Know your customer; profit from insight

 General
Mar 282015
 
Know your customer; profit from insight

Jean Henri Lhuillier Cebuana Lhuillier holds the Guinness World Record for the largest number of pawnshops in the world, with close to 2,000 outlets—bigger than many banks combined. It serves mostly the ordinary “unbanked” population. Its president, Jean Henri Lhuillier, shares his thoughts on innovation. Question: How do you go about understanding your target consumers and what have you discovered about them? Answer: We know a lot about our clients, and the market we serve. We talk to our clients in so many ways, in our branches, through our customer care hotline and our digital platform. On top of this, we engage on a national scale UAI study, complemented by several consumer researches through FGD, etc. Our frontline people are there where the action is. We have an open feedback system. It’s important to receive constant feedback. They all have direct access via a dedicated e-mail address and contact numbers to me. I also believe in seeking direct information from my managers via the CEO lunches held wherein I would get to meet with the staff underneath the managers who directly report to me. Our market has changed significantly. The consumers have become more educated about the services and products they avail. They have become more discerning and perceptive, ever more conscious of value for money, customer service and quality. Q: Apart from pawnshops, your company also offers remittance, bills payment, collection, e-loading and insurance services. In fact, you have tie-ups with close to 100 other companies. Which of these Read More …

Women groups lead CAB anniversary parade in QC

 News
Mar 282015
 
Women groups lead CAB anniversary parade in QC

Women’s groups staged a joint peace parade in Quezon City on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Signed in March 2014, the CAB is a new framework to achieve peace in Mindanao, a landmark document born out 17 years of negotiations. The two merged parades, “Women’s March for Peace” and “SUROY-SUROY SA KALINAW: Kapayapaan sa Mindanao, Kapayapaan Nating Lahat,” were initiated respectively by civil society organization WE ACT 1325 and the Philippine National Police. “Ang laban para sa kapayapaan ay laban ng mga kababaihan. Panahon na upang iparinig natin sa buong sambayanan ang samang-samang tinig ng mga kababaihan,” proclaimed government peace panel chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer during the start of the event held at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, where the women gathered before marching to the streets. Ferrer, who has stood by the peace agreement even amid the public uproar that stemmed from the bloody Mamasapano incident, stressed that women are among those most affected by the armed conflict in Mindanao.   At least, 60 were killed in the Mamasapano clash last January 25, including 44 police commandos, who were on a covert anti-terror mission in Maguindanao. The bloodbath has threatened the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which defines the structure and powers of the Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). “Bagama’t walang pinipili ang giyera, isang katotohanan Read More …

Palace to public: Apply Earth Hour message to lifestyle

 News
Mar 282015
 
Palace to public: Apply Earth Hour message to lifestyle

Malacañang on Saturday appealed to Filipinos to practice energy conservation not only for an hour on Saturday evening, but also in their daily routines. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said it is not enough to switch off appliances for just an hour a year at Earth Hour. “We appeal to everyone to do their own little share to save energy… it also contributes to the general well-being of everyone when it comes to environmental situation. Not just from 8:30 to 9:30 (at Earth Hour), we can incorporate little energy saving mesasures in our daily lives,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. “Let’s not limit (our) participation to conservation of one hour a year,” she added. On Saturday evening, Filipinos are expected to take part in Earth Hour, a period when everyone symbolically switches off lights to support calls for energy conservation. Valte said that as the years pass, more and more people are participating in the yearly event. But she said that beyond shutting out lights, people should continue “to do more on a daily basis to conserve energy.” “This is symbolic … hopefully in all other things we can implement … There are many things we can do to contribute to energy conservation,” she said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

