Ilonggos urged to invest their P50-billion idle savings wisely

By TARA YAP July 31, 2011, 5:21pm ILOILO CITY, Iloilo — “Invest your P50 billion savings right where it counts (and) where it is needed,” top-notch business executive Manuel V. Pangilinan challenged Ilonggos during Iloilo City’s 1st Business Summit Friday last week. Pangilinan, who is chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co, (PLDT), Smart Communications Inc., and other major Manila-based corporations, was invited as keynote speaker in said Summit organized by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and the Iloilo City Trade and Investment Promotions Board. “You’re owners of Iloilo’s destiny and not mere citizens,”...

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An architectural gem fit for a ‘queen’

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.Inquirer Visayas First\ ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Ilonggo media tycoon Rogelio Florete is not known to shirk from challenges and threats. In the dying years of the Marcos dictatorship, Florete’s radio network—Bombo Radyo Philippines—faced off the regime’s massive propaganda machinery and delivered independent and factual news especially during the Edsa People Power I event. In 1989, suspected communist rebels kidnapped and held Florete in the mountains of Negros Occidental for 72 days. Now 71, Florete has not showed signs of slowing down. As head of the Florete Group of Companies, he has steered and strengthened his...

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Iloilo PDC oks P3.6-B investment plan for 2012

ILOILO -- The Iloilo Provincial Development Council (PDC) has approved the Annual Investment Program (AIP) for calendar year 2012 during a meeting at the Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center yesterday. Vice Gov. Richard Garin presided the meeting on behalf of Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. who is in Metro Manila on official business. The AIP amounting P3,664,000,855.16 is divided into three sectors -- General Public Services, Social Services and Economic Services. General Public Services sector amounted to P489,084,881.51; Social Services sector, P1,943,063,150.74; and Economic Services sector, P3,628,779,855.16. The AIP is based on the Defensor...

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PRE-WAR JAPANESE COMMUNITY IN ILOILO

BEFORE the war, there was a Japanese community in Iloilo City. They were led by Torakich Murakami who was their unofficial consul. Mostly merchants, the Japanese operated bakeries, candy factories, flower/vegetable gardens and refreshment parlors for leche con hielo or mongo con hielo. Some were itinerant traders peddling goods in the interior towns and who, during the war, were found to be spies. They had trading houses in Iloilo importing textiles, canned goods, soaps and paints. They were Osaka Boike Kaisha, Daido Boeki Kaisha, Nihon Yusen Kaisha, Osaka Shosen Kaisha and Murakami and Company. Their big stores were Iloilo Bicycle Store of...

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De Luzuriaga: Tackling the BPO challenge

(Starting today, The Daily Guardian is running a series on the speakers of the 1st Iloilo City Business Summit themed "Innovative and Sustainable Development for Growth" on July 29, 2011 at the Kalantiao Hall of Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center. TDG is a media partner of the summit.) JONATHAN Defensor De Luzuriaga is an independent World Bank Consultant for global information technology initiatives and executive vice president of CIBI Information Inc., a premiere provider of business and personal information since 1982. Mr. De Luzuriaga holds a Political Science degree from the De La Salle University. Formerly the managing director...

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Smart continues rollout of high-speed Internet in Vis-Min

By Mary Ann LL. Reyes (The Philippine Star) MANILA, Philippines - As part of its mission to make high-speed Internet available to all Filipinos, leading wireless services provider Smart Communications Inc. continues to roll out Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) technology to more key areas in the Visayas and Mindanao. HSPA+ is an upgraded version of High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology. Based on the standards set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), HSPA+ is the fastest form of 3G which Smart has been conducting tests since 2009. According to PLDT and Smart technology group head Rolando Pena, a significant number...

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Telecom giant installs country’s first e-medical network system in Iloilo

By TARA YAPJuly 11, 2011, 4:40pmILOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines ?Telecommunication giant Smart Communications Inc. recently launched the country’s first electronic medical network system in Iloilo.The technology, known as Secured Health Information Network and Exchange (SHINE) is an electronic medical record and inter-facility health referral system that can be accessed through either the internet or mobile phones.Ramon Duremdes, Smart consultant for Strategic Business Development Group, said doctors and other health care professionals can be interconnected through the system.Developed in consultation with the Department of Health (DoH), SHINE is a comprehensive databank for both health care professionals and patients.It aims to enable the health sector more efficient by omitting redundant...

