...the PH mega-casino

Mega-casino set to open in PH next month

 

Agence France-Presse

02/06/2013

 

 

MANILA - A $4 billion mega-casino complex is set to open in the Philippines in mid-March when the first of four franchise-holders starts commercial operations, the parent firm said in a disclosure released Wednesday.

 

 

 

The $1.2 billion Solaire Manila Resorts is one of four gaming operations licenced at Manila's bayside Entertainment City, a government project designed to compete with Macau, Las Vegas and Singapore as a gaming hub.

Boasting 500 hotel rooms set in modern resorts, Solaire will open its doors on March 16, parent company Bloomberry Resorts Corp. said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.

"(We) confirm that (Bloomberry's) Solaire Manila Resorts and Casino has collected the top former operating officers of world-renowned casinos in Las Vegas and other parts of the world," it said in a letter to the exchange.

The February 5 letter, released by the bourse on Wednesday, said these personnel include around 400 Filipinos who have worked in gaming and hotels across the world.

Solaire plans to add 300 more hotel rooms after two years, said Bloomberry, a listed firm controlled by Philippine port tycoon Enrique Razon.

Two other franchise-holders -- one involving Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau gaming tycoon Lawrence Ho as shareholders and another with Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada -- are also building at the complex.

The 100-hectare (247-acre) Entertainment City, a project of the state-owned gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., required each of the franchise-holders to invest at least $1 billion.

A unit of global leisure and entertainment group Genting Hong Kong Ltd. is a key investor in the fourth franchise.

Bloomberry said it could not confirm a local news report that the entire Entertainment City project would generate annual revenues of at least $10 billion by 2017, putting it among the world's gaming big leagues.

Spokesmen for the regulator could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, while Solaire has not responded to AFP's requests for an interview.

 

...the Farmesa's ASPAC regional hub

Argentine company picks PH as its base in Asia

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

02/06/2013

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - Laboratorios Farmesa SAIC, Argentina's biggest manufacturer of savory additives and plant-based ingredients, is set to open a commercial office in the Philippines in the first half of 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

This is said to be the company's first ever venture outside of Argentina.

Philippine Ambassador to Argentina Rey A. Carandang met with Farmesa president Gabriel Pérez last January 25, where the latter confirmed the investment in the Philippines.

Perez said they will invest $3 million in the next two years for the commercial office's operations in the Philippines. The office, which will be named Farmesa Asia Pacific Inc., will serve as the Argentine company's base for its regional expansion.

Agustín Pérez, Farmesa's business development officer, will head the office in Manila. The office will initially employ three to five Filipino employees. There are also has plans to establish a warehouse facility in the Philippines, with future plans to set up a manufacturing plant.

The Farmesa president said the Philippine economy's strong performance, as well as the help of the government, were factors in their decision to choose the Philippines as their base in Asia Pacific.

Perez also noted there are "many affinities and coincidences in terms of both culture and commerce" between the Philippines and Argentina, which made him realize the Philippines is an "ideal bridge" for their operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Farmesa, founded in 1959, is a regional industry leader whose products (emulsifiers, antioxidants, textured soy protein, stabilizers, flavors and aroma, etc.) are mostly derived from soya, as well as from carrageenan and other natural sources.

...the PH growth projection (Barclays, UBS)

Barclays, UBS raise growth projections for PH

By Ronnel W. Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

 

 

 

Barclays Bank has raised its growth forecast for the Philippines in 2013 to 5.9 percent from 5.6 percent, which is still lower than the government’s target range.

Following the better-than-expected growth in 2012, state economic managers are projecting a 6-to-7 percent expansion of the gross domestic product this year.

UBS Securities is more bullish about the Philippines’ growth prospects and revised its own projection to 6.3 percent from 4.5 percent.

In a new report, Barclays said the upward adjustment in its forecast was based “on the expectation of an election-related boost to growth.”

Even then, the London-based bank—in recapping the Philippines’ performance last year—said the country was “show(ing) little sign of slowing.”

The bank observed that strong remittance inflows and a strong consumer confidence supported consumer spending, one of the main drivers of the country’s growth last year.

Barclays took note of statements made by officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas who, after the GDP data was released last week, said the strong growth confirmed the belief that the economy needed very little support from monetary policy.

“We agree, and we expect a 25-basis point rate hike in the fourth quarter,” Barclays said. “Apart from the Philippines, Malaysia is the only other economy where we are looking for a rate hike in 2013.”

For its part, UBS said the upward revision of its forecast was mainly due to the country’s strong economic performance last year.

“We had expected weaker exports to pull growth below par in the second semester of 2013 (but) instead domestic spending boomed,” UBS said in a separate report.

The UBS report, sent out from Singapore, added that “easy” financial market conditions, election spending and a recovery in global trade momentum were expected to support faster growth “in the immediate future.”

 

 

...the water that changes life

The Celebrity Obsession With Coconut Water Is Changing Life In The Philippines

 

Cecil Morella

Agence France Presse

(Published in Business Insider)

Feb. 5, 2013

 

 

The Philippines is already the world's biggest exporter of coconut products.

 

 

Rihanna for VitaCoco

 

 

Philippine farmer Liezl Balmaceda has never heard of Madonna, but the US pop star's endorsement of coconut water may help change her impoverished life for the better.

