‘Philippines to host APEC 2015’

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) Central Luzon office has announced that the Philippines is set to chair and host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in 2015.

Ronnie Tiotuico, DOT Central Luzon director, said the Apec National Organizing Council (NOC) has identified nine potential meeting sites including Clark, Subic, Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Tagaytay, Boracay, and Bacolod).

Ayala tops off mall expansion

OFFICIALS topped off Ayala Center Cebu’s (ACC) P2.9-billion mall expansion yesterday.

Developer partners with property site

TO ensure their investors will have tenants for units they have purchased, a local property developer has partnered with a property listing website hoping to get a share of the rentals market.

Toral: Have bloggers’ influence waned or increased?

I HAD an interesting meeting last week with some friends in government. One insight shared to me was “bloggers are no longer as influential as they used to be. Do you agree?”

Fedco ships 6,000 boxes more of cavendish to Japan, China

BANANA farmers belonging to Federation of ARB/Banana Based Cooperatives of Davao (Fedco) are now exporting additional 6,000 boxes of cavendish bananas a week to Japan and China.

Fedco president Ireneo Dalayon said they started shipping out 3,000 boxes of bananas to another new buyer from Japan early this year and that is on top of the existing market demand of 5,000 boxes a week.

TMI repairs completed in time for May 13 polls

ABOITIZPOWER subsidiary, Therma Marine Inc. (TMI), completed repairs on one of the generators of its power barge in Maco, Compostela Valley province, bringing back to the Mindanao Grid 50 megawatts (MW) of capacity which was earlier on forced outages.

The returning capacity has been distributed to 23 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities who have signed up with Therma Marine since last weekend.

E-commerce helps SMEs, PH grow: WTO official

ELECTRONIC commerce (e-commerce) brings many benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises and promotes the economic growth of developing countries like the Philippines.

Globe reports higher employee satisfaction

EMPLOYEE satisfaction index at Globe Telecom jumped to an all-time high in 2012 following the company’s endeavors to provide the most satisfying work experience to its employees, Globe said in a press statement.

Fair trade, social entrepreneurship pushed

TWO non-government organizations urge winners of this year’s elections to include fair trade and social entrepreneurship in their priority list when they assume office in June.

They are also seeking support for the passage of the Social Enterprise Bill in the upcoming 16th Congress.

SmartNet exceeds 1 million downloads

OVER a million people have downloaded and are now using SmartNet, the mobile application platform developed by Smart Communications to make it easy for people to use mobile Internet services safely and affordably.

“This is a major milestone in our efforts to promote mobile internet usage in the country,” said Orlando Vea, Smart’s chief wireless advisor.

Tax notes: IAET for publicly-listed companies

IN A recent ruling issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), a stricter rule was applied in determining whether or not a publicly-listed company is exempt from the Improperly Accumulated Earnings Tax (IAET). In previous BIR rulings, Philippine corporations that are owned by corporations listed on the stock exchanges locally or abroad were exempted from the 10 percent IAET provided they complied with the ownership requirements for publicly-held corporations.

Mindanao Exporter Congress set

TO UNITE all Mindanao exporters in one organization, Philippine Export-Davao will conduct the first Mindanao Exporter Congress from July 29 to 31 at the SMX Convention Center of the SM Lanang Premier in Davao City.

Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. 11-Davao president Ferdinand Marañon, speaking in Monday's Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Annex, said they hope to establish the Mindanao Confederation of Exporters with the event.

Search on for entrepreneur of 2013

THE search is on for the next best Filipino entrepreneur.

Alvin Pinpin of the SGV & Co. said the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year was officially launched last February 21, after celebrating its 10th year in awarding excellent entrepreneurs in the country.

Google holds training on education apps

MOST students these days know how handy Google is for them, especially when searching for topics their studies require.

Limpag: In June, take a shot at your startup dream

DO YOU have an idea for a startup? Have you been wanting to start your own company all these years but never got around to doing it? Do you want to take part in the exciting rapid innovation cycle of a technology or tech-driven businesses?

Carrageenan safe: seaweed industry officers

THE Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (Siap) rejected an American scientist’s study that carrageenan is a threat to human health.

Before it affects consumer confidence, Siap has raised the issue to the Export Development Council (EDC) to make it a priority concern. It said it will conduct independent studies to counter the report.

Earning bigger in farming

GUESS what? It tastes more like a honey, but it's made not from the nectar of flowers that bees collect. It's sweet and thick, and just like a honey, it can also be a healthy alternative to sugar, or even healthier.

