CLIENT UPDATES
Lucio Tan firm bullish on mid-income housing prospects for 2012
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| The Manors: One of Eton's mid-rise communities. |
Said EPPI President Danilo Ignacio, "The outgoing year has seen brisk take up of our middle income projects. We see this continuing next year given the now established preference of the market for residential projects like BCI's as these are not only accessible to their workplace, but also have excellent features and amenities."
BCI was established by Eton Properties to particularly cater to the mid-market segment by coming up with projects that will meet the financial capacities of middle-income families, where most OFW families belong, as well as families with monthly income of at least Php 50,000.BCI's projects, for example, are accessible or a short travel away from work and other frequented destinations like schools and malls. And aside from attractive features and amenities, the affordable pricing that comes with several flexible-financing options is the one that makes the market put their money on mid-market homes.
With its aggressive stance to capture this market segment, the steady growth in the number of residential projects of BCI mirrors the rise of mid-market condos in Metro Manila. From its first project, The Manors at North Belton Communities in 2008, BCI now has in its sleeves several other mid-market residential developments, also within North Belton Communities, namely, West Wing Villas and West Wing Residences. It also has its latest residential haven in Quezon City, West Wing Tropics. These projects range from house and lots, mid-rise condominiums and townhouses. To know more about BCI projects, please call 983 5932 or visit www.beltoncommunities.com.North Belton Communities is BCI's 13.8-hectare multi-enclave development along Quirino Highway in Quezon City. An SM mall will be built on the three-hectare lot inside North Belton Communities. Living beside a major mall promises to be one of the best conveniences North Belton Communities could ever offer its residents.
Existing and future homeowners of residential enclaves within North Belton Communities will likewise enjoy close proximity to other major QC malls. It is right across SM Hypermarket Novaliches and 10 minutes away from Eton Centris, SM City North and Trinoma. Schools and hospitals are also within easy reach. The rest of metro Manila and nearby provinces are also accessible via Quirino and Mindanao Avenues and the new Mindanao-NLEX access. Said Ignacio, "Through BCI, Eton Properties is proud to be a part of the industry's move in the past few years to provide quality, strategically located and affordable homes to more and more hardworking Filipinos. We are committed to bring more dreams of home ownership come true."(UPDATES January '12)
FedEx/ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital Program Recognized at the AmCham CSR Excellence Awards
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| FedEx and ORBIS team delivering the gift of sight to an eye patient during the Manila visit of the FedEx/ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital – the world's only eye surgical and training hospital with wings. |
Now in its third year, the AmCham CSR Excellence Awards recognizes and honors AmCham Philippines member companies and individuals who have implemented outstanding and innovative corporate social responsibility programs, which demonstrate corporate stewardship and create an impact in their communities.
FedEx has been committing its unparalleled networks, dedicated employees and vast aviation expertise to support ORBIS and the Flying Eye Hospital program since 1982. FedEx support comes in the form of donations, critical aircraft maintenance, complimentary transportation services for critically needed medical supplies, and commitment of volunteer time from FedEx pilots and other employees. With FedEx support, the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital is able to deliver its vital cache of supplies to the people and places in the world where it is needed most.During the Philippine visit, FedEx and ORBIS named Dr. Buenjim Mariano, a Filipino pediatric ophthalmologist, a FedEx Fellow. The fellowship provided him the opportunity to complete a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship training in London, United Kingdom. Upon completion of the fellowship and his return to the country, Dr. Mariano will be able to put his newly acquired skills into practice.
As the leading aviation sponsor of the Flying Eye Hospital, FedEx has recently taken its commitment to the next level with its donation of a third-generation FEH, in the form of an MD-10 cargo aircraft and a renewed 5-year support commitment to ORBIS.FedEx has always been committed to building strong, sustainable communities in the Philippines. FedEx also actively supports community building initiatives together with nonprofit organizations such as Safe Kids, Gawad Kalinga, Kythe, and Junior Achievement. FedEx employee volunteers play an active role by dedicating their time and talents to the company's philanthropy initiatives.
(UPDATES January '12)
TIP Pays Tribute to Teachers Everywhere in "Teacher, Teacher" Book
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| Host Judy Ann Santos with Apo Floors Communication Manager Missy Castro at the set of Pinoy Jr. Masterchef. |
The Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) launched a commemorative publication that resonates this empowerment, on January 21, 2012 at the Anniversary Hall of the TIP Campus along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City. The book, aptly entitled "Teacher Teacher": A Tribute to Teachers Everywhere is not only a literary homage to the noble profession of teaching, it is also TIP's way of honoring the teachers who have molded generations of young minds into becoming better individuals. The book launch marks the first of a series of special events that form part of TIP's 50th Foundation Anniversary celebrations.
TIP was founded in 1962 by Engr. Demetrio Quirino Jr. and co-founded by his wife Dr. Teresita Quirino, both of whom were classroom teachers themselves. From its humble beginnings in 1962 TIP has become a true Filipino success story of grit and determination, now punctuating its golden anniversary with this book that is a sterling tribute to teachers.Brought together by renowned editorial consultant Abe Florendo, Teacher Teacher features 30 essays about 30 different teachers who are not just mere mentors but who are also parents, friends, or people with real life professions such as a member of the clergy, a boss, and an engineer. They are special people who have touched the lives of some of the country's most influential literary professionals, writers, artists, and teachers.
Dr. Teresita Quirino, who wrote the book's Foreword, heads an impressive roster of contributing essayists. Among those who also looked back and contributed their stories about their own unforgettable and influential mentors are noted journalists Jessica Soho, Thelma San Juan, Rosario Garcellano, Barbara Gonzales, Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., Jessica Zafra, Vergel Santos, and Lourd de Veyra; Fr. Antonio Moreno, SJ, Ateneo de Zamboanga University president; Dr. Reynaldo Vea, Mapua Institute of Technology president; Sr. Mary Pilar L.Verzosa, RGS; Press Secretary Sonny Coloma; premiere ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde; sculptor Impy Pilapil; PR practitioner Joy Buensalido; marketing consultant Cynthia Gruet; entrepreneur Jose Mordeno; poet and visual artist Elizabeth Lolarga; UP Associate Professor Grace Shangkuan Koo; cookbook author Michaela Fenix; astrologer George Sison; businesswoman Ruth Minerva Cruz; and Cynthia Ferrer Gubler, who wrote the book's light-hearted epilogue. Members of the TIP management, president Dr. Elizabeth Lahoz, vice presidents Engr. Severino Pader and Dr. Cynthia Llanes, also contributed their essays, while entries of TIP students Erika Kristel Gonzaga and Frances Joyce Vallejos who won in the TIP essay-writing contest were also included in the book.(UPDATES January '12)
DBM joins the Cloud revolution, partners with IP-Converge for Google Apps
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| In photo are (L-R): Mr. Vinzon R. Manansala, Division Chief - Systems Development & Maintenance Division, Department of Budget and Management; Usec. Richard E. Moya, Undersecretary/Chief Information Officer, Department of Budget and Management; Mr. Reynaldo R. Huergas, President, IP-Converge; and Mr. Hernand A. Hermida, VP for Service Delivery – Business Solutions Group, IP-Converge |
"Through our partnership with IP-Converge, we wish to join several businesses and government agencies in taking advantage of the Cloud Age to improve key areas in our operations, most especially document collaboration. The resulting efficiencies will translate to direct, immediate, and sustainable benefits for the Filipino public through well-delivered services," DBM Undersecretary and Chief Information Officer Bon Moya said.
For his part, IP-Converge President Rene Huergas said, "We are glad to be able to help DBM further enhance its efficiency and empower its employees through Google's reliable, cloud-based office productivity tools."The use of Google Apps for Business has proven benefits and savings, as it requires no hardware or software installation and needs only minimal administration, creating tremendous time and cost savings for business and public entities. Email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, calendaring and scheduling, groups, intranets and video sharing can all be used in one very cost-effective package.
"Through IP-Converge's cloud services, we expect to see increased efficiency and improved productivity for our employees through better coordination and document sharing," said Moya.Google Apps also enables full administrative and data control, allowing Administrators to deeply customize Google Apps to meet their technical, branding and business requirements. Google Apps is highly reliable and easy to operate, but customers requiring administration support can immediately contact IP-Converge, which has received training, support and deployment services from Google, as well as access to APIs for integrating Google Apps into customers' business operations.
"We urge other government agencies like DBM to take advantage of Cloud Computing and the benefits they stand to gain from taking their operations to the Cloud," said Huergas. "Accessibility, data security and easier collaboration are just a few features that will surely improve overall productivity in the workplace." he adds.IP-Converge is one of the country's prime movers of Cloud Computing, offering a full suite of Cloud solutions, from Infrastructure-as-a-Service operating in its telco-grade data centers, to Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service through its partnerships with Google and other world-leaders in the Cloud Computing space.
(UPDATES January '12)
American Express salutes winners of Asia CEO Awards 2011
AMERICAN Express was the proud presenter of the Asia CEO Awards 2011 held November 10 at Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport City Complex. The awards night was a gathering of various distinguished corporations and individuals operating in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region, with more than 600 executives and senior leaders in attendance.A total of 11 awards, including a Special Lifetime Contributor Award, were given in recognition of the company or individual's leadership excellence and accomplishments within their organization or to others. Various corporations, which acted as co-sponsors, presented the accolades to the winners, namely:
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| In photo from left are Grace Limjap, Marketing Lead, Malaysia and Philippines, JAPA, Global Network Services at American Express; Ashutosh Agrawal, Vice President, Head of Commercial Cards, JAPA, Global Network Services at American Express; and Ophie Camiña, Senior Vice President, BDO Consumer Lending Group Cards Issuing Business Head. |
1. KPMG Winner for Executive Leadership Team of the Year - Magsaysay Maritime Corporation
2. NorthGate Arinso Winner for Top Employer Organization - Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Philippines Corp
3. PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Winner for Global Filipino Executive of the Year – Marife Zamora
4. Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu Winner for Expatriate Executive of the Year - Maulik Parekh - SPI Global
5. Blue Cross Winner for Most Admired Board of Directors - RCBC
6. BusinessMirror Winner for Most Innovative Company – iRemit, Inc.
7. Ford Winner for Quality Excellence Company – Shangri-La
Hotels and Resorts in the Philippines
8. GettyImages/ Get Creative Winner for Sales & Marketing Team of the Year - Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc.
9. Teleperformance Winner for Finance Team of the Year – Ayala Land, Inc.
10. Accenture Winner for Technology Team of the Year - NetSuite Philippines, Inc.
11. Special Judges Award Winners for Lifetime Contributor - Cesar Virata and Henry Schumacher
American Express, a leading issuer of commercial cards serving more than 70% of the Fortune 500, as well as tens of thousands of mid-size companies around the world, said its support of the Asia CEO Awards creates a perfect fit as the Awards represent the American Express corporate values – leadership, quality, innovation and integrity.
(UPDATES January '12)
