...the investment

BSP: FDIs grow 22% to $207M in January 2011

 

 

04/12/2011

GMANews.tv

Foreign direct investments grew 21.8 percent in January, a reflection of buoyant prospects for the global economy this year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

Total investments, known as FDIs, reached $207 million in January or $37 million more than the $170 million in the same month last year, according to BSP data, which showed a net flow of equity capital from a negative position in the same comparable period.

"The strong economic performance in 2010, combined with a cautiously optimistic outlook in 2011, also helped FDI in flows into the country," BSP officer-in-charge Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in a statement.

The Philippines last year posted its fastest economic growth in 34 years, as its gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 7.3 percent to P8.5 trillion, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Inlcuding remittances, largely from overseas Filipino works, and other foreign transactions, the gross national product totaled P9.5 trillion, NEDA director-general Cayetano Paderanga Jr. in a briefing on the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 late Monday.

Last year’s output also exceeded the 6-percent growth target set by the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee, which was revised from 5 percent.

With the full impact of global depression, the Philippines managed to churn out 1.1 percent in GDP in 2009 from 3.8 percent in 2008.

Under the six-year plan, Philippine economic managers expect the GDP to accelerate between 7 percent and 8 percent a year

Equity placements surged 192.6 percent to $31 million from $17 million while withdrawals plunged 86.4 percent to $6 million from $44 million, Espenilla said, which helped reverse the position to a net inflow of $25 million from a net outflow of $27 million.

The placements were made largely in real estate, mining, manufacturing — particularly chemical products, iron and steel casting — as well as in administrative and support services (business process outsourcing, especially call centers, the deputy governor said.

The bulk of the equity flows came from the US, Japan , Singapore, and Hong Kong, he added. — VS, GMA News

...the resort haven

PHL tops Q1 Google searches for 'resorts'

 PATERNO ESMAQUEL II, GMA News

04/11/2011

The Philippines bested other countries in the world in Google searches related to the keyword “resort," according to the summer-time results of the search engine’s Zeitgeist measurement tool.

The Southeast Asian nation also ranks among the Top 10 countries around the globe in searches related to the keywords “vacation," “summer," and “beach," Google said in a statement released Monday by search engine’s Manila-based publicist, Team Asia.

Zeitgeist measures the most-searched terms on Google.com. The German word means “spirit of the times."

The search engine said the Philippines’ rankings came as no surprise “in our tropical country where vacations in beaches or resorts can be pursued all-year round and weekend trips to nearby pools or beaches is the local norm."

In searches related to resorts, the Philippines is followed by Fiji, South Africa, India, Singapore, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Iraq, Canada, and Namibia.


The Philippines meanwhile placed sixth on the list of searches related to the keyword “summer," ninth in relation to “vacation," and fifth in relation to “beach."

In all categories, the Philippines topped other Asian countries.

The Department of Tourism earlier said it wants to “go beyond" the Philippines’ reputation as the go-to place for beaches and resorts. “We want to highlight our cultural and heritage sites as well as health and wellness destinations," Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said in an interview in January.

Coron gains momentum

In terms of specific areas in the Philippines, the Google results show that Coron, Palawan takes the top spot as the fastest-growing local destination searched on Google.

Featuring pristine white-sand beaches while remaining largely undeveloped compared to Boracay, Coron “is popular for being a great shipwreck dive spot as well as… its therapeutic Maquinit Health Springs."

About 275 kilometers north of Manila, the town of Sagada in the Mountain Province follows Coron. The list of fastest-rising local destinations also includes Laguna, Pagudpud, Boracay, Bohol, Puerto Princesa, Tagaytay, Camarines Sur and Baguio.

“Compared with the 2010 Summer Zeitgeist, which was dominated by beaches, this year’s list shows Filipinos seeking destinations other than sand and sea," according to the Google statement.

Fewer ‘beach,’ ‘resorts’ searches

Google however noted a drop in the searches for the keywords “beach" and “resorts" in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same 2011 period.

The search engine noted that the Philippines experienced an “unusually hot" summer in 2010, with temperatures hitting 39 degrees Celsius, “prompting Pinoys to seek the water in unusually high numbers."

The government targets doubling the number of tourists to the Philippines from over three million in 2010 to six million by 2016.

