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Dashboard (05/09/18)

Subaru Forester

Subaru cuts prices of select models

SUBARU distributor Motor Image Pilipinas said it is reducing the prices of some select Subaru models despite the higher taxes now imposed on vehicles. The discounted prices are only offered this month.
The price of the Subaru Forester 2.0i-L has been reduced by P70,000, making it P1.398 million; the Forester 2.0i-P by P60,000 to P1.618 million; and the Forester 2.0 XT by P50,000 to P1.898 million.
Also discounted are the prices of the new Subaru XV and Outback, now both equipped with the brand’s EyeSight driver assist technologies. The XV 2.0 i-S’s price was cut by P50,000, making it P1.538 million, while that of the Outback 3.6 R was reduced by P80,000 to P2.208 million.

Phoenix, RCBC unveil ‘lifestyle credit card’

PHOENIX Petroleum on April 26 announced a partnership with RCBC Bankard in which it launched the Phoenix RCBC Bankard Mastercard, described by the company as a “lifestyle credit card packed with exclusive benefits for motorists,” as well as with “lifestyle access” and points rewards.
Phoenix said cardholders get a 5% rebate on purchases of its fuel, free towing and roadside assistance, accident insurance coverage, 5% discount on Phoenix gasoline and diesel engine oils, and conversion of rewards points to free flights, gift vouchers, or cash rebates. Other privileges include a real-time SMS alert service that lets cardholders have security and control over their spending; conversion of straight purchases to installment; access to cash anywhere in the world; free travel insurance and purchase protection; and a bills payment facility.
“The Phoenix-RCBC Bankard Mastercard is a continuation of our initiatives aimed at bringing our fuel products and services to a higher level and at providing a competitive and credible alternative from that of the majors,” Phoenix Petroleum COO Henry Albert Fadullon said during the card’s launch program.

Hyundai PHL tops brand’s awards

PHILIPPINE distributor Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) said it took top awards recently given by parent company Hyundai Motor Company.
HARI said its commercial vehicle division won Hyundai’s 2017 Regional Excellence Award for Asia & Pacific, besting 15 other markets in the region, as it was cited for its “rapid growth in sales, bold marketing campaigns and unparalleled brand loyalty.” The company added sales of its commercial vehicles grew 883% in 2017.
HARI said its passenger car division was recognized with the 2017 Best Sales Award for “hitting the highest sales volume in the region, besting the 27 other distributorships in Asia Pacific.”
The two awards followed HARI’s citation for excellence in Customer Satisfaction in After-Sales in Asia-Pacific, according to the company.

Isuzu tech school graduates

Isuzu presents new tech school graduates

ISUZU Motors Ltd., through Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) and its partners Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and World Vision Philippines, recently presented the latest batch of 18 service technician graduates who completed their National Competency Certificate program — a four-level program administered by the regional branch of TESDA that offers vocations for automotive servicing.
In a statement, IPC said the new graduates completed NC1 to NC4 training, the latter being the highest level of certification in the country. The technical training course is a two-year program backed by the Isuzu-TESDA Auto Mechanic Training Center that aims to produce highly skilled Filipino automotive service mechanics who can serve the country.
IPC noted the project started in 2008, and that the recent graduation program was the 13th held at the training center.

Jollibee ordered to suspend delivery website after data breach

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has ordered Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) to suspend its online food delivery operations and implement preventive website security measures after a data breach incident last December exposed Jollibee’s customer database.
In a commission order dated May 4 and issued by NPC’s Legal and Enforcement Office, the NPC said Jollibee’s data privacy officer informed the Commission that on December 8, 2017, “persons unknown to the JFC Group appeared to have been able to gain access to the customer database of the delivery website for Jollibee.”
The Commission’s Complaints and Investigation Division (CID) identified the breach to be “a result of a proof-of-concept initiated by a marketing PR team representative of Jollibee, who made representations to a domestic cybersecurity firm.”
The NPC-CID said that after conducting its own vulnerability assessment of Jollibee’s website, it found that the website remains vulnerable to unauthorized access.
“Such vulnerabilities may allow malefactors with little to moderate technical knowledge and skill to access personal information of Jollibee patrons through its website,” the NPC said.
In order to protect personal data of those using the Jollibee delivery service, the NPC ordered JFC Group to “suspend forthwith the operations of jollibeedelivery.com and all other data processing open to the public through the internet…for an indefinite time until the site’s identified vulnerabilities are addressed, as validated by a duly certified penetration testing methodology.”
It also ordered JFC to submit a security plan and file a monthly progress report until the issues raised in the said order are resolved.
 

