Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday, September 14, 2012

Honest kutsero feted in Rizal Park

Officials of the National Parks Development Committee
on Friday confer the 'Dangal ng Rizal Park' award to
Jaime Cabillo Mayor. Danny Pat
For his honesty in returning a wallet with 4,000 euros to a tourist, a kutsero or calesa (horse-drawn carriage) driver was feted at the Rizal Park in Manila Friday.

Praises were heaped on Jaime Mayor, 48, at a ceremony for Mayor, according to a report by radio dzBB's Cecilia Villarosa.

The report also said Mayor received some P20,000 in "rewards."

At the ceremony, National Parks Development Committee head Juliet Villegas said they hope Filipinos emulate Mayor's example of honesty.

Earlier, Mayor returned a wallet containing 4,000 euros to a French tourist visiting Manila.

He recalled running after the tourist who left the wallet, to return the item to her. She hugged him in gratitude for his honesty.

Honest kutsero feted in Rizal Park

Sharp Philippines keeps distance from Osaka, rides on PHL growth

A Japanese maker of consumer electronics on Friday said their Philippine operations is not affected by the bleeding balance sheet of its Osaka, Japan-based parent company.

In fact, banking on an expanding Philippine economy, the company said it is growing its portfolio of Philippine made products and employing more Filipinos.

“[We are] globally independent – that’s our company policy, not only in the Philippines,” Sharp (Philippines) Corp. president and general manager Takahiro Tanaka told GMA News Online during the company’s 30th anniversary in the country.

Parent Sharp Corporation – which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year – expects a shortfall to ¥250 billion or $3.15 billion in current fiscal year due to fierce competition and a profit-sapping strong yen, according to an Agence-France Presse report. The figures were higher than the original forecast of a ¥30 billion net loss.

"Majority of Filipinos patronize our products...” Tanaka told reporters during a press conference.

“We want to be part of the continuous growth of the Philippines by producing locally, with the vision that our employees must grow together with the company in achieving its financial growth in the years to come," said Tanaka.

"Soon we'd like to add LED [light-emitting diode] TV to our local production portfolio," the Sharp official said.

As of June 30, 2012, the company employed 524 workers in its Muntinlupa factory. But Tanaka did not disclose how many more people Sharp Philippines would hire to support its expanding operations.

Emmanuel Valencia, Sharp Philippines executive vice president for sales and marketing, said the Philippine unit’s market share to revenues of its parent company is barely 2 percent.

“We’re a very small player…” Valencia noted, adding that the “financial condition in Japan is not us.

“We make our own money. We don’t rely on Japan,” Valencia added.

Various studies are being made to know the present market situation and production of new and quality items with competitive pricing, said Tanaka.

Sharp in Osaka is cutting the salaries of management and rank-and-file employees by 10 percent and 7 percent, respectively, according to AFP. Bonuses of employees would also be halved, as part of cost-cutting measures to regain profitability.

Tanaka, however, said the Sharp Philippines has no intention of laying-off employees or cut their salaries to help its parent shore up its bottomline.

“No cost-cutting and laying off [of] jobs because our business is still growing. We are not affected,” he added.

Declining to say how much the company made in the first, Tanaka, however, noted the company’s first half net income reflected a “25 percent growth in both income and revenues.”

False reports

He denied the reports – that headquarters plans to sell its copier and air-conditioning business – to plug a bleeding balance sheet.

“Sharp Corporation is in the process of revitalizing its business and is exploring all options to improve financial condition,” Tanaka said in a speech.

“However, Sharp is not negotiating the sale of its businesses such as copier and air-conditioner that media has falsely reported,” he added.

To mark its 30th anniversary in the Philippines, the company introduced on Friday its biggest television set, an 80-inch Aquos imported from Japan.

Tanaka said Aquos 80 comes at a time when the Philippines is gearing up for digital broadcasting by 2015 from the current analog system.

The shift to digital TV technology means more channels and clearer broadcast signals for television viewers. — VS, GMA News
Sharp Philippines keeps distance from Osaka, rides on PHL growth

The Pe�afrancia Festival: For the love of 'Ina'

On Friday last week, barely a month after the death of Interior and Local Government Secretary and beloved ex-Naga mayor Jesse Robredo, devotees flocked to the Basilica Minore in Naga to transfer the image of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia, patroness of Bicol, to the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral for a week-long novena.

