Cebu Pacific to launch direct Kalibo-HongKong, Cebu-Tokyo flights

 General
Feb 072015
 
Cebu Pacific to launch direct Kalibo-HongKong, Cebu-Tokyo flights

MANILA, Philippines – Budget airline Cebu Air Inc. (Cebu Pacific) of taipan John Gokongwei is expanding its hubs outside Manila by launching direct flights to Hong Kong and Japan starting next month.  Cebu Pacific announced that it would mount flights to Hong Kong from Boracay via its hub in Kalibo, Aklan starting March 2. The Boracay – Kalibo would have three weekly flights using an Airbus A320.  It is also flying to Tokyo (Narita) via the Mactan – Cebu International Airport four times a week starting March 26, using also an A320 aircraft.  Cebu Pacific operates six hubs in the Philippines including its hub at the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Aside from Cebu and Kalibo, the airline operates at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark; Davao International Airport l; and Iloilo International Airport. It has an extensive route network of 62 destinations spanning Dubai, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney, among others as well as the most flights and routes within the Philippines.  Cebu Pacific took delivery of its 31st brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft last Feb. 4. It now operates a fleet of 54 aircraft comprised of 10 Airbus A319, 31 A320, five A330, and eight ATR-72 500 aircraft with an average age of 4.34 years. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1  It is in the middle of a $4 billion refleeting program involving the acquisition of 50 brand new Airbus aircraft.  Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said the low Read More …

DPWH extends anew deadline for Central Luzon toll project

 Economy
Feb 072015
 
DPWH extends anew deadline for Central Luzon toll project

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has extended anew the deadline for the submission of prequalification documents for the proposed P15 billion Central Luzon link expressway (CLLEX), which will connect Tarlac to Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija. DPWH Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the deadline for the submission of qualification documents for the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project has been deferred to Feb. 23 instead of Feb. 9 to give interested bidders more time to prepare their documents. DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson earlier extended the deadline to Feb. 9 instead of Feb. 2 to enable the agency to respond to additional clarification or queries raised by prospective contractors or bidders.  “This is to preclude any issue that may arise later during the procurement process. We have to address all the issues or concerns being raised, otherwise, these may again be the causes of the delay in project implementation,” Singson said. The submission of prequalification documents for the first phase of CLLEX  scheduled last Jan. 19 was called off due to the scheduled visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines. This was rescheduled to Feb. 2. Some contractors and bidders have requested that they be given ample time to secure or acquire necessary documents from the country of origin due to the long Christmas holidays. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The first phase of the CLLEX project worth P14.9 billion would cover a 30.7-kilometer four-lane expressway stretching from Tarlac to Cabanatuan City in Read More …

Turkish flour exporters urge probe on smuggling

 Economy
Feb 072015
 
Turkish flour exporters urge probe on smuggling

MANILA, Philippines – The Turkish Flour Yeast & Ingredients Promotions Group (TYFI), a group representing Turkish flour exporters, is calling on the government to conduct an investigation on claims that Turkish flour is being smuggled into the country. In a statement, TYFI chairman Turgay Unlu said the claim made by the Philippine Association of Flour Millers, Inc. (PAFMIL) that Turkishflour is being brough into the country and declared as Indian flour to avoid payment of dumping duties is a serious matter that needs to be looked into. Late last month, the PAFMIL said some 1,800 bags of Turkish flour declared as Indian flour were intercepted by the Bureau of Customs in General Santos City. Imports from Turkish flour milling companies are subject to a dumping duty of 2.87 to 16.19 percent under a Tariff Commission (TC) decisionissued last year. The TC decision was issued following a conduct of formal investigation on a petition filed by the PAFMIL which claimed that local flour couldnot compete with Turkish flour being sold at dumping prices. Flour from India meanwhile, has no dumping duty and has a tariff rate of seven percent. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Unlu said the TYFI supports a conduct of investigation on the matter. He said that the TYFI opposes fraudulent activities that cast doubt on the conduct of business here. “TYFI takes pride in its corporate culture focused on a set of uncompromising values, specifically integrity and professionalism. The organization, with its entire membership, Read More …

