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SEC clears Basic Energy capital hike to P5B

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the doubling of Basic Energy Corp.’s authorized capital stock to P5 billion from P2.5 billion previously.

The firm told the local bourse on Wednesday that the corporate regulator issued a certificate of approval on its capital increase, which will be divided into 20 billion shares with a par value of 25 centavos apiece.

Basic Energy sought for a higher capital stock to “raise funds for energy projects and to expand its existing business operations.”

The firm also said that the SEC issued a certificate allowing for the amendment of Basic Energy’s articles of incorporation to reflect the capital stock increase.

Last year, the firm’s stockholders gave the green light for the doubling of its authorized capital stock.

The de Venecia-led company earlier secured a service contract with the Energy department for a planned 50-megawatt wind project in Mabini, Batangas. The contract provides for a non-extendible, five-year pre-development stage, and a 25-year development stage, counted from the signing of the contract.

Basic Energy is a holding company that holds five service contracts for the exploration and development of geothermal energy in Batangas, Bataan, Benguet, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon.

Its shares at the local bourse improved three centavos or 5.66% to finish at 56 centavos apiece on Wednesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Four steps to creating and maintaining your business website

GoDaddy shares that having your own website can strengthen your digital presence and build credibility with customers

MANILA – In today’s challenging environment, having a strong online presence has become an important way for businesses to stay active and engaged with their customers. For businesses to get more visibility and noticed, they must be where the consumers are, and Filipinos are increasingly on their mobile phones on the internet.

According to the Digital 2021 Report by We Are Social and Hootsuite, Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 56 minutes online across different devices. The same report also found that Pinoys spend just over four hours daily on social media.

“Social media is a great channel to increase awareness about your business, but you are also competing for attention across a variety of content that people see in their feeds. Having your own website allows you to control the message, directing potential customers to a portal where their attention rests solely on your own venture and you can engage them through your content and products,” said Norman Barrientos, GoDaddy’s Director of Marketing for Southeast Asia.

GoDaddy, the company that empowers entrepreneurs worldwide, suggests that Filipino small business owners can make a different future for their ventures by deciding to create their own website. They can integrate this with social media channels and marketplaces to help extend their reach and further engage with current and potential customers.

GoDaddy shares four steps to create and maintain a website for your venture.

STEP 1: SECURE THE RIGHT DOMAIN NAME
The website domain name is your internet address. You can have a nicely designed, user-friendly website, but without a memorable domain name, it will be hard to find your business and create recall for your customers.

“GoDaddy Guides remind customers to choose a catchy, easy-to-recall domain name that captures the essence of your business. It’s also easy for people to refer your business if they remember your URL,” said Mr. Barrientos.

While .com is usually the go-to domain name for many businesses, there are plenty of other domain extensions available such as .ph, .shop, and several others that can help increase recall and easily identify the nature of your business.

STEP 2: CHOOSE AN EASY-TO-USE WEBSITE CREATOR TOOL
The user experience on your website is crucial in engaging and retaining customers as they browse through and use your business website. According to the Digital 2021 report by We Are Social and Hootsuite, 96.5% of Filipino Internet users get access through a mobile device — making a mobile-friendly website a must from the start.

For this, you’ll want to consider a website creator tool that doesn’t require coding experience. GoDaddy Website Builder, for example, has over 1,500 templates that suit most types of businesses. It’s functionality also makes it easier to design and update your website, and it’s already mobile-friendly as soon as you publish it. If you’re ready to include an online store to your site, GoDaddy E-Store is also a good option. Aside from offering readily available templates, it has easy to use drag and drop functionality that helps you create your own website and online store in less time. It also supports various modes of payments and shipping methods, and seamlessly integrates with chat, social media, and marketplace platforms.

STEP 3: EMBRACE DIGITAL MARKETING
Once your website is live, it needs to be seen in different online channels to help increase awareness about your business and direct more traffic to your site. This is where digital marketing comes into play.

“Digital marketing, when done right, can deliver strong results at a fraction of the price of traditional marketing. It also allows you to target customers where they spend more of their time,” said Mr. Barrientos.

Products like GoDaddy Websites + Marketing and E-store combine a website creator with a digital marketing suite, and an online store. It allows you to do search engine optimization (SEO) which helps get your website get noticed when people are searching for things related to your business as well as E-mail, and Social Media Marketing all in one place.

STEP 4: ENSURE ACCESS TO CUSTOMER SUPPORT
At some point, you will be looking for help with your website and what is next to grow your digital presence. This is where having reliable and easily available customer support comes in. Consider a provider where you can get 24/7 support to help ensure that any hitches are resolved and will not affect business continuity, as well as get recommendations to help your business grow online.

