December 2013 – Page 4

Robinsons Land earns P4.48 B

Economy

Dec 282013

MANILA, Philippines – Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC), the property arm of the Gokongwei family’s JG Summit Holdings Inc., posted an unaudited net income of P4.48 billion in its fiscal year ending September 2013, up by only 5.5 percent from the previous year as residential construction remained sluggish. Sources said RLC’s revenues rose 18 percent to P15.98 billion from October 2012 to September this year, mainly on the strength of its shopping mall operations. Operating profit amounted to P5.98 billion, 14 percent higher than the P5.24 billion recorded in the same period last year. In the fourth quarter alone, RLC’s net earnings fell 2.8 percent to P832 million, while revenues went up 3.3 percent to P3.58 billion. The shopping centers division chipped in P1.98 billion in revenues or 16 percent more than the P1.71 billion contributed a year ago. The income drop was due to lower residential revenues as a result of low project completion rate and increased loss from the reversal of derivative assets. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Revenues from residential projects fell 13 percent in July to September this year to P868 million, while hotel revenues were flat at P361 million. The office buildings segment pumped in P367 million in revenues, down two percent due to lack of new inventory. Pre-sales, however, remained positive with reservation sales growing nearly 50 percent to P8.62 billion. Construction of new malls and office buildings has been delayed until next year. RLC’s gross leasable area for shopping malls Read More …

PEDC lights up Iloilo

Economy

Dec 282013

MANILA, Philippines – The province of Iloilo was spared from power outages during the Christmas season, even as some areas in Leyte and Samar are experiencing rotating power outages as full restoration of electricity continues, according to power distributor Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC). City centers of some 320 municipalities in the two provinces are already connected to the grid as Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla imposed a Dec. 24 deadline for the restoration of electricity in the said areas. Although there were three municipalities that were not energized on Dec. 24, they have now been energized. These are the municipalities of Salcedo, Mercedes and Guian in Eastern Samar. Cebu has reportedly been experiencing daily rotational brownouts ranging from one to two hours, PEDC said. PEDC is a subsidiary of Global Business Power Corp., the power generation arm of the Metrobank Group led by taipan George Ty. Global Business is a member of the GT Capital Group of Companies, a member of the GT Capital Group. In an advisory, PEDC said the Panay Electric Company, Inc. (PECO), which is connected to PEDC, continues to provide stable power supply to residents of Iloilo despite the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The franchise area of Panay Electric Company, Inc. (PECO) is located around Iloilo City. PECO customers are those who are enjoying uninterrupted power supply this Christmas season, PEDC said. “Apart from stable supply, Iloilo City also enjoys reasonably priced electricity,” PEDC said.

PLDT unveils new cloud-based product

Economy

Dec 282013

MANILA, Philippines – PLDT Alpha Enterprise, a unit of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., has unveiled a new product giving companies faster and more efficient speed-to-market application deployment. Jovy Hernandez, first vice president and head of PLDT Alpha Enterprise, said the new PLDT Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS) would further improve the competitiveness of companies. “As global business becomes even more fast-paced, it is imperative for enterprises to innovate instantly in order to stay ahead of their competition. With PLDT Cloud PaaS, companies can harness the infinite possibilities of the cloud, to quickly create solutions that make them more productive and more efficient,” Hernandez stressed. The PLDT Cloud PaaS gives enterprises the ability to develop and deliver various applications with unprecedented ease. Enterprise developers could begin creating their applications in a standard web browser using pre-built templates, significantly reducing development lead-time through an 80 percent drag-and-drop and 20 percent coding model. Pre-built templates on its starter package can be used instantly to develop applications for numerous organizational needs such as sales and marketing, human resources, IT, and other functional areas. They also have an option to purchase more advanced application templates that specifically benefit industries such as banking and finance, retail and manufacturing, and real estate. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 PLDT Cloud PaaS is initially offered for P2,500 per user per month to include the platform development tools, starter application templates, a PLDT Cloud IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) resource with up Read More …

