Binga Beach offers a completely undeveloped, unspoiled beach with upscale glamping bungalows hidden among the palm trees.  |  © Binga Beach

Two areas to the South have gotten much attention, Port Barton is popular with backpackers and San Vicente is quickly gaining popularity especially with its new airport just opening up at the end of 2018.

But they’re both still relatively well-known and visited. We recently met with the Partner and Property Manager David Le Smith of the soon-to-be-open Binga Beach Resort who enlightened us to a really amazing proposition: a beach with absolutely no tourist development, completely gorgeous and now just recently made accessible with the new airport and newly constructed roads. The Lumambong beach in Barangay Binga is now accessible via only a 45-minute drive, whereas it used to take hours on barely passable roads.

David Smith explains the possibilities around their new concept: “We’ve followed and listened to the market all up and down the coast and what we kept hearing from visitors is a desire to really find that place at the edge of the map, the real adventure beyond cliché package tours and the chance to find someplace unique. A place where they have really discovered something.”

The Binga Beach Resort concept will aim to capture that adventure while at the same time pamper for a bit of luxury. Their plans include upscale glamping tents that give an intimacy with nature but still provide all the essential comforts you need after a day at the beach right out in front or on the mountain right next door. The resort is located in a super lush corner, right at the foot of Mt. Capoas, the tallest mountain in Northern Palawan.

Smith explained further: “We’re excited to introduce our resort to the public as we know it’s such a rare offering at this moment. We offer a completely undeveloped, unspoiled beach with upscale glamping bungalows hidden among the palm trees. Everyone will immediately know they’ve gone way beyond the regular touristic zone. We have tons of activities, amazing food, great service, and a one-of-a-kind beach. I fell in love with it the moment I first laid eyes on it and I know the guests will too.”

Located roughly halfway between San Vicente and El Nido, Binga Beach is sure to attract visitors touring Palawan and eager for a new experience off the beaten path.

Find out more at: www.bingabeach.com

The Philippines’ air-conditioning market is a prime example of this challenge with cheaper, inefficient ‘window-type’ air-conditioning units accounting for over sixty percent of units sold.

The more efficient ‘split-type’ air-conditioning units offered by Daikin Philippines provide consumers with value for money and are growing in popularity through the company’s efforts to educate the market.

“As the Philippines’ air-conditioning market matures, consumers are being made more aware of the options available to them”, says Lee Wai Kok, CEO of Daikin Philippines.

“We are committed to delivering high-quality, efficient and environmentally-beneficial products which offer better-value for money. Our goal is to educate the market regarding the benefits of using our products and ensure our installation, maintenance and after-sales service is the best in the business”.

Daikin recently announced the discontinuation of the R22 refrigerant model, a model with o-zone depleting refrigerant. This was completed three years ahead of the 2020 deadline set by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Last year, the company introduced the R410A ‘Cooling King’ air-conditioning range with technology which boasts to have lesser o-zone depleting refrigerants.

Today, only fifteen per cent of households have air-conditioning in the Philippines. However, with one of the fasting-growing middle-class populations in Asia, this is predicted to increase to twenty per cent by 2020.

Daikin Philippines plans to increase its number of branch offices nationwide from nine to fifteen by the same year and increase its number of dealer’s network from 350 to 700.

“Our goal is to expand our coverage in order to provide superior products and after-sales services to customers across the Philippines”,says Lee.

“We want the Daikin brand to become a household name associated with quality, efficiency and value for money and intend to build on our successes in the Philippines by investing in our products, people and our promises to our customers”.

www.daikin.com.ph

“We are looking to capitalize on the trends we see within the property sector to maximize the values of our high-end properties within Metro Manila”, says Ysmael. “With the current administration’s focus on infrastructure development and new mass-transit solutions, the National Capital Region will see congestion reduced and commuter’s lives made easier. We intend to play a role in this urban revitalization”.

With Manila’s residential market remaining strong, Ortigas and Co. is looking to grow while remaining a niche player in the industry.

“Our relationships with our customers and key stakeholders are at the heart of what we want to accomplish”, says Ysmael. “We will engage our customers and appeal to their emotions through our product and service offerings, while adhering to our commitment towards excellence and innovation. We are redefining our corporate culture through clear measurable deliverables aligned with our business objectives and corporate values, merit-based incentives,competency-based training and development, and increased accountability to enable us to execute well on our plans and deliver on our promise”.

