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Website for foodies

Roy — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:45:15 +0000

There is a website I stumbled upon that I am sure most foodies would take interest on. It is the Cotsworld Fayre, which a supplier for more than 10 years to fine food retailers, farms shops and more. They carry healthy brands like hale & hearty which has a lot great tasting, flavorful, and of course healthy products for all the health conscious folks out there who wants to enjoy good food sans the worries.

The website also has a page for hanbury foods ltd which carries flavorings and spices that is being used by most TV chefs, the most famous of which is the Hanbury Sugars and Salts. The latest addition to their product line is Edge Salts and Sugars which is ideal for cocktails.

For sauces, dressings, and other flavorings, Cotsworld Fayre has harrington foods for you. Created and perfected by Sally Harrington who has been making addictive sauce for quite a number of years in her Kent kitchen. And these sauces even doubles as amazing salad dressing.

Those are but three of the product lines Cotsworld Fayre carries. They have a lot more that most foodies are looking for – organic foods, cereals, pasta and rice and other cooking ingredients. If you are a foodie, it won’t hurt to check it out.

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Maggi noodles tested positive for salmonella

Roy — Sat, 07 May 2011 04:21:47 +0000

Nestlé Philippines has voluntarily recalled a number its Maggi instant noodles after some of the tested were tested for possible salmonella contamination. The company said it found traces of salmonella in two batches of the noodle product’s beef variant. “The product recall is a precautionary measure… to ensure the safety and quality of our products,” Nestlé said.

The multinational food manufacturer advised consumers who may have bought Maggi Rich Mami Noodles to contact their hotline at 898-0061 for Metro Manila and 1-800-100-637853 (toll-free) for provincial areas.

Nestlé however said that its products are safe to eat if the cooking instructions properly followed. The batches that were tested positive for salmonella have lot codes 11020598A2 and 11030598A1. The lot code numbers are found at the back of the product pack, between the “Best Before” date and the ingredients list.

Salmonella infections typically affect the intestines, causing vomiting, high fever and abdominal pains. The bacteria can be transmitted from water, soil, animal feces, raw eggs, and raw meat.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director Suzette Lazo said their office has already been informed regarding the recall. The FDA also posted an advisory on its websites to consumers who may have bought the product with the specified lot codes to return them to the Nestlé office at Nestlé Center, 31 Plaza Drive, Rockwell Center in Makati, or to its licensed distributors.

Lazo said, “According to law, they have to do this (product recall), when they discover that there is something that would be harmful to consumers. They complied with that law and this is a very responsible thing they did.”

She also said their department has made an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the contamination. “Even if it is a voluntary recall, we have to do our own test and get a report from them every day,” Lazo added.

Based on initial findings, the flavor enhancer that comes with the instant noodles in sachet may have caused the salmonella contamination. Said flavor enhancer has also been recalled in the US.

Pending completion of the investigation, Nestlé has temporarily stopped production of all Maggi noodle products.

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Philippine tuna company acquires US salmon company

Roy — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:51:25 +0000

Philippine company Alliance Select Food International Inc. sealed a deal to acquire 100 percent of US company Spence & Co. Ltd., a Massachusetts-based salmon smoking and curing company who specializes in the production of smoked salmon and seafood, prepared in the Scottish tradition of its founder Alan Spence. The company caters to the high-end market in the USA and Europe.

The Alliance, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), said it had signed an agreement to acquired the US fish company lock, stock and barrel through subsidiary ASFI Choice Foods Inc. for $8.5 million.

Alliance spokesperson Rajat Balain said, “An investment in Spence is another step towards Alliance’s goal of diversifying its product line to enhance shareholder value and ensure future profitability. This will be Alliance’s third smoked salmon venture, making it the largest salmon processor in the region, and will help it establish a beachhead in the lucrative seafood market in the US.”

To partly finance the acquisition of Spence, Alliance will be conducting a stock rights offering. The company already gave the approval for the said offering. The PSE suspended trading of Alliance starting 9 a.m. Tuesday pending the submission of additional disclosure pertinent details on the transaction.

Alliance started commercial operations in General Santos City in Mindanao in 2004, it was formerly known as Alliance Tuna International and engages in tuna processing, canning and export of canned tuna products. It exports to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and South America as a “private label manufacture,” which means it processes and cans tuna using its customer’s brands.

