Dito sets sights on local MSMEs

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

Dito telecommunity Corp.

has identified the enterprise segment as a major growth area in the mid-term, targeting to grow its contributions to the company’s overall revenues to almost a fifth in the next 3 years.

in a media luncheon last week, Dito Chief Commercial of ficer Evelyn Jimenez told reporters that the company is now developing solutions that target businesses of varying sizes, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). our outlook moving forward is we want the enterprise segment to be 5 percent of our revenue contribution up to 18 percent — that’s our forecast in the next three years,” she said.

Dito is set to launch the said solutions within the second half of 2023.

Jimenez added that the company is “going to launch a lot of ott [over- the-top media service],” and that Dito has “a lot of things in place.” our revenue now compared to last year, we already are more than 60 percent from last year. So revenue is definitely continuing to increase, including ARPU [average revenue per user], which grew by 13 percent ever since the SiM registration,” she said.

Jimenez said ARPU is now at P107, a sharp increase from P80 the year prior. “ t he ideal ARPU for us is P125 and we’re targeting to hit that towards the end of the year,” she said. t hings are doing well for the business. We built the network very fast, so have to catch up from a commercial standpoint,” Jimenez said.

Dito is also adding more users despite the S i M registration requirement.

Jimenez said average daily activations increased by 15 percent since the government required end users to register their SiMs.

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By VG Cabuag @villygc

FAStFooD company Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) said it will set up a joint venture with Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) to operate tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines.

Jollibee will own 60 percent of the business while Food Collective will own the remaining 40 percent.

Both companies have committed to invest up to P250 million in the joint venture, which will have its own resources and personnel with Jollibee taking the lead in the management and operation of the business.

t he said joint venture will be the franchisee of both brands in the Philippines.

Food Collective is a majorityowned subsidiary of t i tan Lifestyle Holdings Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of t i tan Dining LP in which Jollibee has a 90-percent participating interest. t h e company is incorporated in Singapore and its primary activity is owning and operating lifestyle brands, including t i ong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters. t h ere are currently 16 t i ong Bahru Bakery and 5 Common Man Coffee Roasters, across Singapore and Malaysia.

tiong Bahru Bakery is famous for its handmade croissants and for its baked goods and coffee, with a commitment to producing high-quality food and coffee and celebrating traditional techniques and its local neighborhoods.

Common Man Coffee Roasters, meanwhile, operates all-day dining restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia, with an aim to be a champion for specialty coffee and the best all-day dining concept in Asia.

Common Man Coffee Roasters also does coffee roasting, sale of coffee products and operates a Coffee Barista Academy.

“We are excited to enter this joint venture with FCPL to own and operate the tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. t hese brands will be a strong addition to JFC’s foreign franchised brands and will allow JFC to capture an even greater opportunity and strengthen JFC’s position for further growth in the Philippine market,” Jollibee CEo Ernesto tanmantiong said.

Jollibee currently operates three foreign franchised brands in the Philippines, namely Burger King with 127 stores, Panda Express with18 stores and Yoshinoya with seven stores. t hese brands contribute less than 3 percent to the company’s consolidated system wide sales. Common Man Coffee Roasters will start its operation in the Philippines this year.

Inv EStoR S must go beyond financial reports and look into the “green” aspect of investing, according to Brian Poe-Llamanzares, chief of staff at the of fice of Senator Grace Poe.

THE Philippine Stock Exchange inc. (PSE) has elected two new independent directors—Peter B. Favila and Andrew Jerome t Gan—during its annual stockholders’ meeting.

Favila was director of the PSE from 2002 to 2005 and for a short while, served as chairman of the bourse.

He served as secretary of the Department of tr ade and i n dustry from 2005 to 2010 and after, joined the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a member of the Monetary Board (MB). He recently finished his second stint as MB private sector representative. He was previously president of Philippine n a tional Bank, Security Bank and Allied Banking Corp.

Gan, meanwhile, was a director of the Capital Markets integrity Corp. from 2014 to 2023. He is co-Founder and managing director of Beacon Holdings inc., Beacon Advisors inc., Beacon Management Group inc. and Fifi L’Amour inc.

