Megaworld Lifestyle Malls

Premier real estate developer Megaworld expands its properties with commercial developments recognized as the country’s most admired lifestyle malls.

These signature developments are now all part of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, a collective brand of commercial entities that encompasses urban living all created and developed by Megaworld Corporation. Carrying Megaworld name in the label gives the guarantee of quality and class unique only to these developments.

The Megaworld Lifestyle Malls are Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill and Forbes Town Center in Fort Bonifacio, Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila, The Clubhouse at Corinthian Hills, Paseo Center in Makati, and the three malls in Eastwood City in Quezon City namely Eastwood Cyber and Fashion Mall, Eastwood Citywalk, and Eastwood Mall.

Each of the Malls is varied in realization of the “play” component in the live-work-play concept pioneered and popularized by Megaworld.

Two of these are located in Quezon City. Eastwood City along C-5, is the 24/7 community surrounded by residential high-rise building and a cyberpark. This place is popular for adapting well to the lifestyle of its residents and resident professionals. It has 3 different malls in one bustling community namely Eastwood Cyber and Fashion Mall for techie and trendy budget finds, Eastwood Citywalk for hip shops and hot parties, and Eastwood Mall for stylish shopping and chef-driven dinning. The Clubhouse at Temple Drive in Corinthian Hills is the laid-back community center that is adjacent to a high-end village and a temple, which includes Santi’s Deli, Rustan’s and Indigo Salon, among others.

South of the Metro, Venice Piazza in McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio offers a world-class dining experience that’s Italian-inspired. It is a restaurant hub that will soon be a full scale mall, complete with retail shops, cinemas and its own Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge. Forbes Town Center, also in Fort Bonifacio, is the family-oriented neighborhood that’s reminiscent of suburban towns. Tucked away in a residential and business community, it’s a strip lined with unique concept stores and high-end hole in the wall restaurants. Paseo Center offers varied mix of fast foods, restaurants and service shops for suit-clad men and business women. Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila, across NAIA Terminal 3, is Manila’s destination for luxury shopping and the socialites’ party scene.

International fast food favorite McDonald’s can be found in a majority of these Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. Eastwood is, in fact, the first to have the 24/7 McDonald’s in the Country. Evidently, the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls are reinventing the entertainment and lifestyle industry in the country.

Expect more top caliber developments under Megaworld Lifestyle Malls in the near future. Among them are Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo which is set to open in the last quarter of 2011 and one in Iloilo which will open in 2012.

The country’s most admired lifestyle malls, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, are evidently bringing positive economic change into the country with the property expansion of premier real estate developer Megaworld. 

source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

Thursday, June 30, 2011

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Tailor claims P18-million lotto prize

By MITCH ARCEO
June 29, 2011, 4:28pm

MANILA, Philippines — A tailor from Iloilo City on Tuesday claimed from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) the P18,860, 232.60 he won in the June 23 6/42 lotto draw, PCSO General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said.

It was learned from the lone winner of the lotto jackpot is a 29-year-old father of two. He has been betting in the lotto for the past one year.

The PCSO does not identify lotto winners.

Last June 23, he bet P10 the combination 04-30-07-13-42-29. The man bought his ticket at a lotto outlet in GC Lumber, Real Estranzuela Street, Iloilo City.

According to the winner, he based the combination on the birthdays and ages of his family members.

As a new millionaire, the lotto winner plans to put up his own business and get an educational plan for his children.

Two bettors will share the P6,746,607 for the June 27 MegaLotto 6/45 draw. They are the latest winners under the said category, making them the 31st and 32nd MegaLotto 6/45 millionaires. The two winners have yet to claim their winnings.

source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/324720/tailor-claims-p18million-lotto-prize

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Iloilo strengthens local business competitiveness

MORE than 100 entrepreneurs from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Iloilo province are gathered in Iloilo City from June 28 to 29 for an action planning workshop.

Trade department regional director Dominic Abad said local entrepreneurs and representatives from different sectors, government agencies, academe and civil society are attending the workshop to define ways of strengthening MSMEs as backbone of the national economy.

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Iloilo provincial Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council president Valerie Maravilla said Iloilo is strong in public-private partnership (PPP) and participants are updated on the growth areas of the council from its operation last year.