“At GoDaddy, our customer support includes GoDaddy Guides who are ready to take inquiries — from technical issues to product walkthroughs, to help ensure entrepreneurs and small business owners get support when they need it along the way,” said Mr. Barrientos.

In addition, customers can also access GoDaddy guides via Facebook Messenger and through its Facebook Page.

From domain names to creating a website for your business, GoDaddy is the one-stop shop for everything you need to create and grow a strong online presence. Find out more about GoDaddy’s product lines by logging on to ph.GoDaddy.com.

Travel/Hotels (09/30/21)

3000 sqm beachfront Boracay Resort

Boracay deals at HSMA’s SOS sale

THE SEPTEMBER Online Sale (SOS) of the Hotel Sales & Management Association (HSMA) back — and Crimson Resort and Spa, Boracay is all set to deliver. Under Crimson’s Boracay Better Than Ever promo, guests can choose from among four accommodation types and also have a chance to win two round-trip tickets for Airasia’s Manila-Caticlan route.

Packages are available as follows: Deluxe Premier at P25,200 net; Suite at P28,800 net; Villa Suite with its own plunge pool at P39,600 net; and stand-alone Villa with its own plunge pool at P47,700 net. Round-trip transfers via land or sea to and from the Caticlan jetty are included. All packages include accommodation for four days and three nights with complimentary breakfast for two adults and two children under the age of 12. Guests can also enjoy P2,000 in dining credits consumable throughout their stay, as well as 50% off on selected drinks at J’s Pool Bar and 15% off at restaurants within the property. There is also a 50% discount on regular services at the AUM Spa. More active types can enjoy 15% off on various sport and leisure activities, and those who want to explore Boracay can hop aboard the daily shuttle to and from D’Mall in Station Two. Those booking villa stays will also enjoy special amenities on arrival, along with complimentary evening cocktails and one-time mini-bar privileges. The packages include special rates on home service RT-PCR testing care of Detoxicare.

Crimson Boracay also offers its romantic Escape and Elope in Style celebration package. This unique wedding package enables couples to share their big day even virtually with friends and family. The intimate ceremony can take place at the Events Pavilion or down by the beach at sunset with a venue decked out in white and fine flowers. A virtual reception can follow as Crimson can provide curated grazing or food boxes which can be delivered to the homes of at least 10 guests to help celebrate the occasion. The newlyweds can enjoy a two-night stay in one of Crimson’s Seaview Suites, with a romantic champagne breakfast in bed, as well as round-trip transfers for two.

Booking period for all packages is until Oct. 15 only; stays may be availed of from Oct. 1, 2021 to Dec. 25, 2022. These offers are exclusively available at https://bit.ly/crsbsos. Call 0998-596-4658 or e-mail boracay.sm3@crimsonhotel.com for inquiries.

Cebu Pacific launches special 25th anniversary credit card

TO MARK its 25th anniversary, Cebu Pacific has launched new Cebu Pacific Gold and Platinum Credit Cards, in partnership with Go Rewards, UnionBank of the Philippines, and Visa. Using this card will earn Go Rewards points to fly faster as cardholders will get one point for every P100 spent with Cebu Pacific. If used anywhere else, one point will be earned for every P200 spent.

A cardholder is eligible to be a Black Card member of Go Rewards. When flying as a Black card member, they get the preferential earn rate of 1 Go Rewards point for every P20 spent (for the base fare and some ancillaries) when flying with Cebu Pacific. Cardholders will also get early alerts for CEB promo fares, and other Go Rewards, UnionBank and Visa exclusive offers.

Platinum cardholders will also gain exclusive access to Pacific Club Lounge at NAIA Terminal 3 on top of travel insurance of up to P10 million. Those who sign up for a card now until Dec. 31 will receive Go Rewards bonus points which can be used to book a CEB flight online conveniently.

A Gold cardholder will receive 5,000 points, while a Platinum cardholder will get 10,000 points. All these points can be redeemed not just for a flight, but even to purchase other essentials.

These credit cards are also accepted worldwide through the accredited merchants of Visa. CEB currently operates regular flights to 32 domestic destinations which include Boracay, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, and Siargao.

Trip.com introduces new ‘Vaccinated Discount Campaign’

FROM now until Dec. 31, fully vaccinated Trip.com users can enjoy up to 30% off bookings for selected hotel bookings across the Philippines. The “Vaccinated Discount Campaign” is part of Trip.com’s efforts towards supporting the local government’s vaccination campaign. Deals from the “Vaccinated Discount Campaign” will feature hotel booking deals from more than 100 accommodation partners. The Aloha Boracay Hotel, Boracay Beach Club, and Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort are among the list of partners who have joined the initiative to offer exclusive perks in a collective effort to promote safe travel within the country.