...the designer for America's Next Top Model

Pinoy designer Michael Cinco to be featured in America's Next Top Model

SPOT – Mon, Apr 11, 2011

See a sneak peek of the ANTM episode that will feature Michael Cinco's designs

(SPOT.ph) Filipino designer Michael Cinco's eco-friendly couture creations will be featured in America's Next Top Model (ANTM), according to the hit reality show's website.

Manila Bulletin reports that the show contenders will wear the Dubai-based designer's pieces at a photo shoot in a landfill, which will be aired in the US on April 13. The models will be photographed by ANTM judge Nigel Barker, who will be in Manila with ANTM runway coach Miss J. Alexander this month to talk about beauty equation.

Last month, PhilStar.com quoted Filipino ANTM producer Michael Carandang who described Cinco without identifying him: "Everyone in ANTM was so impressed—the crew, the talents, the producers and, of course, Tyra (Banks, the show host and creator)! It was all worth it. The clothes were impeccable like (works of art)."

In ANTM's sixth episode that was aired March 30, Filipino actress G. Tongi, who is now based in Los Angeles, talked to the models about dealing with different kinds of fans, according to Manila Bulletin.

...the beauty behind the brain

PEP: Shamcey Supsup wins Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2011

 

04/11/2011
GMANews.tv

 

Shamcey Supsup was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Universe at the Binibining Pilipinas 2011 pageant held last night, April 10, at the Araneta Coliseum.

Shamcey, who was Binibini No. 26, bested 39 other contestants who competed in this year's pageant.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines College of Architecture. She also topped the Architecture board exam in July 2010.

Shamcey will represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.

Newly crowned 2011 Bb. Pilipinas Universe Shamcey Supsup (center), Bb. Pilipinas International Dianne Necio (second from right), Bb. Pilipinas Tourism Isabela Manjon (second from left), and runners-up Mary Jean Lastimoso (left) and Janine Tugunon (right) grace the stage at the coronation night at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. GMA News

Aside from winning Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Shamcey also collected three special awards: Best in Talent, Miss PAL, and Miss Cream Silk.

Shamcey, 24, was not the only title holder at last night's pageant.

Last year's 1st runner-up, Dianne Necio (No. 33), returned this year and won the Bb. Pilipinas-International title; while Isabella Manjon (No. 25) was adjudged Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism (a replacement to the Bb. Pilipinas-World title, which has its own franchise).

Janine Tugonon (No. 27) finished 1st runner-up and Mary Jean Lastimosa (No. 34) was 2nd runner-up.

The other candidates who made it in the Top 15 are: No. 6 Patricia Tumulak; No. 8 Ma. Kristina Marasigan; No. 11 Diana Arevalo; No. 13 Queenierich Rehman; No. 16 Sabrine Al-Tawil; No. 19 Wendy Lucas; No. 23 Luzelle Felipe; No. 30 Kathleen Subijano; No. 32 Jenn Roe Gubat; and No. 37 Sarah Nicole Clenci.

The Best in Swimsuit was Binibini No. 13 Queenierich Rehman; Best in Long Gown was Binibini No. 23 Luzelle Felipe; and Face of Bb. Pilipinas 2011 was Binibini No. 7 Angela Ong.

Binibining Pilipinas 2011 was hosted by Derek Ramsay and KC Concepcion together with past winners Miriam Quiambao (1999 Miss Universe 1st runner-up and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe) and Precious Lara Quigaman (2005 Miss International and Bb. Pilipinas-International).

Sam Milby and Matteo Guidicelli serenaded last year's winners: Maria Venus Raj (Miss Universe 4th runner-up and Bb. Pilipinas-Universe), Krista Kleiner (Bb. Pilipinas-International), and Czarina Gatbonton (Bb. Pilipinas-World).

Karylle, Sitti, Princess Velasco, and Marie Digby also performed. — Erwin Santiago, PEP

...the world class breeder

World-class artists bred in this school

Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/11/2011

MOUNT MAKILING, Laguna—Tucked in the mist-covered slopes of Mount Makiling, the country’s premier public school for the arts is busy molding the country’s future cultural ambassadors.

The gifted scholars embark on a rigorous, 12-hour daily routine of academic study, music, dance, theater, visual arts and creative writing at the state-funded Philippine High School for the Arts.

Surrounded by green woods, the atmosphere at the 13-hectare campus is far removed from chaotic urban sprawl.

A picturesque view of the Laguna de Bay below provides a calming scene from the cottages on the campus, about a two-hour drive south of Manila.

