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In
business, time is money. That’s why
entrepreneurs and young professionals
behind small, start-up companies are
always on the lookout for smart
solutions to getting their businesses
off the ground.
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Several companies offer non-tradition
office leasing arrangements for fully
equipped and fully serviced executive
workspaces and now the latest company to
enter this rapidly growing market is
Australia-based serviced office provider |
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Open
for Business: (From left) CEO founder
and managing director Jenny Folley and
CEO chairman Michael Sayers look on as
guests of honor Johnny Litton and
Senator Miguel Zubiri cut the ceremonial
ribbon of the Corporate Executive
Offices |
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Mindanao Misunderstood: Book Hopes to
Shed light on Conflict
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It is no
understatement that Mindanao is
laden with a complex web of
issues that easily reflects a
misinterpreted negative image of
the region. Muslim separatism
and insurgency, among others,
are causing constant and
long-standing stirs in civilian
lives.
In an effort to shed light on these issues, The Asia
Foundation, a nongovernmental
organization that holds
leadership and developmental
programs, recently released a
book Rido: Clan Feuding and
Conflict Management in Mindanao,
a definitive reference book on
clan violence and resolution in
the Philippines’ southern area.
On the premise that a deeper understanding of specific
conflicts is crucial in
disentangling the blurred lines
of conflict and to enable
communities and the government
to effectively address the
problem, The Asia Foundation
with support from the United
States Agency for international
Development, partnered with
Mindanao-based civil society
organizations and academic
institutions to carry out a
coordinated study on one of the
major problems in Mindanao, rido.
The result is a 348-page book
documenting the demographics of
the rido cases, their causes and
consequences, and mechanisms
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will mobilize the
difference sectors in resolving
conflicts.
As defined, rido is feuding among families, clans, kinship
groups and communities
characterized by sporadic
outbursts of retaliatory
violence.
The book compiles the 1,266 rido cases that happened between
the 1930s and 2005, killing over
5,500 people and displacing
thousands more. Out of the total
documented number, 64 percent
remain unresolved. Lanao del Sur,
Maguindanao, Lanao del Norte and
Sulu are the top provinces with
the highest number of rido cases
in the country, totaling 71
percent of all the total cases
documented. The three-year study
reveals that land disputes and
political rivalries are the most
common causes of rido. And the
interaction of these different
conflicts has more complex
consequences put in the context
of the long-running separatist
struggle.
Written and researched by scholars and advocates, the book
aims to dispel widely-held
stereotypes. Through the lens of
the authors, Rido gives a human
face to families in conflict.
Professor Abhoud Syed Lingga,
one of the authors, shares that
deeper in the hearts of the
parties into the conflict is a
longingness for peace. “In every
rido, there is a solution,” he
quips.
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Shangri-la Hotels
& Resorts Awarded Best Luxury
Hotel Brand
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Shangri-La Hotels and
Resorts was named Best
Luxury Hotel Brand” at
the 18th TTG Travel
Awards Ceremony and Gala
Dinner on Oct. 25 in
Bangkok, Thailand. This
year is the first time
the award has been
presented.
The TTG Travel Awards, presented by TTG Publishing, seeks to
honor the region’s most
outstanding travel
industry performers. The
awards are determined by
the number of votes from
readers of TTG Asia
Media. Readers
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were
invited to vote online
through the TTG Asia
website or by submitting
printed voting forms
available in selected
issues of TTG
publications.
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s
leading luxury hotel
group, currently manages
53 hotels under the
five-star Shangri-La and
four-star Traders
brands, with a rooms
inventory of over
24,000. For more
information, please
contact a travel
professional or access
the website at
www.shangri-la.com.
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Corporate Executive Offices (CEO), which
recently opened its first business
center in Makati City.
CEO offers fully furnished executive workspaces that can
accommodate one to 20 persons. Clients
can also avail of meeting and conference
rooms plus services such as secretarial
support, word processing, photocopying
and scanning. Moreover, the prime
location – in the heart of the central
business district, and occupying the
12th floor of Robinson’s Summit Center –
makes it especially convenient, not to
mention a prestigious business address.
Founded 20 years ago, CEO is the |
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argest
privately owned operator of serviced
offices in Australia and today boasts of
over 700 exclusive locations worldwide.
CEO founder and managing Jenny Folley
explained the decision to open a site in
Manila came after reviewing several
potential cities in Asia and finding
Manila to be an attractive location for
companies worldwide, particularly for
outsourcing. “Office space is always a
prime commodity here,” added CEO general
manager Jonas Marcelo. The company is
set to open two more sites in the
Philippines within the next 18 months. |
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One
Online Community
for Pinoys Abroad
By Ana Kristine B. Valenzuela
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With more than
eight million overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) spread across the
world, the country is faced with
a reality that more and more
Filipinos need to work abroad,
and will continue to leave the
country, to earn their keep.
With that came the opportunity
for an inter-industry among
Filipinos here and abroad.
The European Chamber of Commerce Philippines (ECCP) together
with Ayala Foundation and EON, a
public relations firm, launched
the OneFilipino.Net. This
internet-based, private sector,
non-profit network is aimed at
unifying Filipinos and those
interested in the Philippines
into one online community.
“OneFilipino.Net capitalizes on the rise of the so-called
horizontal axis of communication
by providing a platform that
directs meaningful conversation
between and among Filipinos on
key developments aspects that
are vital to the sustained
growth of our country.” Junie
del Mundo, managing director of
EON Inc., said.
“OneFilipino.Net creates an environment that will enable
Filipinos all over the world to
share their talents and vast
experiences for the development
of the Philippines,” Henry
Schumacher, ECCP’s executive
vice president added.
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The site features
articles and other downloadable
materials available to
registered members.
OneFilipino.Net also houses an
online forum from Filipinos to
interact and share their
perspectives on recent issues
and events.
“The philosophy behind this is simple; the real world conversations
taking place in the community
would translate to tangible
outcomes, such as business
opportunities and linkages, for
its members. What Filipinos are
able to create for other
countries and their industries,
they can share and transpose
into their own,” del Mundo
disclosed.
Any OFW that is interested to be a part of this engagement is
welcome to join, the organizers
said. An online registration
form is available.
The website hopes that people from industries such as creative
services, animation and design,
offshoring and outsourcing
services which include
IT-enabled and business process
outsourcing services; medical
and wellness services including
medical tourism, retirement,
education will impart their
knowledge and share their
insights for the good of the
country.
“OneFilipino.Net is all about
meaningful discussions and
information on what the Filipino
can do to promote growth in
these industries,” del Mundo
stressed. |
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