With Japanese investment in Metro Manila’s mass-transit network set to include stations in Ortigas Center and Capitol Commons, Ortigas and Co. is well positioned to work with Japanese partners and play a role in strengthening the Philippines-Japan relationship.

www.ortigas.com.ph

As one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines, how has the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) built on its reputation as a strong partner for foreign corporations?

What can we expect in 2018?

“With footholds in multiple sectors of the economy, the Yuchengco Group of Companies prides itself on collaborations and partnerships which create successes for all parties.

From the banking sector, to energy and education, we seek foreign partners who are in a position to drive business and improve the lives of our customers by providing top-of-the-line services that meet global standards. In this way, we are not only ensuring the growth of our businesses, but also provide our foreign partners with access to the market and ensure they are in a position to expand their respective businesses.”

Which sectors are proving to be growth drivers for the domestic economy?

“Our goal and main directive has always been to remain competitive. The diversity found across the Yuchengco Group of Companies provides us with the opportunity to grow and improve our activities in various sectors.

We are seeing growth in sectors such as education where our school, Mapua University, recently attained university status and is recognized as one of the best IT, engineering and technology universities in the country. We are proud of our achievements in terms of the school’s reputation with local and international accreditation authorities. We encourage our students to strive to be the best and work hard to develop partnerships with both corporate and educational institutions across the globe.

The energy sector is also showing promising signs of growth. Our firm Petroenergy Resources Corporation, is leading the way in terms of investing in the mass distribution of clean, renewable energy across the country.

Progress is also being made in the country’s construction and infrastructure sectors where EEI Corporation, our leading global construction service provider, continues to grasp opportunities across the country within the Philippines’ infrastructure sector.

Our banking unit, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), continues to expand through various ventures. We are focused on innovating and providing better products to meet our clients’ needs as well as providing funding for key projects.”

With collaborations and alliances with several prestigious Japanese groups, how would you describe YGC’s ties to Japanese corporates in 2018?

(Cesar) “Our ongoing relationship and partnership with Japan is crucial to YGC’s own expansion and progress. In gaining the confidence of the Japanese market, our businesses are able to flourish. For example, RCBC is currently the leading financial institution for Japanese firms operating in the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Our existing collaborations allow us to further promote direct investments and business relationships between Philippine and Japanese entrepreneurs and corporations.

One such example is the expansion of the partnership between the bank’s credit card-servicing entity, RCBC Bankard, and JCB International. The 20-year partnership just recently produced the bank’s newest top of the line privilege card, the RCBC Bankard JCB Platinum Card, which provides world-class privileges and state-of-the-art features to the modern traveler of today.

What message do you have for our readers regarding the future of the Philippines as a place to do business and what plans do you have to ensure YGC remains a leading player within the economy?

“As a developing country, the Philippines’ economy continues to grow and attract foreign investors. Our country is home to a hospitable environment for business expansion, a fact that appreciated by foreign corporations. Aside from this, there is the advantage of our highly accessible human resources and competitive manufacturing hubs.

YGC is leveraging our strengths in many growth areas of the economy. We will intensify the way in which we provide our services to meet the needs of our customers’ lives. In addition to the introduction of new products and innovative solutions, we will also be focusing on the environment by continually investing in clean and renewable energy sources.

Our companies will continue to play a significant role in the banking and finance, insurance, construction and real estate, education, information technology and automotive sectors as we contribute to the development of the Philippines.”

Scaffolding, composed of strong and sturdy material such as timber or steel, is only a temporary structure used as the framework and platform with which to carry on construction works. It should be stable enough to support not just construction workers but their industrial tools and other construction materials as well.

Founded in 1974, Sansin Sangyo offers a wide selection of scaffolding and state-of-the-art solar panel systems. Meanwhile, KYC Machine handles the manufacturing and selling of construction machines and plant equipment such as concrete mixers, concrete batching plants, crushing plants, belt conveyors, and other environment related products.

As one of the leading construction companies in the Philippines, EEI is involved in the installation and construction of large-scale infrastructure projects such as power generating facilities, oil refineries, chemical production plants, cement plants, food and beverage manufacturing facilities, semiconductor assembly plants, roads, bridges, rails, ports, airports and other infrastructure alongside high-rise residential and office towers, and hotels building. It also operates one of the country’s modern steel fabrication plants.