Gan served as director and treasurer of nuovo Moda, inc. and Managing Director of Globo Land Development Corp.

“ t h e new directors are excellent additions to our board given their notable backgrounds and range of expertise and experience. i , together with the rest of the Board, look forward to working with them as we continue to push reforms and initiatives to further develop and deepen our capital market,” PSE Chairman Jose t Pardo said. VG Cabuag numeriano B. Rodrin, President, and Coo of Eternal Chapels Mortuary and Chapel Services, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “We are elated to join forces with PhilPlans, inc., to further our mission of providing compassionate and meaningful funeral services to families in their times of need. t his partnership allows us to offer an even more comprehensive range of support to their plan holders as they navigate the challenging process of bidding farewell to their loved ones.”

Et ER n A L Chapels Mortuary and Chapel Services, a provider of complete mortuary and chapel services, has forged a partnership with PhilPlans, i nc., a provider of pre-need and memorial plan, to create an alliance aimed at offering comprehensive, personalized, and seamless memorial care services. A contract signing ceremony took place on August 3, 2023, in Makati City.

Eternal Chapels Mortuary and Chapel Services has earned a reputation for its commitment to delivering personalized funeral arrangements, unparalleled customer service, and state-of-the-art facilities. With this collaboration, it enables plan holders of PhilPlans to avail Eternal Chapels’ services and facilities. At present, Eternal Chapels is dedicated to serve the memorial care needs of residents in Cagayan de oro City, naga City, Cabuyao City, Cabanatuan City, and soon, Batangas City. it is part of the Eternal Memorial Group along with its sister companies, Eternal Gardens, Eternal Crematory, and Eternal Plans. t he group belongs to a larger conglomerate, the ALC Group of Companies, founded by the late Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua and currently headed by its Chairman, D. Edgard A. Cabangon. investing in environmental, social, and corporate governance is not just about ticking boxes, but it’s an investment in a better world. it is an investment in the future we want to leave behind for our children and the generations to come,” he said. together, we can unlock the potential of sustainable growth and make a positive impact on both business and the world.”

Poe-Llamanzares made the pronouncement during the Southeast Asia investment Forum jointly organized recently by the national University of Singapore (nUS) Business School and the Chinese Alumni Association, together with Grandway Family of fice and Meta Capital inc., at the Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library in Singapore.

Poe-Llamanzares, who authored the book “A Sustainable Future,” underscored the importance of taking into account a company’s environmental cost and carbon footprint in investment decisions while embracing greener principles.

An award-winning Filipino author, journalist, entrepreneur, investor and public servant, he joined the experts who were tapped to speak during the forum. t he other experts tapped for the forum were Professor Li Yande, an esteemed faculty member of the Business School; Zhou Daochuan, cofounder of the Grandway Family off ice in Singapore; and Yuan Xingwei, a partner of the indonesian Sand Group. together, they analyzed investment opportunities and major challenges in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia, indonesia and vietnam. Given the rapid changes in the investment landscape and a very challenging asset allocation, they discussed on prospects and examined the major challenges confronting regional economies. t he organizers understood the need for comprehensive views on these pressing issues. Hence, the nUS Business School, renowned for its academic and research excellence, partnered with the Mandarin Alumni Association to create a platform for in-depth analysis and dialogue. t he forum’s content and discussions were enriched by the support of Grandway Family of fice, a global investments firm, and Meta Capital inc., a trusted, multifaceted venture capital company. t he Southeast Asia i nvestment Forum, chaired by n U S Business School Director of the Chinese EMBA program Prof. Fu Qiang, gave a timely opportunity for investors and industry leaders to gain insights and build networks.

“We want to highlight our Chairman’s relationship with nUS and the participants, as well as his intentions to highlight and open more discussions about investment in Southeast Asia, which is also aligned with his goal for Meta Capital to uplift the region’s economies through investments in Environmental, Social, and Governance and next-generation technologies,” Meta Capital inc. Country Manager Rae Kuo.

Attendees from the Philippines also had the opportunity to join the conclave via an online streaming platform, allowing them to join at their homes. Regional participants were empowered to make informed and impactful investment choices in the dynamic Southeast Asian market. Roderick L. Abad