Luksu

Philippines will become the world's 16th largest economy in...

2012-01-12T22:16:00.002+08:00

The global research department of HSBC has released a report predicting the rise and fall of the world’s economies in the next 40 years.

Among the smaller, developing nations, there are several surprises by HSBC prognosticators:

* By 2050, the Philippines will leapfrog 27 places to become the world’s 16th largest economy.

* Peru’s economy, growing by 5.5% each year, jumping 20 places to 26th place – ahead of Iran, Columbia and Switzerland. Other strong performers will be Egypt (up 15 places to 20th), Nigeria (up nine places to 37th), Turkey (up six spots to 12th), Malaysia (up 17 to 21st) and the Ukraine (up 19 to 45th).

* Japan’s working population will contract by a world-top 37% in 2050 – yet HSBC economists predict it will still be toward the top performing economies, dropping only one spot to the 4th largest economy. India will jump ahead of Japan to 3rd on the list.

* The big loser in the next 40 years will be advanced economies in Europe, HSBC predicts, who will see their place in the economic pecking order erode as working population dwindles and developing economies climb. Only five European nations will be in the top 20, compared to eight today. Biggest drop will be felt northern Europe: Denmark to 56th ( -29), Norway to 48th ( -22), Sweden to 38th (-20) and Finland to 57th (-19).

HSBC 2050 list of top economies (change in rank from 2010)

1) China (+2)

2) U.S. (-1)

3) India (+5)

4) Japan (-2)

5) Germany (-1)

6) UK (-1)

7) Brazil (+2)

8) Mexico (+5)

9) France (-3)

10) Canada (same)

11) Italy (-4)

12) Turkey (+6)

13) S. Korea (-2)

14) Spain (-2)

15) Russia (+2)

16) Philippines (+27)

17) Indonesia (+4)

18) Australia (-2)

19) Argentina (2)

20) Egypt (+15)

21) Malaysia (+17)

22) Saudi Arabia (+1)

23) Thailand (+6)

24) Netherlands (-9)

25) Poland (-1)

26) Peru (+20)

27) Iran (+7)

28) Colombia (+12

29) Switzerland (-9)

30) Pakistan (+14)

“If we step away from the cyclicality, there are two ways economies can grow; either add more people to the production line via growth in the working population, or make each individual more productive,” the report says.

In other words, demographics – the size of your working population – along with the opportunities to flex that muscle help determine long-term economic trends. Big factors on the back half of that equation: Education opportunities, democratic governments or strong rule of law (a caveat that explains China and Saudi Arabia’s high placement).

“We openly admit that behind these projections we assume governments build on their recent progress and remain solely focused on increasing the living standards for their populations,” the report says. “Of course, this maybe an overly glossy way of viewing the world.”

Chief factors that may derail economies moving forward, the report says: War, energy consumption constraints, climate change, and growing barriers to population movement across borders.

Source: CNN, http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/12/worlds-top-economies-in-2050-will-be/?hpt=hp_c2

PH vehicle, parts makers want a bigger pie of the Asean market by 2015

2012-01-11T21:29:00.001+08:00

Buy "trucks you can trust" call/text Sobida Motors Bulacan (0915) 113 5466

Pulilan, Bulacan—To further boost the Philippine economy and the automotive industry, the vehicle and parts manufacturing sector led by the Philippine Automotive Competitiveness Council Inc. (PACCI) has sought government help in crafting a strategic expansion plan that will allow it to achieve economies of scale and capture a significant share in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) single market starting 2015.

Impact of the industry

In a 2010 study by Cid Terosa of the school of economics of the University of Asia and the Pacific, results showed that a "P1 increase in consumption or investment spending for motor vehicles will result in P3.67 worth of additional output in the economy."

The same study noted that a P100 billion worth of investments in the domestic automotive manufacturing industry could generate at least 169,061 new jobs.

The study further revealed that the output multiplier of Philippine automotive manufacturing industry was greater than that of all the investment priority industries of the Department of Trade and Industry, namely tourism, business process outsourcing and information technology services, electronics, mining, housingand agribusiness.

~Gerald

Buy "trucks you can trust" call/text Sobida Motors Bulacan (0915) 113 5466

Internet activities of ASEAN consumers

2011-11-06T07:30:00.000+08:00

The most popular online activity being undertaken across the Southeast Asia region is E-mail. Heavy users are Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

News is number one in Vietnam.

In Indonesia, social networking is top of the list.

In all of ASEAN except Vietnam, social networking ranks among the top five most popular online activities.

About 81 percent of Filipino digital consumers have an active profile on Facebook, which is the second-highest in the region after Indonesia’s 90 percent.

A further 51 percent of Filipinos surveyed were active on YouTube, while 32 percent were active on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

Internet usage in some markets surpassing time spent on traditional media such as television, radio or print.

Reference: Nielsen Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report

more Southeast Asian consumers are getting online

2011-11-05T07:30:00.000+08:00

According to the latest Nielsen report (2011):

Rapid growth in ownership of Internet-capable devices by ASEAN consumers maybe expected in 2012.

In the Philippines, Filipinos access the Internet via ownership of the following devices:

68% of Filipinos said they owned desktop computers.

64% of Filipinos said they owned Internet capable smartphones.

58% percent of Filipinos said they owned notebook computers or “netbooks.”

17% percent owned tablet computers.

Reference: Nielsen Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report

Filipinos among top Internet consumers in Southeast Asia

2011-11-04T09:06:00.000+08:00

For micro, small, medium or even large business owners who are still not decided to have their own online presence (website, blog), the following information may help you consider creating an online platform for your business or project:

Singaporeans are the heaviest digital users in the region, averaging 25 hours online per week.
Digital consumers in the Philippines who averaged 21.5 hours per week are slightly behind at second place.
Malaysians are in third place, averaging 19.8 hours online per week.
Indonesia trailed the region for time spent online, averaging only 14 hours per week.

Reference: Nielsen 2011 Report

As I always dare say in every forum where I had the chance to speak, Internet will be with us for a very long time; it will continually evolve as an important tool for business. And It will permeate every organizational and/or human activity, be it personal, business, or social project.

~Gerald

Make website smartphone friendly

2011-10-15T13:16:00.001+08:00

Here at Luksu, we recognize the growing numbers of people using their mobile phones to search for products, services, businesses, organizations. Just look at the sales trend of iPhones, and Android powered phones--mobile devices that are capable of surfing and transacting online and you could see the potential for small medium enterprises (SME) in the Philippines and elsewhere. That is, if their websites are easily accessible through the said devices.

Recognizing this, our web design principles ensure that your sites will be simple, direct to the point, and of course mobile phone friendly.

Mobile phone: Weapon against global poverty

2011-10-14T09:27:00.001+08:00

CNN published an insighful article on how mobile phone could become a powerful tool for work and business against poverty, and isolation specially in the rural far flung areas. Read the entire story at CNN.

http://www.uncdf.org/english/news_and_events/index.php?record=222

Families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) should go into business

2011-10-13T17:02:00.000+08:00

If we are to consider the study made by The Nielsen Co. on our OFW, there is a lot of potential for their families to grow the remittances they receive either through passive or active investments in business:

Only around 17 percent of households said remittances go to savings and investments, while a whopping 96 percent of OFW households spend it on basic needs, such as food, utilities, bills, rent and education.

Only 2 percent use remittances to pay for loans.

The 17 percent of households who save their money put their remittance on savings, invest on household appliances, insurance, real estate, a car or in business, and buy lottery tickets.

Around 48 percent of OFW families belonged to the DE class, or the low-income class, while 39 percent now belonged to the C2 or lower-middle class segment. Those who belonged to the upper middle class or C1 and the elite or AB class both increased to 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

In Nielsen’s 2007 OFW survey, majority of OFW families—or around 66 percent—belong to the DE class and only 23 percent belonged to the C2, or lower middle class segments. Those who belonged to the C1 and AB class only accounted for 7 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

In 2010 OFWs sent a total of $18.7 billion worth of remittances.

Government figures showed that for the January-to-June period, OFWs already sent $11.3 billion worth of remittances, despite the global crises, which initially was expected to cut remittances in 2011.

Insights for Filipino SMEs on the use of social media

2011-10-06T15:09:00.001+08:00

Looking at Nielsen's survey below, Philippine entrepreneurs, small business owners may find some insights on how they could utilize social media, their online presence to make their business competitive.

Nearly 80% of online Americans are now using social media (blogs, Twitter, and social networking sites)

Over 140 million Americans visit Facebook every month

Boomers are driving the growth of social networking on mobile devices

We can help you manage your online presence.

Steven Paul Jobs "Steve" 1955-2011

2011-10-06T09:42:00.000+08:00

As an organization founded, devoted to using and managing technology as a tool for competitiveness, and one that shares Jobs' focus on innovation and user experience. Luksu pays tribute to Steve Jobs, one of the true great innovators and entrepreneurs of our times. Truly, "genius knows no boundary."

“Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.

In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.

We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief.” -- Statement of Steve's family

What small business owners can learn from Kindle Fire?

2011-10-03T10:07:00.001+08:00

Disruptive innovation? My first encounter with this term was about a decade ago, when I was sitting in one of the courses of the Master of Technology Management, a pioneering multi-disciplinary graduate program offered by the University of the Philippines at Diliman.

It came to mind again, when I read this morning Rob Wheeler's article on Amazon's recently launched tablet, the Kindle Fire, and how in his opinion it could pose a disruptive challenge to Ipad's dominance of the tablet market.

It's an interesting article, it could provide insights for small business owners in the Philippines and other emerging countries--markets in Asia on how to compete with established market leaders through innovation.

Here is the link to the article, "Kindle Fire is a disruptive innovation."

or

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/perspective/17290-kindle-fire-is-a-disruptive-innovation

--GM

Telco says Filipino mobile Internet users are growing

2011-09-26T17:57:00.000+08:00

Small business owners and as well as those who want to become entrepreneurs may want to check out these numbers and see how they could innovate, create, and offer products/services to the growing Pinoy smartphone users.

In the studies made by Smart Communications Inc. of their network revealed that from February to August this year:

smartphone use has doubled.
use of mobile broadband service, has risen nearly six-fold.
BlackBerry usage is at 44%
Android devices is at 27

Public Advisory: Invitation to ASEAN 100

2011-09-26T17:38:00.000+08:00

Business, government, and civic leaders, are invited to attend Asean 100 Leadership Forum on September 28 and 29 in Makati City.

Aim: To push the momentum in promoting economic integration in Southeast Asia, and use the forum as a useful platform for relationship building and regional outreach.

The forum will begin with a dinner address and dialogue with President Aquino, followed on the next day by thought-provoking discussions around a central theme of “One Asean,” led by key figures from the region and other parts of the world, including Federico Lopez, chief executive of First Philippine Holdings Corp., and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman and chief executive of Ayala Corp.

Sustainable Growth and Profitability: Manila Water cited by WEF and BCG study

2011-09-18T21:04:00.001+08:00

In a study entitled “the new sustainability champions” by The World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Manila Water was counted as one of the 16 emerging-market firms that are turning eco-consciousness into a source of competitive advantage.

The 16 profitable companies are using greenery to reduce costs, motivate workers and forge relationships.

The study highlighted that Manila Water reduced the amount of water it was losing, through wastage and illegal tapping, from 63% in 1997 to 12% in 2010 by making water affordable for the poor.

Reference:

Schumpeter: "Green Growth" , The Economist, 17 Sep. 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/21529015

Open Source Android Application for MFI Loan Officers

2011-09-15T08:28:00.001+08:00

Simple MFI is an open source Android application built for microfinance loan officers to help them manage more loans more easily. The application holds all of the client information that a loan officer needs and synchronizes automatically over the Internet with the database in the head office. The application runs on any Android phone, but particularly it has been designed to run well on a sub-$100 Ideos phone.

Developed by Kevin Gibbs during his sabbatical from Google, the application saves costs for MFIs as it can work completely offline, running off a database on the phone's local storage, so that no connectivity is needed to look up a client's balance or a group's repayment schedule. Synchronization is controlled by the user, and can be done on a daily or hourly schedule, or can be done when the phone is on WiFi connectivity (if there is no data plan available).

"This system could help a lot of MFIs out there, and it doesn't require changing anything about your current MIS or IT setup, just get the system set up for your organization, and your loan officers can start being more efficient", says Kevin Gibbs.

To know more about how to download Simple MFI, please click here.

Read Full Article

Useful numbers, Filipino lifestyle characteristics

2011-09-14T20:00:00.000+08:00

88 percent of Filipinos chose visiting a sari-sari store the past month.

7 out of 10 went to pharmacies or drug stores and wet markets in the past month.

15 percent of Filipinos have life insurance. For the upper class, it rose to 55 percent.

11 percent have credit cards. For the upper class, it rose to 47 percent.

73 percent of Filipinos said that they are taking steps to secure their retirement.

