Corn production in Davao Norte gets boost

DAVAO del Norte's corn program got a boost from the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Davao Region with the turnover of a new farm tractor under the government's Agri-PNoy Maisan Program.

Revenue office eyes one-stop shop

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is eyeing a one-stop shop that will be set up in partnership with the Davao City government to facilitate convenience among taxpaying clients and to promote tax awareness.

World smallest, lightest printers unveiled here

CONFIDENT in Davao City's growing market for quality printers, Fuji Xerox Printer Channel (FXPC) first launched in the city its new products -- the new DocuPrint series -- touted as the smallest and lightest models in its class.

Uplands: Last frontier of Filipino farmers

"POOREST of the poor." "Marginalized." These are some of the terms used to describe the upland farmers in the Philippines. But the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc., a non-governmental organization in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, depicted them as "neglected."

DOST to teach patents to students

WITH just three to five percent of local invention patent applications each year, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) plans to introduce students to the patent system.

George Colorado, division head of the Technology Application and Promotion Institute under the DOST, said the Invent School Program encourages students to invent things. They will also be made aware of intellectual property rights.

Demand for mobile broadband services expected

A TELECOMMUNICATION firm projected a steady demand for mobile broadband services in the coming years as increased competition prompted lower prices for smartphones.

Pot draws interest to lotto sales

THOSE who cannot find luck in lottery draws find fortune in running a lotto outlet.

For five years, Alex Remedios and a partner have been managing a lotto station in Villa Leyson, Cebu City, reaping five percent of ticket sales.

Microsoft brings Lync to Cebu

MICROSOFT unveiled this week to Cebuanos its latest communication server software aimed at helping companies increase productivity and reduce both capital and operational costs.

Bohol weavers ready for large orders

AFTER a series of trade shows in the country, the Bohol Weaving Project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) expect to get a bigger volume of orders from foreign buyers.

Materials research and development (R&D) project manager Ingrid Haufe, in a press briefing on Thursday, said they are focusing on upgrading the quality management systems of the weaving centers to ensure quality and volume of orders.

Almirante: Liability of corporate officer

Dominador Almirante Labor case digest

PETITIONER Wensha Spa Center Inc. (Wensha) is a sauna bath and massage services busi ness. Xu Zhi Jie (Xu) is its president. In a case for illegal dismissal filed by Loreta Yung (Loreta) against petitioner, the Court of Appeals found for the former and held Xu jointly and severally liable with Wensha to pay the award to Loreta. Did the Court of Appeals (CA) err?

Batuhan: In practice

Allan S. B. Batuhan Foreign Exchange

THOUGH the theory can be simple, the practice is nowhere near as clear-cut.

Cebu Pacific slashes fares to China and Taiwan

THE Philippines' largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB), announces a seat sale for its flights to China and leisure destinations in the Philippines.

Tax collection in Davao up by 20.9%

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Davao City posted a 20.92 percent increase to P1.2 billion on tax collection as compared to last year.

Free trade agreements seen to rebound exports

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expects the country to deliver more exports after an intensive education campaign with the business sector explaining anew the benefits of the free trade agreements (FTAs) with other countries.

In a bid to improve the country's utilization of the existing FTAs the country has entered into with other countries and for the business sector to harness the potential gains of a zero or much lower tariffs, DTI's International Trade Group has been making the rounds across the country to undertake a massive information campaign.

Social welfare agency merges pro-poor programs

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will merge its three major poverty alleviation programs -- Kalahi-Cidss, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and Self-Employment Assistance (SEA-K).

This was formally announced by DSWD Davao Region Director Ester A. Versoza during a recent conference with the agency's senior officials.

Talk 'N Text bags another award of excellence

PEOPLE's brand Talk 'N Text bagged another Award of Excellence at the recently concluded Philippine Quill. Its "Tipid-Sulit Idol Search 2010," a search aimed at identifying and recognizing outstanding Filipino individuals and communities that exhibit the core Filipino values of hard work, perseverance and ingenuity, was recognized under the Communication Management category.

