Day: March 11, 2015

ZenFone 2 coming this May, full HD variants in tow

Abe Olandres Leave a comment

We got some more details from a source close to Asus Philippines that the ZenFone 2 will be launched in the country around first week of May.

Our source has confirmed that not all variants of the ZenFone 2 will be available upon release in the Philippines.

What is sure are the full HD variants while the other ones might not be made available due to several reasons. The 5-inch version of the ZenFone 2 is almost the same as the ZenFone 5 while the 720p HD version of the 5.5-inch ZenFone 2 is still not decided yet.

The Zenfone 4 and ZenFone 5 will still be offered in the market and the new ZenFone 2 will likely replace the ZenFone 6 in their high-end category. Of course, that entails a higher price tag of around Php10k to Php13k based on the Taiwanese SRP but we were told it could be higher than that when it lands in the Philippines.

The ZenFone 2 was launched in Taiwan this week with a suggested retail price starting Php7k (see complete specs and price here). The regional launch will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia in April 20-22 so a May 2015 release in the Philippines is doable.

The post ZenFone 2 coming this May, full HD variants in tow appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Revisiting Palawan, the World’s Best Island

Eric Leave a comment

Summer is just around the corner. One would slowly notice that the day is getting longer than the night, and the temperature is slowly rising.

And as a prelude to the much-awaited summer break, I flew to Palawan courtesy of Air Asia Philippines.

During the 4-day junket, we witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of agreement between the provincial government of Palawan, the Palawan Tourism Council and Air Asia Philippines. The agreement launches the Palawan World’s Best tourism campaign with Air Asia as its official airline partner.

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Together with other invited media, I got to revisit some of Palawan’s already – established tourist spots as well as its secret gems.

During our first day we got to visit Splash House. this aquaculture facility is located just a quick 5-minute boat ride from the port. Its is on the same port where tourists would normally flock for the more popular Honda Bay Island hopping tour.

At the splash house, they breed several lobsters, groupers, and milkfish. And the best part of going the the Splash House? You get to witness thousands of fruit bats fly from the nearby island back to mainland Palawan.

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“It’s a daily phenomenon one must experience while in Palawan!” exclaimed Monica Mitra, chief operating officer of Splash House.

After our brief encounter with the wildlife we traveled north to experience the best of Palawan. The crême dela crême of all beach destinations: El Nido.

I can recall my last visit to El Nido in 2009, majority of the tourists then were Russians trying to escape the harsh cold climate in their country. But after Survivor France or locally known as Koh Lanta was aired, Statistics have greatly changed. Today most of the foreigners you get to see in El Nido are either French-speaking, or hailed from France.

The continuous influx of European tourists is just a testament that Palawan is indeed one of the “World’s Best Island”.

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During our third day in the province we got to sample the best of El Nido. We did a customized tour. We got to visit the small lagoon and the big lagoon, our lunch was at Dibuluan Island care of El Nido resorts. The island is just so serene. With very fine white sand beach and turquoise waters perfect for the summer swim.

Our final stop for the whole day island hopping tour was at the Ipil Beach. Upon arrival we were welcomed with snacks and fresh buko juice by Miss Bong Romero, of Ipil Suites Puerto Princesa and El Nido.

And our final stop for the junket before flying back to Manila is at La Terrasse for dinner. This French-inspired restaurant serves nothing but the best of Palawan. We had ceviche, bread sticks with pesto on the side, duck confit steamed tilapia and to cap it off we had the Palaweño Brewery craft beer. I samPled the Ayahay Palaweño Honey Kolsch. It was so good with a slight hint of pineapple. Not a hint of bitterness unlike i n most commercially-produced beers.

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Palaweño Brewery boasts as the first and only producer of craft beer in Palawan. And they have a brewey tour too! It’s something that I should look forward to when I get back to the World’s Best Island next time.

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SM Posts 14.4% Growth in Recurring Net Income in 2014

PRNEWS Admin Leave a comment

SM Investments Corporation (SM) reported a record net income in 2014 of PHP28.4 billion. Excluding extraordinary items, recurring net income grew 14.4%.

SM’s underlying earnings growth was mainly driven by BDO Unibank, Inc., which posted a core income growth of 18%. Together with China Banking Corporation, banks accounted for 41% of SM’s consolidated net income in 2014. Property contributed 38% and retail 21%.

The record 2014 consolidated net income of PHP28.4 billion compares with PHP27.4 billion in 2013. These include exceptional items such as trading gains from the group’s banking businesses.

Consolidated revenues grew 9% to PHP275.7 billion in 2014 from PHP253.3 billion in 2013. This was the result of a good retail sales environment which also boosted rental revenues in SM’s property business.

