MySolid Technologies carves niche over foreign brands

Myphone Android

Among the handful of Filipino mobile phone brands that emerged in the last two years, my[phone by MySolid Technologies Inc. stood out as a true-blue homegrown brand.

By tapping directly into the Filipino psyche via customized identifiers linked to the myphone brand consumers can easily identify with, that combined with affordability and the common features offered by foreign brands, Solid Broadband seemed sure of clinching the market in its favor.

The my[phone-Pinoyphone was launched last year with contents reflecting the Filipino culture, like the audio versions of the Holy Rosary, Stations of the Cross and Novenas, Pinoy jokes, bugtong, salawikain, alamat, and popular movie lines, original Pinoy music, food recipies and trivia.

Pinoyphone was the sub-concept of my[phone that delves into purely Pinoy matters, said Jingo Fermin, president of Mytel Mobility Solutions Inc., also a unit of Solid Group, that handles the sales and distribution of my[phone.

"We know Filipinos are very attached to foreign brand names when it comes to cell phones, according to Carlo Umali, business development manager of Solid Group Inc., the consumer electronics firm that brought such global brands such as Sony, Samsung and Aiwa in the local market.

The Ninoy and Cory collectors' edition phones were also launched last year, loaded with audio trivia, biographies, famous speeches, life stories, inspirational messages, Ninoy's letters and poems, Cory's personal prayers and testimonials, and thumb nails of Cory's paintings that could also be set as wallpaper.

When the movie New Moon of the Twilight saga was shown in local cinemas, my[phone was its official partner with specific interface, wallpapers, ring tones, SMS tones, animated icons, screen savers and actors' profiles.

"The New Moon phones made good sales returns, but after the hype the sales also took a downturn," said Fermin.  "We regarded this move more of building a marketing image for us.  This has proven that even though we are small, we are more flexible, unlike the big companies that turned down the opportunity."

MySolid Technologies also created other ventures for my[phone through custom made content, like the my[phone-Pinoyphone of Taguig City Mayor Sigfrido Tinga, who ordered 1,000 phones for his constituents.

With unique content packed into my[phone, MySolid Technologies was able to carve non-traditional channels of distribution, including religious institutions like Caritas, Radio Veritas, Word of Joy, Family Land and Couples for Christ, with a percentage of the sales allotted to support their advocacies.  Father Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas and Radio Veritas also asked MySolid Technologies to supply the needs of priests of San Carlos Seminary's Bahay Pari and the Caritas micro-finance group, Salve.

Efforts by the first Filipino mobile phone company that made the dual-SIM technology affordable are starting to pay off, as consumers are stopping in their tracks for practical reasons and added value offered by a homegrown brand.

Banking on its newfound strategic advantage, MySolid Technologies has made it a point to capture the qwerty phone market.  Apparently, qwerty phones are emerging as the preferred choice among phone users because of the single-press typing mode in writing text messages, and is fast becoming the choice  handset for the social networking addicts.  Based on the appeal of the more expensive brands, the my[phone Qwerty has a full keypad and wide LCD for web viewing, and is Java-equipped for online applications.

In a swap challenge in Davao, consumers exchanged their handsets for a myphone Qwerty so they could surf, e-mail and chat.  With hundreds joining the swap, over 2,000 handsets were taken for less than the P2,990 price tag.

The myphone Qwerty now accounts for 46 percent of the company's monthly sales, according to Fermin.  "With Qwerty models, we have hit the sweet spot that delivers safe margin where we could not only survive but also expand."

First posted on July 6, 2010.

Your Second Home in Cebu

Forget all your worries and set your eyes in Cebu this summer!  With the opening of Imperial Palace hotel, the newest condominium-hotel on Mactan Island, Cebu, experience a leisurely life with amenities of a 5-star hotel while owning a vacation home that earns for you. 

This summer, Philippine BXT Corporation will open their latest addition to their world class hotel chain.  The Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa in Maribago, Mactan Island consists of 556 deluxe and suite rooms with 24 pool villas that are fully-equipped with private pools and jacuzzis.  In addition to the 180-meter wide beach line, the resort hotel boasts of several themed pools in the very first water park in Cebu. 

Imperial Palace hotel guests get to enjoy amenities like the full-service spa and wellness center with massage rooms, sauna and plunge pool.  International cuisine, drinks and snacks will be served on several specialty restaurants and bars within the resort.  Promenade decks and the private beach provide the relaxing mood in the 7.5 hectare seaside property.

