Friday, July 31, 2009

062909: New rules on independent directors out

Monday, June 29, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Corporate News

 

COMPANIES MUST wait for two years before it can appoint a resigned director as an independent board member, and a year in the case of a person who had helped the board perform its duties, to ensure their "independence," the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered.

In a memorandum circular last Wednesday, the SEC added the two provisions to the seven already stated in the implementing rules and regulations of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC).

It states that a regular director who resigns or whose term ends on the day of the board elections shall only qualify for nomination and election as an independent director after two years.

Meanwhile, those who were appointed chairman emeritus, ex-officio directors and officers or were part of any executive advisory board need a one-year "cooling off" period before being nominated.

Rule 38.2 of the SRC states that firms may not have independent directors who own more than 2% of its shares, is a relative of any of the firm’s officials, substantial shareholders or directors or those acting as representative of other directors, officials or owners.

Persons who are being retained by the company as an adviser, or who had been an executive of the firm at least five years before are also prohibited from being independent directors.

In an interview, SEC Secretary Gerard M. Lukban said the commission decided to the add the "cooling off" provisions to ensure that former company officials are sufficiently insulated from a firm before being nominated as an independent board member.

The recent circular is the fourth one issued by the commission since June 8 in an effort to improve corporate governance practices.

Since then, regulators have approved a new scale of fines that increases penalties for public firms that do not comply with reporting requirements, and resolved to fine listed companies that do not participate in the annual corporate governance survey.

Last week, the SEC has also revised the Corporate Governance Code to make its provisions mandatory instead of recommendatory. — D. G. K. Carreon

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW062909/content.php?src=1&id=045

060107: Editorial: Services-driven growth not enough

 

 

 

 

A 6.9-percent GDP growth rate, the highest quarterly growth in the last 17 years in the country's history, is certainly good news. Never mind that our neighbors China, Vietnam and India have raised the bar to the 7-percent to 11-percent growth band in the last several years. An almost 7-percent growth in GDP for a country with barely a $1,000 per capita GDP is actually quite ordinary.


But let's drink to that pretty new and higher number, if only because for years now we have been used to being thrashed by the world's number crunchers, including those from multilateral institutions who kept on telling the international community we "lack global competitiveness," have "poor infrastructure," or we have less "economic freedom."


But this new number may actually give us a hint that good things could happen if only some elements are present, like higher public spending, to compliment people's expenditures.


On hindsight, this encouraging figure could actually be just an unusual bleep in the economic screen. We just had a midterm election and, certainly, politicians may have started throwing out money around as early as January to beef up their electoral chances. We have a construction ban on election season; the ruling party may have tried to ratchet up spending to put some spine to its hopelessly limp Senate lineup.
That is clearly shown in government's pump-priming activities that caused a 16.9-percent growth in public construction.


Looking at the rest of the numbers, however, it appears that the numbers do look real. As usual, personal consumption explained much of the growth figures. The people purchased more food, clothes, shoes, tobacco and spent more for fuels and light.


And where did they get the money? As usual, the rising personal spending came from the dollars sent in by overseas Filipinos. The number of deployed workers actually went down, but the money coming in is rising since we are increasingly responding to jobs that require greater skills and brainpower (like engineers and medical professionals).


Exports also maintained their double-digit growth, apparently because of the continuing robust demand for electronics and semiconductors.


Also, despite the super typhoons, the farm sector did look stable, and the increased productivity from the fishery sector may also have helped a lot. Manufacturing also remained stable, while mining recovered.


All these factors translated to more money being transacted through banks, money being spent in malls and sari-sari stores, more cash being burned in cellular phones and Internet games, and more money being used to buy vehicles.


No wonder the services sector grew by more than 9 percent, contributing 4.4 percentage points to the 6.9-percent growth rate. Industry contributed 1.9 percent and the farm sector 0.8 percentage points.


Now that we have praised ourselves with this new growth figure, we need to ask whether or not the service-driven economy is the most desirable growth path for us. Growth per se is good; an expanding pie somehow means that more and more people got the crumbs. But crumbs are crumbs and they are not going to create adequate nourishment for the broader sectors of the economy.


Consider these facts: interest rates are low (read: capital is cheap) and the peso has been "strong" (read: imported machines, technology, packaging products and equipment are cheap). And yet, durable equipment has not been rising. That could be interpreted to mean that business organizations are not investing in new machines and are not refurbishing their offices. Isn't that a sign of a wait-and-see attitude? If it is, investor confidence, therefore, is not yet fully restored.


The real reason probably lies in the structure of the economy, i.e. its being a service-driven one. Service companies, business-process outsourcing (BPOs) for instance, usually don't import huge machines, nor do they build factories. That means they are not likely to hire workers en masse the way a factory, requiring thousands of skilled and unskilled workers, would. Do we ever wonder why despite all the decent growth we achieved in the last three years, we can't seem to address joblessness? That's the reason.


The counterpoint seems to be that the services economy actually creates jobs fast, since setting up a service company like a BPO doesn't require so much capital infusion. All that is required is a nice building with reliable broadband Internet connection and voilà! hundreds of call-center agents or software programmers are hired.


