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DMCI Homes project posts P8.6-B reservation sales

NFINA TOWERS is one of the projects of DMCI Project Developers, Inc. in Quezon City. — COMPANY HANDOUT

DMCI PROJECT DEVELOPERS, Inc. (DMCI Homes), the residential arm of listed DMCI Holdings, Inc., has generated P8.6-billion in reservation sales from its residential condominium project in Quezon City.

In a statement, the Consunji-led developer said Infina Towers is “nearly sold out” with 117 units remaining out of the 2,377 total inventory.

Launched in 2016, Infina Towers is located between Katipunan Avenue and the Araneta business district in Cubao.

“The project attracted huge interest not only among homebuyers but also from investors betting on the growth prospects of the thriving Quezon City zone given its convenient location,” DMCI Homes said, noting Infina Towers is near several universities and other business hubs such as Eastwood City and Ortigas Center.

Infina Towers is also near the Anonas Station of the Light Rail Transit Line 2, as well as the proposed Anonas Station of the upcoming Metro Manila Subway project.

“(This) also further indicates its tremendous investment potential amid the anticipated increased foot traffic in the area due to the construction of more transportation infrastructures,” DMCI Homes said.

The company said Infina Towers is on track to turn over units to owners, starting with the 40-storey North Tower in September, and the 41-storey South Tower in September 2022.

Amenities include lounge areas, snack bar, game area, fitness gym, audio-visual room, pool complex, gazebo, open lawn, picnic area, play area, Sky Promenade, and basketball court.

DMCI Homes is planning to launch four new projects in Quezon City this year.

Most DMCI projects in Metro Manila are in Quezon City, with 14 ongoing and ready for occupancy projects.

Global-Estate Resorts profits down by 27%

GLOBAL-ESTATE Resorts, Inc. (GERI) ended the year with a net attributable profit of P1.09 billion, down by 27% from P1.49 billion in the previous year, due to the decline in real estate sales, rental income, and revenues from hotel operations.

According to a regulatory filing on Monday, the revenues of GERI, the listed tourism estate subsidiary of Megaworld Corp., also slumped by 37% to P5.2 billion from P8.3 billion.

Real estate sales declined by 39% to P3.61 billion from P5.91 billion due to limited selling and construction activities caused by quarantine restrictions. Some project launches for 2020 were also deferred.

Meanwhile, rental income amounted to P619.36 million, dipping by 17% from P746.69 million, due to the closure of mall and commercial spaces, lower foot traffic upon reopening, and rental concessions.

GERI reported that some 70% of its total leased out gross leasable area were not able to operate when the country imposed its strictest lockdown restrictions.

Revenues from hotel operations fell by over 75% to P201.21 million from P813.93 million as travel restrictions resulted in limited operations to comply with lockdown guidelines.

“Occupancy rates dropped significantly due to travel restrictions and cancelation of bookings and meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions activities,” the company said.

The company launched E-Concierge, a mobile application to help guests and hotel staff with contactless interactions from check-in to check-out.

GERI said it had since focused on selling residential and commercial lots beyond Metro Manila and maximized digital platforms to sell real estate projects.

The company sold nearly P12 billion of its various provincial projects in 2020, with projects in Boracay, Antipolo, Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas taking the lead.

For its Boracay Newcoast project, GERI generated around P4.22-billion worth of sales, while sales from its Antipolo Eastland Heights project totaled to nearly P2.17 billion.

Some P1.5-billion residential houses and lots were sold at the company’s Arden Botanical Estate in Cavite, sales of condominium units and village lots at GERI’s Southwoods City project in Laguna amounted to P1.4 billion, and another P1.17-billion worth of residential lots and condominium units were sold at its Batangas Twin Lakes development.

“Since most of our developments are in the countryside, and the demand is evidently there, we are optimistic that we will recover faster once the economy fully reopens soon,” GERI President Monica T. Salomon said in a statement.

The company has eight integrated tourism developments in the country with a total 3,300 hectares of land, namely: Twin Lakes in Laurel, Batangas; Southwoods City in Biñan, Laguna and Carmona, Cavite; Alabang West in Las Piñas City; Boracay Newcoast in Boracay Island, Aklan; Sta. Barbara Heights in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo; Eastland Heights in Antipolo, Rizal; The Hamptons Caliraya in Lumban-Cavinti, Laguna; and Arden Botanical Estate in Cavite.

GERI shares at the stock exchange went down by 2.38% or P0.02 to finish at P0.82 each on Monday. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Gov’t makes full award of T-bills

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THE GOVERNMENT fully awarded the Treasury bills (T-bills) it offered on Monday even as rates ended mixed, with demand staying strong partly due to some previously issued securities maturing this week.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) borrowed P25 billion as planned via the T-bills on Monday as total tenders reached P71.596 billion, making the offer 2.86 times oversubscribed. This was a tad lower than the P71.65 billion in demand seen in last week’s offering.