In 2009, the National Statistics Office listed 777,357 SME establishments with 710,822 engaged in micro enterprise, 65,529 engaged in small enterprises, 3,006 in medium and 3,080 in large.

Included in the micro range are enterprises with P3 million and less capitalization, P3 million to P15 million for small enterprise, P15 million to P100 million for medium and over P100 million for large enterprises not including land property.

Abad said the formulated business action plan will cover the years 2011 to 2016 with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH assisting the participants in the program.

The MSMEs have grown their contribution to the national economy from 32 percent last year to 35.7 percent this year by generating 6.5 million direct and indirect jobs with P20.12 billion in domestic sales of products, goods and services and $18 billion in export sales, Abad said.

Earlier, DTI has conducted similar forum in other Western Visayas provinces with Iloilo as the last leg of the action planning workshop.

Western Visayas contributed P120 million in exports from the ports of Iloilo in Iloilo City and Pulupandan in Negros Occidental with coal, sugar and copper.

The priority sectors in Western Visayas are agri-aqua, tourism, processed food-flour based, furnitures and furnishings and IT-business process outsourcing. These sectors generate employment, utilize locally produced materials and indigenous resources, provide backward and forward linkages, present potential investment and business opportunities and align with provincial and national priority sectors. (Lydia C. Pendon)

source: 

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2011/06/28/iloilo-strengthens-local-business-competitiveness-163726

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Entrepreneur says Iloilo MSMEs flourishing with public-private partnership

LOILO CITY, June 29 (PNA) - The city and province of Iloilo have emerged as one growth area in the country where public and private partnership (PPP) is a major factor in the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as the backbone of the local economy, according to entrepreneur Valerie Maravilla.

Maravilla, who is president of the Iloilo Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council (SMEDC), said the idea of PPP was inspired by President Benigno C. Aquino III to spur economic growth outside of Metro Manila through the private sector cooperation with government.

The council has more than 200 entrepreneur members in the city and province engaged mostly in agri-aqua, tourism, processed food, furniture, housewares and furnishings and IT-business process outsourcing.

The Iloilo Business Club (IBC) said the market-driven sector generates employment in the countryside, utilizes locally produced materials and indigenous resources, provides backward and forward linkages to local entrepreneurs, and presents potential investment and business opportunities.

Maravilla said local consumption and export products are realized with the leadership of private partners.

Maravilla said that Iloilo, as the port home base in Western Visayas, contributed largely to the national exports with its traditional products of coal, sugar, copper, processed fruits, flour-based products and other newly developed products.

source: http://www.pna.gov.ph

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Jalaur River Project

MANILA, Philippines — The government is negotiating with two Korean firms a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement for the $338-million Jalaur River Multi-purpose Project (JRMP) which will open 12,000 hectares of new irrigated area in Iloilo.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) already filed last March with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) its BOT project plan for the JRMP.

“This is being pushed by the national government. Currently we’re looking at two Korean firms for a possible BOT. It’s in the works yet. The Korean firms have yet to come here for a possible agreement, but I cannot yet divulge those that are interested until it’s already there,” said Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat in an interview.

The JRMP will be a supplement to the existing five irrigation systems that currently cover 22,340 hectares, bringing total irrigated area to 34,340 hectares.

At the same time, it will generate 11.5 megawatt of hydro-electric power. It will also supply domestic water for the locality which is soon projected to suffer from water shortage.

“The envisions the construction of 106-meter Jalaur hardfill dam and 46-meter Ulian hardfill dam and three catch dams including highline canal that would connect these dams to the existing irrigation systems,” according to a JRMP primer. The multi-purpose project, a program under the national government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP), will be implemented by the National Irrigation Administration over 12 years from 2012 to 2020.

DA is updating a feasibility study (FS) for the project which was earlier completed in May 2010.

Puyat said the completion of the FS will be significant in the financing of the project even as other types of financing may be obtained for the project.


source: PNA

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REPOST: Oton Church on Review

It would have been one of the country’s spectacular churches, if not the most beautiful were it not for a natural cataclysm that razed it to the ground. Oton’s once majestic church, in the form of a Greek cross, was unique as it was the only one with such a plan and architecture blending Byzantine with Gothic and classical elements.