Part of its overseas expansion in recent years is the company’s aspirations to become a regional food company with a “decidedly Filipino DNA.” Alliance is always on the lookout for opportunities in regional seafood companies with high margins and high-value products.

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BF-GF ad pulled out by McDonald’s

Roy — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:55:27 +0000

Possibly fearing that theirs could go the way of Jan-Jan’s case and escalate into another media frenzy, McDonald’s Philippines immediately pulled out its add which was tagged by some as the “BF-GF commercial” after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for them to stop airing the ad.

Although there were really no cries of child abuse nor exploitation, but the fast food chain giant deemed it is best to pull out the 30-second commercial from the air after some Catholic Church officials warned that ad could send wrong message and inculcate negative values to children.

In the said commercial, the little girl asked the boy if she was already his girlfriend, to which the boy replied no. He said girlfriends are too demanding and asking for so much. But when the little girl said that all she wanted was french fries from McDonalds, the boy’s face flashed and he changed his as he counted his coins in his pocket totaling P25, which is the price of the fries.

Vice President for Marketing Margot Torres of McDonald’s Philippines said that they have decided to pull out the TV ad because they respect the call of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez. She added, “So by Wednesday, a different McDonald’s ad should be seen on TV.”

Bishop Iñiguez said that they were happy that McDonald’s listened to their plea and that it agrees with the sentiment and the reflection of the church about the commercial. The bishop also said earlier, “The two children are not even at the right age for this kind of relationship… It might also pave the way for us to lose sight of the good ways of shaping the values of our children.”

Executive Secretary of CBCP on Family and Life, Fr. Melvin Castro said earlier that the commercial is “very shallow” and “cheapens human relationships.” He also said that, “If the ad attempted to teach commitment, it failed because it was too superficial to point to a packet of french fries as the basis of a relationship.”

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SMC prepares for its foray in the telco industry

Roy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:35:54 +0000

The corporate food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is seriously mulling entry into the highly competitive field of telecommunication. The company plans to create a holding company for all its telecommunications interest as the conglomerate prepares for its grand entry in this field, according to a top official of the company. SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang confirms “That is the intention, to create a holding company for our telco business.”

The company have already invested P9 billion so far in the local telecommunications business and plans to put in even more in order to build what it describes as a “next generation” network that will provide the best service and cheapest rate in the country. Ang emphasized that their business model for telecommunications guarantees one that will be better than what the other companies are giving.

SMC, at present, owns 41.5 percent of Liberty Telecom, 100 percent of Bell Telecom and 40 percent of Easter Telecom. Ang assured that they will not be wasting money, time and effort to establish a complete network that will just copy what is being offered in the market right now. “It will be a next generation, long-term evolution, mobile broadband, which is still being planned by others in the industry,” he said.

What is important right now, Ang noted, is to have a level-playing field in the telco industry. “But what I can assure you is that our service will be the best, no dropped calls, and very affordable rates. We will not waste resources if we will not do it right,” he said.

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Johnson & Johnson fined $70 million by US authorities

Roy — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:23:45 +0000

Multinational firm Johnson & Johnson was fined by the United States authorities $70 million on for bribing doctors in Europe and paying kickbacks for contracts under a United Nations (UN) relief program in Iraq.

According to the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission, the cosmetics and drug giant has paid doctors and hospitals in Greece, Poland and Romania for contracts and to promote its drugs and medical devices.

The company was also said to have paid kickbacks between the years 2000-2003 for 19 contracts under the UN Oil for Food Program, which provided humanitarian supplies to Iraqis while the country was still ruled by Saddam Hussein.

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay US authorities $70 million to settle the charges, including $48.6 million to the SEC and $21.4 million to the Justice Department. US prosecutor Mythili Raman said that the company had “cooperated extensively” during the investigation.

SEC enforcement director Robert Khuzami said, “The message is plain; any competitive advantage gained through corruption is mirage. J&J chose profit margins over compliance with the law by acquiring a private company for the purpose of paying bribes, and using sham contracts, offshore companies, and slush funds to cover its tracks.”

Based on the investigation conducted by the authorities, Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiaries Cilag AG International and Janssen Pharaceutica made $858,000 dollars in payoffs to Saddam Hussein’s governments to win $9.0 million in contracts under the deeply corrupted Oil for Food Program.

The kickbacks were said to have been concealed from the United Nations by inflating Janssen and Cilag’s contract prices by 10 percent. The SEC also said that the company was under a related investigation by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office and that a resolution was also expected.

