DTI Presents Investment Opportunities to Dutch Shipbuilding Firm

MAKATI – With Dutch shipbuilding company Damen Shipyard Group visiting the Philippines (PH) to possibly partner with the Philippine Navy to build and supply naval defense vessels, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez took the opportunity to present the Hanjin Facility in Subic and other investment options in a meeting with them last 04 March.

“Shipbuilding is one of our priority industries not just in Subic, but also in many locations in our archipelagic country. We have the required manpower and skillset for new shipbuilders. As a market ourselves, the country is also in need of smaller vessels like the Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) ships,” said Sec. Lopez.

Unlike Hanjin, Damen does not produce large container ships. Instead, they focus on smaller vessels like yachts, cruises ships, navy ships, and tug boats. The company’s chairman Kommer Damen said this puts them in a good position because they’re not affected by the overcapacity in the cargo ship market that caused Hanjin to scale down their operations.

The company already has a footprint in PH through their partnership with the Filipino company Propmech Global Technologies and their contract with the Philippine Airlines. DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said that Damen's technical team already surveyed the facility and is reviewing how it will fit in their current plans.

Board of Investments (BOI) Governor Napoleon Concepcion shared that shipbuilding companies from Australia and Norway are investing in Visayas and Mindanao respectively and offered similar sites to the Dutch company.

Chairman Damen said this is a good scenario to have with more shipbuilders in an area due to greater industry support and better education for employees.

Three Reasons Why Filipinos Need To Watch ONE: REIGN OF VALOR

ONE Championship will once again make its return to Yangon, Myanmar on Friday, 8 March for
ONE: REIGN OF VALOR at the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.

While all of the Filipino champions are scheduled in ONE: A NEW ERA, there are still plenty of reasons for local martial arts from the Philippines to tune-in and enjoy another loaded match card.

Here are just three main reasons why ONE: REIGN OF VALOR is a must-see.

Rene Catalan’s path to desired ONE World Title shot

Rene “The Challenger” Catalan’s amazing run in the talent-filled strawweight division is something that cannot be overlooked anymore.

After losing his first two matches in ONE Championship, Catalan finally found his rhythm and is now riding high on a five-match winning streak.

Standing in his way is former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, who undoubtedly poses to be the ultimate test to Catalan’s World Title aspirations.

It will be a classic striker-versus-grappler affair, but Catalan has shown tremendous improvement when it comes to grappling in his previous matches.

At age 40, Catalan shows no signs of slowing down, and if he keeps his pace, then the next Filipino World Champion could very well come from the Catalan Fighting System.

Road to redemption of Jomary Torres

Jomary Torres is an exciting young Filipina who burst into the organization’s stacked women’s atomweight scene with three consecutive victories.

She may be on a slump as of late following consecutive decision losses to Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaul and Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi, but those define does not ultimately define her as a mixed martial arts competitor.

Admittedly struggling to ankle issues in her past bouts, Torres has completed her training camp in tip-top condition and is raring to go back to her winning ways.

Given that her back is against the wall, Torres vows to be aggressive as she cannot afford to lose her third-straight match.

While her opponent in Lin Heqin is known for her willingness to stand and trade, this match has the potential to steal the whole show.

Zebaztian Kadestam’s first ONE World Title defense

Headlining the blockbuster event is knockout artist Zebaztian Kadestam as he defends his ONE Welterweight World Title against surging submission wizard Georgiy Kichigin. With World Title gold on the line, the stakes could not be higher in this classic clash of styles.

Kadestam put everyone on notice when he knocked out erstwhile-unbeaten American Tyler McGuire last November to be crowned as the ONE Welterweight World Champion.

His win over McGuire was Kadestam’s ninth knockout victory, making him one of the most fearsome competitors in the whole organization.

Kichigin, on the other hand, is a grappling wizard who is coming into ONE Championship on 14-match winning streak, with his last victory coming against another submission artist in Rousimar Palhares.

With two world-class talents bannering the card, there is no reason for Filipino martial arts fans to miss this event.

Vivo Records 60% Increase in Smartphone Sales

·   Achieves New Sales Record

·   Outperforms Previous Launch

Kuala Lumpur, 7 March 2019 – Vivo has successfully continued its profitable growth path in 2019 with their recent launch of the V15 Pro. The smartphone brand reported a record breaking 60% increase in sales compared to its previous V11 series at its recent Superday Sale.

“Vivo is in a strong position now and this is clearly reflected in the increase in sales compared to the previous model’s launch. Our success is the result of a systematic implementation of our business strategy and hard work. We have put Vivo on the long-term path to success,” said Mike Xu, CEO of Vivo Malaysia.

Online pre-orders and sales for the V15 Pro have also increased by 75% and 48% respectively.

Its well-filled product lineup and a considerably expanded international presence with high levels of efficiency and flexibility are also key factors to its success.

In 2019, Vivo expects sales growth of approximately 30% for the brand in tandem with the increasing penetration of smartphone usage by Malaysians.

Vivo currently has a strong brand presence in Malaysia as proven by Socialbaker’s recent report indicating it is the most loved smartphone brand for Malaysians on Facebook.

The Vivo V15 Pro was launched last week by songtress Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza and actress Janna Nick who are also the official brand ambassadors.

About Vivo

Vivo is a leading global technology company committed to creating trendsetting smart mobile products and services. Vivo is devoted to forming a vibrant mobile internet ecosystem, and currently owns and operates an extensive network of research operations, with R&D centers in the US (San Diego) and China (Dongguan, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Beijing and Hangzhou). These centers focus on the development of cutting-edge consumer technologies including 5G, AI, mobile photography and next-generation smartphone design.

Vivo has over two hundred million users enjoying its mobile products and services around the world. Vivo is present in 18 markets globally and features offline retail stores in over 1,000 cities worldwide.