The town of Oton was established by the Augustinians in 1572 after Cebu and Manila and was the center of their administration in Iloilo. In fact, the former name of the province is a namesake of the town. It’s name is the hispanized version of ogtong, meaning reef or tidal flat which is a main feature of the area and was then the encomienda of Don Miguel de Loarca.

The history of church building is a bit hazy but its first prior, Fray Martin de Rada was said to have built a church of good quality which was eventually destroyed during a Dutch attack in 1614. It was only in the 19th century that we get to know of a church being constructed during the curacy of Fray Demetrio Cobos who was parish priest from 1844-1854 that the first stones were laid.

Fray Diego de Hoz continued the project when Fray Cobos died in 1854. Fray Joaquin Fernandez, named in charge of construction in 1883 finished the edifice. The grand church was consecrated and blessed in 1892 by Fray Nicolas Gallo.

The edifice was spared during World War II but an earthquake on 5 January, 1948 destroyed it. It has never been rebuilt and only two bells, dated 1817 and 1887, and a portion of the wall, now built with a grotto, remain of the structure.

source: http://simbahan.net

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ECSI unveils state-of-the-art Everest Cold Storage

EVEREST Cold Storage Inc. (ECSI) recently unveiled to the public its state-of-the-art cold storage, the biggest in the region.

ECSI’s cold storage is the first ever commercial walk-in cold storage in Western Visayas.

Its inaugural day kicked off with the formal ribbon-cutting rites led by the owners, popular couple Elias “Toto” and Susan Reyes and stellar guests such as Cong. Jerry Treñas, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III and Councilors Lex Tupas and Lyndon Acap. Thereafter, the blessing rites of the whole edifice followed with Fr. Rhodel Nacional, C.M.

Adding pomp to the festivity was a short ceremony where the vibrant Toto and Susan along with their brilliant children - E & S Food Products Plant supervisor Hazel Mae Reyes, E & S Food Product supervisor Ely Mark Reyes and corporate secretaries Kent Louie and Jun Louie Reyes.

Seen on scene was Everest Cold Storage’s General Manager Reggie Bautista warmly welcoming guests who were all feted with sumptuous luncheon complete with musical and dance entertainment, dahlings!

Everest Cold Storage is nestled at the sprawling 2,300-square meter floor area at Zone 7, Barangay Sambag, Diversion Road, Jaro, Iloilo City. Built with an extensive customer base in the frozen food industry in Region 6, it can accommodate 1,200 kilos anytime.

It offers state-of-the-art freezing services with its seven walk-in freezer rooms with 1,200 pallet capacity drive-in racking, blasting 1,200 klg to 5,000 klg simultaneous operations, container van plug-in, container loading and unloading, third party logistics, office space rental, temperature controlled transportations services, dry warehousing and management inventory system.

source: Daily Guardian

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Megaworld allots P 25B for 2011 capex

MANILA, June 21 (PNA) -- Publicly listed real estate giant Megaworld Corp. has allotted P 25 billion for its capital and development expenditures in 2011, expecting growth to continue strong as its first five months' performance.

Francisco C. Canuto, Megaworld senior vice president and corporate information officer, in a disclosure, said the Megaworld group of companies, through the Megaworld, Empire East and Suntrust brands, sold real estate projects worth P17 billion.

Megaworld is the country’s largest residential condominium developer and BPO office developer and landlord, as well as the pioneer of integrated township projects that offer a live-work-play-learn lifestyle.

Megaworld is set to unveil Bonifacio Uptown in Bonifacio Global City in the second half of 2011. The mixed-use, high-density, 16-hectare project in the North Bonifacio central business district extends all the way to Kalayaan Avenue, and is located near the British, Japanese and American international schools.

The company will invest at least P25 billion to build Bonifacio Uptown over the next 12 years.

The project offers close to 500,000 square meters of residential space, nearly 400,000 square meters of office space, and about 90,000 square meters of retail space.

Megaworld is looking to launch soon One Uptown Residence at Bonifacio Uptown, with total potential revenues of P7.5 billion. Starting 2013, the company will begin developing in phases the P12-billion Uptown Place, which features four office towers on top of a retail mall.

Its next-generation BPO offices and campus buildings are expected to help generate at least 120,000 new jobs.

The company’s pioneering BPO and IT park in Eastwood City, Quezon City, home to a 40,000-strong workforce, is a 24x7 hub for BPO players servicing a global market.