After centuries of replenishing Filipinos, the mineral-rich liquid has become a must-have health drink thanks to aggressive marketing by a beverage industry looking to offset soda sales that have lost their fizz.

 

Balmaceda, 33, and her husband process truckloads of coconuts at their backyard each week to get the meat that is turned into vegetable oil. The arduous labour earns the family of five about $9 a day, barely enough to get by.

 

"We just throw the water away when we extract the copra (coconut meat). But if you tell me people actually pay money to drink it, we could use the extra cash," she told AFP in rural Mulanay town, four hours' drive south of Manila.

 

In his most recent state of the nation address, President Benigno Aquino hailed coconut water as one of the country's most promising new export opportunities.

 

He cited industry figures showing exports jumping more than nine-fold to 16.76 million litres (4.4 million gallons) in 2011.

 

Manila-based Fruits of Life is one local business to have started profiting from the growing appreciation in the West for coconut water as an alternative to sugar-laden carbonated drinks.

 

"People have become more health-conscious in general," said Phoebe de la Cruz, sales manager for Fruits of Life.

 

"Athletic types have taken to coco water for its natural electrolytes."

 

Fruits of Life, which began exporting its own branded product in 2006, now exports about 240 tonnes in cans and tetra packs a year directly to supermarket chains in the United States and Canada.

 

The biggest players in the global beverage industry, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have also jumped into the coconut water health drink craze in recent years.

 

ZICO, a US coco water brand majority owned by Coca-Cola, has supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball star Kevin Garnett as its endorsers.

 

Meanwhile, pop stars such as Madonna and Rihanna, as well as baseball player Alex Rodriguez, are among celebrity shareholders in Vita Coco, one of the other major brands.

 

Its 0.33-litre (11-ounce), $3 drink is touted as a healthier alternative to energy drinks for athletes and the company boasts an office in New York's Flatiron District.

 

The Philippines is already the world's biggest exporter of coconut products.

 

Big Philippine mills have for years processed desiccated coconut meat and turned it into powder for baking biscuits, snack bars, cakes and pastries.

 

Coconut flesh is also turned into vegetable oil used for cooking and in a range of common household products, including bath soap.

 

Supply is not a problem in the Philippines with 350 million coconut trees growing from the beaches up to its hills and yielding 15 billion fruits a year, according to industry regulator the Philippine Coconut Authority.

 

In the Philippines, coconut water remains a popular, cheap drink, with stalls selling it straight from the fruit—a common site throughout the big cities as well as the countryside.

 

However, because of a lack of demand as well as the costs required to process and preserve it, the water had never been profitable enough to sell overseas, Philippine Coconut Authority chief Euclides Forbes told AFP.

 

"From mere waste it's being turned into gold," Forbes said.

 

Nevertheless, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that while coconut water holds the potential of improving the lot of impoverished Filipino coconut farmers, logistical issues held the industry back.

 

"The demand is huge. The only problem is how to bring the liquid to the processing centres before it spoils, since most coconut farms are in hilly areas without good roads," Alcala said.

 

Meanwhile, some farmers remain sceptical that they will cash in on the Western craze, citing the fact they have remained poor for decades while big business has profited from other coconut exports.

Among them is Rodolfo Aquino, 68, who is paid by traders to haul coconuts by ox-drawn cart about two hours' drive from Manila.

 

"Whether they want the meat and water or just the meat, we get paid the same," Aquino told AFP.

 

...the Australia's Public Service Medal Awardee

Filipino engineer awarded in Australia for public service

SunStar

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

MANILA -- A Filipino registered engineer in Queensland was honored in Australia for his outstanding public service, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

Guillermo "Bill" Capati was awarded a Public Service Medal by the Governor General of Australia during the 2013 Australia Day celebrations in January.

"The Award is in recognition of Mr. Capati's outstanding public service to the sustainable water future of the Gold Coast and broader South East Queensland region," the DFA said.

Capati is presently working with the Manager Service Sustainability, Gold Coast Water, Gold Coast City Council, Queensland, managing much of the strategic long-term planning for the City's water and wastewater needs, which includes long-term water planning and recycled water release.

His excellent professional achievements and vast experience, combined with dedication and hard work, enabled him to reach greater success in his career.

The Public Service Medal affirmed his earlier recognition as "Public Sector Professional of the Year" by the Institute of Public Administration Australia Queensland in 2009, and the "Eric Brier Memorial Award" by Engineers Australia Queensland Division in 2010, the department said.

He is a fellow of Engineers Australia and the Australian Institute of Management and an Adjunct Professor at the Advanced Water Management Centre of the University of Queensland.

Philippine Ambassador Belen Anota recognized and congratulated Capati and encouraged him to share his insights and best practices with Filipino engineers, in the hope of achieving the same kind of sustainable water planning for the Philippines. (SDR/Sunnex)

 

...the atttactive investment haven

PH now more attractive to foreign investors

 

By Kathleen A. Martin

ABS-CBNnews.com

02/05/2013

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - More foreign firms are now constantly keeping tabs on Philippine firms amid the country's strong macroeconomic conditions, the investment banking arm of India's Religare Enterprises Ltd. said on Tuesday.