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TRABAHO SA PLAZA: More job opportunities for Iloilo City’s jobless

ILOILO City ? The major plazas of this city will now be an avenue for jobseekers, unemployed, fresh graduates and displaced overseas Filipino workers to have easier and better access to employment opportunities. The Iloilo City Public Employment Service Office has expanded the access of Ilonggos to job openings and opportunities through its “Trabaho sa Plaza” jobs fair which will be conducted in the major plazas of the six districts of the city. PESO Manager Alan Zaldivar said the initiative is part of the efforts of the city government to reach out to residents who are looking for jobs or who are unemployed, so that they could participate in employment opportunities under their Project JED which stands for Jobs, Employment and Development. “Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog wants us to vigorously...

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Developers eye agro- industrial park in Iloilo

TWO developers are eyeing to establish an agro-industrial park within the convergence areas covered by the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project II (JRMP II). This was disclosed by Ricardo Provido, chairman of the Regional Agri-Fisheries Council (RAFC), during the culminating activity of the 35th anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and the second year of implementation of the CARP extension with reforms (CARPER) in Iloilo. “This can become an eco-zone but it will be based on the processing of agri-fishery products. This is what they call the agri-fishery development park, it is an eco-zone,” Provido said. Provido said the developers, which he did not name at this time, were very specific that “they wanted to be in the convergence area; hopefully it will...

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UP-Visayas to represent country in Int'l Accountancy contest

ILOILO CITY, July 11 (PNA) -- Four B.S. Accountancy students from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) bested rivals from different accountancy schools nationwide to earn the right to represent the country in the International Accountancy Quiz Competition to be held in China on July 23 to 24 this year. The four Filipino representatives to the prestigious event, Dominic Dapad, Gerard Cordero, Mara Francillan Cordero, and Ordy Osorio emerged champions in a national accountancy tilt entered into by equally-gifted future accountants from around the country by gaining the best marks during the oral presentation last June 10 and ultimately, the nod of the judges. According to their mental coach, Professor Arthur Barrido, Jr., only six schools made it to the Finals which included...

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PAGASA’s Iloilo Synoptic Station hopes to operate before year end

ILOILO CITY, July 11 (PNA) ? The Iloilo Synoptic Office of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Service Administration (PAGSA) has finally found a home following the closure of its weather station here due to lack of space for its office and facilities months ago. Engr. Rowen Gelonga, regional director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has granted a space for PAGASA to establish its office at the former’s Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC) in Brgy. Hamungaya, Jaro district. Gelonga said he witnessed last month the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between PAGASA supervising officer Niel Servando and DA Regional Executive Director Larry Nacionales relative to the site. “I think...

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Villar family-owned company plans to put up water firms in Iloilo

THE company controlled by the family of Sen. Manuel Villar and its partners have ?secured regulatory approval to establish two new companies relating to their initiatives to supply water in Iloilo province. The Securities and Exchange Commission last week approved the incorporation of Iloilo Primewater Ventures Corp. and Flo Water Resources Iloilo Inc. The same documents showed that the Villars, through privately held Primewater Infrastructure Corp., teamed up with the Florete family of Iloilo and with Solerex Water Technologies Inc., maker of retail water treatment systems and owner of the Crystal Clear brand. In an interview with business reporters last week, Villar said his family plans to be “aggressive” in pursuing water supply contracts particularly in Iloilo. He said his group has...

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Developers eye agro-industrial park in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, July 8 (PNA) – Two developers are eyeing to establish an agro-industrial park within the convergence areas covered by the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project II (JRMP II). This was disclosed by Ricardo Provido, chairman of the Regional Agri-Fisheries Council (RAFC), during the culminating activity of the 35th anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and the second year of implementation of the CARP extension with reforms (CARPER) here. “This can become an eco-zone but it will be based on the processing of agri-fishery products. This is what they call the agri-fishery development park, it is an eco-zone,” he said, adding that “some eco-zones are purely industrial.” Provido said that the developers, which he refused to disclose at this time, were...

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Iloilo assured of P100-M fund for road-widening project

ILOILO CITY, July 7 (PNA) – The city government here is already assured of P100 million fund for its road-widening project from Tabuc Suba to Buntatala in Jaro district. Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog on Thursday received a faxed copy of the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) worth P100 million. Mabilog said that the P100 million is part of the P200 million committed by Senator Franklin Drilon for the project. Meantime, Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Jerry P. Treñas will put in P50 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for the project. The city government will try to find other fund sources for its completion, which includes the expansion of the Montinola Bridge. “This is good news for the people of the district of Jaro and neighboring municipalities,” he said. The mayor...