The successful Eastwood City CyberPark served as an inspiration for Megaworld’s second cyber park in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, which now hosts the biggest names in the BPO industry.

In a span of just three years, McKinley Hill has provided employment for more than 15,000 workers.
Megaworld’s PEZA-accredited Newport City Cybertourism Zone has helped expand the country's active labor force by generating some 15,000 new jobs from the opening of Marriott Hotel and the Resorts World tourism complex in 2009. 

Megaworld currently has an inventory of 384,000 square meters of BPO office space, with 78,000 square meters more space to be completed by yearend.

Megaworld has six townships in strategic locations in Metro Manila that are in various stages of development.

It also has a series of luxury residential condominium projects at the heart of the Makati central business district.

Megaworld launched in the first quarter of 2011 the Iloilo Business Park, its first project outside Metro Manila.


The 55-hectare business park is located at the site of the old Iloilo airport, which the company acquired in 2007. The project features 300,000 square meters of office space and 200,000 square meters of hotel and retail space, designed to support business operations.

Anchoring the Iloilo Business Park is the P2.5-billion Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Tower, slated for completion by the first quarter of 2013. The Richmonde project hosts 90 hotel rooms and BPO offices with a total gross floor area of about 24,000 square meters.

By the end of 2012, Megaworld will develop the nearby 14,000-square-meter Festive Walkretail center and several BPO campus buildings, offering about 20,000 square meters of office space. (PNA)  By Mediatrix P. Cristobal

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Iloilo flood control project substantially complete

MANILA, June 21 (PNA) -- Construction of the Iloilo Flood Control project in Western Visayas Region is now substantially complete ahead of anticipated schedule.

In a report to Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, project director Patrick Gatan said the flood control project is 96.31 percent complete as against target accomplishment of 95.70 percent for the construction of Jaro Floodway and Improvement of Tigum and Aganan Rivers in Iloilo City.

Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the project, which costs P2.22 billion, started in April 2006 and is scheduled to be completed in December.“The project which is mainly composed of river improvement and construction of floodways aims to create more sustainable urban community and provide safer, more pleasant living condition for people in the urban area of Iloilo City,” Gatan said.

The project includes the construction of Jaro Floodway, improvement of Tigum River, improvement of Aganan River, and construction of six bridges.The Jaro Floodway and La Paz Floodway are employed to divert the excess flood discharge of Jaro River towards the Iloilo Strait.

Ongoing works include the construction of Pagsangaan Bridge in Pavia, revetment works at Tigum River (Tigum River Improvement); construction of Anilao Bridge in Pavia, revetment works at Barangay Amparo, Pavia (Aganan River Improvement); and dike embankment at Barangay Hinactacan, Lapaz.

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First regional land use forum to tackle zoning ordinance

by Elsa S. Subong

ILOILO CITY, June 19 (PIA) –- A regional land use forum, the first ever to be held in Western Visayas, will tackle the significance of zoning ordinance in land use and development.

The forum will be held on June 22, at the Iloilo Grand Hotel. This will be sponsored by DILG-6, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board and the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), according to Dir. Evelyn Trompeta of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Trompeta said the general situation in the region points to weaknesses of the local government units (LGUs) in implementing land use regulations, especially in zoning ordinances.

The GIZ has been helping LGUs in the region, through their Environment and Rural Development and Decentralization Programs, with technical and advisory services in the formulation of their Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs).

Trompeta said the forum will help the LGUs that are about to formulate their (CLUPs) by way of improving their processes on zoning ordinances formulation, implementing and monitoring these for sustainable land use in their respective communities.

The forum is expected to be a means for sharing of experiences from some LGUs and discussion of issues with the help of experts from GIZ, Dr. Andreas Lange, Chief Adviser, Local Governance, Dr. Herwig Mayer, Program Manager, Decentralization Program, and with HLURB-6 Director Antonio Decatoria,Sr., who will talk about zoning ordinance as a tool to regulate land use.

The LGU officers who will share their experiences include Mr. Pancho Villasis, City Planning and Development Coordinator, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and Mr. Vladimir Mata, City Administrator of Dagupan City.

From Iloilo, Mr. Jose Roni Penalosa, Executive Director of Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council will talk on Spatial Framework Experience of MIGEDC, while Dumangas Mayor Ronaldo Golez will discuss the land use as a challenge in disaster risk reduction.

