A JEWELRY store has moved from a kiosk to a boutique unit at Ayala Center Cebu to accommodate a growing clientele.

Considering the present economic condition, Gems and Designs—owned and managed by retail company Premium
Concepts—encourages “do-it-yourself” jewelry to make the shopping experience of its customers “more interactive and affordable.” Read the rest of this entry.

n response to the growing number of Muslims here, including traders from Mindanao, the Office of the Muslim Affairs (OMA) in Region 7 in collaboration with the Cebu City government will launch the first halal program implementation here.

Sakiran Hajan, OMA 7 regional director, said that next week, there will be a market in Cebu where halal meat and other products will be sold as prescribed by the Holy Quran. Read more…

Although the market is expected to contract because of the continuing recession in the US, increasing production costs and the appreciation of the peso, Cebu’s furniture exporters are looking forward to their annual fair to generate much-needed opportunities.

Even before Cebu Xcite 2008, the annual furniture show here, could open, the Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation, Inc. (CFIF) reported that the number of pre-registered buyers has doubled, compared to the 2006 show. "We equate this to a possible high attendance and in return, more export sales and jobs. We are

Cebu is expected to generate $US255 million or 20 per cent of the $US1.275 billion in revenues in software development by 2010, as it continues to be a premier outsourcing destination in the country. Bonifacio Belen, executive director of Cebu Educational Development Foundation for Information Technology (Cebu-it), said this opened up job opportunities to 15,000 software developers in Cebu.  Cebu earned $US60 million and employed 3,500 software developers in 2006, he said.Read the rest of this entry...

PROPONENTS of the Cebu Business Month (CBM), an annual event of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), plan to capitalize on the Cebu brand as an emerging destination for international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.

CCCI launched the CBM 2008 last Tuesday with the theme “Converge in Cebu.” CCCI wants to make CBM the premier business event in the province. Read the rest of  this entry

UNIVERSAL bank Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is planning to open five to six branches this year to strengthen its market presence in Cebu.

RCBC first vice president and central eastern Visayas area deputy head Prudencio Gesta made the announcement last Thursday, saying the bank aims to expand its network, including RCBC Savings Bank (RSB), to a total of 21 this year.
n Cebu, there are currently five RSB branches and 10 RCBC universal banks.

The bank plans to open five to six RCBC universal bank branches this year, following its acquisition of Merchants Savings and Loan Association Inc. from Finman Capital Corp., Gesta said. Read the rest of this entry...

A consortium of companies broke ground for a 264-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Toledo City.

The consortium, composed of Global Business Power Corp., a member of the Metrobank Group, Formosa Heavy Industries Corp. of Taiwan, Aboitiz Power Corp. and Vivant Power Corp., is investing $500 million for the construction of the coal facility.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held last week at the Toledo Power Co. grounds with Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, Reps. Pablo Garcia and Pablo John Garcia of Cebu, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Toledo City Mayor Arlene Zambo of Toledo City and officials of local distribution utilities gracing the event.

CEBU can maximize its potential as a leisure destination in Asia if it has more entertainment facilities, such as theme parks, a tourism official said.

Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Patria Aurora Roa said the presence of family-oriented theme parks, like Hong Kong Disneyland, would entice the market for leisure-seeking tourists.

"Hong Kong has Disneyland, Singapore has Sea World. These countries have their own good theme parks. In Cebu, we don't have one," Roa said in an interview. Sunstar Cebu

CEBU CITY -- Foreign investment experts have again noticed Cebu City’s potential for business and ranked it as eighth of the Top 10 Asian Cities of the Future, in a list by the Finance Direct Investment (fDi) magazine of the Financial Times Group.

Only two other Philippine cities, Quezon City and Davao City, made it to the top 10, ranking seventh and 10th place, respectively.  More...