1 of 3

By Miguel Hanz L. Antivola, Reporter

A SMALL BUSINESS must have all hands on deck, yet it is even better if only a single pair runs a tight ship to effectively manage missteps, according to stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur Bambi Y. Temeña.

Before starting her handmade insulated tampipi basket business, Ms. Temeña was a go-getter who had experienced both business failures and successes.

“I was into events and parties, then I also got into catering and food,” she said in an interview with BusinessWorld. “I had a restaurant, bar, eatery. I think I’ve entered all of them.”

After her graduation, Ms. Temeña began doing gigs such as event planning and catering all by herself for small functions. Eventually, she was invited by four other married couples to start a restaurant-bar.

She used to run the 2000s-famous Tapika Resto Bar along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, which nurtured musical talents such as Paolo Santos and MYMP.

However, the business had to close down due to increasing traffic in the area from the underpass construction, causing low demand, as stated by Ms. Temeña.

This was followed by the neighborhood barbecue and packed meals stop, Barbi-q-han, along Xavierville Avenue — a partnership with her mother-in-law, which she had to leave unattended for two years to attend to her sick mother in the United States.

The small eatery’s lease expired without her management, and she had to continue home-based as the pandemic came about.

“All those times I had partners, but with this one — it’s really just me myself,” she said, applying the lessons she learned previously in her current venture.

“What I always advise is to start small, and if you can, start just by yourself,” she added on the difficulty of navigating the dynamics that come with having business partners, whether it stems from personal or corporate endowments.

“Because I’m always very much involved in the business as a managing partner, it’s hard to meet halfway and find your place.”

Ms. Temeña noted always having a hands-on, creative, and entrepreneurial mindset, which she has clung onto amid challenges, given the limits of her resources.

INSULATED TAMPIPI BASKETS
What came about from searching for holiday packaging for Ms. Temeña’s frozen food products in 2020, eventually pivoted into its own online business named “Baskets Just Created for You.”

“Handicraft Christmas packaging was all the rage. There was a market for it,” Ms. Temeña said. “But my business was the food, not the packaging.”

“It’s just that I had to customize the sizes in terms of how many packs I could put in, depending on the client’s need,” she added. “But a lot were asking if they could just buy the basket.”

She saw the opportunity to disrupt the local market by practically lining handwoven tampipi baskets and their lids with insulation material to preserve temperature.

She fully embraced this pivot at the start of 2021 by the end of the holiday season, hiring more weavers to cater to the growing demand.

“It was easy for me to hire more because of the pandemic. Some of them were laid off and concentrated on the supposedly part-time work,” she said, providing alternative income to weavers.

Ms. Temeña also diversified into making custom-designed tampipi bags from clients given their feedback, and receiving orders from celebrities and personalities.

When asked about her expansion plans for the business, she said she is eyeing exports, but only if quality can be maintained.

“I cannot really expand it given my limited resources, finances, and time. Also because I’m very hands-on,” she said.

“Many have offered to distribute, sub-manufacture, and export, but quality control is needed since it’s very handmade,” she added. “I don’t want to let it go to someone.”

“Because I inspect every piece I sell. I always talk to my weavers, especially when there are deformities.”

“With distributors outside Metro Manila, I don’t know how they’re going to store and sell it… After-sale service is very important to me. I don’t know if they can do that.”

She acknowledged how her being hands-on may impede the business from realizing its potential. “This is perhaps one of the things that impedes its full growth.”

However, throughout her three decades of entrepreneurship, Ms. Temeña said she finally gained a sense of content in her current venture.

“At this point in time in my life, I just want to enjoy what I’m doing and at the same time, make money,” she said. “My husband even told me, ‘At last, you’re earning from your creativity.’”

“It’s still important that you know what you’re doing, what kind of business you’re getting into, and your definitive target market,” she added.

Like other organ systems, the head and neck are also prone to risk, and cancer is among them. Surgeon and Senior Consultant Dr. Christopher Goh of Mount Elizabeth talks about this type of cancer and other important things related to this, such as symptoms and treatments.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld website. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

CURATING moments of joy and surprise is the driving force behind M Proposals MNL, a wedding proposal planning company that hopes to expand all over the country, its founder Carmela Denise A. Alcordo said.

“We researched this several years ago, and until now, we’re the only one doing this full time,” Ms. Alcordo said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

Her journey started during high school in Batangas when a feasibility study project sparked her entrepreneurial spirit.

“Our teacher asked us to do a feasibility study, and what I did was create an events company. I saw that it was a viable business and something I could do.”

“So I started with weddings, debuts, social and corporate events. And then, right after I graduated, I went to a corporate job, and I saw there was potential in proposal planning because I saw one of those showbusiness proposals, and I saw it usually goes viral (on social media platforms),” she added.

