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Predictions for Rat in the Year of the Dragon 2012

PinoyBusiness — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:10:56 +0000

Now, let’s begin the predictions for the people born in the year of the Rat in the year of the dragon this coming 2012. The rat is known to be hard-working at all times. These people have all their ears in to details. The motivation comes from within because of the ambitions rooted from their hardships. One good skill the rat is good at is negotiation which means you need to be careful dealing with entrepreneurs born in this year. These are the people born in the years 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020. And for the people born in these years, the secret of achieving full financial advantage this 2012 is staying focused. Distractions will be your company in the next few months. Emotions will trigger those distractions and discouragements.

There will also be some risks to health so be cautious. Regularly visit the doctor and maintain motivated to exercise at least daily. Always take time to relax and seize workload with some relaxation.

When it comes to relationships, since the rat is always remembered as social. The year will be as easy as a walk in the park but there will be some small disagreements with peers and partners so take note of this. Always be part of a team and stepping up to leadership won’t be necessary as compare to what you have last year.

Predictions for the Rat in the Year of the Dragon 2012

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2012 Year of the Dragon Predictions

PinoyBusiness — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:10:58 +0000

2012 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Feng Shui. In these coming articles, we will be discussing some forecasts and predictions for the Dragon’s year. It is the mightiest among all the signs of Chinese Astrology namely:

The Rat
The Ox
The Tiger
The Rabbit
The Dragon
The Snake
The Horse
The Goat or Ram
The Monkey
The Rooster
The Dog
The Pig

People born in 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 are the people born in the year of the dragon

For this article, we will be discussing the Dragon in general as we prepare for the coming of the Chinese New Year which starts on January 23, 2012 and ends the year after more specifically February 9, 2013. To be exact, 2012 is dubbed as the Water dragon which bears the most Yin among all the elements.

Being the symbol of the Chinese emperor, the key personality of people bearing the water dragon sign are having glorious outlook in life showing full of energy and vigor.

Among all the animals signs, the dragon are the most fortunate but attaching the water element to the sign will elicit conservatism when it comes to money. Some people believe that the world changers are the dragons being perfectionist and ego centrics.

In the next articles we will be discussion specific predictions and forcast for each specific signs.

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NHI approved Charice’s rendition of Lupang Hinirang

Roy — Sun, 15 May 2011 04:01:23 +0000

After a series of boo-boo’s from the previous fights of Manny Pacquiao, the National Historical Institute (NHI) finally gave a thumbs up to the rendition of the Philippine National Anthem.

International singing sensation Charice Pempengco sang Lupang Hinirang before Pacquiao’s fight with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas, Nevada last May 8. Charice was personally picked by pound-for-pound champion to sing the national anthem in his fight.

The NHI said Charice did a great job in singing the national anthem. Chief of NHI Heraldry Section Teddy Atienza commended her and said it was the correct rendition of Lupang Hinirang. He said they will send an a-mail to Charice and her mother to congratulate them.

The institute have criticized the incorrect rendition of Lupang Hinirang by some local artists, most of which were performed during Pacquiao’s fight. Charice was in fact one of those reprimanded by the NHI for rendition of the national anthem in 2008.

Charice, after the 2008 incident, made sure she will not commit any mistake again. She was previously commended by the NHI in her rendition of the national anthem last year during the inauguration of President Benigno Aquino III.

During the Pacquiao fight, the NHI congratulates Charice and gave her the thumbs up for the following the national anthem’s march tempo.

Charice said she practiced hard for the Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas, adding that she even used a timer to make sure that her singing would follow the right tempo of the song. She said she did not want to upset the NHI again.

The NHI is very particular in the rendition of the Philippine National Anthem. Section 37 of the Republic Act 8491 states that the rendition of Lupang Hinirang, whether it is played or sung, should strictly adhere to the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe. RA 8491 also states that violation of the said provision may the person to punishment by a fine of at least P20,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year.

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SMC to complete construction of MRT 7 by 2014

Roy — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:24:12 +0000

The San Miguel Corp. projected that by 2014, it will be finished with its construction of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 7 line, and by 2015, the new highway to La Union. San Miguel said in its disclosure to the Philippine Stocks Exchanges (PSE) that before the year ends, it would start work on the MRT 7 line which involves the construction of a 22-kilometer train line and the six-lane road beneath it.

