WANT TO LEARN MORE? GOOGLE IT. :)

Friday, August 21, 2015

VIRAL VIDEO | OFW lambasts Bureau of Customs for new Balikbayan rules

A plan by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) to impose additional taxes on balikbayan box has come under fire, particularly from OFWs like Geneva Medina who has had enough of all the burden that the government is placing on them.

The BoC's new rules set to provide tougher measures on balikbayan packages sent by OFWs was set to deter illegal smugglers and traders who take advantage of the tax-free balikbayan boxes.

Some of the rules concerning OFWs include:
  • limit (no excess) of 500$ in value
  • canned goods, grocery items and other household effects must not exceed a dozen a kind, while apparel whether used or new must not exceed three yards per cut
  • corruption and lost items
  • increased clearing fees for all containers to as much as Php 100,000 to Php  120,000
But Medina just couldn't give in, that she hinted at the corruption going on inside the bureau and in the country as a whole. She furiously pointed out that OFWs left the country to work for their families. The government should instead help the OFWs help their loved ones, rather than slap taxes and go through all those balikbayan boxes which causes delay.


May mensahe si Geneva Medina sa mga custom sa Pilipinas..
May mensahe si Geneva Medina sa mga custom sa Pilipinas.. Nkka inis na Kc ang customs Sa pinas! Ang kakapal ng mukha"maawa naman kayo sa mga OFW's"...
Posted by Latest News Channel PH on Thursday, August 20, 2015

PASSERS LIST | August 2015 Agricultural Engineers Board Exam Results

(UPDATES: See this link for the results of the August 2015 Agricultural Engineer Board Exam)

After four (4) days, on Wednesday (September 2), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has announced the list of 340 successful examinees (passers) out of 841 takers of the Agricultural Engineers Board Exam (Agricultural Engineers Licensure Exam) which was held on August 25 and 26, 2015 in the cities of Baguio, Davao, Legaspi, and Manila.

If you can't view the embedded results below, please view it here.




Here's the list of performances by school in the Agricultural Engineer Board Exam of 2015:




------------------------------------------------

In several days, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) will release the list of successful examinees (passers) of the Agricultural Engineers Board Exam (Agricultural Engineers Licensure Exam) which will be held on August 25 and 26, 2015 in the cities of Baguio, Davao, Legaspi, and Manila.


The results of the August 2015 Agricultural Engineers Board Exam, including the list of top 10 passers, will be posted here in Spotlight Philippines. Please stay tuned. Bookmark this page or like Spotlight Philippines for updates. :)


PASSERS LIST | August 2015 Nutritionist-Dietitians Board Exam Results

(UPDATED) In several two days, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) will released the list of successful examinees (passers) of the Nutritionist-Dietitians Licensure Exam (Nutritionist-Dietitians Board Exam) which was held on August 20 and 21, 2015 in the cities of Zamboanga and Manila.


The results of the August 2015 Nutritionist-Dietitians Board Exam, including the list of top 10 passers, are now posted here in Spotlight Philippines. Please stay tuned. Bookmark this page or like Spotlight Philippines for updates. :)

UPDATE:

705 out of 1,089 takers passed the Nutritionist-Dietitian Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nutrition and Dietetics in Manila and Zamboanga this August 2015.

LIST OF TOP 10 PASSERS
Nutritionist-Dietitians Board Exam

1 PAUL ALTEO AFURONG BAGABALDO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-LOS BAÑOS 84.75

2 MARJORIE ANNE ABRATIQUE LAYOSA UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-LOS BAÑOS 83.55

3 WILMAR JUN ORBISO ELOPRE CENTRAL MINDANAO UNIVERSITY 83.50

4 HARLYN JAN BURGOS ESPELA UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 83.45
LURENCE ANNE JAMORA PAÑER UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 83.45

5 LINDSLEY LUMELAY GO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 83.35

6 REGINNA EMILIENE CAPADA LAT UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 83.25

7 CHELSEA RAE SANTOS MERCADILLO UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS 83.15

8 MA LESLIE BACHOCO ULMIDO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-LOS BAÑOS 82.80

9 LORILYN ALYSSA FRANCISCO GONZALES UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-LOS BAÑOS 82.75

10 JESEL REAL BAGOS UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-LOS BAÑOS 82.70


COMPLETE LIST OF PASSERS
August 2015 Nutritionist-Dietitian Board Exam

If you're having difficulty scrolling below, you may check the whole list here.