That's true in the case of the country's cyberservices industry. But the one thing that is ignored in this debate is the fact that the services sector has the tendency to hire call-center agents, accountants, medical transcribers, lawyers and software engineers first before they get janitors, street sweepers and errand boys. The ideal thing to do is to provide jobs for both accountants and the like, as well as janitors, street sweepers, farmers and factory workers.


India
should provide a clear example to us. India is far ahead of the Philippines in terms of service-driven growth. Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi are full of information-technology campuses that glittered like urban utopias.


A few blocks from these campuses are stark manifestations of the continuing poverty, inequality and the perennial failure of the public sector to provide much-needed social services and urban infrastructure.

Indians are aware of this and are actually looking at China's manufacturing-driven growth with great envy.

 

The point here is that our service-driven growth is good, but we should start looking beyond that to spread the benefits of an expanding economy beyond the upper strata of society.


Romulo
Neri, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, actually acknowledged these limitations and has outlined crucial reforms and expenditure programs to boost both the farms and factories.


We wonder whether or not government has actually done something to address the bureaucracy's absorptive capacity, as well as its tendency to waste public money to graft and corruption. It's something that mass media and the general public should watch for as we approach the second half of 2007.


Yes, the people are watching.

 

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0601&022007/opinion01.html

062609: Ex-Figaro CEO pushes ahead with new coffee chain

Friday, June 26, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Corporate News

 

FIGARO COFFEE Co., Inc. is going through a crisis of identity with two opposing forces claiming to have a right to the Figaro trademarks, and both refusing to back down from the fight.

Exacerbating the rift is the emergence of a new coffee chain, Le Café Figaro, occupying nine spaces that were once branches of the original company, alongside a new outlet at Fraser Place in Salcedo Village — in all totaling 10 coffee shops (some still under renovation). All are operated by a former Figaro franchisee.

The tug-of-war started in June 2008 after former Figaro chief executive officer Pacita U. Juan, who owns 42% of F Coffee Holdings Corp., together with business partner Ma. Regina S. Francisco, surrendered management of the coffee chain to the Tanseco family.

Just two months after her resignation, she came out with a "notice and warning" in newspapers stating that she owned the Figaro trademarks, including the trade name. Thereafter, she lent the name "Figaro" to the newly registered Le Café Figaro Enterprises, Inc., where she acts as consultant.

Airing her side of the story after a Figaro Coffee official's Wednesday announcement of store and product expansions, Ms. Juan told reporters yesterday she had "stepped down" in good faith, to allow the major shareholders a turn in running Figaro Coffee.

Addressing allegations of financial mismanagement as well as profit loss due to the opening of outlets in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Ms. Juan pointed out that Figaro became "the No. 1 biggest local coffee chain" during her 15-year tenure and that any expansion to other countries "is a challenge every time."

She said her primary issue with the new Figaro Coffee management is that in December 2008 "new players had come in claiming to have put in money," without prior notice to the minority shareholders.

Moreover, she said the new management had decided not to buy stocks from local coffee farmers, making it look like she had turned back on promises made on behalf of the company.

Franchisees needs were also not being met, she said, citing Lot Tan, who now operates the 10 Le Café Figaro coffee shops.

The company also withdrew support for the China branch, she added, forcing her and then head of China operations Ross Juan to close the Shanghai branch themselves, or else be "blacklisted" in the country.

Ms. Juan, who founded the chain in 1993 with six others, hit Figaro Coffee's expansion plans, new franchising agreements, and the recent move to target the "C" market with new food products.

"You need 67% to get something major done, they didn't have that. I did not leave the corporation, I left management [but] I don't know what my 42% is worth now. You love your baby which you have nurtured for 15 years, but you see it going in a new direction that is not the vision that you had for it," she said.

"If I had continued the Figaro management from June 2008, the new Figaro would be this," she said, referring to the new Le Café Figaro chain.

"There's more food, there's still coffee, [but] I'm infusing healthier food. So if they say this is unfair competition, what's unfair competition? This is what I would have done if I had the reins of Figaro until today. Figaro [was the] only local company that was kind of going head-on with the international chains but now, that doesn't seem to be the direction," she added.

Ms. Juan's claim to the name "Figaro" resulted in a counter-measure from majority shareholders who contested her right to the Figaro trademarks in court.

An April 14 order by Judge Joselito Villarosa of the Makati Regional Trial Court ruled against Ms. Juan.

The order noted that Ms. Juan registered 12 specified trademarks, under her name, during her tenure as director and president of the company under the Figaro group, but that as an "agent" and "trustee" of the corporation "occupies a fiduciary relation to the corporation."

Therefore the "Figaro trademarks are treated by law as those of the corporation, being the principal," the ruling stated.

It also said Ms. Juan and her allies must "cease and desist from using, passing of as their own, selling, assigning, transferring, disposing or performing any act in connection with the Figaro trademarks."

Ms. Juan's camp however, claims the court order does not state, specifically, that other parties cannot use the name "Figaro" in conjunction with other words, as in "Le Café Figaro."

F Coffee Holdings Corp., Figaro Coffee Co., Inc., and Figaro Coffee Systems, Inc., are objecting to the use of the Figaro name in any form.