The MRT 7 line will have 14 train stations from San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan to the corner of North Avenue and EDSA in Quezon City. It will be linked with the MRT 3 train line and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) line 1 via a common station in North Avenue.

The project is estimated to cost $1.5 billion, 25 percent of which will be funded by company’s equity and the rest through loans. San Miguel expects to shell out around $190 million for the said project.

The MRT 7 line is one of the several rail extension projects for the existing metro rail systems which services Metro Manila. San Miguel acquired a 51-percent equity interest in Universal LRT, which holds the concession for MRT 7. The conglomerate will have 25 year to operate the train line.

As for the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) project which will stretch from Tarlac to Carmen, Pangasinan, San Miguel said the first phase of construction was scheduled for completion by August 2012. Revenue collection through toll will start immediately after the first phase is opened, “while the remainder of the expressway is projected to be completed by August 2014.”

The estimated project cost for the development of TPLEx is P821.6 billion, which will be funded by a combination of debt, equity, and Philippine government subsidy. The subsidy from the government will be available at the start of construction of Stage 3 of TPLEx which is the section from Urdaneta to Rosario, Pangasinan.

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JG Summit earmarked $700 M for its 2011 expansion

Roy — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:00:57 +0000

JG Summit Holdings Inc. is earmarking $700 million for the planned expansion this year. Most of these funds are allocated for its petrochemical and airline businesses.

JG Summit president Lance Gokongwei said the petrochemical business will be the company’s priority in the next three years. JG Summit also has stake in a property developer and may expand into power generation.

With sale of its stake in Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) to Philippines Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), the company will also be able to cut its debt by $600 million, giving it “more room” for fund-raising. Also the asset sale is said to be “strategically good for JG Summit because it frees up capital that the company can invest in ventures that potentially will pay a higher return.”

Gokongwei said after the sale of its Digitel stocks to PLDT, “We will be very lightly leveraged. We will have a very good balance sheet.” According to data compiled by Bloomberg, JG Summit has bonds and loans worth P69 billion.

Last December, JG Summit said it may sell 31 percent of its stake in Cebu Air Inc. to fund expansion and pay debt, however, after the Digitel-PLDT deal, the company will have “no immediate” need to sell shares. JG Summit is the majority owner of Cebu Air, the country’s biggest budget carrier.

Gokongwei said JG Summit will invest about $200 million in a naphtha cracker plant worth $700 million that may start operations by 2013, snack and iced-tea maker Universal Robina Corp. may spend $80 million to $90 million, property unit Robinsons Land Corp. will spend as much as $200 million on capital expenditure this year, while Cebu Air will spend around $200 million.

JG Summit also plans to bid for airport projects that the government will be opening to companies for investment, and is mulling to build a power plant for its petrochemical business, said Gokongwei.

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Chinatrust applies for unibank license

Roy — Mon, 02 May 2011 07:30:07 +0000

The Chinatrust Commercial Bank Corp. is seeking to upgrade its current status and authority from a commercial bank to a universal bank. Chinatrust made a request to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), asking it to convert its banking license to “unibank” at the end of last year to allow it to implement globalization plans.

With a unibank license, it will be possible for the bank to have a bigger role in onshore capital market through corporate issuances underwriting and the distribution of securities to institutional investors. Aside from having an authority to operate as an investment house, unibanks are also allowed to invest in non-allied enterprises, such as infrastructure projects.

According to the BSP, Chinatrust is planning to have a more active role in debt and equity underwriting. The bank currently operates 24 branches in the Philippines and they plan to use their branch network for the distribution of securities.

A subsidiary of Taipei-based Chinatrust Commercial Bank Ltd., Chinatrust (Philippines) is targeting top-tier clients, such as conglomerates and companies into utilities and power-generation, and some middle-income industries such as the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

The request for the banks license upgrade has been forwarded to the Monetary Board for approval as Chinatrust is qualified and meets requirement. The foreign-affiliated bank has a capital base of P5.26 billion, exceeding the minimum capital requirement. The BSP requires all unibank to have a minimum capital of P5 billion and for commercial banks, the minimum capital requirement is at least P2.5 billion.

Established in 1995, Chinatrust is listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. The BSP, before granting it a unibank license, wants the bank to offer at least 10 percent of the required minimum capital for public offer before December 31 of this year.

