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Hold 2nd tender offer, SEC orders Holcim
The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, has directed a second tender offer of the remaining minority shares of Holcim Philippines, whose shares remain suspended after breaching the minimum public ownership of 10 percent in a recent transaction with dominant investor Holderfin BV of Amsterdam. SEC said the float should be held within 20 days from the receipt of its directive, or by 28 September. It also ordered a 30-day offer period “without prejudice to the consummation and payment for the tender offer concluded during the first tranche of the offer.” Holcim said in a bourse report that it was informed Holderfin intends to conduct the second tranche on the same terms and conditions as the tender offer which opened on 10 July and ended on 30 August. Respect 10% float rule The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. wanted the process to maintain the 10 percent float rule for the lifting of the share’s suspension. PSE earlier accused Holcim of “finger-pointing” on the different tax treatment of shares under its tender offer for all shares owned by the public. Holcim informed shareholders on Friday that the facilitation of tendered shares under its offer running between 10 July and 30 August, “will have to be effected outside the facilities of the PSE.” Holcim in a regulatory filing outlined the PSE’s justification that included the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s rule that provides the tax treatment of sales or other disposition of shares of stocks of a publicly-listed company that is non-compliant with the minimum public ownership requirement shall be subject to capital gains tax and documentary stamp tax. The shares also can only be recorded in the books of the company after Holcim has secured necessary certificates like the certificate authorizing registration and tax clearance certificate. The post Hold 2nd tender offer, SEC orders Holcim appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bishop Mayugba issues edict for Niña Ruiz-Abad
ILOCOS NORTE — Bishop Renato Mayugba, the Bishop of Laoag, on Saturday afternoon, 19 August, announced that he has issued an edict on 16 August for Niña Ruiz-Abad, the 13-year-old girl who is on the path to be one of the youngest saints in history. An exclusive copy of the edict secured by Daily Tribune signed by Bishop Renato Mayugba and Very Reverend Rey Magus Respicio, states that "on the 22nd of June of 2023, the Reverend Dennis Duane Ruiz, legitimately named as Postulator of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God, NIÑA RUIZ ABAD, by the author of the Cause, Dr. Eliza Samsón, Ed.D, has written a petition letter asking for the opening of the Cause of the said Servant of God and of the Diocesan Inquiry on the life and heroic virtues as well as fame of sanctity and signs of the same Servant of God." In an exclusive interview with Bishop Mayugba by Daily Tribune, Mayugba said that it is now in the investigation proper. “There have been reports of miracles by Niña but it is not yet confirmed, so this is where we come in, we investigate and we validate these claims before we proceed to the next step of endorsing this to Rome,” Mayugba said. Nina Ruiz-Abad lost her life at the age of 13 due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart disease. According to local stories, Ruiz-Abad showed acts that were unusual for people of her age. She devoted her time to distributing Bibles, rosaries, prayer books, and religious items. The edict further adds that "in conformity with what has been established in the Norms to be observed in Inquiries made by Bishops in the Causes of Saints, published on the 7th of February 1983 by the then Congregation, now Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, with this present Edict, Mayugba makes the aforementioned petition for the opening of the Cause by the Postulator be known to the public and the Bishop invites all of the faithful to provide him useful information regarding the said Cause." The post Bishop Mayugba issues edict for Niña Ruiz-Abad appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Myrna Segismundo: Chef to ABS-CBN stars, bigwigs
All showbiz stars and talents, as well as journos and v/bloggers, who have attended a media conference at the ABS-CBS compound in South Triangle, QC, most likely may have done so at the cozy and classy restaurant on the 14th floor of the building there. But were they ever aware that the building is called the Eugenio Lopez Jr. Communication Center and the restaurant goes by the mysterious name 9501? If they knew those two names, would they also know the name Myrna Segismundo? Most likely, no unless the journos and v/bloggers who cover showbiz also go to lifestyle media events. Segismundo is one of the country’s foremost chefs of international renown. She was managing director of 9501 for almost 20 years,with the rank of vice president. Security Bank, the Zonta Club of Makati and a group known as Environs recently cited her among their Bravo Empowered Women Awards recipients. [caption id="attachment_166629" align="aligncenter" width="666"] CHEF Myrna