Mel Verano, chief executive officer of Figaro Coffee, said in a phone interview that Ms. Juan shouldn't be using the name "Figaro," especially when going into a similar business.

Concerning allegations made that his group came in without prior notice to the minority shareholders, Mr. Verano said he and his business partner Gerry Liu have "not bought a single stock," and merely provided financial resources so that the company would continue to operate.

He reiterated that his group came in after Ms. Juan had already stepped down, and that the primary reasons were interest in Figaro as a Filipino brand "which can further be developed like other international brands," to protect workers, and save the investment of franchisees and shareholders.

Mr. Verano said Figaro Coffee would have collapsed if his group didn't stepped in, as the company was unable to shoulder the expenses of basic supplies.

The Figaro Coffee chain now has 40 franchised stores, and 30 company-owned outlets.

For Ms. Juan, however, the old Figaro is dead.

"Why did people become enamored of Figaro? Because of what it represents, it represents holistic values, that you can be proudly Pinoy," she said.

"Figaro is the one espousing Kape Barako, coffee farming and seed-planting, [the one attempting] to put the Philippines back in the coffee belt where is that now?" — Johanna D. Poblete

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW062609/content.php?id=047

062009: Reduced red tape for entrepreneurs

Saturday, June 20, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Today’s Headlines

Entrepreneurs can now pay for business name registration fees through their mobile phones under a new service offered by the Trade department to complement the online application process.

The move is another in a line of reforms the department has enacted, which include the automatic renewal of expired business registrations and lowered fees, to reduce red tape.

Entrepreneurs were advised to access the Business Name Registration System homepage of the Trade department where steps on how to make e-payments using Globe Telecoms, Inc.’s GCASH facility are detailed.

The service was first launched in late May.

After a successful application, business certificates may be claimed through mail for Metro Manila applicants or in person at the agency’s satellite offices. In January last year, a similar GCASH service was offered to exporters who needed to pay fees on warehouse licenses and accreditation.

Recent improvements in the processing of small to medium enterprises’ transactions, Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila has said, are aimed at cushioning the impact of the economic crisis. — Jessica Anne D. Hermosa

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW062009/content.php?src=1&id=003

052909: House ratifies bill scrapping DST on stock transactions

Friday, May 29, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Banking & Finance
 

THE HOUSE of Representatives ratified Tuesday night a bill scrapping the documentary stamp tax (DST) on stock market transactions, with the Senate promising to follow suit next week.

House Bill (HB) 4900 seeks to exempt the sale, barter or exchange of shares of stock listed and traded through the stock exchange from DST, leaving the stock transaction tax and the value-added tax (VAT) as the only taxes levied on trading at the local bourse.

The DST amounts to 75 centavos per every P200 par value.

Antique Rep. Exequiel B. Javier, House ways and means committee chairman, said the House simply adopted Senate Bill (SB) 3203 approved on third reading Monday night.

"Senate amendments were accepted by the House and the House bill as amended was ratified last Tuesday," he said in a text message.

"The bill is for immediate signing into law by the President, possibly before the second regular session ends."

Under the original House proposal, the DST exemption would be enjoyed only for five years. Senators did not impose a limit.

A member of the legislative staff of Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee, said SB 3203 would likely be ratified next week.

Francis Ed. Lim, Philippine Stock Exhange (PSE) president, said the lifting of the DST on stock market transactions would boost investments in the local bourse as it would lower the cost of trading.

"One of the big issues that we have been contending with is the low investments in the stock market due to high transaction costs. Aside from the DST, investors would have to pay the stock transaction tax, making transactions double-taxed. This bill encourages investors to do more trading in Philippine stocks," he said in a telephone interview yesterday.

"We are also looking at the possibility of asking Congress to reduce the rate of the stock transaction tax in the near future," he added.

Other fees and taxes investors in the stock market pay are:

  • a brokerage commission, involving a maximum of 1.5% of the transaction cost plus VAT;
  • a transfer fee of P100 plus VAT;
  • a cancellation fee of P20 plus VAT; and
  • a Securities Clearing Corp. of the Philippines fee of 0.0001 x value of transaction. — Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez

050609: Entrepreneurs cash in on wellness phenomenon, find 'gold in grass'

Vol. XXII, No. 194
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Corporate News

CORPORATE FILE

Gold in Grass Corp.

VARIOUS SECTORS have complained that the economic development being touted by the government has yet to reach the countryside — where people remain poor, unemployed, and uneducated.

But while critics continue to hit the state for failing to provide for the needs of the poor, some businesses believe they also have a role to play in helping rural folk obtain sources of livelihood.

Among them is Gold in Grass Corp., a family-owned corporation engaged in the production of essential oils out of lemongrass, locally known as tanglad, salay or baraniw.

"It is basically our interest to produce products out of the lemongrass that prompted us to set up this business. But apart from that, it is also due to our advocacy to help the communities. We choose the poorest communities and we source our laborers from them," said Lilia Pelayo, finance and marketing officer of Gold in Grass.

Gold in Grass employs around 40 workers, majority of whom are farmers who plant the lemongrass in the company’s plantations.

Ms. Pelayo, also one of the owners of the company, said she wanted to help poor rural communities because she herself had experienced hardship.