 

"Everytime you talk about the Philippines, there's only always some 10 companies interested [in it]. But now, every investor is looking at the Philippines," John Sturmey, managing director at Religare Capital Markets (Hong Kong) Limited, said in a briefing in Makati.

"Basically, it has the best macroeconomic story in the region right now... [and] the macro story is seen sustainable and there is a lot of liquidity," he added.

The Philippine economy expanded by a faster-than-expected 6.6% in 2012, breaching government's target and surprising markets.

Sturmey further said there is a "good chance" the local bourse may rise 20% to 30% again this year, riding on the bullishness of the Philippine economy.

And in order to take advantage of the Philippine growth story, Religare Capital Markets is set to open a unit in the country in the next six months after recently getting a regulatory approval to do so from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"We see the Philippines as a huge opportunity," Sutha Kandiah, managing director and head of investment banking at Religare Capital Markets Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, said in the same briefing.

"The current regime is doing a phenomenal job getting Philippines' corruption level addressed, inflation is coming down, economic growth being delivered is between 6% to 7%, the external and deficit levels have been addressed and the policies are fantastic," Kandiah continued.

Kandiah also pointed out the country is "on the verge" of getting its first investment grade rating amid the robust economy.

The Philippine unit, which will be selling securities to interested foreign investors, is expected to focus on 20 to 25 Philippine Stock Exchange-listed companies by next year from the current five firms Religare Capital Markets is dealing with right now.

"We're looking at a lot of real estate companies at the moment," Kandiah said.

Despite the rosy picture painted about the Philippine economy, Kandiah noted the 2016 presidential elections may bring uncertainty to domestic markets.

"The elections this year is a non-event... but as we get closer to the presidential elections, the transition will be a trigger event that we have to keep an eye on," Kandiah said.

Religare Capital Markets' Philippine unit will deal mainly with equity capital markets business and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) advisory, Sturmey said.

He added the local unit will not be dealing with the fixed income business.

 

...the PH consumer confidence

PHL consumer confidence one of highest in world – Nielsen

 

GMA News

February 5, 2013

The Philippines is one of the most optimistic countries when it comes to consumer confidence, said a new survey released by international research firm Nielsen on Tuesday.

Nielsen's Fourth Quarter Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions gave the Philippines a score of 119 for the last quarter of 2012, one point higher than its score in the third quarter.

The total ranks the Philippines second only to India in the global tally, with the latter scoring 121 to lead the pack for the second straight quarter.

The survey, which was conducted from November 10 to 27, 2012, tallied the online responses of 29,000 respondents from 58 countries. The survey's baseline is 100; countries scoring below that is seen as having a "pessimistic" outlook when it comes to consumer confidence.

Only 10 countries of the 58 registered an "optimistic" outlook; after India and the Philippines, the top 10 is rounded out by Indonesia (117), Thailand (115), the United Arab Emirates (113), Saudi Arabia (112), Brazil (111), China (108), Malaysia (103), and Norway (102).

The 10 countries with the lowest scores in consumer confidence are Bulgaria (61), Japan (59), Slovakia (57), France (52), Spain (46), Croatia (42), Italy (39), South Korea and Portugal (tied at 38), Hungary (37) and Greece (35).

“While consumers around the world struggled with increasing economic concerns, consumers in the Philippines continue to have a positive outlook. This optimism can be attributed to the strong performance of the economy in 2012 which was driven by real estate, construction, manufacturing, services, and trade sectors,” said Nielsen Philippines managing director Stuart Jamieson in a statement.

According to the study, in the fourth quarter of 2012 Filipinos felt confident about:

- local job prospects: 76 percent are optimistic about job prospects in 2013. The rate is four points higher than the rate in the previous quarter, and is one of the highest in the world; and

- personal finances: 77 percent feel confident about their personal finances, a one-percent drop quarter-on-quarter. 2013 will be a good time to buy products, said 51 percent.

Beefing up their savings was a priority for 65 percent of the respondents, but the rate is two points off from the percentage recorded in the third quarter.

Filipinos' top concern is job security, followed by work/life balance, health, the economy, parents' welfare and happiness, and increasing utility bills.

The top global concern is the economy.

Optimism dropped in eight of 14 Asia-Pacific economies on the survey — a sign of "an increasingly polarized Asia-Pacific region," said Cambridge Group chief economist Venkatesh Bala, that divides the region into high-population economies with robust domestic consumption and developed markets that are more export-dependent that are therefore more exposed to volatile international fluctuations.

Global consumer confidence in the fourth quarter of 2012 fell slightly to 91 from 92 in the third quarter. — BM, GMA News

 

 

...the rising tiger

Philippines now a 'rising tiger' - World Bank official

 

by Willard Cheng

ABS-CBN News

02/05/2013

 

 

 

"Philippines is no longer the sick man of East Asia but the rising tiger” - Motoo Konishi, World Bank country director

 

 

 

DAVAO CITY — President Aquino cited the gains that his administration has achieved, recognizing the need to ensure that these gains are felt by as many people as possible.

 

In a speech at the Philippines Development Forum, Aquino mentioned the country's 6.6 percent GDP growth in 2012 exceeded targets.

