10 start-ups win national search

WHEN orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rene Catan proposed to create a local and cheaper total joint implant, nobody listened.

Perpetual Succour Hospitalbreaks ground on building

TO accommodate more patients and decongest their departments, the Perpetual Succour Hospital will be adding a 12-story building within their complex and expects its completion in two years.

At the groundbreaking ceremony last Saturday, hospital administrator, Sr. Santaniña Maria Bernaldez, SPC, said this new building is their response to the growing demand and expectations of their clients.

Chicken restaurant improves offerings

NOT one to chicken out of a tough competition, a restaurant in the bustling Asiatown IT Park in Lahug, Cebu City has tweaked its offerings to adjust to its clients’ demands.

According to Chicken Charlie Cebu area operations manager Marivic Ole, the original idea was to create a chicken counter with a sari-sari (convenience) store, until they realized the crowd wanted to hang out.

From nursing to building

WHEN the opportunity presented itself after years of being on the move, a registered nurse found a new calling in real estate.

Twenty years after she earned a nursing degree, Zaida Lee founded in 2009 a company that develops custom homes in Cebu. By then, she was confident she had enough knowledge, capital and the support system she needed for Homilee Inc.

RCOA scheme a bright idea, SMEs say

AN official who represents the small and medium enterprises in Cebu welcomes the Department of Energy’s (DOE) initiative of making electricity cheaper, especially for establishments consuming an average of one megawatt (mw) or more.

Almirante: Management prorogative

RESPONDENT Virgilio M. Cagalawan was hired as a disconnection lineman of the petitioner, Misamis Oriental II Electric Service Cooperative (MORESCO II). Later, he was designated as acting head of the disconnection crew of its sub-office in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. In a memorandum dated May 9, 2002, MORESCO II General Manager Amado B. Ke-e transferred Cagalawan to its sub-office in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, “in the exigency of the services.”

Family-owned school to open new branch

ADOPTING a quality teaching strategy has been the inspiration of the Magdadaro family in growing their school business, Asian Learning Center (ALC).

Since the school was founded in 1991 by couple Louella and Gregorio Magdadaro, ALC now has three branches in Lapu-Lapu City and is opening a new branch in Cebu early this May.

‘Put free trade pacts in order’

WITH the delay of the Doha Development Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO), business leaders proposed proper structuring of free trade agreements (FTAs) in promoting market access opportunities among nations.

During the recent 27th Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) conference, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry director for trade and international affairs Bryan Clark presented the relevance of FTAs in advancing multinational business developments.

Local real estate firm sees quick sales in 5 months

FIVE months after the firm’s official announcement that they would venture into real estate, homegrown firm Worldwide Central Properties Inc. (WCPI) announced yesterday they have already sold 40 percent of the first tower of their flagship project, Sundance Residences.

Most of the units sold since they started pre-selling last December are one-bedroom units bought mostly by local buyers within the project’s location in Banawa, WCPI president Kent Ong said.

Health drink distributor eyes Japan

ORGANIQUE Inc., the exclusive distributor of Acai Berry drinks in the country, is banking on Japan's health-conscious market to achieve growth in Asia.

The company recently invested P2 million to set up an office in Japan for customer support and warehousing.

Ng: Losing Google Reader

ONE of the things I will surely miss is Google Reader, which will reportedly cease to exist starting July 1.

For a person who reads a lot—so much so that I even read food labels while having breakfast—Reader has been one of my favorite app in the past few years.

I.Protect: International brands

Clint Fabiosa & Ana Liza Villamor

IN THE case of Fresco Manufacturing Corp. vs. Harvard University (G.R. No. 185917, June 1, 2011), the Supreme Court enumerated some of the brands that have been considered by authorities in the Philippines to be internationally well-known pursuant to Article 6bis of the Paris Convention for the protection of Industrial Property.

Target: Apec in Cebu in 2015

CEBU is vying to become the host venue for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in 2015, a business leader announced.

Leisure facility to cater to tourists in South Cebu

CONVINCED that the Southern part of Cebu would be the next getaway for tourists, a Dutch investor with hotel operations abroad decided to put up a leisure facility in the town of Oslob.

Leo Regeer, together with his local business partner Grace Garcia, opened Seafari Resort, a 5,000 square-meter facility in Tan-awan, Oslob last month to complement the booming influx of tourists in the area.

PSE introduces online trading platform

ONLINE investors in the stock market can now make use of their mobile smartphones and tablets when entering and monitoring orders online after the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) rolled out its online trading platform called PSETradex.