Useful numbers, Filipino Internet users growing

2011-09-13T20:58:00.000+08:00

Internet users have grown from only 32 percent of the Philippines' urban population in 2007 to 47 percent this year across different regions, social classes and age groups.

Among 15- to 24-year-olds the increase is from 57 percent to 71 percent this year (2011).

Traditional print media readership is at 30 percent of the population this year, which is made up of rich sections of the Filipino society.

68 percent of newspaper readers said they were completely focused on reading—and did nothing else while reading, except for eating—whenever they picked up newspapers.

19 percent of people watching television said they were completely focused on it, and not multitasking while doing so.

79 percent of users were completely focused on the task whenever they would use the Internet.

Reference:

Synovate (Media Research firm)

How Dangerous Is Common Sense to Managers?

2011-09-06T09:17:00.003+08:00

Common sense is the decision-maker's friend when the decision has to be made rapidly, with a minimum of research or formal theory, with no more than moderate risk or consequences, and by individuals who have accumulated experience and wisdom. If those conditions don't prevail, watch out. At risk of oversimplification, that sums up the responses to this month's column, in which most readers accepted to some degree author Duncan Watts' description of how common sense fails us.

First things first. Several offered definitions of common sense. Tomy Tharian, for example, said "common sense is quite often related to … wisdom (from accumulated experience vs. the knowledge that the younger generation acquires so rapidly through social networks)." Noting that Webster's Dictionary defines common sense as "sound and prudent judgment based on the simple perception of the situation or facts," JR adds that "Common sense is not in the knowledge but in the application of the knowledge." Others placed emphasis on the word "common." S. A. Visotsky, for example, said that "Common sense is defined as beliefs or propositions that most people consider prudent …" Duncan Watts himself found it "surprisingly hard to pin down. Roughly speaking, it is the loosely organized set of facts, observations, experiences, insights, and pieces of received wisdom that each of us accumulates over a lifetime.…"

Common sense had its defenders. C. J. Cullinane commented that "Common sense and experience for all their faults are fast." Phil Clark added that "how man reacts to a situation is driven by habit and choices gained through experience." Atul Guglani cited the quotation, "In simplicity lies the ultimate sophistication."

Many agreed with the author while placing common sense in a broader context. Herb Brotspies quoted Peter Drucker to make his point: "The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday's logic." Rebecca Mott commented that "Managers who use only common sense to make decisions can fall prey to short-sighted thinking." Ajay Kumar Gupta cautioned that "we tend to forget many things" and "tend to exclude external dynamics that were present" at the time previous decisions served or failed us.

Most felt that common sense had its place in combination with formal systems of knowledge, research, and planning. As Michael Aschenbach put it, "If you get lost in the woods, it is good to have survival experience. Having a map is nice, too." Jamie Hsu said that "It is the combination of theory and common sense that makes a great leader and decision maker." Jeremy Pooley asked, "Could it be that planning and testing helps us better understand the questions we need to be asking and answering before we try and architect solutions?"

Seena Sharp left us with the interesting question of whether, to the extent common sense reflects what has worked in the past, its overuse reduces our acceptance of change? Does common sense impede change? What do you think?

Source:

James Heskett, "How Dangerous Is Common Sense to Managers?", Harvard Business School, Working Knowldge, http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6785.html

Putting Small Business to the Clouds

2011-08-25T08:36:00.001+08:00

Luksu can help bring your brand/business to the CLOUDS in the most cost effective, innovative, and significant way. Using Web 2.0 your customers/prospects can communicate with you via their PC or mobile devices. Contact us for a free analysis of your needs.

Asean to create regional SME advisory board

2011-08-24T21:52:00.000+08:00

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) economic ministers have agreed to create an SME (small and medium enterprise) advisory board that will formulate and push initiatives for the development of SME sector in the region.

“The ministers agreed that enhancing the region’s efforts in developing SMEs will lead to greater intra-Asean trade and investment flows,” Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said.

At the recently concluded 43rd Asean Economic Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings in Manado, Indonesia, Domingo said the ministers agreed to convene the first Asean SME Ministerial Meeting in 2012 and welcomed the formal establishment and the first meeting of the Asean SME Advisory Board, as well as the Expert Panel on SME Access to Finance.

The ministers will also hold regular consultations with the Asean SME Advisory Board beginning 2012.

In conjunction with this, Domingo said the ministers also called for the timely implementation of activities in the Asean Strategic Plan of Action for SME Development 2010-15, the region’s framework for SME development.

“There is a collaborative effort in Asean to push for SME development. Our growing relationship with Asean benefits our own SMEs and exporters in terms of low tariff on intermediate goods. Our growth in trade within Asean has contributed to our economy’s resiliency,” Undersecretary for International Trade Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. said.

Asean, currently populated by about 600 million people and with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $1.5 trillion, is seeking to establish the Asean Economic Community by 2015.

Aside from the Asean Free Trade Area, the region also has agreements with China, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Domingo said one initiative that will help the SMEs is the “self-certification” option for exporters.

“Self-certification is practiced in the European Union and other developed economies where exporters, once certified by authorities to possess the capacity and competence, will be allowed to certify themselves in terms of rules of origin compliance and product shipments that qualify for preferential tariff rate under a free trade agreement,” Domingo said.

Asean member-states are currently taking advantage of capacity building projects for self-certification under the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation technical assistance programs. The ministers agreed to extend the implementation of the Self-Certification Pilot Project to October 31, 2012.

Source: De Leon, Max, BusinessWorld Online, 24 Aug. 2011

PDCA at the Plate

2011-08-24T08:38:00.001+08:00

Forgive me, non-baseball fans. But, it is the season.

Readers of mine know that I like baseball and find many parallels between it and lean thinking. In other words, I see a lot of good lean thinking in baseball. [See "Managing to Pitch with PDCA (Pitch-Defend-Catch-Adjust)" and "You Gotta Have Wa"]

So now I live in Cambridge, essentially part of Boston, home of the Lean Enterprise Institute. And home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, who just hosted their rivals, the New York Yankees for a three-game series. Amidst all the media coverage was a great quote from new Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has some interesting lean views about batting.

We know that "lean" is all about plan-do-check-act (PDCA). The challenge we all face in our everyday work is to answer the question, How do I do PDCA here, now.

I like to remind folks at every opportunity that PDCA begins with ... "P." So, you can't do PDCA without the P (and the D and the C and the A - the P alone will, of course, get you nowhere). Now, check out this observation from Adrian (forgive me Yankees fans), who has a clear plan for every at-bat:
"... even if it's the dumbest game plan in the world, at least it's a game plan, and I'm going to go to the plate and try it. I'm willing to lose with that game plan. It's a game of failure, and I understand that."

Interesting. His approach is reminiscent of Edison's great observation: "I haven't failed - I've found 10,000 things that don't work."

If baseball (and surely football or soccer is no different) can be seen as a game of failure, could that insight shed useful light on our attitude toward business? If we are focused on learning through each PDCA cycle - win, lose, or draw - then the only real failure is failure to learn. Think of your own sports analogy, but maybe business isn't so different from baseball.

John Shook
Chairman and CEO
Lean Enterprise Institute

P.S. By the way, Adrian's failure rate at batting (at getting a hit) this year is about 65%. So, he fails most of the time. And that's easily the lowest failure rate (and possibly also the highest learning rate) in Major League Baseball. (Read more about his approach in this Boston Globe article by Charles P. Pierce.)

Businesses can use social media like Facebook to improve ROI on their web sites

2011-08-22T14:44:00.001+08:00

Social media is more than just another marketing channel; it has created a shift in user expectations for website experiences. Rather than deserting your brand site for a Facebook Fan Page, the best digital marketing strategies integrate Facebook tools on site - adding a social layer to improve user acquisition, engagement and referral traffic.

Beyond Payments: Next Generation Mobile Banking for the Masses

2011-03-10T08:20:00.001+08:00

2011, Ventura, A., Seck, T., Rung, G. & Singh, P.

Strategic and operational learnings from pilots in emerging markets

The paper explores the power of mobile technology in providing low income consumers with access to a wide range of financial products that go beyond simple mobile payments. It looks at the distribution strategies and second generation mobile microfinance products via pilots in West Africa and South-East Asia. Two distinct innovative models have been explored through the pilots:

The distribution of microfinance through mobile money via existing microfinance banks;
The distribution of microfinance through a virtual microfinance bank, operating as a pure mobile player.

The main conclusions of the report are:

Mobile microfinance can have a significant impact on increasing financial services access for unbanked subscribers by eliminating all the disadvantages of physical bank branches. The benefits of this service are both social and economic;
It is a cost-effective way for banks and MFIs to reach the masses by capitalizing on the widespread penetration of telecom distribution networks. PlaNet Finance and Oliver Wyman also see a new breed of intermediaries emerging that allow partners on both sides to interact smoothly by playing the "interconnection" role, making money on transactions rather than the spread.

Download this document

Corporatization as PPP: Missing a vital opportunity

2011-03-06T14:46:00.000+08:00

BusinessMirror: Corporatization as PPP: Missing a vital opportunity
by ALBERTO C. AGRA & FAYE JOSEPHINE R. MIGUEL-RAÑOLA / FORENSIC SOLUTIONS

CORPORATIZATION is the transformation of a public entity into one that has the structure and attributes of a private corporation, such as a board of directors, officers and shareholders. The objective is for the government to retain ownership of the entity, and at the same time, ensure that goods and/or services are delivered efficiently—a goal sometimes difficult to attain in a government bureaucracy.

Corporatization has been the policy of the People’s Republic of China and was used in New Zealand and in most states of Australia in the reform of their electricity markets. Corporatization was, likewise, used by many other countries and industries like the Dutch water- supply companies. In the United States of America municipalities and counties form local government corporations for purposes of funding transportation, water and sewer infrastructure, economic development ventures, and other projects that will benefit the public. Corporatization has not, however, gained a foothold in the Philippines despite its inherent value as a form of public-private partnership (PPP).

As a background, PPP is currently undertaken under the following frameworks:

Continue Reading

BussinessWorld: Aquino proposes adoption of new microcredit tack

2011-03-06T14:41:00.000+08:00

BusinessWorld Online reports:

THE AQUINO administration wants to reverse the existing state policy on microfinance, saying government agencies should stay away from direct lending to the poor as this could be exploited for political purposes.

"We will work to institutionalize the National Strategy for Microfinance that was formulated in 1998. We will also make sure that microcredit will not be used as a tool for political patronage," President Benigno S. C. Aquino III said in a speech last week.

Asked if this meant drafting a microfinance law, Sec. Ricky A. Carandang of the Presidential Communications and Development Strategic Planning Office said: "We will wait first for the recommendations from the Cabinet."

US got the biggest FDI pie share

2011-01-21T09:27:00.001+08:00

America remained the world's biggest destination for Foreign Direct Investment, attracting 186 $Billion in 2010, 43% up from 2009.

Read

Company Ad expenditures

2011-01-21T09:22:00.000+08:00

Transparency: Which companies spent the most in advertising in 2010? Read

Can Malaysia join the High income country-club?

2011-01-19T21:31:00.000+08:00

East Asia Forum has posted a new item, 'Can Malaysia graduate? '

Author: Hal Hill, ANU

Malaysia is one of the developing world's great success stories. Few countries
outside of East Asia can match its development record. Since its independence
over 53 years ago per capita incomes have risen more than eight-fold, and
absolute poverty has been all but eliminated.

But it currently faces three key, interrelated challenges, some generic to upper
middle income developing countries, others specific to Malaysia itself.

The first, how to graduate to the rich-country club, has been clearly
articulated by the country's Prime Minister, Tun Najib:
We are now at a critical juncture, either to remain trapped in a middle-income
group or advance to a high-income economy. … We now have to shift to a new
economic model based on innovation, creativity and high value added activities.

You may view the latest post at
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/01/19/can-malaysia-graduate/

Sharing knowledge, lifelong learning via Europe's e-Knownet Project

2011-01-04T13:43:00.004+08:00

The e-KNOWNET project will develop an innovative and viable ICT-enabled mechanism for fast and efficient sharing of new scientific knowledge among larger, non-expert segments of society.

The project promotes networking and cooperation in the field of lifelong learning among complementary knowledge-based organizations such as research institutions, universities, science centres and museums, and also between communities linked to formal and non-formal education, practitioners, and as well as experts in learning and communication sciences, technology-enhanced learning, etc.

The network brings together 5 complementary institutions associated with knowledge and learning (e.g. universities, research laboratory, technology provider to academic and school communities, and a science centre), with diverse experience of ICT-mediated learning, aiming to develop new, demand-driven insights and know-how on ICT-enabled science learning in non-formal environments.The network with the use of ICT enables the direct cooperation between knowledge producers (researchers), transformers of this input (educational experts) and its end-users (learning communities).

sources/extracted from:

e-learningeuro: Project main objectives

e-Knownet Official website

DIW Berlin: Does China Have to Revalue Its Currency?