Eligibility for the discounts will only apply to fully vaccinated individuals who will be required to provide a proof of vaccination before or upon arrival at the accommodation of choice.

Participating merchants will also be able to garner greater visibility through dedicated marketing efforts by Trip.com. For example, the exclusive discounts will be featured on a dedicated landing page that is easily accessed by site visitors, thereby gaining more traffic for the promotions offered by respective merchants.

For more information on the deals and list of participating hotels for the “Vaccinated Discount Campaign,” visit www.trip.com/sale/w/2749/yourshotatdiscounts.html?curr=PHP. The promotions can also be accessed on the Trip.com mobile app on App Store and Google Play.

Thailand’s Phuket Sandbox extends reach, Chaing Mai next

THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand and the Phuket Tourism Association launched the Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension program in August which enables fully vaccinated international travelers to travel to Phuket and chosen extension areas within the program. Previously, tourists were mandated to stay in Phuket for a minimum of 14 days, but with the upgraded program, fully vaccinated travelers can reduce their mandatory stay in Phuket from 14 to seven days, after which another seven nights can be spent in any of the extension areas in Krabi, Phang-Nga, or Surat Thani.

In the Phuket Sandbox, tourists can enjoy sea excursions such as yachting and cruising, enjoy traditional dance performances around the island, and enjoy dining, shopping, lifestyle and lodging establishments in the island as long as they are accredited by the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration Plus (SHA Plus).

As the country safely reopens for tourism, Chiang Mai is next on the list of areas with reopening plans. Slated to re-open in October, Chiang Mai’s reopening effort is dubbed “Charming Chiang Mai,” which aims to highlight the beauty and appeal of the Northern Thailand city. Additionally, more destinations in Thailand — including Bangkok, Hua Hin, and Pattaya — are planned to reopen from Oct. 1.

For more information on Phuket Sandbox, visit www.tatnews.org and follow TAT Philippines on Facebook (TAT Philippines), Instagram (@tatphilippines) and their website www.tourismthailand.sg.

Pru Life UK partners with Robinsons Bank to offer credit cards

PRU LIFE UK will be entering the credit card business through a partnership with Robinsons Bank Corp.

“Very soon we will be rolling it (credit cards) out. Right now, we expect it maybe next month. We have been rolling out the applications to our customers now,” Allan M. Tumbaga, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at Pru Life, said at an online briefing on Wednesday.

Mr. Tumbaga said they will release more details on the cards soon, noting the product will be exclusive to their clients.

The credit cards will be issued by Robinsons Bank. The insurer and the lender have been in a bancassurance partnership since 2018.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tumbaga said they are still studying if they will offer more products especially meant to protect clients from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

He said with vaccination rates rising, the virus might evolve and become just like the common flu. In this case, Mr. Tumbaga said COVID-19 could be a part of regular insurance products, like those covering critical illnesses.

“Specific packages [for COVID-19], that’s always a consideration now… We do expect to expand our roster of services,” he said.

Moving forward, Mr. Tumbaga expects insurance take-up to continue growing, although not as fast as expansion seen before the pandemic, as people have realized the need for protection.

“The younger people are even much more interested now than ever considering the pandemic showed that anything can happen to you. So it’s best to be prepared always,” he said.

In 2020, Pru Life UK recorded the second- highest net premiums in the life insurance sector worth P30.98 billion, based on data from the Insurance Commission.

Its net income of P3.27 billion was the fourth biggest in the industry last year, while it ranked fifth in terms of its assets with P117 billion. — L.W.T. Noble

PHL falls in digital competitiveness

THE PHILIPPINES slipped one spot to 58th in a global digital competitiveness index as a result of declines in future readiness, technology and knowledge. Read the full story.

PHL falls in digital competitiveness

How PSEi member stocks performed — September 29, 2021

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.

Prices of fresh pork seen stabilizing in Metro Manila

PHILSTAR

THE retail price of fresh pork in wet markets in the National Capital Region (NCR) has “stabilized,” according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Citing findings of its price monitoring unit, the DA said in a statement Wednesday that pork shoulder (kasim) and belly (liempo) are at P280 per kilogram (/kg) and P340/kg, respectively.

The DA said January prices for the two commodities were at P360/kg and P400/kg respectively.  

“The DA projects a continuing downward movement of pork prices at NCR wet markets. The retail prices generally follow the movements of farmgate prices of hogs,” it said.