DILG said that the participants, who will come from LGUs all over the region, are expected to come to a consensus that indeed there are existing weaknesses in land use planning they are experiencing, and that by affirming so, they will appreciate the importance of genuine land use plan through effective zoning ordinances. (JCM/ESS/PIA-Iloilo).


source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r06&id=39077

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Edgar Sia's Fast-Food Cashout

Edgar Sia's cash-out of his fast-food chain, Mang Inasal, makes him this year's youngest lister.

It started in 2003 when smalltown lad Edgar Sia II, then a 26-year-old college dropout, grabbed a tiny spot in the parking lot of a mall, the site of an upcoming food hall. As a frequent customer of McDonald's and KFC, Sia knew what he'd been missing in the fast-food scene: Filipino-style street fare served in a restaurant-type setting.

Before long customers were lining up outside Mang Inasal as word spread quickly through Iloilo City about Sia's new eatery. Its charcoal-grilled chicken served with rice wrapped in a banana leaf wasn't like anything on the menus of McDonald's ( MCD - news - people ), KFC or even Jollibee, the local burger chain. The flavors were distinctively Filipino, as was the earthy décor with wooden tables, handmade paper lamps and walls painted in orange, green and yellow.

"We really wanted to create a new category in this business, one that wasn't influenced by American food," says Sia, 34, who's often referred to by his nickname, Injap. It's a winning recipe; Mang Inasal's affordable concoctions aimed at Filipino taste buds has made it the country's third-largest fastfood chain after Jollibee and Chowking, both owned by fellow lister Tony Tan Caktiong, whose expanding food empire has made him a billionaire.

Sia's eight-year-old barbecue chain, with 380 outlets, has even overtaken McDonald's. And it has lately put him on the road to riches. Last October Jollibee, in a nod to its upstart rival, scooped up 70% of Mang Inasal for $68 million, valuing the outfit at nearly $100 million. The deal earned Sia a spot among the Philippines' wealthiest for the first time this year. With a net worth of $85 million, he's the youngest of the top 40.

Sia isn't done yet. He retains a 30% stake in Mang Inasal through Injap Investment, a family holding company in which his brother Ferdinand and sister Rizza also own shares. He and Ferdinand, who heads operations, continue to run the chain and have agreed to a three-year noncompete contract.

source: http://www.forbes.com/global/2011/0718/philippines-billionaires-11-edgar-sia-mang-inasal-mr-bbq.html

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Mangrove expert hails Iloilo River dev’t initiatives

The Iloilo city government’s projects on the development of the Iloilo River has earned another praise this time from former Kalibo mayor and three-term congressman of Aklan province, Allen Quimpo.

“The initiatives done by Mayor (Jed Patrick) Mabilog are indeed very good. It’s also a good thing that (Sen.) Frank Drilon is there to help (Iloilo City),” he said in an interview.

Quimpo, who currently heads the Kalibo Save the Mangroves Association (KASAMA) in New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan, was one of the participants in the Iloilo River Summit held here in March.

He was then Kalibo’s chief executive when mangrove reforestation project started around the mouth of Aklan River in 1990.

The successful development of the area in New Buswang has now turned a former sprawling mudflat to a mangrove forested area with abundant flora and fauna encompassing more than 100 hectares.

Over a million trees have been planted to date, Quimpo said.

“The challenge is greater for Iloilo because of already well-entrenched businesses,” he stated.

While Iloilo River can’t be turned into a full mangrove area, he suggested the city government just has to ensure that there will be no additional land reclamation.

The embankment also needs to be fixed and may be planted with mangroves, he observed.

“What is needed to implement this is political will of the mayor,” Quimpo said.

Quimpo also advised Mabilog to let the community handle the projects. “It’s better to let the people be the ones to initiate while getting support from the local government.”

“Iloilo is facing a critical problem because of pollution. If you don’t know how to manage it, it will become a dead river. Just like Pasig,” he warned.

“This is the best time to do something and be united about it,” he said.

The river, a 15-kilometer long estuarine, is actually an arm of the sea dividing the districts of City Proper, Molo and Arevalo from the districts of La Paz, Lapuz, Jaro and Mandurriao.

It serves as nursery for many important fish species such as bangus and tilapia, while sea bass or “bulgan” are once again thriving in the river after disappearing from quite some time because of pollution.

