...the rescue assistants

Filipino medical teams to assist Japan quake victims

abs-cbnNEWS.com

03/12/2011

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) is now organizing elite Filipino medical teams who will be deployed to help earthquake victims in Japan.

PMA President Dr. Oscar Tinio said he already ordered Committee Chairman Dr. Antonio Cabigas to form elite medical teams composed of volunteer medical specialists in the fields of surgery, emergency medicine, anesthesiology, pediatrics, among others, to attend to the needs of victims of the 8.9 magnitude quake in Japan.

"The committee was tasked to mobilize our members nationwide to help address medical emergencies in times of disasters and emergencies," Tinio said in a statement.

Tinio added that they are now coordinating with the Japan Medical Association (JMA) to work out ways on how it can lend a hand.

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III gave his assurance to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan that the Philippines is ready to extend any support and assistance within its capability.

"We are therefore proposing to our government the immediate creation of a joint Public-Private Sector Philippine Contingent on Health that we can send anytime to Japan," he added.

Also on Saturday, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) said it will also deploy 97 personnel to help in the search and rescue operations in Japan.

...the historic export

Electronics exports hit record high

Rise in investments drove up shipments in 2010

By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
 03/11/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Investments in the local electronics sector hit a record $2.3 billion last year, driving exports to reach $31.1 billion, also the highest in the industry’s history.

In a briefing yesterday, Seipi president Ernesto Santiago said electronics exports had the potential to grow by at least 10 percent a year and could hit the $50-billion mark by 2016.

Last year, electronics exports accounted for 61 percent of the country’s merchandise exports. Of the $31.1-billion total, 71 percent came from semiconductors and 23.4 percent from electronic data processing or computer-related products, Santiago said.

In terms of employment, the electronics industry provided jobs to an additional 25,000 people in 2010, he added.

According to the industry rule of thumb, each direct job in the electronics industry gave rise to seven indirect jobs. This meant that the industry provided livelihood to an additional 175,000 individuals last year.
As the industry continued to expand, he said it would be possible for engineers in Libya to be repatriated and given jobs in the country.

“There’s a possibility of hiring engineers from Libya, if they will be qualified. There may also be (information technology) engineers who can be absorbed by the local industry,” Santiago said.

To ensure that the projected growth of the industry materializes, however, yearly investments must reach at least $2 billion, Santiago said.

Just three months into the year, Seipi chair Dan Lachica said hitting the $2-billion investment level this year was highly possible, considering that there were already more than $200 million in investments committed by two industry players.

Lachica related how Toshiba recently committed to invest $100 million to expand its operations in the country.

First Philec, a Lopez company where Lachica serves as chief executive, will also be investing $104 million for a new joint venture with Korean company Nexolon.

The new company, to be called First Philec Nexolon Corp., will perform the same functions as First Philec Solar Corp., but will serve the requirements of Nexolon instead of American firm Sunpower.

“We need to expand capacity to boost exports. To do this, we need to promote the Philippines, enhance the competitiveness of Filipinos, lower the cost of power, and make a conducive environment for business to grow,” Santiago explained.

...the Globe

Globe reinforces Filipino innovation with CodeSpark 2011 (The Philippine Star) March 12, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom is bringing back CodeSpark, a program that encourages Filipino developers to exhibit their ability and creativity in designing and innovating applications for the mobile phone.

Globe is once again partnering with Nokia Philippines in reinforcing Filipino talent and ingenuity and showcasing local technological innovations to the international market.

Through the CodeSpark program, developers get the chance to build innovative applications for the Nokia platform and distribute their creations through Globe and Nokia’s Ovi Store.

For this year’s CodeSpark program, Globe and Nokia Philippines have also partnered with Forum Nokia, the global developer program that provides developers with tools, technical information, support, and distribution channels that they can use to build and sell innovative, world-class applications.

Nokia will be awarding $1,000 for every successful application that will be published on the Ovi Store.

The CodeSpark program is spearheaded by Globe Labs, a department in Globe created in 2008 to immerse the company and its different partners with technologies.

Globe Labs aims to identify and develop applications across fixed and wireless networks that can be commercially introduced. It helps bring in the latest information and communication technologies at the earliest market-relevant time to consumers.

“We are delighted by the response we received when we launched the program last year. This year, it will be even bigger and more challenging for Filipino developers as we seek for fresh concepts and ideas for mobile applications that will cater to the local preference of the market and engage them to download away,” said Blue de Venecia, head of Globe Labs.

“Implementing the CodeSpark program is very much aligned with our plans of strengthening our mobile data business this year. Through CodeSpark, our consumers will enjoy new and exciting mobile phone applications developed for the Filipino, by the Filipino,” De Venecia added.

CodeSpark 2011 is open to developers - individuals, groups, companies or members of the academe. The applications should be built using QT or Java MIDP platform. Game applications to be developed must be educational in nature.

Applications should connect to the Internet via GPRS, 3G or HSDPA to deliver all or part of its core functionality or use at least one of Globe services — SMS, MMS, LBS or Voice.

Interested developers who wish to register should include their outlines for the application they wish to develop.

Submitted application proposals will be evaluated and approved by Globe, Nokia Philippines and Forum Nokia based on the following criteria: (1) Stickiness, applications’ ability to cause users to return to use it often as part of life’s routines; (2) Relevance, applications that are locally relevant to the target audience, geographically and demographically; (3) Uniqueness, applications that are not currently available in the Ovi Store; and (4) Fun and Cool.

Once proposal for application is approved, qualified developers will be advised to create an Ovi Store Publisher Account to be approved by Nokia.

Presentation of applications proposal for review will happen on March 15, April 1 and May 2. The applications should by then be functioning and installable on actual devices.

Publication of the applications on Nokia’s Ovi Store is on May 31 and at the myGlobe Free Apps for six months, making the applications available to Globe subscribers for free.