Johnson & Johnson is the 15th largest company in the US in terms of market capitalization.

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Philippines bans chocolate milk from Japan

Roy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:22:58 +0000

The country temporarily bans chocolate milk products from Japan after the March 11 earthquake, although it was just a verbal order issued by Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Efren Nuestro. Philippines joins other countries like Russia, Canada, Australia and Singapore, among the list of countries which banned Japanese food imports as radioactive steam wafted anew from the Fukushima Dai-chi Nuclear Power Station.

Nuestro said that a formal order is already being drafted canceling a previous clearance for the import of Japanese chocolate milk products. “We will recall the veterinary quarantine clearance for chocolate milk products that were shipped into the Philippines after March 11.”

Together with the BAI, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), would screen animal-based products from Japan for abnormal radiation levels and recommend the suspension of the importation of suspect items. The two agencies are both under the Department of Agriculture.

A random sampling of mackerel from Japan would be conducted to determine if they have a high radioactivity level, said BFAR Director Malcom Sarmiento. According to him, the country imported 4,000 tons of mackerel from Japan last year for food processing.

Quarantine officer Rico Capulong said that the Philippine custom authorities are also keeping a close watch on any imports from areas of Japan that were close to the stricken nuclear plants. “Not all parts of Japan were affected. There are certain areas that we are concentrating on,” he said.

Meanwhile, three United Nations agencies issued a joint statement in Geneva, pledging their commitment to “mobilizing their and expertise” to help Japan, noting that “food safety issues are an additional dimension of the emergency.”

The three agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, said Japan was taking the right action. “Food monitoring is being implemented, measurements of radioactivity in food are taking place and the results are being communicated publicly,” the three agencies added.

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Starting a franchise

arbe — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:51:56 +0000

Every Entrepreneur wants their business to grow and have profit. They always have new ideas in their mind to fuel their business but what if you don’t have that kind of many ideas in your mind and still you want to have your own business. Well there is a answer to your problem. Nowadays there are many business opportunities like franchising.

A franchise is like a package that you can buy if you want to start a business but you don’t know what to do. And in this package it is full of many usable ideas that you can use and learn on. Most in this ideas are tried and tested from other franchiser that have their own experience so you can be confident if you invest with them.

And if you enter a franchise it is not like you buy their product then you do the other things on your own. If you enter a franchise the franchisor will support you not only in the improvement of the product but also in the idea of financial supporting.

And also you will learn how to play the market especially in the community where you are in. You can also apply your own idea so that you can improve your own store.

The ideal franchise opportunities are food oriented business, service oriented business and also the combination of the two ideas.

Whether what ideas it may be a successful franchise is still considered in the determination of person who wants to enter it.

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Aquino declared September 10 regular holiday

Roy — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:26:50 +0000

To join our Muslim brothers in the celebration of Eid’l Fitr, the last day of Ramadan, President Noynoy Aquino declared September 10, Friday, a regular holiday in the country by virtue of Proclamation No. 26 which he signed last Thursday.

“To promote cultural understanding and integration, the entire Filipino should have the full opportunity to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in the observance and celebration of Eid’l Fitr,” as written in the proclamation.

It also added, “In order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of the national consciousness, it is necessary to declare Friday, September 10, 2010, as a regular holiday throughout the country.”

The Eid’l Fitr is an Islamic festival of renewal, reconciliation and peace, which marks the end of the holy month of fasting. It was declared as one of the regular holidays in the country based on the Republic Act No. 9177, which also states that “the Muslim world celebrates the Eid’l Fitr for three days after the end of the month of fasting.” It was noted that for this year, Eid’l Fitr would fall on Friday, September 10. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos earlier recommended to Malacañang the declaration of the said date as a holiday.

Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Pena, meanwhile, said he will join three Muslim non-government organizations (NGOs) in distributing food and gifts to prisoners in the provincial and city jail on Tuesday, September 7. He said, “This is to show them that we Christians are sympathizing with them. We will give the food in the evening because they don’t eat in the morning.”

Dela Pena also noted the food distribution program coincides with the Feast of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “The Maranaos also have high regards for Mama Mary, so we want her to serve as a brigade for unity,” he added.

