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[Joint venture offers prepaid services to Pinoys in Malaysia]

Joint venture offers prepaid services to Pinoys in Malaysia

December 10, 2011 1:59pm


Filipinos in Malaysia may now avail of affordable prepaid mobile phone services from a joint venture between PLDT Global Corp. and Celcom Axiata Berhad.

The “SMART Pinoy” service offers local call rates for as low as RM0.12 (P1.65) per minute, with text messages costing only RM0.01 (P0.14).

“This is our way of reciprocating the hard work and dedication of [overseas Filipino workers] OFWs, our modern-day heroes, by providing them with relevant communication services,” PLDT-Smart Senior Vice President and Head Ernesto Alberto said.

Subscribers will also be able to call the Philippines for as low as RM0.48/minute (P6.6/minute) and text messaging for only RM0.20 per SMS (P2.75).

An additional special feature is the DOS service, which gives subscribers a SMART Virtual Number (SVN) that will allow their loved ones in the Philippines to send text messages to Malaysia at local Philippine rates.

The SMART Pinoy SIM pack will be available at RM8.50 (P116.87) with a preloaded credit of RM5 (P68.75) and can be purchased at SMART Pinoy Wireless Centers in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu and at selected Celcom dealers around Malaysia.

CELCOM is part of the Axiata Group of Companies, a leading regional telecommunications company, with more than 175 million customers across 10 Asian markets.

PLDT Global has subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and most recently in Guam. Other markets targeted by PLDT are the Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

Signing the business agreement last November 30 at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel were Senior Vice President and Head Ernesto Alberto of Enterprise and International and Carrier Business Groups of the PLDT and SMART Communications Inc., PLDT Global President and CEO Alejandro Caeg.

Representing CELCOM were CEO Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly and Chief Sales and Commercial Officer Eric Chong.

Philippine Ambassador-designate to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya witnessed the signing ceremony and launch of SMART Pinoy.

“This joint venture is another important milestone in the growing Philippines-Malaysia business relations. We encourage more collaboration between our respective business sectors, particularly on services that benefit overseas Filipinos in Malaysia as well as Malaysian tourists in the Philippines,” Malaya said.

PLDT Global will have a 51-percent stake in the joint venture, while the Malaysian company will have the remaining 49 percent.

Philippine companies active in Malaysia include:
- San Miguel Corporation/Petron Philippines which recently acquired the controlling interest in Esso Malaysia Berhad

- URC Snacks Food Sdn. Bhd

- Century Motolite Battery

- Axexorize (m) Sdn. Bhd.
 
Malaysian companies operating in the Philippines include Resorts World Hotel, Shangri-La Hotels, Malayan Banking Corporation (Maybank) and MTD Capital Bhd, which recently upgraded the South Luzon Expressway. — LBG, GMA News

hmmm ganyan gamit ko na sim now... cool 2 number in one sim roaming na pede pang local... last week ko lng nabili sa may tatak pinoy summit USJ

[Joint venture offers prepaid services to Pinoys in Malaysia]

Joint venture offers prepaid services to Pinoys in Malaysia

December 10, 2011 1:59pm


Filipinos in Malaysia may now avail of affordable prepaid mobile phone services from a joint venture between PLDT Global Corp. and Celcom Axiata Berhad.

The “SMART Pinoy” service offers local call rates for as low as RM0.12 (P1.65) per minute, with text messages costing only RM0.01 (P0.14).

“This is our way of reciprocating the hard work and dedication of [overseas Filipino workers] OFWs, our modern-day heroes, by providing them with relevant communication services,” PLDT-Smart Senior Vice President and Head Ernesto Alberto said.

Subscribers will also be able to call the Philippines for as low as RM0.48/minute (P6.6/minute) and text messaging for only RM0.20 per SMS (P2.75).

An additional special feature is the DOS service, which gives subscribers a SMART Virtual Number (SVN) that will allow their loved ones in the Philippines to send text messages to Malaysia at local Philippine rates.

The SMART Pinoy SIM pack will be available at RM8.50 (P116.87) with a preloaded credit of RM5 (P68.75) and can be purchased at SMART Pinoy Wireless Centers in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu and at selected Celcom dealers around Malaysia.

CELCOM is part of the Axiata Group of Companies, a leading regional telecommunications company, with more than 175 million customers across 10 Asian markets.