...the orchid

Singapore names orchid after Aquino

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/12/2011


SINGAPORE—Singapore on Friday named an orchid with bright golden yellow petals after President Benigno Aquino, an honor accorded to visiting heads of state.

The island-state's National Parks Board named the orchid Ascocenda Benigno S. Aquino in a ceremony at the Singapore National Orchid Garden on Friday morning.

"This is a vigorous and free flowering hybrid. It bears flowering sprays with 10 to 12 flowers each. The flowers are 7 to 8 cm across. Petals and sepals are bright golden yellow with many distinct reddish-brown spots and tessellations," the board said in a statement.

Aquino's late revered mother, former President Corazon Aquino, also had an orchid named after her but it was not in bloom this season.

Aquino returned to Manila late on Friday night after cancelling a tour of the Changi International airport in the afternoon to oversee the preparations for any eventuality after a massive earthquake hit Japan and produced tsunami alerts throughout the Pacific basin.

...the right track

Philippines back in business, Aquino tells investors

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/12/2011

SINGAPORE—We’re back in business.

Saying that he intends to be “the complete opposite” of what his predecessor represented, President Aquino on Saturday invited the business leaders of Singapore to invest in the Philippines as it begins to rise to new economic heights.

Speaking at the Singapore Business Federation-International Enterprise Singapore Eminent Leaders Lecture, Aquino cited the Philippines’ growth rate of 7.3 percent last year, economic reforms, and the sense of “optimism” that the 2010 election engendered to entice investors to the country.

“I invite the Singaporean business community to take part in this wonderful opportunity as the Philippines rises to the sky … We are here, and are ready to reclaim our rightful place in the community of nations,” Aquino said at the forum held at the Shangri-La Hotel.

Rewards

“Partnering with us holds both tangible and intangible rewards; it means also a commitment to lifting the lives of a people who only recently had learned how to dream again,” he said.

Among the business leaders present were Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang, Keppel Corp chief executive officer and Philippine-Singapore Business Council co-chair Choo Chia Beng, and businessman Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

“In the past eight months, we passed a national budget on time for the first time in the past 11 years. Our Department of Budget and Management generated more than P250 million in funds by terminating more than ten agencies and programs that were no longer delivering intended outcomes,” Aquino told the businessmen.

“Already our efforts are bearing fruit. The Philippine growth rate of 7.3 percent is its highest in the last 30 years. Continued growth in my country will be fueled by investments that are already coming in from both domestic and foreign sources,” he said.

Aquino said that economic growth had also been brought about by the optimism engendered by the change of leadership after the 2010 elections.

Sense of optimism

“I guess the sense of optimism then expressed [in 2009] was that there is going to be a change in the leadership and 2010 did produce I hope the complete opposite of what my predecessor represented,” he said.

“For too long a time, my people have been deprived of hope. They birthed, fueled and supported my campaign, resulting in a mandate, and a renewed sense of hope and commitment. And now, no one doubts the simple truth that we are addressing the core obstacles toward national advancement,” he added.

‘Path to progress’

Aquino said reforms have been set in the military, “where faulty procurement practices have robbed our soldiers of decent equipment and dignified living standards;” in the judiciary, “where Lady Justice’s scales have tipped toward the privileged few; and all across the bureaucracy, where a lack of integrity and competence has been the norm, rather than the exception.”

The President added that the country’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme in infrastructure projects and the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and electronics industries promise to take the nation “further on the path to progress.”

Choo said the business community in Singapore welcomed the new administration’s “emphasis on transparency and competition for projects under the PPP scheme.

“This is key as investors look for clarity and transparency in such projects. For Singapore companies investing in the Philippines, it is very critical that the law and the courts have credibility and I would urge the President to ensure that,” Choo said.

“I understand that the Philippines is expected to launch a large number of projects this year nationwide and this sends a strong signal that the government is taking proactive measures to ensure the country’s economic growth is sustainable in the long term,” he said.

Good infrastructure

Good infrastructure is a vital support for business activity and growth. We look forward to the government’s plans to establish an improved transportation network both in Manila and throughout the country,” he added.

Aquino said there were other initiatives to improve the business environment in the Philippines were also underway.

“We are finalizing the details of an executive order that will liberalize the entry of foreign carriers in a way that will not decimate our local carriers … Under this order, we will allow foreign carriers to fly into key destinations in the Philippines,” he said.

...the incubator business

PH university breaks new ground in business incubation

By Ira Pedrasa,

abs-cbnNEWS.com

03/10/2011


HYDERABAD, India - Noting the downtrend in the interest in agriculture among the youth, the Nueva Ecija-based Central Luzon State University (CLSU) will implement an initiative that will help agri-entrepreneurs start their own businesses.

On the sidelines of the Global Agri-Business Incubation Conference of the Network of Indian Agri-Business Incubation, CLSU President Ruben Sevilleja said the university will spearhead the agriculture and food-based Technology Business Incubator (TBI).

TBI is patterned after the Agri-Business Incubation model of the Hyderabad-based International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat). The model is aimed at facilitating competitive agri-business enterprises through technology development and commercialization.

Icrisat, which is led by Director General William Dar, conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Icrisat’s approach is aimed at food security.

"A lot of the TBIs we have in the Philippines are focused on the information technology (IT) sector,” Sevilleja said.

CLSU is the first in the country to focus on an initiative that is agriculture and food-based, he added. Its TBI is supported by a P29 million initial grant from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The ABI concept developed by Icrisat emphasizes the importance of "mentoring." Potential entrepreneurs are provided assistance, from business planning to the actual marketing of a product.

"Dr. William Dar has actually offered to assist us in implementing the TBI. We will be discussing the possibility of securing technical assistance from Icrisat," said Sevilleja.

