DULDULAO DOT NET This Day & Beyond

Category: Economics

  • Cross-border trade to accelerate expansion opportunities for Filipino SMEs

    A growing cross-border e-marketplace in Asia Pacific is a signal for Filipino SMEs to consider taking their products and services abroad, according to PayPal.

    The global leader in digital payments and Ipsos recently released the 2018 PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research, which investigates the online shopping habits of approximately 34,000 consumers in 31 countries — including the Philippines. It reveals a growing cross-border e-commerce scene, with the US and China being the biggest markets in terms of online spend.

    According to the study, there is a healthy appetite for e-commerce in APAC, with 48 percent of consumers shopping cross-border in the last 12 months. “This is a huge opportunity for local entrepreneurs to expand their businesses beyond the Philippines. China, in particular, shows significant promise as the Philippines improves its bilateral relations with the world’s second largest economy,” said Abhinav Kumar, Head of Strategic Partnerships for PayPal in Southeast Asia.

    China, the largest market for online purchases in the world, spent an estimated total of RMB 3.9 trillion for online transactions in 2017. This is projected to increase to RMB 5.4 trillion in 2018. Cross-border trade (buying from a website not in their own country) is increasing with 43 percent of Chinese consumers shopping cross-border in the last 12 months compared to 26 percent the previous year.

    APAC countries like Australia, India and Japan are likewise growing fast. For 2018, the PayPal study projects Japan to increase its total online spend by 26 percent, India by 53 percent, and Australia by 19 percent.

    Cross-border opportunities for Filipino merchants

    The digital upheaval brought about by social media and increased smartphone penetration translate to increased opportunities for cross-border trade, as seen by the projected growth in online spending. The world has become much smaller as platforms like PayPal enable merchants to take advantage of opportunities by connecting them with global consumers, allowing SMEs and micro enterprises more opportunities to thrive.

    According to the study, the top few reasons for the growth in cross-border shopping can be attributed to the novelty of accessing items that are not available in their own country (49 percent) or to discover new and interesting products (34 percent). Over 30 percent of consumers from China and Australia who shop online cite finding items that are hard to find locally as a reason for making them more likely to shop cross-border.

    “The demand for unique products is there, and this is an opportunity for Filipino businesses to showcase products not available elsewhere. The Philippines produces many unique products thanks to its rich culture, and with e-commerce, local merchants can now bring uniquely Filipino products to the world,” said Kumar.

    Cosmetics on the rise for APAC consumers

    As more and more Asian nations become more open to cross-border trade, Filipino businesses should be mindful of what consumers are buying to be able to take full advantage.

    Globally, fashion, such as clothing, footwear and accessories, remain the top category for online shopping, with 68 percent of cross-border online shoppers having spent on these items in the past 12 months.

    While APAC shoppers are forecasted to be spending more online in 2018, buying behaviors are also changing. Survey results showed that Chinese consumers are turning their attention to spending on things for health and beauty as well as their children, with online spending on cosmetics and baby supplies predicted to increase by 21 and 31 percent, respectively, in 2018. In India, online spending on the same categories are forecasted to increase by 40 and 37 percent, respectively. Consumer electronics is also another growth category in APAC, with online spending in the category expected to grow by 40 percent in India, 20 percent in China, and 13 percent in Australia.

    Security a key driver of cross-border trade

    Despite the increasing popularity of international online shopping among consumers across the globe, challenges to cross-border shopping remain. Barriers vary from region to region. Over a third (38 percent) of all online shoppers say that having a more secure way to pay would make them more likely to shop internationally.

    In order for Filipino merchants to take full advantage of the expected increase in online spend, they need to address these barriers to encourage overseas purchases. With PayPal, they can connect to international consumers via a secure, seamless, and hassle-free network.

    “At PayPal, we understand that while more and more people shop online, the hassle of online payments can be a barrier. PayPal addresses those concerns through a more convenient and more secure online payment facility for consumers to buy the things they need and love. As Filipino businesses take their cross-border sales online, we are proud to empower people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy,” added Kumar.