2011-01-04T12:42:00.000+08:00

Reduction of Global Trade Imbalances: Does China Have to Revalue Its Currency?

Download

The Philippine economy in 2010

2011-01-04T08:12:00.000+08:00

East Asia Forum has posted a new item, 'The Philippine economy in 2010: Recent

developments and challenges'

Author: Josef T. Yap, PIDS

After two years of slow growth — owing primarily to the repercussions of the
2008 global financial and economic crisis — the Philippine economy expanded by
7.5 per cent in the first three quarters of 2010. The growth rate in 2010 is
nearly equal to that of 2007 which is not surprising since economic activity in
both years was boosted by election spending. The new administration has
therefore benefited from favourable economic conditions. The challenge is to
sustain the momentum and make economic growth more inclusive and balanced.

In the short-term, the Philippines, like many other emerging market economies,
has to deal with the surge in foreign capital inflows. The peso appreciated by
5.6 per cent in the first 11 months of the year.

You may view the latest post at
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/01/01/the-philippine-economy-in-2010-recent-developments-and-challenges/

After WiFi, here comes MiFi

2010-11-19T22:33:00.000+08:00

MiFi devices, are similar to the wireless routers in many homes except they don't need to be plugged into anything, they are smaller than most smartphones. They connect to a cellular carrier's data network e.g. Smart, Globe, Sun, and can be taken anywhere, and it provides a Wi-Fi signal to computers or iPods nearby.

Soon each family might own one of these gadgets. Why? This can be more economical than subscribing to separate data plans for each cell phone and tablet/netbook you buy. Some families have found this especially effective for staying connected on road trips or in hotels that don't offer free Wi-Fi.

In the US, these products generally cost $50 to $150 (some require a two-year contract) and $35 to $60 per month for the service, depending on the carrier and amount of data you use.

Here in the PH, Globe telecoms via their MyFi (open line) will offer Huawei E5 "Pocket MiFi," reported price is P5,995 see Yugatech for more info

African SMEs start getting loans from China Development Bank

2010-11-12T08:56:00.001+08:00

Ilocos Norte, Philippines ---China Development Bank issued on Thursday its first loan to an African small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME). "To provide financial support for African SMEs is an important part of China-African cooperation," said Zhu. "It will help create local jobs and promote local economic and social development and be of great significance to the overall China-African cooperation. "

Highlights:

200,000 U.S. dollars was lent to Wonder Lighting Egypt, a company which produces various kinds of lamps with a registered capital of 12 million Egyptian pounds (about 2.08 million U.S. dollars).
Zhu Qingdong, chief of the Cairo Office of China Development Bank, said the total of the loans to the company was one million dollars and the rest would all be issued by the end of the year, with a three-year term.
China Development Bank has carried out businesses in this area with more than 20 African countries, according to Zhu. And initial cooperation agreements have been reached with loans of nearly 300 million dollars, he added.
The Cairo Office of China Development Bank was set up on November 10, 2009. It is the first overseas branch of the bank.

Soon mobile phones may become your portable lab to diagnose STDs and other diseases

2010-11-10T13:41:00.000+08:00

Researchers in Europe are developing chips that let mobile phones diagnose STDs like HIV and syphilis
The projects is called “eSTI2″ and is managed by Tariq Sadiq from St George’s University of London, England. It recently received a $6.5 million grant
eSTI2 aims to develop small chips that can be used to used to test saliva, urine or blood for sexually transmitted diseases.
Test results could be available in about 15 minutes
The technology is still in development and could be available in 10 years
Researchers aim to make the tests affordable: about $3 per test, they say
This is not the first concept of an on-the-go medical testing using mobile phones. George Whitesides at Harvard University has created a prototype “lab on a chip” that could be used in the developing world to diagnose HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis and gastroenteritis. See http://gmwgroup.harvard.edu/

Philippines' most friendly towns and cities for entrepreneurs

2010-11-05T09:52:00.000+08:00

The World Bank and International Finance Corporation surveys 21 Philippine cities in 2008, "finding that starting a business was easiest in Taguig and most difficult in San Juan. The study also looks at the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse and finds that the process was most efficient in Makati and least efficient in San Juan and Pasig. Finally, the process of registering property was most efficient in Mandaluyong and least efficient in Quezon City."

Top ten (starting-up a business)

Taguig
Lapu-Lapu
Marikina
Cebu
Mandaluyong
Manduaue
Caloocan
Paranaque
Quezon City
Navotas

For more information:

See the full ranking at http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings/philippines/
Download "Doing Business in the Philippines 2008" report at http://www.doingbusiness.org/~/media/FPDKM/Doing%20Business/Documents/Subnational-Reports/DB08-Sub-Philippines.pdf

You may also want to check the latest global Doing Business Report 2011 and see how the Philippines fared with other economies in Asia and the rest of the world. Visit http://www.lm.luksu.com/2010/11/2011-doing-business-report-ph-ranked.html

2010 Human Development Index: Norway at no.1, Philippines 97th

2010-11-05T09:33:00.000+08:00

The United Nations Development Programme launched on 4 November 2010, the Human Development Report.

Some of the report's highlight:

"The report, now in its 20th year, introduces the new Human Development Index (HDI), a composite measure of progress in education, health and income, complemented by three innovative indices for gender, inequality and multidimensional poverty. These new indicators confirm that progress is possible even without massive resources. Among the "top movers" –countries among the 135 that improved most over the past 40 years – are Ethiopia (#11), Cambodia (#15) and Benin (#18), all of which made big gains in education and public health rather than income."

"Yet patterns of achievement vary greatly, with remarkable differences in how countries mobilize and use public resources to pursue human development. The region with the fastest progress since 1970 is East Asia, led by China and Indonesia. The Arab countries also posted major gains, with 8 of the 20 "top movers". However, many countries from sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union lag behind, due to the impact of AIDS, conflict, economic upheaval and other factors."

"On average, rich countries have grown faster than poor ones over the past 40 years.

"The divide between developed and developing countries persists: a small subset of countries has remained at the top of the world income distribution and only a handful of countries that started out poor have joined that high income group," the report concluded."

Explore the report at http://hdr.undp.org/en/

John's Four Rules in starting up a business...

2010-10-23T16:10:00.000+08:00

Answering one of the questions in an interview by a major broadsheet, John L. Gokongwei Jr. shared his thoughts about entrepreneurship:

SCB: They say entrepreneurs can be categorized into three — head, heart, or guts. What kind of an entrepreneur are you?

JG: No, you cannot work on gut feel alone. I read three hours every night, on every subject. You have to know what’s going on, you have to analyze. It’s not just about gut feel. Everybody has gut feel, but some are successful, most are not. You have to learn about the area you’re going into, what it’s all about.

There are four rules that I always follow.

First, is there a market for it. Second, you have to have resources to back it up. Third, you have the manpower and infrastructure.

But most important, you have to have the stomach for it. Can you sleep at night, can you work 12 hours a day? Because there are hundreds of millions of people doing the same thing, some are successful, some are not.

You cannot depend on luck. This is hard work, diligence, feasibility studies… but the most important thing is you go into the right business at the right time. For instance, the fax machine. It’s useless now. You have e-mail now and it’s free, so the fax machine is gone and you still insist on getting into the fax machine business. What is important is going into a business that has growth, and where you can compete.

Source:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/262672/mr-john

Share more, increase your happiness, make your team happy and successful

2010-10-22T23:16:00.001+08:00

Give More, Be Happier, Increase Team Performance

Posted by nwhittemore on Oct 22, 2010 in Giving, Networking, Teams

I have a mantra that the secret to successful networking is to give way more. New research by psychologist Elizabeth Dunn suggests that deploying resources for others not only makes people happier, but can even make teams perform better.

Dunn got interested in the relationship between money and happiness when she moved from the chain gang wages of graduate student life to the comparatively luxurious salary of a professor. Particularly, she wanted to know how people could maximize their happiness with the resources they had.

The first study she conducted to figure this out was giving people on her University of British Columbia campus $5 or $20 and instructing them to either spend it on themselves or on others. When her research team called the participants back that night, the people who had spent money on others reported significantly more happiness.

Her next step was to figure out whether this was a phenomenon restricted to the cultural context of excess wealth that exists in North America. Working with collaborators in Uganda, she ran simultaneous studies where she asked people to remember times that they had spent the equivalent of $20 on themselves or others. Even though the actual purchases were extremely different, in both countries, the experience of buying things for others was associated with significantly more happiness.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. Dunn wanted to know whether this phenomenon of giving would hold across teams, and if it did, whether the impact of that happiness would translate to increased team performance.

To figure this out, she gave teams of pharmacy sales people and a dodgeball team money to spend on other members of their teams. In both cases, the act of giving to other members of the team increased performance: the sales teams sold more and the dodgeball team won more.

Think about this. These studies suggest that integrating active giving into your life and team will not only make you happier but more successful. My bet is that this link between giving, happiness, and performance is even stronger when the giving is social capital resources that significantly advance people’s careers or projects.

We know these things. It’s time to structure our teams and organizations around them.

Source: blog.assetmap.com

http://blog.assetmap.com/2010/10/networking/give-more-be-happier-increase-team-performance/

Tips on What To Do About the Current Economic Situation

2010-08-12T13:29:00.001+08:00

The following tips came from a Sr. Analyst report researching current trends:

Keep overhead low - aggressively pursue sales.

Be patient - at least another year to go.

Growth will come from stealing market share, rather than waiting for good times to roll in.

Define your competitive advantage clearly. How are you better or less expensive or more valuable? How long have employees or clients been with you? What level of training is the norm? How long to respond to a service call? How good is your customer service?

COLLECTIVE BRAINPOWER

2010-07-21T09:45:00.001+08:00

Using new technologies to amplify human intelligence

Can collective intelligence save the planet? "It's the only hope we have," says Prof. Thomas Malone, adding that "no one really knows whether we'll succeed."

Malone — who is "basically an optimist" and believes that in the end, we will probably make choices that will, in fact, save the Earth — is the Patrick J. McGovern Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and is director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence.

He launched the Center in 2006 in part to learn how to harness the collective intelligence of the planet to help solve the world's biggest problems — climate change, poverty, terrorism, healthcare, or crime — problems too big to be solved by any one expert or group. While, he says, groups like countries, companies, armies, and families have used various forms of collective intelligence for centuries to solve problems, the goal of the Center is to combine pooled human brainpower with new information technologies "to solve problems in ways that would never have been thinkable before."

Google, Wikipedia, Linux, and YouTube already are using pooled brainpower to bring forth new solutions, he says. Consider Google. Millions create websites linked to each other; the information is harvested by Google algorithms, so when you type in a question, the answers are amazingly intelligent. Or take Wikipedia, where thousands across the globe create a huge, high-quality intellectual project with almost no centralized control. To best use these systems, he says, we need to better understand them. That's a main goal of the Center, where the big question is: How can people and computers be connected so that collectively they act more intelligently than any person, group, or computer has ever done before?

One of their main projects is the Climate Collaboratorium, which harnesses the collective intelligence of thousands across the world to develop plans for what we can do about global climate change. Most recently, more than 2,000 users have visited the site, with 350 registered users, who have contributed 22 finalized plans with another 35 in progress. Users of the site include: the general public; world-class experts; moderators, who help organize and manage the input; and national and international policymakers.

Malone says: "We believe that for this site to realize its potential it should have at least thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people involved. Of course, we don't know if this will happen, but we think it's an experiment worth doing."

HOW IT WORKS

The site has online tools to help people collaborate effectively — computer simulations to predict the likely impacts of actions included in a specific plan; a tool to allow people to debate the pros and cons of those plans; and collective decision-making tools to help people find the most promising methods. The system allows people to vote and to rate each other's contributions, a good way to filter out unhelpful suggestions, Malone says.

In another project, the Center is measuring collective intelligence of groups using statistical approaches, much like those used to measure IQ in people. In addition, it is mapping the "genomes of collective intelligence," that innovative organizations use to harness the intelligence of crowds; and it also is working on collective predictions, which could signal the actions of a business competitor, or perhaps, a military enemy.

Malone was raised on an 800-acre farm near Roswell, New Mexico, a town made famous after the alleged recovery of extraterrestrial debris from an unidentified object that crashed there in 1947. ("The funny thing is," he says, "when I was growing up, nobody ever talked about it.")

In 2004, he wrote the popular book, The Future of Work: How the New Order of Business Will Shape Your Organization, Your Management Style, and Your Life. He has published more than 75 articles, research papers, and book chapters. Co-editor of three books, he is also an inventor with 11 patents. He cofounded three software companies and lectures around the world. In some ways, he says, the work he's doing now may be the most important work of his life.

WISE CHOICES

"The physical world and the worlds of human thought and communication have always interpenetrated each other," he says. "When members of a hunting tribe sat around a fire telling stories, or people read literature reproduced on printing presses, or talked to each other through telegraphs and telephones, they were in a kind of cyberspace. Now, the only real novelty is that we have electronic technology to greatly amplify the cyberworld," he says, adding that we'll see much more of it in the future.