PLDT Global has subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and most recently in Guam. Other markets targeted by PLDT are the Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

Signing the business agreement last November 30 at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur Hotel were Senior Vice President and Head Ernesto Alberto of Enterprise and International and Carrier Business Groups of the PLDT and SMART Communications Inc., PLDT Global President and CEO Alejandro Caeg.

Representing CELCOM were CEO Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly and Chief Sales and Commercial Officer Eric Chong.

Philippine Ambassador-designate to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya witnessed the signing ceremony and launch of SMART Pinoy.

“This joint venture is another important milestone in the growing Philippines-Malaysia business relations. We encourage more collaboration between our respective business sectors, particularly on services that benefit overseas Filipinos in Malaysia as well as Malaysian tourists in the Philippines,” Malaya said.

PLDT Global will have a 51-percent stake in the joint venture, while the Malaysian company will have the remaining 49 percent.

Philippine companies active in Malaysia include:
- San Miguel Corporation/Petron Philippines which recently acquired the controlling interest in Esso Malaysia Berhad

- URC Snacks Food Sdn. Bhd

- Century Motolite Battery

- Axexorize (m) Sdn. Bhd.
 
Malaysian companies operating in the Philippines include Resorts World Hotel, Shangri-La Hotels, Malayan Banking Corporation (Maybank) and MTD Capital Bhd, which recently upgraded the South Luzon Expressway. — LBG, GMA News

hmmm ganyan gamit ko na sim now... cool 2 number in one sim roaming na pede pang local... last week ko lng nabili sa may tatak pinoy summit USJ

^^^pag anjan ako naka hotlink ako...ung prepaid lng, kc naka roaming naman ako para in touch naman ako sa friends and relatives dito sa Philis...

Philippine economy faces growth threats in 2012

The Philippine economy is facing major risks from abroad that could limit its growth prospects next year, the central bank governor said Wednesday.


Although the country enjoys "sound macro economic fundamentals," and strong domestic demand, the economy could still be hurt by developments in Europe, the United States and China, central bank governor Amando Tetangco said.

"The 2012 global economic outlook has deteriorated," he said, warning that there would be more volatility and uncertainty that could affect the Philippines.

"Although economic growth has slowed, we have not seen a contraction" in 2011, he told a forum of foreign correspondents.

The economy grew by 3.6 percent in the first nine months of the year, though the government maintained its full-year target of 4.5-5.5 percent, pinning its hope on a $1.66 billion state spending programme launched in October.

Next year's official growth target is 5-6 percent.

Tetangco said fears of an escalating debt crisis in Europe, the continuing weak US labour market and the risk of a slowdown in China could weigh on Philippine growth prospects in 2012.

They could result in a drop in trade, investment and official aid, he said, warning that even earnings from the country's booming outsourcing industry and the remittances of nine million Filipino workers overseas could be affected.

http://news.ph.msn.com

South mourners briefly encounter Kim Jong-un
 
Dec 28,2011

In this image grabbed from APTN video, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, shakes with Lee Hee-ho, widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who paid respects to his late father Kim Jong-il. [AP/YONHAP]


Lee Hee-ho, former first lady of the late President Kim Dae-jung, had a short talk with new North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during her mourning trip for the late Kim Jong-il, and the young successor expressed gratitude for her visit.

But there was no conversation between the new leader and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, who also made a condolence visit for the late North Korean leader.

The two private mourning groups led by Lee and Hyun returned to South Korea yesterday after paying respects to the late North Korean ruler on Monday at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, where his body is displayed.

The two widows took the trip to reciprocate delegations from the North that attended their husbands’ funerals in Seoul.

“We didn’t have a separate, private meeting [with Kim Jong-un],” Yun Cheol-gu, secretary general of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Center, which Lee chairs, told reporters at a briefing yesterday. Yun said Lee had a face-to-face meeting with Kim Jong-un at the mausoleum “for 10 minutes” after “waiting for 40 or 50 minutes.”

“At the meeting, Mrs. Lee told Kim that she felt sorry for his father’s death, and Kim told her ‘Thank you for visiting us from a distant place,’?” Yun said.

Hyun, who returned to South Korean territory ahead of Lee, told reporters, “I just expressed my condolences and didn’t have any talk [with Kim Jong-un] separately.”

During the two-day, one-night trip, Yun said that Lee didn’t have any meals with North Korean officials.

However, Lee and Hyun met with Kim Yong-nam, the nominal head of state, yesterday morning. “We had a meeting with Kim Yong-nam at the Mansudae Assembly Hall this morning,” Yun said. “Lee and Kim expressed their gratitude for this condolence trip and North Korea’s sending a delegation when the late President Kim Dae-jung passed away.”