    PayPal endeavours to bring a sense of security to online shoppers with Refunded Returns (terms and limitations apply). In addition to Refunded Returns, PayPal offers Buyer Protection for eligible transactions to help provide a greater peace of mind for online shoppers. This protection goes both ways as merchants can be protected against eligible fraudulent transactions with Seller Protection.

     

    About PayPal

    Fueled by a fundamental belief that having access to financial services creates opportunity, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is committed to democratizing financial services and empowering people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy. Our open digital payments platform gives PayPal’s 244 million active account holders the confidence to connect and transact in new and powerful ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person. Through a combination of technological innovation and strategic partnerships, PayPal creates better ways to manage and move money, and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments, paying or getting paid. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo and Xoom, enables consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies. For more information on PayPal, visit https://www.paypal.com/about. For PayPal financial information, visit https://investor.paypal-corp.com.

    Catherine Llanes
    Media Relations Manager
    m: +63 917 5820573
    t: +632 332 1031 loc. 108
    http://www.m2comms.com/

  • Asia CEO Awards 2018: Let’s Build This Country!

    Asia CEO Awards 2018: Let’s Build This Country!

    Philippines has become one of the world top countries to invest. Let’s Build this Country
    together and lead it first world status.

    As the largest event of its kind in Southeast Asia, Asia CEO Awards, in its 9th year,
    highlights Filipino excellence and world-class leadership through this premier
    celebration business success. Join the leading visionaries of the nation on October 16,
    2018 at the country’s grandest event facility, the fabulous Marriott Grand Ballroom.

    Asia CEO Awards welcomes many of the most important contributors to this nation’s
    success as sponsors. Title Sponsor is PLDT Enterprise. Award Sponsors
    include: Healthway Medical, ICM, iRemit, JLL, LBC Business Solutions,
    Regus, Sitel, Smart Enterprise, SPI Global, United Neon Media Group and
    White & Case. Cocktail Sponsor: Trends and Concepts. Official Knowledge
    Partner is PwC. Event partner: Espinosa Arts and Design (EADE). Official Venue
    is Manila Marriott.

    Nominations are officially open for Asia CEO Awards 2018 May 1st. The deadline for
    nominations is midnight on Monday, September 3, 2018.

    The categories of the awards this year are the following:

    Healthway Wellness Company of the Year
    Gil Buensuceso – President, Healthway Medical
    ICM CSR Company of the Year
    David Sutherland – CEO, ICM

    I-Remit Heart for OFW’s Company
    Bansan Choa – Chairman and CEO, I-Remit

    JLL Expatriate Executive of the Year
    Christophe Vicic – Managing Director, JLL Philippines
    LBC Business Solutions SME Company of the Year
    Michael Camahort – President and CEO, LBC Business Solutions

    Regus Entrepreneur of the Year
    Lars Wittig – CEO, Regus (Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia)

    Sitel Service Excellence Company of the Year
    Craig Reines – COO Asia, Sitel
    Smart Enterprise Global Filipino Executive of the Year
    Jovy Hernandez – Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Business Groups for
    PLDT, SMART

    SPI Global TECH Company of the Year
    Ratan Datta – President, SPI Global

    United Neon Most Innovative Company
    Danny Lim – CEO, United Neon

    White & Case Top Employer of the Year
    Carlo Mata – Managing Director, White & Case
    Green Company of the Year
    Young Leader of the Year

    Executive Leadership Team of the Year

    Asia CEO Awards 2018 announces the addition to 2 new judges:

    Cesar Purisima – Former Secretary of Finance for the Philippines when the country
    achieved its first-ever investment grade credit from the three major credit-rating
    agencies. He was named Finance Minister of the Year 5 times by various awarding
    bodies and is a recipient of the Lifetime Contributor award at Asia CEO Awards 2017

    Marife Zamora – Previously Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East
    and Africa for Convergys, the country’s largest private sector employer at the time. She
    is past president of the Philippine Software Association and the 68th President of the
    Management Association of the Philippines and winner of the Global Filipino Executive
    of the Year at Asia CEO Awards 2011.

