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Foreign firm to present power supply options to the country

Roy — Sun, 15 May 2011 05:26:39 +0000

A United Kingdom company is offering the Philippines its power solution to help avoid power disruptions in the country.

The British Embassy in Manila said Aggreko, a developer of power solutions, will be coming in the country next week to make a presentation of its product. The embassy said the company’s expertise could help address the possible power shortage in the near future which poses a threat to businesses operating in the country.

Aggreko is bringing to the country its more than 45 years of experience in the power solution industry. The company is said to be the world leader in the supply of temporary power and temperature control services. It will present its alternative solutions to potential power disruptions when it makes its presentation to the country next week.

The target participants in its presentations include the construction industry, food and beverages, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, government and institutions, mining and mineral processing, ports and telecommunications, among others.

Aggreko owns the world’s largest power rental fleet which consists of diesel and natural gas generating sets. Company experts will be in Manila to present different power supply options to help businesses avoid opportunity lost and other costs that could be brought about by power disruptions.

The company will be organizing the seminar presentation in partnership with the British Embassy in Manila, through UK Trade & Investment. The aim of the seminar is to inform industries in the country of the different power supply options available in case of unavoidable future power supply shortages.

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Transport firm to pioneer electric buses in the Philippines

Roy — Sun, 01 May 2011 14:57:44 +0000

Local transport firm Green Frog Zero Emission Transport Corp. dared to take the huge risk in the electric vehicle industry and expressed interest to buy some 3,000 electric buses in the next seven years, with the initial 38 units coming in from China within the year.

Green Frog director Philip Apostol said the 36-passenger buses will be fielded in Makati City with an P8 fare trip. The first 10 buses arriving midyear will ply the Buendia line while the 28 units will take other routes. The buses will initially ply a route that goes along Buendia from EDSA to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Eventually, they will be available to commuters with the whole of Makati.

“The plan is to implement to project within 90 days after the signing of the MOA (memorandum of agreement) with the Makati LGU. This is a PPP (Public-Private-Partnership) with Makati,” he said. Apostol admits that cost of the e-buses was high, but hopes that the government “would work” with them.

He did not disclosed the cost of the electric buses but said that normally, the bigger electric buses would cost $300,000 (P13.5 million) each. Green Frog’s buses, however, will be smaller and would cost less.

The company is seeking tax perks, among other incentives, and a pioneer status from the Board of Investments, to make the project economically viable.

Negotiations by the company with banks and government financial institutions have been started, seeking for the best financing package. It also seeks some guarantees from the Philippine Export Import Credit Agency (PhilExim) to get lower interest rates.

Apostol said the half of the revenues will be coming from advertising income to help keep fares at reasonable levels during the initial roll-out.

Another Green Frog director, Servillano Batac, said talks were also ongoing between government and financial institutions for the mechanics of a “tap-and-go” system for the electric buses. “The idea is that you will be able to use your MRT (Metro Rail Transit) cards to pay our electric buses, just like in other countries,” he said.

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China auto company to open manufacturing facility in the Philippines

Roy — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:22:44 +0000

Chery Automobile Ltd. announced it will build a manufacturing facility in the Philippines which will be the company’s left hand drive manufacturing hub in the Southeast Asia. Chery Philippines sales marketing manager Raymond Tribdino said the manufacturing facility will be constructed in the next three years. He said, aside from serving the local market, the company also plans to sell Philippine made vehicles to the ASEAN market. They plan to build Philippine specific models for both passenger cars and small vehicles.

“We will have a local partner. We will subcontract. We are in the trial phase and we are working out the shares in the company. We are not sure how much the total investment will be, but normally, one line costs more than $10 million,” Tribdino explained.

He also added that they would like to bring in cheaper electric vehicles to the Philippines and ASEAN market, “For electric cars, we would like to introduce the first commercially available electric vehicle.” Tribdino said the lithium ion battery is 60 percent of the price. The Chery full electric vehicle is estimated to be at P1.8 million but it could be more. For a single charge, it can run up to 250 kilometers.