The transition from general events to a niche as specific as proposal planning was not without its challenges.

“I didn’t have a business model to guide me; everything I created was based on my experience,” Ms. Alcordo said.

“It was challenging but exciting to really come up with a business that is unique but with a lot of opportunities and potential.”

M Proposals also experienced an unexpected surge in inquiries during the pandemic period, reaching an average of 10-20 per day, Ms. Alcordo added.

She said that the demand could be attributed to the hunger for surprise-filled proposals and the convenience the company offers to busy clients.

“We cater to overseas Filipino workers, nurses, executives, CEOs — people who lack time to conceptualize proposals.”

PERSONALIZED PROPOSALS
At the core of M Proposals lies the art of personalization.

Ms. Alcordo detailed the process: “From significant details to shared hobbies, we use these elements to conceptualize a proposal perfect for the couple.”

She recalled a flash mob proposal in a busy street, saying, “The unforgettable moment was the girl’s reaction.”

“She dreamt of this her whole life but didn’t expect her boyfriend could do it to her.”

Such moments, she said, epitomize the emotional impact M Proposals aims for, resonating not just with the couple but also the surrounding audience.

DIVERSE OFFERINGS AND INCLUSIVITY
M Proposals embraces diversity through ready-made proposal packages starting from P30,000, Ms. Alcordo said.

Options like the hotel proposal, complete with decoration, cocktails, and an overnight stay, or the scenic lush proposal, offering breathtaking views, cater to varied preferences, she noted.

The inclusivity extends to LGBTQ couples.

While M Proposals does not have specific packages for them, Ms. Alcordo said, “They’re unique, [and] we give them the creativity they require.”

“Basically, we really cater to their requirements because they’re really unique and glamorous, and I like that,” she added.

FUTURE EXPANSION AND VISION
As M Proposals continues its journey, Ms. Alcordo envisions expanding to different Philippine destinations and partnering with international companies.

“Clients ask about proposals in other locations like… Singapore,” she said.

This aligns with her ultimate goal — making M Proposals a well-known name in proposal planning.

“I really want M Proposals to be a well-known proposal company in the Philippines,” Ms. Alcordo said.

Beyond individual success, her vision extends to a collaborative network where proposal planners share creativity and craft unique experiences.

“Even if we are the first, definitely, I feel like we can have a network of proposal planners where we can help each other, but we will be top of mind when it comes to proposal planning. With all the clients that we’ll have, we can provide them with creativity, and the unique and unforgettable experience that they would like to have,” she said.

For Ms. Alcordo, her entrepreneurial journey embodies the essence of her business — unique, creative, and passionately driven.

“The good thing about this is the anticipation of surprises and having the privilege to listen to all of our clients’ love stories and make the most out of those stories to create unforgettable memories,” she said.

“Even if I’m working, it feels like I’m not… For example, if I have a client and ask them what their love story is, that’s the most precious part of my work.” — with Aaron Michael C. Sy

THE logistics landscape is rapidly evolving, with sustainability and eco-friendly solutions becoming paramount, according to an industry player.

Amid this shift, entrepreneur Dennis O. Ng, who had already marked his presence by establishing an on-demand delivery and logistics services business, sought further avenues for growth.

Late 2021 marked a shift for Mober Technology Pte., Inc., Mr. Ng’s six-year-strong startup at that time, when he was tapped and challenged to provide electric vehicles (EVs) for a foreign client’s delivery.

It became inevitable for the company to pioneer a new submarket and re-fleet toward EVs as the demand for green logistics among multinational companies also started to grow, Mr. Ng, founder and chief executive officer of Mober, said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

“I was able to find two EVs at that time. That’s where we all started,” Mr. Ng said on IKEA Philippines contacting Mober to start the Scandinavian furniture chain’s EV delivery.

Georg Platzer, IKEA Philippines store manager, reached out to Mober in May 2017 after seeing the company at an event by the Philippine Retailers Association, Mr. Ng said.

Starting with just two, Mober later doubled down on EV operations by continuously expanding its fleet, which now consists of 60 EV vans and trucks, Mr. Ng noted.

“Multinational companies are really gearing toward transitioning to EVs because they have a corporate mandate that they need to be net zero by 2030, 2040, or 2050,” he said on servicing Nestlé, Unilever, SM Appliance, Nespresso, and IKEA Philippines.

Chinese automotive group Dongfeng Motors launched in the Philippines on Monday, following a partnership with Legado Motors, Inc. to distribute EVs in the country.

The country needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said during the launch event.