CFIF hopes for a wellspring in Tubod

A LOCAL furniture support organization has launched its first marketing platform specifically tailored for the domestic furniture and furnishings market.

At a press conference last Tuesday, the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, Inc. (CFIF) announced that it will host TUBOD: The Philippines’ Ultimate Domestic Furniture Trade Show, on June 6 to 8 in the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu City, together with the 24th Visayas PhilConstruct Show.

BIR fails to meet revenue targets

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) 13 Cebu City failed to meet its tax revenue collection target of P2.6 billion in the first two months this year.

Its actual collection from January to February was at P2.5 billion, 4.76 percent deficient from its target.

Company launches sea tours on board yellow submarine

HOPING to introduce a new kind of attraction to tourists, a company recently introduced the country’s first tourist submarine.

The Cebu Yellow Submarine and Undersea Tour Corp. announced yesterday that they received the authority certificate of accreditation from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) last week and that they are now accepting passengers to go on trips aboard the Cebu Yellow Submarine.

Biz leaders call for sustaining momentum

ALTHOUGH expressing confidence on the Philippine’s first investment grade credit rating, local business officials are calling for government to address barriers that may impact on sustaining that achievement.

PLDT expands coverage of fiber-to-home network

PLDT is rapidly expanding its fiber-to-the-home network, bringing ultra-fast broadband connection to over 300 residential subdivisions all over the country.

“The fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband connection enables PLDT to offer customers triple play services that provide not just access for voice and data but also allow seamless streaming of high quality video,” said PLDT EVP and Head of Home Ariel Fermin.

Digital Leaders Bootcamp

THE Cebu E-Commerce Summit that took place last March 23 was a success. I am very happy with the quality of speakers and participants who joined us in the event.

Landbank, Knowledge Channel sign education program deal

THE Land Bank of the Philippines recently partnered with the Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) for the Gawad e-Dukasyon Program, an initiative geared towards renewing enthusiasm for the agricultural sector and promoting financial literary, especially among students. This forms part of Landbank’s campaign towards agri-aquapreneurship to shift the perception of agriculture and fisheries, from being a traditional means of livelihood to a profitable business venture.

BIR introduces electronic forms

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) introduced to taxpayers in Cebu yesterday an alternative and more convenient mode of preparing tax returns.

HP provides context to ‘big data’

HP announced yesterday new offerings that enable organizations to gain actionable security intelligence from “big data” through unique contextual understanding to better detect and prevent threats.

Organizations can automatically apply sentiment analysis and event information to their big data and security event platforms to gain real-time visibility into the internal and external threat landscape.

Globe top finalist in Telecom Asia Awards

GLOBE Telecom has been recognized as one of the top finalists in the prestigious Telecom Asia Awards, garnering the most number of nominations among Philippine telco contenders with four finalist citations.

Smart plan ‘makes LTE more affordable to consumers’

SMART Communications, Inc. (Smart) has made it easier for Filipino mobile users to experience the power of Long Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity as it makes two of its LTE-enabled smartphones more affordable, the company said in a statement.

According to Smart Postpaid Business Head Kathy Carag, the Android-powered ZTE T82 and Huawei Ascend D1 smartphones are now available for free or for a one-time cash-out of P4,500, respectively, with a Smart All-In Plan 800.

Tax notes: BIR ITR filing guidelines

IN REVENUE Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 27-2013, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued the following guidelines in the filing of income tax returns (ITR) – BIR Form 1702 (for corporations and partnerships), BIR Form 1700 (for individuals earning purely compensation income), and BIR Form 1701 (for individuals engaged in business/practice of professions):

1) Mandatory attachment to BIR Forms 1701 and 1702

Vacancy rate at low 2.8%: report

EVEN with a high supply of office space in Metro Cebu, the vacancy rate in 2012 was still at a low 2.8 percent, Colliers International reported. This is a drop from the 5.5 percent rate recorded in 2011.

Colliers attributes the decline to a strong demand for centralized locations such as the Cebu Park District.

DOT to hold information campaign on Asean 2015 integration: official

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 said it will conduct a massive information campaign to make Asean 2015 integration known among tourism stakeholders.

Coal Asia reserves for 400-hectare area valued at P4.1B

COAL Asia Holdings, Inc. has updated the evaluation of its mineable coal reserves within 400 hectares of its coal operating contract (COC) area in Davao Oriental, which is three percent of the total coal concession area of 13,000 hectares. The reserves represent an estimated enterprise value of P4.1 billion at current coal prices to the company.