For business and private functions, the Dubhe and Selena convention and banquet halls has the capacity of 800-1,000 people with modern facilities, convenient transportation system and a huge parking lot.  Imperial Palace can accommodate small to medium size gatherings with five halls that are perfect for birthday parties, baby christening, engagement parties and family celebrations.  The resort is very accessible with just 20 minutes from Mactan International Airport and 30 minutes away from business and leisure center of Cebu City.

First Tourism Ecozone

On January 30, the Philippine BXT Corporation, the Imperial Palace developer, was officially proclaimed as Cebu’s first Tourism Economic Zone by virtue of Proclamation No. 1681 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and PEZA certificate no. EZ 08-47.  The commemorative marker was unveiled at the resort together with DOT Secretary Ace Durano, Congresswoman Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, Director General Lilia de Lima of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), DOT Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., department key officials, Imperial Palace management and Phil. BXT team.  “The Imperial Palace is one of the international hotels and resorts in the country that tends to improve the Philippine standing in terms of tourism investments and hospitality,” shares DOT Secretary Ace Durano. 

Relax and Invest

Accredited under the Dept. of Tourism’s “Live Your Dreams” campaign that encourages foreign visitors to own a second home, the Imperial Palace Hotel in Cebu puts on the market a viable investment package that includes real estate appreciation and a steady income.  Under the rental program, condotel unit owners will receive a portion of the total income of the entire hotel minus the expenses.  Thus, investors stand to earn even if their respective units are under lease or not. 

As a registered owner of a 5-star unit, buyers are entitled to shares from the Golf Course and Country club and enjoy privileges as club members.  For 60 days at any time of the year, unit owners can stay in the unit and use the waterpark facilities, fitness club and kids’ land.  Discounts of 20-40% are also available on restaurants, spa and wellness salons.

Annually, every unit owner is guaranteed of an 8% return on their investments up to three years.  On the fourth year, buyers will have a pro-rata share of the total room revenue less fees, costs and incentive shares.  There is also a buy back guarantee at its original contract price after three years from the date of final payment.  The reservation fee is P100,000 and is considered as partial payment.

“As a world tourist destination, we saw Cebu’s potential with our investments.  The warm weather, hospitality and accommodation made us very happy with our stay,” reveals Park Jong Hwan, the president of Phil. BXT Corp.  Imperial Palace Hotel group will be in management of the resort waterpark and spa.  This management group has portfolio hotels located in Seoul, South Korea, Fukuoka, Japan and now in Cebu. 
Time magazine awarded the Imperial Palace South Korea as Asia’s Best hotel in 2006.

First posted on May 26, 2010.

Womanly Touch to Success

Annette Gozon-Abrogar

Her demeanor exudes femininity.  It may be man's world out there but Annette Gozon-Abrogar, the President of GMA Films, Inc. and GMA Worldwide, Inc, proved that caring your femininity in the workplace can be an asset.  Her womanhood transcends to the network's TV programming and movie offerings and that is where her success lies.

Formally known as Atty. Anna Teresa M. Gozon-Abrogar, Annette has both degrees in law and management engineering from the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively, both with honors as cum laude.  She got her Masters degree in law from Harvard University.  She became a junior partner in Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila and an Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines, College of Law where she taught taxation.  "I was a full-time lawyer before but with GMA, I became a part of the team that makes the final decision when it comes to content and program schedules.  That is where I started," Annette explains.

Currently, the GMA Kapuso Network enjoys top ratings on most of their shows during prime time and daytime viewing in Mega Manila and the rest of Luzon.  Interestingly enough, a number of the network's top rating shows headline women as protagonists.  "Most of our viewers are women.  They are our main target audience.  Having a perspective of a woman provides a lot of benefit.  We do not have to second-guess what our largest audience wants," shares Abrogar.  "For GMA, we want to portray the woman in her entirety, so we will be able to show the realities surrounding women in an inspiring way.  We would like to show their strength as modern women and empower them to be the best women they can be."

"We often show women as heroines, as fighters, as strong people in celebration of womahood.  The best example would be the four sangres of Encantandia that showed different strengths of women yet, also the bonds of sisterhood, of the mother and child relationship, among others.  That show encompassed the many facets of womanhood."  Most shows on QTV11, co-produced with GMA Network, are also geared toward women audiences, "but we also target the whole family", adds Annette.

