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Tag: manila

  • Cebu Pacific to launch Manila-Dumaguete night flights

    Cebu Pacific to launch Manila-Dumaguete night flights

    The Gokongwei-led airline said in a statement that it will add three round-trip flights weekly between Manila and Dumaguete, utilizing its 180-seater Airbus 320 aircraft. With the additional service, the budget carrier said the last flight will be leaving Manila at 5:20 p.m. and arriving in Dumaguete at 6:50 p.m. while return flight will be at 8:00 p.m. “Increasing the number of airports with night-flying capability would help promote tourism and improve connectivity within the country,” Cebu Pacific Vice-President for Corporate Affairs Paterno S. Mantaring, Jr. said. Increasing the number of airports with night operations will also allow the budget airline, along with other carriers, “leeway to spread flight times,” which in turn will improve aircraft movement and traffic at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital during the peak hours, he added.

    Cebu Pacific flies 21 times weekly between Manila and Dumaguete; and 14 times a week between Cebu and Dumaguete, through its wholly owned subsidiary Cebgo. Prior to Dumaguete, the airline announced night flights to and from Caticlan, the gateway to Boracay. It also operates night flights to and from the Roxas City Airport in Capiz, the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental, and the Legazpi International Airport in Albay, on top of trunk routes in Cebu and Davao. Cebu Pacific flies to 37 domestic and 26 international destinations, with over 104 routes spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and USA. The airline operates flights out of six hubs in the Philippines: Clark, Davao, Kalibo, Cebu, Iloilo and Manila. Cebu Air, Inc.’s net income plunged 68% to P1.28 billion in the first quarter.

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  • Decathlon Opens First Store in the Philippines

    Decathlon Opens First Store in the Philippines

    Decathlon, one of the world’s largest sporting goods retailers, is taking another step to realizing its tagline—”Making Sports Accessible to the Many”—when it will officially open its first Philippine store in Manila on June 30.

    Founded in France in 1976, the retail giant currently has more than 1,200 stores and operates in over 30 countries. Decathlon’s Alabang branch in Muntinlupa City Metro Manila marks the company’s 16th store in Southeast Asia, and the first of many more stores the company plans to roll out in the Philippines.

    Over the next 10 years, Decathlon plans to expand to other key cities, such as Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Legazpi.

    “We have been interested in the Philippines for quite some time now,” says Hans Iff, CEO of Decathlon Philippines. “As the country’s economy has gotten more robust and consumers are becoming more wellness-conscious, it is the right time to invest.”

    According to a McKinsey report, the sports industry in the Philippines is projected to multiply four times over the next twenty years, reaching €1 billion by 2026. With a growing younger population, an emerging middle class, and increased infrastructure spending, the World Bank Group expects the country’s real GDP to grow at a rate of 6.9 percent in 2017 and 2018.

    A core part of Decathlon’s operations is an investment in in-house, consumer-focused products, called Passion Brands. Each of the company’s 40 Passion Brands represents a different sport or group of sports, with a dedicated team that is responsible for the research, design, development, and testing of their product.

    “We want Decathlon to become one of the most loved brands in the Philippines. Thanks to the innovation and unbeatable value of our passion brands, we will continue to deliver the best quality and safety to guarantee customer satisfaction,” says Iff.

    The company places particular emphasis on recruiting people that share our company values: passionate about sports, service-minded, and autonomous. Managers at Decathlon work closely with their staff, encouraging them to make decisions and take on more responsibilities. “We believe satisfied customers start with satisfied employees,” says Iff. “Our employees are given the room to make mistakes and grow in their roles.”

    Decathlon Philippines is also investing in the local ecommerce market, allowing customers to purchase goods from their website. “Our physical stores are part of our omni-channel strategy to help us interact and serve our customers better. As consumer shopping behaviours and expectations are changing, we want to offer a seamless user experience, both in-store and online.”

    Through all of its platforms and brands, Decathlon is committed to creating value for its end users, employees, partners, and citizens wherever the company is present.

    The company is also looking to manufacture some of its products in the Philippines. “We aim to setup factories in the near future for the production of goods sold locally,” says Iff. “The Philippines already has the infrastructure in place for certain processes, such as heavy stitching and injection moulding for shoes.  And we have already made plans to locally produce a Bluetooth communication kit for Easybreath —our innovative snorkelling mask that lets you breath through your nose.”