Eduardo G. Marzan, Jr., TBI project leader, said the university will announce by March the first batch of TBI "incubatees.” The TBI willl focus on 8 farm and food products, including rice, goat and tilapia.

He noted the concept has already been incorporated in the university's agriculture and fisheries curricular program to show students the income potential from agri-based ventures.

"We want to develop new entrepreneurs in agriculture and fisheries who will not look for jobs after graduation but hopefully put up their own businesses," said Sevilleja.

He noted that the university saw a decline in the agriculture courses.

He said the youth is reluctant of tapping the industry because of a supposed lack in employment opportunities.

...the billionare's club

Andrew Tan, Enrique Razon join list of world billionaires

abs-cbnNEWS.com

 03/10/2011

MANILA, Philippines - The country's mall magnate Henry Sy and tobacco king Lucio Tan remained among the world's richest, while Andrew Tan and Enrique Razon joined the elite billionaires list this year, according to Forbes Magazine.

Rising from the 201st place in 2010, Sy and his family ranked 173rd in Forbes' list of super-rich this year with a net worth of $5.8 billion.

The Sys control SM Investments Corp., which owns the Philippines' largest mall operator and bank. The conglomerate has expanded into China, leasing malls, and ventured into gaming with a $350-million casino to open in Manila soon.

Tan and his family, on the other hand, moved up to the 512th slot from 582nd previously, as their combined net worth reached $2.3 billion. The Lucio Tan group has investments in flag carrier Philippine Airlines, beer maker Asia Brewery, and cigarette manufacturer Fortune Tobacco, which merged with another giant Philip Morris recently. The group also has mining projects and a property in Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, businessmen Andrew Tan and Enrique Razon are new additions to the billionaires list. Their net worths were $2.2 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively.

Tan owns Alliance Global Group Inc., which is engaged in real estate and tourism, food and beverage and quick service restaurants.

Razon heads port operator International Container Terminal Services, whose profits almost doubled in the past year thanks to the uptick in global trade.

...the tiniest teen

22 inches tall Philippines teen to be crowned world's shortest man

 

By ANI

Thu, Mar 10, 2011

 

London, March 10 (ANI): A 17-year-old teenager in Philippines, who might only be slightly taller than a glass bottle, is all set to break big world records.

Junrey Balawing will soon be crowned the world's smallest man, standing at a mere 22 inches.

The minuscule man from Zamboanga del Norte is just the same size as a one-year-old.

And when he celebrates his 18th birthday in June he is expected to shave five inches of the current Guinness World Record.

He struggles to walk and can't stand for long, but he looks forward to wearing the crown with pride.

'If I were the smallest man in the world, it would be very cool," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

His mother, Concepcion, 35, says she noticed something was wrong as Junrey approached the age of two but no doctor was able to help.

"He was always sick and we noticed he wasn't growing so we took him to see a doctor but they were baffled," she said.

When Junrey was 12 the family took him back to the doctor but their only advice was to take more vitamins, which the family couldn't afford.

"I would love to be able to work while my other children are at school but I can't leave Junrey. He needs my care every minute of every day.

"Junrey can only walk with some help and he can't stand for too long because he's in too much pain. But he loves it when I tell him he's the smallest man in the world, he just smiles with pride," she added.

Based on the Guinness Book of Records, the current smallest man in the world is 24-year-old Niqo Hernandez of Colombia, standing at 27 inches. (ANI)

...the human cross

UST bids for world's largest human cross

abs-cbnNEWS.com

03/10/2011

MANILA, Philippines - Students and teachers of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) observed Ash Wednesday in a unique way--by forming a large human cross in front of the campus grandstand in Manila.

The UST community did so in a bid to be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest human cross.

Although there is no official record yet of the number of participants, it seems that UST may have already made the world record, judging by the huge crowd which took part in the event.

The largest human cross listed in the Guinness Book of World Records was made in May 2010 at the Oslo Opera House in Norway. A total of 935 participants took part in making a giant red cross to symbolize the Red Cross.

Organizers estimate that at least 24,000 people took part in UST's largest human cross bid on Wednesday, which would clearly make the world record a cinch for the university.

But they clarified that although they are after the world record, the true aim of the activity is to symbolize penance and communal prayer.

On Ash Wednesday, Catholics have their foreheads marked with a cross using ash.
Even if the students had to stand and wait a long time under the heat of the sun, they did not complain as they were aware of the significance of their participation.

In December 2010, UST formed a human rosary participated in by thousands of its students. UST, however, did not submit details of that event to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The largest human cross is UST's first bid for a Guinness. -- Report from Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News

...the coco exporters

PH targets Top 3 place
in global coco coir exports

BY IRMA ISIP

Malaya Business Insight

09 March 2011

The Philippines hopes to make it to the top three of the world’s leading coconut coir exporters by harnessing the material’s potential for industrial use.

"While we have abundant supply of coconut husk, we lack decorticating machines and farm-to-market roads to facilitate processing of coco coir into high-value products,"

Merly Cruz, trade undersecretary for the regional operations, said.

Because of this, coconut husks are usually thrown away.

"We are exploring a scenario where Philippine coco coir gets a better market share in the world market while sustainably positioning itself in the domestic market," Cruz said.

The Philippines is No. 5 in the export of coco coir after India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia. "We want to move up to No. 3," she said.

The domestic market for coco coir was given a boost when Memorandum Circular 25 was issued in 2002
The circular mandates the Department of Public Works and Highways to use coconut-based materials (such as coco coir and coconets) in construction of infrastructure like bridge approaches to strengthen the soil and to prevent erosion.

It also mandates the use of geotextile or coconet to control soil erosion as well as coco dust and coconut fiber materials for soil conditioning and erosion control.

Cruz said the government is working with the DPWH to validate the requirements each year. This way, the government would be able to monitor compliance.

Cruz said coco coir is in big demand in China and Japan.