Both Malayan Insurance and Tokio Marine Insurance are committed to providing quality service to its clients. Through the years, both companies have been able to benefit and improve.

“By utilizing our global network and resources, we are able to provide our services to the Philippine public through Malayan Insurance,” Nagano explained. In turn, Tokio Marine has provided expert knowledge to Malayan Insurance in order to improve its processes and structures. This allows Malayan to enhance and upgrade its services to its clients. “This creates synergy, and synergy is important for the future growth and expansion of Malayan Insurance,” he added.

Nagano also shared that Tokio Marine has begun initiatives in order to stay ahead in the industry. Among the main initiatives are geographic and business risk diversification, tapping emerging markets such as the Philippines, and research and utilization of new technology. “Technology will change our industry in many aspects, such as products, services, distribution, and internal operations,” Nagano said, “So we must strive to keep up with these changes.”

Aside from this,Tokio Marine has begun to develop new products to cater to new needs in the market, such as insurance coverage for autonomous cars, as well as “living needs” insurance, which is a hybrid of life and non-life insurance.

With these innovations and efforts, the joint venture between the two companies only stands to strengthen and grow. “By working closely with Malayan Insurance, we can create new products and services for the Philippine insuring public,” Nagano said.

Filipinos are blessed with creativity and innovation we want to ensure our people to use these skills to deliver high-quality products and services to our customers.”

A prime example of Rivera’s commitment to adopting Japanese qualities is the name chosen for Chorakawa Inc., a daughter company of TRI-R.

“Chorakawa was coined by a Japanese friend of mine; Melchor(Chor), my middle initial (A) and my surname, which translates to Kawa in Japanese, meaning ‘river’”, explains Rivera.

Commitment to quality and environmental responsibility, TRI-R became one of the first Filipino companies to be awarded 1SO 9001 Quality Management System in 2000 and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System in 2006. Already compliant with the automotive industry specific TS 16949 standard, TRI-R aims to comply with the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) standard.

TRI-R is poised to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Philippine government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program which is stimulating the country’s automotive sector.

“The future looks promising for TRI-R and Chorakawa Inc.”, says Melchor. “We are committed to our people and our customers and we will continue to innovate and deliver our solutions to customers within the industry”.

“We want to increase our number of dealers and better serve our customers across the Philippines”, says Hariyama. “We intend to meet the growing demand for Yokohama products and services and further strengthen our commitment to the dynamic Philippines market in the coming years”.

www.yokohamatire.ph

EDCF and TRCF are used in copper-clad laminated printed circuit applications in the electronic industry in Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan.

“The majority of our customers manufacture high-end consumer electronics such smartphones, laptops and tablets and we deliver our products and solutions from our 50,000 square meter facility in the Philippines”, explains Yamanishi.

With increasing demand for high-end consumer electronics, quality components play a key role in the global technology industry. JX-NMPH supplies high-end copper foil to the market and is seeing strong demand due to the robust high-end consumer electronics industries.

“While we are supplying copper foil to meet produce high-end, world-class product requirements, we also place great importance on safety and environmental awareness as a company” says Yamanishi.

“This is reflected in our corporate mission statement which prioritizes; safety and environment, quality and productivity”.

JX-NMPH adheres to these three priorities in order to successfully deliver high-quality components from the Philippines to rest of the world.

“The relationship between Japan and the Philippines continues to improve and I have had a very pleasurable experience working with local employees”, concludes Yamanishi.

“Through education and training initiatives, we have improved our productivity levels, safety and craftsmanship. We expect JX-NMPH to be in a strong position to better serve our customers and make an even greater contribution to Philippines’ society”.

www.nmm.jx-group.co.jp/english
www.nmm.jx-group.co.jp/english/philippines

In the 1980’s, MOL began employing Philippine seafarers and with Magsaysay Group, MOL began training seafarers at MOL Magsaysay Institute of Shipping in 1993.

MOL Training Center (Philippines) was established in 2005 to impart MOL’s highest-technology capabilities and safety standards to its loyal seafarers.

“In line with our corporate principle; ‘the highest standards of safety operation and navigation’, Philippine seafarers remain an important part of MOL”, says Teiichiro Shinoda, Chief Country Representative of MOL.