It was time for the Traslacion, an integral part of Naga City's Peñafrancia Festival.


A barge carrying the image of Our Lady of Penafrancia passes through the river in Naga City during the patron saint's 300th anniversary fluvial procession in 2010. Roy Lagarde
Although the devotees have been doing this for years, there was something different about it this year.

“Jess was sorely missed at the Traslacion,” said Nagueño professor Paz Verdades Santos, referring to Robredo.

The Secretary was en route to his hometown when the plane he was on crashed off the coast of Masbate on August 18.

“There was a heavy downpour, but no one left his or her place in the procession. Some said the skies were weeping because Jess wasn't there,” Santos added.

It was no secret that Robredo has been a devotee of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia since he was a young man.

The festival

Naga City’s Peñafrancia Festival is one of the country’s biggest displays of religious devotion, uniting Bicolanos of all ages and from all over the world in devotion to their beloved “Ina” — Our Lady of Peñafrancia, patroness of Bicol.

This year marks the festival’s 302nd anniversary.

According to the Peñafrancia Basilica website, the devotion to the Lady of Peñafrancia originated from Salamanca, Spain in the 1400s, when hermit Simon Vela had a vision of the Virgin Mary and later discovered an image of her in the Peña de Francia mountains.

In the 18th century, the Cobarrubias family of San Martin de Castañar in Spain came to the Philippines and settled in Cavite, bringing with them their son Miguel, who was a devotee of the Lady of Peñafrancia, and who would eventually be ordained in Naga.

According to the website, whenever the sickly Miguel fell ill, he prayed to the Lady and recovered thereafter. In gratitude, he built a chapel in her name near the hills, so that the Cimarrones tribes who lived at the base of Mt. Isarog could easier hear mass.

At the same time, Miguel also commissioned a sculptor to craft a wooden image of the Lady, patterned after the original in Spain. The image was painted with the blood of a dog that was said to have become the Lady’s first miracle when it swam back to life after its body was discarded in a river. The image was stolen in 1981, but returned — some say miraculously — the year later.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/273412/lifestyle/culture/the-pe-ancia-festival-for-the-love-of-ina
The Pe�afrancia Festival: For the love of 'Ina'

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Monday, September 3, 2012

Good News!!!!!!!!!!: Xoom and Jollibee Announce a Special Offer for Fil...

“Jollibee is a well-loved brand that is very much part of the Filipino culture,” said Julian King, Xoom’s Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Development. “We are very excited to partner with Jollibee and offer customers this great incentive -- to discover how convenient, safe and fast it is to send money home with Xoom.”

Jollibee, with more than 750 stores in the Philippines, is one of the most recognized and highly preferred Filipino family brands. Jollibee has an additional 80 stores outside of the Philippines, with restaurants in the United States, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei.

Good News!!!!!!!!!!: Xoom and Jollibee Announce a Special Offer for Fil...: The Philippine Star) Updated August 14, 2012 12:00 AM “Jollibee is a well-loved brand that is very much part of the Filipino culture,” s...

Xoom and Jollibee Announce a Special Offer for Filipino Remitters

The Philippine Star) Updated August 14, 2012 12:00 AM



“Jollibee is a well-loved brand that is very much part of the Filipino culture,” said Julian King, Xoom’s Senior Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Development. “We are very excited to partner with Jollibee and offer customers this great incentive -- to discover how convenient, safe and fast it is to send money home with Xoom.”

Jollibee, with more than 750 stores in the Philippines, is one of the most recognized and highly preferred Filipino family brands. Jollibee has an additional 80 stores outside of the Philippines, with restaurants in the United States, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei.

“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Xoom, a leader in the international money transfer market,” said Jonx Jongko, Marketing Manager for Jollibee, USA. “Xoom and Jollibee are both companies who value customer satisfaction, and Jollibee is happy to provide an incentive to reward new Xoom users who send money to their friends and family in the Philippines.”

For more information on this special offer, please visit www.xoom.com/jollibee.

Terms and conditions apply.

About Xoom Corporation

Xoom Corporation is a leader in the online consumer-to-consumer international money transfer industry. Our customers use Xoom to send money from any Internet-enabled computer or mobile device to family and friends in 30 countries. For more information on Xoom, visit www.xoom.com.

Source:
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleid=844890