It also opened its tap facility to raise an additional P5 billion via the one-year instruments.

Broken down, the BTr raised P5 billion as planned via the 91-day papers as total bids reached P15.375 billion. The three-month T-bills fetched an average rate of 1.369%, up by 2 basis points (bps) from the 1.349% quoted last week.

It also awarded the programmed P8 billion in 182-day debt from P26.245 billion in tenders. The average yield of the six-month papers inched up to 1.714% from 1.713% in the previous auction.

Lastly, the Treasury made a full P10-billion award of the 364-day securities it offered on Monday after the tenor attracted bids worth P29.976 billion. The one-year T-bill’s average rate slipped to 1.88% yesterday from 1.884% last week.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said there was strong appetite for the T-bill offer amid overflowing liquidity in the market and with P70 billion worth of government securities maturing this week “recycled with preference for safe assets.”

Ms. De Leon said local yields are tracking US Treasury rates, which are currently “creeping down”.

This was reflected in the slight climb in the rates of the shorter-tenored 91-day and 182-day papers and the lower yield quoted for the longer 364-day T-bills, she added.

A bond trader echoed this, noting how investors are placing their excess funds in longer tenors in their search for higher returns.

“Money is flowing to safe, short-term assets. This may spill over to the three- to five-year space on yield pickup opportunities. The auction shows that the growth outlook is really on the lower side of projections, given the extended restrictions in NCR (National Capital Region),” the bond trader said via Viber.

NCR and its nearby provinces Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal were placed under a hard lockdown for two weeks until April 11 amid spiking infection rates. Restrictions were eased slightly until April 30, with a decision on an extension or further relaxation of current lockdown measures still pending.

The Health department reported 8,162 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the country’s total infection tally to 997,523.

Excluding the tap facility offering on Monday, the BTr raised P200 billion from the local debt market this month, more than the programmed P170 billion, as it opened its tap facility on several occasions to take advantage of the low rates and strong demand seen during its auctions.

Broken down, the Treasury borrowed P105 billion via weekly offers of T-bills, exceeding its initial plan to raise P100 billion.

Meanwhile, it raised P95 billion from its Treasury bond auctions, higher than the P70-billion plan after it borrowed an additional P25 billion via seven-year papers in a tap offer.

The government is looking to borrow P3 trillion this year from domestic and external sources to help fund a budget deficit seen to hit 8.9% of gross domestic product. — B.M. Laforga

Key winners at the 2021 Academy Awards

THE Academy Awards, or Oscars, were handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday and broadcast live on ABC television. Following is a list of winners in key categories:

BEST PICTURE — Nomadland

BEST DIRECTOR — Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

BEST ACTOR — Anthony Hopkins, The Father

BEST ACTRESS — Frances McDormand, Nomadland

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR — Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS — Youn Yuh-jung, Minari

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY — Promising Young Woman

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY — The Father

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM — Soul

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM — My Octopus Teacher

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM — Another Round (Denmark)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG — “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah — Reuters

Vista Land affiliate develops 2nd housing project in Davao

THE Balai Calinan project is the second low-cost development of Bria Homes in Davao City in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the local government. — DHSUD-DAVAO REGION

DAVAO CITY — Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc., through its affiliate Bria Homes, has started building its second project in the city under the government’s Balai program that aims to provide affordable housing to low-income families. 

The P250-million project is located in Calinan, a district in the northwestern part of Davao City.

Vista Land’s first Balai project, which was turned over in December 2020, is located on the eastern side.

“This new development will soon provide comfortable and safe homes for Dabawenyos. We shall continue to strengthen our housing programs in the city by building more communities that are livable and affordable to all,” Vice Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte said during the recent groundbreaking ceremony.

Bria Homes will lead the land development work for the 12.1-hectare area, including construction of roads, drainage, water and electrical facilities.

The Balai Calinan project will be awarded to qualified beneficiaries identified by the city based on a set of eligibility requirements.

The Balai Filipino program, led by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, is a partnership platform that involves private sector and local governments units to accelerate the construction of affordable housing. — Maya M. Padillo

PHL AirAsia secures permit to transport COVID-19 vaccines

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LOW-COST carrier Philippines AirAsia, Inc. announced on Monday that it had received government approval to transport coronavirus vaccines packed in dry ice.

In an e-mailed statement, Philippines AirAsia said the regulatory approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) “came just in time for the expected arrival of the bulk of vaccines from Sinovac BioTech, Gamaleya Institute and Pfizer-BioNTech in the coming weeks and months.”