The Iloilo River is also home to 22 of the country’s 35 mangrove species as well as the rare emerald shrimp species, metapenaues insolitus.

sourceL: http://kauswagannews.wordpress.com/

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The Iloilo River during the American period

WHEN THE Americans took over the governance of the Philippines, the first major improvement done in Iloilo was with the port in the Iloilo River because of its leading importance in Philippine economic activities at that time.

Improvements were provided for by Act No. 641 appropriating $150,000 in United currency for this purpose (Report of Philippine Commission, 1903). Work started in 1904 when the Philippine Commission contracted the J.G. White and Co. to dredge the river from the mouth of the Custom House at a depth of not less than 15 feet at low water and to rebuild the existing retaining wall (Worcester, 1904). Seven hundred eighty-three feet of river wall and 1,290 feet of reinforced concrete wharf, both to accommodate vessels of 18 feet at low water, were built along the south bank of the middle reach of the river. These were completed in March 1907. All in all, P1,000 was spent for the dredging of the Iloilo River and the improvements done on the wharf (120 th Port Anniversary, 1975). In the same year, pillotes were erected in order to facilitate the docking of ships.

The dredging work done on the Iloilo River from 1904 to 1907 enabled the government to reclaim 210,000 square meters of land along the banks, especially the lower portion of the area between the river and Fort San Pedro.

More improvements were done from 1908 to 1915. The insular government purchased a new dredge for the construction of the concrete marginal wharf with road connections and part of the dredging operations to include the turning basin (Report of the Philippine Commission, 1908).

The dredging projects and maintenance made the Iloilo River deep. As a result, it was able to accommodate larger vessels both in foreign operation and domestic shipping. Thus, by 1916, it was clearing more ships than Manila. It cleared 6,071 vessels totaling 398,130 tons, compared to Manila’s 2,849 vessels of 343,600 tons (Iloilo Provincial Historical Committee, 1975). That year, Iloilo also got a new custom house and, as if to prove that the Iloilo port was the heart of the city’s economic life, it was made the tallest building in the city that time. It is noteworthy to mention that Iloilo was the second port of call in the Philippines during this time as far as coast-wise shipping was concerned David, 1937).

In 1926, 115 meters of concrete river wall was added and, in the following year, rock jetties were put up at the river mouth to prevent erosion and formation of mud bars. In 1929, more dredging was was done to further improve the operations of the Iloilo port (Quintilla,1992). Again, in 1927, because of the dredging activity, a greater expanse of land (the later site of the Iloilo airport and now partly occupied by Camp Delgado and squatters), was reclaimed.

To serve the growing number of sea-going vessels sailing into the Iloilo port, dockyards and machine shops were established along the inner portion of the river. Those that were already operating in the 1920’s were the Visayan Stevedore and Transportation Co. (VISTRANCO), Iloilo Drydock and Engineering Co. (IDECO) and Taller Bisayas Strachan and McMurray. In the late 1930’s, two more establishments were added, namely: Commonwealth Foundry Shops and Dolendo Engineering, also known as La Paz Engineering.

With the reclamation of low-lying areas along the Iloilo River, more roads were constructed leading to the heart of the town of Iloilo. Notable among these was the extension of the Muelle Loney road from Calle Arroyo to the Casa Real or the Provincial Capitol (Versoza, 1937).

In 1937, because of the situation of the Iloilo River, the government appropriated P420,000 for dredging it and P98,165.40 for port maintenance (David, 1937). As can be seen, a lot of dredging and improvement were done on the Iloilo River and the port during the American period. These projects had far-reaching effects on the physical character and economy of the Iloilo town.

source: The News Today, July 1, 2005.

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Iloilo Airport now ready for 'Open Sky' policy

ILOILO CITY, June 15 (PNA) -- The Iloilo Airport of international standards located at the Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan site is looking forward to accommodate international flights with its inclusion in the ‘Open Sky’ policy approved by President Benigno S. Aquino III.

On Tuesday the new airport which replaced the old Mandurriao Airport celebrated its 4th year anniversary since commencing operation on June 14, 2007 with Philippine Airlines Flight 139 taking the 6:20 a.m. inaugural flight from Manila.

Chief of Staff to the Director General Rodrigo Rodolfo Artuz said Iloilo international flights will soon be materialized as he likewise cited its impact not only in terms of employment but likewise in foreign exchange earnings.

