Anything Pinoy

The call center industry in Cebu ranks fourth in the country in terms of having the most number of major call centers, according to the Call Center Directory of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza).

According to the Peza, the Philippines now has 788 major call centers in over 20 key locations.

Metro Cebu ranked fourth, with 44 major call centers, next to Quezon City with 77 call centers, Ortigas City with 141 and Makati City with 274.

Joel Mari Yu, managing director of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC), attributed the increasing number of call centers to the city’s location.

”Before putting up businesses, investors take a look at the location, and Cebu, for instance, has been a good location for such business,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

A young Filipino has bagged first place at the 2009 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Korea Multimedia Competition in Seoul, South Korea.

Jophel Ybiosa of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) bagged first place in the photography category of the 2009 ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition. Ybiosa’s winning entry entitled, “Giants” feature the Higantes Festival of Angono, Rizal.

Likewise, University of the Philippines (UP) student MM Yu was awarded as the “Special Guest Artist” in recognition of her outstanding entries.

The ASEAN-Korea Multimedia Competition was organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center, in cooperation with the 10 ASEAN embassies in Seoul.

The competition, with this year’s theme, “Cultural Diversity and Harmony,” was divided in two categories namely, video/multimedia and photography. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a triple treat for film buffs as Instituto Cervantes de Manila brings back Película, the biggest annual Spanish Film Festival in Asia, at chosen venues in Metro Manila from October 1 to 31.

Due to the past successes of its first seven seasons, organizers have doubled the number of films (this year more than 40!), gone from one to three venues and lengthened the film festival. Cultural events have also been calendared, in line with the theme of this year’s festival: Locos por el cine or Adik sa Pelikula.

With new partnerships forged by Instituto Cervantes, the cultural arm of the Spanish Embassy to the Philippines, and the strengthening support from Spanish filmmakers, last year’s attendance by cinema enthusiasts is expected to increase this year. Last year, some 20,000 spectators attended the Festival.

“This year marks our 8th edition and we’re very proud of how far the Festival’s come in such a short period of time,” said Instituto Cervantes director Jose Rodriguez. Read the rest of this entry »

Department of Labor and Employment Marianito Roque on Wednesday maintained that the administration’s job generation program has provided sound employment to numbers of Filipinos and lifted them off from the quagmire of poverty.

“The National Statistics Office labor force survey shows that the quality of employment continues to improve,” Secretary Marianito D. Roque said, highlighting the fact that wage and salary employment increased by 7.3 percent over last year’s, as the survey showed.

“The number of persons in full time employment also increased by 500,000, or 2.2%, while self-employed workers and unpaid family workers fell by 335,000 and 174,000, respectively,” Roque said.

The DOLE chief explained that the dip in the number of self-employed and unpaid workers mean either of two things: the self-employed and unpaid family workers could have dropped out of the labor force or found full-time employment. Read the rest of this entry »

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), the biggest and longest-running book fair in the Philippines, turns 30 this year.

The 30th Manila International Book Fair is set on Sept. 16-20, at the SMX Convention Center, Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

For three decades now, MIBF has united local and foreign publishers, wholesalers, retailers, book lovers and collectors, librarians, authors, and publishers’ representatives.

Through economic ups and downs, it has also continuously contributed to the reading awareness of the Filipino by being the venue for book launches, dialogues with readers, and other book-related activities that reach out to a wide audience.

On its pearl anniversary, MIBF showcases the largest and most varied collection of literature, textbooks, educational supplements, general references, religious and inspirational titles, self-help books, management books, Filipiniana, coffee table books, popular novels, children’s books, art books, graphic novels, rare and hard-to-find titles, magazines, audio and e-books, multimedia, teaching supplies and services, publishers’ technology, and travel materials.