Palace: Aquino wants travel to provinces to be safe, convenient

 General
Mar 272015
 
Palace: Aquino wants travel to provinces to be safe, convenient

PNoy addresses nation a year after Bangsamoro peace accord. President Benigno Aquino III delivers another national address on Friday, March 27, a year after the Philippine government signed a comprehensive peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. In his address, Aquino said he is enlisting the help of ‘citizen leaders’ to scrutinize the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Rey Baniquet President Benigno Aquino III wants Filipinos traveling to the provinces for their Holy Week and summer vacations not just to be safe but to be convenient as well. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Saturday Aquino is concerned that the operation of toll gates may slow down traffic to the provinces. “One of the concerns of the President was the toll gates… It was brought to the President’s attention over Christmas na imbes gumaan ang biyahe ng kababayan natin sa north, naging kalbaryo,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She said Aquino wants “syncrhonized” operations among toll operators including the North and South Luzon Expressways and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. Such syncrhonized operations should cut down on travel time, she added. “That was one of the President’s directives. Apart from the safety of travelers… is to make sure it remains convenient,” she said. Vendors on Saturday started selling palaspas (palm fronds) in time for Palm Sunday, which marks the start of the Holy Week for Catholics. For its part, the Philippine National Police issued safety tips for travelers who may need to leave their homes for the Holy Week break. Read More …

Execution of Filipina, other convicts won’t be this week, says Indon exec

 News
Mar 272015
 
Execution of Filipina, other convicts won’t be this week, says Indon exec

Philippine convicted drug smuggler on death row Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is escorted by Indonesian police as she arrives at the court in Sleman in central Java island for a hearing of judicial review on March 3, 2015 after a plea for clemency was rejected by Indonesian President Joko Widodo. AFP JAKARTA, Indonesia–The Supreme Court guaranteed on Friday that all justices would expedite hearings on case-review petitions filed by several convicts on death row, as the international community was observing the process. The court decided on Wednesday to reject a second case review petition filed by Philippine national Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, a drug convict in the second batch of executions to take place. Two other drug convicts – Serge Areski Atlaoui of France and Martin Anderson alias Belo of Ghana – are still challenging their death penalty rulings via case-review petitions. Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo praised the court’s decision to reject Veloso’s second case review petition, adding that the decision helped clear the way for the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to carry out the second batch of executions. Supreme Court spokesman, justice Suhadi, said hearings in lower courts took up most of the time in the case-review process. Suhadi later pledged that all court justices handling the cases would prioritize them. “It is automatic. All justices know what to do [in prioritizing] those cases because it has drawn so much public attention,” he said on Friday. “Rest assured, we are working professionally.” The Criminal Law Procedures Code stipulates that Read More …

Think beyond Earth Hour, Filipinos urged

 News
Mar 272015
 
Think beyond Earth Hour, Filipinos urged

popular PH gets P9.5B in new Japan aid After US airstrikes, Iraq troops start final push for Tikrit Carla Abellana hopes Tom Rodriguez is ‘the one’ Santiago for MV Pangilinan; ad backs Poe, Ping Lacson CBCP: There is no need for divorce in PH US ‘troubled’ by Thai leader’s threat to execute journalists Aquino to form citizens’ conclave on peace agreement, say sources Rey Pamaran airs side on slapping incident with Melissa Mendez videos PBA: Ginebra’s LA Tenorio comfortable on the floor with Emman Monfort PBA: Agustin credits good defense, big men performance for win over Purefoods PBA: Warner’s maturity big thing for Globalport, says coach Gonzales Crime watchdog wants advisory body composed of bishops, inter-religious leaders Former Tarlac Governor calls Aquino to resign MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos are being urged to think beyond the symbolic gesture of switching off lights and electrical appliances when they join Earth Hour on Saturday night. Earth Hour is an annual worldwide event launched by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 to promote environmental awareness and action against climate change. During Earth Hour, lights and nonessential appliances and gadgets are turned off for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. “Earth Hour is more than a short-term gimmick,” WWF Philippines communications manager Gregg Yan said. “Earth Hour is just a start. Will we stop climate change by switching off our lights for 60 minutes? No. Not even if we do it monthly. Only through long-term solutions and will power shall we be able Read More …