But for what purpose?

"Well, in some sense, that's the most important question of all," he says. "In the next few decades, we will be making choices that will profoundly affect many future generations." Perhaps, he says, even our survival as a species will depend on how well we're able to make choices that are not just smart, but also wise.

"If we want to make wise choices, we need to think more deeply about the world we want to create. And those answers can't be found by logic or politics or economics," he says. "Ultimately, they can only be found by looking within ourselves."

To participate in the Climate Collaboratorium, visithttp://www.climatecollaboratorium.org

by Liz Karagianis

=====
Source: MIT Spectrum, http://spectrum.mit.edu/issue/2010-summer/collective-brainpower/?utm_campaign=email10su&tr=y&auid=6425928

South Koreans most prolific amongst Asian online buyers

2010-07-13T16:37:00.001+08:00

According to Nielsen's research:

35 percent of consumers in Asia used over 11 percent of their monthly spending to make online purchases, compared to a global average of 27 percent of consumers.

South Koreans were the heaviest online buyers in Asia, with 59 percent directing more than 11 percent of their monthly spending to online purchases. China came in second with 41 percent

31 percent of Asian consumers use between six and 10 percent of their monthly shopping spend to buy items online.

Asia-Pacific consumers also intend to buy online in the next six months than those from other regions, with South Koreans and Chinese the most likely to make such purchases.

Among the purchases consumers in the region are likely to make in the next six months are books, clothing, accessories and shoes, airline tickets, electronic equipment and hotel reservations.

Trend shows a significant Korean population buys essentials such as groceries, cosmetics and nutrition supplies over the Internet."

Opinions (reviews) posted online were important in customers' decisions to buy products such as electronics, cosmetics, cars, software and food.

Asia-Pacific consumers were also the most likely to share dissatisfaction at a product on the Internet compared with consumers elsewhere.

Facebook and Twitter or blogging sites had become powerful tools influencing what people buy and urged businesses to embrace the trend.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) at a glance

2010-07-13T14:05:00.000+08:00

the country has about over 800,000, 25% in the NCR
23 percent of SME failure is attributed to poor management.
SME segment accounts for 97 percent of registered businesses in the country
over 30 percent of national sales and business revenues come from this segment.
60 percent employed by SME

FACEBOOK ties-up with Asian company to sell game credits

2010-07-13T14:03:00.000+08:00

MOL AccessPortal, a Malaysian firm signed a deal with Facebook to sell virtual currency for online games and services to be sold at retail shops (e.g. 7-Eleven, cybercafes) across the Asia-Pacific region.
This will allow Facebook users to buy giifts and virtual currency in many games and applications found on Facebook.

Filipino PC users preferring LED monitors

2010-07-13T14:02:00.002+08:00

Filipino computer users are expected to shift to light emitting diode (LED) technology according to Phoebe Barrameda, product manager at local distributor Glee Electronics Inc.

Barrameda said that by next year, they expect around 80 percent of Filipino users to shift to LED from liquid crystal display (LCD) and cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors.

Present industry price difference between LCD and LED monitors is between P400 and P800.

Many environmentalists prefer LED technology because of its impact in terms of reduced power consumption. LED monitors consume 50 percent less power. Those using CRT monitors therefore can enjoy as much as 80-percent savings in power consumption once they shift to LED.

Eastern Communications join the SME segment bandwagon

2010-07-13T13:27:00.001+08:00

This company in just one of the recent entrants in this fast-growing sector.
Eastern is offering its SuccessSME which is a web hosted Customer Relationship Management tool. It is Eastern's take on the growing cloud computing services.

It partnered with EStorm Technologies Pte. Ltd. of Singapore for the development of the SuccessSME package that includes: project management, inventory management, sales force automation, and document management solutions.

According to a company official, they are targeting about 5,000 SMEs in the National Capital Region this year. Eastern will charge P500 per computer according to Edwin Domiingo, head of marketing and business development.

Advertising surges in Asia-Pacific region

2010-07-13T13:26:00.000+08:00

Advertising in the Asia-Pacific region surged by almost 20 percent in the first quarter of 2010 according to research firm, Nielsen.

Media advertising activity accross 12 countries in the region grew by 18 percent as a result of strong economic performances and rapidly improving consumer confidence.

Job Alert Notice, 8 July 2010

2010-07-08T15:32:00.001+08:00

Measuring Social Media Impact: Bit.ly vs. Google Analytics

2010-07-07T10:21:00.001+08:00

publisher note: following is an excerpt from techpresident.com

If you are using social media to raise awareness about your campaign or organization, you are likely to be sharing links there back to your website. Measuring the impact of this effort, no doubt, is high on your list of priorities. While click-throughs to your website is by no means the most important measure of success for your social media program--that honor goes to engaging your audience on social media--it is still important to drive some of your audience home.

read more at techpresident.com

Possibility of Free trade between Taiwan and countries in Asia explored

2010-07-02T16:15:00.000+08:00

TAIPEI -- Taiwan is now looking on Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand -- the island’s major trading partners in Southeast Asia, the Economic Daily News said. "The government hopes to sign at least the first free trade agreement with these countries before the end of 2012," it quoted an unnamed source as saying, adding that it was also eyeing deals with Japan and the Philippines.

Another reason to embrace social media as a business tool

2010-07-01T10:37:00.001+08:00

Based on the findings gathered from a social media research report by Nielsen's, online product reviews are the third most trusted source of information when consumers decide whether to purchase a product, coming after recommendations from friends and family.

Some key findings are:

three in four people worldwide who use the Internet have visited a social networking or blog
they spend an average of almost six hours a month
Facebook, Wikipedia, Youtube are social media sites belonging to top seven (7) global online brands in the Asia-Pacific.

"Social media is having a larger and larger influence on purchasing decisions," said Charles Buchwalter, chairman and chief executive of Nielsen Online Japan.

-- Geraldo Manalo

The Art of Risk Taking

2010-06-30T17:12:00.002+08:00

Crisis comes and goes in the life of a business, learn the story of Ramon Castillo founder and owner of Innovatronix Inc. in one of his business' difficult times, as written and told by a capacity building advocate Geraldo Manalo through Entrepreneur magazine. Read Full Story

Metro Manila Low-cost for Expatriates

2010-06-30T16:33:00.001+08:00

Other news source:

METRO MANILA remains among the cheapest cities in the world for expatriate workers, the latest "Cost of Living Survey" by consultancy firm Mercer showed.

Read here

Economies of South East Asia: Solid

2010-06-30T16:22:00.001+08:00

The Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and the other countries in Southeast Asia recovered swiftly from the global financial crisis that started in 2008, helped by large monetary and fiscal stimulus packages quickly adopted by governments to support domestic demand. Strong economic growth data surprised analysts in the first quarter,...

Read the Full Story

EU Gives 4M Euros

2010-06-27T11:12:00.000+08:00

The European Union has allocated 4 million euros (about P227 million) more for victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng which devastated Manila and Central and Northern Luzon in September and October last year, said the EU delegation.

This brings to 13 million euros (about P737 million) the total assistance provided by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Office (Echo). If the humanitarian assistance of EU member-states were counted, the total EU humanitarian assistance would total 23.5 million euros (about P1.33 billion).

As with the EC's previous humanitarian grants, the new funding will enable a number of implementing partners (international organizations and NGOs) to provide vital assistance such as material for transitional shelters and housing repairs, improvements to water and sanitation facilities, food and cash for work programs, and basic agricultural inputs. It is estimated that up to 100,000 people will benefit from these actions.

Jobs Bulletin - June 18, 2010

2010-06-19T09:55:00.002+08:00

East Asia and Pacific

Senior Operations Officer, East Asia
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Posted: 18 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 22 Jun 2010

Europe and Central Asia

Senior Consultants - Financial Sector Development, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia
Ayani
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 16 Jul 2010
SME Finance Experts, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan
Ayani
Posted: 17 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 15 Jul 2010

Latin America and the Caribbean

Regional Research Intern, Nicaragua
FINCA International
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 3 Aug 2010
Senior Operations Officer - Access to Finance, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Dominican Republic
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Posted: 18 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 29 Jun 2010

North America

Consultant - Finance & Accounting, United States
CHF International
Posted: 12 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 11 Jul 2010

Consultant for Microfinance Subsidiaries, United States
CHF International
Posted: 12 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 11 Jul 2010
Direct Marketing Intern, United States
FINCA International
Posted: 16 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 3 Aug 2010
Director - Credit Products & Services, United States
Women's World Banking
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 15 Jul 2010
Economic Development Specialist, Canada
Plan International Canada Inc.
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 30 Jun 2010
Executive Initiatives Intern, United States
FINCA International
Posted: 17 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 3 Aug 2010
Internal Auditor - Part Time, United States
CHF International
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 11 Jul 2010
System Administrator - Mifos, United States
Grameen Foundation
Posted: 15 Jun 2010 Closing Date: 8 Jul 2010

CodeSpark Program 2010: Innovating for the Connected Filipino

2010-06-17T09:48:00.001+08:00

From: GT GLOBE LABS

Hello!

We want to challenge you for another mobile development event this 2010. Together with Forum Nokia and Nokia Philippines, we are inviting you to join our CodeSpark program.

CodeSpark is calling Filipino developers to build new and innovative applications targeted at the Philippine market. This program is in search for the next killer app implemented on Nokia devices that will be published on the Nokia Ovi Store and on myGlobe.

Winning teams will get P 25,000 cash and brand new Nokia smartphones.

For more information visit the Globe Labs CodeSpark page.

Join now

Fwd: CodeSpark Program 2010: Innovating for the Connected Filipino

2010-06-17T09:44:00.000+08:00

Hello!

We want to challenge you for another mobile development event this 2010. Together with Forum Nokia and Nokia Philippines, we are inviting you to join our CodeSpark program.

Winning teams will get P 25,000 cash and brand new Nokia smartphones.

For more information visit the Globe Labs CodeSpark page.

Join now or help spread the work by visiting the CodeSpark page on Facebook.

-Globe Labs

OFW remittances top $5.9 billion as of April

2010-06-17T09:40:00.000+08:00

MONEY SENT HOME by Filipino expatriates grew in April, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) yesterday said.

The central bank, in a statement, said overseas Filipino worker (OFW) remittances hit $1.5 billion for the month, up 5.4% from a year earlier. This brought the tally for the first four months of 2010 to $5.9 billion, up 6.6% year-on-year.

April's 5.4% growth, however, was the slowest so far for the year from January's 8.5%, 7.1% in February, and 5.6% in March. The 6.6% cumulative growth was likewise down from the 7.8% notched for the first two months and the first quarter's 7%.

The BSP expects 2010 remittances to grow by 8% from last year's $17.348 billion.

"Notwithstanding concerns over sovereign debt problems in some European countries, remittances from overseas Filipinos continued to show strength amidst the gradual recovery of the global economy," the central bank said.

It said the growth was driven by continued overseas demand for Filipino workers as well as the increased accessibility of financial services.

"Remittance flows were propped up by the steady demand for Filipino workers abroad, specifically professional and skilled workers, as well as the expanded access of overseas Filipino and their beneficiaries to an increasing range of financial products and services offered by banks and other financial institutions," the BSP said.

New freeport in Marivles, Bataan

2010-06-15T09:56:00.000+08:00

The province of Bataan will have its first freeport zone in Mariveles. Read more

All-New ENEPO EU9iGB Generator, Powered by Home-use Butane Gas Canisters, to be Introduced in Japan

2010-06-12T13:09:00.001+08:00

Scheduled to go on sale at Honda dealers throughout Japan this May, the ENEPO EU9iGB is pretty compact as far as generators go. It's powered by common butane canisters, which makes for safe and easy storage in contrast with gasoline-fueled alternatives. A fold-down handle makes transport dead simple, as the design is reminiscent of carry-on luggage with two wheels at the base.

The ENEPO can handle devices that use 900 W or less such as computers, cooking equipment, or blow dryers. No word on the cost just yet, but Honda's website says that the generator is "reasonably priced".

Source: Honda

2010 MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY PRIZE AWARD CEREMONY - WATCH THE VIDEO!

2010-06-12T11:00:00.002+08:00

The Side Effects of Open Innovation

2010-06-11T10:58:00.000+08:00

More and more executives are experimenting with open innovation initiatives. Stefan Lindegaard outlines some potential knock-on effects—both good and bad

By Stefan Lindegaard

Open is a new paradigm shift that has been steadily gaining attention from executives in the past few years. Successfully adopted by companies such as Procter & Gamble (PG), General Mills (GIS), and Intuit (INTU), open innovation is about bridging internal and external resources and executing on the innovation opportunities that arise from this combination.

Open innovation will not only lead to new ways of making innovation happen; there will also be side effects. As an open innovation advocate, I think most of these effects will be positive. But it's also reasonable to expect that some will be mixed or perhaps even negative. Here, then, is a handy checklist of some of the possible ramifications from adopting and executing open innovation.