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Clark airport to get a boost from US lawmakers

Roy — Mon, 02 May 2011 04:20:52 +0000

During their visit to the Clark airport, president and CEO of Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) Victor Jose I. Luciano asked the two US senators for help in the transformation of Clark airport into an “aerotropolis” that will bring in investors from the United States.

US Senators Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, President Pro Tempore of the US Senate, and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, both members of the committee on appropriations, were at the CIAC corporate offices recently and made a quick tour at the expanded Terminal 1 of the Clark International Airport.

Luciano made a presentation to the two senators at the CIAC Boardroom where he pointed to them the development of a logistics and services hum in the Clark airport area which was patterned after the logistics hub in Dallas Forthworth, Texas where the development of two cities created an “aerotropolis.”

Luciano said, “The airport-driven economic powerhouse brought in hundreds of companies around the airport in Dallas. This is where we would like to seek the US government to help us plan to make the Clark Civil Aviation Complex an aerotropolis.” He asked the two senators to help promote Clark to American investors.

Senator Inouye said Luciano should join the APEC meeting in Hawaii this year to make a pitch for the development of Clark airport and make same kind of presentation he showed to them. This year’s annual APEC Leader’s Meeting will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii in November.

The two US Senators visited the Philippines to look into the transformation of the two former US military bases, the Clark Air Base in Pampanga and the Subic Naval Base in Olongapo, and see how they were turned into productive civilian use.

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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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Arroyo couple asked to appear before DOJ

Roy — Sun, 01 May 2011 07:07:44 +0000

The Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoenaed Ang Galing Pinoy Party List Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and his wife Angela ordering them to appear before the justice department to answer the charges for the P73.85-million tax evasion cased filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) April 7.

The former presidential son and his wife were ordered to appear before the DOJ at 2 p.m. on May 12 and 26. They were also told to submit their counter-affidavit and supporting documents. Arroyo is said to be in the US with his mother, former president and Pampanga Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The subpoena, dated April 28, was issued by a three-member panel of prosecutors tasked to handle the preliminary investigation of the case. The panel is composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lagrimas Agaran, Assistant State Prosecutor Ma. Christina Barot, and Assistant State Prosecutor Mederlyn Presa-Mangalindan.

The BIR filed the complaint last April 7 against the Arroyo couple after gathering ample evidence. The tax agency accused the couple of wrongful declaration of taxable income and non-filing of income tax returns.

The BIR said Arroyo only paid P2.4 million, P1.7 billion and P376,000 in taxes for the year 2004, 2006 and 2007, respectively, when he and his wife bought several properties worth millions from 2004 to 2009 – including residential houses in the United States, in Lubao, Pampanga and at La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City.

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said the agency patterned its investigation on the method used by the US authorities against gangster Al Capone and found “substantial underdeclaration of income by over 30 percent.”

Henares said, “Under the Tax Code (NIRC), underdeclaration of taxable income of more than 30 percent is considered a prima facie evidence of fraudulent return.” Arroyo also supposedly did not file income tax returns (ITRs) for the taxable year 2005, 2008 and 2009, while his wife did not file ITRs from 2003 to 2009.

If found guilty, the couple could face imprisonment of up to four years and fine of at least P30,000 for each count of underdeclaration of taxes, and imprisonment of up to 10 years and P10,000 fine for each count of non-filing of income tax return.

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DOH says dengue cases may reach 20,000

Roy — Sun, 01 May 2011 06:15:14 +0000

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that the number of dengue cases in the country is almost reaching the 20,000 mark. The report reflected in the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) shows that from January 1 to April 12, the figure reached 17,228 for individuals who have contacted dengue. Said figure is 0.33 percent than the 17,172 cases recorded during the same period in 2010.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, DOH program manager for Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, however said that the number of dengue cases by week in on the decline. “If you look at the figure, it’s going down. That can be expected because it is summer. But the total figure in general is high.”

Lee Suy said the labor department expects that the public may take advantage of the summer time to prepare for expected further increase in dengue cases during the rainy days. He said the public should start getting rid of used tires, empty cans and bottle caps that can hold water, which can become breeding sites of dengue-causing mosquitoes.

The record for this year’s death toll from dengue stands at 12 thus far. For 2010, the total casualties were 36. The highest number of dengue cases this year was from Metro Manila, with a notable increase of 124.93 percent, as it doubles last year’s figure.