The total assets of SM grew 12% in the past year to PHP711.9 billion. SM maintains a very healthy balance sheet with a conservative gearing ratio of 34% net debt to 66% equity.

SM raised PHP15 billion in May 2014 from a public offer of peso-denominated retail bonds with maturities of 7 and 10 years. The SM bonds were rated Aaa by Philippine Rating Services Corporation, the highest rating assigned by the credit rating firm.

In June 2014, SM issued a USD350 million 10-year senior unsecured bond at a fixed rate of 4.875% per annum, a landmark transaction marking the longest-dated USD bond issued by SM and the company’s fourth USD bond issuance since 2009. The issuance earned SM the Region’s Best Borrower Award from Hong Kong publication Finance Asia.

“The group’s strong underlying earnings growth of 14.4% in 2014 was the result of solid performance and ongoing expansion in all our three core businesses. During the year we raised additional capital and entered into several strong partnerships, accelerating our investments for growth and ensuring we expand in line with our continuing optimism about the economic prospects of the Philippines,” SM President Harley T. Sy said.

Insular life announces executive promotions

PRNEWS Admin Leave a comment

Insular Life Chairman of the Board and CEO Vicente R. Ayllón recently announced the promotion of the following executives: Mundece L. Lu to first vice president, Katerina V. Suarez to vice president, Johanna C. Coronado to senior assistant vice president, and Atty. Analyn S. Benito, Adrian Joseph R. Fernandez, and Gwendolyn Kelley to assistant vice president.

Lu heads the Visayas – Mindanao Sales Division of the Company’s Sales and Marketing Group. As head of VisMin Sales, he oversees the Region’s sales, marketing and conservation activities. He graduated from the Ateneo de Davao University with an AB in Economics degree, cum laude, and he obtained his Master’s Degree in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management.

Suarez heads the Actuarial Division and is concurrent head of the Actuarial Research and Product Development Staff. As head of Actuarial Division, she oversees the technical aspects of life insurance operations, including product development, valuation, and research. She graduated from the De La Salle University with a degree in BS in Applied Mathematics, cum laude. She is a Fellow, and currently the Vice President of the Actuarial Society of the Philippines. She is a Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI), awarded by the Life Office Management Association (LOMA).

Coronado heads the Brand Marketing Department, which handles product development, manages the product mix, and facilitates the brand building efforts of Insular Life. She graduated from the Assumption College with a degree in AB in Mass Communications, cum laude. She is an FLMI.

Atty. Benito heads the Compliance Unit of the Legal and Corporate Services Division. As head of the Compliance Unit, Atty. Benito oversees the effective implementation and management of programs that ensure compliance to laws and ethical standards. She graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman with a degree in BA in European Languages, and obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from Arellano Law Foundation. She earned her designation of Associate, Insurance Regulatory Compliance from LOMA.

Fernandez belongs to the Group Marketing Division and heads its Strategic Marketing Team, which provides solutions to the personal insurance and investment needs of oversees Filipinos and their families. He graduated from San Beda College with a degree in BSC major in Business Management and Entrepreneurship and obtained his Master in Business Administration from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He is also an Associate, Life Management Institute awarded by LOMA.

Kelley is a business process manager of the Business Process Management Staff, which studies and reviews the Company’s priority areas of operations to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of current methods and procedures practiced by different work units. She graduated from Miriam College with a degree in BS in Accountancy. She is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Project Management Professional and an FLMI.

Mercedes-Benz is the premium mobility partner of APEC 2015 Summit

PRNEWS Admin Leave a comment

In a signing ceremony held last February 17, 2015 between key representatives of the APEC and Auto Nation Group, Inc., Mercedes-Benz was designated as the premium mobility partner of the APEC 2015 Summit.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a 21-nation forum composed of member economies of the Pacific Rim, which include the U.S.A., Canada, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines to name a few. The APEC works to raise living standards and education levels through sustainable economic growth. It promotes a spirit of shared interests as it fosters free trade and economic cooperation with special emphasis on helping advance on helping advance the cause of newly industrialized economies. An annual APEC Summit, of which the Philippines is this year’s host, is attended by heads of government of member economies as well as global business leaders, investors and industrialists.

During the signing ceremony, it was noted that such a top-level assembly deserves no less than Mercedes-Benz as premium mobility partner. The S-Class or Sonderklasse, which in German means special class or in a sense, a class of its own, represents the flagship model of Mercedes-Benz. For decades the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been considered a symbol of power, authority, and excellence – a most fitting salute and tribute to the APEC 2015 Summit.