As one of the network's executives, Annette Gozon-Abrogar is very comfortable being herself and a woman and her position further boosts her confidence.  "There are a lot of females in the (media) industry.  As to gender issues, I particularly did not have any difficulties.  I would say we have a woman-friendly environment."  True enough, she credits her feel of the market to her innate, womanly attributes.  "Being a woman is advantageous.  Women are naturally more emotional speak more than what the mind says.  We are more in touch with our emotions and that is needed in programming."

Definitely, Annette is passionate about her work but she equally shares that passion for her family.  As a mother of two children, ages five and nine, she makes sure she attends to them whenever she is at home.  "Being a mother is fun and at the same time exhausting.  My children are demanding of my attention and of course, I give in.  We play and cook together and go malling.  For me, a successful woman is happy and content with herself and her family.  Women today play a lot of roles in the workplace and at home.  But whatever role she plays, as long as there is happiness at home, there is already success.  The key is to find the right balance between work and family."

Speaking on top of her game, Annette Gozon Abrogar shares her vision for the Filipina, "I want the Filipina to be empowered.  Given any situation, they should always find strength within themselves.  But they should also not lose that special feminine touch that enables them to be caring persons...be it as mothers, co-workers, relatives or friends.  As for GMA, our audience can always expect that we would exert all our efforts to give them the best programming possible."


First posted on August 25, 2010.

Flower Power: a livelihood blooms

With scant resources, they say "Make do with what we have."  The women of Cainta, Rizal did just that with water lily.

One hardly notices the water lily except when they have clogged canals, rivers and waterways of the Pasig River, Laguna de Bay, and other coastal areas.  The water lily, more appropriately called the water hyacinth, is known as a "nuisance" by most fishing communities but now, this aquatic plant is considered as an important source of raw material.

Processing of water hyacinth involves scouring, cutting, harvesting, drying, dyeing, bleaching, treating, waxing, and finishing of the indigenous fibers.  The material then can be used in the production of bags, wall décor, table runner, pouches, mats and slippers. 

When the innovative "leather look" was introduced to the fiber cloth, local producers have started to supply this raw material to international bag makers like Cora Jacobs.

Aside from consumer products, the water hyacinth's fibrous stem can be turned into charcoal and organic fertilizer.

Among the communities that has benefited from harnessing the water hyacinth are the families from Bagong Cainta, Cainta, Rizal.  With the help from Manila Electric Co., 32 women recently attended a livelihood program on the production of the water hyacinth fiber cloth.  The said program was aimed to assist families adversely affected by typhoon Ondoy.  The training was conducted by Cesar Pasco, founding chairman of Samahan para Gabayan ang Nayon ng San Pedro, San Pablo City and proprietor of Sarilikha Handicrafts.

First posted on August 5, 2010.

Riding the property boom

With numerous real estate developments and expanding markets, the Philippine real estate industry rests comfortably on the crest of an industry boom.

Viewed as prime investments, big industry players like Ayala Land Inc., Robinson's Land Corp., Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. and Megaworld Corp. are now joined by SM Development Corp., Eton Properties Philippines Inc. and DMCI Holdings, Inc.

"The demand for housing is on the rise and I do not foresee any downturn in the next 10 years," shares Bibcee de Guzman, Caloocan chapter president of  the Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines.  "The investment climate is good and nobody's scared to develop real estate projects.  When the construction stops, that is the time to worry."

The promising developments in the real estate industry provide enough reasons for buyers and investors to seriously look into the market.

Rising from the global financial crisis, the local real estate prices remain competitive.  The Ondoy tragedy dampened the market for some months but has been seen on the rebound lately.  Vibrant as it is, the industry even attracts foreign property investors and buyers.

Our banking system remains strong and liquid and these contributes to both investors and consumer confidence.  From 30-percent loan interest rate during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, banks now offer 10.75 percent to an even low interest rate of 8.50 percent.  For low-cost housing, Pag-Ibig Home Development Mutual Fund offers 6-percent interest on housing loans with payment terms extended up to 30 years.

Tourist arrivals are steadily rising and the figure easily translates to a surge in demand for hotels and condominiums.  In the first quarter of 2009, a total of 1.3 million tourists arrived in the country.  For the same quarter this year, tourist arrivals grew by 7.89 percent.  Foreigners are also taking advantage of the retirement packages and incentives for ownership as provided by law.