"We are from Kalinga. I was born there and my brothers grew up there. There came a time when we had to look for something we can rely on, something that would give us income. We decided to look into the benefits of lemon grass which is abundant," Ms. Pelayo said.

Ms. Pelayo and members of her family, some of whom are engineers and scientists, initially built a plantation in their province but security reasons prompted them to move to Cagayan Valley.

"Some outsiders came to see our farm. Some of them are suspecting that we are not really interested in setting up a business. We felt uneasy so we decided to leave and move to another place," she said.

But the trials did not end there. Ms. Pelayo said the new plantation was located beside rice farms. When rice farmers sprayed insecticides, many of their crops withered and died.

The family then moved the business to Sariaya, Quezon.

"We invested around P15 million for this business. We spent around P5 million to buy the necessary equipment while P10 million was spent to develop the land where we plant the grass," Ms. Pelayo said.

Founded in 2001, Gold in Grass has 40 hectares of plantations dedicated to lemongrass in Cagayan and in Quezon. It is a member of Spa Association of the Philippines and the Organic Producers Trade Association.

The company’s primary products are essential oils and lemongrass hydrosol. Essential oils are used for relaxation and aromatherapy while hydrosol is a "wellness" product that can induce urination and perspiration in as little as one hour.

This is possible since lemongrass have natural ingredients that helps detoxify the body, cut down on uric acid, cholesterol, toxins and excess fat.

The company also offers massage oils that can reduce pains caused by arthritis, rheumatism and stomach ache; soaps and even organic juice.

The company’s target markets are spas, hotels, pharmacies, and people who prefer organic products.

"If we use organic products we can avoid synthetic ones which may pose dangers to the health. Some of these synthetic products are made of chemicals that are carcinogenic," Ms. Pelayo said.

Gold in Grass has an advantage since "the world is becoming aware of the properties of organic and natural products," she added.

The company promotes its products by joining trade exhibits, and through a showroom in Makati. Gold in Grass products are also available at the Organic Producers Trade Association office in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

The company has also exported small quantities of essential oils to the United States. Gold in Grass plans to increase production to meet the growing demand for organic products here and abroad, and is open to producing new products from other types of grass.

"We also want to go back to Kalinga to set up a plantation there," she said.

Ms. Pelayo acknowledged that the company’s business plans would not have materialize if not for the laborers producing the raw materials.

"If not for them [laborers] we would not be able to sell these products. They found a source of income and they grow our lemongrass. We have to give in order to receive. We would be happier if other people are also happy," she said.

http://bworldonline.com/BW050609/content.php?src=1&id=049

 

051009: SM opens 34th mall


May 01, 2009

MANILA, Philippines -- Shopping mall giant SM Prime Holdings, Inc. opened Friday a mall in Naga City, the first SM mall in the Bicol region and also the first new mall to be opened this year by Henry Sy, the country's richest man.

The new mall in Naga City, the 34th in the SM chain, has a gross floor area of 64,870 square meters (sqm) and occupies 46,801 sqm of land. It has a leasable area of 31,398 sqm, 94 percent of which has already been awarded to various tenants.

The major tenants are SM Department Store and SM Supermarket, which will occupy 11,991 sqm and 6,413 sqm of floor space, respectively.

"Naga City may be considered as the nerve center of the Bicol region. It is home to large business establishments, universities, hotels, and regional government offices. It is also a transportation hub with the Naga Transport Exchange servicing almost all of the region's inter-municipality transportation. Its tourism industry is highlighted by the presence of the world-class CamSur Watersports Complex, one of the top tourist destinations in the country which played host to the 2008 world wakeboarding championship. These attributes make Naga City an ideal and suitable location for an SM mall," SM Prime president Hans Sy said in a press statement.

Other mall tenants include SM Appliance, Jollibee, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Chowking, Max's, Gerry's Grill, National Bookstore, Watsons, and Ace Hardware, among others.

SM City Naga's amenities include a food court; four cinemas with a combined seating capacity of 1,400; and parking slots for over 1,000 vehicles.

For the rest of 2009, SM Prime is scheduled to open SM City Rosario in Cavite, SM City Pamplona in Las Piñas, the Sky Garden at SM City North Edsa and launch its expansion of SM City Rosales in Pangasinan.

By year end, the country's largest shopping mall empire is expected to have 36 malls in the country, with an estimated gross floor area of 4.9 million sqm. It also has three existing malls in mainland China and plans to build three more.

©2009 www.inquirer.net all rights reserved

http://services.inquirer.net/mobile/09/05/01/html_output/xmlhtml/20090501-202532-xml.html

122806: My father the social entrepreneur

My father the social entrepreneur
ASK GONEGOSYO By Joey Concepcion
The Philippine Star 12/28/2006


Today let me dedicate this column to my father, who is more popularly known as Joecon, as he celebrates his 75th birthday tomorrow, together with his twin brother, my uncle Raul Concepcion. I will have to pre-empt a column that I had prepared for the new year, which will just come out a week later.