• Open innovation is about managing change. While some executives are open to change, most seem to prefer to keep things just as they are. A risk of disturbing the status quo is inherent in the open innovation process—and should be recast as opportunity. The winners will be the companies and executives that are best at handling this.

• As a company matures, executives often end up focusing more on internal needs than on those of the market. Before long, that focus can turn a corporation into its own worst enemy. Innovating with partners can remind corporate leaders to keep their eye on funneling resources toward serving real commercial needs. This mindset can be helpful way beyond the innovation process.

• Beyond the benefit of ensuring that companies remain focused on the marketplace, working with external partners means executives become familiar with other ways of getting things done. Open innovation also allows corporate leaders to evaluate their practices in light of other real-world examples. Then they can gauge whether (and how) to adjust their processes or perhaps even develop entirely new ways of doing things.

• Increased focus on customers can be harnessed through open innovation and can lead to better relationships with them. Sure, there are dangers in listening too closely to existing consumers, who might just ask for an improvement to an existing product or service rather than imagining a new way of doing something. But closer ties to brand evangelists can change the role of sales and marketing units. Those groups need to be involved with innovation initiatives, too, so this is a healthy side effect.

• When corporate executives accept that experimentation and a fair amount of failure are an important part of innovation, they will begin to understand that it delivers best when different business functions—and external partners—come together. Then they can develop products, services, solutions, and processes that meet the needs of users and customers. Tools and solutions such as LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, and other social media tools can be useful here.

• The increased number of stakeholders afforded through open innovation provides new ways for people to be creative. It also, of course, increases the level of complexity in place throughout an organization. Figuring out a way to relinquish top-down control while maintaining efficiency within an organization is a key challenge for those looking to embrace open innovation.

• As open innovation becomes more prevalent, the functional, divisional, or matrix organizational structures we know today will change. Perhaps they might even break down altogether. What will replace them is unclear, but new systems will be a clear side effect of these types of initiatives.

• New relationships built with the multiple stakeholders of the open innovation process are complex. Executives need to be sure to develop an overarching strategy that can be clearly articulated to all employees and participants. Everyone needs to understand what is expected from them, or frustration will bubble up. Prolonged periods of frustration can hamper organizational effectiveness and even result in the flight of smart and creative people.

The key to managing open innovation initiatives successfully is to be flexible enough to deal with issues as they arise. Have you experienced other side effects? How did you or management deal with them? Do post in the comments and let me know.

Stefan Lindegaard is a Copenhagen-based speaker, network facilitator, and adviser on open innovation and intrapreneurship. He is the author of the book, The Open Innovation Revolution.

Source:
http://www.businessweek.com/print/innovate/content/jun2010/id2010063_908184.htm

Cloud Computing: Philippine small-medium companies and businesses take notice

2010-06-03T10:08:00.000+08:00

When typhoon Ondoy passed over 2Win Group's multimillion-peso data center in Quezon City in 2009, Allan Menepe, the company's chief information officer, breathed a sigh of relief. His company manages the staffing for more than 145 firms across the Philippines, and if the center had gone down it could have hampered the operations of those firms. "It was a high risk to our organization," says Menepe.

Menepe realized he had to typhoon-proof his company's technology. His budget was limited, though. So he turned to an evolving technology known as "cloud computing," where companies can get software and services with relatively little up-front investment. With such an approach, service providers such as Google Apps and others do all the heavy lifting. They maintain the servers in their own data centers, fix any problems that might occur, manage disaster recovery planning, and continually upgrade the software. Customers like Manepe typically pay by the month and by the user, so they don't need to spend lots of cash to get started. Employees have access to the software through the Internet.

While many large companies have been hesitant to use the new services, small and medium-size businesses are flocking to them. In the US, about 31% of medium-size companies (defined as those with 100 to 999 employees) currently use these software services, double the uptake in 2004, according to a March 2008 report from consulting firm Access Markets International Partners (AMI-Partners). That popularity stems from a need for IT solutions that are easy to use and maintain by companies that have limited infrastructure and budgets.

Create Your Own Applications

Aside from software services, small and medium-size companies now have a range of other options, including platform services and hardware services. Manepe is also creating its own custom applications using another service from Salesforce.com, called Force.com. This service lets developers rapidly create their own business applications over the Internet without the hassle of dealing with hardware or software and is known as "platform as a service." It essentially provides a plug-in architecture so companies can build custom software, with many of the underlying building blocks already in place. That's different from infrastructure services such as Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), which may give you server capacity but few of the other tools you need to get up and running.

"The trade-off is that the platform service is much more built out, so you lose some flexibility," says Aldo Manalo, Program Director of Luksu Enterprise, which provides management tools and consulting to small-medium companies that want to develop applications on the cloud.

Photo-video and imaging service provider PicSols decided to use Google Docs (part of Goodle Apps) service, designed for small-medium enterprises who want easy access to storage over the Internet. When PicSols started using the service, its storage costs were cut nearly in half. The company could have built out the storage itself, but it would have taken an engineer about a year. "Our differentiator is our evolving marketing strategy and services; it's not storing data on generic disks," one company official says.

Micro-entrepreneurs said to lack perseverance

2010-05-27T13:13:00.000+08:00

MICRO-ENTREPRENEURS may have been proliferating, but most of their ventures are sustained for just up to three to five years, an expert said during the launch yesterday of telecommunication solutions for this business segment.
"We need more entrepreneurs who, aside from being risk-takers, are also those who would try again even they failed the first time of putting up a small-scale business. Most of our Filipino entrepreneurs today are not like that," Nestor O. Rañeses, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries, told reporters at the sidelines of the launch of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s "KaAsenso" program for micro-businesses.

Mr. Rañeses cited barriers to an entrepreneur’s success such as lack of long-term vision, lack of skill in the chosen business and lack of financial resources. "They tend to close their businesses because of demands to focus on nurturing their family and lack of enough gains to continue the business," he said, noting that 91% of the country’s businesses are small-scale enterprises and that half of these are either owned or managed by women. -- AMPD
--------------------
Original Source; Story Location: http://bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=11603

e-Governance in the Philippines

2010-05-21T10:52:00.003+08:00

For those in the lookout for reference about e-governance in the Philippines you may want to check these materials:

e-Government in the Philippines-benchmarking against the global best.

e-government implementation in the Philippines - e-governance center

UN: E-government activities in the Philippines

Philippines: e-government policy, law, and regulation survey

CICT-NCC e-government in the Philippines

Philippines: Status of eGovernment projects

GIS and Egovernance initiatives of four Philippine Cities

Challenges to participation and security in e-governance

Also check out this internet site by Nokia-Siemens, lots of interesting read (e.g. next internet billion)
http://unite.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/nextbillion

If there are problems with the above links you may go to these alternative links

e-government in the philippines-benchmarking against the global best.
http://www.aijc.com.ph/pccf/observatory/pfd%20files/papers%20&%20Publications/egovernance/Benchmarking%20Against%20Global%20Best%20Practices.pdf

e-government implementation in the philippines - e-governance center
http://egov-coe.ncc.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=1

UN: E-government activities in the Philippines
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN017964.pdf

Philippines: e-government policy, law, and regulation survey
http://egov.sonasi.com/repository/philippines-e-government-policy-law-and-regulation-survey-report/view

CICT-NCC egOVERNMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES
http://www.dti.gov.ph/uploads/DownloadableForms/Pages%20from%20%5B4%5D%20CICT-NCC-E-Government%20in%20the%20Philippines%20-A-.pdf

Status of eGovernment projects
http://www.cicc.or.jp/japanese/kunibetsu/pdf_ppt/Philippines-E-Government_Implementation_in_the_Philippines_Rev10.pdf

GIS and Egovernance initiatives of four Philippine Cities
http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/miscellaneous/ma06_172abs.htm

Challenges to participation and security in the egovernance
http://www.apdip.net/projects/e-government/capblg/casestudies/Philippines-Alampay.pdf

Also check out this internet fot the next bilion
http://unite.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/nextbillion

Knowledge Management (KM) Frameworks

2010-05-05T01:06:00.000+08:00

For those interested in knowing more about or planning to implement a KM system, here are some documents you may want to read. Just check out the titles and corresponding links:

A Framework for Characterizing
Knowledge Management
Methods, Practices, and Technologies
Brian (Bo) Newman
Kurt W. Conrad

http://www.mediafire.com/?1230nz1znfg

====

A Framework for
Knowledge Management
in order to gain competitive advantage
J Andrew Kok

====

Siemens KM Implementation Guide
http://www.mediafire.com/?nd5bt00zyzn
====

Knowledge Management in ADB
http://www.mediafire.com/?0y2zjfqrdz1
====

Monitoring and Evaluation in Knowledge Management
for Development, July 2009; Serafin D. Talisayon

http://www.mediafire.com/?okmogy2nimy

====

Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge
Management Framework
United Nations Trust Fund

http://www.mediafire.com/?inzktaunmtt

Today's quote: "Innovation is not a one-time job—innovation is a journey."

2010-04-23T10:45:00.000+08:00

says Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer of HTC the firm that built the first phone powered by Google's Android operating system, for T-Mobile, in 2008. It followed up with the Nexus One for Google, which was launched in January this year.

Bizmen unfolds eco-friendly innovations

2010-04-19T10:40:00.000+08:00

The business sector will once again convene this June to celebrate the annual festivity of the Cebu Business Month (CBM), an institutionalized celebration of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) that banners the theme, "Get Inspired! Go Green!"

CBM will stage activities on entrepreneurship that inspire would be entrepreneurs, students and the business community in general to be eco-friendly. Such activities will also instill in them the value of taking care of the community by engaging in green businesses. This group of people are aptly called Green Entrepreneurs.

To honor the Green Entrepreneurs is the so-called "Green Trails of Success" �“ an exhibit gallery of thirty eco-friendly businesses showcasing not just their products but most importantly the people behind them. Exhibitors will be selected based on the merits they have earned by engaging in green businesses. Selection will be based on the five categories identified namely: Green Manufacture, Green Architecture, Green Energy, Green Retail and Green Organic Products.

If you are interested to showcase your identity as a Green Entrepreneur, then this invitation is for you. Be a model Eco-Friendly Entrepreneur! Be an inspiration! Be a green trailblazer of success!

To join, please contact CBM Secretariat with telephone numbers (032) 232-1421 to 24 loc. 109 or fax numbers 412-9461/2321422 or email to sbbensi@cebu-chamber.com and look for Sheena.

Gov’t action needed to spur firms’ use of regional trade agreements

2010-02-19T12:27:00.002+08:00

THE GOVERNMENT should streamline export certification processes to dramatically boost Philippine firms’ use of regional trade agreements, experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

This will help firms cope with the downturn and catch up with counterparts in neighboring economies that are taking more advantage of Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Area (AFTA) mechanisms, they added at a presentation of a study yesterday.

"The AFTA usage rate in the Philippines is 20%," Ganeshan Wignaraja, the ADB’s principal economist at its Office of Regional Economic Integration, said at the sidelines of the event, reiterating earlier reported results of a study he coauthored with ADB consultants Dorothea C. Lazaro and Genevieve DeGuzman.

The team surveyed 155 firms from the food, electronics and automotive industries in 2008.

"In Thailand, it is around 27% while in Malaysia it is 25-26%," Mr. Wignaraja told BusinessWorld, citing results from similar studies.

The presence of larger firms and a more diversified export sector in other ASEAN countries could explain their higher usage rates but government support could likewise be responsible, Mr. Wignaraja said.

"From our findings, a more pro-active approach to free trade agreements makes more sense for the Philippines," he said at the forum.

The government should make it easier for exporters to obtain the needed certificates aside from tackling firms’ lack of awareness of the regional pact, Mr. Wignaraja said.

The country should also consider negotiating for a reduction in the value content requirement -- a measure of how much of product components are locally made -- to 30% from 40%.

Systems that will allow self- or third-party certification should also be implemented instead of having the Bureau of Customs being the sole authority.

Local firms surveyed -- the portion that did not use the trade pact -- said they would more likely take advantage of the deal and thus increase the overall utilization rate to 54.2% from the 20% measured in 2008, the ADB study had found.

Source:
Jessica Anne D. Hermosa, Business World

Isenberg Entrepreur Test: Should You Be An Entrepreneur?

2010-02-19T09:46:00.004+08:00

by Daniel Isenberg
Some of your friends are doing it. People who do it are in the front pages and web almost every day. Even President Obama is talking about it. So should you do it? Should you join the millions of people every year who take the plunge and start their first ventures? I've learned in my own years as an entrepreneur — and now an entrepreneurship professor — that there is a gut level "fit" for people who are potential entrepreneurs. There are strong internal drivers that compel people to create their own business.