MiCab partners with Japanese firm for in-cab advertising

Taxi-hailing application MiCab announced it is partnering with Japanese advertising firm Hallohallo Business Inc. to launch MiAds, or mobile internet advertising, which it said will generate profit for the company.
Assuring customers it will not implement surge pricing and booking charge, MiCab said the advertising services, aside from taxi subscription fees, will keep their business sustainable.
“Passengers can hail taxis through MiCab app, where they can enjoy zero booking fees and absolutely no surge pricing, as these will be shouldered by the revenue earned from MiAds,” MiCab said in a statement Tuesday, May 8.
The joint venture is expected to up MiCab’s base of partner taxis to 15,000 across the six cities where it operates. Through MiAds, Android tablets will be placed on taxi units and will flash 15-second advertisements to up to 80 passengers per taxi in a day. — Denise A. Valdez

Grab Philippines to launch new app interface, features in July

Grab Philippines (MyTaxi.ph, Inc.) is looking to launch in July new features in its ride-hailing mobile application.
In a statement, the transportation network company (TNC) said the new interface will make it easier for users to pin pick-up points on the map, avoiding mismatch in locations. Rewards will also be categorized so passengers may easily redeem the app’s offers.
“Our aim is to be our passengers’ partner for better trips at all times. We have carefully studied new features that will further enhance our services while ensuring passenger safety on the road,” Grab Country Head Marketing Manager Cindy Toh was quoted as saying.
Grab will also roll-out an in-app SOS button, which riders may use to report any untoward incident during a ride. Upon tapping the button, the application will connect the user to 911 and send text messages to registered contacts in case of emergency.
To better address complaints, the TNC is urging its users to send their complaints through the app’s “Help Center”. It said it is partnering with a call center which will receive concerns raised by riders.
“We know that this is not easy. While we cannot change everything overnight, we can assure that the Grab experience will only get better,” Ms. Toh added. — Denise A. Valdez

PNB net income up by 20% in first quarter

Philippine National Bank (PNB) saw its net profits rise in the first quarter of the year on the back of growth in its core operating revenues.
In a disclosure late Tuesday, May 8, the Lucio C. Tan-owned bank booked a net income of P1.5 billion in the January to March period, up 20% from the P1.2 billion it logged the same period last year.
The lender attributed its improved profit on “24% year-on-year growth in core operating revenues.” — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Amazon opens first PHL customer service center in Cebu

Amazon.com, Inc. has launched its first customer service center in the Philippines, which is expected to create over 1,000 jobs by the end of the year.
The cloud-computing company said in a statement that it opened its first customer service center in the country in Cebu City. The center will create over 300 new jobs and over 1,000 skilled roles by year-end.
Amazon said the customer service center is meant to support Amazon’s customers from different parts of the world. It will provide 24/7 customer service to Amazon customers from countries in North America, and in the United Kingdom.
“The first Amazon customer service center in the Philippines includes a range of occupations, which include Customer Service Associate, Team Manager and Group Manager roles,” Amazon said in a statement.
As of May 8, job announcements for the Cebu customer service center that are posted on the Amazon website include customer service associates, recruiter, and human resources services administrator. — Patrizia C. Marcelo

ALI Q1 profit rises on higher real estate, commercial revenues

Earnings of Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) went up by 17% during the first quarter of 2017, supported by its aggressive real estate and commercial expansion.
In a statement issued Tuesday, ALI disclosed a net income of P6.52 billion for the January to March period, supported by a 17% growth in revenues to P36.98 billion.
Residential revenues expanded by 34% to P21.77 billion, pushing property development revenues 29% higher to P25.14 billion. Local demand for property lifted reservation sales by 16% for the quarter to P31.5 billion.
On the other hand, revenues from the commerical leasing segment firmed up 11% to P8.16 billion for the quarter.
For the first quarter, ALI said it has already spent P26.7 billion out of the P111-billion capital expenditure it plans to roll out this year. Forty-one percent of the capex was allocated for residential developments, 23% for equity investments including MCT Bhd and Prime Orion Philippines, Inc., 22% for commercial leasing projects, 9% for land acquisition, and 5% for estate development.
Shares in ALI went up 10 centavos or 0.25% to close at P40.10 each at the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday. — Arra B. Francia