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Realty sector to enjoy continued growth

THE PHILIPPINE real estate market is set to enjoy a “sustained upward cycle” as demand for office space combined with interest in retail, tourism and residential projects will continue to drive the sector forward, property consultancy firm CBRE Philippines, Inc. yesterday said.A BUILDING rises in the Ortigas central business district in this photo taken on June 16. The local property sector is expected to enjoy continued growth, a consultancy said. -- JONATHAN L. CELLONA“From a macroeconomic cycle, this is not a bubble. This is the start of a sustained upward cycle. There is a lot of demand,” CBRE Chairman Rick M. Santos said at a briefing. Demand for office space, for instance, is expected to remain robust as business process outsourcing (BPO) firms are poised to expand, he said. “We believe...

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Iloilo mayors among semi-finalists in search for outstanding public servants

by Lilibeth A. French ILOILO CITY, July 5 (PIA) -- Two local chief executives in Iloilo province were included among the 52 individual and 8 group semi-finalists in the Search for Outstanding Public Officials and Employees this year, according to the Civil Service Commission recently. Mayor Ma. Teresa Debuque of the Municipality of Anilao was named semi-finalist for the Lingkod Bayan Award, and Mayor Christine Garin of Guimbal town for the Pagasa Award. Vice Mayor Jose Neil Olivares of the Municipality of Oton is also a semi-finalists for the Pagasa Award. On the other hand, Jelyn Duting of Panay Power Corporation, Iloilo City was named semi-finalists in the Dangal ng Bayan. The Lingkod ng Bayan, Pagasa, and Dangal ng Bayan are part of the Honor Awards program of the Civil Service Commission...

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P50B deposits to spur MSME development in Iloilo

ILOILO CITY, July 5 (PNA) -– About P50 billion are deposited in more than 50 commercial and thrift banks in the city and province of Iloilo that could be harnessed for business investments and make an economically strong Iloilo. This was disclosed by Felicito Tiu, chairman of the Iloilo City Trade Investment and Promotions Board, in keynoting the opening of Iloilo SME Fair 2011 at SM City here on Monday afternoon. Tiu, recently appointed by Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick as investment board chairman, said Ilonggos are mostly conservative and save their money in the banks. But this money could be used to fund micro, small and medium enterprises to set the countryside rolling for business. Tiu also said MSMEs are considered as the backbone of the national economy. Ilonggos are currently supported...

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The Jalaur Economic Corridor

THE proposed P15 billion Jalaur Multi-Purpose Project II (JMPP II), which aims to interconnect the Jalaur, Magapa-Suage, Tigum-Aganan, and Sibalom-Baguingin river systems, will surely redefine the central Iloilo bioregion. This project involves the construction of a hydropower plant and an irrigation system traversing six municipalities which starts at the headwaters of the Jaluar River in Lambunao town in north-central Iloilo and ends in Tigbauan town in the south. While the cost of the project appears to be prohibitive for the national government, Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr. moved to address this challenge by filing House Bill No. 4884 which seeks to create the Jalaur Economic Corridor, thus establishing a domestic industrial zone comprised by the towns of Badiangan, Bingawan,...

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Iloilo pilots modern medical records system

A MODERN electronic medical records and inter-facility health system developed by Smart Communications will be launched on July 9 at the Westown Hotel. Health Secretary Enrique Ona, together with city and provincial officials, as well as executives of Smart Communication, will grace the launching of Project Shine or the Secured Health Information Network and Exchange. Project Shine will ensure the fast and reliable information from the barangays to the health facility. It was developed by Smart Communications in consultation with the Department of Health (DOH). The project will cover three DOH charter hospitals, 12 provincial government-owned hospitals, 10 Iloilo City health centers and 13 rural health units. The system can be accessed by all of its stakeholders -- patients, doctors and...

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Iloilo City’s tallest bldg breaks ground

By: Tara Yap “IF there is no Injap Sia, there is a need to invent him.” This was how Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog described the significance of Mang Inasal founder Edgar Sia II to the city during the groundbreaking ceremony of the 21-storey Injap Tower in Mandurriao district Thursday. According to Mabilog, the soaring structure is another contribution of the 34-year-old Sia that will further boost the economic confidence of Iloilo City. “This will serve as a new landmark that signifies the rapid growth of the city,” Mabilog said. Mabilog foresees that the structure will address concerns of investment locators, particularly in the field...

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Panay Railways revival depends on PNoy - guv

By JOEL E.CAPUNDAN ROXAS CITY – The final decision on whether or not to revive the Panay railways project rests on President Benigno Aquino III, said Governor Victor Tanco Sr. He said it is now up to Aquino if he will push through or not the revival despite the recent statement of newly-appointed Transportation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas that the move is impractical. Roxas expressed disfavor to the project and instead pushed for the widening of the national highways that will link the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo. Roxas said the project is not beneficial because both have the same products, thus, the railways will not be...

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