Entrepreneurs asked to mentor students

ASIDE from just providing funds to struggling startups, successful entrepreneurs were also urged to share their expertise and mentor students on real-world problems.

Pauline Wade of the DOST-UP Cebu technology business incubator also cited the need for more facilities such as theirs to increase the chances of startups to succeed.

Pages: Everyone sells

Bunny Pages Business Is A Team Sport

HAVE you ever wondered why people sometimes don’t do what you want them to do? Why no action was taken on your brilliant idea? If so, your failure may not have been due to the idea itself but because of some deficiencies in your persuasion skills.

Globe wins 2 awards

GLOBE Telecom was named Frost & Sullivan Philippines Mobile Service Provider of the Year for 2013.

“The strong performance of the company is the result of its ability to offer customizable and innovative service offerings, value-for-money promotions, handset and gadget launches as well as the boost from increasing demand for mobile browsing and voice services,” said Serene Chan, senior industry analyst for ICT, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific.

Vinyl tile maker launches drive

A VINYL tile manufacturer is strengthening its marketing efforts in southern Philippines and launched its information drive in Cebu Home and Builders Centre (CHBC) in Banilad, Mandaue City yesterday.

Puyat Flooring Products Inc. (PFPI) introduced yesterday APO Floors Blitz, a five-minute video demonstration on the company’s flooring items.

HP unveils app solutions

HP announced yesterday a new portfolio of application transformation software and services solutions that support organizations to deliver a rich user experience that engages customers, citizens and employees anywhere, anytime and from any device.

Applications are now the face of an organization. While traditional applications form the foundation of everything an enterprise does, they were not designed to connect customer and employee organizational resources with a simple, intuitive experience.

‘Smart cities’ investment magnet

CITIES that are chosen to host meetings for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in 2015 will most likely benefit from the government’s Smarter Philippines program, a representative of the science and technology department said.

Alejandro Melchor III, director of the Smarter Philippines program, said the country’s smart city program is patterned after what the European Union requires its member countries to implement.

ECCP, CCCI to hold eco festival

THE European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will stage a five-day Eko Festival that aims to draw more enterprises in Cebu to adopt sustainable and green practices in their operation.

The Eko Festival (Special Setting and Exhibits), which is running from June 15 to 19 at the SM Northwing, will feature 25 successful cooperators of ECCP’s SMART Cebu Project.

PLDT named telco service provider of year

PLDT won four of the eleven awards, including the prestigious Philippines Telecom Service Provider of the Year, handed out at the Frost and Sullivan Philippines Excellence Awards ceremony Tuesday.

The other awards given PLDT were the Broadband Service Provider of the Year, Hosted Contact Center Service Provider of the Year and Datacenter Services Vendor of the Year conferred to its wholly-owned subsidiary ePLDT.

Globe helps DILG

GLOBE Telecom has made it easier for the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to get the pulse of the people in the delivery of barangay services and accountability of local government units.

Through the Anti-Red Tape Act Survey of DILG via the National Barangay Operations Office and Globe, which was implemented by the Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy (PCCED) six month ago, technology plays a key role in linking barangay leaders with their constituents.

Toral: Complaints against airlines

LAST May 30, I had an interesting experience with a Philippine Airlines counter staff in Davao City. Let’s call him Mr. X. I have been traveling for so many years and it was my first time to encounter such an odd behavior.

My bag padlock was missing upon check-in and I asked for tape I can use to wrap around my bag’s zipper head. After putting the tape I needed, I asked Mr. X something like, “pahiram ho ng ballpen para maputol ko siya.”

Lexmark among ‘best corporate citizens’

FOR the third straight year, Lexmark International made it to the Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine’s “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list.

Lexmark was among public companies recognized for their performance in environment, climate change, employee relations, human rights, governance, finance and philanthropy.

Islands Souvenirs expands in Dipolog City

ISLANDS Souvenirs recently opened its newest franchise branch in Dipolog.

Raymond Migabon, Franchise Head of The Islands Group said the opening proves that Islands Souvenirs remains an important force in various aspects of tourism.

Build on advantages to fuel economic growth: economist

AN economist suggested that the Philippines make use of its comparative advantages to build on recent investment upgrades.

In a recent email exchange with Sun.Star Cebu, international public choice economist Professor Dwight R. Lee said Philippine attributes such as English proficiency, youthful demographic, central location and natural resources would well complement the country’s current credibility.

Tax notes: Interim guidelines for printing of receipts

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) No. 12-2013 to provide the interim guidelines and procedures in the processing of Authority to Print (ATP) Official Receipts (ORs), Sales Invoices (SIs) and other Commercial Invoices until the on-line ATP System is fully developed.

Under Section 237 of the Tax Code of 1997, all persons engaged in business in the Philippines are required to issue duly registered invoices and/or official receipts.

PH exporters tap emerging markets

FILIPINO exporters are continuously tapping emerging markets and countries the Philippines has free trade agreements (FTAs) with in efforts to double exports to $120 billion by 2016.

Senen Perlada, director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP), said this amid the 6.2-percent decline in exports in January to March this year to $12.1 billion from $12.9 billion last year. Export earnings however rose 0.1 percent in March. It also increased by 15.7 percent on a monthly basis.