    Decathlon Philippines actively supports the local community by investing in community development programs and partnering with NGOs and non-profit organizations. The company also recruits local underprivileged youth who have the opportunity to become Decathlon employees after undergoing a series of training. As part of their long-term vision, the company is seeking to collaborate with such youth for the design and development of certain new goods tailored for the Philippine market.

    “In a country where natural resources are limited, we want our stores to be as eco-friendly as possible,” says Iff. “The objective in the middle term is to build our stand-alone concept store with a minimal impact on the environment, through the reduction of energy consumption, the optimization of waste treatments and other strategies.”

    Aside from the brand’s corporate responsibility initiatives, their stores are famous for the sheer variety. The 3,000-square-meter store occupies the ground floor of Festival Mall in Alabang and stocks goods for 70 different types of sports. Aside from popular sports like basketball, running, diving, hiking, and cycling, Decathlon will also provide products that support the Philippines’ national and traditional sports like Arnis and Sipa.

    Customers can even try out products before buying. All Decathlon stores in the Philippines will contain a large playground spanning more than 400 square meters, which will be free and accessible to all customers. Sports activities will also be organised onsite to promote healthy living and fitness for store visitors.

    “Ultimately, the store was designed to enhance customers’ brand experience, inviting them in to touch, feel and see the quality of our products, the latest innovations, while discovering new sports.”

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  • Cebu Pacific to launch evening flights to Caticlan in July

    Cebu Pacific to launch evening flights to Caticlan in July

    Cebu Pacific Air will launch in July night flights to and from Caticlan, the gateway to tourism spot Boracay, the airline announced Thursday.

    The country’s leading budget airline said it would add two round-trip flights for this route daily, with the last leaving Manila at 6:55 PM and returning from Caticlan at 8:45 PM.

    This would bring to 72 the total number of Cebu Pacific flights to Caticlan, including the current 60 from Manila, Cebu and Clark.

    Cebu Pacific said it would be the first carrier to mount night flights and use the upgraded air traffic control system and newly-installed night navigational equipment at Caticlan’s Godofredo P. Ramos Airport.

    The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the Department of Transportation, and other relevant aviation authorities gave the operations the green light after technical reviews and consultations on Caticlan Airport’s night operation capability.

    “We thank CAAP for continually leading the scale-up of our airports to night-flying capability. We believe that expansion of operating times will not only boost frequencies to key domestic routes, but it will also give travelers more options, greater flexibility on when they fly and also help decongest air traffic, especially during the peak flying hours at noon and early afternoon,” said JR Mantaring, Cebu Pacific’s Vice President for Corporate Affairs.

    Mantaring said the launch of evening flights to and from Boracay, world-renowed beach destination, was “a long-standing request of tourism stakeholders.”

    The additional flights, he said, would make flights available to more passengers.

  • Paper Moon finds new landing in the Philippines

    Paper Moon finds new landing in the Philippines

    Milan’s famous ristorante Paper Moon is now in Manila, palangga. The restaurant opened in a gorgeous roof deck setting at the Knightsbridge Residences in Century City, a few steps from Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City.

    Paper Moon is Edi Tekeli’s newest passion project and marks his return to Manille after many years of living abroad. He opened the restaurant with longtime friend and Century Properties chair, special envoy to the US José E.B. Antonio and Hilda Reyes Antonio.

    After fashion retail, and knowing that Manila’s restaurant scene has become more vibrant, Tekeli felt he had found a gem in Paper Moon. He wanted to bring this rare culinary experience to the Philippines.

    Paper Moon has also opened in Istanbul and Doha.

    The grand opening in Century City coincided with Tekeli’s birthday party. He said the event was his way of expressing gratitude to friends who’ve been supporting his endeavors, such as when he brought retail brands Guess and Mango to the country.

    Among the guests were ambassadors from Italy, Massimmo Roscigno; Britain, Asif Ahmad; Singapore, Kok Li Peng; Canada, John Holmes.

    Also in attendance were Rep. Tonyboy Floirendo, Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. and New York-based physician Norman San Agustin.