Chery Philippines is asking the government to grant them incentives like a parking lot with charging station, lower registration rate and zero percent import duty from China. The current import duty is 30 percent. If the said tariff is removed or is the same as AFTA at one percent, Tribdino said the small e-vehicle will be cheaper at P1.057 million. Although the vehicle is over P1 million, he said the running cost is low with the high cost of fuels.

Tribdino also said they are looking to beef up their local sales as Chery China took over from old distributors Easy Way Motors. The company bought Easy Way’s assets worth P150 million. He said they are looking at matching their 2010 sales target last year which was 1068 units. Their 2010 sales stood at 1,134 units.

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Globe to invest $500 M to improve mobile network

Roy — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 06:57:15 +0000

Mobile service provider Globe Telecom is investing $500 million to improve the quality and capacity of its mobile network infrastructure throughout the country. Company officials said the network quality will be top priority of Globe this year.

As part of the company’s network transformation program, Globe is making one of its biggest network investments in quality and capacity to date, where the significant amount will be used for capacity buildup, network modernization and optimization. These upgrades would provide subscribers better experiences in call, text and data services in 2G, 3G and 4G.

Globe earlier announced a major expansion of its current 4G footprint with the country’s first commercial rollout of 4G mobile technology. At its initial phase, Globe utilized the global standard HSPA+ Globe allots or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access for its 4G mobile network.

HSPA+ is a 4G wireless mobile, high speed broadband technology that allows for peak theoretical download of up to 21 Mbps with upgradeability for 84 Mbps which would complement the company’s existing 4G WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) network. Under the Globe HSPA+ network, subscribers are expected to enjoy browsing at a typical speed of 4-6 Mbps with even faster peak speeds.

Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said, “Our customers are looking for better network quality, and this is what we are giving them. We are making a substantial investment in our network to improve the quality of our services to our subscribers. Certainly, the network on which our services are delivered play a pivotal role in achieving superior customer experience.”

By continuously enhancing their network facilities and operations, Cu explained, their subscribers will enjoy better quality and greater reliability for calls, text messaging and data services. “This year, we are making significant investments in upgrading and expanding our networks. One tangible result of which is the commercial rollout of 4G for mobile, making us the first Philippine operator with a 4G mobile network in the country,” he added.

The 4G HSPA+ rollout expands the foray of Globe into new and up-to-date network technologies to provide its subscribers with high-speed broadband access with the added convenience of full mobility.

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PNOC-EC eyes expansion of coal production

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:35:27 +0000

The Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) earmarked P900 million for the expansion of its coal mining ventures in Zamboanga Sibugay in Western Mindanao. The state-run oil exploration company said that its board of directors has already approved the special budget “to fund the development of existing coal mine” that will enable it to double its annual production of steaming coal to 500,000 metric tons.

The expansion is in line with company’s mandate to develop more sources of indigenous energy for the country’s needs. PNOC-EC’s coal mine in Zamboanga Sibugay is said to produce the highest grade of coal quality in the country. Developments in the mine are underpinned by the company’s coal operating contracts 41 and 152 as awarded by the Department of Energy.

Aside from its Zamboanga Sibugay mine, the company is likewise engaged in coal exploration and development activities in Isabela and Surigao del Sur via coal operating contracts 122, 141 and 140. PNOC-EC also operates coal terminals in Zamboanga Sibugay, Cebu, Batangas, and North Harbor for its integrated coal trading activities. These locations have been serving as handling facilities for local as well as imported coal which the company supplies to power plants and cement factories.

PNOC-EC is also into oil and gas exploration. It currently holds interest along prospect areas in Cagayan, Ragay Gulf, Offshore Mindoro, Calamian, West Calamian, West Balabac and East Sabina. Its biggest venture in oil and gas development to date is still the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project. Its Service Contract (SC) 38 for the Malampaya field is only the acreage in the production phase; while the rest are still exploration blocks.

The company is also aligning a budget of $100 million for its next round of investment in the Malampaya project. Given its current financial standing, PNOC-EC noted that it is all set for capital infusion once the project consortium-members comes off for a “cash call.”

