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Creating graphics with impact

Roy — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:39:26 +0000

Entrepreneurs would want to make an impression on their target in order to catch their attention, and of course for better recall. A website called ImpactXS can help entrepreneurs, aspiring, novice and seasoned, to help create a graphic that would leave a lasting impact on their market.

Graphics, whether it be on their labels, logos, website, product packaging, letterheads, and even business cards can greatly help the business, especially those who are in the start-up phase to gain recognition, as well as popularity in the market.

That is why graphic designers are a great aide to entrepreneurs. Some even hire in-house graphic artists to have them design graphic images for the company. But for those who do not have the budget, or do not really require the continuous service of an in-house graphic designer, they can always outsource them.

Companies like the above-mentioned ImpactXS can offer package design for entrepreneurs who can help them conceptualize an effective design for their labels, logos, packaging and the like.

It is always better to sit-down and talk with a graphic designer, whether in-house or outsource, as the graphics can greatly effect the business in the long run. Do not think of it as an additional expense, see it as an investment for the company’s future.

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Philippine-China trade and conference fair set on June

Roy — Sun, 01 May 2011 08:56:27 +0000

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)-Guangzhou and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) recently signed a cooperation agreement to co-organize the Manila-Guangzhou Trade and Investment Conference slated to be held on June.

The event, which is aimed to further boost the Philippine-China trade and investment relations, is expected to gather around 500 business leaders, industry captains and government officials from both countries.

Part of the activities of the conference will be a product promotion through a virtual trade fair which would feature top export products of China, and business matching activities. There will also be office and factory visits to be arranged for the estimated 200 businesses and industry leaders comprising the Chinese delegation.

PCCI President Dr. Francis Chua said, “The Philippines and Chinese’ economies are open to mutual cooperation in trade and investments. While initially, the idea behind the conference is to promote Chinese-manufactured products for export to the country, we are making it a point to ensure that local enterprises and industries get maximum exposure and gain from the visit of top-level Chinese businessmen. That is why we are arranging business meetings and site visitations on the sidelines of the conference.”

China is the country’s top trading partner with export receipts reaching US$51.39 billion in 2010. Data from the National Statistic Office (NSO) show that the combined markets of China and Hong Kong in 2010 accounted for about 19.52 percent of the Philippines’ total exports.

Guangzhou Vice President of CCPIT Madame Li San Jian said, “China is a very big market. With increasing domestic demand and infrastructure development, Philippine export products such as mineral-and-metal-based resources as well as processed and fresh food products can easily gain entry into the Chinese market.”

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PLDT counters Globe’s claim

Roy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 02:02:45 +0000

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said the claim of Globe Telecom that the deal between PLDT and Digital Telecommuncations Phil. Inc. (Digitel) would result into the monopoly of the telecom industry is only Globe’s way of protecting its interest at the public’s expense. PLDT criticized Globe’s effort to stop the deal that would allow the telecom giant to take over third-ranked mobile brand Sun Cellular.

PLDT said that the acquisition of Sun would actually result in a more efficient use of network facilities, which would lead to better services at lower costs. “Globe wants to create the impression of an impending monopoly by PLDT, which is not the case,” said Ray Espinosa, regulatory affairs head of the company. “What they really want is for the government to make up for their inefficiencies.”

Earlier, Globe asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to intervene in the deal between PLDT and Sun Cellular operator Digitel. Globe claimed that a monopoly would emerge from this deal and this could only work for the detriment of the industry and consumers. Globe also said that the deal would give the combined entity 3.5 frequencies for every one that Globe has, creating an imbalance.

Espinosa countered that based on the data available at the NTC, PLDT is in fact 23-percent more efficient than Globe in terms of frequency use. This means PLDT, which has 45 million subscribers, need more frequencies than Globe. He said Globe should instead allow market forces to work and let the consumers decide for themselves which is the better network.