    Enrica del Rosso, who cofounded Paper Moon in 1977 with husband Pio Galligani, graced the affair and was happy to see the impeccable style touches in the restaurant.

    Tekeli is said to be opening more Paper Moon outlets in Southeast Asia.

    Rustan’s Portugal fest

    Rustan’s, in partnership with the Consulate of Portugal, recently launched “Portugal Divino!”—a celebration of Portuguese arts and crafts. At the opening, Anton Huang of Stores Specialists Inc. welcomed guests of honor led by honorary consul of Portugal to the Philippines Tony Rufino.

    Huang and Rufino later led the toast, along with Rustan’s VP for home merchandising and buying division Marilen Tantoco, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna Feria, award-winning Portuguese artist Arlinda Frota and Portuguese designer Ricardo Preto.

    On exhibit at Rustan’s Makati were Frota’s ceramic paintings. On May 26 to June 6, they will be on display at Rustan’s Shangri-la Plaza.

    Milestone

    Ricky Delgado Jr. of Isla LPG Inc. (ILC), the company behind LPG brand Solane (www.solane.com.ph), led its recent fifth anniversary celebration.

    “Solane has been here only for five years but we’ve already done so much,” Delgado said. “This company is respected for what it does well, and I think that if you look at how far we have come, it’s really because of the same strategy we have kept from the start—reliability safety, and we take what we say seriously.”

    Also toasting Solane’s milestone were Ruben Domingo, ILC chief executive officer; Shoichi Watanabe, Isla Petroleum and Gas (IPG) CEO; Willie Sarmiento, IPG chief finance officer; Tonito Gonzalez, ILC general manager for sales; and Yuji Fukuda and Keisuke Oba.

    Outstanding employees were handed awards: Team Ace Awards were given to the Bulk and Commercial Team. Account Manager of the Year was Haidee Alverne of the Vismin Team. Eagle Awards were given to Gigi Indangan, Regie Reyes, and Ricky Estolas, Jr. from the ILC operations staff.

  • Philippine Double Digit Growth to Attract Investors

    Philippine Double Digit Growth to Attract Investors

    The year 2016 was a great period for Philippines in the field of consumer lending which recorded a massive growth. The presidential elections in 2016 led to political stability and consumers had more confidence to take consumer loans. When the global market was highly volatile, consumer lending in the Philippines was an attractive destination with its strong consistently growing economic and financial systems that operate in a safe and sound approach.

    The new government has focussed on tax system and introduced a tax reform program that helped the country’s economic growth with respect to consumer lending. The World Bank signified that the Philippine financial market system will grow rapidly due to its consumer confidence and transparency of building regulations. According to research report “Consumer Lending in the Philippines”, country’s robust banking system is crucial in the consumer lending field where it ensures stability and rapid growth in the country’s economy. Thus, the Filipinos are now more confident to take more loans from the retail banks for automobile or domestic purpose.

    The rapid growth in Philippine domestic economy has created more jobs which washed out poverty to some extent. The recent economic developments in Philippines was somewhat driven by the presidential elections. The fixed capital investment rose to 25.6%. There were vast opportunities in the field of construction, manufacturing and service sectors.

    As per the economy growth statistics for the first quarter of 2017, it showed that the primary income for the nation slowed down by 3.9% and the gross national income has risen to 5.9%. The Philippines economy is aiming at a 6.5% to 7.5% GDP for the year 2017.

    The services sector is the highest contributor to the growth of the nation’s economy. The industry sector stands second and agriculture sector stands in the third place. The IPP (Intellectual Property products) are outstanding with the growth contribution of 27.2%. The export and imported goods contributed 22.3% and 20.8% respectively.

     

  • Philippine Airlines to increase capacity with new aircraft

    Philippine Airlines to increase capacity with new aircraft

    Philippine Airlines is to increase capacity on its London to Manila route.

    The airline is replacing its 254-seat Airbus A340 to a 370-seat Boeing 777 from mid-December.

    It will also take delivery of six new Airbus A350-900s over the next two years, one of which will serve the London route.

    From June 8 the airline is also set to resume flights to Kuala Lumpur after a three year respite.

    More fam trips are planned for later in the year following the success of a mega-fam it held in March which saw 50 UK agents tour the Philippines in partnership with the Philippines Department of Tourism.

