Forbes' Top 50 Most Powerful Businesswomen in Asia 2015: Geographic Distribution

 Helen Yuchengco Dee (70 years old)

Chairman of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation

 Teresita Sy-Coson (64 years old)
Vice chairman of SM Investments and chairman of Banco de Oro Unibank

Zenaida Rustia-Tantoco (68 years old)

Chairman and CEO of SSI Group and Rustan’s Commercial

The other 47 women are the following:

1. Ho Ching, Executive Director and CEO of Singapore’s Temasek
2. Pansy Ho, Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings and Co-Chairman of MGM China
3. Sun Yafang, Chairman of China’s Huawei Technologies
4. Gina Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Australia’s Hancock Prospecting
5. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of India’s Biocon
6. Zhang Xin, Co-founder and CEO of Soho China
7. Yuwadee Chirathivat, CEO of Thailand’s Central Department Store Group
8. Wendy Yap, President Director and CEO of Indonesia’s Nippon Indosari
9. Mai Kieu Lien, Chairman and CEO of Vietnam’s Vinamilk
10. Noni Purnomo, President Director of Indonesia’s Blue Bird Group Holding
11. Lee Boo-jin, President and CEO of South Korea’s Hotel Shilla
12. Sonia Cheng, CEO of Hong Kong’s Rosewood Hotel Group and Executive Director of New World Development
13. Wandee Khunchornyakong, Chairman and CEO of Thailand’s SPCG
14. Katie Page, CEO of Australia’s Harvey Norman 
15. Maggie Wu, Chief Financial Officer of Alibaba of China
16. Lucy Peng, the Co-Founder of Alibaba
17. Noni Purnomo of Blue Bird Group Holding
18. Cheng Xue, China's Foshan Haitian Flavoring & Food
19. Enid Huey-Chin Tsai, Taiwan's Hiwin Technology
20. Mayumi Kotani, Japan's Yushin Precision Equipment
21. Garamjav Tseden, Founder and Chairman of Mongolia-based mining company Monpolymet
22. Win Win Tint, Myanmar’s founder of retail conglomerate of supermarkets, bookstores, drugstores, and others
23. Jean Liu of Didi Dache, owner of taxi-hailing app in China
24. Petrea Vela, the Co-Managing Director of New Zealand Bloodstock
25. Isha Ambani of Reliance Jio Infocomm and Reliance Retail Ventures of Singapore
26. Ruth Yeoh of YTL Singapore and YTL-SV Carbon



Below are the number of women represented in Asian countries that were included in Forbes list of Top 50 Most Powerful Businesswomen in Asia for this year. 

1. China - 14
2. Hong Kong - 14
3. India - 6
4. Thailand - 5
5. Singapore - 4
6. Philippines - 3
7. South Korea - 3
8. Australia - 3
9. Indonesia - 3
10. Japan - 2
11. Vietnam - 2
12. Malaysia - 1
13. Taiwan - 1
14. Myanmar - 1
15. Mongolia - 1
16. New Zealand - 1



Sources:
Manila Bulletin

Image sources
http://www.rcbc.com/our_company_2.php
http://www.mb.com.ph/sy-coson-is-pra-president-awardee/
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/61669/philippine-italian-association-turns-50
http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2015/02/26/forbes-honors-50-power-businesswomen-in-asia/2/

President Aquino declares April of every year as National Literature Month or Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino

His Excellency Benigno Simeon Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines, signed Proclamation No. 968, series of 2015 on February 10 declaring the month of April of every year as National Literature Month or Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino. This means starting this year, the country will be promoting and celebrating Filipino literature. 

I commend the President for his efforts in recognizing the role of literature in nation-building. Surely, this will earn him a good praise among writers and historians.

Below is the full text of the Proclamation.

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

PROCLAMATION NO. 968

DECLARING THE MONTH OF APRIL OF EVERY YEAR AS “NATIONAL LITERATURE MONTH”

WHEREAS, Section 15, Article XIV of the Constitution states that arts and letters shall enjoy the patronage of the State, and that the State shall conserve, promote, and popularize the Nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations;

WHEREAS, the Philippine literature, written in different Philippine languages, is associated with the history and cultural legacy of the State, and must be promoted among Filipinos;

WHEREAS, the national literature plays an important role in preserving and inspiring the literature of today and in introducing to future generations the Filipino values that we have inherited from our ancestors;

WHEREAS, the month of April marks the commemoration of the Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar Day, and the birth and death anniversaries of literary pillars like Emilio Jacinto, Paciano Rizal, Nick Joaquin, Edith Tiempo, and Bienvenido Lumbera;

WHEREAS, international literary celebrations like the International Children’s Book Day, International Day of the Book or World Book Day, and World Intellectual Property Rights Day are held in April of every year; and

WHEREAS, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and its affiliate agencies, the National Book Development Board, and other concerned stakeholders, support the declaration of the month of April as Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino or National Literature Month.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare the month of April as Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino or National Literature Month.