With the claim that the PLDT-Digitel would give them 70 percent control of the market that would eventually kill competition, Espinosa said that at the end of the day, it all boils down on to which network can offer the better service, regardless of the size of the company.

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Globe asks NTC to intervene in the PLDT-Digitel deal

Roy — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:37:16 +0000

Globe Telecom, in its letter to the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC), is asking the agency to take a look, and intervene, in the recent acquisition of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) of a majority stake of Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. (Digitel). Globe warned that the PLDT-Digitel is threatening to free competition and gravely places at risk the public good, because other significant market influence of PLDT as a result of the deal.

Atty. Rodolfo Salalima, acting as counsel for Globe, referred to Republic Act No. 7925 or the new Telecoms Policy Act, which was enacted into law on March 1995 because of the need for the country to liberalize and demonopolize and to veer away from the monopoly of the dominant carrier which, because of its dominant clout, power, and influence, constricted and stifled, instead of led, the growth and expansion of public telecommunications services in the country.

Salalima quoted the then Senator John Osmena in his sponsorship speech of Senate Bill 11 (which is now RA 7925) that “our telecommunications system has been cited as backward, inadequate, and a major constraint to the global competitiveness of our industries.”

“(NTC) must intervene and act now. It cannot and must not shirk from its legal obligation to intervene in the PLDT/Digitel deal and regular, if not forestall, the deal’s grave implications and impact on free competition and, in the long term, the common good. The inherent police power of the state can and must also be utilized for the common good,” he added.

Salalima stressed that the NTC must start leveling the playing field now in the name of free competition or risk a return to the monopoly of old and precisely abandoned by RA 7925, adding that PLDT’s cellular market share, because of the deal, has now grown to 70 percent, while that of Globe is 30 percent.

PLDT recently acquired 51 percent of Digitel, which owns the Sun Cellular brand, from the Gokongwei Group, and hopes to purchase the remainder from small shareholders during a mandatory tender offer.

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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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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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DTI’s trade mission to India produces $42 M investment pledges

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:59:24 +0000

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported that their recent trade and investment mission in India have generated new investment pledges worth $42 million. Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo said they were from three energy projects and a pharmaceutical packaging ventures.

The Philippine delegates, led by Domingo, attended the recent ASEAN-India Business Fair and Conclave held in New Delhi in its bid to penetrate India’s trillion dollar market. Other members of the Philippine mission were the Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine India Business Council of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Domingo said he was able to convince Indian businessmen to invest in the Philippines during his first official trip, and the trade department’s first mission to India. “India is emerging as a source of foreign direct investments (FDIs) for the Philippines. Apart from BPO companies which are directed by their principals to open delivery centers in the Philippines, more Indian companies are continuing to realize the potential of the Philippines as a gateway to the lucrative ASEAN market,” he said.

The investment pledges acquired by DTI include two 20-megawatt stand-alone liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants in Tawi-Tawi and in Cagayan as well as a 1.5-megawatt mini hydro electric power project in Abra.

According to Domingo, the trade department is working on several initiatives for Indian businessmen locating in the country which include the improved business registration procedures; and relaxed visa norms for senior executives of IT and BPO companies. Add to this, he also announced the recently inaugurated direct flights from Manila to New Delhi of the Philippine Airlines (PAL).

During their trip, Domingo also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOUs) between the Associated Chamber of Commerce in India (ASSOCHAM) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and between the Federation of Indian Mining Industries and the Philippine Chamber of Mining Industries represented by Philip Romualdez, to promote trade, investments, and economic relations between India and the Philippines.

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Ayala stays firm in its investment in Globe

Roy — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:48:09 +0000

Despite of the looming merger of rival Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc., (Digitel), the Ayala Corp. said it has no plans of leaving the telecommunications business.

Ayala and partner Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel) were excited about the prospect of its Globe Telecom Inc., despite the tougher competition brought about by the merger of its two rivals.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman of the country’s oldest conglomerate, said “I see no reason to disrupt the partnership between Ayala and SingTel,” when asked if they would be willing to accommodate a new investor for Globe. “It’s a very interesting for the industry. It would be foolish of us to get out at this time,” he added.