    Senior assistant VP and EMEA division manager Genaro Velasquez said UK passenger figures were up 38% in the first quarter compared to last year.

    As well as increasing passenger numbers with the new aircraft planned, he said the next step was to promote the airline as a carrier to Australia.

    The airline flies to multiple destinations in Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, via Manila.

  • PLDT secures 25-year franchise extension

    PLDT secures 25-year franchise extension

    The Philippines’ PLDT has announced that wireless subsidiary Smart has secured a 25-year extension to its franchise.

    President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a new Act that effectively extends Smart’s franchise until 2042.

    The franchise allows Smart to deploy, maintain, lease and operate integrated domsetic and international telecommunications services nationwide.

    New details have also reportedly been added to ensure Smart receives equal access to any future incentives granted to new players in the market and to exempt the operator from paying duties or taxes on telecoms equipment.

    The extension will take effect 15 days after publication of the franchise law in a newspaper of general circulation, something PLDT said it intends to effectuate.

    As half of the Philippines’ duopoly of mobile operators, PLDT’s Smart is a major player with around 63 million mobile subscribers as of the end of last year.

    But the Philippines has long been seeking to have a third player enter the market to enhance competition, and is planning to conduct a spectrum auction open only to potential new market entrants later this year.

    Rival operator Globe Telecom’s current concession runs until 2030.

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  • Cebu Pacific joins Davao tourism program

    Cebu Pacific joins Davao tourism program

    The Cebu Pacific (CEB) has announced its participation in the largest travel event and tourism campaign in Davao region, the Visit Davao Fun Sale (VDFS). The carrier’s move is in support of the VDFS, which was launched four years ago, to promote Davao and peripheral areas in southern Mindanao as safe, enjoyable and exhilarating travel and adventure destinations for both local and foreign tourists.

    As part of the seven-week activities, CEB is flying-in top adventure travel bloggers and digital influencers from Singapore, Japan and South Korea to visit Davao and check out attractions such as the beaches in Mati City, Aliwagwag Falls and Eden Eco Adventure Park, go dolphin-watching off the coast of Mati, white-water rafting in the Davao River, pub-crawling in Davao’s city center, or shopping at the Aldevinco Center. “CEB takes pride in having the most flights to and from Davao. But more than the flights, we need to do our part to help entice tourists to fly to Davao and experience what the region has to offer.

    Davao and adjacent provinces have so much to offer tourists from all walks of life — from thrill-seekers to laidback travelers, families on vacation, barkadas on a getaway and even solo backpackers,” said JR Mantaring, CEB’s vice president for Corporate Affairs.

    Cebu Pacific has the most extensive domestic route network among Philippine carriers, with direct, inter-island connections to major tourist destinations. The carrier operates flights out of six strategically placed hubs in the country in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Kalibo, and Iloilo. Operating a hub in Davao, CEB has 141 flights to and from Davao, with six direct domestic routes (Cebu, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Zamboanga and Manila) and a direct flight to Singapore. The airline’s extensive network covers over 100 routes and 66 destinations, spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and United States of America.

    Launched in 2014, the Visit Davao Fun Sale is a partnership between local governments in the region, the Department of Tourism, other national government agencies and private enterprises to promote tour packages and unique experiences to tourists such as food and delicacy must-tries, as well as leisure and wellness activities. This year’s tours include special packages for Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal, Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur where one of the trails to Mt. Apo is located, and the Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary. Since its launch, VDFS has helped push tourism growth in the region to double-digit levels, capping 2016 with 100,000 tourist arrivals. VDFS 2017 runs from April 16 to May 31.

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  • Swine sector in the Philippines set to grow

    Swine sector in the Philippines set to grow

    The Philippines is undeniably one of the more interesting countries in Asia. With over a 100 million souls and a rapidly developing economy, there is a constant demand for pig meat and pork. What are the opportunities for the Philippines?

    The swine industry of the Philippines is one where jobs and economic opportunity seem guaranteed for the next decade for those who want to commit to a career or investment in modern pig production and processing. Demand is growing, in line with population and income (and tourism), and meat consumption is expected to grow in parallel. And, on the supply side, there is a deficit in pork and pig meat for the processing industry at the moment. The industry is a ‘hot zone’ for an expanding and growing supply chain from farm to fork (genetics, AI, feed, animal health, and equipment) and for foreign suppliers and importers/processors of pork.

