PH ‘not strong economy yet’

DESPITE the country’s continued growth, the Philippines is not a strong economy yet, according to Philam Life and Philam Asset Management Inc. (Pami) fund manager Junie Banaag.

Unemployment and the continued deployment of Filipinos overseas continue to challenge the country’s economic prosperity, Banaag said.

Startup Weekend experience unlike any other: student

AFTER being encouraged by her mentors, Holy Name University student Ashley Uy overcame her fears and went on stage to pitch her idea during last year’s Startup Weekend Cebu.

As an IT student, Uy wanted to learn more things outside the classroom and experience real IT work when she signed up for the event.

Smart logs 24% growth in postpaid subscribers in Q1

SMART Communications, Inc. grew its postpaid subscriber base by 24 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period last year, leading the industry in this hotly-contested segment of the cellular market, the company said in a press statement.

To help sustain its strong start this year, Smart is launching a new set of postpaid offers called Flexibundles, which aims to give postpaid subscribers better control of their usage through a simple process.

Globe launches ‘next-generation plan’

GLOBE launched yesterday its MySuperPlan, which it described as a “next-generation postpaid plan with new features that will allow subscribers to further customize and personalize their postpaid plans.”

With the MySuperPlan, subscribers get more than what they pay for with a plan value that is almost twice the value of prepaid load, the company said.

Go public, companies told

ASIDE from gaining access to capital, there are a few other reasons for companies to go public.

Miguel Felipe Evangelista of the marketing services department of the Philippine Stock Exchange said companies also opt to enlist with them to save on their cash reserves and improve on their credit ratings, especially when they have maxed out on their credit limits.

Almirante: Willful disobedience

PETITIONER Rowena De Leon Cruz was the Assistant Branch Manager of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) of its Ayala Branch in Makati City. She was in-charge of the trading section.

Lexmark expands in R&D, services

LEXMARK is expanding in Cebu in research and development and will continue to hire highly-skilled professionals.

The company recently shifted to the mixed hardware-and-software business, following their decision to let go of its inkjet business last year to improve profitability.

Peugeot set to inaugurate showrooms

AFTER sharing space with another automobile maker for a few months, French car maker Peugeot has opened its new home in Cebu.

The Peugeot showroom on Ouano Ave. in the Mandaue Reclamation Area began operating last April 8.

Construction, car, food shows open in CICC

TRADE shows on construction, auto and food and beverage are ongoing at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) until Sunday.

Worldbex Services International (WSI) is holding this year’s “Beyond the Southern Vibe” with the 10th Philippine Building and Construction Exposition (Philbex), 7th Cebu Auto Show (CAS) and 5th Cebu Food and Beverage Exposition (Cefbex) from May 23 to 26 at the CICC.

Ng: Top global brands

ACCORDING to BrandZ, Apple is the most valuable global brand. It is followed by Google, then IBM. It is refreshing to note that most of the top global brands were technology-based. The top consumer brand is McDonalds, at number four, followed by Coca-Cola, at number five. At number six is AT&T while at number seven is Microsoft.

I.Protect: Confusingly similar sounds

Clint Fabiosa & Ana Liza Villamor

Aboitiz, GazAsia to produce bio methane

PUBLICLY-listed Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) announced it entered into a joint venture agreement with UK-based company GazAsia Ltd. to build and operate plants to produce liquid bio methane to be used by vehicles.

Liloan cosmetics company gets Halal certification for products

LILOAN-based GT Cosmetics Manufacturing is bullish in their expansion abroad on the back of a strong overseas Filipino market.

The company recently penetrated the US market and is now poised to grow big in the Middle East, following the product’s Halal certification.

Pages: Putting it all together

Bunny Pages Business Is A Team Sport

ONE of my missions in writing a column is to share with others what I’ve learned in the hope that they would benefit from my experience. Another is to enhance what I’ve learned through the experiences, comments and suggestions of other people that can be emailed to bunny@pages.ph.

'Best time to invest in PH'

NO matter how small the amount, a personal finance expert assures that setting aside some money for savings and investment can go along way.

American Emmy award-winning TV host Suze Orman, who was in Cebu last week, told Cebuanos that now was the best time to invest in the Philippines.

Cebu tourism stakeholders seek diplomatic end to row with Taiwan

TOURISM stakeholders in Cebu appealed to the government to immediately solve through diplomatic channels the strained relationship with Taiwan to save trade and tourism relationship of both countries.

Robert “Bobby” Joseph, chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas), fears that if the row is not resolved in a diplomatic manner, the tension might lead to something similar to what happened after the Hong Kong hostage crisis in 2010.

Construction materials firm moves to Consolacion

A GLOBAL provider of construction materials and services expanded its business in the Philippines, crediting the country’s buoyant real estate and construction sector.