My life’s journey over the last 48 years has been a tremendous experience for me because of my Dad, and let me share some stories with all of you who follow this column (which I learned to my amazement is quite a number, although I’m sure it will never be as many as those who read my wife’s tita, Rosalinda Orosa, or my friend, Babes Romualdez, who both write for The Star).

My father took up agriculture majoring in Soils at the Araneta Institute of Agriculture, which is now known as De La Salle Araneta University after the family decided to donate the school to the Christian Brothers. This is where he met my mom, Marivic. His future in-laws, my Lolo Salvador and Lola Victoria Araneta, owned the school, so how could my father fail in his course, especially when he was dating the daughter of the owners. Sometimes I wonder what made my Dad take up Agriculture, since his twin went to Accounting at UCLA. It’s funny how despite their being twins, their courses in college were so different and how later in life, they pursued such different paths.

But being twins also had certain advantages. For example, I remember stories about how they shared dates pretending to be each other. Imagine, my dad dating the same girls my uncle dated, while swapping his good dates with my uncle. Good thing it stopped when they both got married.

Earlier my father was supposed to have become a priest, having studied at a seminary for two years. But I guess the call of the real world was too much for him to ignore, or maybe he just heard the call of my future Mom.

We lived in Pasay City, at the corner of Taft and EDSA where now stands our shopping center. It was a very modest house, and prone to the floods that Pasay is famous for. I remember having to swim to my room whenever the rains would pour. All the kids had to share one room, and the whole house would have probably fit in the living room of many houses today. The small compound was shared by my Dad’s twin, and this is how we became close to our cousins. Looking at the pictures of those times during the last Christmas Eve party, I was reminded of when I kept wearing my costumes as Batman or Superman and was always looking to fight evil (it seemed I ended up picking on all my cousins and brothers).

My Dad’s advocacy started with the Pasay Citizens League for Good Government, the Jaycees and so many other civic projects. During my childhood, I remember our weekly packing of relief goods for flood victims, or fire victims, or for whatever tragedies just kept happening in Pasay City. The famous street battle with the Lapiang Malaya was the first encounter of bloodshed and violence for my father, and what a nightmare for me as a kid. I had always wondered why my father loved to be in the middle of all these socio-civic activities. He ran as representative for the Constitutional Convention and won it handily. I remember campaigning with him, using our Volkswagen Camper at that time, and my uncle, his twin, would appear as my Dad in some sorties around the city to cover more grounds in a short time (another benefit of having a twin).

Because of his activism, when Martial Law was declared, my Dad was among the first to be incarcerated at Camp Crame by the Marcos regime. As the dictatorship worsened, it came to the lowest point for our business. It was very close to being taken over by a Marcos crony at that point when I asked my Dad what can he do and he told me not to worry, that he was working on something that would fight the dictatorship. This led him eventually to establishing what the country badly needed at that time, a citizens action group called Namfrel. Namfrel was really the start in teaching Filipinos to stand up and be counted, and fight back by watching over their ballot boxes. The idea generated millions of Namfrel volunteers, who later moved as the first wave of the people power revolution.

As I look back on those days, I think God in a way was preparing my father for the big role he was to play in helping bring back democracy to the country. Watching the video clips shown during our Christmas party, seeing the pictures of my Dad wearing the Namfrel jacket with the black super huge frame, I could not help but be reminded of Ninoy Aquino. The Namfrel fever became so strong and gave so much courage to Filipinos to stand up and fight that it was inevitable that it would lead to the Edsa Revolution.

After that, my Dad decided to help the Cory govenment as DTI secretary. He served also as mentor to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who had her first stint in government service as assistant secretary at DTI at that time. Up to this very day, PGMA always refers to my father as her mentor, as the one who gave her the confidence and attitude to face the challenges of public service. In the meantime, in his own way, my Tito Ronnie also nurtured a unique advocacy for the benefit of Filipino consumers. Known as the consumer and oil price watch, his advocacy has also helped millions of ordinary Filipinos to make an educated stand against unreasonable price increases in basic goods and utilities.

In business, my Dad and I always differed about business models and philosophies. He loves the chicken business, no matter how difficult it is. He still tends to be a protectionist, while I am more of the brand builder and free trade advocate. But in the end, even with these differences, I believe my father has lived up to be a good mentor. Now I know that his purpose in life was to give encouragement to our countrymen in the darkest moments of our history. His theme song, The Impossible Dream, remains strongly appropriate to his vision for the country, for his quixotic quest to see the Philippines rise from poverty and become one of the most respected countries in Asia and the world.

Forty eight years of knowing my Dad will always be the most significant experience of my life. Now as I turn towards a new frontier in my life of helping people fulfill their dreams of entrepreneurship, of giving hope and inspiration to everyone thru the "Go Negosyo" advocacy, I realize I am drawing on all that my father has taught me in serving others. Now I have found the reason why at that young age I was exposed to all these civic work that my father loved to do. I am an entrepreneur by heart, a serial entrepreneur who loves to create businesses one after another, and I owe my success to my father for properly guiding me. But more than doing business, he has taught me to love this country much more. To my dad, Joecon, thank you for making me, and countless other Filipinos, care about our country. Thank you for the 48 years of your mentorship. We love you. Happy 75th birthday!
* * *
How would you rate dad as a mentor and how has he inspired you?