Last of distressed OFWs in Lebanon home by yearend—DOLE

News

Dec 282013

Last of distressed OFWs in Lebanon home by yearend—DOLE

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:04 pm | Saturday, December 28th, 2013 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — The 36 remaining distressed Filipino workers in Lebanon are to be flown home before the year ends, the Department of Labor said Saturday. Citing a report from Irma Valiente, the assistant labor attache in Beirut, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the Lebanese General Security Department has agreed to waive all penalties and fines, thus allowing the 36 workers to leave immediately. The workers, most of whom are domestics, are staying at the Filipino Workers Rescue Center, Baldoz said. “The plane tickets of the 36, who are all female ‘runaways’, will be paid for by Caritas Lebanon, a religious non-government organization in Bierut. We are now finalizing the flight bookings of the distressed OFWs,” Valiente said in her report to Baldoz. Baldoz had earlier directed all Philippine Overseas Labor Offices to fast-track the settlement of cases involving distressed Filipino workers so they could be repatriated as soon as possible. She urged labor officials to work closely with the Philippine embassies, establish rapport with licensed overseas employment providers, and intensify networking and coordination with the immigration and labor offices of the host countries. “I commend the POLO in Lebanon for sustaining our efforts to fast-track the settlement of cases and repatriation of OFWs,” Baldoz said. “This is, without doubt, the result of our POLO-Lebanon’s good rapport and active networking with Lebanon’s immigration and labor offices.” RELATED STORIES: OFW alert up in Lebanon 31 OFWs Read More …

‘Pagpag’ earns P23.6 million on first day

Entertainment

Dec 272013

‘Pagpag’ earns P23.6 million on first day

Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo (MNS Photo) Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo could not put into words how grateful they are that a lot of people lined up to watch their movie, “Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay,” during the opening day of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Bernardo said she is glad to be part of the horror film which, according to her, also has lessons for its viewers. “Importante na may matututunan kayo sa movie na ito. Horror siya na comedy na suspense, lahat na. Okay siya panoorin ngayong Pasko, para exciting,” she said. Bernardo said the good reviews of their movie make all their hard work worth it. She also attributed the success of “Pagpag” to their directors as well as the other people behind the movie’s production team. “Sa totoo lang, ngayon lang namin nakita ‘yung buo na maayos na lahat. Masaya ako na napanood ko siya. Hindi ko ine-expect na [ganito ang final output]. Gusto ko i-congratulate din ‘yung mga directors namin kasi sila talaga ‘yung nakipagpuyatan, and yung sa mga effects,” she said. Padilla, for his part, thanked their supporters who even held block screenings. “Thank you na nagpapa-block screening para sa amin. Gusto ko mapanood nila. Kahit hindi na po para sa amin, ‘yung palabas po talaga ‘yung maganda,” he said. “Masayang masaya po kami na nandito sila lahat. Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng nanood at mga manonood pa,” he added. According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), “Pagpag” placed third in Read More …

Filipino cabbie in Vegas finds and returns $300K

News

Dec 272013

Filipino cabbie in Vegas finds and returns $300K

By Bert EljeraINQUIRER.net US Bureau 8:02 am | Saturday, December 28th, 2013 Gerardo Gamboa with the $10,000 reward he received for returning $300,000 in cash left behind by a passenger in his cab in Las Vegas on Christmas Day. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Yellow Checker Taxi LAS VEGAS — Filipino-American cab driver Gerardo Gamboa returned $300,000 in hard cash left behind by a passenger. He was rewarded handsomely for his honesty. Gamboa of Mabalacat, Pampanga, and Silay City, received $10,000 Friday from the owner of the money, a professional poker player who chose to remain anonymous. His identity, however, has been established. “I’ll give this to my wife, and we can buy some stuff,” said the 34-year-old Gamboa, who created a worldwide sensation for returning the money left behind in his cab on Christmas Day. “I’m happy that we can show to the world the Filipino is a good person, and can not be easily dazzled by money.” Together with the $1,000 reward and steak dinner for two from Yellow Checker Star, the cab company Gamboa has been working for, it was a rewarding Christmas for the 13-year cab veteran. Cash bundle that Gamboa found. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Yellow Checker Taxi “We’re so proud of him,” said Bill Shranko, the company’s COO. “He epitomizes the culture of honesty we try to develop among our drivers.” In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Gamboa said he found the money after noticing a brown paper bag in the back seat of the cab. When a passenger Read More …

Business Highlights: Hollywood struggles against new film meccas

Economy

Dec 272013

Business Highlights: Hollywood struggles against new film meccas

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new filmmaking diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand. Fueled by politicians doling out generous tax breaks, filmmaking talent is migrating to where the money is. The result is an incentives arms race that pits California against governments around the world and allows powerful studios —with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal— to cherry-pick the best deals. The most recent iteration of the phenomenon came earlier this month when James Cameron announced plans to shoot and produce the next three “Avatar” sequels largely in New Zealand. What Cameron gets out of the deal is a 25 percent rebate on production costs, as long as his company spends at least $413 million on the three films. ___ Hollywood poised for best-ever box-office year LOS ANGELES (AP) — Despite a string of summertime flops, Hollywood is expected to have a banner year at the domestic box office, coming in just shy of $11 billion, the largest annual take ever. But because of higher ticket prices, actual attendance at North American theaters remained flat after a decade of decline. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 With the current domestic box-office tally nearly 1 percent ahead of last year at this time, 2013 could surpass 2012’s overall haul of $10.8 billion by more than $100 million, according Read More …