Toral: Tech and life

I THINK the challenge of being in the tech world is that many of the decisions we make are based on technology trends. That is normal. But if we are all reading the same materials, using the same tools, sometimes we come out with the same thing and there is no novelty in the offering.

It is a challenge to find inspiration as well that can bring in new ideas. Lately, I find myself engaging in various activities and trying out new applications that interest me. Apart from the recreation and benefits, I am hoping that it will allow me to meet new people, observe and learn in the process.

AEV sets aside P59B as capex

POWER will “remain at the forefront” of the Aboitiz group’s business expansion. The Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) is allocating P59 billion for capital expenditures this year, P27 billion of which is geared towards boosting its power business.

In a press conference yesterday, AEV and AboitizPower (AP) president and chief executive officer Erramon Aboitiz said the company will build new generating capacity to support the country’s power demand amid a thriving economy.

Council backs SIAP on carrageenan study

THE Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP) got the support of the Export Development Council (EDC) in its campaign against an American scientist’s study on carrageenan.

In a recent meeting, SIAP chairman Max Ricohermoso told Sun.Star Cebu that EDC came up with a resolution to support the industry’s information drive in both domestic and international markets on carrageenan’s health benefits.

Cebu Pacific boosts Mindanao connection

CEBU Pacific has increased connectivity to and from Mindanao, by adding flight frequencies and options to travelers headed for Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi and Davao.

Starting June 15, Cebu Pacific will add two weekly flights using an Airbus A320 aircraft between Cebu and Zamboanga, making it a six times weekly service.

Megaworld launches another condo cluster

A REAL estate developer launched its third residential condominium cluster in Lapu-Lapu City on Monday.

Megaworld unveiled yesterday One Manchester Place, a three-tower condominium cluster with direct access to a mall that will soon rise in the township.

Newtown offers lower lease rates

AS lease and labor rates rise due to a high demand for office space, an official of a real estate developing firm believes locations outside main city centers will be an attractive prospect for firms seeking to relocate or set up shop to cut costs.

Tech conference scheduled in Boracay

THE most promising startups and tech innovators will converge in Boracay for the first “Geeks on a Beach” event on Sept. 26 to 27.

The two-day conference, organized by TechTalks.ph who brought Startup Weekend to Cebu and Davao, will be a techfest, featuring the world’s most-promising tech leaders who will talk about instructive and useful topics on gaming, mobile apps and graphic design.

Limpag: With Hangouts, Google muscles into messaging sector

MOBILE messaging is a fragmented sector. Every few months or so, a messaging app for the phone launches. Unlike SMS, mobile messaging makes use of the Internet for connectivity and offers a multi-media environment with photos, sounds and even animated graphics and virtual stickers.

“K, CU” isn’t enough, we now have to include a graphical smiley, Emoji (an expanded smiley set), or even an animated avatar that reflects our moods. One-on-one texting is old school; group messaging is in.

Smart, IdeaSpace invite devs to hack their way to Silicon Valley

SMART Communications and IdeaSpace Foundation are encouraging developers to hack their way into Silicon Valley by joining the Philippine leg of the AngelHack Spring Global Challenge, the world’s largest coding marathon.

Winners of the June 8 to 9 hackathon to be held at the Pasig City headquarters of Smart subsidiary Voyager Innovations will get a chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes, receive local mentorship for 11 weeks and be flown to Silicon Valley where US-based AngelHack will help turn their idea into a startup.

Uniqlo considering expansion to Cebu

JAPANESE fashion brand Uniqlo is expanding its store network in the country on the back of the thriving retail industry.

Although the company has no definite plans yet for expansion outside Luzon, Katsumi Kubota, managing director of Uniqlo in the Philippines, said they are considering Cebu as their next destination in the future.

Globe launches inbound calling service for Koreans

GLOBE Telecom recently launched Globe DUO Korea, an international inbound calling offer for Koreans in the Philippines.

Globe DUO Korea is a service that allows a Globe or TM subscriber to purchase a Korea-based telephone number. Their friends and family back home can call their Korea-based telephone number and calls will be received in their Globe or TM phones. Calls can now be made between two Korea-based numbers, just like making a local call in Korea, resulting in significant savings.

SM now spans 5.9 million sq.m.

MANILA- SM Prime Holdings’ P5.7-billion upscale civic center in Taguig City officially opened its doors to the public yesterday.

SM Prime president Hans Sy said the company’s latest “high-end lifestyle destination” project reflects their confidence in the retail market and in the country’s thriving economy.

Marriott wants to go after a new, younger market

BEING next to a shopping mall may be advantageous for a business hotel, but the variety of restaurants in the mall could also spell trouble for its food and beverage outlets.

This is one of the challenges Patrick Carroll has noted in running the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.