PASSERS LIST | August 2015 Physician Board Exam Results

(UPDATED) Here's the link to the schedule for registration for Manila Physician Licensure Exam passers.

The Professional Regulation Commission has announced that 2,491 out of 2,921 takers passed the Physician (Medical Doctor) Board Exam held last August 15, 16, 22 and 23 in Cebu, Davao and Manila.. For the list of passers of the August 2015 Physician Licensure Exam, see the list below.

-----------------------------------

In a few days, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) will release the list of successful examinees (passers) of the Physician Licensure Exam (Physician Board Exam) which was held on August 15, 16, 22, and 23, 2015 in the cities of Cebu, Davao, and Manila.



The results of the August 2015 Physician Licensure Exam, including the list of top 10 passers, will be posted here in Spotlight Philippines. Please stay tuned. Bookmark this page or like Spotlight Philippines for updates. :)

August 2015 Physician Licensure Exam List of Passers


August 2015 Physician Licensure Exam Top 10

STOCKS 101 | 8 of the Best Investment Advice I Read Online

There are hundreds of millions of investors in the  world, each one having encountered losses and wins during the course of their investing/trading life. There are those who have escaped the financial trap faster than most of us. There are those who stayed stuck.

Despite whatever status they may or may not have reached, there's one common denominator -- experience. What great insights can we learn from them?

In this post, I present to you 8 of the best investment advice I have read online which I sometimes tend to overlook haha. I still make bad choices hehe; Young but still naive,  I'm pretty much using up all the spare time I could spend to get to know the world of investing better.

I'm cutting this short and concise so that you'll just take three minutes to absorb all these nuggets of wisdom that you're about to discover. Enjoy!


Richard Russell (Image Source: Business Insider)
1. “The wealthy investor tends to be an expert on values. When bonds are cheap and bond yields are irresistibly high, he buys bonds. When stocks are on the bargain table and stock yields are attractive, he buys stocks. When real estate is a great value, he buys real estate. When great art or fine jewelry or gold is on the “giveaway’ table, he buys art or diamonds or gold. In other words, the wealthy investor puts his money where the great values are. And if no outstanding values are available, the wealthy investors waits.” Richard Russell, author of The Dow Theory Letter.

2. “The whole secret to winning and losing in the stock market is to lose the least amount possible when you’re not right.” William J. O’Neil, founder of Investor’s Business Daily.

3. “Most big fortunes result from investing in a growing business and staying with it through thick and thin.” Thomas Rowe Price, Jr., founder of  T. Rowe Price & Associates.

4. “If you are shopping for common stocks, choose them the way you would buy groceries, not the way you would buy perfume” Benjamin Graham, legendary value investor.

5. "Only invest in what you understand and at the right place." Warren Buffett, "Oracle of Omaha", Berkshire Hathaway
Warren Buffett (Image Source: NBC Bay Area)

6. “An investment in knowledge pays the most interest.” Benjamin Franklin.

7. “Invest in yourself and the people you believe in.” Patrick Soon-Shiong, pharmaceutical entrepreneur.

8. “Invest in as much of yourself as you can, you are your own biggest asset by far.” Warren Buffett, "Oracle of Omaha", Berkshire Hathaway

Thursday, August 20, 2015

SALE | Skechers Sale until August 31

Skechers Sale August 2015


If you're still unaware, selected Skechers footwear are up for grabs at huge discounts in this almost-ending Skechers Sale

Ongoing until August  31, the sale for the popular brand can be checked out in Glorietta 2, TriNoma, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Alabang Town Center, SM City North Edsa Annex, The Block SM City North Edsa, SM Fairview, SM Mall of Asia, Gateway Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Ermita, Lucky Chinatown Mall, SM City Dasmarinas, Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu, SM City Bacolod, SM Iloilo, Abreeza Mall, SM City Davao, Ayala Centrio CDO, Limketkai Mall CDO, and Gaisano Mall

Get up to 50% off on selected Skechers shoes for men, women, and kids, Skechers Apparel, and Skechers Time at Skechers’ Sale happening at all Skechers store outlets.