Quezon City posted the highest most number of cases, among the cities within Metro Manila, with 815, followed by Manila with 635 and Caloocan City with 584. The most number of deaths from dengue was registered in Valenzuela City with eight, marking the highest in terms of death count in the region.

The highest percentage of increase was posted by Muntinlupa at 745.45 percent, with 93 cases compared to 11 in previous year. Taguig follows with 409.09 percent increase. Central Luzon and Calabarzon posted 3,250 and 3,016 cases respectively.

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DepEd announced school year 2011-2012 opens on June 6

Roy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:39:10 +0000

The Department of Education (DepEd) issued a memorandum laying the school calendar for this year, including the opening date of school year 2011-2012 which will be on June 6.

Secretary Armin Luistro of DepEd said the total number of school days would 202, and the last day of the school year falls on March 30, 2012. He also issued instructions to all public school heads to ensure that at least 180 of the 202 school days be actual “teaching-learning days.” T

“The 180 days shall represent the actual teaching-learning days which all schools shall strictly adhere to,” Luistro said.

The memorandum he signed reads, “The remaining 22 days of the total school days shall be utilized for national and local events and celebrations; national, division and regional achievement tests; contests/activities authorized by the Regional and Central Offices; and class suspensions due to natural calamities and disasters.”

The DepEd secretary also said that it is compulsory for public schools to follow the school calendar. “Private schools may opt to deviate from this calendar provided they do not start classes earlier than the first Monday of June and not later than the first Monday of August as provided for in Republic Act No. 7797,” he added.

But while private school may deviate from the DepEd-issued school calendar, Luistro ordered them to implement at least 180 school days of their school year for actual teaching-learning days.

Luistro also discussed the first phase of implementation of the DepEd’ ambitious K (Kindergarden) + 12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) plan and bewailed the loss of many school days because of unnecessary celebrations of various events or conduct of various competitions or contests.

The K+12 program seeks to add two years to the current 10-year BEC, which is composed of six years of elementary and four years of high school. DepEd figures place the number of public elementary schools at 38,351 and public high schools at 7,274 while private elementary schools number 7,084 and private high schools 4,707.

The Brigada Eskwela 2011 was set on the week of May 23 to May 28 to prepare the public schools for the June 6 opening. Brigada Eskwela or the National Schools Maintenance Week, is where the community and the private sector together with the parents, are pushed to contribute and participate in the cleaning and refurbishing of public schools in their areas.

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Trans-Asia stock rights offer approved by PSE

Roy — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 06:19:03 +0000

The Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.’s plan to raise fresh fund for power generation via stock rights offer was approved by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

The Phinma-led company got the nod from PSE when the latter posted a memorandum on Friday saying that its board has approved the listing of 1.16billion additional common shares to be issued by Trans-Asia to cover an equity offering to all shareholders. Each eligible shareholder is entitled to subscribe to seven right shares for every 10 existing shares held as of record date of May 18.

The offer price of P1 per share represents a discount of 21.9 percent on the market price of Trans-Asia as of March 21, which was the date the stock rights offer was approved by the board of Trans-Asia.

The net proceeds from the stock rights offer, based on the memorandum, would be used to partly finance Trans-Asia’s equity investment in the planned 135-megawatt clean coal plant in Calaca, Batangas and its investment in Maibarara geothermal power plant.

Trans-Asia tapped on the services of ATR KimEng Capital Partner Inc. to be the underwriter of the stock rights offering which would run from May 30 to June 3 this year.

The Phinma group, which is composed of Philippine Investments Management Inc. and Phinma Corp., the principal stockholders of Trans-Asia, pledged to subscribe to any shares not taken up by other eligible shareholders.

Trans-Asia was originally into petroleum exploration, and later diversified to other industries like cement manufacturing, coal trading and power generation. This year, the company expects to generate a net profit of P482.23 million, which is a considerable increase from the P14.74 million it posted a year ago. Revenue is projected to rise to P1.7 billion from P894 million in 2010.

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Bruno Mars included in the TIME Magazine 100 influential people list

Roy — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:33:11 +0000

Half-Filipino and world music sensation Bruno Mars made it to the TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people for 2011. Born Peter Gene Hernandez to a Filipino mother and Puerto Rican father, 25-year old Bruno Mars ranked no. 64 in the TIME Magazine’s list, as he joins an illustrious list of artists and activists, reformers and researches, heads of state and captains of industry who have affected people and their views across the globe.