Segismundo | Photograph Courtesy Of Relaxlangmom.com[/caption] First project The private 9501 restaurant was conceived in 1995 as the first project of the year, which is why it was given that name by then ABS-CBN head Gabby Lopez, a son of “Kapitan Geny,” who sat on top of the broadcast empire almost up to the time it lost its franchise (Gabby is legally Eugenio Lopez III and is now the chairman emeritus of ABS CBN). The 9501 corporate dining facility produced everything from weekday lunch buffets, formal haute cuisine dinners and board meeting meals to celebrity-studded press conferences. It was never opened to the public, only to ABS-CBN employees and their guests. In August this year, the restaurant ceased operations but went on to be a venue for media conferences with goods catered by other suppliers. That was where Hori7ons (the number stands for “s”) was launched as a K-pop-inspired boy group managed by ABS-CBN with a Korean company. The contract signing of transwoman talent KaladKaren was also held at 9501 weeks ago. Frequent diner Monchet Olives, Gabby Lopez’ s former chief executive, said in an interview that he has never forgotten the very first meal served at 9501 in 2001, with just Gabby Lopez and himself seated at table 001 in the corner: rack of lamb, potato purée reminiscent of Alain Ducasse, gazpacho and the famous quezo de bola cheesecake — prepared by Chef Miguel Yadao who was one of the chefs Segismundo took along with her to 9501 from another private restaurant, PCI Bank’s the Sign of the Anvil. “Sitting there in the corner, window glass on both sides, overlooking Quezon City… It was a sunny day, you could see Manila Bay. I said, wow, this is ABS-CBN,” Olives said. Gabby Lopez was a frequent diner at 9501, usually entertaining guests or meeting with company executives in the wine room. Segismundo, in another interview, remembered Lopez as a “flexible” diner who loved good wine and enjoyed Japanese, Italian, French and especially Mediterranean fare, and occasionally Filipino. The 9501 chefs could prepare any kind of cuisine, but Segismundo was most proud of the prominence of Filipino food there. Many of its most famous dishes came from the Sign of the Anvil, including the bestselling Turon, Quezo de Bola Cheesecake, Potato Bread and Adobo Paté. In fact, 9501’s bestsellers were almost all Filipino, including its Chicken and Pork adobo and Beef Tapa — “in the service of Filipino food,” she recalled in one interview. Segismundo started “dissecting and deconstructing” traditional Filipino dishes with her chefs during her Anvil days, creating her iconic Lechon Roulade (using suckling pig, not liempo) in 1995, years before the lechon roll trend came about. Lecturer on Filipino cuisine The Christmas parties of ABS-CBN executives and employees were held at the restaurant, all the parties of the bigwigs like the birthdays of Gabby Lopez and ABS-CBN top executive Freddie Garcia, and “birthdays ng lahat ng mga sikat,” as Olives once put it. A graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management of the University of the Philippines, Segismundo began her professional career at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, USA. After several years, she went back to Manila and headed Sign of the Anvil. Under the sponsorship of the Department of Foreign Affairs, she has held demonstrations and lectures abroad to promote Filipino cuisine in countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Japan and more. She became the first ever Filipino lecturer on Filipino cuisine at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and Filipino presenter in the prestigious Madrid Fusion in Spain. She has written several books such as the The Party Cookbook and Philippine Cuisine – Home-cooked Recipes Wherever You May Be and co-authored Kulinarya (A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine). She is known for promoting heritage recipes while also transforming them into contemporary interpretations without losing their authentic taste. She was editor of Food Magazine of ABS-CBN and the founder of the Doreen Fernandez Food Writing Awards, an annual food writing competition which aims to encourage food writing and research in the country. Most importantly, she developed the Kulinarya Program of the Department of Tourism to teach the rural folk basic cooking, service and accounting concepts to help uplift their lives and their families. Tastes and flavors Instead of saying certain Filipino dishes are “like” a particular dish from a different country, Segismundo encourages Filipinos to describe them through tastes and flavors. “Talk about our vinegars, our citruses — ingredients that are indigenous to us. Dishes that are truly Filipino that will have a universal appeal.” Meanwhile, the other awardees of Security Bank and Zonta are Celia Baltazar-Elumba for Arts, Culture and Heritage; Lourdes Delos Reyes for Business and Entrepreneurship; Jennie Jocson for Education; Cheryll Ruth Soriano for Media and Public Affairs; Rebecca Angeles for Social Services; Maria Caterina Cristina Lopa for Sports; and Rose Maria Mendoza for STEM. Segismundo received her award for Tourism and Hospitality. A special recognition was also given to the Philippine women’s football team during the awards ceremonies held 27 July at the Security Bank Center in Ayala Avenue, Makati. The post Myrna Segismundo: Chef to ABS-CBN stars, bigwigs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Get more with Metrobank at Bad Wolf
