Schools’ legwork sought in tourism
RECOGNIZING the importance of the academe in countryside tourism building, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), in partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government, tapped the universities for Turismo Sugbo.
Microsoft pitches cloud’s value
TO help their clients make the most of their products, Microsoft Philippines yesterday demonstrated innovations of their SQL Server 2012 and System Center 2012 that they hope will encourage clients to go beyond virtualization and maximize the power of cloud computing.
Joel Garcia, who...
Supplier checks Cebu’s health, wellness market
A CEBU-based wellness business, Organique Lifestyle and Nutrition Inc., is confident it will grow its business here, given Cebu’s increased awareness on health and wellness.
It hopes to boost sales of the Nutrilife brand and increase its client base.
“With a membership fee of P7,...
BPI launches mobile banking system
BANK of the Philippine Islands (BPI) hopes to gain more users of their Express Link online banking facility by offering a mobile version for even quicker banking transactions.
BPI divison head of transaction banking Nieves Basa said the Express Link Mobile brings the Internet platform to...
Trade expos offer opportunities for business linkages: exhibitors
TRADE expositions are primarily held to boost sales but these also open opportunities for business linkages, industry players said.
Exhibitor Mustafa Mutlu of the Department of Promotion, Fair Organization and Publication of the Central Anatolian Exporters Union said their coming to Cebu...
Sun net revenues up 17.54% in 1Q
SUN Cellular raised its net service revenues by 17.54 percent in the first quarter of 2012, earning P4.2 billion versus the P3.6 billion for the same period last year, the highest growth rate for any local telco this year.
Revenues from Sun Cellular’s postpaid segment in the first quarter...
I.Protect: Ordinary purchaser
Clint Fabiosa & Ana Liza Villamor
TO DETERMINE confusing similarity between trademarks, the test is whether the ordinary purchaser would likely confuse the products covered by the two marks as coming from the same source. In applying this test, regard is given to the cost and type of...
Ng: Microsoft Office on Android, iOS?
A MIAMI student is in trouble and faces up to five years in federal prison all because of two posts in Facebook. The first post was in February when President Obama was touring South Florida.
He posted in his status, ““Who wants to help me assassinate Obummer while hes at UM this week?”...
Shipping firms opt for cargo
BECAUSE of losses incurred due to accidents and the ensuing bad publicity, many shipping companies are now opting to forgo passenger services and concentrate on cargo services, a shipping company founder said.
Chester Cokaliong, founder of Cokaliong Shipping Lines and president of the...
Nokia launches Lumia line in Cebu
NOKIA (Philippines) Inc. introduced in Cebu Tuesday the Windows-powered Lumia series of smartphones.
Nokia Philippines general manager Dharmesh Goshalia expressed optimism that sales of their flagship smartphone line will increase this year, with the three Lumia smartphones already out in...
BAP wants to attract graduates to banking sector
THE Bankers’ Association of the Philippines (BAP), through its education committee, will implement programs to make a banking career attractive to younger professionals.
BAP president Alberto Villarosa, in his recent visit to Cebu, said the lack of “employable manpower” is one factor that...
Monster.com.ph launches iPhone, iPad applications
A LEADING career and recruitment solutions provider launched yesterday its mobile application for the iPhone and iPad.
Monster.com.ph, one of the leading online career and recruitment solutions providers, said the apps will give job seekers and career minded professionals the flexibility...
Culinary school opens Cebu center
THE increasing demand for a culinary arts school in the Visayas has led a Makati-based school to open a second center in Cebu.
International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM) founder Hansjörg Schallenberg told reporters yesterday that aside from five-star hotels and...
Waterfront Cebu City expects surge in number of tourists after renovation
HOTEL officials of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino (WCCHC) expect an influx of guests with the completion of the first part of its renovation, which it will launch this July.
WCCHC marketing and communications manager MaiMai Varron said in an interview last week that the hotel...
Japan-based school invests $4M on English learning center in Cebu
A JAPAN-based English tutorial school is investing $4 million on a new facility at the Cebu IT Park.
QQ (Quick and Quality) English Tutorial School recently expanded its Cebu operations by occupying three floors of Skyrise 4, one of the serious investments so far by a Japanese firm in...
Toral: Sweet spot
LAST month, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. declared that the Philippines will enter a demographic window, a sweet spot, this 2015 when our population, currently at an average of 22 years of age, will bolster economic growth.
Aboitiz sets expansion plans
AMID economic challenges in the international and domestic fronts that caused a decline in revenues in 2011, Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) will embark on various expansion programs to facilitate growth in all of its businesses this year.
During the stockholders’ meeting yesterday at the...
Sun Life Grepa collects P1B in premiums in Q1
SUN Life Grepa Financial Inc., the joint venture company of Sun Life Financial and the Yuchengco Group that has an exclusive “bancassurance alliance” with the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., collected in excess of P1 billion in total premiums in the first quarter of this year, a growth of 48...
Tax notes: BIR priority programs for 2012
TO FURTHER improve its performance and achieve its target goals, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) shall adopt the following major programs in calendar year 2012 with the issuance of Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 13-2012:
1) Oplan Kandado; 2) Invigorated Run After Tax...
Ayala group to build P4B project
AYALA Land Inc. (ALI) and affiliate Cebu Property Ventures Development Corp. (CPVDC) have earmarked P4 billion for the five-tower condominium development spread in the next four to five years at the Cebu IT Park.
A top official said the expansion of the Avida brand in Cebu was buoyed by...
Krispy Kreme opens SM branch
BANKING on Cebuano loyalty, doughnut chain Krispy Kreme opened its third branch in Cebu, less than seven months since it opened its first store in the region.
Marketing manager Mark Gamboa said that after earning a good following from the Cebuanos, they were able to open their third store...
Limpag: Encourage hacker culture
FACEBOOK kicked off its historic initial public offering by holding another of the company’s fabled hackathons, which are all-night events that gather the social networking giant’s employees to work on products outside their office assignments.
Hackathon 31 was held on the eve of Facebook...
Tech investments sought
THE Philippines needs to invest heavily on developing technology, following the models of such countries as India, Korea, Japan and the United States, among others, a prominent engineer and entrepreneur said.
Philippine Development Corp. (PhilDev) Chairman Diosdado Banatao, in a recent...
BHW Show to include workplace health
WHILE Cebu has shown its potential to become a wellness destination in the country, organizers of this year’s beauty, health and wellness (BHW) show see also the need to build a healthy workforce.
BHW Show 2012 overall chairman Michael Basubas said that more than just featuring the health...
Cebuana brings bar business back home
AUSTRALIA-based Cebuana entrepreneur Nadith Veloso hopes to build three more coffee shop outlets in Cebu in three years’ time. She also intends to open another outlet in Sydney.
Veloso recently opened her first coffee shop outlet, Brewmance Café Bar, in the Skyrise 1 at Cebu IT Park. This...