He added that its state of the art facilities made the airport among the busiest in the country next to airports in Manila, Mactan, Cebu and Davao.

Meanwhile, CAAP-Iloilo Air Manager Efren Nagrama said so far no airline company so far has submitted a proposal for international destinations.

Nagrama hopes that soon there will be flights to Hongkong, Singapore, Korea, China although he cited as one problem the marketing aspect.

Should the plan pushes through the airport he said is ready to accommodate passengers from abroad even if only for twice a week.

Currently, the airport is catering everyday 21 domestic flights to Manila, Davao, Cebu vice versa.

Nagrama added their target of 1. 4 million passengers supposedly for 2015 has already been reached last year which means that numbers of domestic passengers are increasing rapidly.

Last year, he said they have accommodated almost 1.5 passengers and they are expecting more passengers this year.

On the other hand, Artuz brought good news to employees of the abolished Air Transportation Office (ATO) that by July this year they will be absorbed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines-Iloilo (CAAP). (PNA)

source & related story(s):

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=695592&publicationSubCategoryId=66

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=6&rid=352741

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&nid=2&rid=352611

http://iloilonewstoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2407:after-4-years-iloilo-airport-still-waiting-for-intl-flights&catid=98:local-news

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Prospects better for BPO firms

Amigo Terrace Hotel in Iloilo City is PEZA Accredited Bldg.

EXPECTATIONS for the outsourcing industry have been scaled down but are better compared to the more uncertain view recently offered for merchandise exports.

Officials of the Export Development Council (EDC) and the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) have pegged industry growth for 2011 at 18% and 20%, respectively, down from last year’s 26% surge to $8.9 billion.

This compares to merchandise exporters describing their 10% growth goal a "fighting target" given concerns over a recovery in Japan, the unresolved debt crisis in the euro zone and continued unrest in the oil-producing Arab world.

Last year, outbound merchandise shipments rebounded by over a third to $50 billion.

"Since the growth in IT-BPO (information technology-business process outsourcing) has been robust at over 30% in recent years, it was felt that it would be more realistic to have a slightly lower target because the base itself is expanding rapidly and it would be difficult to project the same or higher rate," EDC Executive Director Senen M. Perlada said in a text message yesterday.

The outsourcing sector is more optimistic, with BPAP Executive Director Gillian G. Virata saying the forecast is for revenues to grow by a fifth to $11 billion. The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is also similarly upbeat.

"A target of around 15-20% for the BPO industry is a conservative growth rate," Jojo J. Uligan, CCAP corporate secretary and executive director, said on Saturday.

"The base is expanding, which is why it’s more difficult to achieve larger growth rates now, but the voice-based customer service industry is far from its saturation point," Mr. Uligan added.

"Majority of our accounts are still from the US, but there are other English-speaking countries out there we can tap such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand," he continued.

"We’re also encouraging companies to expand outside Metro Manila [to areas] such as Cebu, Baguio, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Davao, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, and Iloilo to increase their risk management abilities and lower their vulnerability to things like natural disasters."

The call center industry ended 2010 with 344,000 jobs and $6.1 billion worth of revenue, a 21% rise from 2009, BPAP data show.

"[O]ur industry is close to 370,00-380,000 employees, but we are aiming for more than 420,000 jobs generated by the end of the year," Mr. Uligan said.

"Most of all, we are moving to higher value adding for voice-operated customer services for the next several years, since our workforce now is more technically capable and more knowledgeable compared to three to five years ago," he noted.

The BPAP has drafted a six-year medium-term development plan to generate $25 billion in revenue and 1.3 million jobs.

The EDC, for its part, has set out decreasing BPO growth goals of 16% and 14%, respectively, for 2012 and 2013. -- Eliza J. Diaz

source:

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=Prospects-better-for-BPO-firms&id=33060

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Seeking niche in $1B bamboo market

The government is spearheading a "bamboo revolution" to harness the potential of the world’s tallest grass other than as a material for handicraft and enable the country to get a bigger slice of the $8-billion global market for the material.

Executive Order 879, which was issued in May 2010, created the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) that aims to promote the bamboo industry.

The order directed the use of bamboo for at least 25 percent of the desk and other furniture requirements of public elementary and secondary schools and prioritizing the use of bamboo in furniture and other construction requirements of government agencies.