    Second largest economic activity

    The swine sector is the second largest economic activity in the Philippines’ agricultural sector. Domestic pig production has been rising in both backyard and modern commercial farms. In 2016 (July 1), the total hog inventory in the Philippines was reported to be almost 12.5 million head – an increase of 1.4% compared with 2015.

    Backyard farms accounted for 64% of these animals and commercial farms made up 36% of the total hog population. Approximately 35% of the total breeding herd (1.68 million sows or 560,000 head) were on commercial farms (July 1 census 2016).

    The total breeding herd increased by 2.6% in 2016 and by 5.3% in 2015. The key regions for pig production are Central Luzon and Calabarzon which, together, account for almost two thirds of all commercial pig production. This proportion falls to around 30% of all pigs when backyard pig production is considered since these smaller units are spread more evenly around the Philippines. Although a lot of domestic pig meat is sold through wet markets there is a growing and vibrant meat processing sector which serves foodservice, retail and export customers. The Philippines’ Association of Meat Processors (Pampi) has around 50 company-members and claims that they account for more than P300 billion in revenues (US$ 6 billion) and provide jobs to more than 300,000 Filipinos.

    Investments are evident

    Investment in new production and processing capacity is evident. A recent example of this is the announcements by PIC of a new sire and dam line nucleus facility on the main island of Luzon, Hormel/San Miguel’s US$ 1.2 billion investment in doubling its meat processing capacity (to 120,000 tonnes) at General Trias, Cavite and the Charoen Pokphand Group’s (CP Group) plan to invest around US$ 2 billion on swine and poultry production in the Philippines in the next 5 years.

    However, it’s not all plain sailing since the domestic swine industry has a record of low productivity and has only recently begun expanding albeit the majority of local producers (mainly backyard and small farmers) are unlikely to be part of ‘commercialisation’. A particular challenge for the Philippines is the high feed and energy prices that are prevalent: these affect all producers and contribute to a relatively high cost of production for the domestic industry (estimated at US$ 1.80 per kg).

    San Miguel is one of the country’s largest conglomerates and meatpackers. The company aims to double its processing capacity in General Trias province. Photo: Vincent ter Beek

    Although the Philippines has some significant export markets (mainly Middle East) pig meat imports have grown to meet these export customers’ needs (up by circa 12% from the EU in 2016) and this may put some parts of the local supply chain under significant cost pressure in the future. The meat processing sector complains that locally produced raw pig meat does not meet its quality or presentation requirements and those imports of suitable pig meat are the only way that it can satisfy its export and domestic customers and this may be the main reason why new investments in integrated production and processing capacity are being seen.

    Reports of corruption and irregularities in customs processing are not uncommon as are complaints about unwieldy and bureaucratic SPS procedures and this may also be encouraging domestic investment. Lastly, the ever present threat of typhoons can seriously disrupt local production and this aspect of the weather’s behaviour affects decisions on location for new capacity.

    Hog Industry Roadmap

    Under the auspices of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) the swine industry’s supply chain has signed up to a ‘Hog Industry Roadmap’ which describes the major challenges facing the domestic industry and the way to meet them over the next decade.

    This 26 page ‘action plan’ is most interesting and has been put together after consultations with commercial businesses and, if carried through, signals significant changes for local producers, their supply chain, and the value chain for pig meat in the Philippines. This plan envisages a growth of per capita consumption of pork in the Philippines from 14.9 kg/capita in 2015 to 16.4 kg/capita in 2017. This is relatively modest but still implies a growth of +30% in the domestic herd. The technical KPIs for production are also targets for improvement in the roadmap.

    The number of pigs sold/sow/year is required to increase from 18.8 in 2015 to 30 in 2027, and the FCR needs to shrink from 3.7 to 2.27 in the next decade. A final, ambitious, target worth mentioning is to get carcass meat production per sow per year up from 1.7578 tonnes to 3.5445 tonnes in ten years. That’s an improvement of just over 100%. It’s easy to see why these target figures imply that the Philippines is a ‘hot zone’ for investments in modern pig production.