“The country is expecting the delivery of 1,000,000 doses of CoronaVac, 480,000 doses of Sputnik V, 195,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines and 20,000 doses of Gamaleya towards the end of April while Moderna is slated to begin the delivery of 13,000,000 vaccine doses starting June and July 2021,” the company said, citing the National Task Force against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The company said it is currently in discussions with different local government units to map out the deliveries.

Only the flag carrier Philippine Airlines and the budget carrier Cebu Pacific had been certified as dangerous goods carriers prior to CAAP’s approval of Philippines AirAsia’s application for authorization to transport COVID-19 vaccines.

Cebu Pacific announced on April 19 the delivery of a total of 41,480 vaccine doses to Tuguegarao and Palawan.

It has delivered approximately 264,000 doses across Visayas and Mindanao and some parts of Luzon.

On April 22, Philippine Airlines transported another 500,000 vaccine doses from Beijing to Manila.

“This latest batch of 500,000 government-purchased vaccine doses brings to 2.4 million the total number of doses flown into the country by the national flag carrier,” Philippine Airlines said in a statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin

PNB to issue dividends

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PHILIPPINE National Bank will issue property dividends to its shareholders, it said on Monday. — BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK (PNB) will distribute property dividends to its stockholders following the lender’s investment in PNB Holdings Corp. (PHC) in exchange for certain properties of the bank.

“The distribution of PNB Holdings shares through the dividend declaration allows PNB stockholders to share from the benefit of the realized values of the properties and any future valuation gains,” PNB President and CEO Jose Arnulfo “Wick” A. Veloso was quoted as saying in a statement on Monday.

PNB in January said the central bank had approved the lender’s request for “temporary exemption from prudential limits on its equity investments in PHC.

The bank’s dividend declaration is the second phase of the bank’s “strategic initiative to recognize the unrealized value of three properties,” including the PNB Financial Center in Pasay, PNB Makati Center in Ayala’s Central Business District, and the Prime Property at the corner of Buendia Avenue and Paseo De Roxas, also in Makati.

“Through the distribution of PHC shares via the declaration of the property dividends, all shareholders of PNB will become part owners of PNB Holdings, allowing them to benefit from future potential gains from the development of the properties, either through potential dividends and/or through the increase in the valuation of the shares,” the bank said in a statement.

“PNB is pursuing plans to reduce its low-earning assets to build up its financial position. PNB Holdings increased its authorized capital stock to reflect the value of the three prime properties,” PNB said.

Mr. Veloso said the development of the properties is already being studied by real estate professionals working alongside PHC and PNB.

PNB’s net income dropped 73.14% to P2.6 billion in 2020 from P9.68 billion in 2019 as it beefed up loan loss provisions amid the coronavirus crisis.

Its shares closed at P25.90 apiece on Monday, up by P2.95 or 12.85% from its previous finish. — L.W.T. Noble

SMART’s campaign with BTS to entice younger consumers

IN an effort to snag younger consumers, Smart Communications, Inc. launched its “Live Your Passion with Purpose” campaign with one of the world’s leading pop icons, the Korean boy band BTS. This is Smart’s first collaboration with the Grammy-nominated artists.

On Thursday, Smart dropped the TVC featuring the seven BTS members — Jung Kook, RM, j-hope, Jin, V, Suga, and Jimin — walking up and down seven iterations of The Penrose Stairs which is “symbolic of defying impossible situations.” The campaign is set to two of the band’s most recent hits, “Life Goes On” and “Dynamite.”

An hour after its launch at 5 p.m. on April 22, the TVC earned more than 156,000 views and 120,000 views on Smart Communications’ official Facebook and YouTube pages.

“BTS won over the hearts of millions all over the world not just with their talent, but also with their messages of hope and inspiration,” Jane J. Basas, Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business, said in a statement.

During an online press launch held over Zoom on April 22, Ms. Basas said that the campaign is targeted to the younger generation of consumers.

“We wanted to pivot the messaging of the brand and for the brand to start talking to the younger generation of Filipinos, the Gen Zs. We felt that what’s unique about this generation is that they know their voice. They know their capabilities. They know they’re a talented bunch, but what makes them unique is that they believe that… they can change the world,” she said. “And we were looking for talents that can deliver that message [which] is BTS.”

“This campaign is centered really with the youth. We want to make sure that we have the affinity with the youth. They are the future customers for us long term. We want to make sure that we’re able to address what their needs are from us,” Alfredo S. Panlilio, Smart President and CEO said of the campaign’s expected contributions to the business.

“The drivers of our business today is content. Everybody wants to go online, to listen to music, to watch movies. And BTS is one global brand,” Mr. Panlilio added.

Alongside the TVC launch, Smart also launched the Smart x BTS microsite (www.smartbts.com.ph) which is exclusively for Smart Prepaid, Postpaid, Infinity, Bro, TNT and PLDT Prepaid Home Wifi subscribers.