It added that frozen pork sold in wet markets is about P60 cheaper compared to fresh pork, with frozen kasim at P220/kg and frozen liempo P280/kg.

“However, only seven out of every 100 meat stalls are selling frozen pork in NCR wet markets as frozen pork requires chillers,” the DA said.

According to the DA, pork producers will be given assistance that will allow the hog industry to sustain its repopulation and recovery efforts after the African Swine Fever outbreak.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued two executive orders in May that reduced the tariffs charged on imported pork and expanded the volume of pork imports that can be imported under the minimum access volume quota, which pay lower tariffs compared to out-of-quota pork imports.  

Asked to comment, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc. President Rolando E. Tambago said via phone message that declining farmgate prices are not good for the industry due to rising production costs.

Mr. Tambago said the current farmgate price of live hogs in Luzon fell to P160 to P180/kg from P220/kg while Visayas and Mindanao prices vary from P120 to P140/kg, down from P180/kg.

“Instead of (Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar) being happy that the farmgate prices of hogs are declining, he should know and understand… that our farm input costs are also increasing. An example is the price of yellow corn for feed. It rose 57% to P22/kg because the input cost of corn farmers such as fertilizer also increased to P1,400 per bag from P850 per bag,” Mr. Tambago said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

DBM releases additional P451 million for health workers’ risk allowances

PHILSTAR

THE DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) has released an additional P451.3 million for the special risk allowances (SRA) of health workers assigned to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wards.

The DBM said in a statement Wednesday that P407.08 million was sourced from the contingent fund of the national budget, while the remaining P44.23 million was charged to the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund.

The additional allowances will be given to eligible public and private healthcare workers who were either directly catering to or are in contact with COVID-19 patients between Dec. 20, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

This brought the total SRA released to P8.23 billion so far, covering 499,117 health workers.

In response to a BusinessWorld query, the DBM said P1.185 billion is awaiting approval from the Office of the President (OP), which could benefit 63,812 more frontliners.

The DBM did not provide a timetable for the release of the funds awaiting OP approval.

The DBM said it is releasing additional funds to provide the risk allowance to health workers who were not covered when the Bayanihan to Recover as One or Bayanihan II law expired on June 30.

Under Bayanihan II, a special risk allowance of P5,000 per month was allotted for medical personnel assigned to facilities with COVID-19 patients, as well as a separate P3,000 monthly hazardous-duty allowance.

In a budget hearing earlier this month, the Department of Health (DoH) said it proposed a P73.99-billion budget to the DBM for 2022 budget, including P50.4 billion in new funds to support allowances of healthcare workers. However, the DoH said the budget for allowances was slashed by the executive department. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Foreign chambers back ease of paying tax bill

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) said Wednesday that the Senate should immediately tackle the Ease of Paying Taxes bill, noting that government needs to find creative ways to collect revenue to fund its pandemic response.

The House of Representatives on Sept. 15 approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 8942 or the proposed Ease of Paying Taxes Act, which seeks to simplify the process of filing and paying taxes by removing venue restrictions and introducing a medium taxpayer category.

“But at the same time government should facilitate compliance by taxpayers,” the JFC said in a statement, which was signed by the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, and Korean business chambers, along with the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, Inc.

The JFC sent a letter to the Senate Ways and Means Committee to ask it to tackle the bill, in which the foreign chambers noted the Philippines’ 95th place ranking among 190 economies in the 2020 World Bank Doing Business report.

The annual ranking, which had since been discontinued, measured ease of paying taxes as an indicator.

“We are certain that ending being the only country to require an OR (official receipt) and not accept the invoice is a positive step. If other countries that are ranked higher than the Philippines do not require this extra paperwork, then it is common sense to remove the requirement as soon as possible,” the JFC said.

The measure also aims to remove the P500 annual taxpayer registration fee, create registration facilities for non-resident taxpayers, and establish a “Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.”  

The foreign business groups previously sent a request to House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco to support the approval of House Bill No. 8942. The bill was one of the priority measures listed by Mr. Velasco when plenary deliberations resumed for the third and final session of the 18th Congress.

The measure is one of 17 priority reform bills supported by more than a dozen business groups. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Coffee crop being evaluated for pest, disease resistance

REUTERS

THE RESISTANCE of the domestic coffee crop is being assessed for its ability to withstand pests and diseases by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) and University of the Philippines–Diliman.

The two institutions have partnered on a project that will create a detection system for such threats to coffee growers, the DoST said.

The project hopes to identify the coffee varieties most susceptible to the various threats as well as the varieties which are most resistant.

Project funding will come from the DoST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).  