Bookworms are in for an exciting treat at this year’s highly anticipated return of Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Manila with special offers from its first official bank partner, Metrobank. For a truly unique book shopping, Metrobank has exclusive offers for its valued credit and debit cardholders until 3 July. Here are the perks Metrobank cardholders can enjoy at the Big Bad Wolf Manila: Easier checkout with Metrobank exclusive payment lanes Metrobank cardholders are entitled to dedicated payment lanes for an easier checkout experience. Look for the Metrobank logo at the counters. 0% installment on your book haul Enjoy flexibility when you pay for your latest book haul! Avail yourself of the 0-percent installment for three months for a minimum single-receipt purchase of P3,000 with your Metrobank credit card. Up to 10% cashback If you’re a big book shopper with purchases of P5,000 and up using your Metrobank credit card, you can even score up to 10 percent cashback so you can make the most out of your shopping budget and bring home more books. Chill at the Metrobank VIP Lounge Finding hidden gems at the sale can be tiring. If you’re a qualified Metrobank World Mastercard, Platinum Mastercard and Travel Platinum Visa credit cardholder, enjoy exclusive access at Metrobank’s lounge where you can rest and spend time reading books. For non-Metrobank cardholders, the bank will also be accepting applications at a special booth at the sale. Qualified applicants can get either zero annual fees or 120,000 welcome rewards points for select cards and amounts of accumulated spend. Drop by at the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, where over 2 million books await book lovers at PICC Tent Forum in Pasay City. The post Get more with Metrobank at Bad Wolf appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Richard Gomez defends Ormoc after COA report
Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez came to the defense of Ormoc City, where his wife, Lucy Torres-Gomez, is mayor, after the Commission on Audit raised concerns over the relief aid the city government received but were supposedly not properly documented. The 2022 report to Ormoc City showed that it received in-kind donations from several groups. However, state auditors discovered that the accounting officer was not aware of the in-kind donations, despite Ormoc City sharing a photo of the donations on their Facebook page. The only donation recorded in the book was the one-unit ambulance from Pitmaster Foundation Inc., according to the accounting office. The same goes with NGCP's donation of funds to Ormoc City for the victims of typhoon "Odette," which is also not included in the city's books. Based on the audit report, Ormoc City obtained P350,000 in monetary donations and P20.66 million in in-kind contributions throughout 2022. Among the donations state auditors said were missing in the books were 200 sacks of rice, 150 boxes of 1-liter bottled water from the NGCP and 12 tablets from the National Housing Authority, all of which were received by Ormoc City on January 2022. Also missing were 46 Pitmaster wheelchairs and trash bins supplied in March of the same year by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau. Three sets of weighing scales from Ajinomoto given on August 2022, and 1,000 white T-shirts from Panda City Merchandise Inc. owner James Sy given in February also went missing, state auditors stated. Gomez, in response, said that the allegedly missing in-kind donations to Ormoc City are part of an Audit Observation Memorandum, or AOM, released by CoA itself. AOM is an audit finding that a local government unit or any office or agency being audited must explain if requested by the CoA, according to the former actor. "At the end of the report, the COA did not make any adverse or negative findings. In the first place, there could not have been any adverse conclusion because nothing irregular really happened," Gomez said, adding that it cannot be called irregular if a comment is submitted but no adverse conclusion is made. Gomez labeled the reports insinuating irregularities in the said transactions "malicious," claiming they are an affront not only to the donors but also to the city government of Ormoc. "For transparency, my administration has always tapped local non-government organizations to receive donations given to Ormoc City. These donations are not inputted in the city’s records because the city did not spend for these donations. The only role of the city government is to facilitate the transfer of the donations," he explained. The lawmaker stressed that Ormoc City's openness and accountability to the public were indicated by the fact that the donations were posted on the city's official social media platforms. The post Richard Gomez defends Ormoc after COA report appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Is time travel possible?