For example, coco coir (not twined but rubberized) can be exported to China for use in the manufacture of mattresses.

"China needs 100 million mattresses per year," Cruz said.

Coco coir is being exported for various applications such as upholstery, molds/pots and twines, but Cruz said the Philippines should target higher-value products to be more profitable.

Husks are used in hydroponic farming as well as beddings for animals in Japan.

Coco dust is used as planting beds as it helps regulate the release of fertilizer in the soil.

Cruz said the number of coconut farms is dwindling because of the demand for housing.

"We need to expand our coconut farms and make them productive. We need to fertilize and replant. This is the thrust now," she said.

The issues are expected to be addressed when the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Philippine Coco Coir Export Producers Association hold a summit in Davao City on March 30 to craft a master plan for coco coir industry.

The country remains as the world’s leading supplier of traditional coconut products. It is the top producer of copra cake and coconut oil.

However, due to copra price fluctuations in the world market that make coconut farmers vulnerable, production has expanded to other value-adding products as such coco charcoal, activated carbon, coco coir, coco peat and coco virgin oil.

Coco coir and coco peat are among the promising coco-based products with huge market potential due to their wide array of uses and eco-friendly qualities.

The country has more than 50 coco coir producers.

The Philippines is way behind India in coir production despite its large potential for fiber production with only 14 percent share of the world market.

Major markets of coir from the Philippines include China South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Australia, the United States, Canada and Britain.

The coconut husk is made of bristle fiber (10 percent), mattress fiber (20 percent) and coir dust and shorts or wastes (70 percent).

The abundance of fiber provides a good, stable supply for cottage industries that make brushes, doormats, carpets, bags, ropes, yarn fishing nets, and mattresses.

Coir fiber can also be used as substitute for jute in making rice, copra, sugar and coffee bags and sandbags. It is also suitable for making pulp and paper.

Wall boards are made from coir dust and short fibers. No binding materials are needed as lining is inherent in the coconut husk. Also, coco wall boards are termite-proof because creosote is present in the new material. The board produced is as good as narra, plywood or masonite.

Coir yarn, coir rope, bags, rugs, husk decors, husk polishes, mannequin wigs, brushes, coirflex, and fishnets are other products that can be made from coco husk. From coco dust come coco gas, lye insulators, insoflex and plastic materials.

Coconuts are abundant in the Davao region, Bicol region, Eastern Visayas (Samar and Leyte), and Southern Tagalog, but not all have enough processing plants for coco coir.

This year, coconut production will hit 2.415 million metric tons in copra terms.

Statistics posted on the website of the Philippine Coconut Authority show that of the 12 million hectares of farmlands, 3.1 million hectares are devoted to coconut.

The country has about 324 million coconut trees, 85 percent of which are considered productive.
There are 3.5 million coconut farmers.

...the financial literacy rate

Filipinas score well in financial literacy

BY DIANE CLAIRE J. JIAO

BusinessWorld Online Edition
March 9, 2011

FILIPINAS can boast of better financial literacy compared to women in other Asia-Pacific countries but their investment knowledge remains a weakness, a MasterCard survey released yesterday showed.

The Philippines was ranked seventh among 14 countries in the region, according to the payment firm’s Worldwide’s Index of Financial Literacy of Women, issued to coincide with the observance of Women’s Month.

The index, based on a survey of consumers, measured skills in basic money management, financial planning and investment.

Out of a possible 100, the Philippines scored 68.2 in overall financial literacy, higher than the regional mark of 65.7. Thailand, however, led the pack with 73.9, followed by New Zealand (71.3) and Australia (70.2). Vietnam (70.1), Singapore (69.4) and Taiwan (68.7) also ranked higher than the Philippines.

India (61.4), China (60.1), Japan (59.9) and Korea (55.9) languished at the bottom of the index. They were the only countries below the regional score for overall financial literacy.

Filipino women ranked fifth in terms of financial planning, or their knowledge of financial products and services, and their ability to make long-term plans for financial needs.

The Philippines also ranked sixth in the Asia Pacific based on basic money management, which includes budgeting, saving and responsible credit usage.

However, the country fell behind when it came to investment knowledge, which measures the basic understanding of investment risks, investment products and the necessary investment skills.

The Philippines was only ninth with a score of 55.6, lower than the region’s 56.7.

Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan credited this to the small amounts of money women handle in the household.

"They don’t have opportunities to explore investments because all the money is devoted to the basic necessities of the family," she told BusinessWorld.

"The stock and capital markets are also perceived as the domain of men because they are thought of as more aggressive and better trained."

However, she said Filipino women still had a lot of potential in terms of improving financial literacy.

"There is an increase in women-headed households. It is no longer enough if only the man is working. When women have their own livelihood, they get the knowledge to handle money," Ms. Ilagan explained.

"Women are also heading outside the country for overseas work, and they become exposed to more sophisticated financial instruments."

MasterCard said it was committed to empowering women by improving their financial literacy and preparing them for the increasingly complex financial world.

"This new MasterCard Index has certainly provided us with fresh insights to women’s aptitude for ... managing their finances," said Georgette Tan, MasterCard Worldwide vice-president for communications in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, in a statement.

"While it is encouraging to see that women across Asia Pacific have some degree of financial literacy, it is also apparent that there is still work to be done to improve levels across the board," she added.

The survey was conducted between Sept. 13 and Nov. 11, 2010 in the following countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

...the beauty for a cause

Beauty titlist, artist’s widow promote cancer awareness

March 9, 2011

Manila Bulletin

CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) – Celebrities, including the widow of an artist and a beauty titlist, were in Cebu Tuesday to advocate for cervical cancer vaccination as part of the celebration of the International Women’s Day.

Every day, 12 Filipinas die of cervical cancer, the second leading cause of female mortality in the country.