He described this period as a “critical juncture” in his administration, a time to look back at the “progress” that the country has made and strategize for further improvement.

“The improved consumption capacity of Filipinos means that our growth has benefited households as well. Moving forward, the challenge will always be how to ensure that our gains are inclusive, or more inclusive,” Aquino said.

The PDF is a venue for government to engage various stakeholders in a dialogue to generate commitments and recommendations for the government’s reform agenda.

There is a generally positive tone in the meeting as World Bank country director Motoo Konishi summed up the discussions.

He said there is a consensus that the Philippines is no longer the “sick man of Asia” but a “rising tiger,” citing the government’s macroeconomic stability, the government’s “sound and improving” fiscal situation, its improved transparency and fight against corruption.

“A striking story emerges out of these discussions: It is remarkably similar across a wide range of stakeholders and this is how it goes. First, [the] Philippines is no longer the sick man of East Asia but the rising tiger,” Konishi said.

Mr. Konishi enumerated the recommendations of stakeholders in five areas: economic development, human development and poverty reduction, justice and peace, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and governance and anti-corruption.

In economic development, the stakeholders stressed the need to ensure the creation of quality jobs especially in the area of agriculture and tourism; simplify business regulations; reduce barriers to entry in shipping; improve infrastructure and power especially in Mindanao; and pass measures such as the fiscal incentives bill.

In human development and poverty reduction, the stakeholders recommended the expansion and improvement of access to government programs in health, education, livelihood, and social protection, with added focus on special disadvantaged groups such as the out-of-school youth, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities.

In justice and peace, the forum cited the need to restore trust in the justice system reduce case backlogs, addressing corruption in the judiciary, and supporting community-based traditional systems of justice such as the Shari’a.

The participants called for the fast-tracking of the vulnerability and risk assessment to mitigate the effects of climate change and disasters.

In governance and anti-corruption, participants recommended that the monitoring and evaluation of government performance be strengthened and give added focus on governance reform in Mindanao.

 

...the PH growth trajectory

PH seen to track higher growth trajectory

Economists raise GDP expansion forecasts for 2013

 

By Doris C. Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sunday, February 3rd, 2013

 

 

After a better-than-expected economic performance last year, the Philippine economy was likely to continue to grow at a faster pace than its trend growth in the last 10 years, economists said in various research reports.

In a paper issued after last week’s announcement that the local economy grew 6.6 percent in 2012, Citigroup said it was bullish on Philippine prospects this 2013 mainly because of the steady to rising contribution of real investments to growth and not just because of growth staying in the 6-7 percent range.

UBS revised its 2013 growth forecast to 6.3 percent from 4.5 percent and likewise upgraded its outlook for next year to 5.6 percent from 4.9 percent. “Easy financial conditions, election spending and a recovery in global trade momentum promise support to the elevated pace of growth in the immediate future,” UBS economist Edward Teather said.

Metrobank’s research team sees full-year 2013 GDP growth to remain strong—albeit slightly lower than in 2012—on base effects at 6 percent.

In a briefing on Friday, JP Morgan Philippines head of research Gilbert Lopez said his company’s house view on Philippine growth this year was upgraded to 5-5.5 percent this year but noted that this was a “very conservative” outlook. This forecast has been upgraded from JP Morgan’s earlier 2013 growth assumption of 3.5 percent for the Philippines.

The 6.8-percent growth reported for the fourth quarter was better than the consensus market forecast of 6.3 percent. The full-year growth of 6.6 percent was slightly better than the government’s target of 5-6 percent. This year, the government is aiming for a 6-7 percent growth but the medium-term goal is to move toward the 7-8 percent range.

In the last 10 years, the Philippines’ trend growth was slightly below 5 percent.

“In 2013, GDP may take a breather at the height of the political election cycle but resume its upbeat pace in second half of 2013 with real investments, fiscal spending and recovering exports figuring prominently amid a firmer global recovery,” Citigroup said, raising its GDP growth forecast to 6.2 percent from 6.1 percent.

For 2014, Citigroup said the implementation of public-private partnerships (PPP) alongside infrastructure spending and private investments could elevate real investments to 21.9 percent of GDP and support a GDP growth of 6.6 percent, an upgrade from its previous forecast of 6.4 percent.

“The Philippine economy is indeed on the road to a higher growth trajectory, surprising markets with remarkable expansions in 2012,” local banking giant Metrobank said in a research note.

HSBC economist Trinh Nguyen said growth would likely be robust again for the Philippines in 2013, although she said a growth deceleration to 4.9 percent might happen. “While export growth will likely slow, steady remittance inflows are likely to continue, supporting private consumption. Fiscal spending should also pick up, as the budget has already been allotted a 10.5 percent increase,” she said.

...the Trend Micro hub

PH is hub of technology giant

By MST Business
Manila Standard Today
Feb. 03, 2013 

 

 

One of the world’s largest anti-virus companies that protect Internet users from fraud and other online threats has its global headquarters for research and technical support in the Philippines.

Trend Micro Inc., a global cloud security company, develops Internet content security and threat management solutions from TrendLabs headquarters in Ortigas in the Philippines. Trend Micro, which was established by Taiwanese entrepreneurs in 1988, has its global office in Tokyo.