    Zamora and Purisima will be joining a prestigious line up of judges: Distinguished
    Economist Dr. Bernie Villegas; Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)
    Director General Charito Plaza; Former President of American Chamber of
    Commerce of the Philippines Don Felbaum and; Ambassador of the Philippines to the
    United States Jose Cuisia; principal architect Jun Palafox; and former Lifetime
    Contributor recipient Oscar Sanez

    Due to the increasing woes of Filipinos concerning traffic, transportation systems, health
    facilities and other public necessities, the government recently launched the “Build,
    Build, Build!” program which aims to resolve the common problems experienced by all
    Filipinos.

    There is definitely a lot at stake. The end goal is for the greater benefit and overall
    economic progress of our country. We give our full support to this program, and even
    more so, take our own steps to contribute to the Philippines’ further development.
    The role of the Asia CEO Awards has always been to bridge the public and private
    sectors, and to empower more Filipinos to help build the Philippines to become a first
    world nation. With the Build, Build, Build program and the nation’s enormous economic
    and business potential in mind, our role has become much more important this year.
    Thus, we hope for your full support in helping us with our commitment to the country. Let
    us unite with the elite of Asia at the Asia CEO Awards 2018 and together, Let’s Build
    This Country!

    ASIA CEO AWARDS 2018

    NOMINATION ESSENTIALS

    Why Should You Nominate?

    The purpose of the event is to highlight the accomplishments of your organization and
    support your efforts to expand your business and develop the capabilities of your
    workforce. In doing so, you help to promote the nation as a premier business destination
    to senior decision makers across the world.

    Who Can Nominate?

    Any person can nominate candidates for the awards. Individuals and organizations can
    certainly nominate themselves for awards. Members of the Board of Judges of Asia
    CEO Awards are excluded from nominating candidates. Go to www.asia-ceoawards.org
    for details.

    Is There a Cost?

    There is NO FEE to submit nominations. Organizations and individuals are asked to
    attend the event and join us to advance Philippines and the ASEAN region as one of the
    world’s premier business destinations.

    How Legitimate is the Judging Process?

    The judging process is scrutinized by PwC. Judges with commercial involvements with
    any of the nominated organizations and individuals inhibit themselves from voting.

    When is the Deadline for Nominations?

    The last day for nominations is Monday, September 3, 2018.

    When are Finalists Announced?

    The Finalists of each award category are announced after the judges have arduously
    agreed upon the short-list.

    When are the Winners Announced?

    Winners are announced on the night of the grand night on Tuesday, October 16,
    2018

  • 21 Days to Creativity

    According to a World Economic Forum report, creativity is one of the top three skills individuals will need to be successful in the new, digital world. Creative thinking helps one find new ways of solving problems by having an open and flexible mindset.

    Researchers have also found that it takes at least 21 days to cultivate a habit. So, if you’re game to make creativity a habit, let us help you with these 21 ideas – all you need is a Windows device to get started!

    Start with the end in mind by having a creative checklist on OneNote – which can be synced easily across devices.
    Doodle! Long thought to be a bad habit, doodling can actually help unlock one’s creative potential. Pick up a Pen today and start doodling on Windows Ink’s Sketchpad, a whitespace for your ideas and creations . You may be surprised at what you can create.
    Bring a new dimension to your stories by combining photos, videos, and even 3D effects. Change your home videos forever with a T-rex chasing grandpa down the front lawn. All this is possible with Story Remix*, coming soon to Windows 10.

    Mixed reality is undoubtedly the next step in the evolution of human computing, blending virtual and physical worlds into one immersive whole. With Mixed Reality Viewer (available on Windows Store), you can take any 3D objects into the real world with the device’s camera.