Women representatives from the different barangays in Cebu City, who were mostly garbed in pink, trooped to Cebu city hall to join the celebration as they listened to Pia Magalona, the wife of the late artist Francis Magalona, and Bb. Pilipinas Universe Abbygale Arenas.

Francis Magalona died of leukemia or cancer of the blood, a form of cancer that does not have a vaccine or treatment.

Pia said at least cervical cancer has a vaccine unlike any other cancer.

Girls as young as 10 years old can be vaccinated.

”For young girls between 15 and 25 years old, long lasting protection is necessary because this is when they will be the most prone to the HPV (human papillomavirus) virus,” a press release read.

HPV or human papillomavirus causes cervical cancer. There are about 100 types of HPV with 15 causing cervical cancer.

Both men and women can be carriers of HPV, which can spread through sexual intercourse, skin-to-skin contact of the genitals and prolonged exposure to objects with the virus.

Arenas and Pia are going around the country advocating for vaccination.

Dr. Belinda Panares of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City said the vaccine costs an average of P2,500 for every shot. Women need three shots to be cervical cancer-free for a lifetime.

Panares said the cost may scare women whose main concern is putting food on the table, but she said the cost of treatment for cancer would reach hundreds of thousands with radiation and chemotherapy.

Derrick Sim of Glaxo-SmithKline, a drug company, said the price of cervical cancer vaccine has been lowered by 60 percent two years ago.

There is no immediate symptom for cervical cancer.

A woman may have cervical cancer and know about it five years later and two-thirds of the time, this is already too late, said Panares.

Symptoms include lesions in the cervix, bleeding, foul discharges and physical pain for severe cases.
Sim of GlaxoSmith Kline believes that if the government subsidizes the vaccine, it would become widespread.

Brave Hearts Foundation, Arenas’s group, is campaigning for a cervical cancer free country.

...the exporters

Philexport to double exports to $100 B

By EDU LOPEZ

March 8, 2011

 MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) is aiming to double exports to over $100 billion in five years by 2016 from last year's total merchandise exports of $ 51.3 billion.

The target quantifies the goal of the newly approved three-year Philippine Export Development Plan (PDEP) drawn up by private and public sector leaders under the Export Development Council (EDC).

"The target is modest in comparison to last year's 33.1 percent jump. It aims to post an 11 percent year-on-year growth between now and 2013 as the sector gets back its' bearings," said EDC vice chairman Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr. and concurrent Philexport president.

"Faster growth is expected to take off between 2014 and 2016 when we put in place an agro-industrial development program for the resource-based industries," said Ortiz-Luis.

The new plan has made major adjustments in strategy in the fields of policy directions, product development, marketing and promotions in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 global recession.

It took full consideration of the fact that the full recovery of the export sector last year was driven by dramatic hikes in imports by Asian countries whose economies proved more dynamic than the country's traditional markets in Europe and the United States whose imports from Philippines continued to decline.

In the immediate term, the new strategies will be funded by pooling the promotional budget resources of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture, the Board of Investments, the special economic zones and the Department of Agriculture into a synchronized and orchestrated investment and trade promotions offensive.

This will be done as stakeholders work for the establishment of a National Export Development and Competitiveness (NEDAC) fund patterned after the Export Support Fund granted once by the past administration and administered by the EDC and the DTI at the height of the two-year global recession.

...the chess master

PH's Barbosa finishes 2nd in Brunei chess tourney

abs-cbnNEWS.com

03/08/2011

MANILA, Philippines – Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) silver medalist and Filipino International Master (IM) Oliver Barbosa finished in a tie for 2nd to 5th places in the Brunei 2011 International Master Chess Tournament held in Brunei Darussalem.

The 24-year-old Barbosa, whose stint was backed by National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr., joined Vietnamese Grandmaster (GM) Nguyen Anh Dung, Jahongir Vakhidovm and Brunei's promising player FIDE Master (FM) Yee Soon Wei, with 6 points each.

The tournament ran from February 27 to March 3.

Pichay hailed Barbosa’s triumph.

"Naniniwala po tayo na makukuha ni Oliver (Barbosa) ang kanyang pinaka mimithing GM title. Full support ang NCFP sa kanyang pangarap na maging pinakabagong grandmaster ng bansa," he said.

Barbosa, the multi-titled campaigner from Rizal, finished strongly by winning his last four matches, including his penultimate round encounter against highly-rated GM Pavel Kotsur of Kazakhstan.

Uzbek IM Khamrakulov Dzhurabek won the tournament with 6.5 points despite losing his 1st round match against Barbosa.

Another Pinoy IM, Kim Steven Yap from Cebu City, finished 7th with 5 points here in the tournament. Viet IM Nguyen Van Huy with 5.5 points finished 6th.

Last December, Barbosa, next in line in the long list of talented Filipino IMs hoping to become a GM this year, shared first place with Georgian GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili in the ASEAN Championship held in Singapore. – By Marlon Bernardino

...the food reseach center

Int'l research center pushes agribiz to remedy food shortage

 

 

03/08/2011 |

GMATv.net

 

To counter the effects of climate change and stave off a possible global food shortage, the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) wants agri-business incubation programs created in vulnerable countries like the Philippines.

On tuesday, ICRISTAT Director-General and former Philippine Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that the Philippines might be hard hit by the skyrocketing prices of food and fuel in coming months.

"Since the Philippines is already vulnerable to the vagaries of extreme climate change, the increase in the food and fuel price will serve to exacerbate a situation that may culminate in a 'perfect storm', an economic upheaval that is rooted in the scarcity of good sources," Dar told reporters at the first Global Agri-business Incubation Conference in Patancheru, Hyderabad.

The conference presented agri-business incubation as an alternative to the ever rising demand for food in developing as well as developed nations.

