PPA Remits Record PhP9.41 Billion in Dividends and Taxes for 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) continues its strong fiscal performance, as it remitted PhP3.51 billion in dividends to the national coffers in 2018.

On top of this, the state-owned agency likewise paid PhP5.9 billion in taxes for 2018, more than half of the total taxes it paid in the last 10 years.

Overall, the PPA is contributing a record-breaking amount of PhP9.41 billion in terms of dividends and taxes to the National Government (NG) for the past year, which can be used for the government’s various social welfare, health and other projects.

Latest data from the PPA showed that total dividends for 2018 amounted to PhP3.51 billion, setting another all-time record for the PPA. In 2017, PPA remitted some PhP3.1 billion, its highest recorded dividend then in the last 30 years. However, dividend payment for 2018 overshadowed the previous year’s, and now marks PPA’s highest dividend payment in history.

While growth percentage slowed down for the period covered, the increase in dividend remained high as the 2018 figure is 13% higher than the 2017 dividends remitted.

PPA is mandated to remit at least 50% of its annual net income to the NG after it was granted fiscal autonomy during the term of former President Corazon C. Aquino.

Meanwhile, total revenues for 2018 reached PhP17.49 billion or 8.13% higher than the target for the year. The amount is also higher by 14% compared to the total revenues recorded a year earlier.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade lauded the PPA for its robust fiscal performance which, in turn, shall contribute to the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” Program.

“As I previously said to the men and women of the PPA, their agency’s future fiscal performance shall be measured against their latest records. The agency has achieved so much in terms of dividends remittance despite the massive infrastructure spending for port rehabilitation and development. This kind of fiscal management shall truly aid the government in achieving the ‘Golden Age of Infrastructure’,” Secretary Tugade said.

According to PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago, the agency’s performance in the last two years has placed the PPA on stable financial ground, which will enable the agency to continue sustaining port services of the highest standards.

“The streamlining of port processes coupled with strategic port development and modernization have greatly contributed to this strong performance as we aim for our operations to be on par with global standards,” GM Santiago expressed.

GM Santiago added that the overall remittance of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) is a positive indication of the country’s growing economic status worldwide.

“This is also a testament to the resiliency of the Philippine economy as it continues to thrive despite external pressures from different foreign economies,” Santiago added.

With this, the PPA is expected to once again land in the higher echelon of the "Billionaires' Club" of GOCCs contributing billions of pesos in dividends to the NG. PPA is a consistent member of this club in the last decade but belonging only to the bottom half of the club. It only upped the ante when the Duterte administration took over in 2016.

Transport Ad Startup Taps Lenovo to Revolutionize Commuter Experience

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As part of the company’s plan to revolutionize the local advertising industry, AdMov Transport Marketing Solutions, Inc. has partnered with global innovation leader Lenovo, to deliver highly interactive and personalized advertisements to commuters via tablet devices.

A startup that is making waves in the local advertising industry, AdMov uses tablets to show suited content and advertisements to commuters as its method of bridging the gap between brands and customers. Tablets are attached behind the front seat headrests of cars that are on ride-hailing services such as Grab, and its software can analyze the passenger’s gender, age, and even mood through facial detection technology.

The software then allows AdMov to present the appropriate content based on the information gathered. The program also uses geo-fencing to consider the vehicle’s real-time location. If, for example, the vehicle is traveling within Taguig City, the tablet will show content about nearby establishments. Integrated augmented reality technology is implanted in the software to further add interactivity.

“Personalized and interactive ads are simply more attention-grabbing as they greatly enhance the experience of those watching. Augmented reality, for example, allows interested buyers to try on products like accessories while inside the car,” says Ellard Capiral, co-founder and CEO of AdMov.

Despite data being examined, they are not stored by any means in which AdMov and its advertisers do not see the faces of passengers. If a person wishes to buy the product after seeing the generated advertisement, the software will provide links to the advertiser’s e-commerce site or social media accounts via QR codes, coupons, and email lead generation, so the passenger can conduct the transaction at his or her own time and device.

“It is a great opportunity to showcase Lenovo’s innovative capabilities in the advertising industry, where digital technology is steadily being integrated into the creation of new content,” said Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan.

According to Ngan, with people being flooded with tons of content every day, it is difficult for brands to connect with their audience. “The interactive advertisements shown by AdMov helps them stand out because the software has increased the efficiency of their ads in terms of reaching out and attracting potential customers, and we’re very excited that our products are part of this development within the advertising industry.”