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Ayala invests in hydro-electric power

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:33:57 +0000

Another venture that the Ayala group is breaking into is the hydroelectric power generation partnership. The conglomerate, through its wholly owned subsidiary Michigan Power Inc. (MPI) has entered into a joint venture agreement with Sta. Clara Power Corp., an independent power producer specializing in run-of-the-river power plants. Ayala Corp managing director John Eric Francia confirms this as stated in the company’s disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

MPI and Sta. Clara will be developing a run-of-the-river (ROR) hydroelectric power projects across the Philippines. MPI will take a 70-percent stake in the venture and has committed an initial equity infusion of about P600 million.

A run-of-the river hydroelectric power plant operation involves “borrowing” some river water to turn its kinetic energy into electricity and returning the same unpolluted water back into the river. Francia said, “It is considered as green because it does not produce harmful emissions. Like other renewable power technologies, it is economical as it depends on the free energy of nature as fuel.”

Speaking on the joint venture agreement, president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said, “This venture builds on our current portfolio of renewable energy assets, which focuses on solar, wind and hydro power technologies. This is an important component of our plan to create a portfolio of power assets over the medium term that blends conventional and sustainable energy sources and contribute to the country’s energy requirements.”

The Ayala group has ventured into power generation as a key platform for future growth especially as demand for electricity is expected to rise in the years ahead. And since the company has yet to build its expertise in the industry, part of its strategy is forging partnership with other institutions.

In the next five years, the conglomerate plans to build a portfolio of power generation assets that will include both renewable and conventional with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. Francia said that it is all “in line with Ayala’s campaign to augment the country’s power supply primarily through renewable and clean energy.”

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Ayala Corp. allots P79 billion for its capex

Roy — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 04:51:18 +0000

Giant conglomerate Ayala Corp. allots a record-high P79 billion for its capital expenditures this year. The company said it is in an excellent position to delve into various investment opportunities. It is particularly eyeing the power and infrastructure sector.

During the annual stockholders’ meeting, chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said that while the company is quite successful in its traditional markets which continue to grow, the favorable economic environment has “also ushered a renewed interest to invest in sectors that are critical to sustaining and raising the country’s growth trajectory, particularly with the government’s emphasis on increased private sector participation in the infrastructure and power sectors.”

He added that the group’s ultimate goal is to broaden its customer to reach and diversify its portfolio in a manner that creates developmental impact and economic value both for the corporation and the society as a whole.

The company first took a plunge in the power industry in 2010. It is now aiming to build its power portfolio using both renewable energy sources and traditional fossil fuels. “We are in the process of developing focused platforms across various technologies such as solar, wind, both large-scale and mini hydro, as well as thermal energy with the intent of balancing cost of energy delivery with sustainable practices,” Zobel said. The group aims to put up power facilities that can generate over 1,000 megawatts of electricity over the next five years.

The conglomerate remains on the lookout for opportunities apart from the power industry, like in the transportation infrastructure space, particularly whose which may have strategic value with other business units.

The company is bidding for a contract to operate and maintain the 17-kilometer Line 3 of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT3), which has an estimated cost of P6.3 billion. The MRT3 is one of the infrastructure projects being offered by the government under the public-private partnership (PPP) program.

Meanwhile, president Fernando Zobel de Ayala, for his part, said the highly diversified conglomerate has a healthy cash level, which stood at P29 billion as of end-December last year. “We maintain a highly flexible funding position that allows us to make sizable investments in new sectors moving forward without impairing value-enhancing initiatives such as our ongoing buy-back program, dividend payouts and meeting our funding requirements.”

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CBCP upgraded Visita Iglesia Online to accommodate more visitors

Roy — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:56:08 +0000

Last year the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) launched the Visita Iglesia Online to offer a virtual Holy Week experience, particularly to Filipinos overseas and devout Catholics who are physically incapable of leaving their homes. It was merely an experiment and not as a serious endeavor as it only featured seven churches.

This year, CBCP media director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said they have beefed up the capacity of the website in anticipation of a large number of online visitors this Holy Week. Msgr. Quitorio affirmed that the Church hierarchy’s official news service had augmented the website to prevent it from crashing like what happened last year. An unexpected 43,000 visitors logged on to the website. This year, they are expecting the number of online visitors to double.

“It just shows that Filipinos, no matter where they go, will always be religious and the desire to celebrate the Holy Week is always there, too,” the monsignor told reporters.

