Boulevard Holdings Inc. (BHI), last week disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSEI) the sale of 100% of its interest in Alliance Technologies Corporation (ATC), and Avrion Systems, Inc. (ASI), old information technology (IT) industry players in the telecommunications equipment business for contact centers and enterprises. The company declared that Alliance Technologies...

"Who could forget or harm a loving mother that has given life to each one of us, that makes the dawn for all of us to see, sustains all creatures and gives us reason to care for others", these were the words of a wise old man of the Aeta indigenous people of the Philippines talking about Mother Earth. He knew what he was talking about as his people lived in harmony with nature...

Tuwing may balitang may naha-hijack na namang barko ang mga pirata sa Somalia, ako ay kinakabahan dahil may mga kamag-anak ako sa probinsya na nasa barko. Mahirap, kasi hindi naman palagi nilalabas ang pangalan. Sa awa naman ng Diyos, safe naman ang mga kamag-anak at kakilala ko ngunit ipinagdadasal ko rin ang mga humigit-kumulang 300 na Filipino seaman na nasa kamay ng mga...

ON the fringes of Roxas boulevard, where many shady deals are made, there's a thriving business that operates primarily on trust. In front of the US Embassy, under the shade of an old Balete tree, Linda Dragon will hold electronic devices for anyone going inside the embassy building for P150. No written guarantee except trust. I experienced this recently when I went to the...

A friend on Facebook lamented an item about a passably average singer's newly released CD garnering a gold record award recently while other singers who are immensely more talented can't seem to get the same break. His sad point was that mediocrity rules in the Philippines. Why am I not surprised? While we know that talent is gifted to an elite few, there is also a mediocrity...

PALENGKE QUEENS. Kampangan market vendors hawking their products at a palengke near Stotsenburg. This could very well be in Angeles, Balibago or Mabalacat. Ca. 1915. Every town in Pampanga has a market, the local economic hub where the basic commodities of life are sold-agricultural produce, fresh foods, meats and poultry, pots and pans, manufactured and processed goods,...

WHY the frequent trips to Dubai? Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday said Dubai should be one of the last countries in President Arroyo's Middle East travels if her aim, as Malacanang claims, is to secure jobs for Filipinos. "Recruitment agencies are saying that there are no jobs available in Dubai, which has been one of the hardest hit by the financial crisis. But why insist...

Are there individuals or groups which use Friendster as an online platform for political campaigns? Very few or none. The Friendster account of Senator Trillanes comes to my mind. But there seems to be no advocacy or political group which has maximized Friendster for their virtual campaigns. Which is good. But here comes Facebook. Facebook is a better social media tool and...

Kunwari sa mga press release ng Malacanang ay inaasikaso ni Arroyo ang paghihirap ng mamayang Pilipino sa gitna ng krisis pang-ekonomiya kung saan libo-libong OFW ang nawawalan ng trabaho. Pero sa totoo lang patuloy ang pagwaldas ng pera ng taumbayan sa sariling luho kasama na ng kanyang mga alagad. Sumulat sa aking blog si Ares Gutierrez, isang Pilipinong manunulat na nagtatrabaho...

Gloria Arroyo is becoming a frequent visitor of Dubai in recent months, especially since the financial crisis in the United States that hit hard her family's favorite investment firms, Lehman Brothers and Merryl Lynch. Serge Remonde's spin is that Arroyo is on a two-day visit to Dubai to " seek more job employment for the country's expatriate workers." What has become of her...

Republic of the Philippines HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Quezon City FOURTEENTH CONGRESS Second Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 737 Introduced bv SPEAKER PROSPERO C. NOGRALES RESOLUTION PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO SECTIONS 2 AND 3, ARTICLE XII OF THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW THE ACQUISITION BY FOREIGN CORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS, AND THE TRANSFER OR CONVEYANCE THERETO, OF...

If you are putting up a business in the Philippines, it is mandatory to register it before you start operating. If it is a sole proprietorship, you have to register with DTI (Department of Trades And Industries). If it is partnership or corporation, register with SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Let me show you how: I. Business Name You have to choose your business...

While remittances from Filipinos living and working abroad remain robust, the ties that overseas Filipino workers (OFW) and their children have are slightly hanging by a thread. According to "Migration and Filipino Children Left Behind: A Literature Review," a working paper sponsored by United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), the Philippines is the major supplier of labor...

EVENT: The IMF last week approved a 280 million dollar credit tranche for Manila. SIGNIFICANCE: Rising non-performing loans, congressional opposition to the budget and inconsistent policies are threatening to undermine confidence in the business environment. ANALYSIS: Although the Philippines has weathered the regional crisis better than many of its South-east Asian neighbours,...