By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporters PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered police to arrest anyone wearing a face mask improperly, as his government struggles to contain surging coronavirus infections. “Arrest them and detain them, investigate them why they are doing it,” he said in a televised speech on Wednesday […]
Category: Hot News
Duterte belittles UN ruling; Palace says remarks for critics
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday night belittled the country’s 2016 legal victory against China, saying an international tribunal’s decision rejecting China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea was just a piece of paper that could end up in a trash bin. “I pursued it but nothing happened,” he said in […]
Twitter buys ad-free news reader Scroll
TWITTER, INC. acquired Scroll, an ad-free news reader product, and said it expects to pull the service into a new subscription offering being planned. Scroll works with a handful of publishers, including BuzzFeed News, The Atlantic and USA Today, and offers stories from those publishers to paying customers. The stories don’t have ads, and Scroll […]
Bank bosses want a return to working in the office, but employees want to retain flexibility
BANK BOSSES are hoping to leave remote work in the past. An Accenture Plc survey of 400 North American financial-services executives found that almost 80% prefer for workers to spend four to five days in the office when the pandemic is over. The majority say remote work is making it difficult to train younger people […]
Century Pacific posts 24% profit rise, cites exports business
CENTURY Pacific Food, Inc. (CNPF) recorded a 24% increase in its first-quarter net income to P1.28 billion, it said on Wednesday, citing the re-opening of foreign markets for boosting its export business. The listed food company said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that its consolidated revenues went up 11% to P13.39 billion, from P12.11 […]
Jollibee launches Family Thanksgiving Month
FAMILY sits front and center in fast food giant Jollibee’s latest campaign called “Family Thanksgiving Month” (to be held annually henceforth every May). This was launched via a press conference on both Zoom and Facebook Live last week featuring media personalities Edric and Joy Mendoza. Still, the star of the show was the star of […]
Nat Re net income drops 24% in 2020
THE National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines (Nat Re) booked a net profit of P120 million last year, down by 24% year on year after low investment income offset its high earnings from underwriting. Nat Re, the country’s national reinsurer, told the local bourse on Wednesday that its net income fell from P157 million in […]
Pandemic opens more hometown ventures for developer Ingenuity
A MORE than 10-year-old Davao City-based software firm that has worked with big technology names such as Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Oracle, has recently been devoting extra time in hometown ventures to help small businesses and the local government pull through the pandemic. “Many of us are trying to learn new skills to […]
Proceeds from AC Energy’s follow-on offering to fund RE projects
AYALA-LED AC Energy Corp. said on Wednesday that it plans to use the proceeds from its follow-on offering to partly fund its upcoming renewable energy (RE) projects. In a press release, it said that aside from the pipeline RE projects, the net proceeds from the sale of primary shares will go to inorganic growth opportunities, […]
Beat the Heat: Keep pets safe from overheating this summer
AS SUMMER deepens and temperatures continue to rise — the Metro’s temperature spiked to 35.2C on May 4, according to the weather bureau, with a heat index of a truly wilting 39C — people are not the only ones who suffer. Pet owners are now tasked to tap into their creative side and come up […]
D&L Industries’ income grows 35% as business segments recover
LISTED manufacturing firm D&L Industries, Inc. saw its first-quarter net income rise by 35% to P695 million year on year as the profitability of its business units recovered. In a press release on Wednesday, the manufacturer of food ingredients, specialty plastics and chemicals said that its net income for the three months ending March was […]
Monitoring work-from-home workers via webcams not feasible, Lenovo says
MONITORING work-from-home employees through their web cameras is not a good idea as it is difficult to impose, according to Lenovo Philippines, noting that there are alternative tools that companies can use to track productivity. “No, [it’s not a good idea] definitely… Parang ang hirap namang mag-impose (it seems hard to impose) that they should […]
MPIC, Meralco boost their sustainability programs
BW FILE PHOTO METRO Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and its unit Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) are expanding their sustainability targets, including adhering to global standards and shifting to cleaner technology. Expansion targets of the companies’ sustainability agenda were shared with participants of a recent virtual forum on multi-sector integration through environmental, social, and governance (ESG) […]
EastWest Bank not looking to sell soured assets via FIST Law
EAST WEST Banking Corp.’s chief executive said the lender is “not very keen” on selling bad assets as its financial position remains healthy. — BW FILE PHOTO EAST WEST Banking Corp. (EastWest Bank) President and Chief Executive Officer Antonio C. Moncupa, Jr. said the bank is “not very keen” on availing of the provisions of […]
Twitter to introduce ticketing for audio Spaces feature
TWITTER, Inc. said on Monday it will introduce a new feature to let users charge admission to their live audio chat rooms in its Spaces feature, as the social media company seeks to court more content creators. Until now, only some users who were part of Twitter’s pilot testing were able to host their own […]
Localized anxiety scales reveal more depressed Filipinos
By Patricia B. Mirasol A DEPRESSION, anxiety, and stress scale that was translated into several Philippine languages revealed that the pandemic has had a larger psychological impact on Filipinos: the translated scales show a higher incidence of severe anxiety as compared to a similar study conducted solely in English. The importance of psychological assessment tools […]
Aboitiz unit participates in Austal Philippines’ FSTR installation
ABOITIZ Construction, Inc. on Tuesday said it had installed and fabricated 20 tons of pillars to the 109-meter, high-speed FSTR ferry delivered by Austal Philippines Pty. Ltd. The aluminum vessel is said to be the largest-ever to be constructed in the country. It can transport up to 1,200 passengers and some 404 vehicles. “Our involvement […]
DiskarTech app rolls out new offerings for OFWs, teachers
RIZAL COMMERCIAL Banking Corp.’s (RCBC) DiskarTech app has launched new services to target several groups, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), teachers and small businesses. The platform will offer collateral-free credit for OFWs through its loan marketplace this May, which will allow migrant workers to borrow up to P500,000, RCBC said in a statement. The OFW […]
Marvel rallies superhero fans to assemble at movie theaters
LOS ANGELES — Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Studios on Monday encouraged superhero fans to return to movie theaters, a show of support for pandemic-battered cinemas trying to stage a comeback amid competition from streaming services. “See you at the movies,” said a three-minute-long trailer designed to stir excitement for 10 upcoming Marvel films including Black […]
What are the blood clots being caused by some COVID-19 vaccines? Four questions answered
TWO VACCINES — the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the US and the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe — have been linked to an increased chance of a rare type of blood clot. Researchers are investigating what causes these clots and are starting to propose some answers. Dr. Mousumi Som, a professor of medicine at Oklahoma […]