Yesterday, Palm Sunday marked the start of the Holy Week. Devout Catholics went to their parish churches carrying palm leaves to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

Last year, Msgr. Quitorio recalled that the website suddenly crashed. Checking what went wrong, they discovered that the website had already reached 43,000 hits. “So I thought, ‘This is serious and we cannot just ignore the 43,000 visitors just like that,’ so this year, we prepared for it. We expanded our servers that even if the figures doubled, it would not crash,” he added.

This year, the CBCP News added new features to the website as well. It now shows 14 historical shrines and pilgrimage churches in Metro Manila and nearby provinces to correspond with the 14 Stations of the Cross with reflections given by priests.

The Visita Iglesia Online included in its multimedia presentation the Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila; Quiapo Church or the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene; Our Lady of Manaoag Church in Pangasinan; and the Agoo Church in La Union.

The website also has homilies delivered by some priests during the entire Lenten season this year and catechesis on Lent, Holy Thursday, Palm Sunday and the Kissing of the Cross, among other liturgical practices observed during the Holy Week.

And for Filipinos overseas who miss the “Pabasa,” Visita Iglesia Online has an audio recording of the 21 chapters of the “Pasyon,” the poetical narration of the life and sufferings of Christ.

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Splash reported 500-percent growth in 2010 profit

Roy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:36:54 +0000

Splash Corporation reported its profit up to 500 percent to P144 million in 2010 from P23.74 million in 2009. The leading personal care manufacturer reported to the Philippine Stock Exchange that its big financial figures last year can be attributed to its strong performance across all its business segments – domestic, international and direct selling.

Splash president Eric Domagas said, “We posted higher net income due to efficient use of plant assets, tighter control on expenses, (and) launch of our new products.” He added, “We are confident that the company will continue to post double digit growth this year. We believe in the continued growth of our direct selling and international business segments.” Net sales for 2010 were recorded at P2.99 billion, up by 9.8 percent from 2009’s P2.72 billion.

The company’s capital expenditures in 2010 were registered at P69 million, from a previous P21.3 million in 2009. For 2011, the company’s board approved higher capex amounting to P426 million, most of which will be spent for plant capacity expansion, improvement of facilities and enhancement of information systems for international and direct selling operations.

Splash’s skin whitening captured the growth in product sales in 2010, reaching P1.3 billion, followed by skin exfoliants at P1.04 billion and hair products at P542.3 million. International operations recorded net sales of P407.98 million last year, up by 67.5 percent from P243.58 million in 2009.

The company has also set up subsidiaries and offices in the Middle East, Indonesia and Asean region, which helped it gain a foothold in international sales. Meanwhile, direct selling business recorded a big growth in net sales reaching P40.8 million last year from P3 million in 2009.

Splash direct selling head Glenda Pingol said, “Splash direct sales will be very aggressive in its effort to build its pioneer network for the year 2011.”

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SPi Global named BPO company of the year

Roy — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:27:13 +0000

For the third straight year, the largest Filipino-owned business process outsourcing (BPO) company SPi Global was awarded in an annual BPO recognition ceremony. This year, it was named as “BPO Company of the Year” besting seven other finalists at the 5th International ICT Awards awarding ceremony organized by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP). The International ICT Awards is given every year to recognize successful organizations and individuals who contribute to the Philippine BPO industry.

Maulik Parekh, president and CEO of SPi Global said, “This is the third year in a row that SPi Global has been recognized by the International ICT Awards; the other two were Multi-Sourcing BPO Company of the Year and the Non-Voice Excellence awards.”

A subsidiary of PLDT, SPi Global delivers full-service knowledge-based outsourcing and customer relationship management solutions to diversified markets such as publishing, healthcare, financial services, entertainment and media, government and utilities, retail and telecommunications.

SPi Global is one of the world’s largest and most diversified Knowledge Process Outsourcing and Customer Relationship Management service providers in the industry, serving more than 500 clients worldwide. The company has more than 15,000 employees globally, spread across six countries in 24 different locations. It is the largest Filipino-owned BPO company employing 12,000 people in the Philippines.