Anaheim intensifies effort vs homelessness

Entertainment

Dec 272013

Anaheim intensifies effort vs homelessness

by Rey Andres Photo Caption:CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: The Anaheim members of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship of Orange County join the millions of Christians worldwide in celebrating Christmas by way of singing carols in tribute to the Reason for the worldwide observance, shown here after their performance at Calvary Community Church in the City of Fullerton. They provide a great contrast to the image of affluence California conjures and highlight and points to a need at concerted action. As of last count, there are more than 12,700 of them – the homeless -in Orange County that “remains in dire need of emergency shelters” according to Santa Ana-based OC Partnership in its report that it hopes will be referenced by nonprofits, politicians and businesses in addressing the issue of chronic homelessness and achieve the 10-year plan of the Commission to End Homelessness. The Commission is composed of public officials, nonprofits and business leaders. There are only two seasonal emergency shelters that can house, at most, 200 people – at the California National Guard Armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton in addition to the few small ones run by nonprofits that serve a few dozen people around Orange County. These are typically open between December and March. Mercy House which operates the armories, has not turned anyone away and hopes to have a “year-round emergency shelters that would help the homeless population”. The nonprofit that seeks “to end the cycle of homelessness of those who enter its system of care” tailors its services to meet the specific Read More …

Christmas in mud as rain pelts Tacloban

Entertainment

Dec 272013

People in Tacloban City swarm the public market area on a sunny Thursday (December 26, 2013) after their Christmas celebration, including kids’ caroling activities and visit to godparents and relatives, was spoiled by continuous rains on Christmas Day. (MNS photo) TACLOBAN (Mabuhay) — Survivors of the country’s deadliest typhoon spent a gloomy Christmas Day surrounded by mud Wednesday as heavy rain drove many inside their flimsy shelters, dampening efforts to retain some holiday cheer in the deeply devout nation. Groups of children in plastic raincoats braved the incessant rain in the devastated central city of Tacloban, knocking on doors in trick-or-treat fashion and beseeching pedestrians for candies, coins and other Christmas presents. But housewife Susan Scala sat glumly under a white tarpaulin in one of Tacloban’s many tent cities that have sprung up for those made homeless by Super Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda). At a time when her family should be celebrating, all she could think about was her missing husband. “Even if it’s not Christmas I don’t stop thinking about him,” the mother of five said of her husband Oscar, a telephone utility worker believed lost at sea when giant waves whipped up by the November 8 storm swept away homes in the city’s San Jose slum. Like many of the city’s typhoon survivors, the miserable weather made Scala nervous. “This incessant rain is scary. It reminds me of what happened (during the typhoon),” the 53-year-old said. Haiyan left more than 6,100 people dead and nearly 2,000 others Read More …

Defiant typhoon survivors welcome Christmas

Entertainment

Dec 272013

Defiant typhoon survivors welcome Christmas

By Cecil Morella Children in Leyte (MNS photo) TACLOBAN, December 24, 2013 (AFP) – Philippine survivors of deadly typhoon Haiyan defiantly prepared to celebrate Christmas in their ruined communities Tuesday where hogs were being roasted, festive trees adorned streets and churches were filled to overflowing. “Nothing can stop us from welcoming Christmas even though we have lost our home,” 63-year-old butcher’s wife Ellen Miano told AFP from a tiny shanty rising from a field of debris in the central city of Tacloban. Haiyan’s ferocious 315 kilometers (195 miles) an hour winds flattened the gritty Magallanes neighborhood on Tacloban’s coast, then swept up everything else with giant waves in a day of terror on November 8. Tacloban and nearby districts accounted for more than 5,000 of the 6,000-plus confirmed deaths, with nearly 2,000 others missing, making it the country’s deadliest storm and one of its worst natural disasters. The storm made 4.4 million homeless and caused $12.9 billion in damage, according to the government, which estimates it will take the affected central region, an area the size of Portugal, four years to recover. Miano, who lives with her husband and four young nephews and nieces in the 2×3-metre (6×10-feet) home put together from salvaged wood and sheet metal, said the family would eat a traditional Christmas dinner at midnight, with fried noodles and sliced bread given to them by a relief agency. Their 20-year-old neighbor Ronfrey Magdua built a giant, 4-metre-tall star-shaped lantern using salvaged wood and wrapped in the Philippine Read More …

Older Entries Newer Entries