I've developed a 2–minute Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, below, to help you find out. Just answer yes or no. Be honest with yourself — remember from my last post: the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

   1. I don't like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
   2. I like challenging myself.
   3. I like to win.
   4. I like being my own boss.
   5. I always look for new and better ways to do things.
   6. I like to question conventional wisdom.
   7. I like to get people together in order to get things done.
   8. People get excited by my ideas.
   9. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.
10. I can't sit still.
11. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.
12. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else's.
13. Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.
14. I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks.
15. Members of my family run their own businesses.
16. I have friends who run their own businesses.
17. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.
18. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.
19. I am exhilarated by achieving results.
20. I could have written a better test than Isenberg (and here is what I would change ....)

If you answered "yes" on 17 or more of these questions, look at your paycheck (if you are lucky enough to still get one). If the company that issued the check isn't owned by you, it is time for some soul searching: Do you have debts to pay? Kids in college? Alimony? Want to take it easy? Maybe better to wait. Do you have a little extra cash in the bank and several credit cards? Do you have a spouse, partner, friends, or kids who will cheer you on? If so, start thinking about what kind of business you want to set up. It doesn't matter what age you are: research by the Kauffman Foundation shows that more and more over–50s are setting up their own businesses. Talk to people who have made the plunge, learn how to plan and deliver a product or service, think about that small business you might buy, talk to people with whom you would like to work, and talk to customers.

"I like to take risks" is not on the list. People don't choose to be entrepreneurs by opting for a riskier lifestyle. What they do, instead, is reframe the salary vs. entrepreneur choice as between two different sets of risk: the things they don't like about having a steady job — such as the risk of boredom, working for a bad boss, lack of autonomy, lack of control over your fate, and getting laid off — and the things they fear about being an entrepreneur — possible failure, financial uncertainty, shame or embarrassment, and lost investment. In the end, people who are meant to be entrepreneurs believe that their own abilities (e.g. leadership, resourcefulness, pluck, hard work) or assets (e.g. money, intellectual property, information, access to customers) significantly mitigate the risks of entrepreneurship. Risk is ultimately a personal assessment: what is risky for me is not risky for you.

"I want to get rich" is not on the list either. All else being equal (and all else is rarely equal in the real world), on the average, people who set up their own businesses don't make more money, although a few do succeed in grabbing the brass ring. But the "psychic benefits" — the challenge, autonomy, recognition, excitement, and creativity — make it all worthwhile.

Daniel Isenberg is a Professor of Management Practice, Babson College

Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/02/should_you_be_an_entrepreneur.html, 3:10 PM Friday February 12, 2010

RP among ‘over performers’ in WB trade logistics survey

2010-01-16T16:08:00.000+08:00

ANGELES, Pampanga – The Philippines ranks 44th among countries considered to be “over performers” by a new World Bank logistics survey that measures how efficiently countries trade their goods around the world.

Germany emerged on top and Singapore second while Sweden was adjudged the next most trade-friendly nation in the study hailed by the Washington-based institution as "the most comprehensive world survey of international freight forwarders and express carriers."

Aside from the Philippines, other most significant "over-performers" among developing countries are China, which emerged 27th in ranking, India (47), Uganda (66), Vietnam (53), Thailand (35), and South Africa (28).

Renewal of business registration with local gov’ts and the BIR

2010-01-06T16:22:00.003+08:00

[Pubsliher's Note: following article was first posted in and copied from the Inquirer.Net, Let’s Talk Tax -- By Roy N. Relato]

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone is safe and well after the customary revelries to welcome the year 2010 -- the year of the Tiger.

At the start of the New Year, business establishments are tasked to comply with one of the statutory requirements -- the renewal of business registration with the local government units (LGUs).

As a general rule, all local taxes, fees and charges shall be paid within Jan. 20, or within the first 20 days of each subsequent quarter, as the case may be (Section 167, Local Government Code or LGC).

These include business tax, mayor’s permit fee, sanitary inspection fee, garbage fee, building inspection fee, electrical inspection fee, mechanical inspection fee, plumbing inspection fee, fire inspection fee, personnel fee, business plate registration fee and other charges imposed by the different LGUs.
Local business tax is imposed on the amount of gross sales or receipts of the business establishment for the preceding year using the rates of taxes provided under Section 143 of the LGC for each type of business.

"Gross Sales or Receipts" include the total amount of money or its equivalent representing the contract price, compensation or service fee, including the amount charged or materials supplied with the services and deposits or advance payments actually or constructively received during the taxable quarter for the services performed or to be performed for another person excluding discounts, if determinable at the time of sales, sales return, excise tax and VAT (Section 131(n), LGC).

For purposes of computing local business tax, business establishments are required to submit a Declaration/Certification of Gross Sales/Receipts, Income Tax Returns (ITRs) and Financial Statements (FS) for the preceding calendar year.

Failure to pay local business tax, fees and other charges within the prescribed deadline will result in the imposition of 25% surcharge of the amount of taxes fees or charges not paid on time and 2% interest per month of the unpaid taxes, fees or charges, including surcharges, but the total amount of interest shall not exceed 36 months.

Furthermore, business establishments will not be allowed to operate within the territory of the LGU if they fail to renew their business permit and license.

In addition to the renewal of business registration with LGUs, every separate or distinct establishment or place of business, including facility types where sales transactions occur, is also required to pay an annual Registration Fee of P500 on or before Jan. 31 with an authorized agent bank of the Revenue District Office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that has jurisdiction over the business establishment.

Under Revenue Regulations 11-2008, the term "separate or distinct establishment" includes a branch, as well as the following:

a. sales outlet or establishment covered by one business/trade name situated in one location or building;

b. every line of business of an individual covered by a separate business name approved by the Department of Trade and Industry even though situated in one and the same location;

c. facility with administrative office;

d. each franchise/Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) which the transportation operator owns or operates, regardless of the number of units under each franchise/CPC;

e. real properties for lease with administrative office;

f. each "exit/entry" gate, regardless of the number of booths accepting toll fees thereat;

g. unmanned sales outlets/service equipments such as automated vending machines (AVMs), automated ticket dispensing machines, automated teller machines (ATMs), and the like;

h. mobile store/stall/booth/kiosk which does not maintain a fixed place of business; and, i. other separate or distinct establishments which conduct sales transactions independent of the head office.

Under Section 258 of the Tax Code, any person who conducts business without paying the registration fee shall be punished by a fine of not less than P5,000 but not more than P20,000 and suffer imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years.

Recently, the BIR, the Bureau of Local Government and Finance (BLGF) and the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors, Inc. (PHALTRA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to improve the service to taxpayers and enhance tax collection and administration.

Under the MoA, the BIR shall establish Taxpayer Service Areas or BIR Help Desks in city and municipal halls to assist taxpayers in securing their Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), registering with the BIR, and paying Registration Fees, and to respond to queries of taxpayers during the application or renewal of mayor’s permits and business licenses.

The BIR shall also share information with local treasurers on the names and addresses of the taxpayers.

Furthermore, the MoA provides that treasurers of LGUs, through PHALTRA, shall require the presentation of the BIR Certificate of Registration (BIR Form No. 2303) and proof of payment of Registration Fee (BIR Form No. 0605) for the preceding year in securing or renewing business permits.

Presentation of TIN shall also be required not only in securing and renewing business permits and licenses, but also in all applications for government permit, license, clearance, official paper or any other similar document.

Lastly, treasurers of LGUs are required to share information with the BIR on the declared amount of gross sales or receipts and other data provided by taxpayers.

Complying with the requirements of renewing the business registration with LGUs and the BIR is a good way for business establishments to start the year 2010.

As the saying goes, "it is better to start the year right so that you’ll end the year right."

(The author is a tax manager at Punongbayan & Araullo, a member firm within Grant Thornton International Ltd. Readers may e-mail Roy.Relato@pna.ph or call 886-5511 for comments or inquiries.)

China-ASEAN Free Trade

2010-01-04T10:22:00.003+08:00

MANILA, Philippines—As today’s global economy offers unparalleled opportunities for all countries across the world, continuing to expand trade by lowering barriers of goods and services is in the common interest of China and Asean countries.

Our concerted and unremitting efforts during the past decade will soon reap fruits with the full establishment of China-Asean Free Trade Area (Cafta) on January 1, 2010.

This means that more than 7,000 zero-tariff commodities could be traded among China and Asean countries.
The removal of trade impediments will lower the costs of transactions, further increase China-Asean trade volume, and enhance economic efficiency. With market risk and uncertainties lowered, more investments would be generated from both Chinese and Asean companies into an integrated and rewarding market.

While we shall never forget that we have come a long way for “today,” New Year’s Day would be the first day we are to enjoy substantial gains from freer trade.

The comprehensive China-Asean cooperation dates back to early 1990s. Since then, economic relations and trade among us have been increasing with each passing year.

When the financial crisis struck in 1997, China held out by not depreciating RMB yuan, which served as a strong force for the recovery of the regional economy. Together with similar cultural tradition and history, complementarities and inter-dependence define the China-Asean bond which enables us to reach consensus towards common prosperity. Therefore, it is fair to say that we have secured a solid foundation for Cafta.

In September 2000, at the 4th China-Asean Summit in Singapore, the then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji first came up with the proposal of Cafta, which was well received and applauded by Asean countries. In November 2001, the leaders from China and Asean countries declared the goal of full establishment of Cafta in 10 years at Brunei Summit. On 4 November 2002, the China-Asean Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation was signed to kick off the endeavor towards Cafta. There were doubts among Asean countries that opening domestic markets to the Chinese goods may bring in tough competition. The Early Harvest Program was therefore put in place in 2004 to offer preferential arrangements in advance to Asean countries by unilaterally opening the Chinese market to the Asean agricultural produce. Words were put into actions and benefits were materialized. 2004 witnessed China-Asean trade volume topping $100 billion.

Agreement on Trade in Goods and Agreement on Trade in Services between China and Asean countries were signed respectively in November 2004 and January 2007. On 15 August 2009, the Investment Agreement was signed, marking the successful completion of main Cafta negotiations. With a population of 1.9 billion and a combined GDP of $6 trillion, Cafta would be the biggest FTA not only for developing countries, but also in terms of population and market size. We have every reason to believe that the full inception of Cafta will not only bring benefits to the Chinese and Asean peoples, but also contribute to the economic growth in Asia and the world at large.

Cafta will bring greater opportunities to the Philippines. With strong export potentiality in electronics, agricultural produce, fruits, fishery products, and minerals, etc, the Philippines will enjoy considerable comparative advantages and expand market shares of its competitive goods. Furthermore, with the agreements on trade of services and investment coming into force, the Philippines would be well poised to boost service trade and attract investments. Tourism, English teaching, eco-medical and retirement care services are those areas where the Philippine government can really turn potential into profits. More incoming investments from both China and other Asean countries will give driving impetus to infrastructure development in the Philippines.

Cafta will open broader vista for China-Philippine trade and economic cooperation. China-Philippine trade has registered relatively rapid growth in recent years, with the record high of more than $30 billion in 2007. With Cafta functioning in a full-fledged manner, both China and the Philippines should do more to press ahead with exchanges among prominent enterprises and to facilitate more effective bilateral cooperation in trade. China and the Philippines should work to strengthen our cooperation mechanism among authorities in charge of respective areas

Cafta will spur two-way investment flow between China and the Philippines. The Chinese companies are willing to bring their infrastructure investment up to higher level in various fields such as transportation, power generation, water supply, and telecommunication. At the same time, China will do its utmost to get its policies well understood by Philippine companies in terms of foreign investment in China. We remain ready to invite Philippine enterprises to tap investment potential in China.

Cafta will serve as catalyst for China-Philippine economic cooperation. As part of package plan to boost China-Asean cooperation, China has set up in 2009 China-Asean Investment Cooperation Fund totaling $10 billion. The first $1 billion will soon be made available for project orientation. The Philippine government stands in a good position to make full use of this fund and determine on candidate projects according to its strategy of economic development. The Chinese side is looking forward to seeing the related application be filed at an earliest date.

There have been, is, and will always be some concerns over the Philippines’ future after Cafta is up and running. Some voiced challenges in more fierce competition in manufacture industries, some stressed the vulnerability of domestic agriculture under price impact, and some even went as far as saying that free trade is not fair at all.

However, the idea that free trade is fair only if countries share identical labor costs and economic regulations or if domestic producers are compensated for market losses to more competitive foreign producers does not hold water. The economic benefits of free trade derive from the fact that trading partners are different, allowing any country embracing world markets a chance to be competitive. Free trade is fair when countries with different advantages are allowed to trade with a minimum of restriction and capitalized on those differences.

The Philippines is the case in point. As I’ve just said, the Philippines is endowed with comparative advantages in terms of natural resources, wage costs, language skills, education levels and etc. And what is more, as I observed, this country has a very dynamic private sector which keeps growing even in times of the on-going crises. China held similar worries when standing at the threshold of entry into the WTO. When something new comes, it always takes time to learn, try and finally excel. Therefore, Cafta for the Philippines is more than just cloud’s silver lining, but a blessing in disguise.

