IT looks like the Julio Sy-controlled Bukidnon Sugar Co. will have to invest P20 billion or twice as much as it originally thought to put up a bioethanol plant in Mindanao.
Busco has leased sugar land from Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA), which translates to an upfront cost of P125 million and another P375 million over the next three years (which could be advanced in full, upon request, of course).
Not many people know that SPDA’s scope as an economic zone authority covers not just Mindanao but Palawan as well.
Did you know 1: Tourism Secretary Ace Durano intends to tend a long vacation once President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo steps down in the middle of next year.
Then again, he’d probably be helping out his wife with her different franchises in Cebu as he does now when he goes home every weekend.
Did you know 2: Despite the recent declaration of bankruptcy of its United Kingdom-based training center-partner, Affinity Training, a local recruitment agency continues to advertise in major broadsheets for applicants to its study while you work program.
Of course, the applicant is expected to shell out a hefty but unrefundable fee upfront but then applicants are wiling to do that just to get to the UK. Here’s the problem though. Those applicants already in the UK have been told they must now enroll in another school, full time, without any chance of offsetting the tuition with part-time work or get deported.
Did you know 3: The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration is expected to release the job orders for Guam in July next year, at the earliest. The work orders are for skilled construction workers who will help build a military based for 8,000 soldiers and their families currently based in Okinawa, Japan.
Here’s the problem though. Japan, which will foot most of the bill, and the United States aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye on other issues, which could significantly delay the start of construction work in Guam.
Did you know 4: Based on his number-crunching skills, former stock market analyst and current Albay Gov. Joey Salceda has always said that his province has traditionally been it by a “big one” as far as natural calamities go every three years.
The last time Albay was it badly was in 2006 when Typhoon Reming came to visit and caused massive mudslides.
Then again, Salceda has made Albay one of the country’s models for climate change adaptation since 2006. Basically, that means the province currently has three permanent evacuation centers (with three more being built next year) and three warehouses for relief goods (two of which are actually warehouses of the National Food Authority).
Did you know 5: Manila International Airport Authority general manager Alfonso Cusi expects more airlines to use NAIA-3 next year. Right now, only PAL Express, Air Philippines, and Cebu Pacific are using the newest airport facility in Metro Manila.
Oh yes, Cusi said he’s already met his 25-percent increase in passengers for 2009. That translates to 25 million, both domestic and foreign passengers.
Copyright ©2009 Business Mirror