The Philippines, through the Philippine Retirement Authority, has been attracting foreign retirees to settle in the country. In fact, prospective investors are already eyeing to put up retirement villages in Pampanga, Zambales and Bataan.

Medical tourists, attracted by lower costs, quality services and tourist spots, add the numbers in the demand for accommodations.

The projections for offshoring and outsourcing businesses that require the availability office rentals and commercial office spaces remain optimistic.  Office rentals in Makati, Fort Bonifacio and Ortigas are highly-favored locations in the Metro.  

Migrant workers have great interest in Philippine properties because prices are more affordable than those overseas.

As a rule of thumb, it is always best to transact with certified real estate brokers and reputable real estate companies in the Philippines when considering acquisition of real properties.

To set higher standards for the industry, Republic Act 9646 was approved by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last June 29, 2009.  Entitled as An Act Regulating the Practice of Real Estate Service in the Philippines, Creating for the purpose of a Professional Regulatory Board for Real Estate Service, Appropriating Funds Therefore and for other purposes, the law covers all industry players including investors, brokers, appraisers, city assessors and real estate consultants. 

Brokers are now bound by law to apply for their licenses, pay taxes and comply with industry regulations.  The implementing rules and guidelines were published last July 24 and fully implemented last August 9.

"We welcome this law because we are now considered as professionals.  With this law in place, we are protected from colorum agents that stripped us of sales opportunities in the same manner that buyers are protected from shady transactions," adds De Guzman.  "Real estate buyers lose huge amounts of money as they become victims of scams especially with the introduction of online selling.  But since we will now carry brokerage licenses, buyers can go to the Professional Regulation Commission for verification."

In the same manner, property titles can be checked for authenticity with the Register Deeds, Assessor's Office and the Land Registration Authority.  The LRA is now putting into motion its program of filing land titles in digital format to curb the proliferation of fake documents.  Land titles in digital format can already found in Quezon City, Cebu and Parañaque.

Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines is composed of more than 500 regular and associate members spread over 21 chapters in Metro Manila and the provinces. Under the leadership of national president Emily Quevedo-Duterte, the association  remains as the premiere real estate organization in the country aimed at professionalizing the real estate industry and raising the level of ethical standards of licensed real estate practitioners.

First posted on December 2, 2010.

Citizen Eco-drive: Batteries are not included

Your active lifestyle need not be hindered with antiquated personal, everyday accessory like your wristwatch.  Gone are days when you have to crank up your watch every day, adjust the date at month’s end and disrupt your daily routine just to replace your watch’s battery.  With the Citizen Eco-drive line, all you need is light to be unstoppable. 

Citizen Eco-drive Satellite Wave watch

Citizen Eco-drive watches are solely powered by light.  Introduced years ago, Citizen Eco-drive watches apply today’s advanced technology for a more convenient and user-friendly products.  Under the guiding principle “fusion of beauty and technology”, impressive are the Citizen’s timepieces with its exquisite beauty in modern features and design. The new line of Eco-Drive products showcase the Radio Controlled watches, the Twin Date Perpetual calendars, Aqualand diver’s watches, Sports watches and the Complication series.

The old ways of discarding used battery had become obsolete with the Eco-drive models.  This line relies on light power for its multiple functions.  Through the photovoltaic process, the crystal and dial on every timepiece converts solar energy to electrical power.  This makes it possible to harness the power of light from any natural and artificial source.  When sufficiently charged, excess power is then stored in a special energy storage cell that can last up to 40 years. 

Eco-drives watches must be regularly exposed to light but it is so energy-efficient that it only requires very little light for normal use.  Even in total darkness, a fully-charged Eco-drive watch can run for 45 days to 5 years depending on the model.  Low maintenance, free charging and environment-friendly, the Citizen Eco-drive can be your lifetime wrist companion.

For active world travelers, the Global Radio Controlled watches can provide precise time
anywhere in Europe, the United States and Japan.  Radio transmissions from Germany, United States and Japan are channeled through the watches by choosing a local area for the most accurate world time.  These watches can show time in your home city, UTC time, local time and date so that any trip through different time zone are more manageable and convenient.  Breeze thru 43 cities and 29 time zones with the interchangeable display of the home time and local time with the radio controlled timepieces.