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Nestle to open new plant in Tanauan

Roy — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:34:39 +0000

Nestlé Philippines Inc., the Philippine unit of Swiss food and beverage giant Nestlé, is not going to pull out of the country and relocate in Indonesia as earlier reported. In fact, John Miller, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nestlé Philippines, said they are investing in a new facility south of Manila.

Miller said, the company leased a 27-hectare tract of land in Tanauan City, and have earmarked P4.3 billion for the initial phase of a new plant which was projected to produce an annual 64,000 metric tons of Coffee-Mate and Bear Brand, to serve the growing domestic demand for its products. The construction of the new facility will start this month and it is expected to be in operation by March 2012.

According to Miller, their existing Cagayan de Oro plant which manufactures Bear is already operating in its full capacity with an output of about 80,000 metric tons. He also noted the strong demand for Coffee-Mate in the country, which necessitated their opening of their own manufacturing plant for the coffee creamer. “We want to become self-sufficient in Coffee-Mate supply,” Miller said. At present, the company imports up to 27,000 metric tons of Coffee-Mate a year from its Thailand affiliate.

For the new plant, Miller said they will hire 170 people initially to run the facility. Once the new plant’s operation has gone full blast, they will fill up the complete manpower requirement which is about 500 people.

Aside from Coffee-Mate and Bear Brand, Miller said they also plan to manufacture additional brands in the upcoming Tanauan facility. He said the new factory will be developed in three phases, adding that production “volumes could go up to over 100,000 metric tons.”

Aside from the new Tanauan facility, the company also plans to upgrade its Cabuyao plant, where it has set aside P150 million for the said improvement, as well as P500 million for the manufacturing capacity improvement project in its Cagayan de Oro plant.

Miller dispels the rumors that they would relocate the Philippine unit to Indonesia, adding that the news was “categorically incorrect.” He said, “We have no plans to relocate our lines to Indonesia.”

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Trucks accessories

Roy — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:50:36 +0000

Not too long ago, an entrepreneur friend of mine was inviting me to be his partner for the new business that he is planning. My friend wants to sell truck accessories and believes that the business is very feasible and was really enthusiastic when he was presenting the idea to me. I, being the skeptic and inexperienced one, of course did not immediately said yes.

But to be honest, my friend’s idea did not just pop out from thin air, nor did he just wake up one morning wanting to sell parts and accessories for trucks. You see, my friend is a reactive entrepreneur and would always see an opportunity when it presents itself to him, in whatever form it may come.

My friend is into the trucking and hauling business himself. He has been delivering to different parts of the country different kinds of products — food, non-food, appliances, furnitures, everything! He has a long list of clients who have learned to trust him to always take care of their merchandise.

However, he said he was having a hard time looking for a legitimate supplier of trucks and truck accessories in the country whenever he needs to get his trucks repaired, or just for maintenance.

That was when the idea of putting up a business to sell the products and service that he was looking for. Being in the trucking industry, he knows that the others are also having the same problem, therefore, he believes he has a market. That is why he was very enthusiastic when he was trying to convince. I think I am inclined to join him.

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Jollibee buys China fastfood chain

Roy — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:48:06 +0000

Homegrown fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp. continues to extend its presence in China as it recently acquired one of the local beef noodle there. In its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Jollibee said it will be investing RMB30 million ($4.39 million) to secure 55 percent stake on the San Pin Wang restaurant chain.

Another RMB20 million in investment in anticipation of expansion was sealed in a joint venture agreement signed by Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. and Guangxi Zong Kai Food and Beverage Investment Co. Ltd. But this would be after the venture becomes fully operation in January 2011.

Jollibee said that San Pin Wang, with a chain of 34 restaurants in Nanning and Liuzhou, Guang Xi Zhuang Minority Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China, has projected annual sales of RMB100 million in 2010. It is profitable and without outstanding debt even. The company operates two commissaries.

Jollibee chairman and chief executive officer Tony Tan Caktiong believe that they can make San Pin Wang grow to a very large and successful fastfood chain in China. “San Pin Wang provides food and service of superior value to the consumers of Nanning and Liuzhou. We wish to bring this brand to consumers in many parts of China, beginning with the neighboring provinces in South China,” he added.

At present, Jollibee operates two brands in China. These are Yonghe King, which is based in Shanghai and Hong Zhuang, which is based in Beijing. These operate 165 stores and 46 stores respectively in China. The company’s sales in China account for 9 percent of its system wide sales, or sales both by company-owned and franchised-stores, which amounted to P63.73 billion last year.