The Philippine Quill Awards is the country's most prestigious and relevant award for business communicators.

Bizman: Sun.Star Pampanga helps in development

Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (PamCham) president and Advocate for the Development of Central Luzon chairman Rene Romero admitted he, together with his business colleagues and fellow development advocates, are avid Sun.Star Pampanga readers, the paper a part of their breakfast and coffee breaks, so he revealed.

LausAutoGroup opens Subaru Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- LausAutoGroup, one of the country's leading multi-brand automotive network inaugurated here on Tuesday (November 23), its newest car dealership brand.

Subaru Pampanga officially opened its door to the motoring public of Pampanga and the rest of Central Luzon. Subaru Pampanga has a full size facility with aftersales capability for both technical service and genuine parts complementing its well-appointed showroom.

Economy slows down in third quarter

AFTER exceeding growth forecasts in the first half, the Philippine economy slipped to 6.5 percent in the third quarter posting anemic gains in agriculture, mining and the absence of election spending.

Aquino banknotes out today

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) starts today, Friday, the circulation of banknotes bearing the signature of President Benigno Aquino III.

In a simple ceremony in Malacañang, BSP Corporate Office Director Fe de la Cruz said it took time for them to circulate new peso bills with Aquino’s signature to avoid misprinting of the new bank notes.

DTI asks stakeholders: Speak up on credit gaps

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced it will meet with industry stakeholders to “once and for all address the gap in credit access for micro, small and medium enterprises (mSMEs).”

DTI Undersecretary Merly Cruz, in her visit to Cebu, said it is high time the agency sat down with stakeholders and determined the gap in access to credit, as access to capital remains one of the primary problems among mSMEs.

Commission targets ICT access in rural areas

UNIVERSAL access and digital inclusion for Filipinos are the main priorities of the six-year road map of the Philippine Community eCenter (CeC) program, which will be formally launched early next year.

Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) Chairman Ivan John Uy, in his visit to Cebu on Wednesday, said the new road map will expand the program using community eCenters and information and communication technology (ICT) services.

NICE inventors go green

A FIFTEEN-year-old student decided he has had it with the black smoke emitted by vehicles and created a device that will reduce carbon emissions.

Meanwhile, a woman who has long been with the Department of Science and Technology DOST) has found a way to reuse discarded compact discs.

I.Protect: Register to acquire rights in trademark

Clint Fabiosa & Ana Liza Villamor

THE rule is quite simple under the law: no registration, no exclusive right to use the mark.

One-stop shop mulled for city's biz bureau

THE City Business Bureau expects more business renewals and new applications this January, thus, the need for another venue to decongest the office located in the Sangguniang Panlungsod Building.

PhilRice unveils new facilities

PHILRICE inaugurated three facilities during its 25th anniversary celebration with Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan leading the ribbon-cutting for the new facilities namely.

Pinoys urged to study law, business in Spain

MANILA -- The Instituto Empresa (IE), a prestigious university based in Madrid, is encouraging Filipinos to take bachelor or master's law degrees in Spain.

New peso bills out next month

FILIPINOS will start to get hold of redesigned peso bills in December, ranging from the image of late President Corazon Aquino and popular tourist spots such as Mayon Volcano.

Airlines welcome ‘open skies’

AIRLINE companies are welcoming the government’s stand to adopt an open skies policy for the country.

President Benigno Aquino III recently announced the need to have a liberalized aviation industry to bring in more tourists. The Aquino administration hopes to double the number of foreign tourists to six million by the end of his term.

RP needs top engineers: educators

OFFICIALS from the different universities in the country stressed on Tuesday that the Philippines needs highly-qualified engineers to work in the industry to help advance the country’s economic growth.

University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman president Dr. Emerlinda Roman, in her presentation during the Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) assembly, said the country needs engineers with advanced degrees to make science and technology work for Filipinos.