I posed this question to my siblings and here are their answers:

My father is a man of many dreams, a man who believes that he can make a difference and change the world to become a better place, that if we all did our share and if we have God with us, nothing is impossible. I grew up idolizing my father, trying to mimic him from lugging around suitcases of paper to setting up a small office next to him. My father was not a ‘hands on’ coach. He would never tell me what to do but I learned so much more from what I saw him do. He taught me the meaning of servant leadership. My father often took the road less traveled, fought the fight many were afraid to do. It is from him that I have learned the value of honesty, integrity, love for our neighbors but most importantly that deep love for God and devotion to our Blessed Mother. Marie

As a mentor, Dad did not teach – he lives a life of HOPE and FAITH. Dad never dreamed, rather, he acted on impossible dreams, and yes they really do come true. Dad you are ‘my reach for the unreachable star’, you inspire me to reach far deeper into the interior of my heart. Happy Birthday Dad, we love you dearly. –Bernie

Dad taught me how to love my country. Even at our country’s lowest point he stuck it out and never stopped believing in it and that the Filipino could rise and do anything. He taught me how to think of those less fortunate than myself and to use my blessings to help others. He taught me the value of hard work, honesty and integrity, to never get ahead at someone else’s expense. To love God first and everything else will follow. I have always looked up to him and I am so proud of what he has done in his lifetime. I am so proud to call him Dad.–John

My father has a passion and that is to serve his country in many ways: Namfrel, ASEAN, Barangay Captain, Ten Outstanding Students, and many more. All his life, he has committed himself to serve the Filipino people. I wish I could be more like him.–Celine

It’s not usual for dads to directly mentor daughters. Same can be said of Dad and I. I grew up with my dad busy trying to change the world (or at least a small part of it called the Philippines). The values and principles he espoused and fought for were more of nation than family. He mentored me indirectly by bringing me up in an environment where he encouraged me to choose whatever business endeavor I was inclined to. He provided much encouragement and support. He was more "rah-rah" than "do it this way" and he would always take every occasion to say how proud he was of my pursuits (even if at times it was a real struggle). He would always tell me never to give up, to try harder and to never take the easy way out. You could say he was "tor"mentor in the best way possible.–VINA

My dad as my mentor has been very inspirational. He has allowed me to dream yet make it reachable. My father has helped me set values in my life that gave me direction and a proper understanding of what is just. To this day I still come to my dad for advice and pick his brain on how to deal with the complex problems of life. –Liza

Daddy has always been by my side giving advise and support in every thing I do. Every night we make it a point to share and exchange ideas. He has inspired me to always think BIG...think positive and believe in the impossible. I look up to him as he exemplifies a true mentor as he leads by example. His dedication to his work and advocacies, love for his family, selflessness for the poor and loyalty to his country give me a deep sense of pride for my father who I love so dearest.–Michelle

061606: Foreign retirees and the Filipino farmer

this story was taken from www.inq7money.net
URL: http://money.inq7.net/topstories/view_topstories.php?yyyy=2006&mon=06&dd=16&file=11





COMMENTARY
Posted: 2:02 AM | Jun. 16, 2006
Ernesto M. Ordoñez
Inquirer

(Published on Page B7 of the June 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

LAST May 30, retirement became a presidential flagship program, with Edgardo Aglipay heading the program as "retirement czar."

Officials believe that by attracting the targeted 900,000 foreign retirements to the country over the next 10 years, around four million jobs will be generated, while government may expect $44 billion to go its coffers.

The program will also reverse the prevailing migration trend, allowing many Filipino health workers to come home or stay put.

But what does this have to do with the Filipino farmer?

lining pensions

Health Care Coalition president David Paraiso, a senior consultant of the Commission on Aging at the White House in the United States, discovered that the declining pensions of retirees in most developed countries will not be sufficient for them to live comfortably in their home countries. There will therefore be a "tsunami" of retirees leaving the developed countries for less expensive retirement destinations.

Philippine Retirement Incorporated (PRI), the private sector counterpart of the government's Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA), did an analysis of retirees in six selected markets shown below:

Country

2006

2015

Japan

60.4 M

64.2 M

Korea

16.2

21.0

Taiwan

7.6

9.7

USA

112.0

133.6

Europe

163.3

184.1

China

367.4

505.9

TOTAL

726.9

918.5

The government's minimum target of 900,000 retirees by 2015 represents less than 1/10 of one percent (fewer than one in 1,000) of the number of retirees in the selected markets above.

PRA and PRI

Over the past 20 years, PRA registered only 12,500 retirees, while Malaysia and Thailand each exceeded that number in only one year. Two reasons have been given for this.

The first is that PRA has not been given the importance and support necessary to fulfill its potential. Now that retirement has become a presidential flagship program, this issue is being addressed.

The second reason is that the private sector retirement industry players have never coordinated on this. PRI, a non-stock non-profit corporation, now unites registered operators of retirement facilities, leisure and resort destinations, condominium and housing developers, hospitals, health insurance, transport and travel services, caregiving training schools, HMOs, financial institutions, tourism advocates, brokers, builders, health and wellness organizations, and other service providers nationwide, under one organization.