The NCCA and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) shall act as lead agencies in the preparation, coordination and implementation of the activities and events relating to the celebration of the National Literature Month.

All departments, agencies, or instrumentalities of the government, including government-owned or -controlled corporations are hereby directed, while non­governmental organization and the private sector are encouraged to participate and render assistance to NCCA, the KWF and other concerned agencies.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 10th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Fifteen.

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

By the President:

(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.Executive Secretary


Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines

Benefits to be received by families of PNP-SAF members, both fallen and survivors in Mamasapano encounter

Office of the President,  the Philippine National Police, and Public Safety Mutual Benefits Fund Inc. (PSMBFI)

1. Family of Senior Insp. Ryan Pabalinas - P764,824.07
2. Family of Senior Insp. John Garry Erana - P753,525.90
3. 13 of the 44 SAF troopers' families - P541,770 each
4. Families of PO1 Joseph Sagonoy and PO1 Loreto Capinding II - P407,566 each
5. Other families of commissioned officers -  more than P700,000 each family

Other benefits:

Death benefits

Lifetime pension

Summary:

44 slain SAF commandos - P24.5 million

15 SAF survivors - P1.19 million

City of Manila
1. P100,000 each for the slain 44 SAF members
2. P50,000 each for the wounded SAF members

Makati City
1. P100,000 each of the 44 families
2. Scholarship grants  - children can enroll at the University of Makati for free
3. P300,000 worth of housing assistance
4. P100,000 for 15 SAF survivors

Mandaluyong City
1. P20,000 for the 44 fallen SAF members
2. P10,000 for the survivors

Quezon City
1. P15,000 per family

The Philippine Star (donations from its readers and friends)
1. P64,000 each for the 44 families  



References:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/674496/in-the-know-lgus-give-generously-to-families-of-saf-commandos

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/674487/benefits-pouring-in-for-saf-heroes-families

Population Count in Metro Manila as of May 1, 2010

Metro Manila

Image courtesy of islandtravelers.com

Data below are taken from the official website of the Philippine Statistics Authority. National Capital Region, also called Metro Manila, comprises of 16 cities and one municipality. As of May 1, 2010 (the latest Census on Population), Metro Manila's population accounts for 12.84% of the total Philippine population.   

Metro Manila is the seat of government of the Philippines with Manila City as the capital of the country. 

Rank	National Capital Region	Population	Percentage
1	Quezon City	2,761,720	23.29%
2	Manila City	1,652,171	13.94%
3	Caloocan City	1,489,040	12.56%
4	Pasig City	669,773	5.65%
5	Taguig City	644,473	5.44%
6	Paranaque City	588,126	4.96%
7	Valenzuela City	575,356	4.85%
8	Las Pinas City	552,573	4.66%
9	Makati City	529,039	4.46%
10	Muntinlupa City	459,941	3.88%
11	Marikina City	424,150	3.58%
12	Pasay City	392,869	3.31%
13	Malabon City	353,337	2.98%
14	Mandaluyong City	328,699	2.77%
15	Navotas City	249,131	2.10%
16	San Juan City	121,430	1.02%
17	Municipality of Pateros	64,147	0.54%
		11,855,975	100%

Life without Facebook?

Few years ago, I lived a life without Facebook. Today, I live a life attached to Facebook. What’s the difference? Too many.

Before, I woke up in the morning with the thought of what breakfast meal would I eat; now, I think of what updates will I see on my status.

Brushing my teeth followed next; now, hitting the Facebook app on my Huawei mobile phone comes after.

So I often think this: would life on earth today be different without Facebook? 

We live because we choose to live

Everyone has a choice. 

Online application for PNP Entrance Exam now open

For those whop are aspiring to become a member of the Philippine National Police, here's your chance. PNP has opened its online application system few days ago. 

Click here to apply for PNP Entrance Exam!

DATE OF EXAM: April 26, 2015

ONLINE APPLICATION SCHEDULING OF ENTRANCE EXAM: February 16 - 20, 2015

PERIOD OF FILING: March 2 - 27, 2015

Remember, before you proceed, please make sure that your eligible. To read important reminders and qualifications, please click the following link,

PNP Entrance Exam

Geographic Areas Covered in the Proposed Bangsamoro Entity and Its Population Figures

Photo courtesy of OPAPP

Based on the Annex to the Basic Law, referring to House Bill 4944 creating a Bangsamoro Autonomous Political Entity in Mindanao area, the proposed Bangsamoro includes eight (8) geographical areas: five provinces and three cities. These are the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, and Basilan and the cities of Marawi and Isabela.

Contrary to 'popular' beliefs, not all of Mindanao (such as General Santos City, Davao City, etc) will be part of the proposed Bangsamoro. The existing territories of Autonomous in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are still included in the proposed entity with the inclusion of Isabela City which is part of Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula). Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Zamboanga City will remain in Region IX, thus, these places will not be part of the Bangsamoro.