“We have about 10 labs all over the world but the main lab is in the Philippines. This is the lab that can perform end-to-end solutions from sourcing, analysis to solutions,” Paul Oliveria, security focus lead in the coretech marketing team in TrendLabs, says during the launching of Trend Micro Titanium 2013 edition.

The Titanium 2013 edition, developed from TrendLabs, was designed to protect Internet users from cyber threats.

Oliveria says TrendLabs in Ortigas employs Filipino experts who perform crucial role in making the Internet safer for consumers. “TrendLabs is very important. It is the nerve center of Trend Micro,” he says.

TrendLabs employs cloud security and anti-malware experts as well as support engineers who provide continuous coverage to Trend Micro customers worldwide.

“We have competitors that are also here in the Philippines, with sales and small research labs, but not as big as TrendLabs,” says Oliveria. “It is the biggest anti-virus research and development center in the Philippines.”

He says TrendLabs occupies five floors of the Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas. TrendLabs serves as Trend Micro’s research, development and support center with 1,200 employees performing different functions of research and development, corporate support and information systems and business applications.

“We have 1,200 employees, about a quarter of the entire MicroTrend population. The number of employees grew from just about 14 in 1998 where Trend Micro was established in the Philippines,” he says.

He says Trend Micro chose to build its TrendLabs’ headquarters in Ortigas because of the country’s huge pool of IT experts and large number of English-language speakers. From 14 pioneers in 1998, the number grew to 330 employees in 2003 and now to 1,200. RTD

...the German investor's destinations

PHL on investors’ ‘destination’ list

 

 

 

 

Written by Max V. de Leon / Reporter

Business Mirror

03 February 2013

 

 

THE Philippines continues to draw the interest of German investors, with another delegation of businessmen from Germany due to arrive this week to look for possible local partners and inquire on their planned investments in the country.

 

Aside from the Philippines’s economic development, German Ambassador to Manila Joachim Heidorn said the country is also part of one of the most dynamic regions in the world today.

 

“A lot of investors are now looking at Southeast Asia. When they set out on a business mission to Southeast Asia, they include the Philippines in their list of destinations,” according to Heidorn.

 

He told the BusinessMirror over the weekend that this is already the third business delegation from Germany this year. Last year 10 delegations of German investors visited the Philippines.

 

“They will be here on February 7 and 8 and we have already set a business-matching session for them with Filipino businessmen at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry office,” Heidorn said.

 

The delegation, he added, tentatively consist 12 executives of medium to large German companies.

 

Their main interests, according to Heidorn, are infrastructure, information technology and software development, as well as trading of goods.

 

He said based on inquiries that they are getting, it is apparent that the interest of German investors in the Philippines is increasing. Aside from foreign direct investments, he added, Germany is a major source of official development assistance (ODA) for the Philippines.

 

In 2011 Germany disbursed €5.5 million in loans and €29.2 million in grants to the Philippines.

 

Last year Germany committed €40.1 million in fresh grants to the Philippines, which will be implemented beginning this year.

...the local brands

Filipino Brands Seek Int’l Trademarks

By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat

Manila Bulletin

February 3, 2013

Twenty-three Filipino brands, comprising of small but authentic homegrown concepts, have sought trademarks protection in 86 countries as they plan to expand their businesses and services abroad.

Atty. Ricardo Blancaflor, executive director of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), in a press conference said the 23 applications that have been filed with them under the Madrid Protocol, would ensure these local brands of trademarks protection in countries under the Madrid Protocol. At present, there are 86 countries in accession, the latest of which is the Philippines which instrument of accession was signed by President Benigno Aquino III on March 27, 2012.

The 23 brands have sought a total of 375 international designations where they target to market their products particularly in countries with huge pool of Filipino migrant workers. Ten of the applicants originate from the buzzing City of Cebu, namely: Profood International Corporation (Philippine Brand Dried Mangoes and Profood Cebu Dried Mangoes), International Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Efficascent Oil, Omega Painkiller Liniment, Gastripac, Bioderm, and Dr. S. Wong’s Sulfur Soap), Magicmelt Foods, Inc. (Magic Melt), Arden Siarot (Arden), and Murillo’s Export International, Inc. (Murillo). The two applicants from Manila are international fashion designer Robert Tomas (Tomas) and religious group Iglesia Ni Cristo (Iglesia Ni Cristo seal). Julie’s Bakeshop, which originates from Cebu has also filed an application.

Among the designated contracting parties are Australia, Bahrain, BENELUX, China, European Union, France, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Mongolia, Norway, Oman, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

“The beauty of the Madrid Protocol is it allows a local brand to get a trademark protection globally at a lot lower cost,” Blancaflor said.

Without the Madrid Protocol, companies who are going abroad to market their products either through franchise or other schemes have to spend an estimated P800,000 for trademark application in four countries alone. This is because a company has to send its lawyer abroad, who in turn talks to another lawyer in that foreign country to start the trademark transaction. With the Philippines’ accession of the Madrid Protocol, a company will spend only an estimated v100,000 only for every four countries that it wants designated for trademark protection.

The filing fee with the IPOPHL is only P4,000, which is the lowest among the Madrid protocol member countries, but the filer has to pay for its designated countries, which have varied rates like France has a fee of 630 francs while China is P15,000 and the US is P20,000.