This one is made from the coconut toddy, all the same ingredient for making coconut wine or "tuba," only that it's processed into sweet, thick syrup as a sweetener to beverages, delicacies, and other staples.

Davao City welders to be trained for jobs abroad

AFTER obtaining an International Standard Organization (ISO) certification, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in Davao is set to upgrade the standards of future Davao City welders to be internationally recognized by American Welding Society (AWS).

Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva has announced that Dabawenyos will be the first trainees of the first free Certified Welding Inspector Preparatory Examination Seminar (AWS-CWI) set on May 13-23.

Date '13 to highlight agricultural sector

THE agricultural sector will be the main highlight of the Davao Trade Expo (Date) 2013 which fires off at the SM Lanang Premier's SMX Convention Center from October 17 to 19.

The three-day trade expo themed this year as "Empower the Farmers: Enable. Engage. Excite," will focus on showcasing the golden crop industry of the Davao Region like coconut, cacao, corn and coffee.

Davao Region gets biggest allocation for tourism

DAVAO Region got the highest budget allocation for tourism projects this year, an official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) revealed.

DOT regional director Art Boncato said Davao got P1.488 billion allocation from government for the construction of 25 identified local and baranggay roads leading to existing tourist destinations.

Anzanis venture out, with Gusto

AN Italian restaurant and wine bar opened this week in the Asiatown IT Park, owned by the same couple behind three fine dining and dessert places in Nivel Hills, Cebu City.

Batuhan: Are we ready?

WHEN the new pope, Francis I, was elected to the papacy, there was a huge sense of palpable excitement throughout not only the Catholic and Christian, but also the whole world.

Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, is a breath of fresh air in many ways. He is not only from an area of the world where no leader of the flock has come before, he is also a religious—in fact a Jesuit, known for their non-conventional ways, and radical, oftentimes controversial, positions.

Testing a ‘clever’ idea

A CEBUANA entrepreneur is banking on social media marketing to grow the sales of her two bakeshop brands Kate’s and Baker Bob.

Katherine Ko Cheng sees the new platform as “a clever idea” and a new tool to promote her bakery business, especially that a lot of consumers these days are now online.

Almirante: Examining physician for Seafarers

Dominador Almirante Labor case digest

ON July 27, 1999, days after his repatriation and while waiting for referral to a company-designated physician, respondent Salvador T. Serna, a seafarer, had himself examined by Dr. Cynthia V. Halili-Manabat of the University of Perpetual Health Medical Center (UPHMC). She diagnosed him to be suffering from toxic goiter.

Davao welders to be trained for jobs abroad

AFTER obtaining an International Standard Organization (ISO) certification, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) is set to upgrade the standards of future Davao welders to be internationally recognized by American Welding Society (AWS).

Tesda director general Joey Villanueva yesterday announced that Dabaweños will be the first trainees of the first free Certified Welding Inspector Preparatory Examination Seminar (AWS-CWI) set on May 13-23.

City, NIA eye rice expansion

THOUSANDS of hectares will be planted with rice in the city as soon as the planned rice expansion gets a green light, an official said Friday.

If the plan pushes through, a total of 11,000 hectares will bring the rice production of the city a notch higher to ensure food sufficiency.

Western Union cuts fees for local money transfers

WESTERN Union, a global payment service provider announced that it has cut its fees further for domestic money transfers.

The promotional "Sweldo Padala Sale" fee aims to reward the generosity of Filipinos in distributing their income for the benefit of the wider family. The fee will not be a jaw-dropping 20 pesos for domestic money transfers between P501 to P1,000 to any of over 8,500 Western Union Agent locations in 77 provinces, 138 cities and 675 municipalities, under the Western Union Money Transfer Sale.

Local firm offers solar energy system

WITH an increasing awareness of renewable energy and the rising cost of power, a local company believes the time is ripe for solar energy to be used by consumers.

Physics Research (PR) Renewable Energy Sales and Services hopes to provide solar power to the regular homeowners.

Islands Stay Hotels expands in Palawan

ISLANDS Stay Hotels, the no-frills, value chic hotel of The Islands Group, recently opened its newest franchise branch in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Attending the opening of the new branch were Ellen Hagedorn, wife of Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, franchisee Janet Concepcion and The Islands Group executive vice president and chief culture officer Camille Aldeguer.

CCCI, DOT to hold Great Cebu Sale

NEXT month, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) will be offering great discounts on Cebu’s world-class products through the “Great Cebu Sale.”

The event is a new highlight of Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2013.