Officials launch Great Cebu Sale

THE strong partnership between government agencies and the private sector is an indication of the healthy business community in Cebu, said Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2013 overall chairperson Melanie Ng.

CBM is an annual event organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

Bogo wants to pursue BPO investments

THE component city of Bogo in the northern part of Cebu is planning to accommodate the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector to boost the town’s business environment, said an official of the Department of Trade and Industry-Cebu (DTI-Cebu).

In a recent interview, DTI-Cebu business development division chief Elias Guia Tecson said that aside from coastal and agricultural industries, the local government unit (LGU) of Bogo led by mayor Celestino Martinez III wants to pursue bigger investments such as the BPO sector.

Solutions companies ‘need to evolve’

AS THE functions of contact centers evolve, solutions companies have to keep up with the changes.

Such is the case for Aspect Software, a company that provides integrated solutions unifying customer interaction management, workforce optimization and back-office for contact centers.

Limpag: Lifelogging and mobile

YOU cannot change what you cannot measure, said a post in the blog of goal-tracking mobile app Lift. That statement is based on a quote by the scientist Lord Kelvin who said, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.”

In today’s time of ubiquitous computing, the mobile phone takes on yet another role – that of a “life log” – a record of the minutia of our lives. Runs, bike sessions, exercise, weight, blood pressure, sugar level – there’s an app to record that.

Group to lobby Davide to push for cacao farming

THE umbrella organization of small and medium-sized enterprises in Cebu is set to meet with incoming Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III to lobby for a province-wide promotion of cacao farming.

Filipino-Cebuano Business Club Inc. (FCBI) president Rey Calooy said they are pushing for cacao farming because of the decision by Kennemer Foods International Inc. (KFII) to expand cacao contract-growing in the Visayas.

Test-driving Cebu’s market

BEING the fourth dealership to open in the country, Peugeot Cebu is expected to deliver 30 percent of Peugeot Philippines’ sales target, the carmaker’s Asian operations commercial director said.

Construction show to highlight domestic market as silver lining

WITH the unstable situation of traditional markets abroad, the domestic market is proving to be lucrative for the construction and furniture export sectors, officials said.

“Because the global economic slowdown has dragged our exporters recently, the domestic market has become the silver lining for industry players,” said Philippine Constructors Association Inc. (PCAI) executive director Manolito Madrasto on Wednesday at the launch of PhilConstruct Visayas 2013.

Bosch builds hub in Mandaue, comes full circle

INDUSTRIAL and automotive tools maker Bosch opened its first business hub in Mandaue City yesterday, an expansion that marks the company’s first foray outside of Metro Manila, top officials said.

Martin Hayes, president of Bosch Southeast Asia, said their decision to set up a business hub here is backed by the positive business climate of the country, including the investment rating it got.

Almirante: Separation pay

Dominador Almirante Labor case digest

RESPONDENTS Tomas Quitoy, Raul Sabang, and Diego Morales were hired as security guards by petitioner Leopard Security and Investigation Agency (LSIA). They later filed a complaint for illegal dismissal and money claims against LSIA.

Batuhan: Sound mind, healthy body

MENS sana in corpore sano. In ancient Greek culture, the virtues of being physically fit, as well as mentally able, were both treasured and cultivated. And so it was that the scholar-athlete became the mould that everyone aspired to become—training their bodies in the physical arts, and their minds in the philosophies and sciences of the masters.

In our highly-specialized world of today, these traits are often compartmentalized.

Group gives 27 SMEs in Cebu business achievement awards

TWENTY seven small and medium scale enterprises in Cebu were awarded at the Business Achievement and Recognition Awards (BARA) 2013 last May 19 at the Cebu City Sports Club.

Market Indicators Consultancy (MIC), a national award giving group and Cebu-based advocate of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), said the awardees are “significant contributors” to the local business community.

Primary Homes launches South Glendale

PRIMARY Homes Inc. (PHI) is setting aside P700 million as capital expenditure for five residential projects this year that would bring in 600 additional house units to the market.

The company launched yesterday South Glendale, the P200-million pocket-sized residential project in Talisay City. This third project sits on a 2.5 hectare that will house 54 units composed of American-themed single-detached and townhouses.

All it takes is 1 successful startup to change PH

A COUPLE of years ago, I met a man named Jojo Flores. He is the co-founder of Plug & Play Tech Center - a startup accelerator in Silicon Valley that helped over 500 startups, including PayPal and Dropbox. As a Filipino, Jojo was disappointed to know that of all the startups they’ve helped, none of them was Filipino. That’s the reason why he went around the Philippines to find startups that he can bring to Silicon Valley so he can help our country.

Ng: Social media and employment

SOME people have gotten bad publicity because of social media. Locally, a student got bad publicity because her sex video was posted online, others could not graduate or join graduation rites after their sexy photos were posted on Facebook.

Do postings on Facebook affect your job? Apparently it does. A 24-year-old high school teacher, according to IOL News, was seen in a festive photo holding a pint of beer and a glass of wine. A parent complained and school officials told the teacher she would have to choose between resigning and suspension and so she resigned.

Firm sets aside P3B for projects

HOMEGROWN property developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. is spending P3 billion this year to build two new projects and complete four existing ones.

Yesterday, the company broke ground on its first 19-storey office building called Park Centrale at the Cebu I.T. Park.