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Tag: san miguel

  • Philippines’ San Miguel says looking to bid for Vietnam’s Sabeco

    Philippines’ San Miguel says looking to bid for Vietnam’s Sabeco

    The Philippines’ San Miguel Corp (SMC.PS) is looking to bid for Vietnam’s largest brewer Sabeco (SAB.HM), the conglomerate’s president said on Wednesday.

    “Yes,” Ramon Ang said when asked if San Miguel is looking to join the bidding for the Vietnamese brewer.

    Vietnam said earlier on Wednesday it is open to selling a 54-percent stake in Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp, but capped foreign ownership at about 49 percent.

    Sabeco received a strong response from potential suitors at an investors’ roadshow in Singapore last week, its chairman Vo Thanh Ha said, as the government moves closer to finalizing a stake sale in the $9 billion maker of Bia Saigon and 333 brews.

    Ha said the government is due shortly to publish details of a divestment plan for its nearly 90 percent stake in Sabeco as part of a lengthy fund-raising exercise.

    The sale has attracted interest from brewers seeking access to one of Asia’s most-promising beer markets, which is already the second-most profitable for Dutch brewer Heineken NV (HEIN.AS).

    Vietnam is shaping up as a battleground for global brewers thanks to a youthful population and beer-drinking culture.

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  • San Miguel selling telco assets to PLDT & Globe

    San Miguel selling telco assets to PLDT & Globe

    Philippine conglomerate San Miguel corporation is selling its telecom business to incumbent operators PLDT and Globe following the collapse of its JV negotiations with Telstra.

    Under the agreement, San Miguel will sell its telecom unit Vega Telecom for 69.1 billion pesos ($1.48 billion) inclusive of 17.02 billion pesos worth of liabilities. PLDT and Globe will each acquire half of the business.

    Vega Telecom owns controlling stakes in multiple telecom-related units. These are BellTel, Eastern Telecommunications, Cobaltpoint Telecommunication (formerly Extelcom), Tori Spectrum Telecommunication (formerly Wi-Tribe) and Hi-Frequency Telecommunication.

    The acquisition will finally grant PLDT and Globe access to radio spectrum in the coveted 700-MHz band, which San Miguel currently holds a monopoly on.

    PLDT and Globe have been petitioning the government for years for access to this spectrum, but the regulator had so far declined to act to recall the spectrum.

    In addition to the 700-MHz spectrum the acquisition also covers frequencies in the 900-MHz and 1800-MHz bands, PLDT said in a stock market filing.

    But as part of the deal, PLDT and Globe have agreed to relinquish part of the 700-MHz, as well as 850-MHz, 2500-MHz and 3500-MHz bands to regulator NTC to allow the potential entry of a third operator into the market.

    “This transaction offers a breakthrough opportunity, not only for the companies involved but also for the industry and the country. This will enable existing operators to provide significantly improved Internet and data services to the public and to our customers in the shortest possible time,” PLDT CEO Manuel V Pangilinan said in a statement.

    “ At the same time, it leaves the door open for new entrants into the industry. Taken together, thiswill enable the industry to better support the country’s development efforts – especially significant with the onset of a new government.”

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  • Uniqlo now sells San Miguel Pale Pilsen T-shirts

    Uniqlo now sells San Miguel Pale Pilsen T-shirts

    Unlike with the Jollibee t-shirt line that is available for only a season, the Uniqlo-San Miguel Pale Pilsen t-shirts are available until the third quarter of 2016. All photos by Lynda C. Corpuz / Rappler

    Japan’s casual clothing retailer Uniqlo (“Unique Clothing”) on Friday, June 5, launched its T-shirt line featuring the iconic, 125-year-old San Miguel Pale Pilsen of local company San Miguel Brewery Incorporated (SMB).

    This is the second corporate collaboration of Uniqlo in the Philippines. The brand launched its partnership with fastfood giant Jollibee on May 27. Both Jollibee and San Miguel Pale Pilsen T-shirts started selling in Uniqlo stores on June 1.

    Like the Jollibee T-shirts, the San Miguel Pale Pilsen T-shirts will be sold in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It retails in the Philippines for P380 each ($8.68).

    Available in black, white, and yellow, the T-shirts bear an image of the San Miguel Pale Pilsen bottle and the text, “The classic brew created for men who thirst for the distinctive taste of the world’s best.”

    BEE OR BEER? Similarly with the Jollibee t-shirts, the San Miguel Pale Pilsen t-shirts will be sold in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It retails in the Philippines for P390 each ($8.68).

    Unlike the Jollibee T-shirt line that will be available for only a season, the Uniqlo-San Miguel Pale Pilsen T-shirts will be available until the 3rd quarter of 2016.

    Something in common

    Fast Retailing Philippines Incorporated general manager Geraldine Sia said that the collaboration with San Miguel will not disappoint fans. SMB assistant vice president for marketing services Vinky Abalos said Uniqlo paid for the approved materials of the beer brand used for the T-shirt line.

    “It depends on them [Uniqlo if they would come up with new designs]. This is supposed to be a one-time project. They didn’t realize that this would be this successful. We only started selling this week, but the sales are [already surprising],” she said without citing figures. This is the first time for SMB to collaborate with a retail chain as big as Uniqlo.

    SMB marketing manager Menlou Bibonia said that the company’s employees, as well as SMB customers, expressed both excitement and amusement that they can finally see their favorite beer brand in Uniqlo’s shelves.

    Bibonia added that both brands share the passion “in giving our customers only the best.” She also highlighted the fact that SMB has also something Japanese in it, having Kirin Holdings Company Limited as a business partner.

    SMB is a 51-49 joint venture between San Miguel and Kirin. SMB’s executive financial advisor Takashi Hayashi said Kirin is satisfied with the partnership with San Miguel and they have no intention, so far, to change that.

    Expansion potentials

    Both Kirin (through SMB) and Fast Retailing (through Uniqlo) are also positive with their growth potentials in the Philippines.

    President Benigno Aquino III met with Kirin chairman of the board Senji Miyake and for Fast Retailing Company Limited (Uniqlo) chief executive officer Tadashi Yanai during his 4-day state visit to Japan, which concluded June 5.

    Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said Kirin’s Miyake expressed “great interest in expanding their investments in the Philippines.”

    Fast Retailer’s Yanai also expressed his appreciation for the “auspicious results of their initial foray into the Philippines’ retail market.” Uniqlo already has 23 stores and has about 1,200 employees since it started in the country in 2012.

    Speaking to the Filipino community during his state visit, Aquino said Fast Retailing appears to be on track of achieving its target of 200 Uniqlo shops in the Philippines. As for expansion, Sia said it is all about timing for them.

    Sia replied that they do not have word yet about what is going to happen next following Aquino and Yadai’s meeting, but expressed hope that it would be overall positive for the country and the brand.

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