The head of this year’s panel of judges for the ICT International Awards Richard Mills confirmed the company’s recognition saying, “SPi Global’s scale, the quality and diversity of clients, the depth and breadth of competencies, the life-changing impact to the beneficiaries of its CSR programs and its proactive involvement in various industry promotion and development initiatives make it stand out.”

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DTI intensifies awareness campaign on benefits of FTAs

Roy — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:24:19 +0000

The Department of Trade and Industry said that many among our exporters are not really aware of the trade opportunities under the country’s free trade agreements (FTA). That is why it is intensifying its information awareness campaign focusing on the government’s priority exports.

Gregory L. Domingo, DTI Secretary, said that the basic information awareness campaigns from March to November this year will focus on sectors such as motor vehicle parts and vehicles, food, garments and textiles, minerals, coconut products, construction and related materials, wearable, home style and IT/BPO. “More targeted information sessions will enlighten our businessmen to engage or expand their business according to what is viable in our FTA markets,” he said.

The trade secretary stressed that by understanding emerging and new markets, as well as instruments such as the FTA, will help exporters address new challenges in the global business environment. For 2010, the Philippines achieved a record of over $51 billion in export revenues.

At present, the country has FTAs with ASEA, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. An FTA with India is already in the work and due for implementation on the last part of the year. On March 31, a second round of information sessions targeting specific sectors will be launched at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC).

Domingo said export companies have not yet fully utilized the FTAs “because businessmen are not properly informed of the business opportunities that the country has gained from our FTA.” Last year, the agency was able to conduct information campaigns in 11 cities, benefitting some 2,000 businessmen.

International Trade Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. said, “Exploring the FTA markets is one of our core strategies to increase our exports over the next six years and sustain its steady growth. He said that this year’s sectoral sessions will include presentations on market opportunities, including non-tariff measures, in the country’s FTA markets; tariff rates on top exports for each sector under the FTAs, rules of origin, open forum, as well as business testimonials from those who have benefitted from FTAs.

“The FTAs are strategic tools or pathways for growth and competitiveness. Not only do these open markets for our goods and services, but they also compel us, as a people to take a hard look at our economic structures and implement the much needed reforms to put our economy in step with the global environment,” he added.

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SkyCable earmarked P1.5B for its 2011 capex

Roy — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:04:57 +0000

SkyCable allotted P1.5 billion funds for its capital expenditure for 2011 for its Cable Television (CATV) business. Half of the said amount will be used for the roll-out of its digital TV service nationwide and the other half for boosting its broadband subscriber growth, according to company marketing head Rodrigo Montinola.

A subsidiary of network giant ABS-CBN Corp., SkyCable has approximately half a million subscribers as of last year, most of which are from Metro Manila. Almost 85 percent of cable users in Metro Manila are already using digibox, which is essential in viewing digital television programs. The CATV firms hopes to increase that number to 95 percent by the end of the year.

SkyCable is also intensifying its marketing effort to increase the number of its broadband subscribers. “We had flat growth from 2006 to 2009. We started growing again only last year, where we had 35,000 subscribers,” Montinola said. “Our target is to grow our broadband subscribers significantly by about 70,000 by the end of this year,” he added.

Montinola also announced the availability of the DigiBox iRecord, a personal video recorder (PVR) set, a top box capable of simultaneously recording two TV programs while the subscriber watches a third. The box has a 320-GB drive that can store up to 145 hours of standard definition video or 85 hours of high-definition (HD) video. This is equivalent to over 70 movie titles, over 100 episodes of one-hour TV shows, or over 80 documentaries of National Geographic HD. The device also allows for slow-motion and frame-by-frame playback of recorded shows.

The company is optimistic that the new service would lure in at least 3,000 users in the first year of rollout. They are eyeing medium to heavy TV users, as well as busy working people who can’t always catch up on the schedules of free or cable TV. Existing subscribers in Metro Manila can get the DigiBox iRecord for a refundable deposit of P4,999 plus P399 service fee of using the Digibox iRecord on top of their monthly CATV fee.

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QC council formalizes business registry portal with an ordinance

Roy — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:15:55 +0000

Quezon City council formalizes online business registry with a city ordinance last week. The ordinance also allows the public to research valuable business information in the city. Both domestic and international traders would benefit from it because they can identify their prospective markets in Quezon City with just a click on their mouse.