During the dialogue, Lee told Kim that she hopes the June 15th South-North Joint Declaration will continue and that her visit would help improve inter-Korean relations, Yun added.

Korean Central Television broadcast yesterday morning footage showing Lee and Hyun shaking hands with Kim Jong-un at the bier in the Kumsusan Mausoleum. The official Korean Central News Agency and the Workers’ Party’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun also reported their meeting Kim Yong-nam.

Before they returned, they visited the Kaesong Industrial Complex yesterday.


By Kim Hee-jin [heejin@joongang.co.kr]

Qatar eyes $1-billion investments in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - The oil-rich state of Qatar is ready to invest up to $1 billion mainly for infrastructure projects in the Philippines, a ranking official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday.
In an interview, Trade Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio said they are in talks with Qatari authorities for the terms of the investment agreements expected to be signed during the upcoming visit in mid-January of the Emir of Qatar.
He said the $1-billion fund will be provided by the state-owned Qatar Investment Authority. This amount, however, is only a small portion of the $300-billion investible fund earmarked by Qatar for foreign investments over the next 10 years.
“We have just been to Qatar. We met with them and they said the $1-billion fund is available,” Panlilio said.
The Philippines and Qatar have been negotiating for years for an investment agreement but have yet to cement a deal. The negotiations resumed last month, with Panlilio heading the Philippine delegation for the third round of talks.
He said the agreement is now 95 percent completed. “We already agreed on the most important issues.”
According to Panlilio, the $1-billion fund will be spread over a number of investments. He said they are drawing up an agreement wherein 85 percent will come from the Qatari fund and remaining 15 percent as counterpart investment either from the Philippine government or a Philippine-based company.
Panlilio said Qatari investors have expressed interest in the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects.
Likewise, he said other investments could be funneled in power, food and agribusiness, as well as portfolio investments.
Aside from the $1-billion investible fund, Panlilio said the agreement will have a mutual investment protection and no double-taxation clause.
Under the mutual investment protection clause, Panlilio said that Qatari firms would be treated on an equal footing with Filipino companies. - By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Man tried to take 247 animals on plane
AFP News – 21 hours ago

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Philippine storm death toll goes down to 1,249


A Czech national was nabbed in Argentina for trying to board a transatlantic flight with 247 live animals including poisonous snakes and endangered reptiles packed in a bulging suitcase, reports said Monday.
The man identified as Karel Abelovsky, 51, was caught while trying to board a flight for Madrid when shocked baggage X-ray technicians and staff at the Iberia Airlines desk at Ezeiza Airport in greater Buenos Aires noticed "organic substances moving inside," local media reported.
When they opened the bag, they found more than 200 reptiles and mollusks, among them nine species of poisonous snakes including South American pitvipers, packed in clear plastic containers.
There were also 15 venomous vipers, including two yararas -- which can measure up to 1.50 meters (five feet) -- and several young boas.
Some of the animals were reported to be extremely rare and protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Two of the animals were found dead and most of the others could have suffered the same fate due to a lack of oxygen if the suitcase had been placed in the plane's cargo area.
The discovery was made on December 7 but only recently came to light. A judge has charged Abelovsky with attempted smuggling, and he faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Researchers suspect that an exotic species smuggling ring was behind the trafficking attempt.

ph.news.yahoo.com

No one does Christmas like Pinoys
CARMELA G. LAPEÑA, GMA News December 25, 2011 5:19pm

No one celebrates Christmas like Filipinos do. As early as September, Christmas songs about snow and reindeers and mistletoes are already being played on the radio, never mind if the country does not have those things. Filipinos love Christmas so much that even the incredible traffic cannot ruin the merry mood it brings to everyone.
 
But what exactly is it about the season that makes it merry and bright?
 
First, the music. As you can tell from the number of karaoke spots in the country, singing is something we Pinoys really, really love to do. So it's not surprising that come Christmas, we've thought of everything. From the tagalized versions of traditional Christmas carols to the kids who call you "barat" (cheapskate) if you don't give them anything for their jumbled up jingles, this is a holiday with a never-ending soundtrack.
 
Another thing that never ends is the food. Even without any special occasion, we're always eating. We're like hobbits — breakfast, morning merienda, lunch, afternoon merienda — and that's not counting the occasional in-between snacks. Instead of greeting each other, we say, "Kain tayo!" or "Kumain ka na ba?"
 
