State of the union

MANILA, Philippines  -Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. signed a joint venture agreement with the Batangas provincial government to build a P45-billion expressway that will cut travel time from Metro Manila to  locations within the province. In a statement, SMC said the Batangas government granted its infrastructure arm, SMC Infrastructure, a 35-year concession to design, build, operate, and maintain the four-lane, 61-kilometer toll road known as the Nasugbu-Bauan Expressway (NBEx). The NBEx  which will link the eastern and western portions of the province, can be “substantially completed” in 48 months. This includes the 12-month development of the detailed engineering design, the company said. SMC said the expressway would “cut travel time by half between Nasugbu to Bauan, Batangas from 1.5 hours to just 45 minutes.” “It will also reduce the usual five-hour trip to and from Manila to only two hours,” the conglomerate said. “I’m glad that our company will have another opportunity … [Read more...] about SMC seals JV with Batangas for P48-B Nasugbu-Bauan Expressway

Today, PLDT Inc. is set to hold a briefing to discuss its 2022 performance amid a great deal of challenges that have left investors wondering about its financial standing. The telco giant run by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan, popularly known as MVP, has been in hot water since it revealed a P48-billion budget overrun back in December due to “over orders” of 5G technology. During its initial probe, PLDT shared that no fraudulent activities had been detected that resulted in the overspending. It has not since provided additional information about the investigation. The telco player is also facing multiple class action suits in the United States as disgruntled investors seek compensation from losses incurred following the announcement that had sent PLDT’s securities spiraling down. PLDT said it’s aware of the legal cases but had yet to be served with the papers. The office of PLDT wireless unit Smart was also shut down by the Makati government last month allegedly due to unpaid … [Read more...] about BIZ BUZZ: PLDT’s moment of truth

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin On February 19 th 2020, I sent an email around to our offices at EdChoice with a simple subject line: “We are going to win.” That was the day that I realized that school choice advocacy had turned a corner. At that time, school choice, and particularly private school choice, was stuck in a pattern of slow growth. More than 65 programs existed in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Some were quite large, but most were limited by restrictive student eligibility requirements or funding caps. In total, just over half a million students across the country participated in one of the programs. Nothing to sneeze at, of course, but still a frustratingly small percentage. Flash forward to today and multiple states have enacted or seem poised to enact universal or nearly universal programs with the potential to enroll millions of students. West Virginia passed its Hope Scholarship program in 2021, followed by Arizona enacting … [Read more...] about School Choice’s Undeniable Momentum

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin CEO & Founder of National Business Capital , the leading fintech marketplace offering streamlined small business loans. If you’ve ever made a Venmo payment or used a robo-advisor for investing, you’re already somewhat familiar with fintech and how it works. The fintech industry uses technology to provide streamlined financial services to customers, including banking, lending, investing and more. Through their reliance on state-of-the-art technology, the services provided by fintech companies provide more efficiency and give customers more control over their money. Fintech can also help business owners save time, cut costs and improve how they manage their money. Here are five ways fintech can help you improve your business processes. Payment Processing As the world shifts toward digital transactions, businesses will need to offer fast and efficient payment processing solutions to stay competitive. … [Read more...] about What Does Fintech Mean, And How Can It Help Business Owners?

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Iain Borner, CEO - The Data Privacy Group Ltd. In today's digital world, where data flows seamlessly across borders, privacy has become a critical issue for organizations. The trend toward data localization, driven by state security, intelligence gathering, protectionism and globalization, has created an uneven regulatory landscape that poses significant challenges for organizations seeking to operate across multiple geographies. As the owner of a data privacy consultancy firm, I've seen firsthand how data localization is impacting businesses. In this article, we will explore the trend toward data localization and its implications for organizations. We will also discuss what organizations should consider when it comes to privacy. The Trend Toward Data Localization Data localization has four principal drivers: state security, intelligence gathering, protectionism and globalization. Governments want to ensure … [Read more...] about Privacy In A Borderless World: How To Navigate The Data Localization Trend And Protect Your Organization