In August 2018 in Dasmarinas, Cavite, MOL Magsaysay Maritime Academy (MMMA) will open to three hundred students annually and provide a world-class faculty and access to the latest technologies.

Shuichiro Yoshida, Chief Representative, MOL Marine Co.,Ltd., comments; “We are honored to contribute to the development of the shipping industry as well as to the welfare of the Philippines’ society”.

MMMA will offer guaranteed employment for graduates of both the Bachelor of Science Maritime Transportation and Bachelor of Science Marine Engineering courses and ensure the Philippines will be proud of its next generation of maritime leaders.

www.mol.co.jp/en
www.mmma.com.ph

This year, the government of the Philippines plans to amend its constitution to ease restrictions on foreign investments. With the country’s ‘build, build, build’ initiative driving large-scale infrastructure projects, foreign direct investment is expected to increase.

With an increasing number of deals being done, foreign companies, including a significant number of Japanese firms, require legal services on the ground in the Philippines.

“We established our Japan desk a number of years ago to facilitate Japan-Philippines trade”, says Marcelo. “We are happy to work with Japanese investors and indeed all of our friends from across the region. As to our present and future Chinese clients, we created our Chinese desk last year. CMT remains committed to meeting the needs of our growing multinational clientele”. In this connection, CMT has several partners who speak either Mandarin or Nihongo.

CMT intends to continue delivering high-quality legal representation, particularly with the use of tools provided by advances in Artificial Intelligence, combined with the utmost desire to exceed clients’ expectations.

The growth of the Philippines’ economy will continue to attract interest from around the world. CMT aims to guide leaders, captains of industry and the common man for the betterment of the Philippines.

Synergy Media Specialists: How will PAGCOR, as according to your corporate vision, enable the Philippines to become the top gaming and entertainment destination in the ASEAN region by 2020?

Andrea Dizon Domingo: “PAGCOR has ventured into the development of the Entertainment City, which will host the country’s premiere casinos. Infused in this initiative is the concept of ‘integrated-resorts” where by our casino licensees were required to invest not only in the establishment of casinos, but also in other entertainment activities including wellness centers, dining experiences, high-end shopping centers, theme parks and hotels. Located in the City of Parañaque and just five minutes away from our international airports, the Entertainment City is poised to give the casinos in other Asian countries a good challenge. We have likewise licensed other ‘integrated-resorts’ in major cities across the country to offer our guests ample choices should they wish to visit and experience the countryside”.

Synergy Media Specialists: How important is it to attract Southeast Asian and Japanese visitors to the Philippines?

Andrea Dizon Domingo: “It is well known that the uptrend in the gaming industry is happening in Asia. This is simply because Asians are enthusiasts of gaming more so than other nationalities and this casino investors are now migrating to Asia. Guests from the Asian region, including the Japanese, play an important role in invigorating our gaming and entertainment industry”.

Synergy Media Specialists: According to PAGCOR’s Mission, by 2020, you will make the Philippines the top gaming and entertainment destination in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), generating revenues that fund nation-building programs. What part does PAGCOR play in the economic development of the Philippines?

Andrea Dizon Domingo: “PAGCOR plays a major role in the Philippine economy. We are the third largest contributor of revenues to the Philippine Government, beating us in revenue generation is of course the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. What makes us a better contributor is the fact that the Philippine Government does not spend a single centavo for our operations as PAGCOR is a self-sustaining agency. In addition, with the establishment of our ‘integrated-resorts’, casinos, VIP clubs and other gaming stations, not only do we generate job opportunities for our people, we also contribute to the promotion of tourism in the country which as experienced worldwide, is a major contributor to economic growth and development”.

Synergy Media Specialists: How would you best describe the Philippine workforce in terms of productivity and commitment?

Andrea Dizon Domingo: “Filipinos as workers are really very productive and committed to their jobs. Our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) are the greatest testament to this. Filipino workers are very much in demand in other countries for being very professional, hard-working and intelligent. The exemplary revenues that we generate from our very own casinos, is the result of PAGCOR having a hard-working and very productive workforce. Despite the fact that they earn so little from their meagre salaries, they generate so much revenue for the government; that’s what you call ‘commitment’”.

Synergy Media Specialists: What final message would you like to share with our readers?

Andrea Dizon Domingo: “PAGCOR, as both operator and owner of gaming properties has been serving our country well since 1983 and will continue to do so in the coming years”.