Mr. Marcos in January issued an order temporarily lifting tariff rates on certain electric vehicles such as passenger cars, buses, minibuses, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tricycles, scooters and bicycles for a five-year period.

He also cut tariffs on certain EV parts and components to 1% from 3%.

Terry L. Ridon, convenor of InfrawatchPH, said the main challenge now of lobbying for EV is encouraging US, European, and Chinese EV manufacturers to set up manufacturing hubs in the Philippines to serve the Asia-Pacific market, BusinessWorld reported in May.

According to the Energy department’s roadmap for the EV industry, the Philippines aims to electrify 10% of its total fleet across all sectors by 2040.

ACQUISITION, OPERATION
Mr. Ng noted that customer benefits gained from a shift to EV delivery include zero carbon emissions.

“The current EV now is still two times more expensive than a vehicle with an internal combustion engine that uses gas or diesel,” he said on a diesel-run delivery van worth P800,000 being equivalent to P1.9M if electric.

“There’s a big difference in acquisition cost. There’s an upfront cost,” he said. “However, on the operations and maintenance, it’s very cheap.”

Mr. Ng said that the company only spent P3,000 for the maintenance of one EV.

“Hopefully, enterprises will realize sustainability has a cost also,” he added on contributing to the decrease of carbon emissions.

CHALLENGES
Mr. Ng noted that the biggest challenge he encounters now in terms of pushing the EV logistics market is the lack of commercial banks willing to finance commercial EVs.

“We’re talking to the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines now. We have an application with them,” Mr. Ng said.

While Mr. Ng is thankful for government regulations granting traffic leniency for Mober’s EV vans and trucks, he said that the biggest support the company gets is coding exemption.

“We can travel seven days a week. That one day extra revenue for us is quite significant,” he said.

“I’m still lobbying with the government if they can also remove the truck ban,” he added, citing that traffic enforcement of local government units fine the company’s six-wheeler EVs a one-day pass worth P600.

“The load of our EV is a lot lighter than a diesel six-wheeler,” he said. “There is also no noise and air pollution.”

“I hope LGUs and their special operating units can understand and help us be exempted.”

OUTLOOK
Mr. Ng has plans on building charging points in Cavite and Bulacan, aiming to electrify the 1,000-kilometer logistic route from Manila to Tacloban and further overcome range anxiety, he said.

“Logistics or commercial EV will come first before personal,” he noted on the future of EV in the country.

“I hope that our government also has the same mindset as China, US, and Europe, whose governments started funding and building charging stations first before they encourage us Filipinos to buy an EV.”

In terms of increased adoption of green logistics, he said that the Philippines is catching up, amid faster strides from countries in the region.

“I think Thailand is a little bit faster than us, but we’re there,” he said. “Thailand has the supply chain for the automotive industry since most of the Chinese manufacturers are going there.”

“I am hoping that the government can give us more concessions and exemptions.”

Lungs and the urinary tract perform the vital functions of breathing clean air into the body and removing waste from it, respectively. Cancer in these areas can hinder such tasks if they are not promptly addressed. Dr. Tanujaa Rajasekaran, senior medical oncologist at Parkway Cancer Centre, gives an overview of how these cancers can be diagnosed and treated.

For more information about cancer, visit https://www.parkwaycancercentre.com/sg/learn-about-cancer/about-cancer/signs-and-symptoms-of-cancer#Overview.

For inquiries about Parkway Cancer Centre, you may visit IHH Patient Assistance Centre Singapore Philippine Office, located at G/F Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600. You may also email manila.ph@ihhhealthcare.com, or contact 0917 705 7061 or 0917 526 7576.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld website. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

EFFECTIVE disaster management requires access to real-time data and a swift means of disseminating critical information — a realization that entrepreneur Felix R. Ayque had in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda, which wreaked havoc in Eastern Visayas in 2013.

Fast forward to 2021, and that realization turned into a solution called Komunidad, a software-as-a-service company specializing in weather and environmental intelligence services.

With Komunidad’s resilience suite, businesses and government units can tap into real-time climate data and localized early warnings. This data and analytics software equips them with the tools to monitor and anticipate climate-related risks and natural hazards, from typhoons to heatwaves, according to the company.

The mission was clear: to confront the challenges posed by climate change head-on, armed with actionable data, Mr. Ayque, founder and chief executive officer of Komunidad, said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

Situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines faces a multitude of natural hazards.

“If you are in the Philippines, you would focus on climate resilience in day-to-day operations like typhoons and flooding,” said Mr. Ayque, an information technology developer who has worked with various weather agencies.

“It could also be for long-term reporting purposes, client risk assessment, power demand forecasting, physical risk assessments, and even sustainability reporting,” he added, highlighting various industry use cases.

“For us, it’s mostly about using what is needed and what is best available.”