SPOTTED | ASEAN population, market, economy in numbers and graphics

The formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is probably one of the biggest organizations ever to rival the European Union, the United States, China, India, Japan, among others. The 10-member bloc is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The ASEAN population, market, and economy is shaping itself up for the better half of the century. But how does the political and economic organization fare vs the EU, US, China, India and Japan?

ASEAN Up came up with four essential infographics that could explain this bloc relative to its rivals.

The ASEAN population as a single market

Share of each country in the population of ASEAN

The ASEAN market compared to the US, EU, China, Japan, and India

ASEAN market compared to EU, US, China, Japan and India

Comparison of the economy of  ASEAN member state

Compared GDPs of ASEAN countries

The ASEAN economy vs that of EU, Japan, China, US, and India

ASEAN economy compared to the EU, US, China, Japan and India

#AlDub | Yaya Dub Dubsmash Compilation

Here is a compilation of Maine Mendoza, now popularly known as Yaya Dub in Eat Bulaga's Kalyeserye featuring popular love team #AlDub, taking different dubs mostly of Kris Aquino and other celebrities - local and international.



Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Pinoy News Blogger

Plus, here's a bonus video of Yaya Dub's real voice. :)

Video Courtesy: Youtube channel PH Showbiz, Buzz & World News

#AlDub | Yaya Dub (Maine Mendoza), the Funny Girl Next Door

Just when I thought I was about to get myself over with this #AlDub craze, I found myself stuck again thinking about what big success #AlDub frontrunner Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub stands to get from their accidental love team, and most importantly, what a dream girl she is.


What more could you ask from a well-loved girl who can make you laugh hard for her dubs? The way Yaya Dub alters her face just to make it look wacky while mimicking scene scripts and lyrics doesn't seem to keep anyone from glancing at her.



Who wouldn't fall in love with a girl who shows her funny side and who is not afraid to look (well) less pretty? Yes I was referring to Lola Nidora hahahaha.

OR

You wouldn't even want to miss Yaya Dub's signature Pabebe Wave to match Alden's Pacute Look.



And who wouldn't look up to a girl like Maine who can give you the beat (or at least have the set) and...

...attract Broadway producers?



Yaya Dub just has it allDen. :))

P.S. I do not own these images and video. Courtesy is given to the respective owners.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

PSEi LIST | Top Gainers and Losers: Blue-chip Stocks First Half Performance (Jan 5 to July 6, 2015)

It's been more than a month since the first half of our and I realized no one has published online anything about the first half performance of the blue chip stocks (performance) composing the Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index (PSEi). Days ago, I talked about these 30 PSEi stocks and somewhat (whutt hehe) showed the relative size of one to the other.

Now the question is which among these PSEi stocks soared high by the end of first half (July 6)? Which stocks dipped and failed to go up?

The table, in the middle of this post, may give you an idea about the performance (in terms of market price % change) of each stock listed in the PSEi, if ever you started buying last January 5, 2015. Note po that I based the percent changes to that of an investor who bought stocks at the last minutes of the January 5 trading day (closing price).

Which stocks in the PSEi gained the most value?

According to data I collected from the Wall Street Journal for the first half of the year, beginning January 5 until July 6, the top five PSEi gainers were GTCAP, GLO, SMPH, MBT, and MER.

GTCAP is the most remarkable stock which gained 144.16%, which is followed by GLO (37.14%), SMPH (18.67%), MBT (14.39%), and MER (13.41%). So if you bought 100 shares of GTCAP last January 5 and sold it on July 6, your money would have earned 1.44x more than what you had in GTCAP when you bought it (of course, without the commissions and taxes pa, for which your stock broker is surely happy hehe kasi they earned din from your transaction).

However, considering data up to present, in which the trading date of reference is August 14 (the most proximal day to my date of article writing, August 17), the list of top 5 PSEi gainers change.

GTCAP still retained its top spot with gains of 138.53%, followed by GLO (50.63%), LTG (21.36%), SMPH (18.79%), and MER (15.90%), 

Which PSEi stocks lost the most value in the first half of 2015?