The businesses tabled for incubation included dryland crop propagation, mostly of legumes such as pigeon peas, peanuts, sorghum, pearl millet, and chickpeas.

The incubation program focused on the agriculture, horticulture, veterinary, fisheries, dairy, agri-engineering and cotton and jute technology sectors.

In the Philippines, several pilots sites for field trials for suited-varieties of sorghum and improved hybrids of pigeon and chickpeas have been identified by the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the government's Agriculture Department.

Local farmers who are already cultivating chickpeas may benefit from the value-added potential of chickpeas under the incubation program.

India has already expressed interest in the potential chickpea surplus if the Philippines starts producing the crop in 2011.

A massive propagation of chickpeas in the Philippines —the culmination of a three-year research project by the Institute— may be initially tapped to serve the domestic market but later surplus may be exported to countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.

At present, the Philippines' supply of chickpeas is outsourced as there is no active propagation of the crop locally. Institute data shows that as much as 745,000 metric tons of chickpeas were mported over the last decade with an annual estimated value of almost $500,000.

The Philippines is also looking into developing sweet sorghum as a possible food and fuel alternative.

Research conducted at the Mariano Marcos State University in conjunction with the Institute showed that sweet sorghum is a potential source of bio-ethanol, a fuel alternative. The grains, on the other hand, can be made into cereals.

Dar said that the Philippine government should shift its emphasis away from rice and corn as the country's food staples.

"It maybe of sound judgement if the Philippines should also cultivate dryland crops like chickpea, pigeon pea and sorghum for these are not just protein-rich, climate-ready ready crops, they are also excellent high value export crops. These crops can feed the country and earn revenue at the same time," Dar said. — TJD, GMA News

...the apps creator

Cebu studes create app that dials names By Jessica Ann Pareja (The Philippine Star) March 07, 2011

Calling through SpellDial’s website, www.spelldial.com, also saves kilobytes of the phone’s memory to store contact information, says SpellDial lead creator Joseph Albert Padin.| Zoom

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A group of college students in Cebu has developed an application that allows mobile phone users whose phones can access the Internet to call a person registered in the application site’s database.

The catch, according to SpellDial lead creator Jose Albert Padin, is that the caller need not memorize the person’s number, but just the username of the person being called. Padin said it is often easier to memorize a person’s name than his or her mobile phone number.

Calling through SpellDial’s website, www.spelldial.com, also saves kilobytes of the phone’s memory to store contact information, he said.

“We believe that connecting should be simple and easy. That’s why we made SpellDial. SpellDial allows others to contact you through a name instead of a number. Why do you let people contact you by number when you have a name? With SpellDial, your name could be your number,” SpellDial’s slogan reads.

“I have talked with 100 people and only three of them remember Jollibee’s delivery number. This is because we easily forget numbers. Most of those I have talked with, however, remember the vanity numbers of their favorite fast food (outlets). So we thought that if names are easy to remember, then why dial numbers?” Padin said.

Vanity numbers are phone numbers that spell something on the keypad like “348-MCDO,” which stands for 348-6236, McDonald’s delivery hotline. Vanity numbers are limited to four characters so not all may use it.
With SpellDial, establishments may use their name regardless of how long it is.

Another situation when SpellDial would come in handy, Padin said, is when a mobile phone user loses the phone. What would happen is that the user would have to get in touch with all his contacts either through text or voice call to disseminate a new number. However, if the user is registered under SpellDial, he simply has to update his contact details online.

“In SpellDial, you never lose connection. I have donated my phones at least thrice to snatchers and it was miserable to lose all your contacts,” Padin said.

Getting connected

To register to SpellDial, a mobile phone user can go to the SpellDial website and create an account for free. Once he is registered, his contact details will be saved in the site’s database.

Padin said users need not worry about security because the site provides an option that hides the contact numbers registered. There will also be no duplication of usernames because a username is registered exclusively to one account.

Padin said users can even use special characters if only to make the username unique.

To call a person registered in the database, the user simply has to click the “Use SpellDial” option, which will lead him to the application page. There, the user can type the name of the person in the dial box.
As of last month, SpellDial had active 989 registered users.

Limitations, plans

Padin explained that the application only works for mobile phones that are Internet-capable like iPhones and Android-powered handsets, but the team is optimistic that it can find ways to make the application accessible even to non-Internet phones and even landlines.

“We understand that only some parts of the world have constant Internet access virtually everywhere. So we are also working to develop technology that will allow you to use SpellDial from an ordinary GSM mobile phone or even a PSTN landline. Although we don’t know how long it would take, it could come sooner than you expect. So make sure that you get the SpellDial name that you want before someone else takes it,” said the SpellDial team.

In the Philippines, the number of i-Phone users has reached millions and is expected to grow double or even triple in a few years.

The team

Padin is a fourth-year Information Technology student at the Center for International Education in Cebu City.

With him in the team are Nicole Faye Macarasig, an IT student of STI; Maria Paola Galan, a graduating IT student of the University of San Carlos; Jonina Joy Sharpe, a Mass Communication student of the University of San Jose-Recoletos; David Tangal, a Business Administration graduate of the University of San Carlos; and Kent Jason Tupas, an IT graduate of AMA Computer College. — Freeman News Service

...the reserve

PH international reserves post new high of $64 billion

By Michelle Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
 03/07/2011

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s gross international reserves (GIR) continued to break records and post a new high of $64 billion in February, a development, central bank officials said, should raise anew the level of comfort of foreign investors and creditors with the Philippines.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported on Monday that the GIR, the country's total amount of foreign currencies and gold holdings managed by the BSP, reached $63.95 billion by the end of February.

The amount marked a 40-percent expansion from the $45.76 billion registered as of the same period in 2010. Moreover, the latest GIR was up by 0.6 percent from the previous historic high of $63.54 billion posted as of the end of January.