Aside from that, Quezon City fourth district councilor Edcel “Grex” Lagman, Jr. said that the system would also allow for verifying the legitimacy of a business firms, as well as getting tips and pointers about starting a particular business in the locality. He said the project will use information and communications technology in imparting knowledge to international traders regarding the local business climate.

The online business data registry portal aims to make the Quezon City government the most business-friendly local government unit (LGU) in the country. It also protects both business sector and the consumers as it allows access information that would verify if a particular business entity is duly registered with the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).

Lagman, who is also the chairman of the city council’s committee on education and science and technology, said the portal will also make it easy for the Quezon City government to monitor and update business registration. He added that the P25 million of the annual collection from business operators in Quezon City since 2002, which currently is being held in trust, will be used to develop the software and hardware to run the online business data registry portal, which is a joint endeavor of the Quezon City government through its BPLO and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce.

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Microsoft launched new products in the Philippines

Roy — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:54:01 +0000

Microsoft launched last week its latest product to its customers in the Philippines – the Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Microsoft Vision 2010 and Microsoft Project 2010.

The software giant expects its new products to significantly benefit Filipino business in terms of productivity and gains and to give them higher returns on their software investments.

Microsoft Asia-Pacific sales and marketing vice president Ken Wye Saw said, “Microsoft Office 2010 and the 2010 set of products offer people the flexibility to work across their PC, phone and browser. As a result, companies can save, innovate and grow. This is what we mean when we say that Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 are defining the future of productivity.” He pointed out that by giving customers choice and flexibility, Microsoft also allows them to save on costs.

Transnational E-Business Solutions, Inc. (TESI), a full ICT solutions provider, was one of the companies who participated in the testing of the Microsoft Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 beta programs. TESI president and general manager Renvi Martinez said, “With Office 2010, workflows are more efficient, Web applications make your work available anywhere, collaboration is much easier”

Another company, BDO Capital & Investment Corp., also participated in the beta testing. Company president Eduardo Francisco said, “Coming from the finance industry, Microsoft Office Excel 2010 is a reliable tool for my work. Through these new Excel features, I can not only manage huge amounts of data, but also make sense out of the figures easily and quickly, and these enhancements have a huge impact on the efficiency of an organization.”

Femee Cruz, Microsoft Philippines information worker product manager, pointed out, “Even if people are out of the office, they can still work at home, off site, or even while they are on the go or don’t have their PC with them. The new features of Microsoft Office 2010 ensure that people have access to their documents across a range of platforms.”

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Natural-dye technology developed by DOST

Roy — Sun, 30 May 2010 01:04:09 +0000

A new technology that will produce natural and eco-friendly dyes was developed by the Philippine Textile Research and Institute (PTR1) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The use of natural dyes was nearly forgotten when synthetic dyes were introduced in the market. Fortunately, many people are now becoming more and more conscious, and concern, about the environment. There was an increase in the demand of natural dyes, which can be obtained from bark, wood, roots, berries, lichens, insects, shellfish and flowers.

Because of the increase in the demand of natural dyes, different research and development programs to support the production of equally environment-friendly textile products was also conducted.

The research project was dubbed “Pilot Scale Verification of Selected Natural Dye Powder Production and Textile Application Technologies.”

The research team from PTR1, led by Julius Leaño was able to develop a technology that focuses on seven dye sources. These are the annatto, duhat, mahogany, yellow ginger, indigo, sampalok and talisay. The team was assisted by the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD).

According to Leaño, most of the sources that were mentioned produced satisfactory results on colorfastness test, and the color uniformity and reproducibility of the selected dye sources were also enhanced. He also added that the natural dye powder has good shelf life and reproducibility and exhibits good colorfastness to washing and light when applied to the materials.

With the help of the Technology Business Incubation (TBI) of the DOST, the technology was further enhanced, and is now ready for interested institution that can comply with the requirements and regulations of the PTR1.

The PTR1 hopes that the takers of the technology will increase the promotion and awareness on the availability, use and commercial production and application of natural dye powders; and ensure the continuous development of the technology.