    Take your creativity to the limit and create a 3D kingdom from scratch. With your friend, co-create buildings, machines and more in Minecraft Realm. Take your Realm with you across multiple devices including Windows 10 PC, Xbox, VR and even mobile devices – so your creativity is not limited by the devices you have.
    Exchange ideas better with a direct expression of your thoughts. Windows 10 Fall Creators Update makes it easier to let others know how you truly feel with quicker access to emojis. Hit the Windows + . (period) or Windows + ; (semicolon) shortcut to bring up the new Emoji keyboard .

    What is the most creative color? Orange, it seems, as it blends the energy of red and the happiness of yellow.
    So why not change your Windows theme color to creative orange to see if it stirs up any inspiration? Just head over to Windows Settings > Personalization > Themes.

    Looking for a new way to present your ideas in a more visual and creative manner? Office apps now support 3D models, where you can insert, rotate and tilt these images within documents and presentations.

    There is no doubt that play is essential for creativity, which is why we’ve built Xbox capabilities within Windows 10 so that you can toggle between work and play easily. For those who are seeking pointers from fellow gamers, enjoy the flexibility to broadcast with Mixer, the easiest and most interactive way to stream your gameplay on Xbox One and Windows 10.

    With the Windows Fall Creators Update, Game Mode is now more powerful than ever before. With just a single tap, the feature unleashes your PC’s full processing power to make your gameplay as smooth as possible.

    It might sound counterintuitive, but a key aspect process that feeds creativity is drilling into repetitive tasks. After all, you can only break the rules in a meaningful way after you’re truly familiar with them. Take a shot at this with Cuphead, a classic run and gun action game exclusively available for Windows and Xbox, that will test the limits of your patience as you repeat level after level to figure out your enemy’s attack patterns and weaknesses.

    Bend your minds with a new reality in town. With the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, we are making it easier for you to immerse in a new reality with Windows Mixed Reality headset*. These are easy to setup, affordable and brings a new realm of experiences to broaden your creative perspectives.

    Explore new creative processes! The Six Thinking Hats, for example, is a simple and effective parallel thinking process that helps one be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved. Try creating this structure on your Sticky Notes for Windows 10 devices, so that it serves as a constant reminder to your creativity journey.

    Fun fact: An average person sits between 7 – 15 hours per day. Perhaps it’s time to take a walk and bring your Windows device outdoors, and open your eyes to new creative possibilities by taking pictures of new scenes to place 3D visuals in within Paint 3D.
    Hit a creative roadblock? We all have those moments. To kick start your creative gears, try checking out Remix3D, a collection of 3D models that you can download and modify for your next masterpiece.

    When it comes to developing a creative and focused mind, the pen is mightier than the keyboard. Research has found that people who write more are often better at grasping new concepts, and can stay in focus better. Start by taking notes with a digital pen instead of your keyboard on OneNote today.

    Try this exercise to flex your mind on Sketchpad:

    On a blank piece of canvas, draw 30 circles

    In 3 minutes, turn as many of these circles into recognizable objects, such as a smiley face, a soccer ball, a button or other round items
    What did you draw? No matter the result, the exercise helps stretch the limits of your imagination, challenging the speed, diversity and quantity of your ideas within a set timeframe.Is Pharell’s “Happy” a musical stimulant for creative minds? A study notes the connection between happy music and creativity. And with the upcoming iTunes and Spotify apps for Windows 10, you can start prepping your go-to playlist to juice up your creative powers!

    Review your creative journey easily with Windows 10 Timeline*, which will be available on a later date. Rewind and restore open programs and documents, allowing you to hop back to where you left off without breaking your creative flow.

    Having a proper rest is important to keep your creative juices flowing. Researchers have noted that an optimal sleep period is between 7 – 9 hours per day for adults. However, if you’re on a creative streak and don’t want to go to bed just yet, turn on the Night Light to reduce the amount of blue light flashing out of your PC. This will help you get a better night’s sleep once you log off and hit the pillows.