In the housing industry, among the key movers behind the PRI formation are the Zobel de Ayalas, Gotianums, Gokongweis, Sys, and Tans.

Other players

When talking of retirement, a "retirement village" comes to mind. This is where an enclave of houses and buildings are constructed with support facilities, such as swimming pools, gymnasiums, walking trails, spas, and other amenities. Chinese-Filipino tycoons and big developers may play a significant role in this.

But according to PRI vice chairman Francisco Colayco, the majority of retirees in developed countries live in much less integrated arrangements, such as small buildings and residential houses.

PRA chairman Aglipay relates his own brother's experience in the United States. Though an engineer, Joven Aglipay studied caregiving and started with two retirees in his own home. He now has two more homes with four retirees each.

I saw one such home in Las Vegas. It housed four retirees each paying $3,500, for a monthly total of $14,000, or approximately P750,000. Like all other registered nursing homes, it follows strict standards set by the US government to ensure the quality of service.

For the facilities here to be globally competitive, the PRI, together with PRA, will ensure that these same standards are implemented.

In fact, we expect our retirement offerings to be superior to others because of the Filipino's caring, compassionate, and professional attitude. We are known in almost every part of the world for this, and no other nationality comes close to us.

Examples of this compassion and professionalism are the maid who put herself in front of a speeding car and was killed trying to protect the child under her care in Hong Kong, and the practice of many Middle East executives who entrust their house keys only to their Filipino employees.

The Filipino farmer

Aglipay said that his vision was for a teacher to augment his or her income by taking care of one or two foreign retirees in his or her home. The retirees will likewise benefit, not only from lower costs, but also from the compassionate care they would receive from their Filipino hosts -- something the retirees might not get in their home countries.

For a successful retirement industry, two areas that require strict global compliance are health care services and the diet. It is in the diet area where farmers play an important role. They can provide the high quality food needed by the retirees.

In addition, model farmers can likewise house retirees. There are many retiree farmers in developed countries looking for retirement destinations. These farmers prefer a farming environment. They can also live more productive and fulfilling lives by sharing their agricultural technology and expertise with Filipino farmers.

The Alyansa Agrikultura [Agricultural Alliance] has recommended creating a special window to attract foreign farmer retirees.

This and other opportunities will be discussed in a PRI-PRA Retirement Industry and Investment Summit to be held on July 3 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. For more information, please call Ethel Ruffa at +632 8481412 to 16, extension 119.

The author is Agriwatch chairman; former Cabinet secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, former undersecretary of agriculture, and former undersecretary of trade and industry. For inquiries and suggestions, email agriwatchphil@yahoo.com or call or fax +632 8522112.

 

Thursday, July 30, 2009

042409: Federation of Mindanao co-ops expanding lodging operations

Vol. XXII, No. 186
Friday, April 24, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Corporate News

Federation of Mindanao co-ops expanding lodging operations

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Mindanao Alliance of Self-Help Societies-Southern Philippines Educational Cooperative Center (Mass-Specc) is expanding its lodging operation here and in the city of Davao.

Sylvia Okinlay-Paraguya, Mass-Specc chief executive officer, said the expansion is necessary since the number of federation members as well as civil society groups patronizing its facilities is growing each year.

Ms. Paraguya, however, failed to provide details of the expansion, specifically the amounts poured into the two projects, but noted that investments would be sourced from internally generated funds since lodging operations have been providing revenues to the federation.

The "hostels" run by Mass-Specc offer highly competitive rates for business- and tourist-class rooms compared with privately run hotels and other lodging houses. These business-class hotels have become a favorite address among civil society leaders traveling to this city and Davao.

The federation, now on its 42nd year, counts 252 cooperative members and other self-help groups in 20 provinces in Mindanao. The Mass-Specc hostel in this city has been on the list of local hotels recommended to local and foreign tourists because of good facilities as well as its location, which is within the city’s central business district.

The Cagayan de Oro Mass-Specc Hostel, with 12 rooms classified as superior in two floors and dormitory type accommodation on the two upper floors, has upgraded facilities and amenities to meet growing demand. It is converting its third floor into private rooms from dormitory types.

Ms. Paraguya said the expansion of hostel operations in Davao was pursued since the city’s tourism industry has remained "very competitive" despite an economic slowdown.

Davao is said to have occupancy rates of over 60% year-round.

Last year, Mass-Specc ventured into information technology by launching the "Pinoy Coop electronic banking," giving members of its 252 cooperatives all over the island the opportunity to access their accounts through Megalink-hooked automated teller machines.

Aside from hostels and financial operations, Mass-Specc extends training, education, consultancy, and information technology assistance to member cooperatives. — G.P. Alba

http://bworldonline.com/BW042409/content.php?src=1&id=043

121908: Faith-based, spirit-driven business

Vol. XXII, No. 105
Friday, December 19, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Opinion

Vector 
By Sonny Coloma

Last week, we featured the launching of a new book,Business As An Integral Mission, by the Center for Community Transformation (CCT). The economic aspect of the business model of CCT includes programs in microfinance, commodities distribution, business development, and entrepreneurship training.