According to PCAARRD, the detection system will seek out molecular markers that will facilitate resistance screening of coffee varieties.

“The project is expected to aid in avoiding the distribution and planting of affected coffee plants that may cause more losses to coffee farmers,” PCAARRD said in a recent statement.

“Through this, the project team hopes to strengthen the coffee industry and help in rehabilitating the coffee farms in Batangas and Cavite that were destroyed by heavy ashfall during the eruption of Taal volcano in 2020,” it added.

Ernelea P. Cao, the project leader, said coffee production is hindered by the berry borer pest and coffee leaf rust disease.

“A detection system will benefit our coffee growers, farmers, and researchers who can use the kit to identify the susceptible coffee varieties,” Ms. Lao said.

The Philippine Statistics Authority estimates that dried coffee berry production in the second quarter dropped 0.3% year on year to 5,866.16 metric tons (MT).

Robusta coffee was the most produced type, accounting for 56.6% of total production, followed by Arabica coffee at 30.2%, Excelsa coffee 12.5%, and Liberica coffee 0.5%.

Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City) was the top coffee-producing province, with output of 30.7% of the national total or 1,800.92 MT. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Writ of Kalikasan could force environmental impact study of Manila Bay dolomite beach

PHILSTAR

NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Agham) said it may apply for the issuance of a writ of kalikasan against the government’s Manila Bay dolomite beach, with a view towards triggering an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

“(The issuance of the) writ of kalikasan… activates discovery measures. It will hopefully get the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to conduct an EIA (and) produce all of the documents related to the project,” Tara Alessandra S. Abrina, an Agham member, said in a briefing Wednesday.

A writ of kalikasan may be issued by the courts to an individual or group on the basis of the constitutional right to a balanced and healthy ecology, in the event such rights are violated or threatened. Parties holding this legal remedy may file a motion for the inspection of documents or an inspection of the area.

The beach project has yet to undergo an EIA, with a scientist from the UP Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) confirming that the DENR has not made any attempts to contact the institute to conduct such an assessment.

Marine science professor Maria Lourdes San Diego-McGlone said that UP MSI Director Laura T. David made no mention in a recent meeting of any attempts by the Environment to seek the expertise of the institute in conducting any assessment of the project.

Last year, the DENR said the dolomite beach did not need to undergo an environmental impact study since it is a rehabilitation, not construction project.

Agham’s Ms. Abrina said the presence of dolomite sand in the bay will likely increase the suspended solids in the water, affecting the feeding and survival of fish and other marine organisms.

Citing its recent policy paper, Agham said that the dolomite overlay has shifted the priority and resources to tourism, rather than the Supreme Court-ordered restoration of the bay’s water to “recreational water class 1” or “Class SB” levels.

“While marine science and biology experts from public institutions and the academe have expressed their concern for the dolomite project, the Duterte government remains firm in defending and even requested an additional budget for the project,” it said in a statement Wednesday.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte named the dolomite beach a priority project in his State of the Nation Address, with an additional P265 million of funds allotted for its second phase. — Angelica Y. Yang

DTI backs bigger role for small businesses in new trade deal with Australia, New Zealand

REUTERS

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) expressed support for the inclusion of small businesses in an ASEAN-Australia and New Zealand free trade deal upgrade in recent virtual discussions by trade ministers.

The DTI said representatives in the ASEAN dialogue partner consultations on Sept. 13-15 discussed the possible completion of negotiations for the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) upgrade by next year.

Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez called for a dedicated chapter that will support the participation of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the global trading system to help them recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the DTI said in a statement Wednesday.

“The Philippines would like to highlight the role and importance of MSMEs in the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand region, as they play a vital role in the economy,” Mr. Lopez said.

“Globally, MSMEs are considered the backbone of national economies and the inclusion of this (MSME) Chapter in the Agreement will ensure that initiatives are put in place so that they can benefit from the trade opportunities in the FTA.”

According to a general review of AANZFTA released in 2017, parties may consider ways to incorporate MSMEs in the free trade deal’s framework to gain greater access to global value chains, noting that such firms account for 98% of businesses in Asia.

“There are a growing number of MSMEs interested in taking advantage of export opportunities as part of the evolving supply chains in the AANZFTA region. These MSMEs are interested in engaging in discussions with governments on how trade agreements can benefit businesses of all sizes,” the report said.

The Trade department also noted that ASEAN and its trade dialogue partners emphasized the need for more cooperation in vaccine procurement and digital trade.

“This includes the call to democratize vaccine production, and research and development by partnering with the Philippines and other ASEAN Member States as a production hub for vaccines and working with research organizations to increase competency on science and technology,” the DTI said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

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