What Happened to That 1996 Lease Agreement?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There was a 1996 lease agreement that was signed which was signed by Camp John Hay Development Corporation and Bases Conversion and Development Authority where Bob Sobrepena was supposed to pay an annual rent of P425 million or 5% of the gross sales whichever of the two is higher. I don’t know what they were thinking when they signed that because it is clearly a one sided deal in favor of the BCDA. It is no surprise how CJHDevCo struggled in their first 5 years since this was supposed to last for the first 5 years of the contract.

The lease payment of CJHDevCo should belong to the city of Baguio and not BCDA. The mayor himself has expressed concern that this has gone on too far. He is calling for BCDA to participate in the proceedings in order to find out who really is at fault. It is obvious BCDA CEO Arnel Casanova has gone overboard with all of his accusations towards Bobby. One way or the other, the two parties are going to resolve this matter. However, Casanova won’t stop pinning accusations on Sobrepena like there is some kind of personal grudge between them.

The 1996 lease agreement was restructured in 2000 due to the fact that the operations of Camp John Hay were adversely affected resulting to a loss of P1.445 billion. I really felt sorry for Bobby because of that. It is not easy to run a business and he had to take a major step back down because of what he lost there. President Aquino’s PPP program would have benefitted both parties if they agree to resolve the case. However, that is not going to happen anytime soon and we have Arnel Casanova to thank for that. He should really think more about the country than himself.

New Leadership in DOTC Better Make the Right Call

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mar Roxas has one of the biggest decisions to make in his long term as the vice president of the country since he has just been appointed as the new head of the Department of Transportation and Communication or DoTC. Mar Roxas is expected to be one of the frontrunners for the next presidential race so his decision here could either make or break his candidacy since there is expected to be a lot of sleeper candidates for that election. For now, Roxas chose to freeze all talks with the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation regarding their proposal that would take 30 years in improving the MRT line 3.

The MRT line 3 is the longest train in the country as it stretches along the country’s longest street, the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue or EDSA for short. This street is known for very heavy traffic during rush hour which is why the MRT was put here in the first place. The MRT is not really ideal for most people when they exit the office though as they would rather ride the bus going home since it is going to be tough to get in the MRT during 5 to 6 PM on weekdays.

The Metro Investments Pacific Corporation will invest a whopping $650 million for this project. That amount is probably something I will never reach in my life so we are all lucky they made this proposal. They would even buy Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines. Is this going to take out the long lines during rush hour? Probably not! However, it will surely minimize it to the extent that it won’t become a bothersome sight to most observers. Because of this, the government won’t propose silly schemes to cut down on the number of people riding the MRT.

Entrepreneurs Explore Opportunities at Entrepreneur & Franchise Expo 2014

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The recently concluded Entrepreneur & Franchise Expo 2014 opened business opportunities to business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs last June 27-29, 2014 at the Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. With the tagline “Your Step to Success!” the expo was dedicated to empower over 100 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from various business sectors.

Organized by MediaCom Solutions, Inc, sponsored by Injoy Philippines, 2Go Express, Globe MyBusiness, Benchmark Email Marketing, Uber Technologies, Infinity Hub and Gleent Innovations, the Entrepreneur & Franchise Expo 2014 was officially launched last Friday, June 27, 2014. The opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by local and international entrepreneurs and business executives from various industry sectors that supported the expo’s advocacy. Gracing the event was Mandaluyong City Councilor and Vice Chair for MSME Development Council, honorable CHARISSE ABALOS; Young Entrepreneur Society Philippines President, HENRY ONG; Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Mandaluyong President, ANDREW ONG; ATTY. NIKKI DE VEGA, President of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mandaluyong; together with 2Go Express AVP for Retail Sales and Marketing JOANNE RAMOS; Globe MyBusiness Trade Marketing Manager for Emerging Channels KRISTINE TRAVINO; celebrity food entrepreneur KIAN KAZEMI, president of Persia Grill; email marketing innovator CHUCK SCHIPPER, director & business development EMEAA @ Benchmark Internet Group, LLC (USA), international networking entrepreneur NILS WALLE, founder of the Freight Summit (Hong Kong); branding and design entrepreneur GILMAR PADUA, founder of Infinity Hub; CHRISTIAN RAEUBER of MediaCom Solutions Inc.; design strategist and brand expert BRIAN TENORIO, founder of KKK Coffee; Australian Actress singer lead in 'The Boston' Kitchen Musical and GMA talent NATALIA MOON, celebrity entrepreneur and Mercato Centrale co-founder RJ LEDESMA, and many more.