Analyst earlier said that the deal between PLDT and Digitel would give the telecom giant 70% of the mobile phone market to the disadvantage of Globe. However, Zobel said they remain unfazed by stiff competition in the industry. “In fact, together with our partner, we’re very interested in building Globe up,” he said.

He added that Globe would spend $500 million to upgrade its network as it looks to protect market share.

And while its Globe Company only ranked No. 2 in the telco industry, the conglomerate has a lot of high profile businesses.

It owns property Ayala Land Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Manila Water Co., and it also has interest in business process outsourcing (BPO), electronics and car dealerships. This year, the conglomerate is hiking its capital expenditures by 20% to about P80 billion to accommodate plans to expand into power generation and infrastructure.

Ayala also plans to bid for the contract to operate 2 major elevated railway systems in Metro Manila, which the government will auction under its public-private partnership program. “We believe power generation is a potential source of long-term growth for Ayala. We feel there is an opportunity for new players to come in,” Zobel said.

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PLDT assured market would still be competitive after acquisition of Digitel

Roy — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:12:21 +0000

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT downplayed fears that its takeover of rival Digitel Telecommunications Philippines Inc. would hinder competition in the local telecommunications industry. The telecom giant in fact said that the PLDT-Digitel merger would even be beneficial to the industry and would bring in better services and more competitive prices for consumers.

PLDT’s Manny Pangilinan said, “We will keep Digitel as a separate company. This is not a merger… more importantly, we will maintain the unlimited and bucket-priced services of Sun Cellular.” He assured that the PLDT group will officially set itself to developing widely accessible, high-speed internet. “We will make a formal commitment to the government for the benefit of consumers,” he added.

Pangilinan said that the acquisition of Digitel will help PLDT roll out broadband services to 95 percent of the country “in three years.” At present, only two-thirds of the Philippines has high-speed internet access.

The PLDT statement came out in response to the concerns raised by some consumer groups and lawmakers that the merger would allow the telecom giant to market prices, ending the “price wars” that have helped keep telecommunication services at affordable rates.

Rival Globe Telecom of the Ayala group even asked the government “to look into the deal” between PLDT and Digitel. Globe said that regulators should consider ordering PLDT to relinquish some of its redundant frequencies following its takeover of Digitel’s operations.

Pangilinan replied that this should only be done in the event of a scarcity of frequencies for new players in the market, which is not the case. He said, “Our frequencies are enough for the subscribers we have.”

After acquiring Digitel, PLDT will acquire 67 percent of industry revenues. Seven out of 10 mobile users in the Philippines will also be on its network.

Pangilinan, however, admitted that due to the size of the agreement, which is valued at P74.1 billion, a state review may be “warranted.” He assured the government though that the market would remain competitive.

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PNOC-EC prepares for public offering of its stocks

Roy — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 00:58:14 +0000

The PNOC Exploration Corp. is already starting its preparations for a public-offering of its shares after its directors finally gave the go-ahead. However, the board deferred to give its decision on the actual date so as to be able to pinpoint the proper timing and conditions, according to PNOC-EC chair and CEO Gemiliano C. Lopez Jr., to ensure the highest market price for the shares.

Lopez said, “We hope to ensure the best price for the offering so the board has not fixed the actual date for its float. Timing is important. We would like to assure everyone that the best condition will be obtained for the offering so that our company will get the best and highest price possible in the global market.”

PNOC-EC needed to hold a public float of at least 10 percent of its shares of stock, which is required for a publicly listed company. The government, through PNOC, has 99.71-percent stake in PNOC-EC while the public owns only 0.29 percent. Lopez said the preparations of the documents from the start up to the end of the float could take six to eight months.

The company has not appointed any lead underwriter yet. It is still choosing among the eight prospective financial advisers it has been in talks with. It will send out invitations for interested and potential parties in the next couple of days.