Jollibee remains to be the country’s largest fastfood network in the country at present. It has a total of 1,569 stores in the Philippines as March 31, and it has also established its presence in Vietnam, US, Brunei and Dubai. The Jollibee Group also carries the brands Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Delifrance and Manong Pepe restaurants.

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San Miguel mulls investing in the redevelopment of DMIA

Roy — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:49:52 +0000

If food and beverage giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC), would have its way, it will redevelop the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), as it being geared to become the country’s premier international gateway.

San Miguel, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), that it is evaluating the viability of investing in the redevelopment of the DMIA Terminal 2 at Clark Free Port in Angeles City, Pampanga.

The corporate giant mulls on the investment plan when the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) announced its opening of its doors for new investors to redevelop and upgrade the facilities in DMIA. The Philippine government hopes to turn DMIA into a major gateway by 2013, replacing Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

CIAC has the mandate to develop, operate, manage and maintain the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, which is located within Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga. It is used to be the biggest American military base outside the United States, and covers an area measuring 2,367 hectares. It has a 3,200-meter runway and associated taxiways, passenger terminal building and related facilities.

CIAC earlier received an offer from the Kuwaiti-led consortium Almal-Pride to redevelop DMIA. However, it was rejected by the CIAC board, which opens up the project to new proponents… such as the San Miguel Corporation.

Aside from the planned investment in the airline terminal, SMC said it commissioned a group of experts to prepare an in-depth study on the construction and operation of bullet train facilities which would cover the Laoag-Manila-Bicol route.

The company is also close to sealing the deal to acquire a majority stake in the modernization of Caticlan airport, which is the gateway to Boracay Island, just off Panay. SMC is coming in as a strategic partner of the group of Chinese-Filipino businessman George Yang, who bagged the right to modernize Caticlan airport under a 25-year concession arrangement with the government.

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Manila government intensified campaign against use of magic sugar

Roy — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:47:06 +0000

A substance called “magic sugar” which is being widely used as an artificial sweetener is not safe for consumption. Because of this, the government of the City of Manila is taking measures to prohibit the use of this substance.

Dr. Loraine Sanchez of the city health office said that the authorities are closely coordinating with police and barangay officials in monitoring vendors selling or using “magic sugar” in the food or drinks they sell. Aside from the monitoring, they are also conducting an information drive on the substance and the risk it poses to a person’s health.

Sanchez also said that the sanitary officers are conducting lectures in schools as part of their information drive to inform the students in a bid to stop them from patronizing vendors who are suspected of using the illegal substance. “We also encourage parents to just prepare homemade nutritious snacks for their kids to prevent them from buying foods outside the schools,” she said.

In line with their campaign, the city government also intensified its monitoring of sanitary and environmental sanitation permits among hawkers in Manila, added Sanchez.

The police and city officials issued warning to the vendors that whoever is caught using or selling magic sugar may be charged with violation of Republic Act 3720 or the Foods, Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics Act.

A warning had been issued earlier by health secretary Esperanza Cabral cautioning the public against the use of magic sugar which is allegedly being smuggled into the country. According Cabral, the substance known as magic sugar or artificial sugar is also called sodium cyclamate that could cause dizziness, vomiting and stomach ache.

She said it is banned in the United States “because of some studies that show that it increases the incidence of cancer, such as urinary bladder cancer.”

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SMB acquired international beer unit of SMC

Roy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:48:07 +0000

Food and beverage conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) recently completed the $300-million sale of the international beer business to its flagship unit San Miguel Brewery (SMB) Inc. Both San Miguel and SMB reported to the Philippines Stock Exchange, separately, the closing of the deal. It marked the completion of the spin-off of all the conglomerate’s beer businesses.

SMC got The Royal Bank of Scotland to act as its sole financial adviser in the transaction, while SMB acquired the services of ING as its independent financial adviser.

The local beer business of the SMC has already been acquired by SMB earlier. SMB is a joint venture between San Miguel and Kirin Group of Japan. SMC owns 51 percent of SMB while Tokyo-based Kirin owns 48 percent. The sale would be funded through borrowings. 10 banks have been hired to arrange a $300-million borrowing.

SMB plans to integrate both the domestic and international beer business, in its effort to improve the growth and returns of the business as a whole and broaden SMB’s geographic participation, and also in strengthening its brands and presence in the region.