The social services and social security aspects include the provision of education, housing, health care, and life insurance services for client-beneficiaries that now total about 130,000 families. These families are composed of micro-entrepreneurs, street dwellers, urban poor, children and youth.

There is also a socio-cultural and political restructuring component that includes leadership development, social infrastructure building, community mobilization, local churches, and the Kilusang Kabayaning Pilipino (KKP).

Yet, as CCT President Ruth Callanta points out, CCT has three distinctions. First, it is a Christian organization. "We do everything for the glory of God, according to Biblical principles. Second, it is a prayerful, worshiping, serving, witnessing and disciplining organization."

While those engaged in secular development believe that the poor themselves hold the key to the alleviation of their status and their movement toward self-reliance, CCT believes that "we, as followers of Jesus, are given a clear mandate: the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations." Hence, evangelism and discipleship permeate CCP’s programs and activities. Third, CCT was organized and is funded, governed and managed by Filipino entrepreneurs and business managers.

The programs of evangelism and discipleship strengthen the faith that is the bedrock of CCT’s transformational development framework. Through faith, CCT client-beneficiaries attain a new perspective and world view: that they are children of God whose mission is to return to the Kingdom and that this credo underpins their values, priorities, and decision-making processes.

As they are guided by CCT’s servant-leaders, their lives are changed. Their families become stronger; they attain higher levels of quality of life. Transformed families engender transformed communities.

Leading CCT are trustees who walk the talk of Christian evangelism and discipleship. They are servant-leaders of businesses that embody and radiate their faith in Jesus Christ and their commitment to seek and achieve the greater glory of God.

In the prologue to the new book, editor Eugenio Caccam, Jr. summarizes their business philosophy in terms of the following key components:

First: "Business is a way of glorifying God." This, to them, is "the strategic, eternal purpose of an enterprise."

Second: "Work is a way to spread the word of God." Benjamin Liuson, president of Pacific Insular Co., Inc., that started franchising The Generics Pharmacy to provide affordable medicines, believes that business persons "can use their products, influence, benefits and even friends to spread the word of God and enrich people spiritually."

Third: "The task of spreading God’s work is best done through modeling." Lamberto Sy, Jr., operations manager of Construction Equipment Corp., "creates a company atmosphere that encourages prayerfulness" and where "justice is demonstrated by fair employee salaries and benefit packages."

Fourth: "Work is striving for excellence." James Tioco, vice president of Philcox (Phils.) Co., Inc., believes that this principle is best expressed in the four Ps of Christian leadership: passion toward those in one’s sphere of influence, and especially in serving the poor; provision of generosity; perseverance in serving as spiritual disciples.

Fifth: "A Christian enterprise" must have transparency and accountability." CCT trustees believe this is essential in stakeholder relationships.

Sixth: "Pursuit of profit must not be an end in itself but a tool to help the needy."

Edmon Ngo, president of Cosmetics Revelation Manufacturing Corp., and Nicodemus Ang, president of Midas Project Realty, Inc., believe that far from just making money, a higher priority of business is to assist the poor, the oppressed, the widowed, and the orphaned.

Seventh: "Concern for the poor is an obligation."

These guiding precepts have underpinned CCT’s growth in reach and depth since its inception in 1992 when its client-beneficiaries numbered only 2,000 micro-entrepreneurs. Today’s more than 130,000 families cum community partners may be found in 19 provinces, 47 municipalities, and 35 cities that are served by its 150 branches.

As of January 2008, loans disbursed have reached almost two billion pesos with a repayment rate of 99%. Total savings mobilized was at 170 million pesos. Outstanding loan portfolio was 430 million pesos with almost 200,000 borrowers.

From CCT’s evangelical perspective, these are the more telling numbers: 5,713 Bible study groups; 67,985 persons evangelized; 45,221 persons who received Christ as Lord and Savior; 41,015 community partners with Bible during meetings; and 2,654 Muslim partners.

Being a faith-based organization, where is CCT headed?

Ms. Callanta says that CCT’s journey to transformation is "a work in progress" that goes "where the Spirit leads." In its early years, CCT saw as its mission "to service the needs of individuals and groups involved in transformation and to influence like movements in Asia." The next phase focused on direct grassroots work, such as urban renewal and microfinance. At the onset of the new millennium (2001-2006), the possibilities of microfinance for evangelization were pursued aggressively.

Last week’s book launching underlines CCT’s movement toward manifesting business as an integral mission. "Breaking new ground, pushing new frontiers" impels CCT to reaffirm two principles. First, "as a church, we must look at our work as primarily transformational." Second, we must reexamine how we view the poor, and how we tailor our programs as we refashion our attitudes and outlooks to favor them," Ms. Callanta emphasizes.

Action thrusts that have emerged from CCT’s discernment and reflection processes are: more focused and target-specific programs, separate delivery systems for each target group, priority on achieving economic benefits, participatory institutions for development work, long-term and sustainable programs, and programmed phase-out to develop self-reliance. CCT views its work as a wholistic and integrated ministry: "spiritual projects must be seen in the light of the temporal, the temporal in the light of the spiritual."

Comments may be sent to sonny_coloma@yahoo.com

http://bworldonline.com/BW121908/content.php?src=1&id=141