But Christmas eating is something else. "Hindi Pasko 'pag hindi mo naisip na pinaparusahan ka kapag sinabing ‘kumain ka pa’," observes foodie Katrina Nolasco.
 
Traditional Noche Buena fare includes ham, Queso de Bola and fruit salad, but there are other Christmas staples, like puto bumbong, bibingka, and castañas. You don't have to particularly like these holiday food items. If they're not on the table, it's like something's missing.
 
"Hindi Pasko kapag walang keso de bola na lasang kandila," says Trixie Ballesteros, a graduate student. And if you're not able to have your favorite Christmas food, you'll just settle for something similar.
 
It's popular belief that all this prandial celebrating will lead to weight gain, but the holidays are a time of strenuous physical activity, i.e. The Christmas Party.
 
Whether it's your annual family reunion where you don't really know anyone or your office Christmas party, chances are you'll be burning calories. It could be rehearsing a song and dance number for your awkward presentation or running around the malls to complete your Kris Kringle shopping list — somehow, somewhere, you'll be putting all your holiday munching to good use.
 
Like any other holiday, Christmas is not all good. You know it’s Christmas when you can’t get a cab, or you get a cab but the driver seems to have been impersonated by the Grinch.  “Hindi Pasko kapag walang sobrang traffic at greedy taxi drivers,” observes cartoonist Andrew Villar.
 
One good thing about the season is that everyone makes an effort to decorate. You'll surely get stuck in traffic, but at least the tail lights of the car you've been stuck behind for hours aren't the only bright spots on the road. From sidewalk tiangges to giant displays, 'tis the season to be competitive. The city is lit up with Christmas trees tiny and towering, lights that blink, run, dance and drip, and parols of all shapes, shades and sizes.
 
Of course, the season isn't about feasting and gift-giving, which Pinoys happen to do rather well. And the number one reason we really love Christmas is because it means we get to spend more time with the people who make it worth celebrating. “Hindi Pasko kapag walang pamilya,” says Villar. And if it isn’t about family, it’s about the people around you. "Hindi Pasko kung hindi nag-a-abot-kamay para sa kapamilya, kaibigan, kapwa Pilipino," says Kath Muller.
 
Indeed, Christmas seems more Christmas-like because of things like parols, bibingka, and presents. But in the end, we try not to forget that the celebration has a deeper meaning. "Hindi Pasko kapag walang pagmamahal sa Diyos at pagmamahal sa kapwa, kapayapaan sa kalooban, kawang-gawa, at pagpapatawad," says Canada-based Cecille Jabier.
 
Some chose to celebrate by sharing their blessings. Poet-volunteer Dakila Cutab says that growing up, he would always be told that Christmas is a time of sharing. But he says that helping others is not seasonal.
 
"Hindi si Sendong ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nagkakandarapang tumulong. Hindi rin ang Pasko ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nagmamadaling mag-abot ng konting biyaya. Ang pagtulong sa kapwa o sa kalikasan ay dapat na palagiang ginagawa, dahil ito ang magpapaunlad sa atin bilang isang tao at bilang isang bayan," says Cutab.
 
Singapore resident Marlon Dici puts it simply:  "Hindi Pasko kapag walang Jesus Christ." — KBK/HS, GMA News

NKorea set to mobilize masses for Kim Jong-Il funeral


SEOUL - North Korea is expected to mobilize hundreds of thousands of mourners for Wednesday's funeral of late leader Kim Jong-Il, as the world watches for clues to future powerbrokers in the nuclear-armed nation.
 
Pyongyang's state media has so far given no details of the planned event, and foreign guests are barred.
 
But analysts expect largely a re-run of the 1994 obsequies for Kim's father and founding president Kim Il-Sung -- a ceremony designed to pay homage to the late leader and build loyalty to his dynastic successor.
 
"The outpouring of grief in 1994 was prevalent throughout Pyongyang, with almost all citizens out to bid farewell to their leader," Yang Moo-Jin of Seoul's University of North Korean Studies told AFP.
 
"The grief for Kim Il-Sung was genuine, with many people expressing real sorrow. The mood this time appears to be slightly different," Yang said.
 
"The regime used the 1994 funeral to strengthen public allegiance and loyalty to new leader Kim Jong-Il. His own funeral this week will be staged in a similar way."
 
The communist state has proclaimed Kim's youngest son Jong-Un the "great successor" since his father died on December 17 aged 69.
 