When you switch into different time zones, this can make your calendar date quite confusing.  With the Eco-drive perpetual calendar models you have access to a big date display with two disks.  Each disk has its own motor for separate control and adjustment.  Time difference will automatically change whether in advance or reverse over a 24-hour period.  With the light power feature and the perpetual calendar, you are totally free from battery changes and date adjustments.

On top of the Citizen diver’s watches is the Aqualand Eco-Drive.  It is the first light- powered diving watch that starts measuring depth, temperature and diving duration as soon as it is underwater.  Its bold asymmetrical form and coloration highlights the many features that compliment the diving experience as technically-sound and worry-free.

Sports watches require precision and reliability that is critical to the game.  Eco-drive watches have both functionality and reliability.  One hand moves on 1/5 of a second and instantaneously returns to 0 (zero) position as needed.  The stylish solid case and detailed face of this watch comes very elegant for a sports watch.

The Complication series only means that these particular models “fuse complicated functionality into refined style”.  The Eco-Drive Minutes Repeater has chimes to announce time with a distinctive face design.  Other models sport an asymmetrical design with minute measuring display on a semicircular design.  Different functions can be changed by simply adjusting the crown.

A special power save function can also be found on some Eco-Drive models.  This feature allows the watch to conserve power when light is not readily available.  This allows extended run times from a single full charge.  Some functions may cease to operate with insufficient light but correct time is always kept internally.  So, there is no time to wait. Get going with Eco-drive now.

First posted on June 7, 2010.

Reforestation site now a wildlife sanctuary

United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) have successfully restored the 33.3-hectare UCPB-CIIF Reforestation site in Sitio Boso-Boso, Antipolo, Rizal as a natural habitat for a growing number of Philippine flora and fauna, some of which are rare and threatened with extinction.

In 1990, UCPB embarked on the reforestation program in response to the call of government for the private sector to take an active role in protecting the environment.  The Environment and Natural Resources Department initially awarded the bank stewardship over 20 hectares of denuded forestland.

Through its UCPB-CIIF Foundation,  the site was maintained by organizing treks for UCPB Group employees and plant four kinds of indigenous tree species on selected areas within the site.
A full-time forester was hired to manage the reforestation activities.  Aside from the annual treks involving employees from the bank, its subsidiaries and affiliate companies, an onsite tree nursery was established.

The reforestation work was completed in 2002 with more than 42,000 trees planted on the site.  The   Environment and Natural Resources Department then increased the reforestration site to 33.3 hectares.

Employees of the UCPB-CIIF Foundation and the UCPB-CIIF Finance and Development Corp. took part in the trek at the reforestation site in July.  In previous tree-planting activities, employees of UCPB Savings Bank, UCPB Leasing and Finance Corp., UCPB Securities, UCPB General Insurance, Cocolife and Cocoplans participated.
Haribon Foundation, a private conservation group, had recommended the planting of indigenous tree species to further enhance the reforestation site’s biodiversity.  “Indigenous tree species are more appropriate for watershed or forest rehabilitation. The use of indigenous tree species will recreate an ecosystem similar to the original state of the area.  As foundation species, they can provide habitat to many wildlife species and help restore the faunal biodiversity, ” stressed by the group.

In a recent biodiversity survey of the site, Haribon Foundation found 108 species of trees, shrubs, palms, herbs and ferns; 53 species of birds, six species of mammals and seven species of amphibians and reptiles.

Haribon recorded 19 more new animal species than were reported in previous surveys of the area, which suggests that the successful reforestation of the area is giving rise to a thriving wildlife. 

Among the notable bird species that the Haribon team observed during its survey are the Philippine Serpent-Eagle, the Indigo-banded Kingfisher, the Red-bellied Pitta, the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, the Philippine Hawk-Owl and the Ashy Thrush.  The latter two are significant finds since they can be found only in the Philippines and both face serious threat of extinction owing to habitat loss.   

The mammal population on the site had grown as well. Civet cats or Musang and chattering groups of long-tailed Macaques or Unggoy now roam the reforested area.

Haribon also noted the presence of fruit bats as very encouraging since they “play a pivotal role in the ecology of the forest ecosystem” as pollinators and seed dispersers.  Another bat specie, the Flat-headed Bat, one of the smallest bats in the world measuring only 5 centimeters in length, made the bamboo groves on the site its home.

First posted on October 8, 2010.