It will be the company’s 35th founding anniversary celebration next week and President Aquino will be its guest of honor and principal speaker. During the said celebration, Lopez will officially turn over to the national government the P3 billion in cash dividends earned in 2010. PNOC-EC earned P2.42 billion last year, up 34 percent from the previous year’s P1.8 billion.

This year, the company allocated P5.25 billion for the exploration and development of prospective petroleum and coal resources within its service contracts. Among PNOC-EC’s priority exploration and production projects are the Malampaya gas project in Palawan, the planned power plants in Isabela province and Malangas in Zamboanga Sibugay, and the Lumbong coal project in Zamboanga Sibugay.

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Property developer mulls public listing

Roy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:41:57 +0000

ACM Landholdings Inc., a niche property developer founded 18 years ago by two Filipina banking and finance executives based in Hong Kong, is planning to be listed in the Philippine Stock Exchanges to raise as much as P1 billion fresh fund to meet brisk demand for low-to medium-cost housing.

Thus far, ACM has delivered to as close as 10,000 homes in 15 projects in Cavite and Batangas. Company officials said that given the strong demand for housing units worth between P300,000 and P3.5 million, it plans to expand to new areas and even venture into mid-rise residential buildings.

ACM president Antonette de Guzman and Managing director Carolina Osteria, who were also the company founders, said that the company chose to conduct business in a low-profile manner in previous years. Now would be a good time to make its brand better known to a broader market given plans to expand its geographic reach as well as to tap the capital markets.

Osteria noted a 35% growth each year for the company from 2005 to 2009 and added that it would likely breach the P1-billion in revenues this year compared with P600 million last year. Net profit for 2010 stood at P144 million, and is expected to rise to P180 million this year. The company has a return of 18 to 20 centavos (P0.18 to P0.20) for every P1 sales made.

Going public has been in the pipeline for ACM. The company has already considered being listed in the stock market twice in the past, which was in 1997 and 2008, but both were preempted by the Asian crisis and the global financial crisis, Osteria said.

She added the company would like to raise fresh funds for expansion by selling to new investors through a private placement, however, they still want to push through with the planned stock market listing. ACM plans to expand to new areas like Davao and Iloilo, as well as foray into vertical projects and consider opportunities for growth through mergers and acquisitions.

Osteria said ACM might consider an initial public offering size of at least P500 million to as much as P1 billion and bring 30-40 percent of the company to public hands. The company have already started meeting with the PSE to lay the groundwork for the stock market debut.

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PLDT to buy majority stake in Digitel

Roy — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:48:27 +0000

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) seeks to regain its dominance in the telecommunication industry as it buys competing company Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel).

PLDT said it forged a deal to acquire 51.55% of the third-ranked Digitel valued at a value of P69.2 billion ($1.6 billion). The deal includes a share swap and the assumption of debt and advances by Digitel from its parent JG Summit Holdings Inc. It is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Jose Mari Lacson, analyst at Campos, Lanuza & Company Inc. said, “PLDT is not out to kill the competition, but growth of Globe will be limited,” noting that PLDT said it intended to keep Digitel’s cheap call and text offerings. Lacson said that after the deal, PLDT’s mobile phone market share would rise to 70%

Digitel had shaken the mobile phone market with cheap cal and text packages when it introduces its Sun Cellular brand, which prompted PLDT and second-ranked Globe Telecoms to follow suit. The price war had slowly eroded telecoms’ margins in a saturated mobile market, with penetration at around 90% against population estimated to be nearing 100 million.

According to PLDT, the transaction, which involves its acquisition of 3.277 billion Digitel common shares from JG Summit and certain other parties, would result in cost efficiencies and improve network usage. The telecommunications giant said it would spend more in 2011 and 2012 to grow its broadband business amid stiff competition.

PLDT said it will make a mandatory offer to minority investors to buy the rest of Digitel, by giving shareholders an option to sell at a discount to market at P1.60 apiece, or swap their holdings for PLDT shares at a premium of P2,500 per share.