For the government, support for communities is crucial as only a small portion, or 36%, of Filipino households are fully prepared for natural disasters, according to a 2017 study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

Mr. Ayque also noted that providing social impact lies at the core of Komunidad, which is reflected in its name — mapping out resilience with adaptation and mitigation through technology.

Komunidad leverages sophisticated technology, including artificial intelligence, as a backend solution to deliver information through simpler channels like predictive alert text messages.

This approach ensures that critical climate data reaches a diverse audience, including farmers and fisherfolk, empowering them to make informed decisions in the face of environmental challenges, according to Mr. Ayque.

As the sole player in an emerging market, the company faces unique challenges, he also said.

“We believe that we already have enough data to become climate resilient, but using that data is the issue — we are not connected,” he said.

“We have a lot of bureaucracy in terms of connecting that data; there is no agency bridging the gaps,” he added.

The situation highlights the pressing need for efficient data management and sharing mechanisms. To achieve this, Mr. Ayque calls for collaboration between the government and the private sector.

“This is how we see the collaboration: governments improve the science and invest in infrastructure, but the private sector tailors solutions to industries, individuals, or whoever would benefit from it,” Mr. Ayque said.

EXPANSION
Recognizing that the ability to withstand natural disasters is a unique strength of Filipinos, Mr. Ayque saw an opportunity to export this talent.

“We believe that this is the best export of Filipino talent, being climate resilient,” he said. “We believe that we are the best to tell the world that we know all these things.”

The company has established an office in Singapore, strategically positioning itself to tap into the global market. It also plans to expand in Europe.

Presently, the company serves 24,000 villages in India and supports 1,500 farmers in Cambodia. “With that reach, we are very happy that it came naturally to us,” Mr. Ayque said.

Mr. Ayque also expressed optimism in the mainstream adoption of the climate tech market, bringing the hopeful trademark of the Filipino to the world at large.

“Having more players market even in this industry is better for the planet and for the world,” he said on embracing competition, overcoming climate vulnerabilities, and fueling public environmental consciousness.

INTEGRATING personalization and innovation into business strategies stands as a paramount move for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) looking to tap into the heightened consumer engagement and increased spending during the “ber” months, according to an expert.

The Philippines is known for its unique and extended holiday celebrations, which run from September through December.

This extended period of festivities results in heightened consumer activity and increased spending, making it a prime time for businesses to connect with their target market, said Armando “Butz” O. Bartolome, a business mentor and founder/president of GMB Franchise Developers.

“Opportunities are around, except that people would really need to identify which opportunities are there,” he said in an interview withBusinessWorld.

By customizing their offerings and embracing innovative approaches, MSMEs can effectively engage with consumers and make the most of the extended festive period, he noted.

Customization involves tailoring products and services to closely align with consumer preferences during the festive season, he noted.

“Innovation is very, very important here,” Mr. Bartolome said, highlighting the creativity underpinning products such as personalized gift hampers or refrigerator magnets with sensors.

“Offer samples,” Mr. Bartolome said. Business owners might be put off by the cost, but “sampling is very effective,” he added.

He also advised MSMEs to use online platforms to market or sell their products.

Collaborating with established e-commerce platforms, like Lazada and Shopee, provides MSMEs with a wider customer base, he noted.

Both platforms have a history of above-average numbers of orders during the season. This is buoyed by their 9.9, 10.10, 11.11, and 12.12 sales days.

Lazada, for one, reported that electronics sales surged 230 times during its 11.11 sale in 2022.Makeup and fragrance purchases were also up seven and six times, respectively, as compared to normal days.

Shopee, meanwhile, noted that orders from Shopee Mall, a by-invite-only premium retail space reserved for brand owners and authorized distributors, surged “14 times” from an average day in its 12.12 sale in 2021.

Sellers can entice customers through promotions, which may or may not necessarily mean discounts, Mr. Bartolome said.

He said that they can bundle products so that buyers who want to upgrade can have the second product at 50% off.

“That’s promoting your brand,” Mr. Bartolome noted. “Another way is to provide a coupon for a product they can buy even after the Christmas season… People will say, ‘Ok. I have a coupon from this store. I’ll probably redeem this coupon.’”

“You don’t have to give a massive discount because your profitability will be affected. It cannot be a do-or-die,” he added. “Know where your bottom line is.”

He said that it is also crucial to set up a realistic budget that accounts for logistics, manpower, and expenses such as participation fees in pop-up stores and bazaars.

Attentiveness to customer feedback, he also said, can differentiate a business from competitors. The success story of Coffee Buddy, a coffee business in Quezon City, showcases how customer focus can lead to growth and expansion, he added.