    The Philippines at a glance

    The Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands. Together, the total area is 298,170 km2, which makes the country slightly smaller than Poland or Italy. The country’s capital Manila has about 13 million inhabitants; the economy’s growth rate is around 6% per year (2011-2015). The Philippines has a tropical marine climate with a northeast monsoon from November to April and a southwest monsoon between May and October. The country is usually affected by 15 typhoons and directly struck by five to six cyclonic storms each year. About 41% of the country is used for agriculture. Currently, the Philippines has a population of roughly 101 million, which grows 1.6% per year.

    Big challenges

    In conclusion, the Philippines is, classically, facing some big challenges if it wants to supply itself with more pig meat but it’s also clear that this is a country where opportunities beckon – and where the local industry has ambitions.

    These challenges and the potential to grow have not gone unnoticed by the local supply chain. The investment decisions of the CP Group and others noted earlier are a sign that moves are afoot to develop the pig and pig meat industry but there are other straws in the wind.

    A recent announcement of new power supply agreements between Aboitz Power Corporation and four of the largest members of Pampi; Foodsphere (CDO), Virginia Food, LIIP Food Processors (Century Pacific) and GenOSI (McDonald’s) is more evidence that wheels are turning and investments are being made. These major businesses need reliable and competitive power supplies to support their growing meat processing operations.

    That Hog Industry Roadmap for 2017-2027 has an ambitious vision – a sustainable and globally-competitive hog industry by the year 2027. The Philippines is one country where we can expect plenty of action for the swine industry in the years ahead.

  • Manila Water to submit scaled-up proposals in projects in both Myanmar and Indonesia

    Manila Water to submit scaled-up proposals in projects in both Myanmar and Indonesia

    Manila Water the water concessionaire for the East Zone of Metro Manila, said it would submit scaled-up proposals within the third quarter of the year for possible water concessions in Myanmar and Indonesia following the completion of its pilot projects.

    In a news briefing after the firm’s annual stockholders’ meeting, the company’s Chief Operating Officer for New Business Operations Virgilio Rivera Jr. said these proposals will be for Yangon City in Myanmar and Bandung City in Indonesia.

    Rivera said the company submitted their report for the successful pilot project that drastically reduces the nonrevenue water in Yangon and expect to complete a similar pilot project in Bandung City, the capital of West Java.

    “With the completion of these pilot projects, we have shown them our best practices and are now ready to propose a scaled-up version,” Rivera said.

    The company’s new President and CEO Ferdinand de la Cruz said it is ready to take on much bigger projects in these cities to the extent of a full-scale water concession like what they have in the East Service Zone of Metro Manila. De la Cruz said the company’s expansion into countries in Southeast Asia will contribute to their goal of achieving a net income of P11.5 billion by 2020 and that half of this should come from businesses other than its Metro Manila concession, currently its single-biggest revenue generator.

    Rivera said the company intends to do more pilot projects in other parts of the Philippines and Southeast Asia as local government units and water districts are more receptive to tapping Manila Water based on its Metro Manila experience.

    In Yangon it partnered with Mitsubishi Corp. to adopt two district metering areas located in South Okkalapa and Insein.

    By the end of 2016, nonrevenue levels in both townships dropped to 14 percent from 54 percent.

    For Bandung, Indonesia’s fourth-largest city, a population of 2.4 million, the company has reduced non-revenue water from a high of 59 percent in September last year to 23 percent in just three months.

    Inc., Rivera said they have also been tapped by SM Development Corp. for five residential projects and will be signing up for five more by early next year.

  • Cebu Pacific links up with KLM AFI to service expanding fleet

    Cebu Pacific links up with KLM AFI to service expanding fleet

    Gokongwei-led budget airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) has chosen Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to provide maintenance support for its expected new fleet of Airbus A320s .

    “This is our first agreement with Cebu Pacific and also our first component support contract in the strategic Philippines market,” said Gery Mortreux, Executive Vice President of AFI KLM E&M in a statement released.

    The selection of AFI KLM E&M came following a call for tenders by CEB in September last year for the carrier’s expanding fleet of Airbus passenger jets .

    The long-term contract covers a fleet of over 40 Airbus A320-family aircraft, and encompasses full component support and solutions, including repairs and local pool access to maximize aircraft availability for both CEB’s A320s and its future A321neos.

