DOST – ICT Office Reveres Partners in Rural Connectivity Project

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) paid homage to its partners from the public and private sector who made possible the “TV White Space (TVWS) Supported Fisher folk Registration in the Danajon Reef”, which won the P3 (public-private partnership) Impact Award at the 2015 Concordia Summit, the DOST-ICT Office held a Philippine P3 Awarding Ceremony on December 11, 2015 at their office. Internet connectivity provided by the project not only boosted fisher folk registration but also provided Internet access to schools and public areas in Bohol and delivered essential communications support for the relief efforts after the Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The P3 Impact Award is considered a top honor in the arena of public-private partnership development. It was bestowed by the United States Department of State Secretary’s Office of Global Partnerships, the University of Virginia Darden School for Business Institute in Society, and Concordia, and presented via satellite by US Secretary of State, John Kerry. In Kerry’s speech, he stated the importance of giving recognition to model public-private partnerships in order to inspire future public-private partnerships to come.

The P3 Impact Award was received by DOST Undersecretary Louis Napoleon Casambre last October 2, 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, The TVWS Supported Fisherfolk Registration project, which aimed to increase fisherfolk registration in six pilot municipalities in Bohol using the technology of TV White Space or unutilized broadcast frequencies, is a joint initiative of DOST-ICTO, the USAID-supported Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries (ECOFISH) Project of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) the provincial government of Bohol, Microsoft-Philippines, Nityo Infotech and IXS4All . The project bested more than 50 other applicants, including finalists from Coca-Cola, the Global Development Lab, Dow Chemical, and General Mills, which highlights the exceptional impact that this partnership has made.

Laundrybest Holds Productivity Seminar

Wazzup Pilipinas!

GQWEST Inc. the company behind the Aquabest and Laundrybest franchise brands recently held a seminar on how to enhance the productivity and profitability of its laundry business concept.

The seminar was conducted in cooperation with its official detergent Ariel. The seminar was facilitated by the company's Customer Care Manager Susan Ho and Leslie Grace Lee and Eric Sto Thomas from P&G. The seminar shared business practices with its franchisees. It also covered how using Ariel products would improve the franchisees cost efficiency and product quality.

The partnership is part of the company's efforts to give added value to their franchisees and customers. "Through this partnership we can assure our customers that their laundry will be processed with the utmost care thanks to our partnership with a credible brand like Ariel" says the company’s President Carson Tan.

Laundrybest is the laundromat concept attached to the company's Aquabest water refilling franchise. At present there are 50 Laundrybest stores in Metro Manila with more set to open.

Real Estate Investment Opportunities In 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With 2015 drawing to an end, many would-be real estate investors and homebuyers must be wondering what 2016 would bring. Will the condo market finally experience a downturn? Should investors diversify their portfolios and turn to offices? Or should we look outside Metro Manila?

Global property website Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) takes a look on what are potentially good real estate investment deals in 2016.


1. Strata-titled Offices

Unlike the BPO office towers built and owned by real estate developers and rented to BPO companies, strata-titled offices can be bought by individual investors and buyers and have them rented out to companies. For property buyers looking to diversify their investment portfolios, this property type makes sense as there is currently a shortage of office space in Metro Manila, especially in the major CBDs, placing an upward pressure on rental rates. In addition, Colliers International said in its third quarter 2015 report that decreasing land-bank options in the Makati CBD, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Ortigas Center is also pushing capital values of office buildings upward.

Among strata-titled developments currently on the market include Alveo Financial Center along Ayala Avenue, which has 363 units and sells on average Php223,000 per sqm. Others include The Stiles in Circuit Makati (Alveo Land; 283 units; Php198,000/sqm); Century Spire in Century City (Century Properties; 283 units; Php203,000/sqm); Capital House in BGC (Avida Land; 222 units; Php142,000/sqm); One World Place in BGC (Daiichi Properties; 283 units; Php136,000/sqm); and Parkway Corporate Center in Alabang (Filinvest Land; 390 units; Php168,000/sqm).