The most dramatic story of time travel, which has been documented by the British Society for Psychical Research, covered the case of two Oxford professors, Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain. The story, which took place on 10 August 1901, is retold by Michael Talbot in his book, The Holographic Universe. Here is the story: “The two were walking through the garden of the Petit Trianon at Versailles, France, when they saw a shimmering effect pass over a landscape in front of them, not unlike the special effects in a movie when it changes from one scene to another. After the shimmering passed, they noticed that the landscape had changed. Suddenly, the people around them were wearing 18th-century costumes and wigs, and were behaving in an agitated manner. “As the two women stood dumbfounded, a repulsive man with a pockmarked face approached and urged them to change their direction. They followed him past a line of trees to a garden where they heard strains of music floating through the air, and saw an aristocratic lady painting a watercolor. “Eventually, the vision vanished, the landscape returned to normal, but the transformation had been so dramatic that when the women looked behind them, they realized the path they had just walked down was now blocked by an old stone wall. “When they returned to England, they searched through historical records and concluded that they had been transported back in time to the day when the sacking of the Tuileries and the massacre of the Swiss Guards had taken place — which accounted for the agitated manner of the people in the garden — and the woman in the garden was none other than Marie Antoinette. The transformation had been so dramatic that when the women looked behind them, they realized the path they had just walked down was now blocked by an old stone wall. ”So vivid was the experience that the women filled a book-length manuscript about the occurrence and presented it to the British Society for Psychical Research.” Changing the future Now, the crucial question of my caller — if this is true, that we can travel back in time — can we then change the past? Apparently, the answer is no, if we base it purely on this and similar cases. As mentioned in other books, when the two women tried to call the attention of the people they had seen there, they were ignored, as if they were not there at all! Except for that one person who asked them to change their direction, no one seemed to notice them. The scene they were transported to took place a hundred years before! There were several other cases of time travel cited by Mr. Talbot in his book. In the end, he asked the following question: “Is the boundary between the present and the past so flimsy that we can, under the right circumstances, stroll back into the past with the same ease that we can stroll through a garden?” Note: For inquiries about online seminars, available books, consultancy, and suggestions, text 0998-988-6292 or email jaimetlicauco@yahoo.com. The post Is time travel possible? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Audio book narrators say AI is already taking away business
As people brace for the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and everyday living, those in the world of audio books say their field is already being transformed. AI has the ability to create human-sounding recordings -- at assembly-line speed -- while bypassing at least part of the services of the human professionals who for years have made a living with their voices. Many of them are already seeing a sharp drop off in business. Tanya Eby has been a full-time voice actor and professional narrator for 20 years. She has a recording studio in her home. But in the past six months she has seen her work load fall by half. Her bookings now run only through June, while in a normal year they would extend through August. Many of her colleagues report similar declines. While other factors could be at play, she told AFP, "It seems to make sense that AI is affecting all of us." There is no label identifying AI-assisted recordings as such, but professionals say thousands of audio books currently in circulation use "voices" generated from a databank. Among the most cutting-edge, DeepZen offers rates that can slash the cost of producing an audio book to one-fourth, or less, that of a traditional project. The small London-based company draws from a database it created by recording the voices of several actors who were asked to speak in a variety of emotional registers. "Every voice that we are using, we sign a license agreement, and we pay for the recordings," said DeepZen CEO Kamis Taylan. For every project, he added, "we pay royalties based on the work that we do." Not everyone respects that standard, said Eby. "All these new companies are popping up who are not as ethical," she said, and some use voices found in databases without paying for them. "There's that gray area" being exploited by several platforms, Taylan acknowledged. "They take your voice, my voice, five other people's voices combined that just creates a separate voice... They say that it doesn't belong to anybody." All the audio book companies contacted by AFP denied using such practices. Speechki, a Texas-based start-up, uses both its own recordings and voices from existing databanks, said CEO Dima Abramov. But that is done only after a contract has been signed covering usage rights, he said. Future of coexistence? The five largest US publishing houses did not respond to requests for comment. But professionals contacted by AFP said several traditional publishers are already using so-called generative AI, which can create texts, images, videos and voices from existing content -- without human intervention. "Professional narration has always been, and will remain, core to the Audible listening experience," said a spokesperson for that Amazon subsidiary, a giant in the American audio book sector. "However, as text-to-speech technology improves, we see a future in which human performances and text-to-speech generated content can coexist." The giants of US technology, deeply involved in the explosively developing field of AI, are all pursuing the promising business of digitally narrated audio books. 