But while Kim Jong-Il had 20 years to prepare for his takeover, Jong-Un has had barely three. Analysts are seeking clues about who will have most influence with the untested son, only in his late 20s.
 
"Old-time Kremlinologists will have a field day figuring out who is standing where and what it all means," Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS, said of Wednesday's funeral.
 
The North declared 10 days of national mourning after Kim Il-Sung died aged 82 on July 8, 1994.
 
State media depicted scenes of feverish collective grief for him, as it has for his son, with long lines of mourners in front of statues and portraits.
 
On the day of the funeral two million people were said to be lining the streets of Pyongyang, many of them weeping.
 
Kim Jong-Il, dressed in a dark blue Mao-style suit, had presided over mourning rites as his father lay in state in a glass coffin similar to the one now on display.
 
After the son paid his last respects, the coffin -- draped with a red flag and mounted on a black limousine -- left the Kumsusan Memorial Palace where the son's body is also displayed.
 
The cortege was headed by a truck carrying a military band, followed by a huge portrait of Kim Il-Sung mounted on a car and a fleet of black Mercedes. They drove past an honour guard to the rumble of a gun salute.
 
Kim Jong-Il did not take part in the funeral motorcade, which lasted more than three hours.
 
The procession made its way past landmarks such as Mansudae Hill -- on which stands a towering statue of Kim Il-Sung -- and the Arch of Triumph Square before returning to the palace.
 
During the mourning period, Kim Jong-Il reportedly received a loyalty oath from eight million schoolchildren and other young people who journeyed across the country to pay homage to the late president.
 
"We're going to see a highly public presentation of grief. People will be in tears. It will be very loud, expensive and solemn," said Andrei Lankov of Seoul's Kookmin University.
 
"We are likely to see, of course, his son who is going to become the next dictator."
 
Jong-Un, who bears a marked resemblance to his grandfather, has led the mourning for the past week, weeping at one point before his father's coffin and solemnly clasping the hands of visitors.
 
Kim Jong-Il's two other sons are conspicuous by their absence. They are not listed as members of the official funeral committee and have not been pictured during the mourning period.
 
"Omitting the other offspring provides a straight and clean succession path from Kim Jong-Il to Kim Jong-Un," wrote Roger Cavazos, an associate of the Nautilus Institute think-tank. — AFP

Woman loses arm to flesh-eating bacteria from bath salts

By JoNel Aleccia

A New Orleans woman’s experiment with the illicit drugs dubbed “bath salts” cost her her arm -- and nearly her life -- after she was ravaged by flesh-eating bacteria that invaded an injection site.
The 34-year-old woman showed up at a Louisiana hospital complaining of pain and redness on her right forearm, where there was a puncture wound the woman admitted was a needle stick. She said the symptoms started two days after she injected bath salts at party, according to a case report published online in the journal Orthopedics.
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Doctors gave her strong antibiotics for a skin infection and she seemed to get better. Two days later, however, the patient was still in pain. On closer examination, doctors discovered growing redness, sloughing skin and a smelly drainage, the report said.
Suspecting a growing infection, doctors immediately sent the woman into surgery. They quickly discovered dead muscle surrounding the injection site in her forearm, and an infection moving so fast doctors could see it killing healthy tissue in its path, the report said.

Fearing for the woman's life, doctors removed her right arm and shoulder and stripped away the dead muscle. They also performed a radical mastectomy and cut away more unhealthy skin.

The final diagnosis was necrotizing fasciitis caused by streptococcus bacteria. Such flesh-eating infections can kill quickly, with victims requiring surgery within an average of 25 hours of admission in order to survive, according to one study.
Dr. Russell Russo,  a third-year orthopedic resident at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, was the lead author on the paper. He and the other authors worried that the growing popularity of illicit bath salts could spur a rise in the deadly infections.
The drugs, which are powerful synthetic stimulants, became popular in Western Europe in 2009 and showed up in the U.S. in Louisiana and Kentucky in August 2010. They’ve been smoked, snorted, taken orally and, now, injected.

In 2010, the American Association of Poison Control centers received about 300 calls about bath salts. Last year, the number climbed to more than 6,000, records show.
At least 16 states have enacted emergency bans on bath salts and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency banned three chemicals used to make them last fall. But Russo and his colleagues are warning other emergency department health workers to be vigilant when patients show up with skin infections after injections
.
“The best treatment is prevention with public, street-based education and early detection,” Russo wrote.

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com