As for SMC, the company plans to use the proceeds of the sale to fund its expansions and new acquisitions as the conglomerate diversifies into other industries, like power, infrastructure and utilities.

Among those planned acquisitions is the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway where SMC submitted a bid for the operation and management of the said project. The conglomerate also submitted a bid for the privatization of the 246-megawat Angat hydroelectric power plant in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Meanwhile, SMB president Roberto Huang said the acquisition would allow the company to expand its footprint on a bigger and broader platform in Southeast Asia and China and provide potential access to Kirin’s other market in Asia. “Additional brewing facilities overseas will offer greater operating flexibility for San Miguel Brewery’s operations and provide real opportunity for enhancing the already solid performance of our domestic operations,” Huang said.

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The expansion of Bibingkinitan

Roy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:21:51 +0000

Bibingkinitan! has embarked on an aggressive campaign to expand its number of outlets this year. The fast-rising Filipino food chain is aiming to open up about 100 new outlets all over the country, to bring its total number of stores to at least 250 by the end of 2010.

Richard V. Sanz, president and chief executive officer of FoodAsia Corp., the mother company of Bibingkinitan!, said that the 50 percent of the new stores that will be put up would be owned by the company, while the other 50 percent would be franchised.

The company’s focus, according to Sanz, is towards establishing more stores in smaller-sized malls and roadside locations in provincial cities and capital towns. “Last year we already saturated the big malls so our direction now is to go on smaller malls and provincial cities and towns,” he said.

Sans also added that the product line of Bibingkinitan! has also expanded. They now also serve other foods like “pancit in bilaos” and “Bar-B-Q” for take-out. The company’s target is to position Bibingkinitan! as the preferred brand for parties, gatherings and “pasalubong” (take-home) food packages.

He was also proud to announce that the name Bibingkinitan! is now a recognized and an established brand. The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is even offering a collateral-free loan to its prospective franchisees. “The fact that a bank in the stature of BPI is willing to offer collateral-free loan for our franchisees shows that Bibingkinitan! is already a trusted brand and a highly feasible investment opportunity,” Sanz said.

He is also happy to announced that they have developed a very affordable franchise package they called the “Franchise Lite.” Under the said package, franchisees can pay the franchise cost in six months at zero interest and without any down payment.

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SM expanding retail stores to reach more customers

Roy — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:45:07 +0000

The SM Group announced recently that they will be opening up to 20 new stores in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces this year for their food retail unit. The company said it will be investing P1 billion to P2 billion for these projects.

The new outlets are targeted to bring Save More, SM Hypermarkets and Supermarkets closer to the public. Retail group executive vice president Robert Kwee said they wanted to be closer to the customers. He added they will not open new Makro outlets this year, and that they will converting some Makro stores into Save More outlets too. Kwee said they will converting the Makro outlets which have not been performing well.

As for Watson’s and SM Beauty, they are expected to grow by eight percent this year. For 2009, they posted a seven percent growth. “We are growing faster than the industry,” said Robert U. Sun, chief operating officer of Watsons Your Personal Store, Phils.

According to sun, 65 percent of the revenue of SM Beauty and Watson’s came from beauty while the remaining 35 percent came from health, but quickly added the health sector is growing faster that the beauty sector.

Sun explained that even during the financial crisis, people were still buying beauty products. People sometimes opted to buy the cheaper brands, or choose smaller packages, but the demand remained. He also expected their operating outlets to reach 245 by yearend. He said they also will be renovating six to ten outlets this year, which are estimated to cost P80 million.

Recently, the Beauty Experts Behind the Scene was launched at the Scene at the SM Makati Department Store. It was the official launch of Beauty by SM’s flagship store.

“The launch of Beauty by SM’s flagship store at SM Makati signals a new era,” said Robert Sun. “We now take Beauty to the next level. We have lined up many more stores to be renovated to ensure that we are able to provide our customers a unique shopping experience. I am proud to say that we are well on our way to making our vision to be the preferred beauty destination a reality.”

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Schwarzenegger to lead business delegation who’ll visit the country next year

Roy — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:09:17 +0000

The Terminator will visit the Philippines next year, but he won’t be here to promote nor shoot any film. Instead, the California Governor will be leading a group of US business delegation who will visit the country in February as part of the government’s marketing efforts to expand the market of Philippine exports and industries.