The first half of 2015, with reference start date of January 5, saw significant stock value declines in PSEi-indexed firms BLOOM (-28.04%), SMC (-21.05%), EDC (-14.59%), DMC (-14.21%), and PCOR (-12.72%).

Up to August 14, these companies didn't leave the list of top 5 PSEi losers with -39.14%, -26.78%, -21.76%, -23.18%, and -18.45%, respectively. Is it because the 'ghost month' has already started? Is it because of problems hounding the companies (i.e. unable to meet consensus targets, debts, scandals, etc) which leave investors pessimistic? Is it because these stocks' values were just so high it just needed correction? Or is it because these stocks are just being unfairly treated?

That I cannot answer po, as I am just here to share what I know hehe.


Here is the complete list of performance per PSEi stock, which details the gainers and losers for the first half and for the day prior to this 'ghost month' - which I set to August 14, the data of which I also based the companies' % wt contribution in the PSei.

What are the implications of investing in companies included in the PSEi or in any index generally?

Usually, the most actively traded stocks come from the PSEi. However, no one can predict the sentiment of each investor involved in the stock market, unless you're a wizard or a mind reader or Tony Stark haha. 

Nababasa mo po ba kung ano nasa isip ko ngayon? Yep, tama, ice cream kasi ang init haha.

You see in the table beside the essence of monitoring your stocks or having someone (a fund manager, for example) to monitor them, of setting your entry, exit plan and time frame, and of understanding the risks associated with investing in stocks. 

If you are still confused, the time frame here is from Jan 5 to July 6 (first half) or approximately 6 months. Another period talked about here is from Jan 5 to August 14 - the date nearest to this day I write this post. You can set your own investment time frame. 1 year? 5 years? 10 years? And know when to cut loss or stop greed by having an exit plan and when to buy more by having an entry plan. Really, it's up to you.

Entry plan, exit plan ka diyan. Ano ba pinagsasabi ng taong 'to?

Take a look at MBT. Suppose you bought it on January 5 and you didn't sell it on July 6 (because you greedily or not-greedily thought 20% gain is your exit point, or because you didn't check out your COL or BPI Trade account on that day), your gains from MBT would have been reduced to around 4.32%. 

Same is true with losses. Consider SCC. If you bought SCC on January 5 and didn't sell at the end of first half (July 6), your SCC equity value has lost 0.85%. But having no exit point, you thought "ay tataas din yan". You didn't decide a percentage loss comfortable for you, and you let your stock unchecked until August 14. This time, your 0.85% loss dived further into a heavier 8.80% loss.

Oh I see, so pati din sa pagbili ng stocks?

Yep. Check out MPI. If you bought MPI shares last January 5, realized you were losing money (-2.58%), but planned your exit point (cut loss at -8%) and believed that MPI will get back on track, then as of August 14, your loss has transformed into a 7.74% gain!

You see, the stock market is crazily ridiculous! Haha. It can give you a lot of headache or make you smile all day long. Most investment gurus recommend that before you get into the zone of investing, you gotta know what you really want to achieve, and of course, study - fundamental and technical analyses might help.

CAUTION: The stocks have been going down since Monday (or since forever hehe), so please observe due diligence. Study po your prospect stocks. Have a nice day ahead! Hehe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. I would really like to apologize to my dear financial analysts and mentors if ever I used my own words (or jargon) in this post for I am yet to learn technical terms hehe.

P.P.S. I also would like to thank everyone who read and appreciated my blog about the 30 Blue Chip Companies of the PSEi. Your recognition (and the lack thereof) inspired me to work harder and write about this. 

P.P.P.S. Andaming tumatakbo sa isip ko 'pag nagsusulat ako; sometimes my hand muscles are unable to catch up with what my mind processes, kaya if ever there are (grammar) errors in this post or if ever I'm wrong at something, please criticize me po. I guess I need an editor or what hehe. Your feedback is helpful for me in order to improve myself as well. :)

P.P.P.S. I think ang mali ko din dito is masyadong maaga (August 17) ko itong ginawa pero masyadong late ko ito ipinost (August 21 18) hahaha.