The latest GIR was enough to cover 10.5 months worth of imported goods and services, and was 6.1 times the country's foreign currency-denominated debts maturing within one year.

International standards say that a comfortable level of GIR is one that is enough to cover for at least four months worth of imports.

The BSP said the increase in the GIR in February was fueled in part by its income from foreign exchange operations and investments in foreign currency-denominated instruments, bulk of which were US treasuries.
Rising cost of gold, likewise, drove the value of the country's gold holdings, which are part of the GIR.

"Major inflows that contributed to the increase in the GIR level consisted of receipts from foreign exchange operations and income from investments abroad, as well as revaluation gains on the BSP's gold holdings arising from sustained increase in gold prices in the international market," BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said in a statement.

Inflows generated from investments, foreign exchange operations, and gold holdings are on top of the inflows from regular sources like remittances, export earnings, and foreign portfolio and direct investments.

BSP officials said the rising reserves of dollars, other foreign currencies, and gold have been building on the confidence of foreign investors and creditors in the country's ability to meet its external obligations.

Last November, credit rating firm Standard & Poor's raised the country's credit rating by a notch, citing partly the country's increasing capability to service obligations through the growing GIR.

In January, rival Moody's Investors Service cited the same thing and enhanced its outlook on the country from "stable" to "positive." The latter indicates a potential credit rating upgrade within the short term.

The country's continually expanding GIR has elicited proposals for the BSP to invest some of the GIR in higher-yielding instruments or ventures.

Currently, the BSP sticks with investing in virtually risk-free assets, such as US treasuries. The reserves are not primarily meant to generate much higher income, but to ensure availability of liquidity when the need for that arises, according to the BSP.

The central bank has projected that by the end of 2011, the GIR will have reached between $68 billion and $70 billion.

...the longest zipline

Tagudin dreams of longest zip line  

By Jo Anne E. Padiernos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03/07/2011

MANILA, Philippines—On his last term, Mayor Roque Verzosa Jr. of Tagudin, Ilocos Sur, wants to put up the longest zip line in Asia.

“This is my sixth year as the mayor of this municipality. That’s why I’m really pushing hard for the 3.41-kilometer zip line to be built in Sitio Alog, Barangay Pallogan,” Verzosa said.

A favorite among adventure junkies, a zip line allows a person attached to a harness to “float” through an inclined cable positioned several meters above the ground.

“I envision Tagudin to be dynamic,” Verzosa said.

Despite transforming Tagudin from a fourth-class municipality (annual income: P25 million-P35 million) to a first-class one (annual income: over P55 million), Verzosa’s dream of a zip line creating a tourism boom is not easy to fulfill.

It will take a leap of faith by a cash-rich businessman to invest in the project before Verzosa can lure adventure enthusiasts to Tagudin.

Partnership

Tough but not impossible. Verzosa’s dream was presented before a gathering of politicians and businessmen on Feb. 9 titled “Bukluran para sa Kaunlaran 2011” (Partnership for Progress).

Versoza and six other local government officials spoke at the meeting at Taipan Place in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, organized by Kaya Natin!, Entrepreneurs’ Organization-Philippines (EO), Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) and World Bank-Knowledge Development Center.

The event allowed local government units (LGUs) to pitch their cities and municipalities to businessmen and invite EO members to invest in their areas.

Stopover

Other officials who spoke at the gathering were Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City; Mayor Cecilia Claire Reyes of Alicia, Isabela; Mayor Gerardo Valmayor of San Carlos City; Mayor Isidro Zayco of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental; Mayor Marivic Belena of San Jose City; and Mayor Gloria Congco of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija.

Verzosa highlighted Tagudin’s location and its potential as a stopover for tourists who are trekking north and are looking to quench their thirst for adventure. The other local government executives gave a similar sales pitch: Come to us. We can help your businesses.

Harvey Keh, Kaya Natin! lead convenor, said the meeting was aimed at bridging efforts.

“LGUs, with good governance and ethical leadership, and businessmen, who are really looking for opportunities for growth, will work together to create jobs and facilitate growth,” he said.

Kaya Natin! is a movement which seeks to promote lasting change and ethical leadership in the country.
The LGUs introduced the demographics of their areas and presented their business policies and procedures, the incentives they provide businessmen, and their natural resources.

Big business

In attendance were not just ordinary businessmen.

“To become a member of EO, you have to gross at least $1 million annually,” Keh said. “And we have 120 members at EO with a combined revenue of about $4 billion,” said EO president Mark Yu, who conceptualized the meeting.

Henry Grageda of the World Bank said he was surprised that the LGUs had their unique niches.

“It is a very encouraging feature that the local government chief executives themselves are quite aware of the investment potential of their areas, and how to make the investor climate and their policies conducive to attract private investors,” he said.

Run like enterprises

Reyes said the event was a good opportunity to market Alicia town in Isabela province, the agricultural trade center of Cagayan Valley region.

“I hope we could attract the businessmen to invest in our municipality. We need feed mills, gas stations, hotels, tourism facilities, and transportation, among other things,” she said. “Because we are autonomous, we try to run our municipalities like a business as well. We need the money for social services for our people.”

EO members are optimistic a partnership can be formed, and investments that generate income and create jobs can be made after seeing the data that the LGUs presented, said Yu, also Seaoil Philippines chief financial officer.

He said trust was the biggest difference of the event. “It does not feel like a political event. There’s a level of comfort among the entrepreneurs and the leaders of municipalities that we can work together,” Yu said.

What the organizers are trying to look for is the fit, Grageda said. “It is our hope that this kind of engagement actually promotes investments in the areas that we opened up today.”

Through Bukluran para sa Kaunlaran 2011, organizers aim to encourage LGUs to curb corruption and create more efficient systems to make their areas more business-friendly for the entrepreneurs who are looking for new possible sites for their businesses, Keh said.

