Remembering the First Quarter Storm

 General
Jan 292015
 
Remembering the First Quarter Storm

The Japanese occupation of the Philippines represented the most traumatic collective experience of my father’s generation. For my generation, the closest equivalent was the military occupation of the Philippines by the martial law dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which also featured executions, tortures, rapes and countless violations of civil rights. The “cathartic” prelude to Marcos’ imposition of martial law was the First Quarter Storm,  which began 45 years ago this week. January 26, 1970 was the opening day of the Philippine Congress and a newly reelected Marcos was set to deliver his version of the State of the Nation. But outside the Congress, various student groups had also planned to deliver our version of the true state of the nation in a mass rally jointly sponsored by the “moderates” led by Edgar “Edjop” Jopson, president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) and the “radicals” led by chairman Fernando “Jerry” Barican of the University of the Philippines (UP) Student Council. I was part of the rally organizing committee as president of the National Union of High School Students (NUHS) which was aligned with the NUSP and so I participated in the meetings which drew up the program and the order of speakers. Quarrel over the mike As agreed, Edjop was the featured speaker and his speech was timed to coincide with Marcos delivering his state of the nation address. When Edjop completed his recitation of the abject conditions of the country, he called on Gary Olivar, a leader of the “radicals”, to speak according to the program we had agreed on. Even though Read More …

Mitsubishi opens new facility in Sta Rosa

 General
Jan 292015
 
Mitsubishi opens new facility in Sta Rosa

MMPC INAUGURATION: President Aquino yesterday attended the Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.’s Santa Rosa Plant opening. With him are (from left):  Orlando F. Alvarez Jr., E.V.P. Overall Operations – MMPC; Juan Santos – MMPC Executive Advisory Council Member; Mayor Arlene Arcillas; Gov. Ramil Hernandez; PEZA director general Lilia de Lima; Cabinet Secretary Jose Almendras; Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo; Osamu Masuko, chairman of the Board and CEO Mitsubishi Motors Corp.; Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa; Hikosaburo Shibata, president and CEO MMPC; Yoji Sato, president Sojitz Corp.; Hiroshi Harunari, member of the Board and E.V.P. MMC; Yoshizumi Kurata, executive officer Sojitz Corp.; Junya Masuda, E.V.P. and managing director MMPC.   STA. ROSA, LAGUNA, Philippines – Japanese carmaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) has opened its local unit’s new plant in Sta. Rosa in Laguna as it looks to further expand operations in the Philippines which is expected to post the fastest automotive market growth in the region. While the firm plans to expand its operations, assembling a new vehicle model here would have to meet a 50,000-unit production volume and would depend on the release of the government’s automotive industry roadmap. Speaking at the inauguration of the new facility yesterday, Osamu Masuko, chairman and chief executive officer of MMC said the decision to move to a bigger plant in Laguna is in line with the plan to grow the firm’s business in the country and in Southeast Asia. “The Philippine market is expected to show the most growth among all the countries in the Read More …

8990 Holdings passes 2014 profit target

 Economy
Jan 292015
 
8990 Holdings passes 2014 profit target

MANILA, Philippines – 8990 Holdings Inc. said it expects profits to continue growing double digits this year after it outperformed its 2014 profit guidance. In a briefing yesterday, 8990 Holdings president and chief executive officer Januario Jesus Atencio said the company was able to surpass last year’s profit guidance of P3 billion as net income grew 52 percent year-on-year to P3.3 billion. Atencio said the housing developer likewise met its sales guidance for 2014, with gross sales increasing 48 percent to P7.9 billion and net margin improving to 43 percent from the previous year’s 40 percent. “These are still unaudited figures, but audited figures should not be far once it comes out,” he said. Atencio attributed last year’s strong performance to the country’s strong economy supported by the increase in OFW remittances and growth in the BPO sector. With last year’s impressive performance, Atencio said 8990 Holdings is now gearing up for an even more profitable year. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The firm is targeting to further grow its net income between 15 percent to 21 percent this year to about P3.8 billion to P4 billion. Revenue growth, meanwhile, is eyed at 22 percent to 27 percent at P9.6 billion to P10 billion. This year, Atencio said the company is looking to bolster its presence in Luzon through more projects. “Luzon is the new area for us. We are already strong in the Visayas and Mindanao region and we are already stable there. I want Read More …

