Download Report

INDUSTRY NEWS
January 30, 2015
Philippines Confident Of Faster Growth After 2014 Rebound
AFP News – 19 hours ago
https://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippines-enjoys-economic-rebound-close-2014-035351082--finance.html
Economic planning secretary of the Philippines, Arsenio Balisaca, pictured during …
Philippine officials voiced confidence the country had escaped a "boom-bust cycle" as they predicted on
Thursday that economic growth would accelerate in 2015, after expansion last year beat international
expectations. The economy grew 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014, new figures showed, offsetting
weaker growth in the previous nine months to boost full-year gross domestic product (GDP) expansion to
6.1 percent, exceeding forecasts from major international institutions. The rebound puts the country on a
high-growth trajectory not seen in decades that will finally see it shake off its image as the "sick man" of
Asia, economic planning secretary Arsenio Balisacan told reporters. Balisacan added that the
government expected the economy to grow by between 7.0 percent and 8.0 percent in 2015.
DTI Sees Doubling Of E-Commerce Market In 2015; Pushes Industry Road Map
Posted on January 29, 2015 10:45:00 PM
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=dti-sees-doubling-of-e-commercemarket-in-2015-pushes-industry-road-map&id=101831
The Philippine e-commerce industry is expected to double its 2014 revenue this year, with the short-term
seen as bullish for the sector, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said on Thursday. In a
statement, DTI said that e-commerce has been thriving with about $1 billion in 2014 sales, which are
expected to grow to $2 billion by 2015. Meanwhile, the broader Internet market in 2014 was P1.4 trillion
or as much as 13% of the country’s gross domestic product, DTI said in a statement.
To support the robust growth of the industry, DTI said it will facilitate the formulation of an industry
blueprint, the “2020 e-Commerce Roadmap.” To formulate the road map, DTI is set to conduct a series of
Technical Working Group meetings this year to gather stakeholders and involve them in the process.
Local Traders Urged To Tap $2.3-T Global Halal Market
Philippine Daily Tribune by Ed Velasco / 30 January 2015 00:00
http://www.tribune.net.ph/business/local-traders-urged-to-tap-2-3-t-global-halal-market
Philippine businesses, especially meat, poultry, and food-manufacturing industries, should take
advantage of halal (allowable) certification to tap into the growing Halal industry and increase their share
of the market, the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) told
interested businessmen. The EMB, in its latest export digest obtained by The Daily Tribune, said the halal
market is huge both inside and outside the Philippines, presenting vast potentials for enterprises that will
acquire Halal certification. The global Muslim population constitutes 23 percent, or 1.6 billion, of the world
population.
1
Madrid, Here We Come!
The Philippine Star by Claude Tayag / Updated January 29, 2015 - 12:00am
http://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2015/01/29/1417739/madrid-here-we-come
This is the decade of Philippine cuisine, and one man could be credited for launching it with a big bang:
Tourism Secretary Ramon J. Jimenez Jr. He's the one responsible for bringing Madrid Fusion Manila,
the Spanish gastronomic summit here, the first ever in Asia. Manila's culinary world is abuzz with
excitement for the forthcoming Madrid Fusión Manila 2015 slated from April 24-26 at the SMX Convention
Center, Pasay City. No stone will be left unturned in preparation for what could be the greatest
gastronomic event in our history as a nation.
Metro Condo Prices: Lowest In Las Piñas, Highest In Makati
The Philippine Star by Richond S. Mercurio | Updated January 29, 2015 - 12:00am
http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/01/29/1417781/metro-condo-prices-lowest-las-pinas-highestmakati
MANILA, Philippines - Buying a condominium in Metro Manila? Las Piñas offers the cheapest prices on
the average, according to global online property platform Lamudi. In its latest report, Lamudi Philippines
said property seekers on the hunt for a reasonably-priced condominium should consider buying in Las
Piñas as it emerged as the city with the lowest average condo prices in Metro Manila. The report showed
average price of condominiums in the city stands at P49,849 per square meter, cheaper than anywhere
else in the metro. Makati, on the other hand, has the most expensive condominiums, with units costing an
average of P139,012 per square meter. That would bring the selling price of an average 120-square
meter condo in the country’s prime business district at about P16.68 million, Lamudi said. Lamudi,
however, said although Makati’s property market is quite pricey, the city has a wide array of condo
properties available which ranges from a very expensive P388,888-per-square meter branded residence
in Ayala Center, to an affordable P27,137-per-square meter medium-rise condo in San Antonio Village.
Taguig came as having the second most expensive condominiums with an average asking price of
P126,129 per square meter. The report revealed that condominiums in Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City
(BGC) area command the highest prices, with the most pricy reaching about P333,333 per sqm. The
cheapest condo in Taguig is located in the outskirts of BGC, costing P23,333 per square meter, the report
showed. Lamudi said Pasay and Quezon City have almost identical average condo prices at P104,685
and P101,277 per square meter, respectively. The Lamudi data showed that average condo prices in
Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan, and Pasig are at P95,134, P88,174, P87,294, and P80,329 per square
meter, respectively.
Nigerian Businessmen To Seek Local Partners
Business Mirror by Catherine Pillas / January 29, 2015
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nigerian-businessmen-to-seek-local-partners/
A business delegation from Nigeria will be in the country to look for potential partners in various sectors,
such as energy, business-process outsourcing (BPO) and construction. The business delegation will be
welcomed by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business
organization on Monday. PCCI Chairman Miguel B. Varela said the 30-man delegation is composed of
government and private- sector representatives. They are interested in seeking partnerships and joint
ventures in the sectors of tourism, health care, oil and gas, power and alternative energy, BPO, housing
and construction of malls, among others.
2
PHL Urged To Expand In Nonvoice BPO
Business Mirror by Philippine News Agency / January 27, 2015
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/phl-urged-to-expand-in-nonvoice-bpo/
Business-process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the Philippines need to expand in nonvoice services
as rapid growth in this sector is seen in coming years. Contact Center Association of the Philippines
(CCAP) President Benedict Hernandez said, at the sidelines of the International Contact Center
Conference and Expo in Pasay City on Tuesday, that there will be faster demand in nonvoice BPO than
voice services as the industry’s client markets are moving toward nonvoice process. Contrary to voicebased process wherein customers’ queries are handled over phone, nonvoice services are via e-mail,
chat or social media.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------They will not work in vain… For they are people blessed by the LORD, and their children, too, will
be blessed. Isaiah 65:23
3