As of May 1, 2010, the population of these areas are:

Places	Population as of May 2010
Province of Maguindanao	945, 820
City of Cotabato	271, 786
Province of Lanao del Sur	933,260
Province of Sulu	718,290
Province of Tawi-tawi	322,317
Province of Basilan	293,322
City of Marawi	187,106
City of Isabela	97,857
Total Population	2,552,152

The total population of the Philippines as of May 1, 2010 was 92,337,852. The proposed Bangsamoro entity accounts to 2.76% of the total Philippine population equivalent to 2,552,152 individuals.

Sources:

http://www.opapp.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Appendix%20to%20House%20Bill%20No.%204994_0.pdf

http://census.gov.ph/content/2010-census-population-and-housing-reveals-philippine-population-9234-million

http://www.gov.ph/bangsamoro/the-2012-framework-agreement-on-the-bangsamoro/

5th CBAA Academic Excellence Awards for 1st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015

Every semester, the College of Business Administration and Accountancy of The Fisher Valley College recognizes the hard work of our students. This is the very reason why the coveted CBAA Academic Excellence Awards are given every semester. 

The 5th CBAA Recognition Day will be held on March 14, 2015, Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon at The TFVC Quadrangle. The event will be attended by CBAA Faculty, the awardees and their parents.

The number of awardees for 1st Semester, A.Y. 2014-2015 is 63% higher than the previous semester (2nd Semester, A.Y. 2013-2014). This means the prestigious award encourages more students to do better in their academic endeavors, hence, the program must be continued by the next department heads and/or college deans in the future years.

Below is the final list of Academic Excellence Awardees.   

Aside from Academic Excellence Awards, Student Leadership Awards and Best in Thesis Award will likewise be given to deserving students.  

The CBAA Recognition Day started since Prof. Marlon B. Raquel was appointed as the new Department Head of CBAA on June 2012.

Kudos to all students! Congratulations and keep up the good work! God bless!

Be alert to give service to others

A commandment of human relations, giving of service to others is what counts the most. Not many of us are quick to offer helping hands to those who need it. When somebody asks for help, we are ought to help him the way we are helped by others.

Your status in life today may not be the same tomorrow. Although this should not be the motivating factor why we help, it somehow reminds us that life is also round just like earth. Anything and everything is possible.

Have you refused to help when somebody asks for it from you? What were your feelings then after the person walked away from you?

* This is a re-post from my Bubblews blog. 

List of Countries which are Visa-free for Filipinos

GMA Network, a Filipino news channel, uploaded a photo in its website which shows the list of countries which do not require visa for Filipinos. This is an opportunity for all of us to visit these countries using our passports only.


Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/imready/overview#

Be generous with praise

Is it hard to appreciate someone who has done a good job?

Some people are quick to judge others, pointing their fingers towards individuals who have done wrong.  Criticism, as we all know, can be constructive or destructive. A constructive criticism builds people while a destructive one destroys individuals.

Be generous with praise; it’s free. Appreciating someone could mean a million pesos to a person deprived of value. An honest praise is a heavenward action of a selfless man. 

* This is a re-post from my Bubblews blog.

Be thoughtful of the opinions of others

When was the last time you consider the opinions of others aside from yours?

This question is an eye-opener for us who have difficulty of accepting the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of other people. Ideas are formed not by a single human mind but by different faculties of human brains. Sad to say, there are many of us who tyrannically impose our ideas, of things what we feel are right, to people without question.

To be thoughtful means to be considerate. We need to consider the probability that our thoughts are not statistically significant at .00 level of confidence, which means, not 100% correct.  

We are neither tyrants nor slaves; we are born free – equally free.

Speak to people

To survive means to live in a chaotic and sometimes cruel world. One way to survive is to create connections with people. Speaking with them is as vital as eating daily meal.

Is it hard to greet people with cheerful words? I don’t think so. It makes our day happier. It satisfies the empty hearts of those who are rejected. Speaking with our neighbors and small chat with a friend and an acquaintance make their day.

When was the last time you give a cheerful word of greeting to people? 

* This is a re-post from my Bubblews blog.

Indecisive Boss

How bad an indecisive boss is? Really bad. Really, really, bad. Why? Because an indecisive boss may fail to weigh the pros and cons of making a decision in a particular task. Most of the times, an indecisive boss fails to analyze the situation, easily jumping into decisions without thinking the end results of the decision.

Contrary to a horrible boss who is indecisive, a great leader analyzes ever situation whether or not his decision will result to productivity of the company and camaraderie among his subordinates.  

* This is a re-post from my Bubblews blog.

Be considerate with the feelings of others

To be considerate with what others feel means to set aside your own prejudice towards them. When we are confronted with situations that require understanding the emotions of other people over ours, that situation becomes a dilemma to us. What we think and feel is our emotions are ‘more right’ that others’ emotions.

How we react to situations determines what we are, and what we will become. We are all human beings and we are bound to feel pain, sadness, and joy. We have brains to assess whether we are more emotionally mature than others. Therefore, it gives us an idea and feeling to consider the others’ feelings over ours. 

* This is a re-post from my Bubblews blog.