“The husband-and-wife owners are very attentive to customers. That’s one of the things I saw,” he said. “[Second of all,] they get testimonials from people who love their coffee.”

“There was a time during the season when they could hardly walk in their shop because of all the packages they had to prepare for pickup for all the food delivery platforms,” he noted. Even with the proliferation of competitors, it is still possible to “establish your unique selling proposition… if you put all your efforts in it.”

Mr. Bartolome also advised MSMEs against overstocking their inventories.

“Make sure you can move your goods. Make sure the people who are selling with you know how to move the products,” he said.

Those who end up understocking, meanwhile, can capitalize on the circumstance by turning it into a relationship-building exercise with consumers.

Instead of saying, “‘Sorry, this item is no longer available,’… have that clincher,” Mr. Bartolome suggested. “Say, ‘Give me your number. I will have this product delivered to you within the next two weeks,’ so then you have that promise you will never want to compromise.”

Don’t be afraid to start a business, Mr. Bartolome stressed.

“Be personal. You may have products that other sellers are also selling online, but you [can be] different because you have this personal approach. Start with whatever you want to sell but put your heart and soul into what you’re selling.”

PHILIPPINE dairy farms can meet local needs by investing more in production and product development, leading to reduced reliance on dairy imports, according to an industry player.

“The potential is huge, whether it’s in the yogurt, fresh milk, or ice cream categories. These are multibillion-peso industries,” said Francisco “Paco” Magsaysay, founder of ice cream business Carmen’s Best.

Established in 2009, Carmen’s Best harvests milk from its own dairy farms in Bay, Laguna, and produces premium ice cream for the local market.

According to Mr. Magsaysay, the Philippines imports 99.6% of its dairy needs, with only 0.4% being supplied by local dairy farms. This means Carmen’s Best’s position in the niche market is just a fraction of what the country’s dairy industry could fulfill.

This year, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), which now holds a 51% stake in the dairy enterprise, has pledged to focus more on it in anticipation of the high demand and significant potential for local dairy production.

The Carmen’s Best group, including Carmen’s Best Dairy Products, Inc., Carmen’s Best International Dairy Co., Inc., Real Fresh Dairy Farms, Inc., and The Laguna Creamery, Inc., has achieved over 50% year-on-year growth, according to the company.

“We were surprised that the business is growing this much, so we want to push more,” MPIC’s agricultural arm Metro Pacific Agro Ventures (MPAV) President Jovy I. Hernandez said at a stockholders’ meeting in June.

MPAV and Israel’s LR Group are jointly investing P2 billion in a partnership that aims to build a dairy facility in Bay, Laguna. The objective is to produce at least six million liters of milk annually, with the operation expected to commence in late 2025 or early 2026.

Meanwhile, the National Dairy Authority aims for a growth target of 80 million liters per year until 2028. In June, it cited a lack of consistent annual funding, which hampers the industry’s ability to meet the local demand.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Carmen’s Best started off with just milk production, utilizing 27 hectares of farmland with cows imported from New Zealand. The initial intention was to supply milk to people in the area, but it eventually resulted in a surplus.

Mr. Magsaysay said that within the first year of operation, his father former senator Ramon B. Magsaysay, Jr.,  who purchased the farm, asked him to sell the surplus milk they had.

Further product development involving different dairy products revealed the potential to create quality ice cream with the surplus milk.

“More than anything, I enjoyed eating it. I was the main market for the ice cream,” he said. “It all came from the idea of serving the Philippine market with a premium product.”

Carmen’s Best, named after Mr. Magsaysay’s daughter, eventually grew beyond its signature flavors like salted caramel and butter pecan to include alcohol-infused ice cream and even a lower-priced budget version.

“When we started selling ice cream in 2011, there was no real premium ice cream manufacturer targeting the A and B market since the amount of milk our farm produced limited the amount of ice cream we could make,” he said.

STAY UNTIL IT SNOWBALLS
For small businesses, the limited capital and manpower imply that forcing rapid market expansion too soon would be futile.

“The publicly listed companies like Selecta, Magnolia, and Nestlé — we purposely did not want to go head-to-head with them. We didn’t have the capital,” said Mr. Magsaysay.

“From day one, we wanted to make the best ice cream. We were not talking about market share or profitability.”

Starting small and catering to an underserved niche in the market implies that growth will indeed be slow, he noted.

Though Carmen’s Best started selling in 2011, its first full-time employee, a food technician, was only hired in 2014.

“You just have to stick to it. It really takes time for a small business,” he said.

For Mr. Magsaysay, the way they got into a rhythm was by acquiring “low-hanging fruit,” which meant selling to friends or family who owned restaurants or coffee shops.