Chairman Manuel Pangilinan said JG Summit would hold about 12% in PLDT after the transaction, while stakes of existing PLDT shareholders would be diluted.

“JG Summit is the ultimate winner. They get a good price for an investment that has not really delivered in terms of dividends,” Lacson said.

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Joint Foreign Chamber lauds open skies policy

Roy — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:16:04 +0000

A group of foreign businessmen is expressed their support for the implement of an open-skies regime by the Aquino administration via Executive Order (EO) 29. The Joint Foreign Chambers says this would better allow market forces to come into play and ultimately boost tourist arrivals in the country. The group said that the policy was in line with Aquino’s promise that “the Philippines is open for business under new management.”

EO 29 eases restrictions on foreign airlines in international airports outside Metro Manila. It gives the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) authority to grant additional frequencies or capacities to foreign carriers, but still prohibits cabotage, which refers to a foreign airline’s transport of people or good between two or more points within the country.

Local carriers, however, are opposing the implementation of the said executive order. The Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air said it would give foreign carriers undue advantage, while the foreign chambers said its benefits to the Philippines were far-reaching.

The foreign chambers said that with the increasing tourist arrivals, the result would be more and jobs and revenues for people who are directly and indirectly involved in the tourism service industry. The group also noted that for every foreign tourist who comes to the Philippines, an average of $1,000 is spent and one direct or indirect job is created, of which majority are in rural areas and less developed provinces.

“We wish to extend full support for President Aquino’s visionary leadership on civil aviation embodied in EO 29. The policy allows market forces to determine supply and demand for seats to secondary gateways throughout the country. With this new policy, the administration has taken a giant step toward its goal of doubling annual tourist arrivals to more than six million by 2016,” the Joint Foreign Chambers said.

The foreign chamber is also seeking the removal of the common carriers’ tax and the gross Philippine billings tax to unleash the creativity and dynamism of the private sector. “Continuation of these taxes risks losing some of the present international air services into the country, as well as deterring new ones, and departs from standard international practices,” the group said.

It added, “With these proactive reforms of the Aquino administration, we can look forward to continued rapid expansion of the aviation market in the Philippines, more competitive pricing and better service, and new routes to drive tourism, investment and employment.”

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Price rollback on gasoline prices by P1 a liter

Roy — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 03:00:44 +0000

The Department of Energy (DoE) said last week it is expecting gasoline to be lower this week as demand in the world market decreases when Japan was hit an earthquake and tsunami. “The downward trend began after Japan catastrophes. We saw prices going down due to the market reaction that global economy will slow down and so the demand for gasoline will down as well,” Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug explained.

True enough, three oil companies implemented a price reduction on their gasoline prices by P1 a liter starting Monday.

Easter Petroleum Corp. (EPC) was first to rollback its price on gasoline effective 5 a.m. today. Seaoil and Unioil also reduced prices starting 6 a.m. The price of diesel though, remains unchanged.

EPC chairman and president Fernando Martinez said the rollback was due to lower prices in the international oil market. However, he said the movement in the diesel prices “was not sufficient to offset the increase in the cost of coconut methyl ester, a component of biodiesel.”

The DoE said diesel prices remains as Japan is seen to increase diesel use given the breakdown of a nuclear facility in its tsunami-battered northeastern region.

The rollback of gasoline prices brings relief to local motorists who have experienced a series of price hike for the last months. Average gasoline prices have risen by P6.55 per liter since the beginning of the year, including today’s reduction, while diesel prices have been adjusted by P7.10 per liter. Latest monitoring from the DoE shows gasoline prices range from P52.25 to P57.96 per liter with a common price of P54.50, and diesel from P44.65 to P46.65 per liter with a common price of P46.10.