On the side of entrepreneurs, Yu said “it’s about lifting the tide for everyone.”

...the monetary agency

Fitch praises PHL monetary sector, cites fiscal side has to deliver

GMATv.net

03/06/2011

London-based Fitch Ratings is looking at the Philippine monetary sector with a nod of approval, but is at this point frowning upon the nation’s fiscal sector, saying it needs to deliver on budget and revenues.

It has expressed apprehensions over revenue flows and budget discipline for 2011, with the Aquino administration targeting a budget deficit of P310 billion or 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

"Public finances remain the Philippines' key rating weakness, with the revenue-to-GDP ratio well below the median of 21 percent of 'BB' range countries," the rating agency said.

The ratio, known as the revenue effort and an indicator of [a country’s] ability to collect tax as percent of GDP, is expected to improve to 16.3 percent next year from 15.6 percent this year — still missing the 21-percent mark reported by similarly rated countries, however.

Fitch stressed the need for the Philippine government to "deliver its promise of raising revenues while maintaining fiscal discipline in its 2011 budget."

A two-man team from Fitch is visiting the Philippines later this month, according a government official who requested anonymity because he was not allowed to speak on the matter.

The team will meet with officials from revenue raising units of the Aquino administration starting March 28 to get a feel for government’s collection program and its prospects for the year.

The Fitch team will look for ways to make the case for a new Philippine credit rating upgrade, the official said.

Apart from talking to commissioners of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, and Bureau of Treasury, the team will also meet with Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, Socio-economic Planning and National Economic Development Authority chief Cayetano Paderanga Jr., Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, and the heads of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the public-private partnership initiative.

Teams to boost case for an upgrade

To boost the chances of an upgrade, even on the outlook side, the March 28 team will simply be a briefing team, or pre-visit team ahead of another two-man Fitch Ratings team that will start discussing things with government officials.

Last August, Fitch awarded the Philippines with a "BB" rating for its long-term foreign currency obligations with a “stable" outlook indicating the need for more positive developments in the economy for the country to merit more credit upgrades toward the coveted investment grade.

The upgrade could be another "BB" rating but a notch higher in terms of outlook from “stable to “positive," the official said. This would mean a few more notches toward the Triple “’B’ economy" status.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Amando M. Tetangco Jr. earlier said the Philippines has achieved a number of credit positives on with the policy reforms instituted in the aftermath of the 1997 financial crisis. Such reforms, Tetangco said, shielded the economy from the crunch of the recent global recession.

He cited the balance of payments surplus that was supported by remittance from overseas Filipino workers as well as the surge in foreign portfolio and direct investments, the recovery of the export sectors, and the growing receipts from business process outsourcing operation.

These things happened against the backdrop of low and stable inflation and record low interest rates that boosted the GDP to grow at 7.3 percent last year, Tetangco said. — VS/PE, GMA News

..the art and the women

Dipolog women artworks to go on display in Manila, Europe

INQUIRER.net
03/05/2011

MANILA, Philippines—The artworks of four female artists from Dipolog City are set to go on display in Europe.

At the same time, the Dipolog City Information Office said the works of Karen Gamalinda, Lea Abigail B. Prima, Eudesa Laput and Emma B. Prima will also be on exhibit at the Philippine Senate lobby in Manila on March 7.

Their artworks, anchored on the theme “Babaye sa Mindanao” (The Woman of Mindanao), seek to promote positive views about women and the people living in Mindanao. They will be put on display in Europe from May to July.

Gamalinda finished her fine arts degree at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City while Prima obtained her arts degree from the University of the Philippines-Baguio. Both have participated in a number of arts exhibits across the country.

Prima and Laput, meanwhile, are self-made artists who have produced several artworks in different media and on various themes.

...the Davis Cup winner

Filipino bets bounce back, win doubles

 

DAVIS CUP

By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA

March 5, 2011

 

MANILA, Philippines —The Philippines defeated Japan in doubles Saturday to keep its hopes alive in their Davis Cup tie at the Plantation Bay Resort and Spa in Lapu Lapu City, Cebu.

Fil-Americans Cecil Mamiit and Treat Huey downed Hiroki Kondo and Takao Suzuki, 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-2, in a match marred by a freak accident involving the chair umpire.

Abdelraoof Abdulsalam of Kuwait, going down to verify a call midway through the second set, tripped over and landed hard on the court, hurting his knees in the process. He was carried out in a stretcher to a nearby hospital for examination.

After a 15-minute delay, Korean Cha Hun Im was called in to replace the injured Abdulsalam.

After dropping the first two singles last Friday, the Filipinos called on the experienced tandem of Mamiit and Huey against Kondo and Suzuki, playing together for the first time.

The Filipinos easily dominated the first set, dropping only one game, but found themselves in a big fight in the next set which they won via tiebreaker.

The Japanese challenge fizzled out in the third set which Mamiit and Huey won comfortably.

The victory, the country’s first against Japan since 1996, set up the exciting reverse singles pitting Mamiit against Japanese No. 1 Go Soeda and Huey against Tatsuma Ito starting at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Mamiit sees something positive on the horizon.

“It’s almost a replay on what happened in Korea. I just sensed that it is coming back,” said Mamiit, referring to the team’s 3-2 win over South Korea last September after losing the first two singles.

“This is momentous for us to get a point and get into the scoreboard. I knew one match should turn things around,” he added.

The winner of the tie advances in the next round against either Uzbekistan or New Zealand. Uzbekistan leads, 2-0. The loser drops to a relegation tie with a still unnamed opponent.

On Friday, the Filipinos fell prey to their younger Japanese opponents.

Mamiit, who is turning 35 this year, dropped a marathon five-hour, five-set shootout with the 22-year-old Ito. The final score: 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (3), 9-7.

Johnny Arcilla, subbing for Huey, lost in straight sets to Soeda, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.