Digital tweets and thoughts

 Economy
Feb 072015
 
Digital tweets and thoughts

If you have been hurt and offended, I have three things that I want to share with you. These will liberate you: 1. Oscar Wilde says, “always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much.” 2. It’s better to forgive and forget than to resent and remember.  3. Lewis B. Smedes says, “to forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Reading these three statements is different from simply hearing them. I write this column and maintain a radio segment. Both have the same name. The words may be the same when heard and read, but the effect on the receiver of the message is different. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 But what about posting the same words in digital platforms like Facebook, Twitter, blogs or even in LinkedIn? The effects are totally different. I post stuff in all of my digital spaces everyday. If I miss a day, that’s probably because I am in an aircraft and I have no access to the Internet. Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook continues to grow in size and engagement, that there are 1.32 billion people connecting on Facebook each month, and 63% of them are daily visitors. Also, there are 650 million people using their mobile services daily. This is a marketing person’s dream and an advertiser’s nightmare. Digital media has radically changed the way business is conducted. Social media has changed the way we live our lives as well. Most people are Read More …

Government, private sector to fasttrack Clark projects for APEC hosting

 Economy
Feb 072015
 
Government, private sector to fasttrack Clark projects for APEC hosting

MANILA, Philippines – The government and the private sector have decided to fasttrack projects in Clark, Pampanga with the area serving as one of the venues for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) events this year. In a statement, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president and chief executive officer Arthur Tugade said the country’s APEC hosting has encouraged both government and the private sector to advance the implementation of their respective projects. The Philippines is hosting the APEC meetings this year. The APEC senior officers meeting started in Clark on January 26. Tugade said projects such as the Clark Rotunda, Clark Museum, Clark 4D Theatre and Clark Integrated Command Center are to be implemented this year. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The renovation of the Clark Parade Ground, which is in its final stages, is expected to have a rubberized overlay for the jogging path, renovated park bencher, as well as shower room for sports participants upon completion. Tugade said some locator firms in Clark have also advanced the dates of their development plans. Among these locators is Fontana Leisure Parks which is expanding the seating capacity of its convention center to more than 1,800 seats from 500, at present, putting up new villas and rooms and adding 1,000 workers. Oxford Hotel meanwhile, has committed to invest P1 billion in the next five years to put up a new hotel, casino and restaurant with one-stop commercial complex as well as employ 615 individuals. Widus Hotel and Casino Read More …

Nikki Gil plans to marry this year

 Entertainment
Feb 072015
 
Nikki Gil plans to marry this year

NIKKI Gil revealed she was engaged to her non-showbiz boyfriend, BJ Albert, in December last year and plans to get married this year. In an exclusive interview by “Bandila,” the singer-actress said she did not hide her engagement but did not want to announce it also. Gil said they want to keep it private because her fiancé is not part of the entertainment industry. The Kapamilya talent recalled that Albert, nephew of music icon Joey Albert, asked her hand in marriage last December 13, 2014. “First he asked my parents and may pakulo na may corporate event ako and then pagdating ko, he asked. And then when I said yes and nag sink in na sa akin, all our family and friends came out.” A photo posted by Nikki Gil (@nikkigil) on Feb 6, 2015 at 8:21am PST Albert, an entrepreneur who manages his family’s businesses, was introduced to Gil by their common friend from Ateneo de Manila University. Gil said that even though they went to same university and are both members of same church, it was only in 2013 when she met the businessman. They formally became a couple in 2014. When asked if she was surprised that BJ immediately proposed to her one year into their romance, Gil said that when she entered in the relationship, she already had marriage in mind. “We’ve been talking about it and hindi naman talaga siya gulatan portion and napag-uusapan naman talaga. It just dawn on me how good God to Read More …