International prices of gasoline, DoE said, rose to $121.84 from $120.74 per barrel, while diesel was up $131.65 from $129.50 per barrel. Dubai crude rose by $1 per barrel, with the benchmark commodity sold at $108.77 per barrel during the contract period March 1 and 11. This brought the total increase for diesel and gasoline to P5.50 per liter and a rollback of 25 centavos with net increase of P5 per liter since start of the crisis in Libya.
The DOE has been strictly monitoring the compliance of local petroleum players on their oil price movements and importation.

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Nenaco optimistic to hit a P1B income this year

Roy — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:36:20 +0000

The Negros Navigation Co., Inc. is expecting to end up with a net income of P1 billion for 2011. A complete turnaround from its previous result last year when it ended up with loss of half a billion.

Nenaco president and chief executive officer Sulficio Tagud said that this is on the back of projected consolidated revenue this year of P15.5 billion, up from around P14 billion last year. To be able to do that, he said the company would need to spend P2.5 billion to expand its logistics business under the brand 2GO, which is under Aboitiz Transport Systems Corp. (ATS). Tagud said, “There’s a still a lot of potential for growth in that area.”

Cargo and passenger shipping rates are also expected to rise this year, according to Tagud, as companies try to cope with the steady increase in oil prices. He noted that several shipping companies implemented discounts for cargo and passenger clients to maintain market share last year.

“Members of the Philippine Ship Liners Association have reduced the discounts they gave for cargo and passenger rates last year. That the same this we have to do if fuel costs continue to spike,” Tagud said. He said the current rates are 40 percent below the tariffs approved by the Maritime Industry Association (Marina). ‘’The discounts were given as a function of a competitive market,” he added.

This gives the shipping companies the space to adjust their rates without having to apply for increases with the regulator. “Fuel prices are still manageable because we can still adjust rates,” Tagud said.

At present, Nenaco is the largest shipping group in the country after buying out its chief competitor ATS, from the Aboitiz family, for over P14 million. “ATS is five times bigger than Nenaco in several aspects such as revenues, capacity and asset base,” Tagud noted.

Nenaco’s acquisition of ATS then was funded by equity infusion by state-run China-Asean Marive BV, which now owns 40 percent of Nenaco. KGLI-NM, a joint venture between Kuwaiti Gulf Link Investments and Negros Holdings and Management Corp., owns the remaining 60 percent.

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Philippines intensify tourism campaign in India

Roy — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 03:08:56 +0000

A Philippine delegation, headed by the Department of Tourism (DoT), will be flying to India, particularly in New Delhi and Mumbai, to conduct a sales presentation in time for the production of tour packages for the April-June Indian travel season. The DoT is looking to capture a bigger market share of the 15 million outbound tourists from India.

Secretary Alberto Lim of the DoT said that the on-going sales mission will serve as the department’s major drive to showcase Manila and Cebu as ideal destinations for Indian tourists.

Benito Bengzon, Jr., Assistant Secretary for International Tourism Promotions, said “With more than fifty percent increase on target arrivals from India, the mission will ensure that the Philippines will be in the 2011 tour offerings.” While DoT Marketing Team India head Raymund Glen Agustin said, “The program involves meetings with the presidents and CEO’s of top Indian tour wholesalers, one-on-one business meetings between Indian tour operators and their Philippine counterparts, as well as presentation updates on connectivity and entry requirements to the Philippines.”

In the first week of December, a group of 254 top producers of Nerolac Paints in India for their four-day incentive tour. The group personally chooses Philippines for their incentive. They visited Manila, Tagaytay, and Pagsanjan for some sight-seeing, casino gamin, night-life entertainment and shopping activities.

Agustin said the group was the largest incentive group which came from India this year. He said the tour was made possible by the Cutting Edge, an Indian-based tour operator, and its local counterpart Shroff International Travel Care. He added that the arrival of such huge group was the direct result of the department’s marketing and promotional efforts for the Indian Market.

“Cutting Edge participated in the DoT initiated familiarization tour for Indian travel agents last year and has committed to send next year incentive groups covering more than a thousand individuals on a staggered basis,” Agustin said.