Streamlining the process

Until the discovery of Lenovo Tab 4, AdMov had trouble in finding a tablet model that could support its program. Yet with the popularity of Lenovo Tab 4, the company still had to deal with multiple stores to fulfill its hardware requirements. Under this partnership, Lenovo is streamlining the whole device acquisition process by directly providing AdMov 10,000 Lenovo Tab 4 tablets. Through this, Lenovo is helping AdMov to reach its goal at a faster and much more efficient rate.

“Our services are built on a flexible framework that helps us develop the best solution for our customers’ requirements and business goals. By providing AdMov with a device that is powerful and robust enough to handle its software and facilitating direct acquisition, we help them to be on track in targeting their clients’ preferred audience,” said Ngan.

Lenovo Tab 4 is perfect for AdMov’s current requirements. It runs on a 1.40GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8017 processor and has 2GB LPDDR3 RAM for memory, 16GB internal storage, 2MP front camera, and LTE connectivity. With a 7000mAh battery, it does not overheat easily, which was the main problem with the first tablets AdMov tested. And by getting the product directly from Lenovo, the company no longer has to worry about buying individual units in different stores.

PHL Robotics Team Scores Double Victory at 2019 FIRST Lego League World Championship Houston

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A cozier life in space awaits astronauts, thanks to the impressive creations of The Philippine Robotics National Team. Their awe-inspiring robots earned two coveted awards in the recent For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League World Championship held in Houston, Texas, USA on April 15-21, 2019.

The national delegation, winners of the 8th FLL Philippines, comprised two teams – DYCI Blue Ocean’s 10 from Dr. Yanga’s College Inc. (Ages 12-17) and Team CYLLO from De La Salle Zobel (ages 6-12).

DYCI’s Blue Ocean’s 10 (ages 12-17), with team members Jocas Arabella Cruz, Abigail Silva, Denise Carpio, Naiah Nicole Mendoza, Raingel Vryse Mendoza, Rodel Christian Alcantara, Ma. Anne Geline Doneth Dela Rama, Paul Jaren Perez, Lara Monique Narciso, Head Coach Beryl Jhan Cruz, and Assistant Coach Lemuel Francisco, emerged as Champion’s Award Finalist for their work titled “Project Fuse”, besting 109 teams from 74 countries.

Their winning piece is a virtual reality game that connects astronauts in space to their families on earth through live virtual reality video chat with physical interaction through a robot. This year’s challenge, INTO ORBIT, tasked students to explore how to solve the physical and social problems associated with long-duration space flight.

Meanwhile, Team CYLLO won the Explore and Discover Award with their project that aims to solve the problem of supplying enough food and oxygen to astronauts on the moon by creating a robot that can sustain the life of cyanobacteria. The challenge for the Junior League, MISSION MOON, was to learn about the Earth’s moon and what is needed to live there.

The team, composed of Zoie Francesca Aldave, Chito Salunga Roxas, Jr., Franc Andre Dimatatac, Eduardo Matteo Valdez, Emmanuel Jace Savellano, Robert Philip Lim, with Head Coach Heinz Elorde and Assistant Coach Genevieve Pillar, bested 43 countries.

Dubbed as “the world’s largest celebration of STEM for students”, the FIRST Championship brings together tens of thousands of students from around the world who participate in the K to 12 Robotics program. This year, around 34,000 teams participated and only 109 teams reached the World Championships.

“The Philippines holds the Champion Award center stage in International Robotics and will continue to excel and showcase the brilliance of the Filipino Youth,” according to FELTA Multi-Media Inc. President and CEO Mylene Abiva, who accompanied the team and is the National Organizer of the Philippine Robotics Olympiad/FLL Philippines and the first and only World Robot Olympiad Ambassador.

Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) Director, Dr. Josette Biyo, lauded the team’s triumph in the international stage. “We thank our young robotics champions and the people behind their team for bringing honor to the country and inspiring others to get into robotics. This victory further motivates us at DOST-SEI to continue supporting our emerging robotics experts,” Dr. Biyo said.

The Philippine Robotics National Team is set to compete again at the FLL European Open Championship in Izmir, Turkey on May 20-27, 2019.

Photo Captions: 

1 - The Philippine Robotics National Team (DYCI Blue Ocean’s 10 from Dr. Yanga’s College, Inc.) with Ms. Mylene Abiva of FELTA Multi-Media (leftmost) at the FIRST Lego League World Championship in Houston, Texas, USA. Photo courtesy of FELTA.

2 - The Philippine Robotics National Team (Team CYLLO from De La Salle Zobel) with Ms. Mylene Abiva of FELTA Multi-Media (leftmost) at the FLL World Championship in Houston, Texas, USA. Photo courtesy of FELTA.