KILIG TIME | 'One More Chance' sequel, Popoy and Basha are back!


Video Courtesy: Youtube channel ABS-CBN Star Cinema

Surprise! Popoy (John Lloyd Cruz) and Basha (Bea Alonzo) are officially back to make you shriek, laugh, cry, love, and forgive the second time around! Don't you think they deserve a second chance? Or more?

A teaser video for the sequel of "One More Chance" has been released online in apparent debut to complement The Love Affair premiere starring Richard Gomez, Dawn Zulueta, and Bea Alonzo.

In part 2 of OMC, we see a married couple Popoy and Basha having difficulties with their conjugal life. In the teaser, you'll see tension rising between them, as Popoy begins to question whether getting back together was the right thing.

The two did manage to straighten up their issues in the end. Or will they? Will love continue to bond them eternally?


Monday, August 17, 2015

LIST | August 2015 Mining Engineer Board Exam Passers, Top 10 Passers

prc logo board exams173 out of 214 passed the Mining Engineer Board Exam held in Manila this August of 2015, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has announced. 

Cebu Institute of Technology graduate Reginald Ratilla topped the licensure exam for Mining Engineers with a rating of 89.60. Five UP grads entered the top 10 list, while two came from University of Southeastern Philippines-Davao City. One Mining Engineer board top passer came from Caraga State University-Butuan City, while another one came from Cebu Institute of Technology.



Top 10 Passers in August 2015 Mining Engineer Board Exam
  1. REGINALD RATILLA CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 89.60
  2. MARK JOSEPH DUHAYLUNGSOD ABING UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 89.10
  3. WENDY PRAXIDES TALENTO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 88.75
  4. GRECCO MERCURIO ANTE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 88.40
  5. RUSSELL ROY MOLATE PALMEJAR UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 88.15
  6. ROSS CLARK RICAFRENTE PRADO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN 87.65
  7. EARL JAY LIM PARAS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES-DAVAO CITY 87.35
  8. DAVE MC CLEO DEIPARINE RAGANAS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES-DAVAO CITY 87.05
  9. EDWIN BADBADON BATAL CARAGA STATE UNIVERSITY-BUTUAN CITY 87.00
  10. KHENT CHITO ESCASINAS MARTE CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 86.70

LIST OF PASSERS
Mining Engineer Board Exam
August 2015

1 ABANCIO, LENARD DIONIO
2 ABANID, OMAR SORIANO
3 ABING, MARK JOSEPH DUHAYLUNGSOD
4 ABIVA, PAUL JOSHUA FLORES
5 ACOB, ADZMIER YASHEER HATAB

SPOTTED | #AECoE: ASIA E-COMMERCE EXPO 2015!

Meet the leaders from different industries at Asia E- Commerce Expo 2015!

Asia E- Commerce Expo 2015 (#AECoE) will be at SMX Aura, Taguig on November 25, 2015, Wednesday and brought to you by TAG Media and Public Relations.

#AECoE will give you a unique opportunity to learn from, and network with senior leaders from the biggest brands in Asia Pacific region and in which the leading e-commerce experts from emerging markets, award winning e-commerce players and established e-retailers in APAC gather under one roof. Industry leaders will share independent experiences and insights for delegates from different countries. 

You can be a part of this inspiring environment and benefit from the excellent networking opportunities it offers. 

It features: 
Sessions on ePayments, eLogistics and ePrivacy 
Opening reception 
Conference programme 
Over 15 local and international high level speakers 
30+ sponsors 
1 Hour of Speed Networking 

What will you learn:
Market Analysis 
Digital Marketing 
CRM
Strategy
E Commerce
Going Global 

Why you should attend: 
To grow your business 
To meet investors 
300 APAC Audience 
Maximizing cross border e-commerce 

Speakers are leaders from different industries and engaged in momentous pursuits of significance to the ASEAN region and beyond. Attendees are senior business people, high-ranking government officials and media. 

 #AECoE is not just about learning, empowerment and inspiration but a potential future collaboration that’s why we allot time for networking. 

Speakers confirmed are as follows plus 10 more awaiting for their confirmation: 
  • Constantin Robertz - Managing Director, Zalora 
  • Lars Jeppesen - CEO, Tech One Global 
  • Jacqueline Van Den Ende - Managing Director, Lamudi 
  • Kristian Melquiades - General Manager, Viber 
  • Janette Toral - Founder, Digital Club Filipino 
  • Subir Lohani - Managing Director, 
  • Chinkee Tan - Book Author and Radio Host
  • Robert Yupangco- CEO, Yupangco Group of Companies
  • Frederic Levy- Founder & CEO, CashCashPinoy
  • Camille Montejo- CEO, Tree Top Adventure Inc. 
Moderators; 
  • Chris Kiklas- President, EmLogis
  • Pocholo Gonzales- CEO, Creativoices Production
  • Spanky Enriquez- Corporate Communications Consultant 

Asia E Commerce Expo 2015 (#AECoE) is expecting 300 visitors & up to 30 companies to share their products and services in the expo. For partnership/sponsorship, please contact the organizer at 09166299381 or at maria@asiaecommerce.ph Registration Fee per delegate: Php 3,000.00 (Inclusion: Snacks, Elegant Lunch, Speed Networking, Conference and Expo.)

Sunday, August 16, 2015

TECH | Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+ Sale Price, Specs, Features

Samsung Electronics Philippines unveiled its flagship gadgets for 2015 - the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus at Marriott Manila last Friday, August 14.

This is the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with a classy design.

Some of you may be asking, when will these be available? How much will a Note 5 cost? What is the price of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+? What are the specifications (specs) of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+?

Well, you've landed on the right page.

While a pre-view (or exhibit) and pre-order event will take place in Samsung Experience stores from August 17 (Monday), its Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ will only be available starting September 5, 2015 (Saturday).

It is good to know that both the Galaxy Note 5 and the S6 Edge+ sports a metal and glass mix - a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 plus a matte aluminum wrap. Both are expected to run Android Lollipop with dual sim capabilities.

Video Courtesy Youtube channel Samsung Mobile

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 has the following specs and features:
  • aluminum frame design 
  • available in black, white, gold and silver models.
  • chassis comes with a slot for Samsung's S Pen stylus - allows users to doodle and note-make on its display
  • bigger than S6 (7.6mm thick, 171g)
  • fingerprint scanner through home button 
  • 5.7in 2440x1560 QHD Super AMOLED display (same as last year's Note 4)
  • 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 processor based on 14nm architecture
  • 4GB RAM
  • either 32GB or 64GB storage built-in, BUT NO microSD slot and removable battery
  • 2K resolution display (efficient than Note 4)
  • advanced TOUCH ID button
  • fastest Wireless charging capabilities – in 120 minutes, full charge
  • rear 16MP and front 5 MP
  • capturing 4K resolution video
  • live broadcasting feature
  • new Samsung Pay
Galaxy Note 5 has 5.7 inch screen and Stylus pen
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, on the other hand boasts the following notable specs and features:
  • Android 5.1 Lollipop
  • new TouchWiz user interface displaying apps like S Note and S Health, plus  Microsoft apps including Powerpoint, Word and Skype. 
  • rear 16MP sensor with optical image stabilisation and front 5MP sensor
  • live broadcast feature
  • non-removable 3,000mAh battery - 90 minutes (wired), 130 minutes (wireless), full charge
  • Cat 6 LTE
  • Bluetooth 4.2 LE connectivity
The S6 Edge+ was introduced online by Samsung last August 13.


Video Courtesy: Youtube channel Samsung Mobile

To see how remarkable the Galaxy S6 Edge+ is, let's take a look below at the comparison of the Edge Plus's sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, vs Apple's iPhone 6 Plus.



The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will be priced at Php 36,990 (32 GB), while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be available for Php 39,990 (32 GB) and Php 44,990 (64 GB).

Here is another list of specs and features for the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+.


FEATURE | The 30 Blue-Chip Stocks of PSEi: How Influential are These Companies in the Stock Market

The Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index or PSEi is a free float market capitalization-weighted index; it is the benchmark measuring the performance of the Philippine stock market. 