    The A321 neo (new engine option) is a variant of the A320 that features a more efficient engine and more aerodynamic refinements.

    CEB currently has a fleet of 59 aircraft, comprised of 4 Airbus A319s, 36 Airbus A320s, 7 Airbus A330s, 8 ATR 72-500, and 4 ATR 72-600 aircraft. The average age of its fleet currently stands at 4.94 years.

    The airline also expects to take delivery of 45 brand-new aircraft as part of its fleet renewal program composed of one brand-new Airbus A330, 32 Airbus A321neos, and 12 ATR 72-600s

    All told, the new aircraft will bring the CEB fleet to 85 by 2021.

    CEB’s local rival, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), is also in the process of upgrading its fleet headlined by two new Boeing 777–300ERs set to arrive in December 2017 and January 2018, the airline announced over the weekend.

    Along with that, it is also expecting the arrival of the Q400 Next Generation turboprops for domestic flights starting in July 2017, and the first of 6 new A350-900s expected to arrive in 2018.

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  • IPC, 1-Net plan interconnected data center network

    IPC, 1-Net plan interconnected data center network

    Philippines cloud services and data center provider IPC (IP Converge Data Services) has teamed up with 1-Net in Singapore to provide its customers with an interconnected data center network.

    This collaboration enables both organization to extend their data center capacity for faster access and deployment of customers in the countries.

    IPC and 1-Net are both data center providers who operate carrier-neutral and telco-grade internet data centers in Philippines and Singapore respectively.

    This strategic partnership will strengthen the data center services of both providers, ensuring that customers’ data is securely stored. This will also enable enterprises to run mission-critical systems in our facilities while they grow their businesses in the two countries.

    The partnership will enable both IPC and 1-Net to deploy customers in both Philippines and Singapore with a single contract, allowing quicker deployment without the need to renegotiate service level agreements and contracts.

    “Our partnership with 1-Net virtually expands the data center footprint of both companies. Gaining access to data center facilities in Singapore enables our enterprise customers to extend their network into the more mature market in Singapore, and likewise offers the same benefit to regional players present in Singapore who are looking to expand into our bustling Philippines economy for business expansion,” said IPC Chief Executive Officer Reynaldo R. Huergas.

  • Amazon Ready to Launch in the Philippines

    Amazon Ready to Launch in the Philippines

    Amazon with exclusive affiliate partner iPrice Philippines premieres the first screenshots of the all new and exciting online shopping platform: Amazon.ph. Slated to be launched late 2017, millions of local and international products will be made available to Filipinos with same-day delivery service throughout the nation.  Maintaining the ethos of Amazon, the new e-commerce platform in the Philippines will be guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking.

    Partnering Amazon in this new endeavor is iPrice, a meta-search website in seven major countries in Southeast Asia as Amazon’s prime affiliate partner. With similar values and vision for ecommerce in Southeast Asia, iPrice’s partnership with Amazon will empower the Seattle based company with the needed marketing channels to aggressively market its products and services to the competitive ecommerce sector.

    Further details of Amazon’s affiliate partnership with iPrice will be revealed at the annual AWS Summit on 20th of April 2017 at the Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom in Manila. Here is an exclusive screenshot of Amazon.ph.

    The Baguio Barrel Man

    Often seen as the souvenir of choice of most travelers, the Barrel Man offers more than just it’s barrel. Handcrafted from tropical wood unique only to the Philippines, the Barrel Man is a figure that is built of quality material and has the magical powers suited to relieve men of their physiological and psychological barriers.

    Amazon.ph and the Baguio Barrel Man was reviewed by test audiences prior to launch. It assisted in saving a marriage, and restoring one’s manhood.

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  • PLDT, Globe launch cut-price call packages

    PLDT, Globe launch cut-price call packages

    Philippines operators PLDT and Globe Telecom have both cut mobile voice rates to as low as 1 peso ($0.02) per minute, in response to slumping voice usage and a regulator-encouraged cut in mobile termination rates last year.

    Globe and PLDT’s wireless division Smart have both introduced add-on packages for mobile subscribers offering a set allocation of calls for low rates.

    Globe has introduced an add-on pack for its higher-tier postpaid customers that costs 299 pesos for 300 minutes of calls to any network.