Blancaflor said the first wave of Madrid filers is composed of small local enterprises because the big ones still have existing trademarks registration in foreign countries. But, he encouraged these companies like San Miguel Corp. and Jollibee among others to renew via the Madrid Protocol with the IPOPHL once their existing foreign trademarks expire.

“The Philippines was the first one in 2012 all over the world to accede to the Madrid Protocol and the first one in ASEAN next to Singapore,” he said.

“In effect all these Filipino brands can be effective elsewhere,” said Blancaflor, who is one of the world’s top 50 most influential IP person based on the latest Euromoney survey.

Blancaflor stressed the need for IP protection awareness on a company’s business. He noted that Microsoft Philippines reported to him of a five percent in sales every year which it attributed to the improving IP awareness in the country.

“We must be doing something right,” he said.

Louis Vuitton, the world’s number one brand in leatherbags, even congratulated Blancaflor for the improved enforcement in IP laws in the country. Louis Vuitton said it used to spend $10,000 a month in the Philippines to protect its brand but is now spending $500 monthly as IP protection has improved significantly. The amount is spent for the conduct of its own investigation, buy-bust operation, case build-up and raids.

...the Pinay linguist in Oxford

Pinay at Oxford bats for Filipino-coined English words

Filipinos ‘talk in a rich mix of American, Spanish, and Malay influences’

 

By Correspondent

Emirates 24/7

Sunday, February 03, 2013

 

 

MANILA: Are there such words as “presidentiable” and “senatoriable” in an English dictionary?

There are none, all right, but they might soon be included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) if a Filipino grantee of a Mellon postdoctoral research fellow in lexicography had her way.

“The Oxford English Dictionary is more than a dictionary,” Danica Salazar, PhD, recently told the Manila-based online news site rappler.com. “It’s also a historical document because it is a record of the English language as it is spoken all over the world, not just in the UK and the US.”

English-language newspapers in the Philippines always use the word 'presidentiable', referring to a potential candidate for the highest pubic office in the land, or senatoriable when referring to a candidate running for the position of senator.

The 28-year-old Salazar, who earned a bachelor’s degree in European Languages at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, in Quezon City, and went to Spain for her masters and doctorate degrees, got a job at the OED last year. She has since been working with the Oxford’s Hertford College, at the University of Oxford, and the Oxford University Press, publisher of OED.

Her job entails, among other things, looking for the “extensions of meaning” of some English words that have taken on a different meaning in the Philippines. Take “salvage”, for instance, whose original meaning is to save, but has, for decades, been used here also to mean summary execution.

Salazar’s main proposal for her Mellon fellowship, she said, included the search, systematisation, and possible inclusion into the OED of English words that have been uniquely coined by Filipinos and are widely used in the Philippines.

Her main goal now is to have Philippine English recognised globally and a Philippine English dictionary published by the Oxford University Press. The latter, she noted, recently released a South African English dictionary.

Salazar also wants a change in the attitude of many peoples, especially language scholars, in reaction to criticisms from some academics who say that acceptance of Filipino-coined English words should not hinge on their inclusion in the OED.

“But that’s the reality,” she stressed. “A dictionary plays an important role in legitimising language. I would like to change the perception that for English to be spoken correctly, it has to be spoken like the Americans or the British.”

She has prepared for this with a list of words for possible inclusion into the OED, which is undergoing a comprehensive revision. “If I can include ‘chorva’ in the OED, maybe my life would have not been in vain,” she said, although with a jest. Chorva is a gayspeak widely used in the Philippines (now by all sexes) to mean whatever or something.

She said the inclusion of the Filipino-coined English words into the OED would be a validation of the Philippine culture. “We should be proud and not ashamed to speak English anywhere in the world in the way we do.”

Salazar said she believes in preserving such words as “solon”, “thrice”, and “viand”—which are no longer widely used in the US and the UK, but are still regularly used in the Philippines. She also wants to bat for the recognition of popular Filipino acronyms like “TY” (thank you) and “CR” (comfort room).

The latter prompted one reader to comment that “CR” is no different from “WC”, an acronym widely used by native English speakers to mean water closet, when referring to toilet.

Salazar said that Philippine English could help enrich the language, noting that the integration of the Latinos in the US is prompting the introduction of new words into their lexicon.

“But in the Philippines, that kind of integration has already happened,” she said. “We talk in a rich mix of American, Spanish, and Malay influences.”

...the tourists arrival record high

Editorial

Philippines Reaches Tourist Arrivals Milestone

 

Manila Bulletin

February 2, 2013

 

The Philippines reached a milestone in tourist arrivals in 2012, posting a total of 4,272,811 foreign visitors, the first time in the country’s tourism history, to surpass the four-million mark. The country achieved 93.8% of its 4,556,582 visitor arrival goal for 2012.

All major tourism markets registered growths. South Korea, the first source market to contribute one million visitors, registered an all-time high of 1,031,454 visitors or 24.13% of the total visitor volume to the Philippines. The Philippines welcomed its one millionth Korean visitor, and businessmen on December 27, 2012.