Bruno Mars is best known for his songs “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade.” He received six Grammy nominations and won the Best Male Pop Vocal award for the song “Just the Way You Are” at the recent Grammy Awards. His song “Nothing on You” was named Song of the Year for 2010 at the Soul Trains Awards.

He is regarded by his fellow artists as part of the new wave of musicians who do everything. Bruno Mars sing, play, write and produce.

“There are a lot of people in this world who can sing and play the piano and guitar. Hell, I sing and play the piano and guitar. But there’s something different about Bruno Mars. He has a musicality, a presence in his voice that I’ve never heard from anyone else,” said singer, rapper, musician and record producer B.o.B. when interviewed by TIME.

“When he performs live, nothing is prerecorded or fudged. It’s a straight up, classic performance. That’s so rare these days. We needed only two sessions to record “Nothin’ on You.” But when we perform live is when you really see our chemistry in action.” he added.

Other artists who were also in the list of the TIME 100 were Justin Bieber and Glee star Chris Colfer.

To see the complete list, log on to the TIME Magazine website.

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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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Crucifixions in Pampanga continue to attract tourists

Roy — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 00:26:01 +0000

Last Good Friday, there were a total of 27 penitents who were nailed to the cross in Pampanga and Bulacan, 22 were crucified in Barangays San Juan, Sta. Lucia and San Pedro Cutud in City of San Fernando, Pampanga, and five in Barangay Kapitangan in Paombong, Bulacan, which include two women.

The nailing began at 9 a.m. with three penitents in San Juan. Three hours later, three more were nailed to the cross in Sta. Lucia. In the afternoon, 16 more penitents were nailed in San Pedro Cutud. The event is a reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion, a tradition practiced in the province since 1955 with the staging of the “Via Crucis” or the Way of the Cross.

Meanwhile, 22-year old Wendelyn Pedrosa was the first woman to be crucified in Paombong, followed by 50-year old Precy Valencia who works as a house help and high speed sewer in Manila. She said she has been participating in the Way of the Cross for 30 years.

The Via Crucis was first performed in San Pedro Cutud 57 years ago. However, it was only in 1962 that an actual crucifixion was witness during the play. Artemio Anoza, an “albularyo” who wanted to become a religious leader and full-fledged healer, volunteered to be crucified then to attain his dream.

This year, 50-year old Ruben Enaje of San Pedro Cutud played the main character of Christ to be crucified in their village. This was his 25th year to be crucified at the same site. Enaje, who was the most known among the penitents nailed to the cross, said the act is his religious vow of thanking God for surviving an accident. He said he will do the act for two more years before he retires.

The Catholic Church does not approve of the crucifixions and whippings, reiterating there is no need for corporal punishment to show one’s faith. Fr. Rolando de Leon of the Fatima parish church in Marilao town said there are other ways to show penance. He added that what flagellants are doing contradicts the Church’s teachings.

But even as the Catholic Church condemns the practice, the crucifixions and whippings have become an annual tradition which attracts tourists, both local and foreign.

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PAL is expecting increased number of passengers for Holy Week

Roy — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:00:26 +0000

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines is expecting the number of its passenger this Holy Week to be slightly higher than those that they had last year. PAL predicted that from April 17 to April 24, it will fly close to 200,000 passengers throughout its network of 26 international and 20 domestic destinations. The airline also said that it will maintain its regular domestic and international schedules with minor adjustments in domestic flights on Good Friday and Black Saturday.

PAL is expecting its international passenger to exceed 90,000 which reflects a 5% increase compared to its 2010 figure. On the other hand, its total domestic passengers are expected to reach about 100,000, up from its last year’s figure of 97,838.

The airline claims that the positive passenger numbers only indicates their continuing confidence in the flag carrier, in spite of the many challenges they encountered.

The Philippine Airline’s flight for Holy Week (except for 16 domestic flights) will follow published schedules.