Filipino death row inmate’s fate is sealed, but PH won’t give up

 News
Mar 272015
 
Filipino death row inmate’s fate is sealed, but PH won’t give up

MANILA, Philippines—Indonesia is preparing to move a Filipino death row inmate for execution after she lost her appeal in the Supreme Court earlier this week, the attorney general’s spokesperson said on Friday. The planned executions of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso and nine other mostly foreign drug traffickers have drawn international criticism after repeated pleas for mercy from the United Nations and various governments have gone unheeded by President Joko Widodo. Veloso will be moved from the city of Yogyakarta to the maximum security prison on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java, where the rest of the group awaits execution by firing squad. ‘Case is done’ “We can say that (Veloso’s) case is done,” the attorney general’s spokesperson Tony Spontana told reporters. “There will be preparations to move her soon because the plan to execute all (10 convicts) at once hasn’t changed.” The attorney general’s office has yet to announce a date for the executions. Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap. But Philippine officials have not lost hope for Veloso despite its Supreme Court ruling denying an appeal for a judicial review of the case. “Our initial appeal for judicial review was denied. Nonetheless, we will continue to exhaust all possible legal means to save the life of Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso,” said Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson. According to the English-language newspaper Jakarta Post, a panel of three justices ruled on Wednesday that Veloso’s petition failed Read More …

DFA renews call for Filipinos to leave Yemen

 General
Mar 272015
 
DFA renews call for Filipinos to leave Yemen

popular PH gets P9.5B in new Japan aid After US airstrikes, Iraq troops start final push for Tikrit Carla Abellana hopes Tom Rodriguez is ‘the one’ Santiago for MV Pangilinan; ad backs Poe, Ping Lacson CBCP: There is no need for divorce in PH US ‘troubled’ by Thai leader’s threat to execute journalists Aquino to form citizens’ conclave on peace agreement, say sources Rey Pamaran airs side on slapping incident with Melissa Mendez videos PBA: Ginebra’s LA Tenorio comfortable on the floor with Emman Monfort PBA: Agustin credits good defense, big men performance for win over Purefoods PBA: Warner’s maturity big thing for Globalport, says coach Gonzales Crime watchdog wants advisory body composed of bishops, inter-religious leaders Former Tarlac Governor calls Aquino to resign MANILA, Philippines—Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Friday renewed the government’s call for the Filipinos in war-torn Yemen to come home, airing the department’s frustration over the citizens’ insistence to stay despite the present danger. “Yemen is a difficult challenge for us because the people (Filipino nationals) there are very stubborn,” Del Rosario said. Since the Department of Foreign Affairs issued a call for a mandatory repatriation in February, only four Filipinos out of the 700 living there have been repatriated. The security situation in the country continued to worsen as Saudi Arabia-led coalition began to pound areas held by the rebels through air strikes. An Alert Level 4, or Mandatory Repatriation, remains in effect with embassy officials in Yemen appealing to Filipino citizens to Read More …

Ex rural bank found guilty of forging BSP documents

 General
Mar 272015
 
Ex rural bank found guilty of forging BSP documents

MANILA, Philippines – A former rural bank president has been found guilty by a municipal trial court for submitting falsified documents to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. In a statement, the BSP said Pepito Miradora Cilos, former president of the closed Rural Bank of Milaor (Camarines Sur) Inc. was sentenced by the 5th Municipal Trial Court of Camaligan-Gainza-Milaor, Camarines Sur to imprisonment and payment of fines. The prison sentence consists of a four months and one day of arresto mayor to two years, four months, and one day of prision correccional for the falsification of commercial documents and a one year imprisonment for false statements. The central bank earlier filed the charges following its investigation on the transactions of the Rural Bank of Milaor. The BSP said the cases were from the review of four loans amounting to a total of P6.5 million granted by the rural bank in May 2008. The central bank said the four loans were found “questionable and fraudulent” by its Office of Special Investigation as the borrowers could not be located, the land title used in getting one of the loans is contentious, and the other land titles used for three of the loans were issued only a few months after the loans were approved. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Moreover, the BSP pointed out the loan documents were “haphazardly processed” and were even lacking in documentation, and the Community Tax Certificates of the borrowers were not issued by the concerned Read More …

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