DOE may require oil firms to disclose cost breakdown for fuel pricing

The Department of Energy (DoE) plans to be “stringent” in monitoring the prices of petroleum products by requiring oil companies to disclose the breakdown of the cost components that go into the pricing of fuels.
“Identification of the costing for the major components of these petroleum products that may affect the pump prices would provide a higher level of transparency for our consumers, particularly the motorists,” said DoE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said in a statement on Tuesday, May 8. — Victor V. Saulon

Phoenix Petroleum breaks ground for asphalt facility

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. said it had broken ground for the asphalt facility it is building with local and foreign partners in Calaca, Batangas.
The project, under Phoenix Asphalt Philippines, Inc., launched on May 3. The unit is the joint venture of Phoenix Petroleum with Thailand-based Tipco Asphalt Public Co. Ltd, and PhilAsphalt Development Corp. The facility will be built at Calaca Industrial Seaport Park in Batangas.
“The groundbreaking for the asphalt facility is a big development in our plans for Phoenix Asphalt Philippines. This new venture maximizes synergies of our well-established business in fuels with the construction sector, as we aim to provide a better and improved quality of asphalt in support of the government’s Build, Build, Build campaign,” said Henry Albert R. Fadullon, Phoenix chief operating officer, in a statement. — Victor V. Saulon

Peso inches up as investors await BSP policy meeting

The peso inched higher against the dollar on Tuesday, May 8, ahead of the local monetary policy meeting as well as inflation data in the US.
The local currency ended at P51.85 on Tuesday, two centavos stronger than the P51.87-per-greenback finish on Monday.
The peso traded within the range, opening the session slightly stronger at P51.86. It dipped to as low as P51.945, while its best showing stood at P51.83.
Dollars traded soared to $727 million from the $585 million logged in the previous session.
Traders interviewed following the trading’s close said the pair “traded fairly quiet” as it traded within the range.
“Although there was volume, there’s no direction as to where the next direction for the dollar-peso will be,” a trader said in a phone interview.
The trader added that: “We’re still waiting for the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) meeting on Thursday.”
Investors are waiting for the monetary policy meeting of the BSP on whether it would keep its monetary stance steady.
In a BusinessWorld poll, nine out of 11 economists said that the monetary authority will likely hike its benchmark rates at Thursday’s meeting, as the inflation hit multi-year highs and showed slim signs of slowing down.
Inflation has been steadily accelerating this year, as it sped up to a five-year high of 4.5% last month under the 2012 base year. It was faster than the 4.3% inflation logged the previous month.
The BSP has also said that the inflation is becoming broader than initially expected.
“What we react to is whether it’s spreading and it is affecting expectations. And our reading, based on the latest data, it seems to have spread somewhat,” BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. told reporters last week.
Aside from the monetary policy meeting, another trader said investors were also waiting for the US consumer price data in the US. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Meralco power rates to drop this month

Electricity rates in May will decrease to P0.5436 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for a typical household largely because of a drop in the generation charge during the month, distribution utility Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said on Tuesday.
The adjustment brings the overall rate to P10.0041/kWh from April’s P10.5477/kWh. The drop is equivalent to a decrease of about P109 in the bill of a residential customer using 200 kWh. — Victor V. Saulon

Petron books record first-quarter profit

Petron Corp. posted a consolidated net income of P5.8 billion in the first quarter, higher by 4% compared with the level a year ago and the highest quarterly income in its history, the company said on Tuesday.
Consolidated revenues reached P129 billion, up 21% from the previous year’s P106 billion.
“Our financial and operating performance in the first quarter of 2018 is a strong indication that we are on track for another unprecedented year. While we are focused on high-margin segments such as retail, we are also fast-tracking our logistics projects to further integrate our value chain, reflecting increased demand for Petron’s superior products,” said Ramon S. Ang, Petron president and chief executive officer. — Victor V. Saulon

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