“Our dream and goal is to ennoble the Filipino spirit—that we are good, that we can excel,” the school’s executive director and Jesuit priest, Carmelo Caluag, told Agence France-Presse.

“We are doing this because art and culture are the windows to the soul of the people, they nurture our spirit.”
The school began as a more informal haven for young artists in the 1970s.

It was established by then first lady Imelda Marcos, who lavished time and money on the arts during her dictator-husband’s 20-year rule.

Guarded by 2 deities
Marcos chose the slopes of 1,090-meter Mount Makiling as the site, which was named after the enchanting daughter of two deities who protected nature in local folklore.

It was, however, only in 1989 that then President Corazon Aquino signed an executive order establishing it as an official public high school for gifted children, a third-world replica of New York’s famous Juilliard.

The students at Makiling are now carefully chosen from thousands of applicants who audition for just over 30 slots a year.

The rewards of acceptance can be huge—past graduates have become famous musicians or artists or gone on to study abroad.

The 145 students get free board and lodging, and the school appoints a special tutor or master for whatever discipline each of them wants to pursue.

Rich culture
So deep is the government’s commitment to the school that despite the nation’s coffers being nearly bare, it spends an average of P300,000 a year on each student.

This is about 30 times the amount allocated for students at a regular public school.

While the Makiling students are afforded every chance at success, the school’s only hope is that they will pursue a career in the arts to preserve and champion the Philippines’ rich culture.

“There is no real contract between us and the scholars for them to repay us in kind,” said Caluag, 52.

Real world

Teachers also tried to prepare the students for the real world, he said, noting that a career in the arts could be financially frustrating at times—one reason some opted to go in another direction once reaching university.

“There is no clear distinct career after this experience,” Caluag said, but he stressed those who were really passionate about their chosen craft often enjoyed success after graduating.

Among the stand-outs is Candice Adea, now the principal dancer of Ballet Philippines.

Adea, 24, and her partner last year won the silver medal at the USA Ballet International Competition, considered the Olympics of dance, and she credits her success to the work ethic she developed at the mountain school.

Pursuing the dream

Adea said she was sent abroad twice to compete when she was a student at Makiling, valuable training that helped hone her technique and helped her realize that dance was what she wanted to pursue in life.

“They gave me the opportunity to see the real world of ballet. From that opportunity, I realized what I wanted to do with my career,” Adea said during breaks in practice at Manila’s Cultural Center of the Philippines.

“These experiences fed our minds. We got to go to different places and perform. Experiences that you would never have in other schools.”

‘Time to give back’

Fifteen-year-old Suzy Rellon is just embarking on what she hopes will be a similar journey.

Rellon left behind her parents and three siblings in the southern Philippines, which has been plagued by a deadly insurgency for decades, to begin her dream of one day travelling the world as a performing artist.

“Dance is my life. There is nothing else for me,” Rellon said, adding that she hoped to one day show the world the beauty of ethnic folk dance fused with contemporary music.

Anne Mimille Guzman, who graduated this year, has launched her first children’s book in Manila and proceeds of the sales will go to funding an arts workshop for public school children.

“I believe the mastery of the written word is a gift I can share to everyone,” the 17-year-old said. “We spent four years of our lives here. It is time to give back.” AFP

...the singer

Bruno Mars: Filipino and proud of it

By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer
04/09/2011

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Bruno Mars drove more than 10,000 people crazy with a spellbinding performance Friday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

 He made it more special by stirring national pride among the mostly local audience. “I am Filipino!” he proclaimed near the end of the sold-out concert.

Born Peter Gene Hernandez in Hawaii to a Puerto Rican father and Filipino mother, the recent Grammy winner and hotshot singer-songwriter pointed out that his Filipino clan was watching with the crowd, including his grandparents and his mother, Bernadette.

On Thursday night his relatives also joined him at the Waterfront Cebu Hotel where he held his first of two concerts, bankrolled by actor-restaurateur Marvin Agustin with a couple of celebrity folks as partners.

At the Big Dome, where SRO tickets had to be sold to accommodate a huge demand from fans, the 25-year-old Mars presented a show that revealed his deep love for classic rock ’n’ roll. Even before the gig started, the house music primed the audience with a selection of hits by Elvis Presley, The Temptations, among others.

Striding onstage and momentarily banging on the drums as a warm-up, Mars settled down with an electric guitar, accompanied by a five-piece band composed of Afro-Americans and Asians. But his opening number, “The Other Side,” a track from his debut album “Doo-Wops and Hooligans,” burned with vocal passion and musical ferocity.