“Little by little, there will be a snowball effect. We were getting more people to join the bandwagon, to sell the ice cream, to just try it. The product spoke for itself,” he said.

Any underlying health condition that is not treated at an early stage may eventually have an impact on children’s growth and well-being. Thus, Dr. Chui Chan Hon, Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s senior consultant pediatric surgeon, explains about the surgical techniques and methods that could be used to address the common conditions among children and infants.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld website. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

Proton therapy is said to be a less damaging radiotherapy treatment for cancer patients. According to Dr. Lee Kuo Ann of Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, proton therapy machines have been getting better in the past few years. He explains how Proton therapy works and its benefits on cancer patients.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

“Here you have almost one whole week of people leaving their work, which cannot be recovered anymore,” Ateneo economics professor Leonardo A. Lanzona tells BusinessWorld. “Firms will have to continue paying their workers, so that’s going to be a significant loss.”

Though it’s a good thing that the Holy Week and summer seasons drive a lot of inbound and domestic traffic, this onslaught of activity can become a challenge for small travel companies, according to Marjorie Jayne O. Zamudio, Bridgeway Travel & Tours’ inbound sales manager.

In this video, Ms. Zamudio tells BusinessWorld that competitive pricing and strong, visually appealing social media marketing are vital elements for tour operators to stand out from the rest.

“Things are more expensive, but they [Filipinos] will just have to spend according to what they’re capable of paying,” George T. Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, tells BusinessWorld.

Prevention medicines for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are available in the Philippines for at-risk populations, including men who have sex with men and sex workers, according to Manoj Sihag, Philippine country head of Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a unit of Indian drugmaker Hetero Drugs.

In this explainer video, Mr. Sihag tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how Filipinos can better prevent HIV infection.

He said Filipinos have low awareness about HIV, making them at risk of getting — and spreading — the disease.

“There are many patients who don’t know they are carrying HIV,” said Mr. Sihag.

The Health department has said 14,970 more Filipinos got HIV last year, 21% more than a year earlier. The increase pushed the average number of people diagnosed with HIV daily to 41 from 34.

There were about 140,000 HIV cases in the Philippines in 2021, according to the HIV and AIDS Data Hub website.

Read more: https://www.bworldonline.com/health/2023/03/29/513433/philippines-told-to-boost-awareness-about-hiv-aids/

When the ear somehow struggles to function, one should not hesitate to have it checked, ENT surgeon Dr. Barrie Tan of Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore stressed in this interview with BusinessWorld. He also shares his experience in treating a pair of boy twins from the Philippines whose hearing loss was found to be the root cause of their delayed speech and language development.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

THE PHILIPPINE government should take time to study the transport modernization program and execute it properly rather than rush the whole process, according to transport experts and stakeholders.

After public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers and operators launched a week-long strike early in March in response to the jeepney phaseout plan, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) extended the deadline to consolidate fleets to Dec. 31 from June 30.

The government should not rush the implementation of the program, said Rene S. Santiago, former president of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines.

“Our jeepney sector evolved for 70 years. You can’t suddenly dismantle and reinvent it just like that,” he told BusinessWorld in a video interview.

Under new cooperatives to be formed before Dec. 31, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the LTFRB will be mandating rationalized routes and the replacement of old jeepneys.

The biggest problem is the “faulty financial analysis,” which places the cost of the modern jeepney at P2.5 million each, a steep price even with the government subsidy of P160,000, Mr. Santiago said.

According to LTFRB Technical Division Head Joel J. Bolano, the notion that individual operators will pay the amount is incorrect.

“We require consolidation… so that the consolidated franchise holder, a cooperative or corporation, will be the one to buy the new units, not an individual,” he told BusinessWorld over the phone in Filipino.

The loan subsidy from government banks or financial institutions is P160,000 per modern PUJ unit, while commercial banks can offer up to P360,000.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista has said that the cost will be worth it due to the benefits of modern jeepneys, which are designed more like minibuses and have more headroom for passengers.

“The Euro 4 or 5 compliant engines of the new jeepneys will also be ecofriendly,” he said at a press conference. “They will reduce pollution, which is better for the environment.”

For his part, Manibela Chairman Mar S. Valbuena said the transition is the issue, not the new jeepneys.

The DoTr has to assess the routes to determine demand and income, and then manage the transition accordingly, he noted.

He added that if the financial aspect of the program fails, the burden of the expensive modern jeepneys will fall on the commuters, a concern echoed by commuter groups.

“Will the new vehicles arrive within three days of phaseout or will commuters have a hard time getting around because jeepney operators have given up their franchises?” said Primo V. Morillo, convener of The Passenger Forum.

“And, at the end of the day, who will have to pay for the modern jeepneys? It’s the commuters,” he said in an interview.