Free trade allows China, the Philippines and other Asean countries to compete in Cafta on the basis of our fundamental economic strengths and to reap the productivity and efficiency gains that promote long-run wealth and prosperity for all the peoples in the region. In reality, there is no distinction between free trade and truly fair trade. On the road to recovery, China and Asean countries share common fate and shoulder common responsibility. To advance regional economic cooperation in unprecedented width and depth is particularly significant at the moment. Putting Cafta into place is surely something in the right direction. Let’s work to turn this blessing in disguise into benefits in real.

IBM sets up first Innovation Center in the Philippines

2009-12-09T13:57:00.001+08:00

QUEZON CITY, Philippines: IBM has put up an Innovation Center (IIC) at the University Philippines-AyalaLand Technohub in Diliman, Quezon City. The first in the country, aimed at providing a testing and training facility for the technology firm’s business partners. The location gives the IIC access to the technical and manpower resource from two nearby major universities, the University of the Philippines and Ateneo De Manila University.

IBM Philippines Chief Technologist Lope Doromal, Jr. said the Philippines has a one of the fastest growing sources for knowledge workers who can provide technical and development skills to local and international markets. Doromal said developing for the IT industry requires access to vast resources, as well as knowledge of the business terrain so that suitable technologies are developed.

Indian giant firm makes water filter for poor

2009-12-08T09:42:00.000+08:00

In yet another example of creating wealth from the bottom of the pyramid, the Indian industrial conglomerate Tata Group has launched a new low-cost water purifier, aimed at lower-income households in rural areas.

The Tata 'Swach' purifier is less than one meter tall, and does not need running water or electricity to work.

Tata is hoping to revolutionize the business of providing clean water, a lack of which affects almost one billion people globally. The health consequences of poor water quality are enormous.

Tata says the device is the result of a decade of research and development.

The Tata Group includes India's largest carmaker Tata Motors, and also has interests in steelmaking, IT, and chemicals.

Its Swach water device - named after the Hindi word for clean - will cost under 1,000 rupees ($21.50; £13), according to one Indian report.

“ This is opening up a complete new market ” -- Tata Chemicals' chief R. Mukundan

The Swach uses ash from rice milling to filter out bacteria, and also uses tiny silver particles to kill harmful germs that can lead to diseases like diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid.

PLDT will use MERALCO powerlines to deliver broadband

2009-12-04T19:35:00.000+08:00

MAKATI, Philippines -- Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said it will launch, in 2010 its “broadband over power lines (BPL)” service. The new technology, will allow PLDT to efficiently bring broadband services to virtually all of Meralco’s 24 million customers concentrated in Metro Manila and nearby areas using Meralco’s network of power lines. Click to Read story

Freedom of Free

2009-12-03T09:24:00.000+08:00

Information wants to be free. The availability of free content online has already made the old news-business model -- in which readers paid for information and advertisers paid for access to those readers -- obsolete. So what's next? In Chris Anderson's new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price, Anderson argues that, instead of fearing it, we need to revel in the freedom of Free. Anderson urges us to embrace a new world in which digital technology drives down the price of goods "made of ideas," but meanwhile affords new possibilities for things to sell and ways to sell them. His argument builds on that of his 2006 book, The Long Tail, which explained how novel possibilities for selling a vast range of niche products opened up as the Internet and online retail slashed promotion and distribution costs to near zero. The future, Anderson believes, is selling "less of more."

Editor's Note:
(Chris Anderson, editor | Wired Magazine | Berkeley, Calif.)

Para sa Micro at Small Entrepreneurs: Tatlong Free Web Services Na Maaari Mong Magamit

2009-11-25T10:32:00.038+08:00

Drop.io Still copying large files to your flash drive, then walking the drive over to your co-worker’s PC (or, horrors, Fedexing it to a client)? The better way is to upload your files to a temporary, password-protectable “drop,” then give anyone who needs it the link to that drop. Free. Easy. Awesome.

Google Docs If you have a document, spreadsheet, or presentation that needs to be shared with other people, there’s no easier mechanism than Google Docs (or Zoho Docs, if you prefer). It’s a snap to invite others to view and/or collaborate — even at the same time. Documents reside in the cloud (web), so you can access them from anywhere.

Meebo Instant messaging. Meebo is a free, Web-based solution that lets you connect with every IM service (AIM, GTalk, MSN, Yahoo, and even Facebook). There’s nothing to install; just sign in at whatever computer you happen to be using.

Dropbox, Not to be confused with Drop.io, Dropbox makes it easy to share files between multiple PCs and devices (including the iPhone). A free account nets you 3GB of storage space This video explains it all:

Kung kailangan niyo ng assistance sa setting-up ng mga nabangit para sa inyong enterprise requirements maaring makatulong ey-o team, please do not hesitate to contact.

Time to rethink and do someting about your workplace lighting

2009-11-22T09:34:00.005+08:00

Whether or not you are a business owner working either at home or the office, it makes sense to put attention on your workplace lighting as suggests by various studies on the subject of ergonomic lighting like the one made by Cornell University.

In the last decade, during which personal computers have proliferated in the office, researchers have paid increased attention to lighting. Several studies have investigated the relationship of modern office lighting to the visual health, satisfaction and productivity of office workers. Read full story...

Recommended Best Podcasts for Business Users

2009-11-20T09:33:00.000+08:00

Habang nasa daan while commuting to and from work or wherever, maari niyo i-download and stock your phone or MP3 player with podcasts that can enrich your business brain, narito ang roundup ng anim na favorites:

Harvard Business IdeaCast [iTunes link] Ideas and commentaries from some of the top folks in business and management. Recent topics include Winning in a Turbulent Economy and Get More from IT — for Less.

Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More [iTunes link] Got six minutes? The self-proclaimed Get-It-Done Guy will show you how to deal with HR, set boundaries with your boss, beat procrastination, and more.

Inspiring Words of Encouragement [iTunes link] Sales legend Zig Ziglar offers tips on staying motivated, improving your self image, overcoming objections, and more in this extensive podcast series.

Manager Tools [iTunes link] What’s the best way to give feedback to team members? How can you delegate and manage projects more effectively? Bottom linke: If you’re a manager, you need this podcast.

Marketplace [iTunes link] If there’s a better business-news podcast, I haven’t heard it. This public-radio staple covers everything from jobs to the stock market, with every other money matter in between.

Planet Money [iTunes link] Though not particularly business-minded, this NPR favorite is a must-subscribe for anyone trying to get a grip on how money makes the world go ’round. It explains difficult concepts and situation (like the mortgage crisis) in plain English.
If you’re not an iTunes user, you can find almost all of these podcasts (and countless more) at Podcast Alley.

1st Bulacan Industrial City Locators

2009-11-18T13:26:00.002+08:00

Para sa kaalaman at reference ng mga negosyante at sa mga nais pumasok sa pagnenegosyo, na mga taga Bulacan at karatig Probinsya ng Luzon, makikita sa link ang ilang mga kumpanya (locators) na nag-ooperate sa 1st Bulacan Industrial City, na matatagpuan sa boundary ng Guiguinto at Malolos, Bulacan.

I-click itong link para sa detalye (contact number).

Echoes from the past: Vilfredo Pareto

2009-11-16T10:05:00.005+08:00

"At the bottom of the Wealth curve, Men and Women starve and children die young. In the broad middle of the curve all is turmoil and motion: people rising and falling, climbing by talent or luck and falling by alcoholism, tuberculosis and other kinds of unfitness. At the very top sit the elite of the elite, who control wealth and power for a time -- until they are unseated through revolution or upheaval by a new aristocratic class. There is no progress in human history. Democracy is a fraud. Human nature is primitive, emotional, unyielding. The smarter, abler, stronger, and shrewder take the lion's share. The weak starve, lest society become degenerate: One can, compare the social body to the human body, which will promptly perish if prevented from eliminating toxins.' Inflammatory stuff ."-- Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923)

PHILIPPINE TOLL MANUFACTURERS

2009-11-14T23:57:00.001+08:00

You have products, but don't want to or do not have the competencies and/or resources to manufacture/package, you may want to check our the services being offered by the following:

Consolidated Packaging Ent
183 Judge Juan Luna St., Quezon City Cpo - P.o. Box Nos. 1100 To 1199 1105, MNL
p: (632) 3710329 to 33 f: (632) 3717797
http://www.cpefoods.com

========

Company Name:     HALIYA ENTERPRISES
Street Address:     # 5 Paraluman Street, Isidora Hills, Brgy. Holy Spirit
City:     Quezon City
Province/State:     Metro Manila
Country/Region:     Philippines
Zip:     2117
Telephone:     63-920-8524761
Fax:     63
Website:     http://www.haliyaenterprise.multiply.com

Mr. DOMINGO BASILIO NAVERA

=======
STRASBOURG DES V CORPORATION
Main Office & Plant
Nery Compound, Interior 343
Km. 14.5 West Service Rd.
Parañaque City (near SM Bicutan)

Tel no: 7763862 / 4945027 / 9859675 / 4945027

Telefax: 8239566

HP: 09224961607

Email:strasbourgdesv@aim.com

Please look for Henry Lachica

===========

STRADDLE MERCANTILE
Address: 429 Daang-Hari St., Navotas City, NCR, Philippines 1485
Telephone No.: (+63)-9214965401
Fax No.: (+632)-3511134

http://www.straddle.biz/

Name:     Ms. Esther Tam [Sales]
E-mail:     esther.straddle@gmail.com and/or orders@straddle.biz
Mobile Number:     0639580022500
Phone Number:     0639580022500
Fax Number:     6322828901
Address:     429 Daang-Hari St., Navotas City, Philippines

GlobeLab and Berkspace released Gloo

2009-11-13T08:18:00.000+08:00

Here's an introduction from GlobeLab about the locally developed appplication, GLOO:

"Berkspace, one of the winning applications in the 2008 Globe Labs Challenge, is now available to users. We have been working with its developers to launch the application and today, we are proud to introduce it to the world. Welcome to Gloo.

Gloo is a new way to communicate online. It’s an online collaboration space where you can post Facebook pictures, web images and videos into spaces where you and your friends and family can collaborate in real-time. People can chat, doodle, write free form text, place post-its and even send SMS and MMS messages to mobile phones. Each element that you post can be moved and resized by you or by other people, and changes that anyone makes will be seen by other people IN REAL TIME. That’s the power and uniqueness of Gloo. It’s not only a place where you can post media and text, you can manipulate these elements with other people at the same time.

We invite you to try out Gloo at http://www.gloo.com.ph. It’s a new way of experiencing the internet. You won’t be disappointed.

You may visit our site at http://www.globelabs.com.ph to read more on this."

Human CEO

2009-11-11T23:54:00.001+08:00

Read... The Human CEO

Ready to be your own boss?...

2009-10-26T10:37:00.000+08:00

Check if you are, read "Are you to be ready by your own Boss?" by Mercedita Esguerra.

Three elements for a company...

2009-10-26T10:19:00.001+08:00

Three key components necessary for a company to achieve its full potential are:

     • respected leadership

     • good management

     • balanced and satisfied staff

Promote Your Resto Online

2009-10-17T10:14:00.003+08:00

WITH A lot of people turning more and more to the Internet for information, restaurant owners would be wise to tap online options to promote their restaurants. At the Restaurant Marketing Reloaded Summit 2009, an event organized by Courage Asia this year, online marketing experts shared their views on how this can be done. 1. Have your own website. “Make sure you have a good website,” said Edward David, director for business development at clickthecity.com. The site has to have the necessary useful information, from menu to contact details, and the content should be updated regularly. “Choose a content management system your people can be familiar with.” 2. Integrate online initiatives with your offline efforts. David advised entrepreneurs to promote their website address or URL in all their collaterals. Also, get listed in free online listings, explore priority and enhanced listings offered by online directories, and request to be featured in these websites. 3. Build communities; create followers. According to David, “Newsletters are becoming a thing of the past. Focus on growing your ‘followers’ instead of newsletter subscribers.” He recommended social networking sites Facebook and Multiply and microblogging site Twitter in doing this. 4. Explore and experiment with other options. Here’s where online advertising will come in and David suggested looking into pay-per-click, display advertising, pay-per-action, network buys and ad network options. In addition, Michael Rastas, consultant of myfoodtrip.com, mentioned joining forums and exploring iPhone applications to promote one’s restaurant. 5. Do your research. Howell Hay, managing director of munchpunch.com, said resto-preneurs should find out what their customers are searching for and reach the right audience. 6. Manage your reputation. Rastas said, “People will voluntarily tell you about a bad restaurant, but often will only talk about a good restaurant when asked.” Bad reviews of restaurants do get published online in blogs, but Hay offered hope by saying, “One bad review does not destroy your business for as long as there are plenty of people saying good things as well.” Hay advised, “Embrace reviews. They make us aware and provide us with an opportunity to fix a genuine problem.” Source: Galarpe, Karen, http://blogs.inquirer.net/openforbusiness/2009/10/16/promote-your-resto-online/

