug 282013
MACTAN, CEBU — Expecting “staggering growth,” the contact center industry has revised upwards its revenue and employment targets for the year.
Aug 282013
THE RECENT floods in Luzon due to the incessant monsoon rains serve as a reminder that these calamities are inevitable in tropical countries such as ours. Because of climate change, the havoc they cause has intensified in magnitude over the last decade. While the government undertakes to implement a comprehensive anti-flooding program to address this bedevilling situation, realistically, full project completion may take several years without any guarantee of success.
Aug 282013
‘DESPITE EVERYTHING’ By Michael Lim UbacPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:55 am | Thursday, August 29th, 2013 President Benigno Aquino III LYN RILLON MANILA, Philippines—Amid the backdrop of the currently frosty relations between the Philippines and China, an apparently reluctant President Benigno Aquino III is flying to Nanning, China, on Sept. 3 to attend the 10th China-Asean Expo (Caexpo), during which Malacañang does not expect a meeting to take place between Mr. Aquino and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It will be a whirlwind trip for the President who said he will be leaving “at 5 a.m. and be back at 5 p.m.” the same day, as he did not want to “overstay” his welcome. The Caexpo is held annually in China to promote the building of the China-Asean free trade area, and it is being hosted this year by the Philippines. But Mr. Aquino will attend only the first day of the three-day event that will gather the heads of state and government of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. A Palace official said the fact that the Philippines is the host of the event was the only reason Mr. Aquino had decided to proceed with the trip. “We are the host. Normally the head of government of the host country attends the expo,” said the official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk about the President’s Read More …
Aug 272013
A LINE-ITEM budgeting system in the implementation of 10 projects of different government agencies was urged by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto as the Senate began hearings on the proposed 2014 national budget.
Aug 272013
REFORMS at the Customs bureau will help the agency raise its collections significantly in order to meet the government’s revenue targets, the Finance department said.
Aug 272013
CEBU CITY — The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is expected to either retain or increase its 2013 growth projections when the International Contact Center Conference and Expo opens here today.
Aug 272013
Dear PAGASA, We, the tax payers of the Philippines, respectfully request your esteemed agency to stop naming typhoons after innocent citizens like Ondoy, Pedring and Maring, and ask that you name them after politicians who have unexplained wealth instead. It makes more sense, don’t you think? Because aside from the fact that their misappropriated development funds caused most of the unnecessary flooding, they actually have a lot more in common than you may think––like how they both seem to start out with a lot of hot air before eventually taking everything you own. So let’s start with renaming Maring to typhoon Napoles, shall we? With that out of the way, not a storm goes by without my inbox getting flooded with questions like, what is the best way to drive through a flood? What do I do if my car stalls in a flood? Why wasn’t I informed? So I decided to consolidate them here for you in a simple, easy-to-share article that you can always refer to. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 What height of flood water is still considered passable? Well that depends entirely on your vehicle. Currently, the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Colorado and Ford Ranger have the best-in-class wading capabilities with 800 mm. Most “soft-roaders” like CRVs, Tucson, Sorento, etc. are only good for 400-500mm, while cars are even less. A good rule of thumb is to avoid going through anything that has reached your headlights or that completely covers your tires, because aside Read More …
Aug 272013
By Paolo G. MontecilloPhilippine Daily Inquirer 11:18 pm | Tuesday, August 27th, 2013 The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) stands ready to control spikes in the foreign exchange market that may lead to higher consumer prices, which may choke the country’s growing economy. BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. on Tuesday said the peso’s recent weakness, caused mainly by the pullout of foreign funds from emerging markets like the Philippines, has yet to become a source of concern for local economic managers. “If it was moving out of line, then that may be a basis for the BSP to try and smooth the peso’s movements,” Tetangco said. The peso fell to a more than two-and-a-half-year-low of 44.50 against the greenback on Tuesday amid lingering concerns over the tapering of the US Federal Reserve’s monthly asset purchases meant to keep interest rates low. The local currency’s drop also came amid pending military intervention by the US in Syria following reports of the latter’s use of chemical weapons on its citizens. So far this year, the peso’s average value was 41.50 against the dollar. This was well within the BSP’s assumed average of 41 to 43 against the greenback for the year. For now, Tetangco said the BSP’s foreign exchange policy would remain the same. “We allow the peso to respond to market forces but with scope for BSP participation in the market to avoid excessive volatility in the exchange rate,” he said. He said the BSP would consider more significant intervention in Read More …
Aug 262013
THE ENERGY department plans to award the contract to supply and deliver the first 3,000 units of electric tricycles (e-trikes) by the fourth quarter, following the receipt of four offers in an auction last week, an official said over the weekend.