New Apec scholarship initiative allows cross-border education

 General
Feb 072015
 
New Apec scholarship initiative allows cross-border education

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines— The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) launched a “scholarship initiative” to allow greater access to cross-border education in the Asia-Pacific region among its 21-member economies during the first day of the Senior Officials’ meeting at the Fontana Convention hall on Friday in Clark, Pampanga. “The initiative aggregates sponsored study and career development exchanges offered by universities and companies in Apec member economies and supports the creation of new opportunities by facilitating coordination among government, higher learning institution and companies in the region,” Apec said in a statement. John F. Kerry, Secretary of State of the United States said in a statement that “a well-educated, well-trained and well connected workforce is critical to ensuring long-term growth and prosperity on both sides of the Pacific.” “Together, Apec and the private sector are opening the gates of opportunity to provide more of the region’s three billion people the knowledge, skills and experience they need to thrive in a 21st century marketplace,” Kerry said. The Apec scholarship Initiative was introduced during a meeting of Apec trade ministers in China in May 2014 and was endorsed by the Apec leaders in Beijing in November 2014 during the 22nd Apec summit. “Our goal is to maximize oppurtunities afforded by globalization to strengthen people’s employability and earning potential,” said Dr. Allan Bollard, executive director of the Apec secretariat. “We are particularly intent on empowering the youth and women to narrow economic inequalities and drive new growth,” Bollard added. According to Bollard, “broadening access to education training Read More …

Eight militants dead in Philippines clash

 General
Feb 072015
 
Eight militants dead in Philippines clash

Eight members of an Al-Qaeda-linked group of Philippine militants have been killed in clashes with security forces in the country’s south, the military said Saturday. Thirteen members of a counter-terrorism task force were also wounded in the fighting with the Abu Sayyaf group on the remote island of Jolo on Friday, said the government unit’s spokesman Ensign Chester Ramos. He said the eight Abu Sayyaf dead were followers of Radullan Sahiron, a one-armed militant who has a $1 million bounty on his head put up by the US government, which considers the group a “foreign terrorist organisation”. Ramos said Sahiron’s group of about 100 gunmen had been skirmishing with the counter-terrorist task force around the Jolo town of Patikul over the past week, during which six other soldiers were earlier wounded. The Abu Sayyaf, set up with seed funds from Al-Qaeda in the early 1990s, has been blamed for many of the deadliest militant attacks in the Philippines, including the 2004 firebombing of a ferry on Manila Bay that claimed more than 100 lives. The group, mainly based in the Muslim-populated areas of the southern Philippines, has also been involved in high-profile kidnappings of foreign tourists and Christian missionaries. Another key leader of the group of several hundred militants posted video footage of himself and other gunmen last year pledging allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq. US military advisers have been providing training and intelligence inputs on Jolo and nearby areas since 2002 to Filipino troops fighting Read More …

Get Free Tickets to see Gary V at Pechanga Theater

 Entertainment
Feb 062015
 

If you are interested in seeing Gary V live at Pechanga Resort & Casino, then perhaps this is your lucky day. Pechanga Resort & Casino announced a raffle contest, which will give away a pair of tickets to see Gary V at the Pechanga Theater on March 8 at 7 p.m. The raffle contest will begin on February 7 and will be ongoing until the February 17. Entry forms can be submitted via email at advertising@balita.com and put GARY V as subject. Your entry form should contain your complete name, age and phone number. Applicants must be over 18 years old and must also be California residents with a valid form of identification. Contestants will be asked to answer the two (2) trivia questions about GARY V. If the participant submits the correct answer, their names will be entered in the raffle drawing to win tickets for themselves and a lucky guest of their choice. 1. What is Gary V’s first single? 2. Gary V is also known as Mr. Pure ________? To join this raffle competition, please visit one of the following websites: www.usasianpost.com and www.balita.com OR get a copy of Weekend Balita and The US Asian Post newspapers. Your job is to answer the trivia questions and send your answers via email. You will be entered into the February 18, 10 a.m. drawing at the Balita Media, Inc. office in Glendale, CA. The winners of the contest will be contacted via phone or email immediately after the raffle Read More …

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