Philippine Business Magazine: Volume 9 No. 1 - Technology
Philippine Business Online
A consortium of private corporations and foundations equips public high schools with computer connectivity through connectEd.ph
By Charmaine N. Dorotheo

The Philippine business community witnessed the birth of a new business portal — philippinebusiness.com.ph – last 25 January 2002 during the 20th year anniversary of the Makati Business Club. No less than Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched the portal in the presence of MBC members and special guests.

PhilippineBusiness.com.ph aims to be the portal to the Philippine business community and the ultimate guide for any investor or trader who plans to do business in the Philippines.

The new site takes off from the print magazine of the same title which has been successful over the last eight years in delivering relevant information, updates, and in-depth stories on the Philippine economy. The site is conveniently designed to suit varied interests of visitors – from those who simply want brief updates on what is happening in key sectors to those who need detailed information on how to set up operations in the country.

The News & Updates section provides visitors a flavor of the most important and latest development in the different key sectors affecting the economy in a nutshell without having to go through pages of dailies or screens of websites. This section also highlights the major issues being discussed in each of the 16 major sectors - agriculture, banking, demographics, economy, environment, governance, industry, information and communication technology, investments, labor, property, public finance, tourism, trade, transportation, and utilities.

The section on Surveys & Forecasts makes available to corporate planners and decision-makers a useful and handy reference of private macroeconomic forecasts for the year, or monthly projections of the inflation rate and other economic data. Surveys of business confidence are also contained within this section.

The Economic Statistics section is a compilation of recent key macroeconomic indicators grouped into 16 sectors. It provides researchers a good overview of the more important statistical data that affect and shape the Philippine economy.
The Legislation section contains links to members of the Senate and the House of Representatives (via www.mbc.com.ph) and a list of committees including officers and members. It also discusses the process of lawmaking in the country and provides a listing of selected bills that are key to economic development and their movements in Congress. Also to be found in the section is a list of the most current laws approved by the President.

Specifics on how to set up operations in the Philippines can be found in this section is the Guide to Doing Business. It provides an overview of the Philippines’ social, political, and economic climate and promotes the country’s assets and strategic position to interested investors in the Philippines. It discusses relevant historic and statistical data on the economy as well as the key pieces of legislation that govern business transactions in the country today.

The Directories page contains a useful list of contact details of key persons from industry and business associations – both national and local. It also provides a listing of the foreign chambers operating in the Philippines.

Site visitors wanting to know about specific areas to do business in will find Geographics the page to go. This section describes areas — regions, clusters of areas, provinces, cities, municipalities — which are either booming or with great investment and development potential. Snapshots on the area’s demographics and other vital economic statistics and information are also provided.

Just like in real life, PhilippineBusiness.com.ph adds a sprinkling of information about places to go to and activities to indulge in for the businessman to unwind. The site’s Travel & Leisure section will feature places or spots in the country and interesting recreational areas. Under construction is the section on Images that will make available online a gallery of popular and interesting personalities, landmarks, and events in the Philippines.