The United States of America was second with 625,626 visitors, and Japan was third with 412,474 visitors. Other countries with significant volume of arrivals were China, 250,883; Taiwan, 216,511; Australia, 191,150; Singapore, 148,215; Canada, 123,699; Hong Kong, 118,666; Malaysia, 114,513; United Kingdom, 113,282; and Germany, 67,023. Overseas Filipinos supplied 215,943 arrivals.

Three significant source markets surpassed their respective target arrivals for 2012. Japan’s visitor arrival output of 412,474 is 3.86% higher than the target of 397,141. Taiwan had 216,511 arrivals, up by 10.46%. Russia, an emerging market, has 23,149 arrivals, up by 22.12%

The Department of Tourism (DOT) said that crossing the four-million market puts the country well on track to achieve its goal of 10 million visitors by 2016. The DOT launched the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign in January, 2012. It recently unveiled international TV spots, “Lovers” and “Sleepless Nights,” which are spinoffs of the brand campaign. More foreign tourists are expected this year, after the Philippines made it to the lists of best and top destinations by international travel and online magazines.

We congratulate the Department of Tourism, led by Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Daniel G. Corpuz, and other Officers, on their concerted efforts to showcase the Philippines before the international community. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!

...the PInoy in NZ politics

Pinoy enters NZ politics

 

By Helen Flores

The Philippine Star

February 2, 2013

 

 

 

                                                                  Gazo

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino has entered New Zealand politics, and he is just 23 years old.

Ephraim Gazo, who hails from Bacoor, Cavite, currently serves as a member of the Community Committee in Lower Hutt in the capital Wellington, the 10th largest city in New Zealand.

Gazo is bent on extending his public service to Philippine shores and is helping improve Filipinos’ lives through tourism.

“As far as I am aware, I am the only Filipino involved in the New Zealand government in my capacity as a council member. However, I have heard of various Filipinos who have been involved through running in previous elections but were not able to get elected or appointed to office,” Gazo told The STAR.

Gazo said the Community Committee serves as the bridge between the people and the city council.
“A community committee member’s working day normally involves meeting constituents and attending community groups, particularly those that the members are involved with through their portfolio,” he said.

Gazo is presently handling the Naenae Computer Clubhouse, the Keep Hutt City Beautiful Committee, Youth Affairs and Ethnic Affairs.

A committee member earns about $1000 per meeting. They have about six to seven meetings in a year, Gazo said.

“Another thing that I’m currently pursuing is how I could utilize my position and connections towards promoting the Philippines as an ideal tourist destination to many Kiwis – some of whom have never heard/been to the Philippines,” he said.

Gazo also wants to take advantage of the so-called “gap year,” which refers to the time out to travel between life stages. It is very popular among students in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

“It is part of the culture of the young people in New Zealand that after high school they do backpacking for a year,” Gazo said.

He said he feels disappointed whenever he meets people and they tell him that they have been to countries near the Philippines.

“Through my involvement in the council, together with some Filipino youth, we formed a network to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination,” Gazo said.

“I was also inspired by the recent visit of President Aquino in New Zealand when he called on leaders from both countries to strengthen their relation, particularly with the working holiday schemes in New Zealand,” he added.

“My first campaign began in 2007, a day after turning 18, I decided to run as a city councilor in the local body elections at Hutt City Council,” Gazo said.

In 2007, Gazo was elected to the Hutt City Youth Council, which is equivalent to the country’s Sangguniang Kabataan.

“One of the biggest challenges that I saw at the time was that I was the youngest candidate as well as the only Filipino,” he said.

There are also senior politicians who criticized him for being young and for being a Filipino.
“There would always be a certain stereotype of Filipino politicians, that they are corrupt. But instead of being discouraged, I keep my head up and make sure that my voice is heard.”

“A particular event which was quite memorable to me was when I attended a ‘meet the candidates’ event hosted by the local Grey Power, as there was an ongoing perception that most of the elderly in our community were not quite supportive of young people and people of different ethnicities,” Gazo said.

Grey Power is an advocacy group for people aged 50 and above.

“I was initially very nervous upon entering this forum, but all my worries and fears subsided when I realized how warm and welcoming this group was and how they were quite supportive of my candidacy and my purpose for running – which was to give young people and migrant communities a voice in the council,” Gazo said.

His interest in politics started when he was in high school at the Naenae College, after he participated in the Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum.

In the forum, Gazo wrote an essay about environmental sustainability.

“In my essay I compared Bacoor, my hometown, and Manila to Wellington which is very clean and green. My article was one of the essays selected in the whole (Wellington) region,” he said.

“After that I opened my mind not only to environmental issues but also to helping the community.”
His performance as a member of the Youth Council was basically the reason for his appointment to the Community Committee.

“Our mayor is very supportive of the young people. Five former members of the Youth Council, including me, were appointed to the Community Committee. Our ages range from 20 to 25,” he said.
“Because the city councilors have no term limit, our mayor believes that it is time to give the young people a chance to serve,” he said.

Gazo migrated to New Zealand in 2004 when he was just 14.

Gazo had an opportunity to migrate to New Zealand through his mother, Feria, who works as a nurse for the local hospital in Hutt Valley District Health Board.

He lives with his mother and aunt Hedilisa Gazo, who works as a baker for Air New Zealand at the Wellington Airport.