Throughout the show he laid bare his R&B, soul and reggae influences. On the third song, he launched into a raging version of Barrett Strong’s 1959 hit “Money (That’s What I Want)” – famously covered by The Beatles – as an intro to “Billionaire,” the worldwide hit by Travie McCoy which Mars co-wrote and produced.

“Can we slow down?” he asked the crowd before playing his own tune, “Our First Time,” channeling Michael Jackson but more erotic in tone – the song’s raging-hormones theme tempered only by a cool reggae beat.

Mars followed it with an all-out homage to Jackson: a faster version of “Billie Jean” with clanging guitars reminiscent of The Troggs’ 1965 hit “Wild Thing,” and “I Want You Back,” the Jackson 5’s 1969 first single on the Motown label.

The crowd went nuts upon hearing the next song, “Marry You,” an original track off “Doo-Wops and Hooligans,” distinctly memorable for its driving rhythms and happy wedding bells background.

But not everything was bright and sunshiny in Mars’ songs. “Liquor Store Blues,” though arranged in engaging dancehall-reggae style, was in fact dark and gloomy, the lyrics howling with drunkenness and desolation: “One shot for my pain…”

There was pandemonium when Mars proceeded with “Nothin’ on You,” another worldwide hit (No. 1 in the United States, United Kingdom and the Netherlands) which he co-wrote and produced with hip hop artist B.o.B.

But apparently Mars preferred the audience to likewise appreciate the next tune, “Grenade,” which he said was his personal favorite. Like “Liquor Store Blues,” it was not a happy song, its sentiments dripping with frustration: “I would die for you, but you won’t do the same.”

Hysteria accompanied his own No. 1 hit, “Just the Way You Are,” the audience taking over the song’s chorus.

There was one more impressive showcase via the encore, “Runaway Baby,” in which Mars lent credence to his album and tour title “Doo-Wops” by doing a James Brown act, complete with a backup vocal trio. His footwork elicited applause, even if he couldn’t execute a full leg split.

The gig, which lasted for an hour-and-a-half, also displayed Mars’ guitar-playing skills. On “Grenade” his axe wailed with blasts of hard rock. But on “Count on Me” he switched to a ukulele, evoking laid-back beach scenes not unlike those in Hawaii where he grew up.

He said it was his first time to come to the Philippines where his mother was born. He vowed to be back, overwhelmed by the crowd’s lusty cheers: “I want to see the same faces when I return, okay?”

...the Pinoy Pride

Nietes smashes Mexican foe in 1 round

abs-cbnNEWS.com

04/09/2011

3 more Pinoys dominate event

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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Filipino champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes made a smashing debut as a junior flyweight by knocking out Mexico’s Armando Vazquez in just 1 round at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City on Saturday.

Nietes tagged Vazquez with a crushing right hook, knocking down the Mexican during the main event of Pinoy Pride 5, according to a Philboxing.com report.

Vasquez failed to make the count, prompting referee Bruce McTavish to award Nietes the knockout victory 2:26 into the opening round.

Before landing that knockout punch, Nietes had to survive a stunning left hand he received from Vazquez.
With the feat, Nietes improved his record at 28-1-3 scoring 16 KOs. Vasquez, on the other hand, settled at 18-6.

Meanwhile, reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight champ Nietes is poised to face the winner of the WBO interim junior flyweight title bout between Jesus Geles and Ramon Garcia Hirales for his next fight.

Other Pinoys prevail

Other Filipino pugs also bannered the country's flag after surviving their respective undercard matches.
Jason Pagara, a Cagayan de Oro native, reaped the WBO Asia Pacific Youth lightweight crown after knocking out Tanzanian Deo Njiku in the 2nd round.

In the 1st round, Pagara had already sought dominance by sending Njiku down the canvas twice. The Tanzanian then used his powerful rights to make the fight even.

Pagara, however, used a counter left hook to end the fight in the succeeding round.

The Filipino now keeps a 26-1-0; while foe Njiku drops at an 11-5 slate.

Meanwhile, North Cotabato's Lorenzo Villanueva successfully defended his WBO Oriental featherweight crown against Indonesia's James Mokoginta via technical knockout (TKO) stoppage.

Cebu's Roli Gasca also prevailed against Thailand's Ngaotawan Sithsaithong via TKO. – With reports from Nico Delfin, ABS-CBN News Negros and Philboxing.com