Big Apple seeks to sustain rapid growth via franchising

 Economy
Jan 292015
 
Big Apple seeks to sustain rapid growth via franchising

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-owned wellness brand Big Apple Express Spa is gearing up for more expansion this year through franchising following a successful launch in 2005. Now on its 10th year, the company aims to continue registering a growth rate of 500 percent ever year as it targets to open 10 new branches this year, Roselin Pagunsan, one of the company’s owners, said in an interview. She said the company has presence in growing business hubs such as Forbes Town Center, Bonifacio Global City and Eastwood City, among others. It has launched a wide array of new services catering mostly to businessmen and entrepreneurs, Pagunsan said. She said Big Apple has introduced its Balinese massage service, targeting mostly businessmen who may be stressed out from running their respective companies. “Big Apple’s Balinese massage is one of the best-selling service especially among yuppies who have a fast paced and hectic work life. The service concentrates on one’s back and adds to the relaxation of the senses and soothes tired muscles. A one-hour service would rejuvenate the busy businessman and will let them get back to work in no time,” Pagunsan said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The service is part of the company’s corporate social responsibilty program. As a CSR project which started in 2009, the company provides skills training to potential therapists. “We started with the training in 2009. We have a head trainor who does the skills training. A trainee has to undergo two parts Read More …

Grow, defend one’s brands

 General
Jan 292015
 
Grow, defend one’s brands

L’OREAL consumer marketing director Chad Sotelo is a veteran of many battles in the marketplace. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on growing while defending one’s brands from competitive attacks, a difficult but doable strategy. Question: Your competitors have attacked your makeup and skincare categories. How are these products doing now and what did you do to defend your turf? Answer: Being the world’s number one beauty company gives us two huge competitive advantages in “defending our turf.” The first one involves product innovation. Given our huge investment in our research and innovation division (L’Oreal consistently ranks as one of the top companies in the world that allocates the most resources to research), we have thousands of winning products available globally that we can easily bring in. The second one involves “big ideas.” Given our commanding presence in multiple beauty categories across countries, there is a wealth of market winning beauty ideas that we can easily bring in as well. Combine these two advantages and that really puts us in a position of strength when it comes to “defending our turf.” Q: In 2013, you won the Mansmith Young Market Masters Award (YMMA) not just because you have defended and recovered market shares of Safeguard against Vaseline’s “germs out, nutrients in” campaign, but also because you have innovated, combining both Safeguard and Olay soaps for counterattack. This expanded the market as well, right? Can you share insights about this defense? What was the critical factor that made your defense Read More …

Aquino must give an account on deadly Mamasapano ops – militant group

 Entertainment
Jan 292015
 
Aquino must give an account on deadly Mamasapano ops – militant group

President Benigno S. Aquino III signs the book of condolences for the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Makati City on Tuesday (January 27). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – A militant group on Wednesday said President Benigno Aquino III “has a lot of explaining to do” about the operations in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, where 44 elite police officers were killed Sunday. In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the President should tell the people whether he approved the operation, where members of the PNP-Special Action Force was supposed to serve an arrest warrant on Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir. Police had confirmed the presence in the area of the “high-value” JI leader, also known as Commander Marwan. “It is hard to believe that 392 elite PNP SAF were being mobilized for an operation against a so-called high-value target and yet our top officials claim they were not aware,” Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. said. The group raised the question after a Manila Standard Today report citing a police general, who was supposedly part of the planning of the operation, as saying Aquino “was aware” of the operations. Bayan said the report claimed Aquino put suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima in-charge of the operation “apparently without the knowledge” of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II. It added that the operation was undertaken upon the direction of the United States government that “even offered a $5-million bounty for Marwan’s capture.” Read More …

PNP relieves spokesperson days after Mamasapano clash

 General
Jan 292015
 
PNP relieves spokesperson days after Mamasapano clash

Police Deputy Director General Ager P Ontog Jr, Deputy Chief PNP for Operation/ Commander National Task Force SAFE 2013 gives out guidance regarding the deployment of PNP personnel in the field especially in areas vulnerable to attacks of lawless elements in response to the call for Secure and Fair Election (SAFE 2013). MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday relieved its spokesperson from his post, but officials were tight-lipped as to the reason why. Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, who has been PNP spokesperson for four months, has already been informed of his relief, said Senior Supt. Robert Po, deputy chief of the PNP Public Information Office. Sources said Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. will replace Mayor. The relief occurred less than a week after 44 elite members of the PNP’s Special Action Force were killed in an encounter with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The government has signed a peace agreement with the MILF in March last year, offering the group greater autonomy, economic and political power in return for the rebels surrendering their weapons and ending a decades-long insurgency. (MNS)

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