The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that as an added incentive, foreign investors visiting the Freeport zones in the country – Clark, Pampanga and Subic, Zambalez, can avail of the government’s “visa-free” program.
An agreement was signed recently by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza and Clark Development Corp. [...]

The thrift bank subsidiary of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, BPI Family Savings Bank, is going to roll out a credit facility that will cater to the micro and small enterprises. This plan of BPI Family to increase its loan exposure will be done through a customized business packaged which it will roll out [...]

At the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), the construction of the P308-million expansion of the existing terminal is in full blast and it is expected to be operation next month. According to Victor Jose Luciano, president and chief executive officer of Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), the newly expanded Terminal 1 will feature two passenger [...]

After long-delayed listing of its share in local stock market, Yehey! Corp. still wants to pursue its plan of getting listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). Should they get listed, Yehey! would the third firm this to get listed by way of introduction this year.
Edmundo P. Bunyi, Jr., president and chief operating officer of [...]

There will not be any price increase on the cement, at least none until the end of March. This was the promise made by Holcim Philippines who said that they will not be increasing their price in Metro Manila in order to help those who were hit by the typhoons which devastated the country late [...]

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 [...]

The Globe Telecom’s mobile commerce subsidiary G-Xchange (GXI) request of using its parent’s sub-distribution as GCash outlets has been approved by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which brings the number of GCash remittance outlets to over 18,000 making it the largest remittance network in the Philippines.

This early, the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) has already opened 10 new branches to beef up its network to 60 branches all over the country. The 10 new branches were actually opened simultaneously last January 18.

The Philippine National Bank (PNB) and Allied Banking Corporation, both controlled by tycoon Lucio Tan, will continue with its scheduled merger which will happen in the second half of 2010, said PNB president Omar Byron Mier.
The merging of the two banks will create the fourth largest privately owned bank in the Philippines, behind the three [...]

A new identification system which is said to help facilitate people’s transactions with government agencies is being planned as the Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost), tied up together for the implementation of the said ID system.

In the year 2010, the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, is seen to continue growing as it marks its 10th year in the Philippines. For this year, BPO is expected to earn at least $11 billion and continue employing over one million people in the country. But while the sector is optimistic, it also needs [...]

SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI), member of the SM group companies, the largest mall chain in the country today, will soon be building the biggest shopping mall in the Visayas and Mindanao. In three years’ time, the P2-billion land deal between SMPHI and the city of Cebu is expected to be finished.

The bill which grants a one-time condonation of penalties on unremitted or delinquent Social Security System (SSS) contribution by employees has been signed by President Arroyo into a law. The Republic Act 9903 or the Social Security Condonation Law of 2009 allows erring employers to remit their employees’ delinquent payments for contributions without paying penalties.
Per [...]

The applications of the more than 10,000 World War II Filipino and Filipino-American veterans have been approved by the US Embassy’s Veterans Affairs Office. This gives them part of the P5.8-billion budget allocated for this purpose.

MoneyGram International and Smart Communications, Inc. tied up to provide families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) the convenience of wireless “wallet” service. OFWs may now send their remittances to their families in the Philippines faster through the facility which is likened to a “cross border wallet service.”

And so President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s trip to Copenhagen, Denmark seems to be fruitful. If the said pledges amounting to $380 million (P17.67 billion) in foreign funding for environment-related projects and programs in the Philippines would materialize.

The joint venture partnership between San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Kirin Holdings Company, Ltd., the San Miguel Brewery Inc., will acquire the international beer business from SMC.
In its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, SMB and SMBI has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire San Miguel Brewing International Ltd. (SMBIL), San Miguel’s international beer [...]

It’s official – Manny for Manny. Manny Pacquiao for Manny Villar that is. That is because the pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao has declared his support for Nacionalist Party (NP) president and standard-bearer Senator Manny Villar.
He officially joined the roster of NP members when he took his oath allegiance… err, membership, before Villar last Thursday in [...]

The group of Roberto V. Ongpin will return to the mining and oil exploration business soon after it acquired Atok-Big Wedge Co., Inc. Earlier, the company of former trade minister Ongpin sold its mining firm Philex Mining Corp.
It its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Atok Big Wedge said it had a management and board [...]

The pension fund provider for private companies’ employees, Social Security System, said it has extended so far a total of P1.2 billion in loans micro, small and medium enterprises. The agency provided the said grants under a credit implemented by government financial institutions.