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Seaweed-durian cupcake, a healthy ‘baon’ for school

Roy — Sat, 29 May 2010 16:40:22 +0000

A healthier cupcake makes for a great alternative ‘baon’ is the product of the research project by a group of people from the Southern Philippines Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) in Digos City, Davao del Norte.

The cupcake made from seaweed and durian, which is just in time for the school opening, was made through the collaborative efforts of Arlyn Omboy, Graciela Caballero, Milagros Subaldo, Dr. Nila Nanette Revilla and Dr. Delia Grace Bacaltos, all from the SPAMAST. The seaweed-durian cupcake was their entry to the 2010 Aquatic Technology Competition and Marketplace (ATCOM), wherein there were one of the finalists.

The contest (ATCOM) was sponsored by the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD).

The researchers said that the making of seaweed-durian cupcake follows the usual baking process for bread and pastries. The cupcake, which has a shelf life of five days, is a bakery product made from seaweed powder with processed durian jam, uses as raw material locally available Eucheuma spinosum and durian, an exotic fruit which is described as “smells like hell but tastes like heaven.”

During the research process, the team of researchers conducted a consumers’ feedback evaluation to get the reaction of the market on the seaweed-durian cupcake. Most of the respondents which were from Digos City and neighboring towns rated the cupcake as “most acceptable.”

The seaweed-durian cupcake technology was further improved, and was even extended to various seaweed-growing communities in the Island Garden City of Samal and Puntao Biao, Cogon, Digos City. Thanks to the support of the Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (DICCEP) sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Region 11. Arrangements with the DTI and Department of Education (DepEd) are now being made to make the healthy cupcake available in the different ‘Pasalubong’ centers and school canteens.

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Phone service for those without cellphone

Roy — Wed, 26 May 2010 14:21:55 +0000

Smart Communications launched recently a new service which was aimed to provide mobile communications to Filipinos who still do not have cellular phone. The new service called the Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone, is being offered through a wireless telephone set powered by a Talk ‘N Text SIM card. It allows users to call any landline or mobile phone anywhere in the country for as low as P3 for a three minute.

The Talk ‘N Text Barangay Phone may be used by people who needs to make a call either to a landline or a mobile number but do not have their own cell phone. As such, it will be deployed in neighborhood sari-sari stores and other high traffic locations like public markets or transportation terminals, and possibly even to ambulant vendors nationwide.

Smart chief wireless advisor and co-founder Orlando Vea said, “Offering quality services to what they now call ‘the base of the pyramid’ is built into SMART’s DNA. This is where and how we grew. Offering the Talk ‘N Talk Barangay Phone is a natural progression of that strategy.”

Aside for individuals without cell phones, the service would also benefit even those who has their own mobile phones in emergency cases and their phone battery is dead or has no load credit.

To use the Talk ‘N Text Barangay, users just need to buy the micro ‘bucket’ load at denominations of P3 for a 3-minute call, P6 for a 6-minute call,or P12 for a 12-minute call to any number within SMART’s network of over 42 million subscribers nationwide. For calls to landline or mobile numbers within another network would costs P6 for a one minute call, or P12 for a two minute call.

It is also another businesses opportunity for enterprising individuals who wants to provide such service in their area. They just need to buy a pre-loaded P3,000 worth of e-load, the sale of which in sachet size gives them a healthy margin. The set, which is free, comes in a box complete with a phone kit, a Talk ‘N Text SIM pack, a retailer kit, and ‘marketing’ collaterals such as stickers and posters.

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SkyCable earmarked P1 billion for its capex in 2010

Roy — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:56:47 +0000

SkyCable has approved its budget of P1 billion for this year’s capital expenditures. The country’s leading cable television service provider will use it capex funds to expand its current subscriber base and also to develop technologies that will fight signal piracy.

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. chief financial officer Rolando Valdueza said the network giant’s cable TV subsidiary’s capex was increased by 20 percent from last year which was just under P800 million.

SkyCable expects to expand its subscriber base of about 500,000 households. Moreover, the cable company also plans to convince its regular cable TV subscribers to switch to the company’s digital cable TV products in order to curb signal piracy. About 50 percent of SkyCable’s clients are already on digital TV subscriptions.