Philippines ranks 105th In Human Development Index (HDI)

2009-10-06T09:38:00.002+08:00

LUZON, Philippines --

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines’ ranking in the global Human Development Index (HDI) has not changed while its neighbors have moved forward, according to a report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). In a UNDP presentation at the Edsa Shangri-La hotel in Mandaluyong City Monday, professor Arsenio Balisacan said the 2009 Human Development Report (HDR) showed that the Philippines ranked 105th out of 182 countries covered by the report that was based on 2007 data. “The Philippines showed a slight increase in the value of its (HDI) and ranked 105th among 182 countries… This places the Philippines in the medium human development bracket [of countries],” said Balisacan, president of the Human Development Network. “Earlier comparators of the Philippines in Asia show these countries have moved up faster in the rankings,” he said. Malaysia was ranked 66th and entered the high human development bracket in 2008, while China has overtaken the Philippines and is now ranked 92nd. China actually made the largest gain in rank, by 7 places, Balisacan said. Samoa ranks higher than RP Thailand is now ranked 82nd while the island nation of Samoa is ranked 94th, several levels better than the Philippines. In 1990, Samoa and Thailand had similar HDI values compared to the Philippines. But between 1990 and 2007, Thailand performed relatively better than the two. On the other hand, Indonesia is now ranked 111th and Vietnam is 116th, Balisacan said. “The rank of No. 105 puts the Philippines in the league of Fiji and Tonga in so far as Asian countries are concerned. Globally, this ranking would be comparable to that of Algeria and El Salvador,” he said. The HDI is a “summary measure” of a country’s human development and since the HDR was first published in 1990, the HDI rankings have provided a way of looking beyond the gross domestic product (GDP) and toward a broader definition of well-being. The HDI is based on a country’s life expectancy, adult literacy and enrollment in schools and standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity). Increase in life expectancy This year’s HDI includes three new countries—Andorra, Liechtenstein and Afghanistan—and was based on 2007 data and does “not reflect the effects of the global economic crisis.” While the ranking of the Philippines has not changed, its HDI value actually increased by 0.004 mainly due to updated higher estimates of adult literacy and higher estimates of GDP per capita “up by about 8 percent compared to previous values.” “The improvement in the Philippines’ HDI value is a result of increases in its HDI component indicators, a sign of real and steady progress in human development,” a UNDP statement said. The progress was also due to the increase in life expectancy in the country. From 61.1 years in 1980, this has gone up to 71.6 years in 2007. Adult literacy rates (for those 15 and above) also increased from 83.3 percent in 1980 to 93.4 percent in 2007 while the combined gross enrollment ratio improved from 73 percent in 180 to 79.6 percent in 2007. Also, the GDP per capita increased from $2,774 in 1980 to $3,406 in 2007, the UNDP said. However, the agency also noted that the Philippines’ 2007 HDI of 0.751 was below the average of 0.770 for East Asia and the Pacific but above the average of 0.868 for medium human development countries. The life expectancy of Filipinos is below the average of 72.2 years for East Asia and the Pacific. Its GDP per capita is also below the regional average of $5,733.

Managing Risk in Times of Crisis

2009-09-29T00:55:00.002+08:00

LUZON, Philippines --

In this time of uncertainty brought by the global recession when enterprises are forced to choose on ways of cutting costs or surviving the crisis, you may want to check this article by Geraldo Manalo posted at Entrepreneur Magazine about how an Entrepreneur by the name of Ramon Castillo managed his enterprise back to profitability. Read the Art of Risk Taking by Geraldo Manalo

Mobile Phone Ownership In the Phillippines Increased in 2009

2009-08-19T09:20:00.001+08:00

LUZON, Philippines --

According to the latest Synovate Media Atlas, a study of the behavior of Filipino consumers aged 15-64, mobile phone ownership in the country had risen from 60 percent during the 2007-2008 survey period to 69 percent this year for non-Internet-capable handsets. For mobile phones with Internet connectivity, ownership increased to 31 percent this year from 29 percent during the preceding survey period. Ninety-five percent cited staying in touch as their primary reason for owning mobile phones. Others usage included: Playing games (50 percent), taking pictures (40 percent), and listening to music (29 percent). The Filipinos’ appetite for new information as well as the popularity of social networking sites in the country also helped fuel an increase in mobile phone ownership. “For those who are heavily invested with their mobile phones, the results indicate how they have affected the Filipino lifestyle and how businesses can actually penetrate a huge chunk of the population via cell phones and SMS. Those who invest in understanding their consumers are the ones who will thrive in this increasingly competitive environment,’’ Synovate Philippines managing director Carole Sarthou said. The country currently has more than 35 million mobile subscribers.

2009-07-29T14:18:00.000+08:00

LUZON, Philippines --

Here's a great video that explains well the concept of upselling

Google Wave, next big thing in personal and or business communication and collaboration

2009-07-27T11:30:00.003+08:00

LUZON, Philippines --

Months from now, Google will launch Google Wave, e-mail as we know it today will become obsolete dahil sa mga useful and sensible features embedded sa Google Wave. Malaki maitutulong nito bilang isang tool para sa pang personal man o pang business na communication at collaboration.

Creative Thinking: Your Edge

2009-06-30T10:57:00.001+08:00

Creative Thinking: Your Edge

Criticality of Local Knowledge

2009-05-14T10:44:00.000+08:00

In recent years, it has been recognized that ordinary local knowledge, based on careful observation and common sense, is a valuable and untapped resource that speaks directly to community problem-solving. Such knowledge, often generated through methods of participatory research, has been accumulated... READ

Elements of Innovative Communities

2009-05-12T10:42:00.000+08:00

One innovation does not indicate an innovative community. An innovative community is one that has developed and can sustain a wellspring of innovation that does not stem solely from one or two isolated individuals. It must have the organizational capability to stimulate, nurture, develop and product... READ

Philippine Business Registration Guide

2009-05-10T17:00:00.000+08:00

Following are the government agencies that a start-up business needs to register with

AGENCY	WHAT
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)	This is where you register if your enterprise is a single proprietorship. The agency will issue a certificate of registration of business name.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)	If your enterprise is a partnership or a corporation, this is where you will register. It will issue a certificate of registration.
Cooperative Development Authority (CDA)	If your set-up is a cooperative, register with this body. The agency will issue the certificate of registration.
Local Government Unit (LGU)	You register with the municipality or city where you will set up your business. This office will issue the business permit.
Barangay Hall	You register with the specific barangay in the municipality or city where you will operate your business. This office will issue the barangay clearance.
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)	You register your business with this office and apply for your business’s taxpayer identification number (TIN), registration of books of accounts, authority to print
Social Security System (SSS)	You register your business as an employer, yourself as a self-employed or as employee, and your workers as employees. This office will issue an SSS number for your business, for yourself, as well as for your workers.
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)	If you employ five workers or more, register your business with this agency. The DOLE is asked to promote gainful employment opportunities, protect workers and promote their welfare, develop human resources, and maintain industrial peace.
Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF)	RA 7742 requires all SSS members earning at least P4,000 a month to register with this agency. HDMF administers the Pag-Ibig Fund.
Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)	The New National Health Insurance Act (RA 7875) as amended by RA 9241 requires all employers of the government and private sectors and their employees to register with this agency. PhilHealth manages and administers the government health care system.

source: Philippine Business Registry

How Small Businesses Can Win With E-Commerce

2009-05-08T13:26:00.000+08:00

How Small Businesses Can Win With E-Commerce "Organisations will become both smaller and bigger at the same time; they will be flatter, more flexible, and more dispersed…Life will be unreasonable in the sense that we shall have to make things happen for us rather than wait for them to happen." Charles Handy, British academic, business consultant and author For businesses there are many advantages to using e-commerce; one of the greatest advantages is that online commerce is a great equalizer, allowing small businesses to compete on an even playing field with larger businesses. However, do not take on the big players; you need to differentiate yourself from them. For small businesses it is essential that a site is created and then registered properly, so that it shows up on premier search engines and other sites that attract your target market. It is equally important that, if you are on a premier search engine, you show up on the first or second page of search results, because most people are unlikely to look any further. Either you need to learn the necessary skills to achieve this, or pay someone with sufficient IT capability. Having a website up and running is not the end of the matter, the site and business still needs to stand out from the crowd; that is, it needs to communicate your competitive advantage. With more flexibility than larger counterparts, small businesses can usually successfully compete in a niche product area or in a niche location. Olivado (www.olivado.co.nz) is an example of a niche product; the company produces cold pressed, extra virgin Avocado Oil. Introduced to New Zealand in December 2000, the product has become popular with 'foodies', even 'The Naked Chef', Jamie Oliver called it the next 'it' food ingredient. Line 7 (www.line7.com) is another New Zealand company that has done well online as a result of the America's Cup battle taking place in Auckland, New Zealand. The point is to make sure you have focused on a particular market, and that you can serve it better than the bigger players. Specialised sites, focusing on a particular good or service or with a good understanding of their market are most likely to benefit from word-of-mouth promotion and have better chances of being found by search engines. Real Groovy is a great example of combining niche products and an understanding of the local market. Real Groovy (www.realgroovy.co.nz), the record store has some of the largest physical music stores in the country, but also has a website that covers 18,000 titles, both new and used; but their greatest success was their ability to make money from their site after one month! It is important that small businesses market their websites offline through traditional media, as well as online. Your business' URL (website address) should appear in all communication produced by your business; it should be in your print and broadcast advertisements, on your letterheads, emails and business cards. Your URL should be included in all white and yellow page listings. If your product has packaging - put it on your package. If you print brochures, put it on those. Put your web address on everything! In addition to more invasive offline advertising, you will need some online marketing, which (thankfully) is just as cost-effective and efficient for little businesses as for the big players. E-Commerce Times reports that opt-in e-mail programs have been found to be effective in helping small businesses attract targeted and interested customers to their sites. Note though that we are not talking about email spam, or unsolicited commercial email, which often backfires and repels potential customers. Once the visitors arrive at your site, appropriate website technology can offer personalized service, track orders, handle returns and perform other essential tasks. If you provide good personalized customer service, particularly following-up to ensure customers got what they wanted; you will build a loyal customer base and will begin to see repeat purchasing!

Rethinking the Model ("India Inc.: A Lesson in Business Design")

2009-05-06T00:02:00.000+08:00

(Editor's note: The preceding was taken from the original article published via the online edition of BusinessWeek, you can find the source details below) Creating new models requires challenging the status quo and rethinking activities that create value. India has a lagging education system and an enormous emerging workforce. By 2020, India will have the largest labor surplus in the world—45 million people. To capitalize on this resource and become a major global R&D hub, India has completely rethought the ways in which it recruits and trains its R&D workforce. Instead of counting on an army of PhDs to make their way through the educational system to serve the commercial agenda, Indian industry has developed a "surrogate education system" that can take workers with weak educational backgrounds and turn them into world-class R&D specialists by developing rigorous training programs and integrating best practices into a codified industry-based skill development program. With this resourceful new model, offshore R&D has become a booming business in India, and is expected to grow over 20% a year, to a $21 billion industry in India by 2012. All of these successes represent new models of doing business, reflecting the principles of successful business design. Above all else, these examples emphasize that it is always worth challenging the status quo and asking "What if?" Sometimes the more radical possibilities inspire a smarter reality. --- Source: "India Inc.: A Lesson in Business Design;" Fraser, Heather; BusinessWeek Online; Viewpoint November 3, 2008, 11:32AM EST URL: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2008/id2008113_086323.htm?link_position=link5

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CHEAPER MEDICINE ACT: OPENS UP BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THE SOCIETY

2009-05-04T16:37:00.000+08:00

Entrepreneurs or those who are looking for a business venture that would give a viable return and at the same time promotes and helps economically disadvantaged sectors access to affordable and quality medicines and vitamins should study the opportunity that newly created law Republic Act 9502 or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 (a.k.a. "Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008") and its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) offers. The main intent of the law as the title gives away is to lower the unreasonable and unconscionable high price of medicines in the Philippines currently one of the highest in the World. Transnational pharmaceutical (drug manufacturers) firms have for decades exploited the biased and oppressive intellectual property environment that results to incredulously uncontrolled exorbitant price of medicines and vitamins to their delight but at the expense and suffering of a greater number of the population. Significant features of the law are as follows:

allow the government or any one with a government permit to import cheaper versions of medicines (patented or not), supposedly to increase competition and bring down prices. Before, drug firms had exclusive rights over their products, and importing these from countries where the prices are lower was a violation of intellectual property rights.
In emergency cases, the government can break patents and ask a third party to import or manufacture a drug, but the patent owner must be compensated.
Retailers (drug stores) cannot discriminate and refuse to sell imported drugs "without good and sufficient reasons" such as force majeure.

Read: text of Republic Act 9502