For his part, Secretary Lim said aside from the incentive groups, industry partners from India, through their local counterparts, will be sending more tourists to the Philippines. And this will be made more possible with the resumption of the Philippine Airline’s MLA-New Delhi flights in March next year.

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QTel mulls additional investment in the Philippines

Roy — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 22:32:23 +0000

A Qatar-based telecommunications company is looking to increase further its investment on Philippine soil. Qatar Telecom QSC (QTel), has a minimal investment in a local listed firm, Liberty Telecommunications Holdings, Inc. The company, through its chairman Abdul Bin Saud Al-Thani, said that prospects in the Philippine telecommunications were so good that they feel that new investments are needed to be made, especially on the data side of the business.

According to Al-Thani, the key technologies that the company was looking at included further advancements in global system for mobile communications (GSM) technology and next-generation mobile wireless broadband technology long-term evolution (LTE). “We’re exploring more investments in telecoms, not just in mobile voice, but also in information technology. Additional investments will be needed, and we’re willing to make those investments,” he said during an interview at the Philippine Business Conference and Expo held recently.

Al-Thani however did not disclose the amount of additional investment that QTel would be having with Liberty. He only said that a comprehensive development plan is needed to be crafted first to determine how much the telecom firm new project would costs. At present, the company has 32 percent investment at the local telecommunications holding firm and QTel is planning to increase it by purchasing additional shareholdings. “We will look at that, up to the maximum allowed by law. In another country, we own as much as 80 percent of the company,” he added.

QTel’s expansion in the Philippines would involve further investments in Liberty, but Al-Thani said that it has no exclusivity agreement with Liberty, it respected its relations with Liberty’s parent company, San Miguel Corporation (SMC). “SMC is our partner and we honor our friendship. Our relationship is beyond partnership. We have a good bond. We are friends,” he said.

Al-Thani also added that the Philippines has always been in their plans and in fact has been in their “radar screen” for a long time. He acknowledges that “the Philippines is a growing market, a high-end market, and there are lot of prospects here, not only in voice. We want to explore the future of telecom technology.”

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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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Gather yourself up

arbe — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 23:00:32 +0000

There are many ways to ruin your business reputation especially when you are losing little by little. The first is you are showing how transparent your business is in the market. The second is you lie about your business saying to others that you are doing great when you are not. The third is how desperate you are. No matter how desperate you are you don’t need to show to your customers how desperate you are because they make take advantage of you or they might run from you.

This are the facts that can ruin your reputation but you can prevent all of that to happen. You just need to gather your self up and say to your self that you don’t need to be desperate because everyone is going through that situation.

One of the things you can do if you are in a losing situation is keep marketing. Now that you have your own time, do some promotions so that your time is not being wasted. Write some articles about your business so that you can keep your self busy and that can also improve your social promotions.

Don’t lie about your status, every businessmen sometimes having some trouble about their business so don’t be shame on it. And if you want someone to hire you as a consultant you don’t need to lower your price or show them that you are not busy because they will thought that you are not a good consultant.

There are many ways so that your reputation wont be ruined the answer is always in your self.

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Growing Franchising Industry

PinoyBusiness — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:33:59 +0000

The Philippine franchising today is so strong in terms of income and investment. And even the global economic crisis didnt slow it down and now with the global economic crisis slowly going to recover the franchising industry has more and more investment to offer.

The Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) even said that thier members have increase to 130 from 75 members in the first half of this year. And its members have expanded their outlets for more than a 5,000 outlets and it also created a more or less 30,000 jobs.

The main reason why the franchising in the Philippines is so strong today is because many filipino can afford to franchise even if you only have a not so big capital just to make sure that you have the right know-how because sustaining a business is not so easy at the start.

Some of the franchising corp. is targeting not only the Philipine market but also the asia and Us market as well.

The Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) also said that even small business has now getting bigger and expanding thier outlets. So that is a good sign that anyone can be sucessful in this industry just make sure that the one your entering in is a legitimate one.