“My mother is a single parent and I have no siblings. Although I have three half-brothers on my father’s side with whom I have had no contact with for a very long time,” Gazo said.

“I initially wanted to be a doctor as my mother is working as a registered nurse and so I saw health services as an avenue to help my community,” Gazo said.

He studied in a number of schools in the Philippines including Bacoor Unida Evangelical School, Child Development and Guidance Centre, Bacoor Parish School and Statefields School Inc.

“I left the Philippines after finishing second year high school and was a high achiever then, mostly ranging from 1st honor to 4th,” Gazo said.

...the ASEAN trade hub

Purisima wants Phl to become Asean trade hub

 

By Zinnia B. dela Peña

The Philippine Sta

February 2, 2013

 

 

                                                                     Purisima

MANILA, Philippines - The government is stepping up the development of the country’s infrastructure as it positions the Philippines as a trade hub between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members and the markets they serve, a top economic manager said.
  
Speaking before the French business delegation yesterday, Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said improving the infrastructure, sustaining financial and macroeconomic stability and Filipinos’ per capita income are the priorities of the Aquino Administration as the country seeks new heights in its economic transformation.
  
“We need to make a leap in terms of infrastructure. If we don’t invest, we’ll not be able to harness the potential that’s before us. We need to attract private capital and technology to help us improve our infrastructure, tourism and agriculture,” Purisima said.

“We are accelerating our efforts to build our infrastructure such as our ports, airports, power, mass transit because infrastructure is important to make sure we’re as efficient as our neighbors...We want to be a hub of Asean trade,” Purisima said as he noted that more Asean countries are becoming strong contenders

Purisima underscored the need for the country to aggressively position itself as the destination of choice of both investors and tourists as well as to continue to find ways to show the world that the Philippines can deliver more than just fun.


The Philippines, with a growing population, is a good source of manpower in the global market, Purisima noted.

Purisima said the Philippines needs to integrate with the Asean and improve its business climate for it to become a hub in the region.

 

He noted that the Department of Finance (DOF) will continue to provide more funds for government projects aimed at pump-priming the economy while at the same time addressing the delivery of basic services and limiting the country’s budget deficit to only two percent of gross domestic product starting this year until 2016.

The Southeast Asian region, with a population of over 600 million people, is seen to become a major economic growth force in Asia when the planned regional common market of Asean countries is established by 2015.

This will significantly reduce the cost of production for the businesses and economic growth of member-countries and of the entire region will accelerate.

Under the Asean integration plan, tariffs on most goods coming from member-countries will be brought down to zero or near-zero, their financial systems will be integrated, and employment restrictions will be eased.

The integration is seen to open more regional cooperation and will improve the scale efficiencies, dynamism and competitiveness of Asean members. It wll enable easier movement of goods, services, investment, capital and people and will ultimately offer new ways of coordinating supply chains, or access to new markets for established products.

...the JP Morgan's favored markets

PH among JP Morgan’s favored markets

 

Local bourse seen extending its winning streak in 2013

By Doris C. Dumlao

Friday, February 1st, 2013

 

Global investment bank JP Morgan has kept the Philippines among its favored stock markets this 2013 with a view that the main local index—despite the strong run-up in the past four years—could extend its winning streak by another 15 percent.

“We’ve been overweight on the Philippines since 2009 and we have no intention of changing that view,” JP Morgan’s chief for Asian and emerging market equity Adrian Moet said in a briefing Friday.

“From the perspective of the international equity investor, the Philippines is delivering low currency risk, high economic growth and high (corporate) earnings growth and that’s a very attractive proposition particularly against a still quite troubled world,” said Moet, who flew in from Singapore to speak in a forum organized by JP Morgan for large institutional investors keen on Philippine equities.

The forum this year, attended by around 70 institutional investors—mostly long-term investors who are new to the Philippines—is the biggest so far in the last seven years that JP Morgan has conducted such briefings to pitch local equities to the foreign market.

For 2013, the Philippines joins Mexico, Turkey, Thailand and India among the countries where JP Morgan has an “overweight” rating. “Overweight” is a recommendation to accumulate stocks in excess of a benchmark index, usually the closely-tracked MSCI index.

Moet said good macroeconomic stability, improving policies and prospects of demographic dividends—referring to a large pool of human resources reaching working age—were common to most of these markets (except Thailand).

On the other hand, JP Morgan has an “underweight” recommendation on Brazil, Taiwan and South Korea. The investment firm has a “neutral” rating on China.

...the world's top think tanks

PIDS among world's top think tanks - survey

ABS-CBNnews.com

02/02/2013

 

 

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute for Development Studies has been ranked 40th in a survey of the world's think tanks done by the University of Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

 

PIDS said in a statement it was ranked 40th and 79th on the list of the world's best social policy think tanks, and best development think tanks, respectively.

The 2012 Global Go To Think Tanks Report and Policy Advice of the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program ranked 6,603 policy institutes from 182 countries for the latest survey.

"We are pleased with the continued international recognition for our quality of policy research," PIDS President Josef T. Yap said in the statement.

"PIDS continues to be the authority in Philippine economic and social development policy research and is one the most influential, most quoted, and most trusted think tanks in the country and in the region," Yap added.