In observance of Good Friday and Black Saturday, the following will not be operated:

April 22 – PR131/132 & PR157/158 (Manila-Bacolod, v.v.); PR849/850 & PR855/856 (Manila-Cebu, v.v.); PR185/186 & PR281/282 (Manila-Cagayan de Oro, v.v.); PR187/188 (Manila-Cotabato, v.v.); PR821/822 (Manila-Davao, v.v.); PR139/140 & PR143/144 (Manila-Iloilo, v.v.); PR393/394 (Manila-Tacloban, v.v.); and PR123/124 (Manila-Zamboanga, v.v.)

April 23 – PR843/844 (Manila-Cebu, v.v.); PR181/182 (Manila-Cagayan de Oro, v.v.); PR139/140 & PR143/144 (Manila-Iloilo, v.v.)

For PAL employees who are required to report for duty between April 21 (Maundy Thursday) and April 24 (Easter Sunday), the company said they will get a special incentive pay.

PAL is giving the additional P700 per day on top of the daily rate, holiday pay (double the daily rate) and overtime to those required to work during the holidays.

Those who will be reporting on the said dates include pilots, flight attendants, ground staff, administrative personnel and management officials.

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Online Visita Iglesia went down after reaching 58,000 visitors

Roy — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 02:24:17 +0000

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has recently beefed up its Visita Iglesia Online website to accommodate more visitors and to prevent what happened last year when the site crashed because it received more than 43,000 online visitors. This year, the CBCP said they expected the number of visitors to double.

Unfortunately, in spite of the upgrading done on the website, the Visita Iglesia Online site was reported to have crashed again after reaching more than 58,000 hits. As of 7:00 a.m. on Holy Thursday, the site had already at least 58,337 visitors.

As of Holy Monday, the site had only around 21,000 visitors. The number of visits appeared to peak late on Holy Wednesday when the figure jumped from 40,187 as of 6:35 a.m. to more than 50,000 as 10:000 p.m. on the same day.

It is even expected that the website traffic would even climb further during the so-called “Easter Triduum” or Paschal Triduum. The Easter Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. It celebrates the passion and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The Visita Iglesia Online site which was started last year by CBCP as an experiment was created for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and other Filipinos who are not capable of going out of their homes to physically the churches for the traditional Visita Iglesia during Holy Thursday.

This year, it was launched by CBCP on April 1 and features many improvements – additional churches, a YouTube introduction, catecheses on Lent, the Holy Week and Easter, and features like the Pasyon, Seven Last Words and homilies of different priests.

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DOLE announced more than 100,000 jobs available on Labor Day job fair

Roy — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 04:37:32 +0000

The job opportunities available on the Labor Day job fair spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have already reached more 100,000 as confirmed by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. She said there are around 1,000 companies and recruitment agencies who would be offering both locals and foreign employment opportunities at the different Jobs and Livelihood Fairs on May 1.

“We have already announced the schedule and venues of the regional job and livelihood fairs and our preparation is in full swing,” she added.

The venue for Metro Manila will be Rizal Park and 200 companies and recruiters will be there offering 30,000 jobs. Labor Undersecretary Hans Cacdac said they are expecting around 50,000 applicants on the Rizal Park job fair. The agency is expecting more applicants this year because of the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were displaced by the conflicts in Libya and the Middle East.

“As we expect thousands of jobseekers, graduates, and displaced OFWs to (visit) the designated venues across the country…we are continuously exerting all efforts and exhausting all means to provide a vast array of productive and matched job opportunities,” Baldoz said.

The labor secretary is also urging applicants to pre-register for the job fairs by logging on at the www.phil-job.net. She said the Public Employments Services Offices (PESO) will be distributing free Phil-Jobnet digital cards containing the applicant’s curriculum vitae for those who pre-register.

Jobs available in Metro Manila include managers, cashiers, copywriters, data encoders, dining and kitchen personnel, graphic artists, fashion designers, safety engineers, computer technicians, and heavy equipment mechanics and automotive electricians. Information technology (IT) staff and supervisors, as well as call center agents are also in demand.

While in other regions, Baldoz said employment opportunities include jobs in agriculture, fishing, mining, manufacturing, construction, and hotel and restaurant industries.

Bureau of Local Employment Director Maria Criselda Sy said that in 2009, the number of applicants hired on the spot took 10 percent of jobs offered at the livelihood fairs. This was increased to 13 percent in 2010. “So this year, we hope that the trend would continue. Hopefully 15 percent,” Sy said.

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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.