'Accessible to all' Early this year, Apple announced it was moving into AI-narrated audio books, a move it said would make the "creation of audio books more accessible to all," notably independent authors and small publishers. Google is offering a similar service, which it describes as "auto-narration." "We have to democratize the publishing industry, because only the most famous and the big names are getting converted into audio," said Taylan. "Synthetic narration just opened the door for old books that have never been recorded, and all the books from the future that never will be recorded because of the economics," added Speechki's Abramov. Given the costs of human-based recording, he added, only some five percent of all books are turned into audio books. But Abramov insisted that the growing market would also benefit voice actors. "They will make more money, they will make more recordings," he said. The human element "The essence of storytelling is teaching humanity how to be human. And we feel strongly that that should never be given to a machine to teach us about how to be human," said Emily Ellet, an actor and audio book narrator who cofounded the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association (PANA). "Storytelling," she added, "should remain human entirely." Eby underlined a frequent criticism of digitally generated recordings. When compared to a human recording, she said, an AI product "lacks in emotional connectivity." Eby said she fears, however, that people will grow accustomed to the machine-generated version, "and I think that's quietly what's kind of happening." Her wish is simply "that companies would let listeners know that they're listening to an AI-generated piece... I just want people to be honest about it." The post Audio book narrators say AI is already taking away business appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Daanbantayan now home to PH’s 1st archdiocesan shrine for St. Rose of Lima
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The 164th fiesta celebration of Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu last Tuesday, August 30, was one for the books. The locality officially become the home of the country’s first archdiocesan shrine dedicated to St. Rose of Lima. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma on Tuesday led the Solemn Declaration of the Santa Rosa […] The post Daanbantayan now home to PH’s 1st archdiocesan shrine for St. Rose of Lima appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Julia, Carlo kumasa na sa taping sa Japan, magtatambal sa ‘Hold Me Close’
MULING magpapakilig sina Julia Barretto at Carlo Aquino sa kanilang fans! Magkakaroon kasi sila ng reunion movie na “Hold Me Close” mula sa direksyon ni Jason Paul Laxamana. Sa kasalukuyan, sila ay nasa bansang Japan upang umpisahan na ang paggawa ng pelikula. Sa isang Instagram post, ibinandera ng Viva Films ang ilang posters at isang.....»»
Unlock business success at Franchise Asia Philippines Expo
The Franchise Asia Philippines Expo 2024 is set to hold a series of dynamic seminars designed to empower entrepreneurs, investors and business enthusiasts with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of franchising. Slated from April 12 to 14 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, these seminars offer invaluable insights into key aspects of franchising and business growth......»»
Cebu Pacific books P8 billion profit in 2023
Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific found itself landing on solid ground in 2023, as it booked a profit of nearly P8 billion on the back of a resurgent demand for air travel......»»
Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. to hold Annual Stockholders Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of ABOITIZ EQUITY VENTURES INC. (the "Company") will be held on April 22, 2024, Monday at 11:00 a.m. (the "2024 ASM”)......»»
Aboitiz Power Corporation to hold Annual Stockholders Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of ABOITIZ POWER CORPORATION (the "Company") will be held on April 22, 2024, Monday at 9:30 a.m. (the "2024 ASM")......»»
Globe closed on an additional P1.16-B in tower sales
Globe Telecom, the Zobel Family’s telecommunications company, disclosed that it closed on the sale of another 91 cell towers to Frontier Towers to raise approximately P1.16 billion in cash......»»
Globe gets P5 billion from sale of towers
Telco-to-tech provider Globe Telecom Inc. raised almost P5 billion from the sale of towers in the first quarter, providing it with some of the capital needed to upgrade services and pay debts......»»
‘Our Dream’: K-pop boy band BtoB to hold fan-con in April
The K-pop boy band BtoB, also known as Born to Beat, is poised to come back to Manila on April 7 at the SM Mall of Asia for a fan-con labeled as “2024 BTOB Fan-Con Our Dream.”.....»»
BTr raises P120 billion from T-bond sale
The government raised the entire program of P120 billion in long-term securities this month even as investors’ asking rates were mixed......»»
Big 4 Volleyball tilt marks successful inaugural season, eyes bigger tourneys soon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Big Four Volleyball Tournament wrapped up last weekend successfully at the Warehouse Sports Lab in Mandaue City. This grassroots volleyball tournament saw inaugural champions being crowned. The Subangdaku Trojans emerged as champions in the 13-under and the girls 14-17 divisions, while Cabancalan National High School ruled the 14-17 boys division. .....»»
Workers hold pro-wage hike rally today
Workers will mount a protest action today to push for the immediate granting of salary increases whether through legislation or wage order......»»
Barangay Guinhalinan created in Barobo, Surigao del Sur
The Commission on Elections will hold a plebiscite in Barangay Guinhalinan within 90 days from the effectivity of the law creating the barangay.....»»