In 2009, it was estimated that the Department of Education DepEd bought about P1 billion worth of desks every year.

Trade Undersecretary Merly Cruz, in a presentation highlighting the accomplishments of the bamboo industry project, cited the other benefits from planting bamboo: it can significantly help mitigate climate change and reduce impacts of natural disasters.

The Bamboo Network of the Philippines (BambooPhil), an organization composed of Filipino bamboo scientists, advocates and entrepreneurs, also said bamboo is great for erosion control and carbon dioxide control.

It can be tapped as a cash crop because it is fast-growing and easy to propagate.

Celso Lantican of BambooPhil said cost-wise, bamboo is cheaper than wood and, therefore, a good substitute for the wood the country imports from Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to Cruz, the Philippines’ contribution to Asean’s efforts toward large-scale production of bamboo is the reforestation of at least 500,000 hectares with bamboo from 2010 to 2020.

During the first PBIDC meeting in January, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, council chair, said bamboo should be competitive in cost against wood to make substitution viable; otherwise, bamboo should be marketed as a premium product through research and development.

While technology is available, the council sees the need for technical assistance and capacity building and training.

Lantican said that raw materials are either insufficient or not suited for the production of certain products. He said massive planting of bamboo should be encouraged.

The council also eyes benchmarking with China, which has developed a breakthrough technology in tissue culture, leading to mass propagation.

Lantican said bamboo farming or plantation costs P30,000 per hectare. The average harvest per hectare is 1,200 culms or poles calculated at 6 culms per clump and 200 clumps per hectare.

Cruz said large-scale bamboo plantations will enable local government units to participate more actively in processing various products, creating jobs and livelihood.

So far, the program has established 11 new nurseries while about 900 new hectares have planted on the propagation side.

On business development, some 25 nodes and eight hubs and one Bamboo Negosyo Village have been set up.

One of the strategies adopted was a "big bro-small bro" subcontracting partnership.

Bambu International Corp. in Iloilo has been subcontracting from eight medium- and small-scale producers and sells bamboo products to the local and export markets.

Before the EO, the DTI had identified engineered bamboo projects under its one-town, one-project (OTOP) program.

OTOP has identified bamboo production and processing as a strategic industry for its potential not only in the domestic but also in the export market.

The industry’s major products come in the form of engineered construction materials.

DTI has forged a strong collaboration with the Department of Natural Resources, with the latter handling the establishment of bamboo nurseries and the growing of cuttings.

The clustering approach has been adopted for bamboo production and processing such that each island will have its own clusters.

In Luzon, Pampanga has been identified as a pilot area and hub for Central Luzon; Abra for Northern Luzon, Laguna for Southern Luzon, and Tarlac, Palawan, and Camarines Sur, among other provinces, as nodes.

In the Visayas, Iloilo and Negros Oriental are hubs and the whole island of Panay is a site of nodes. In Mindanao, General Santos City is the hub with Sarangani, South Cotabato, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay as nodes.

According to the DTI’s OTOP on bamboo, the tinik and or bayog varieties, which are economically important and the most widely cultivated, are the choice for the project.

The botong and tinik bamboo varieties mature between three to six months and have a gestation period of 4 to 5 years.

As of 2009, the bamboo project has generated P 2.443 million investments, P1.991 million domestic sales, 257 jobs, and created/assisted 57 MSMEs.

Cruz said from meeting the school desk requirements of the DepEd, the project aims to go into higher-end wood products such as wood panels both for the local and export markets.

Laguna served as the first pilot site due to its abundance of water, especially around the Laguna lake.

The Laguna bamboo model was replicated in Iloilo for Visayas and General Santos for Mindanao.

Early in the implementation of the project, DTI was exploring the possibility of exporting bamboo products to Japan, which heavily promotes the use of biodegradable and organic products.

Bamboo belongs to the grass family and has about 1,000 species. It is described as the fastest-growing plant on Earth and has been measured to grow as fast as 121 centimeters or 47.6 inches in one day.

Previous attempts to put up bamboo nurseries in the country had been unsuccessful because of the absence of a market to sell the bamboo harvested and the lack of processing facilities for higher-end applications.

source:

http://www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/ssentinel/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1491&Itemid=41

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