    While you embark on your creativity journey with Windows 10, it is equally important to safeguard your digital safety. Windows Defender gets better with the Fall Creators Update with behind-the-scenes defenses against newer threats that can derail your creativity processes.

    Remember to have this feature switched on by going to Settings > Update & security > Windows Defender and turn on the toggle switch for real-time protection.

    To find out more about the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and the slew of new, creative experiences it will bring, visit www.microsoft.com/windows

  • How To Get Rich The Camella Way?

    Who else wants to get rich the Camella way? You will become rich with a process and a driven-purpose.

    Camella, the flagship brand of Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. , and the most-preferred home-builder in the country. The Company  aims to provide quality homes to everyone in the nation. Aside from that, it also aims to serve affordable homes and gives  a chance for people to earn money.

    In celebration of the Camella Homes’ 40th Milestone Year Anniversary headed by Mr. Manny Villar last August 27, 2017 in Vista Mall Taguig, Camella also launches its “RICH” program. Refer and Invest in Camella Homes! This recruitment program aims to target young professionals and adults who are keen on making extra income. As long as you have the right mindset and the skills needed to be a good real estate agent, then this sideline job is perfectly suited for you!

    Now is the best time to get down to business. Fill up a form online at http://www.camella.com.ph/inquiries/sales-recruitment or visit the nearest Camella office in your area. You have to refer and refer! Refer people.

    It has two (2) steps on how to get rich the Camella way:

    Step 1: Fill up a form at http://www.camella.com.ph/inquiries/sales-recruitment. You can also visit the nearest Camella office in your area. This step will make you accredited.

    Step 2: Refer and refer! Refer people around you, such as your family, friends, and acquaintances.

  • Local hog and poultry industry cries foul over BOI decision

    Hog and poultry producers in the country are up in arms over a recent decision by the government allowing a Thailand-based agribusiness company to operate a multi-billion peso integrated facility in the country.

    “All our hard work, blood, sweat and tears will be put to waste if the Thai company is allowed to operate here. It will not only kill the business of local producers who worked very hard for many years but will also be detrimental to the national economy,” a local producer, who requested anonymity, said.

    The Board of Investments (BOI) released a decision recently allowing Charoen Pokphand (CP), a large agribusiness enterprise and Asia’s largest swine and poultry producer, to put up Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation (CPFP).

    CPFP has been given the green light to build a P2.32-billion integrated hog facility that will produce 3,647 metric tons of slaughter hogs, and six huge poultry farms, with an annual parent stock capacity of 25,453 heads producing 21,847 metric tons of chicken.

    “What we are complaining is that CPFP, a foreign company, was given the license to operate a facility in our country with multiple tax incentives, including tariff-free importation of feeds and equipment. Local producers were not given these same incentives at all,” the local producer said.

    With these tax perks, CPFP will get a 6% to 10% pricing advantage over local poultry and hog producers, a huge disadvantage already because of the fact that chicken and pork are two highly price-sensitive commodities.

    And once the CPFP facility is operational, its production output will bring about a flood of low-priced poultry and meat products in the local market, according to the local producer. This will kill the business of backyard, small and medium-scale hog and poultry producers. Even corn farmers, who have all waited for real substantial government support and subsidy, will be affected by the tax-free feed importation granted to CPFP, not to mention massive loss of jobs.

    “The government is supposed to protect local business from the entry of foreign companies and unfair competition. With the (BOI) decision, the government is effectively killing the local industry, aside from causing the loss of jobs to thousands of Filipinos who depend on the local agribusiness sector in order to put food on the table,” the local producer lamented further.

    The local producer even invoked the protection guaranteed by Section 1, Article XII of the Philippine Constitution for Filipino businesses, which provides for the State to “protect Filipino enterprises against unfair foreign competition and trade practices.”

    “We can accept if our business was wiped out by natural disasters like typhoon or floods. We can easily rebuild it but the impact of this development is far worse than any natural disaster, and I don’t believe we can ever recover from it,” the local producer said.

    Reference: Richard Mamuyac