President Macapagal-Arroyo has transferred the supervision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from the Department of Finance (DOF) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In executive Order No. 800, the President said the primary role of the DTI is coordinator, promoter, facilitator and regulatory arm of the executive branch in trade, industry and investment.

It may be recalled that the SEC was placed under the administrative supervision of the DOF in January 2000 under executive Order No. 192.

Meet ISHWAR CHUGANI, a Filipino Indian from Bacolod City, and who is the Executive Director, ETA-Star Retail Group. Say Hello to HAPPY ONGPAUCO, Director and Vice President for Operations, BARRIO FIESTA group of restaurants.

ETA-Star Retail brings the original Barrio Fiesta restaurant to the UAE. The opening date set is within this year. This will the First International Casual Dining Restaurant specializing in Filipino cuisine and will open at Juman Center, Dubai.

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives passed on third and final reading on May 5 House Bill (HB) 5241 or the proposed Investments and Incentives Code of the Philippines meant to keep in check the fiscal perks given to foreign investors.

The bill, sponsored by Antique Representative Exequiel B. Javier, House ways and means committee chairman, was approved 175 to 11 with 4 abstaining, 18 months after the House conducted its first public hearing.

Congratulations to Deepa and Dia Thakur, Pria Amarnani and Ranjeet Manshukhani [standing 2,3,4, and 6th from left.]

In the center [seated] is Hon. Agnes VST DEVANDERA, who is the Solicitor General of the Philippines. On her left she is flanked by SCN officials while on her right are President Ram Sitaldas, VP Dilip Budhrani and IPP Vishnu Hathiramani of the Indian Chamber of commerce.

This year 60 Indian nationals are expected to take oath as Filipino citizens.

By his own admission, Micky Jagtiani was not qualified to be a businessman, much less the head of a billion-dollar retail empire.

The chairman of the Dubai-based Landmark Group, Micky Jagtiani, failed accounting but today oversees 1,000 stores in 10 countries.

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Manila (PND) -- Investor confidence in the Philippines remains robust as indicated by the recent pledge made by an India-based corporation to expand its business process outsourcing (BPO) investment in the country, Trade Secretary Peter Favila said today.

In an interview, Favila said the officials of the Essar Group from Mumbai , India met with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang this afternoon to express their corporation’s intent to expand its BPO brand in the Philippines .

In a bid to boost foreign investments in the country in light of the global economic crisis, the Bureau of Immigration has begun implementing an indefinite visa program that would allow foreign investors and businessmen who employ at least 10 Filipino workers to stay in the Philippines.

Immigration Commissioner Marcelino C. Libanan said the BI was accepting petitions for a Special Visa for Employment Generation (SVEG) to qualified foreigners after the program’s implementing rules and regulations came into effect on March 9.

Taiwan has added the Philippines to its list of countries eligible for visa exemption. Effective March 1, 2009, Philippine passport holders are exempted from visa requirements and can stay in Taiwan for 30 days, provided that they have never worked in Taiwan as blue-collar workers.

Aside from the Philippines, the visa exemption also applies to passport holders of India, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia who also possess a valid visa or permanent residence certificate issued by the US, Canada, Japan, U.K., Schengen Convention countries, Australia or New Zealand.

NEW DELHI – Amid all the economic gloom, one business is still booming – India’s mobile phones – thanks to the world’s lowest call rates driven by fierce competition among cellular operators, experts say.

And while economists forecast a sharp slowdown in India’s economic growth, no downturn is seen in the mobile market, which added a record 15.4 million wireless users in January the biggest monthly growth ever, according to the latest official data.