AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'--YET.
AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'--YET Lorraine DePasque, Editor in Chief, LUSTRE Most of the time, I find irony to be interesting at least and humorous at best. But not this time. Not this past December . . . Coincidentally, while our Fashion Director Jeff Prine was...

SOPHISTICATED LADY.
SOPHISTICATED LADY RICHARD BAKER "Diamonds shining, dancing, dining with some man in a restaurant . . ." -- from "Sophisticated Lady"; lyrics by Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, and Mitchell Parish Fine jewelry has always been an essential part of a sophisticated lifestyle. But...

BDO acquires business of American Express here.
Banco de Oro-EPCI, Inc. (BDO) announced yesterday its acquisition of the American Express business in the Philippines, which includes the American Express Philippines US dollar and peso card portfolios as well as the consumer banking services of American Express Savings Bank (AESB). Concurrent with the sale, BDO...

3rd China-ASEAN Expo; The Ties That Bind.
Byline: JASER A. MARASIGAN NANNING, China -- The centuries-old friendship between the Philippines and China began when the first Chinese merchant vessel docked in Manila during the Tang Dynasty around 618 A.D. This signalled the beginning of the trade relations between the two countries, built on barter...

RP sees more investors, tourists as China-ASEAN Expo opens today.
Further boosting opportunities through tourism, the Department of Tourism joins today the official opening of the China-ASEAN Exposition (CAEXPO) in Nanning, China which will run until Oct. 22. Started in 2004, CAEXPO is simultaneously held with the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit to provide business opportunities primarily...

Attracting the Chinese tourism market.
Byline: Beth D Romulo IT was only two years ago when Tourism Secretary Ace Durano turned his attention to the huge, increasingly affluent Chinese tourism market. In a little over a year, the Philippines attracted more tourists from China than from Hong Kong or Taiwan. Instead of...

Gov't to set standards for fresh milk.
The government is coming up with a Philippine National Standard (PNS) on fresh milk to establish the difference between the authentic local fresh milk and the imported "fresh milk" that goes through ultra heat treatment (UHT) which competes stiffly with the local produce. Gilbert F. Layese, director...

Equitable PCIBank pushes aggressive marketing thrust.
Byline: FIL C. SIONIL Amidst the challenging business environment, Equitable-PCI Bank (EPCI Bank) is looking at improving its foothold in the domestic banking industry through aggressive marketing. EPCI Bank president and Chief Executive Officer Rene J. Buenaventura said the increasing across the board customer base...

TRAINING DAYS.
TRAINING DAYS Richard Baker, CEO, Premium Knowledge Group, Dallas, Texas Can the newly wealthy be taught how to spend? Purveyors of luxury in other industries--from auction houses to automakers--find that teaching is a lucrative tool. Many luxury merchants are concerned that their current--and...

Virgin Mobile Seeks to Raise $1bn From IPO.
Virtual mobile network operator Virgin Mobile Holdings (UK) Plc plans to raise 588m to 713m pounds ($1bn to 1.3bn) through an IPO, and intends to target the major operators by moving up market and appealing to more affluent post-pay customers. The company built up market share by...