As of December 2022, the country had around 158,000 PUJs nationwide, according to the LTFRB. This is also the target number of PUJs for the December 2023 consolidation deadline.

“As of today, 62% of those units already consolidated into cooperatives or corporations,” Mr. Bolano said.

The review before the deadline will yield more detailed guidelines for the rest of the PUJ modernization program’s components, he added.

Both DoTr and LTFRB have said that operators, drivers, and commuters will be consulted over the next few months to further iron out the details of the plan.

Interviews by Patricia B. Mirasol and Brontë H. Lacsamana

Produced by Earl R. Lagundino, Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia, and Arjay L. Balinbin

A man’s private issues might be taken for granted until he is troubled in the middle of the night — whether in the bathroom or the bedroom. But, as Dr. Ronny Tan of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore shares, there is no shame in being aware of these problems and reaching out to a urologist for diagnosis and treatment, which is now advanced and minimally invasive.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

India and the Philippines share a common interest in improving healthcare services and advancing the development of health technologies, according to Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shambhu S. Kumaran.

In this explainer video, Mr. Kumaran tells BusinessWorld how India has made significant strides in improving access to affordable healthcare services and developing technologies to address public health challenges, especially in the Philippines.

He says that the Philippines has the potential to gain from improving its regulatory processes to facilitate the entry of Indian drug companies and their products into the market.

A partnership between regulatory bodies in the Philippines and India could lead to more efficient processes for approving new medicines, he noted.

Interview: Arjay L. Balinbin
Video editing: Earl State R. Lagundino
Videography: Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia

The liver is an essential organ that carries out vital tasks: producing key proteins that help digest fat; storing essential vitamins and minerals; and breaking down the food we eat. This, as Dr. Kieron Lim of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore stresses, is why a healthy lifestyle is important to keep this organ in good condition.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

Most people don’t realize that life depends on our heart beating regularly. Quivering or irregular heartbeat, for instance, can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications. Dr. Pipin Kojodjojo, a cardiologist and heart rhythm specialist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, stresses these things as he explains how abnormal heartbeats should be diagnosed.

For inquiries, please contact Mount Elizabeth Hospital’s patient assistance centre located at G/F-B, Marco Polo Hotel, Meralco Avenue and Sapphire Street, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1600, e-mail manila.ph@parkwaypantai.com or call 0917-526-7576. Follow them at facebook.com/MountElizabethHospitalsSGPhilippinesOffice.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.

Urban planner Paulo G. Alcazaren explains how to create a walkable metropolis that promotes health, sustainability, and economic growth.

Making a city walkable, he says, entails creating an environment that is safe, accessible, and convenient for pedestrians.

Interview: Brontë H. Lacsamana
Videography: Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia
Video editing: Earl R. Lagundino

Steven Scheurmann, vice president for Southeast Asia at Palo Alto Networks, talks about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure such as online banking networks, manufacturing operations, and air traffic control systems to cyber threats, and the reasons why they are often targeted.

He also shares insights into how we can protect them as the Philippines transitions into a digital economy.

According to Palo Alto Networks’ 2023 cybersecurity predictions for the Asia-Pacific region, systems undergoing 5G adoption will be vulnerable, from the medical space to manufacturing.

“Have you quantified where you are in cybersecurity, what your exposure is, where you could be compromised? Not every organization has done this,” said Mr. Scheurmann.

Interview and text: Bronte H. Lacsamana
Videography: Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia
Video editing: Earl R. Lagundino

What is ChatGPT? What are its limitations? How should the academic community respond to this technology? Does it give unique responses? Can it replace human jobs?

Ralph Vincent J. Regalado, CEO and founder of Senti AI, a local artificial intelligence solutions and services company, answers these questions in a virtual interview with BusinessWorld.

Interview: Arjay L. Balinbin

Video editing: Earl R. Lagundino

As businesses face 2023 with uncertainties brought by geopolitical tensions and rising inflation, as well as the possibility of another global economic recession, among others, what kinds of strategies can bring the best potential to drive businesses towards growth in the months to come?

Watch experts as they discuss about “Strategies for Stronger Business Growth in 2023” on #BUSINESSWORLDINSIGHTS

This session of #BUSINESSWORLDINSIGHTS is sponsored by Integrated Computer System, Inc. and supported by the Asia Society-Philippines, British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Franchise Association, People Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Retailers Association, and The Philippine STAR.

To help build a circular economy, a recycling facility in Santa Maria, Bulacan, is turning used beverage cartons into useful products — from paper reams that can be used for books and news prints to polyethylene aluminum boards used as materials for construction and even home or office furniture.

