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By Luis Leoncio  Local businesses maintained their positive outlook in the first quarter despite the political noise as a result of the determined anti-drugs campaign of President Duterte, a recent Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey among executives showed. 

The postponement of the visit to Manila of Chinese Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng was not in retaliation for the statement of Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay on the Chinese militarization of the South China, but was due to new appointments in the Chinese government, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said. 

Hitting the goal of a yearly economic growth of from 7 to 8 percent would need “efficient fiscal management” in the local government level, while local government units (LGU) should stop their heavy reliance on the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), according to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. 

By Riza Lozada  The government has banned the hoarding of radio frequencies that telecommunications firms are in dire need of to improve their services.

Election spending, the traffic crisis and the increase in remittances of overseas Filipino workers all contributed to the surging sales of the country’s Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA) with an all-time sales hit of 1.1 million motorcycles, especially the light-engine or moped variety, in 2016. 

The notorious “5-6” scheme associated with Indian traders will soon become a legal financial scheme with some changes here and there, and the government is completing the guidelines for it, according to Rex Daryanani, president of the Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce (Philippines) Inc. (Ficci). 

By Riza Lozada  State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) posted a net income of P1.6 billion in 2016 which was lower than last year, based on its report to the Commission on Audit (COA). 

By Ben Cal Despite the simple ceremonies, it was for the first time in three decades that three of the four key players that triggered the historic four-day Edsa People Power revolution on Feb. 22-25, 1986 that restored freedom and democracy in the Philippines, attended together a Holy Mass during the 31st Edsa anniversary held at Camp Aguinaldo last Friday. 

Listed integrated energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) reported an all-time-high net income of P12 billion in 2016, a 42 percent improvement from P8.47 billion the previous year as a result of higher coal and power sales. 

Most Australian firms prefer the Philippines to explore offshoring opportunities, as opposed to other rival potential business process outsourcing (BPO) destinations in the region, such as India, according to a study by government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies.