Housing projects in towns

Sun.Star Cebu <> Saturday, February 28, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

A REAL estate developer is focusing on property development in the countryside.

Cebu Landmasters Inc. president Jose Soberano said housing projects in the countryside would spur development outside of existing urban centers as “they (housing projects) will be building communities and creating a critical mass.”

“We are trying to push for development in the countryside. We will deliver good products that will enable the distance factor to urban centers to become shorter, as well as attract potential homeowners to get a house close to their family and friends,” Soberano told Sun.Star Cebu.

He added that the countryside is also “environmentally conducive and refreshing” to live in.

“Why should beautiful homes be concentrated in major urban centers? We as developers should also find ways and means to reach out to those people who can enjoy the amenities of a beautiful house and yet (want to stay) there in their (hometowns),” Soberano said.

Next month, Cebu Landmasters will launch its fifth residential community in Cebu. Called San Josemaria Village-Toledo, it will be located on a 3.6-hectare lot in Media Once, Toledo City.

Site development map of San Josemaria Village-Toledo that will be launched on March 14, 2009. (Photo taken from www.cebulandmasters.com)

Soberano said Cebu Landmasters is “prepared” for what the global financial crisis will bring to the real estate market, adding that the company will continue to build homes for working class individuals, local families, overseas Filipino workers and expatriates.

Depending on its assessment of the market amid the global financial crisis, Cebu Landmasters plans to construct a 16-storey residential condominium at Asiatown IT Park.

This project, which will house about 90 units, will target expatriates, middle management employees and investors not necessarily coming from the Asiatown IT Park.

“The public will always be looking for a valuable investment for them to own. Whether that market comes now or six months from now or a year from now, it is definitely the market I want to tap,” said Soberano.

Cebu Landmasters, incorporated in 2003, is also eyeing this year the expansion of San Josemaria Villages in Minglanilla and Balamban.

Soberano said the take-up of the first phase of the two residential communities has been strong with buyers coming mostly from the area and from neighboring towns.

“We continue to move forward. The market (for housing) will always be there. As long as one has the right product in terms of size, design, and price attractiveness, one continues to attract the market,” Soberano said.

Filed under: Business , balamban, minglanilla, real estate, Toledo City

SME moves on despite global economic crisis

Sun.Star Cebu <> Friday, February 27, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

THE global financial crisis has not stopped a small Cebu-based company selling corporate giveaways from pursuing its goal to become a one-stop shop of creative services for the local market.

“I don’t believe that you can’t do anything during a crisis. The present times may be hard but it’s a matter of being creative.It should prompt (businesses) to do more (for their customers),” said Charmaine Ong, Customized Giveaways by Tropical Souvenirs International managing director.

Apart from maintaining its niche as a supplier of personalized items, Tropical Souvenirs International is offering new services this year. The company plans to offer tarpaulin printing, as well as event tie-ups, events organizing and decorating.

Ong said that the company came up with the services, which were offered starting last month, in response to client inquiries.

“I also added services because I want to maximize my resources and the potential of my people,” said Ong, who attributed her training in events organizing to her being an active member of the Junior Chamber International (JCI)-Zugbuana Chapter.

Tropical Souvenirs International, which has a staff of five, is the result of Ong’s desire to venture into the sale of corporate giveaways. Its office on Diamond St. in Lahug, Cebu City was established in August 2005 with a P200,000 investment.

The company sells customized sports bottles, mugs, desktop accessories, plaques, trophies, medals, bag hooks and calculators.

“Cebu is a growing and developing province. There is still so much room for corporate giveaways, although there are already several players in this business,” she said.

“The present times may be hard but it’s a matter of being creative,” said Charmaine Ong, Customized Giveaways by Tropical Souvenirs International managing director. (Foto by Nancy Cudis/nrcportfolio)

Her company caters to micro, small and medium enterprises in the lending and real estate sectors. The company also has big corporate clients in Metro Cebu.

Despite the global financial crisis, Ong observed that local companies continue to buy corporate giveaways for clients since these items are already part of their budget.

Apart from establishing relationships with regular customers, Tropical Souvenirs International also offers to personalize imported giveaways.

Without mentioning figures, Ong said the company’s sales in 2008 increased compared to 2006 and 2007.

Filed under: Business , cebu, corporate giveaways, souvenirs

Real estate brokers set forum on industry rules

Sun.Star Cebu <> Friday, February 27, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

TO reduce the incidence of buyers being duped into buying questionable properties, an organization of real estate brokers and licensed salesmen will hold a forum today that tackles the regulatory framework, current professional practices and issues behind real estate selling.

According to the Philippine Allied Chamber of Real Estate Brokers and Licensed Salesmen (Philacre), the event will establish a credible network of trusted professionals and address the increase in complaints against bogus real estate practitioners.

“Real estate is the country’s driving force to generate jobs and windfall for the country. A trustworthy real estate chain means high buyer confidence. Selling is not the only thing there is for a real estate professional. We also need to sell that trust to our buyers,” said Philacre president Anthony Leuterio in a statement.

The forum, organized by Philacre in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), will be held today at the Sacred Heart Center Cebu.

Zaide Bation, chief of DTI-Trade and Regulatory Division, will talk on the laws covering real estate selling, recent promulgations on licensing, and conflict resolution among brokers, salesmen, and developers.

“One of our thrusts as an organization is to cooperate with regulatory agencies like the DTI to help brokers and agents become more aware of their legal obligations as professionals. This way, we help boost the real estate industry by dealing only with credible brokers and agents not run-of-the-mills,” explained Leuterio.

The free discussion-forum is open to real estate brokers, licensed salesmen, developers, investors, buyers, businessmen, aspiring brokers and property salesmen.

Philacre-a non-stock, non-profit, apolitical organization-aims to unify the highly-segmented real estate industry by reminding players, although competitors, to collaborate and help spur real estate investments in the country amid the global financial crisis.

Filed under: Business , cebu, Philacre, real estate

Jobless OFWs need to learn other skills to find new work amid crisis

Sun.Star Cebu <> Thursday, February 26, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) are urged to update or learn new skills to prepare themselves for possible effects of the global financial crisis on their employers.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) 7 officer-in-charge Evelia Durato said these new skills will mean higher chances to fill in “a good number” of available job contracts.

She told Sun.Star Cebu that there were more than 225,000 job contracts approved by POEA from October 2008 to Feb. 15, 2009. About 155,000 jobs are still available for those who want to work abroad or displaced overseas contract workers.

These jobs involved technical, administration and clerical work in the sales, service, agriculture, manufacturing and professional sectors, among others.

“If displaced OFWs are equipped with new skills, they would have the potential to fill in these available job orders. They could contact Tesda (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) for skills training opportunities,” Durato said in a phone interview.

She said POEA records show that 5,332 OFWs in different countries—working in sectors like electronics, construction, garments, hotel, cruises and metalwork, among others—have been displaced as of Feb. 16 due to the global economic turmoil.

About 4,413 of them have returned to the country. Their retrenchment was caused by various factors, including job redundancy, workforce reduction, suspension of construction projects and slowdown in company operations.

Durato stressed that POEA continues to deploy OFWs. She said her office sent 4,534 workers to other countries, especially to the Middle East, in January 2009 alone.

“This (figure) is a 25.9 percent increase over the same month last year when there were about 3,600 OFWs deployed,” she said.

Nationwide, the POEA processed 82,000 contracts and deployed 157,000 workers last month. Last year, POEA processed a total of 1.3 contracts and deployed more than 1.4 workers.

“If we will compare the displacements with the number of available job contracts, the (situation) is not yet gloomy. Workers can still apply or re-apply,” Durato said.

The POEA has required licensed recruitment agencies and staffing offices to immediately report cancellation of job orders.

Durato said that they are looking at the Middle East, Canada and Guam to absorb displaced workers or take in new OFWs for sectors that are less affected by the global crisis.

She also disclosed that the verification of employment contracts for Canada is now limited to household workers, signaling a faster application process for non-household applicants.

Filed under: Business , Dole, global financial crisis, OFWs, POEA

Hotel developer eyes ‘enhancers’

Sun.Star Cebu <> Wednesday, February 25, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

SETTING up “value enhancers” to an investment piece will encourage more foreign investors and tourists to pour in money to the local real estate sector, an industry player said.

With this belief, a subsidiary of Cebu-based property developer J. King and Sons announced that Crown Regency Hotel and Towers (Fuente Tower 1) will soon house Health Horizon that will provide medical diagnostic services on two floors of the facility.

The developer will also set aside three floors as regeneration suites for the patients’ post-operation, stress management and recovery needs.

Fuente Triangle Realty Development vice president for sales and marketing Jose Ma. Gianzon said these centers are some facilities that add value to the investment opportunities at Club Ultima.

“While tourists and businessmen come to look around for possible investments, they can stay here and, at the same time, have yearly check-ups at Health Horizon,” he said.

He explained that for an area like Cebu to attract more travelers, it should have three factors.

These are housing that already includes hotels and condominiums, lifestyle and leisure and health services, he said.

“These are our humble contributions to the medical tourism drive of the Department of Tourism,” said Gianzon, referring to the Health Horizon and the regeneration suites.

He observed that the medical tourism campaign in other countries includes the putting up of “hospitels” or a combination of a hospital and hotel.

“We are starting to pattern our concepts after this in order to get a chunk of the growing tourist market. They would find our country suitable since it is tropical, inexpensive, and there is still huge potential for real estate development and investment here,” he said.

Slowdown

The National Economic and Development Authority 7 earlier said that Region 7’s real estate and construction industries were among the sectors that were affected by the global economic slowdown during the third quarter of 2008.

Fuente Triangle Realty earlier said it has intensified its marketing efforts to attract prospective buyers who are less affected by the global financial crisis.

It had revealed eyeing markets in the Middle East and other parts of Asia.

Incorporated three years ago, it is the sales and marketing arm of Ultima Residences Towers, which is among J. King and Sons Co. Inc.’s (JKSCI) projects in Cebu.

JKSCI is simultaneously implementing real estate developments in Cebu City (Fuente Tower 3 and Ultima Residences Ramos Tower) and in Boracay (Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center).

Filed under: Business , Club Ultima

Displaced OFWs to get training

Sun.Star Cebu <> Tuesday, February 24, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

A LIVELIHOOD training program will focus on families of displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid the crisis.

The economic downturn prompted Globe Telecom Inc. to “refocus” its corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects to address the needs of the times.

Along with this realignment is the company’s thrust to intensify capacity-building programs for individuals and institutions to strengthen the people’s management skills and reinforce their entrepreneurial attitude.

“We are refocusing (some) of our CSR projects. What kind of projects to engage in is really necessary in times of crisis,” said Globe community relations head Jeffrey Tarayao.

With reports of jobless OFWs coming back to the country, Globe will be targeting more OFW families than community organizations for its enterprise development projects under the company’s flagship CSR program, Bridging Communities (Globe BridgeCom).

Globe BridgeCom’s five areas of social investment are education and technology, enterprise development, environment, youth development, and community involvement and volunteerism.

Information

Tarayao said that there were 36 livelihood training provided last year mostly to community organizations.

This year, they will give 15 livelihood training, a bulk of which will be offered to OFW families.

“It will only be 15 because we will be holding (more) entrepreneurship fairs to provide people with more access to (business-related) information,” he told reporters last week.

While the venues for this year’s fairs are yet to be identified, Tarayao said that they are also studying possible locations where there is high concentration of OFW returnees and OFW families.

The Globe BridgeCom entrepreneurship fairs that showcase micro-enterprises and programs in a “highly localized and highly contextualized” manner was piloted in 2007 and was held in five different areas in the country last year.

At the same time, Tarayao said that the company is developing products to encourage more, especially the masses, to become entrepreneurs.

“A corollary requirement with these business opportunities is the attitude of the entrepreneur. This is why we are strong about capacity building to strengthen a person’s management skills and perspectives and to prepare him (for business),” he said.

One capacity building support that Globe will pursue this year is to help public high schools design sustainability programs for their Internet connectivity in terms of usage, integration in classes, and continuity of service.

Meanwhile, Globe will also boost its CSR program for environment, especially Globe’s Bantay Baterya that aims to recycle 100 percent of the company’s lead-acid batteries from all its cell sites and operations.

“We are intensifying this project because it provides savings for us,” said Tarayao.

Filed under: Business , Globe, OFWs

65 schools sustain IT program

Sun.Star Cebu <> Tuesday, February 24, 2009

BY NANCY R. CUDIS, Sun.Star Staff Reporter

ACADEMIC institutions are urged to learn from other public high schools that are able to sustain the Internet connectivity program made available in their campuses for their students.

About 65 of these Cebu-based public high schools were recognized during the opening of the third Cebu Education Expo at SM City Cebu last week.

Globe, through its corporate social responsibility arm Globe Bridging Communities (Globe BridgeCom), honored them for having continued their Internet connectivity for at least three years and for integrating information technology (IT) in their regular classroom activities.

The schools from the education divisions of Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Man-daue City, Talisay City and Toledo City are Globe Bridge-Com’s partners in one of its major education programs, the Internet-in-Schools Program (ISP).

Utilize

“It is never impossible for other schools to follow. This (sustainability) is something we want to advocate.

It is not just mere technology. Technology will not be a good currency if the user will not utilize it,” said Globe community relations head Jeffrey Tarayao in a press conference at Krua Thai, SM City Cebu last week.

He explained that ISP uses Globe Broadband to provide a one-year free Internet connectivity in public high schools in the country. Schools will start paying on the second year yet.

Of the 163 public high schools in Cebu that were connected to the Internet since ISP was implemented in the province in 2001, 96 of them are active while 65 have been connected for at least three years already.

Among them are Tayud National High School in Consolacion and Florencio Urot Memorial National High School in Cebu City.

Myrna Soco of Tayud National High School said they were able to sustain their Internet connectivity through a partnership with their municipal government that helps them pay the bills.

Fees

Also, a student majoring in computer under their technology and livelihood education class is required to pay P30 a month while non-majors will have to shell out a monthly P5 fee.

Soco said that ISP enables their teachers to utilize Internet in their lessons and encourage students to join and win in IT-related contests, such as web page design and desktop publishing.

For Severino Getigan, IT coordinator of Florencio Urot Memorial National High School, the students’ consistent exposure to the Internet is encouraging them to take IT-related courses in college.

Literacy

Part of his school’s sus-tainability plan is to offer basic computer literacy classes for outsiders at a
minimal fee.

Tarayao said that Globe BridgeCom is looking at providing Internet connectivity to more schools in the country this year.

ISP is also Globe’s contribution to the nationwide program, Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students or more known as Gilas.

Filed under: Business , cebu, cebu education expo, Globe BridgeCom, information technology