The microsite offers exclusive BTS content including a feature to view the TVC using mobile light sticks. Smart will soon announce the release of BTS photocards as part of the campaign.  — Michelle Anne P. Soliman 

Robinsons Malls hosts national ID registration centers

ROBINSONS/BW FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS Authority (PSA) has named Robinsons Malls as its official mall partner for the registration of the national ID or Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

The PSA has set up PhilSys registration areas at the following malls from Mondays to Saturdays: Robinsons Place Malolos, Robinsons Place Roxas, Robinsons Place Tuguegarao, Robinsons Angeles, Robinsons Place Antipolo, Robinsons Galleria Cebu, Robinsons Place Santiago, Robinsons Luisita, and Robinsons Starmills.

PhilSys registration at Robinsons Place Dumaguete and Robinsons Place Antique are available until Sunday.

The second step of the PhilSys registration involves the validation of supporting documents and capture of biometrics such as fingerprint and iris scans and front-facing photographs.

More registration centers will be opened at Robinsons malls in north Tacloban and Cebu.

FedEx moves Clark facility launch to Q3

THE FedEx Express facility being built in Clark will be operational by the third quarter, the Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) said.

“FedEx is almost complete with its state-of-the-art facility that will hopefully be operational by the third quarter of this year,” BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Vivencio B. Dizon said at the Sulong Pilipinas 2021 economic forum on Monday.

The logistics company announced in October that it would build a 17,000 square-meter facility for processing documents and parcels in Clark, initially setting an April launch.

The facility will bring up the company’s employee count in Clark to 800.

FedEx said the facility would reduce delivery time to Northern Luzon by an average of two hours, and would extend the cut-off time for Northern Luzon and Cebu customers.

The project could also increase the company’s sorting capabilities to 9,000 documents and parcels per hour.

FedEx Express is the transport subsidiary of FedEx Corp., which also works on e-commerce and business services. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Cable subscribers called to join campaign showcasing local culture

THE PHILIPPINE Cable and Telecommunications Association, Inc. (PCTA) has launched “Mabuhay Ang Lokal,” a campaign aimed to celebrate the stories of local individuals, groups, and cultures. It will do so with video contributions from cable subscribers.

The campaign’s major themes are Lokaltura, Lokalert, and Kwentong Lokal.

Lokaltura will capture the vibrant culture of local communities; Lokalert will highlight programs and initiatives that help communities stay informed; and Kwentong Lokal will focus on different individuals or groups who have special talents and stories to share.

“PCTA and our member operators have always believed that no community must be left behind — even the farthest, most remote ones. Equipped with PCTA’s core competencies, values, and ideas, we have tirelessly worked to come up and run campaigns and initiatives to ensure that every community is served, heard, and celebrated,” Joel Dabao, President of PCTA said in a statement.

To participate, cable TV subscribers must film a one-minute video inspired by the Mabuhay ang Lokal themes. The videos can be e-mailed to secretary@pcta.org.ph, membership@pcta.org.ph or secretariat@pcta.org.ph. Chosen entries will be highlighted and featured in local community channels, and the PCTA Facebook page.

After a year of gathering the content, selected entries will be selected and compiled into The Best of Mabuhay ang Lokal Stories to showcase the most inspiring and engaging pieces of content.

“Mabuhay Ang Lokal” aims to strengthen the presence of PCTA member operators in their respective locales.

“We have and we will continue to play an active, proactive, and productive role in the lives of the communities we serve. Individually, we are local operators whose stories are worth sharing. Collectively, these stories help strengthen our organization’s importance and value to our nation’s narrative and identity most especially in this day and age. Together we will make sure they are known and heard through us,” said Mr. Dabao.

As the umbrella organization of cable television operators in the Philippines, the PCTA member-cable operators serve 75% of the total cable TV subscribers in the Philippines.

For more information, visit www.pcta.org.ph or https://www.facebook.com/pcta.org.ph/?ref=page_internal. — MAPS

Bria Homes properties now available on Ohmyhome

BRIA HOMES has partnered with property solutions platform Ohmyhome, where buyers can now look for ready-for-occupancy house-and-lot units at its various communities.

In a statement, the developer said property hunters can get assistance in buying a unit at Bria Homes Magalang through Ohmyhome.

Bria Homes Magalang is a 29-hectare community located at Barangay Sto. Rosario in Magalang, Pampanga. Among its offerings are a rowhouse Elena, with 22 square meters (sq.m.) floor area on 36 sq.m. lot area; two-storey townhouse Bettina (44 sq.m. floor area on a 36 sq.m. lot area), and single firewall Alecza (36 sq.m. floor area on an 81 sq.m. lot area). The Bettina and Alecza units have carports.

Prices of these house-and-lot units range from P520,000 to P1.4 million.

Interested homebuyers use the Ohmyhome app or website and start the housing transaction process through the do-it-yourself option which is free.

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