    Prepaid customers will be able to take advantage of a GoCall50 add-on pack providing 50 minutes of calls to any network valid for three days, while subscribers to Globe’s TM service can pay 5 pesos for 5 minutes of calls to any network for a day.

    Smart has meanwhile introduced a Call 50 promo providing 50 minutes of calls to any network valid for three days.

    Late last year, Globe and PLDT both agreed to cut voice interconnection rates by 16.7% to 4 pesos per minute for mobile calls and by 38% to 4 pesos per minute for mobile calls, in response to encouragement from regulator NTC. As part of the agreement to cut the mobile termination rate, the operators also committed to reduce rates for customers over time.

    Both operators have also been facing the common industry issue of subscribers continuing to substitute traditional voice calls with OTT messaging and VoIP usage, which has been contributing to a decline in voice revenue.

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  • ​​Robinsons Store launches first​ ​Go Lokal! store in Robinsons Place Manila

    ​​Robinsons Store launches first​ ​Go Lokal! store in Robinsons Place Manila

    Robinsons Department Store, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) opens today the first Go Lokal! store in Robinsons Place Manila.

    Robinsons Department Store, an affiliate of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., is the first mainstream outlet to launch Go Lokal!, a public-private collaboration between DTI and local retailer partners that aims to showcase modern and indigenous quality products crafted, designed, and created by innovative Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

    The Go Lokal! program has been designed to serve as incubation, marketing, and branding platform for the best of Philippine MSMEs products including next generation One Town One Product (OTOP) offerings. This new market access platform via a design-led concept store is set to revolutionize the way hard-to-find and artisanal Filipino products are sold in the local market, and will bring together a specially-curated line-up that ranges from food, apparel, accessories, home décor, gadgets and gift items. They can be found in consumer-frequented locations as a mainstream distribution channel for world-class Filipino products while offering value for money for targeted consumers and tourists.

    Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said DTI is more than excited to open its first mainstream  Go Lokal! store with Robinsons Department Store as its dynamic partner in this effort of maximizing market access and providing exposure to our MSMEs. “Go Lokal! is truly a vibrant model for MSME development and inclusive business. We are happy that committed partners like Robinsons have taken on this challenge. We look forward to opening more outlets in their malls and department stores across the country,” Sec. Lopez said.

    Robina Gokongwei-Pe, President and COO of Robinsons Department Store, said that the program will benefit MSMEs because it’s a mainstream platform that brings them closer to a more diverse market and creates positive effects to the economy by encouraging entrepreneurship. “This partnership with DTI is Robinsons Department Store’s contribution to nation-building by providing our entrepreneurs an environment where they can be passionate about their businesses and prosper from their efforts, as we create opportunities for MSMEs to grow, succeed and make an impact to the retail industry,” said Gokongwei-Pe.

    Johnson Go, General Manager of Robinsons Department Store, said that Go Lokal! is Robinsons Department Store’s way of supporting Filipino entrepreneurs into their initial foray into more mainstream markets by making them more accessible to both local and foreign consumers. “The diverse product line of Go Lokal! brings together the best products that the Philippines has to offer which are world-class locally-made quality products by our MSMEs,” said Go.

    The DTI Secretary also said that aside from providing market access for MSME products, the Go Lokal! program is a platform for new entrepreneurs to test the marketability of their products without the fear of losing rental and commercial costs because their experience is free of charge

    Portion of Go Lokal! revenues will go to the various corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects of Robinsons Department Store including the government’s drug rehabilitation program.

    Robinsons Department Store, an affiliate of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., is the first mainstream outlet to launch Go Lokal!, a public-private collaboration between DTI and local retailer partners that aims to showcase modern and indigenous quality products crafted, designed, and created by innovative Philippine micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Launching the partnership recently were (l-r) Mr. Johnson Go, General Manager of Robinsons Department Store; DTI Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion Director Rhodora Leaño; DTI Assistant Secretary for Industry Promotion Group Rosvi Gaetos, Secretary Ramon Lopez of the Department of Trade and Industry, Ms. Robina Gokongwei-Pe, President and COO of Robinsons Department Store; Mr. Irving Wu, Robinsons Malls Operations Director for Luzon and Ms. Maricar Reyes, celebrity endorser of Robinsons Department Store.