The announcement was made by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who said that Schwarzenegger will be tagging along about 150 to 200 businessmen from San Francisco to discuss possible partnership deals with local industries. The main agenda of the delegation here would be green-energy technology.

The San Francisco delegation would be the first of a series of inbound business-matching sessions to be hosted by the Philippines next year for foreign trade and investment missions, according to DTI’s Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP).

Aside from the Schwarzenegger-led delegates from San Francisco, visitors from Canada will also be flying in next year to discuss possible partnership with local firms. They would be looking on companies in the fields of education, medical tourism, import/export, banking and finance, and information technology (IT).

Likewise, delegates from Seattle and Silicon Valley would also come here for IT, Taiwan for diagnostic, Northern China for coco oil, and Portland for food products.

Meanwhile, local exporters would be brought by the government to about 20 countries next year too, for a similar pre-arranged business-matching sessions with foreign buyers.

The DTI said, “For 2010, BETP intends to conduct 23 Outbound Business Matchings (OBMs) to cover processed food, auto parts, fine jewelry, furniture houseware, wellness services, construction services, content for film and television, natural and organic products, and personal care products.”

Among the scheduled destination countries for Filipino exporters are Macau for processed food/marine products, India for snack food, Korea for marine products and natural and organic products, China for furniture, and Malaysia for Halal food.

Interested exporters who want to participate in these business-matching programs next year may contact BETP through (02)890-1200.

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San Miguel acquired P2 billion loan from Landabnk

Roy — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:04:33 +0000

The San Miguel Corp. (SMC), the country with most diversified conglomerate, has been extended a P2 billion loan by the state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank). The loan would be used by SMC to finance its expansion program.

SMC senior vice president for treasury Sergion Edeza and Landbank first vice president Jed Reyes signed the loan agreement last December 1. The proceeds of the loan would be used to partially finance the requirements of the food and beverage business of the company.

With a workforce of 15,344 employees, SMC is the country’s biggest employer at present. It also provides indirect employment to auxiliary service contractors, distributors, sari-sari stores, contract growers, haulers, other service providers, and third party suppliers nationwide.

It has a wide range of product portfolio, from beer, hard liquor, non-carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, processed and packaged food products, meats poultry, dairy and a number of packaging products. SMC is the largest publicly listed food, beverage, and packaging company, not only in the Philippines, but in Southeast Asia.

The company’s food operations included the production and marketing of fresh, ready-to-cook and processed chicken, pork and beef, milk, butter, cheese, margarine, ice cream, flour, pancake mix, snack foods, coffee, cooking oil as well as animal and aquatic’ feeds.

For its part, Landbank supports companies in the countryside that helps stimulate the economic activities in their areas as their operations are integrated into the economies of the regions. It granted SMC the loan because it believes the food and beverage business of SMC supports the agricultural sector through the purchase of sugar, molasses, cassava and corn.

Aside from food and beverages, SMC has also diversified into power, mining, and utilities by buying into electricity giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), oil giant Petron corp., among others.

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Trade fair to feature products from Cordillera Autonomous Region

Roy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:00:25 +0000

To help entrepreneurs, especially those who were affected by the recent typhoons, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said that they will be staging the trade fair called Impakabsat.

A yearly regional trade fair of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Impakabsat features products from Ifugao, Mountain Province, Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet and Baguio, where the events name was derived.

This year though, DTI said the event will be executed in a bigger scale. The trade agency said the event will prove that Northern Luzon people can quickly recover even in the face of calamities. Literally motivated by the Ilocano word “kabsat” or “kinnabsatan” which means “brotherly pact,” the SMEs from this region were able to learn what it meant to be competitive while being productive.

The event, spearheaded by the DTI, will be fully supported by the regional and provincial government units in CAR. Participating manufacturers will display their food and beverages in the event, such as fruit wines and veggie-noodles. It will be opened on December 22, 2009 at the Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

From a mere selling of products, Impakabsat has evolved into a celebration and exposition of upland culture that also promote the tourism and investment potential of the upland region.

Aside from the food and wine products, the usual trade displays include furniture and furnishings, woodcrafts, loom woven products, bamboo craft, silver craft, more processed food s and other items.

The Impakabsat 2009 will also feature new designs and creation by Cordillera craftsmen through the RDC Souvenir Products Development Project, and the identified One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) companies and product of CARP beneficiaries of the different municipalities in CAR.