The company said that digital TV signals are harder to tamper with, and therefore they are nearly impossible to steal. According to the Philippine Cable TV Association (PCTA), the industry stands to lose more than P4 billion from signal theft this year.

Aside from its P1 billion capex, Vadueza said that SkyCable is earmarking another P600 million for the improvement of the company’s broadband internet services, to make it available everywhere there are SkyCable TV signals.

The company claims that its internet service, which operates under the brand name Sky Broadband, has the fastest connection speed being offered locally, with up to 12 megabytes-a-second. In 2008, its internet service subscribers were approximately 12,000. This was doubled in 2009 as they were able to expand to almost 24,000 users.

Valdueza said that SkyCable is exploring the possibilities of havings synergies with its affiliate Bayan Telecommunicatios Inc. (Bayantel) in order to improve further its broadband services.

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Mediaquest alloting P700 million for its capex this year

Roy — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:06:53 +0000

Mediaquest Holdings Inc. is allotting around P700 million for its capital expenditure this year. The media unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. is earmarking the said amount for its satellite TV business year to increase its subscriber base to 200,000.

At the end of 2009, Cignal Digital TV, Mediaquest’s direct-to-home satellite television has 45,000 subscribers nationwide, barely five months of operation from its official launch in July last year. The number of Cignal subscribers is expected to surge this year, said Mediaquest director Ray Espinosa, following the company’s success of its satellite TV business.

Cignal is the latest subscription-based direct-to-home satellite television service provider using the NSS-11 satellite of New Skies Satellite. It comes in Cignal HD (high definition) and Cignal Digital TV. It was on a test broadcast since January of 2009 in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna and has 3,000 subscribers who signed up then.

The Cignal Basic package is available for a one-time fee of P4,700 for set top box, satellite dish and cables and Cignal card, and installation fee of P1,000 and a monthly service charge of P390. It has 20 standard definition channels which include free-to-air local channels ABS-CBN, TV5, NBN 4, GMA, CS9, QTV, IBC 13, Studio 23, 2nd Avenue, Etc, and Net 25, and the premium channels HBO, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, CNN, PBO, Viva Cinema, AXN, and BIO. RHTV (dzRH Television). Aside from the TV channels, radio channels from the FM band are also available to Cignal Digital TV subscribers.

The Cignal Combo package is available for a one-time fee of P4,800, an installation fee of P1,000 and a monthly service fee of P790. It includes three high-definition channels plus the Cignal Basic. The Cignal HD, on the other hand, offers three high-definition channels – Voom, History Channel and Playhouse Disney.

Espinosa said they are not competing with cable TV companies because their target markets are those in the remote areas.

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Online mapping service launched by CREBA

Roy — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:26:05 +0000

Now, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and even foreign investors outside the country can check a real estate property they are interested in, without necessarily being in the Philippines. That is because the Philippine Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA) have deployed in the Internet the Philippines’ first fully-automated Web GIS parcellary mapping service. Accurately locating a piece of land in the Philippines will no longer be a problem.

The program, which was painstakingly designed and built by CREBALAND, is called MapSys.Ph, and it can be checked at www.mapsys.ph. CREBALAND is the technical arm of CREBA.

CREBA founder and chairman, Atty. Manuel M. Serrano, said that the new mapping facility can accurately generate lot plan and information-packed vicinity map for any given parcel of land, anywhere n the Philippines. Users can access all these information right in front of their computer.

Since the service is available on the web, anybody, anywhere, can just log in to MapSys.Ph and get an accurate map the property they are interested in, with the comprehensive information needed.

The system provides a colorful and professionally laid-out output, displaying the parcel polygon overlaid on a vicinity map which contains multi-layers of spatial information, such as major and minor road networks, rivers and waterways networks, railroad network, LGU-approved land use, SAFDZ, land cover, Ecozones, administrative boundaries from the provincial down to barangay level, elevation and slope, fault lines, banks, schools, churches, hospitals, commercial/industrial establishments, tourist establishments, utilities and many others.

Serrano added that the map generated is immediately downloadable after the use enters the parcel’s technical descriptions from either a title or a survey plan or any other source document.

The site (MapSys.Ph), according to Serrano, is very user-friendly and does not require any orientation for its use.