Showcasing a huge number of books and learning materials are A-Z Direct Marketing, A Different Bookstore/ Asian Books, Abe Wood Toys, Academic Book Sales, Adarna House, Adbox Book Distributors, Alexan Commercial, Anvil Publishing, Arc N Ciel / Britannica, Asean Book Publishers Association, Read the rest of this entry »

According to Forbes Asia magazine’s, heres the list of Philippines’ 40 richest people published last August 25, 2009:

1. Jaime Zobel de Ayala and family ($2 billion)

2. Henry Sy and family ($1.7 billion)

3. Lucio Tan and family ($1.6 billion)

4. Andrew Tan ($1.1 billion)

5. Manuel Villar ($940 million)

6. George Ty ($870 million)

7. Andrew Gotianun ($860 million)

8. Enrique Razon Jr. ($820 million)

9. Tony Tan Caktiong and family ($790 million)

10. Oscar Lopez and family ($775 million) Read the rest of this entry »

Afro-Filipina Anna Maria Flechero performs at the 2nd Annual S.F. Filipino American Jazz Festival at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on August 8.

Jazz Vocalist and songwriter Anna Maria Flechero’s first CD, Journey Into The Fourteenth Hour (2004) has been described by Jazz Review as “an articulate and serious expression of vocal jazz at its finest” while her second, Within the Fourteenth Hour (2008) has garnered praise from publications including Jazz Police.com (“Anna Maria’s incomparable voice creates a voyage from start to finish.”)

With these types of accolades it is no wonder that Carlos Zialcita, Filipino American member of the group Little Brown Brother and Executive Director of the Filipino American Jazz Festival invited Afro-Filipina Anna Maria Flechero to be one of their featured artists for this year’s concert at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum in San Francisco on August 8th.

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Anna Maria Flechero is the daughter of a Philippine-born father and African-American mother from Little Rock, Arkansas.

While in the US. Military, her father changed his name to “Fletchercin an effort to become “more American.”

He was not accepted by his family in the Philippines and to some degree from his peers in the United States because he married her mother. In the late 1940’s, interracial marriage was not as acceptable as it is today.

Eventually, Anna Maria’s parents separated and though her father was still in her life to some degree, she was raised by her maternal grandmother and essentially separated from that side of her heritage. Read the rest of this entry »

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it barred a record high of nearly 5,000 Filipino travelers from leaving the country in the first six months this year as part of its intensified campaign against human trafficking.

In a report to BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, BI immigration regulations chief Gary Mendoza said the number of offloaded passengers from January to June rose by more than three-fold to 4,930 from the 1,511 a year ago.

Most of the offloaded passengers were suspected victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment syndicates while others had improper or incomplete travel documents.

Mendoza also said that 1,236, or more than a third of the passengers, were Filipinos suspected of being “tourist” workers, referring to undocumented Filipino workers overseas disguised as tourists. Read the rest of this entry »

Buckle up as Enchanted Kingdom (EK), the country’s first and only world-class theme park, sets off for Speed Month ’09 this August 1 and 2 with two exciting races: the 5th leg of the 2009 Magnolia Karting Series and 2009 Rally Extreme by Roadwise Motoring Foundation.

Karters from the Formula SL Novice, Expert, Heavy, Cadet 60CC and Mini-Rok divisions will vie for the plum positions in this exciting action-packed series. Prizes at stake are cash prizes and gift certificates.

Mr. Mario O. Mamon, President & Chairman of EK, Mr. Boy Ochoa, Motorsports Consultant of San Miguel Corporation and Managing Director Johnny Tan of the Carmona Race Track will be there during the affair.

The Speed Month ’09 will also hold underbone, slalom and autocross competitions plus a display of old school and customized cars on all weekends of August.

Licensed drivers can avail of EK’s Regular Day Pass at P350 by simply presenting their valid local or international driver’s license the whole month of August!

Come to Enchanted Kingdom where the magic stays with you! From now until August 28, 2009 we are open Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00AM to 9:00Pm with Fireworks Display at 8:00PM. Enchanted Kingdom is located at the City of Santa Rosa, Laguna. For more information you may visit www.enchantedkingdom.com.ph or call 843-6074 to 76 or 830-2111 to 16.

Filipino businessmen and the Catholic clergy tonight praised President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on her ninth State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was described by many as fiery and straight to the point.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a text message to the Philippines News Agency that Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, SVD, and businessman Jose “Joey” Concepcion III of Go Negosyo are among those who praised Mrs. Arroyo.

“Bravo madam President. Congratulations for the superb SONA. I’m so proud to be a Filipino with the way you care for our country. Our prayers are with you,” Bishop Jaucian said.

For his part, an overwhelmed Concepcion could only say: “excellent SONA.” Read the rest of this entry »