PIDS tops SEA ranking

 Economy
Feb 012014
 
PIDS tops SEA ranking

MANILA, Philippines – State-run Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) ranked as the top think tank in Southeast Asia and remains one of the best in the world, according to the 2013 Global Go Think Tank Report released by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania. The TTCSP report recently appraised 6,826 think tanks from 182 countries. Based on the report, PIDS was ranked 37th among the top 50 social policy think tanks in the world. It surpassed the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore that was ranked 41st. PIDS also managed to improve its position from 40th place in last year’s report. Only PIDS and ISEAS are the ASEAN think tanks included in the world ranking of top social policy think tanks. On the other hand, PIDS was ranked 70th among 80 top international development think tanks and has moved up from its ranking of 79th in the 2012 report. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The Global Go To Think Tank Report is a comprehensive ranking of the world`s top think tanks and acknowledges the important contributions and emerging global trends of think tanks worldwide. As a state-funded think tank, PIDS is devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions. Since its establishment in 1977, it has been engaged in conducting long-term, policy-oriented studies to assist policymakers and planners in crafting development plans and programs that are based on sound research evidence. It has completed more than Read More …

COL Financial ties up with BPI, Sun Life units

 Economy
Feb 012014
 
COL Financial ties up with BPI, Sun Life units

MANILA, Philippines – COL Financial Group Inc. has partnered with two of the largest asset managers in the country, allowing the leading online stockbroker to broaden its lineup of financial products. The move will also help increase the customer base of the online brokerage firm as it offers unit investment trust funds (UITFs) and mutual funds, company officials said. In separate disclosures, COL Financial said it entered into agreement with the asset management arm of Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Sun Life Asset Management Co. Inc. (SLAMCI). COL Financial said it signed a memorandum of agreements with BPI-Asset Management and Trust Group “with respect to the participation of the company in certain funds of BPI for the benefit and account of the company’s clients.” “We will start offering in our online platform the fund of BPI, particularly UITF. This will expand the products we offer to clients,” COL Financial president and CEO Conrado Bate said in a phone interview. COL Financial will be a distributor of BPI’s UITF, an investment scheme that allow the pooling of investors’ funds to achieve a certain objective. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Managed by professional fund managers from a bank’s trust group, UITFs are invested in various financial instruments like money market securities, bonds and equities. “This puts us one step closer to allowing COL Financial clients to purchase funds online. This should benefit clients as it makes it easier to both buy and sell funds,” April Read More …

DTI to set up assistance centers in areas hit by Yolanda

 Economy
Feb 012014
 
DTI to set up assistance centers in areas hit by Yolanda

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to put up business assistance centers and shared service facilities (SSF) in areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda. “Right now, what we are looking at for Yolanda affected areas is to set up business assistance centers. We are talking with mayors to find out where MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) can go to, to ask for assistance so they can get back on their feet,” Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya told reporters. Aside from having business help desks in the areas damaged by the typhoon, she said the DTI likewise intends to provide SSFs for the use of MSMEs. “We will provide for SSFs for coco lumber and hollow block making,” she said. The SSF involves the setting up of common service facilities or production centers for certain processes to give MSMEs access to better technology and more sophisticated equipment. The program is being undertaken to help MSMEs become competitive and tap a wider market. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Maglaya said the department is studying what other support can be provided to help businesses in the area. “We are really looking at how we can help MSMEs recover from the typhoon,” she added. To encourage companies to set-up operations in the areas damaged by the typhoon, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said earlier the government is looking at crafting a new bill that will give special treatment or duty-free entry for goods such as Read More …

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