The flower trade in Dangwa, known for being the go-to place for inexpensive flowers, is thriving despite stiff competition. During the height of the pandemic, daily sales were sometimes nil. At one point, flower shops had to resort to selling vegetables, according to one of Dangwa’s oldest establishments.

“Ngayon lang ulit bumamalik ang mga tao (It’s only now that people have started coming back),” John Michael E. Nocidal, operations manager of Nene’s Flower Shop, tells BusinessWorld. “Naniniwala kami na babalik siya sa dati. Actually, bumabalik sa siya (We believe that things will go back to normal. Actually, it already has).”

Text and interview: Patricia B. Mirasol

Videography/Video editing: Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia and Earl R. Lagundino

Despite economic challenges, the rebound in hotel markets is expected to continue as countries open their borders, according to an industry expert.

“People are talking about revenge travel. I don’t necessarily believe that one. I think there has always been a desire to travel, and now that the gates have opened up, I see people returning to travel and enjoying themselves, especially in the luxury segment,” Mark Willis, chief executive officer of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, tells BusinessWorld.

Text and interview: Arjay L. Balinbin

Videography/Video editing: Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia and Earl R. Lagundino

A CITY WHERE residents can walk or bike to essential services in 15 minutes is possible in the Philippine capital, where people endure long commutes, according to urban planner Felino A. Palafox, Jr. 

The ambitious concept can be realized by allocating a portion of the city to the working class, Mr. Palafox told BusinessWorld.

Individuals working in Makati City, the country’s financial hub, spend an average of three to five hours daily coming to and from work, he noted.

“Fifteen minutes is the threshold of an ideal city — a 15-minute city with five-minute neighborhoods and 10-minute communities.”

Carlos Moreno, a scientific director and professor specializing in complex systems and innovation at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, devised the concept aimed at improving quality of life by designing cities where everything a resident needs can be reached within 15 minutes by foot or bike.

Mr. Palafox suggests allocating a part of a city to individuals and families of different ages and income levels to address concerns that segregated neighborhoods imposed by technocratic and colonial planning may be further alienated by gentrification. 

He noted that housing for the urban poor is subsidized in places like Vienna and Manhattan, to the point where it is possible for a secretary to live right next door to an NBA player.

“If you give me a big eraser to do BGC [Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, Metro Manila] again, I would have allocated 30% for employees. There was an opportunity to do so because it was government land,” Mr. Palafox said.

“The biggest landowner is the government, so maybe it should start allocating land for self-contained cities that are mixed-income and cross-generational.” 

Mr. Palafox, who walks about 7,000 steps when in Manhattan and Dubai, said the Philippine capital lacks transportation and connectivity.

Only about 2% of Filipinos own cars, Mr. Palafox said, adding, “Those who have less wheels should have more roads.”

To make the idea a reality, there must be strong political will, he stressed.

He said the Philippines will need to create 100 new cities by 2050, or existing cities “will become as bad, if not worse,” than Metro Manila, as well as address urban sprawl to avoid encroaching on forests and farms.

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of developers avoiding siloed planning.

The concept plan for Rockwell, Makati — one of Mr. Palafox’s firm’s projects — was “up to EDSA, Buendia, and across the river.”

“When we plan, we don’t treat our projects like an island. We look at the surrounding areas, and how [our projects] contribute to the neighborhood, community, and city,” he said.

“In our part of the world, it’s mostly short-term and opportunistic, not long-term and visionary,” he noted.

“Our country is so blessed… but [first] we have to address corruption towards good governance, criminality towards better peace and order, and inequality, infrastructure, and incompetence.” 

Interview and text: Patricia B. Mirasol
Videography: Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia
Video editing: Earl R. Lagundino

According to current projections, about 60% of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2030.

In fact, more than half already do. Cities and metropolitan areas are the chief drivers of growth in developing economies, but they also give rise to other social issues. Building smarter, more sustainable cities, coupled with sustainable and inclusive transportation, could be the key.

Watch BusinessWorld Insights as distinguished experts and executives discuss the topic “Smart Cities and Mobility: Building More Sustainable Cities and Transportation.”

This session of #BUSINESSWORLDINSIGHTS is supported by the Asia Society Philippines, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Franchise Association, People Management Association of the Philippines, and The Philippine STAR.

The normalization of remote work and the push for privacy and data protection laws in the Philippines and around the world have led to a rise in security activity, a cybersecurity expert said.

Phil Rodrigues, Amazon Web Services’ security head for Asia Pacific and Japan commercial, talks about how organizations have made cybersecurity a top priority in doing business, driving the need for talent with both hard skills and soft skills like communication, flexibility, and leadership.

Interview by Brontë H. Lacsamana. Video editing by Earl R. Lagundino.