It is one of the eight constituent indices of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) which include
  • PSE All Shares Index (ALL) - broad index
  • PSE Composite Index (PSEi) - main index
  • PSE Financials Index (FIN)
  • PSE Holding Firms Index (HDG)
  • PSE Industrial Index (IND)
  • PSE Mining and Oil Index (M-O)
  • PSE Property Index (PRO)
  • PSE Services Index (SVC)
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. (First sentence pa lang hindi ko na naintindihan.)

You might just be asking yourself right now. What is he talking about? Market capitalization? Index?

Market capitalization is the market value of a company’s outstanding shares, while an index lists down publicly traded companies according to some commonality (say, sector/industry or revenue source) and hence, in most but not all cases, directly represents investor confidence and further the general state of the Philippine economy (as mostly determined by ALL and PSEi).

Free float market capitalization is the market value of a company based on the shares that are readily available in the market or that is actively traded by the public who compose the free float. Free float shares are equal to the total number of outstanding shares minus the locked-in shares (shares which have not been held for a relevant "holding period" and thus cannot be sold or withdrawn, these are commonly held by company executives, investors with a large chunk of ownership in the company).

Unlike free float market cap-weighted indices, full-market cap-weighted indices are reliant on valuations based on the equity (stock) price times the total number of outstanding shares and these indices’ movement do not accurately reflect market movements. Full-market cap is significantly higher than free float market cap which only takes into consideration the shares freely available in the stock market.

Let's apply what we learned.

To further simplify what I'm talking about, let's say we have a given PSEi-listed public company Spotlight Inc, of which I am 30% owner of the total number of outstanding shares, then two companies Maria Osawa Corp and AlDub Corp each owns 20% of Spotlight Inc's total equity which shouldn't be sold even after our IPO, then the remaining 30%  is held by the public.

This 30% is Spotlight Inc's free float level (%) which is the portion of Spotlight Inc that's publicly traded. It's determined by subtracting 30% (my ownership), 20% (Maria Osawa Corp), and 20% (AlDub Corp) from 100%.

Suppose Spotlight Inc has a total number of outstanding shares = 100,000, each share having a market price of 100 Php, then:
  • Spotlight Inc's free float market cap = 30,000 shares * 100 Php = 3 million Php
  • Spotlight Inc's full-market cap = 100,000 shares * 100 Php = 10 million Php
Actually maliit lang siyang company haha! As you can see, the performance of a stock is better measured by the value dictated by the market, which mostly consists those investors/traders holding shares (free float). The full-market cap assumes the company's value if and when all shares (including shares I, Maria Osawa Corp and Aldub Corp controls which we would never sell) were sold at the current market price.

But, wait, your title mentioned the term blue-chips or blue chips. What is that?

Investopedia describes blue chips as companies which
generally sell high-quality, widely accepted products and services. Blue chip companies are known to weather downturns and operate profitably in the face of adverse economic conditions, which helps to contribute to their long record of stable and reliable growth.

How are stocks selected to become a part of the PSEi?

According to PSE Academy,
The selection of these companies is based on a specific set of criteria. Under the revised policy on index management, companies should meet three (3) criteria to qualify under the PSEi: 
1. The company’s free float level must be at least 12%.
2. The company must rank among the top 25% in terms of median daily value in nine out of the twelve-month period in review.
3. Ranking of TOP 30 qualified companies based on full market capitalization.
The chart below features the 30 blue-chip stocks representing the PSEi. I sort of failed to label the axes because I don't  know how to haha. I'm not used to creating bubble plots like these or plots for that matter.


Figure 1. The 30 Blue Chip Companies of the PSEi (Please click image to enlarge.)

First, allow me to describe what I did. I inputted data from the PSE online portal and sorted the companies in the PSEi (composing the top 30 blue-chip stocks) according to descending free float market capitalization, which I think is the value dictated by the trading public who own the allowed free float % of the company’s shares. The bubble’s size reflects this value.

Second, please don’t mind the x-axis (horizontal axis) as I grouped them into six so that I would end up with a vertically sized plot rather than an extremely long horizontally sized plot which wouldn’t fit in this blog post hehe. The y-axis, on the other hand, represents the free float market values, which are also described by the bubbles' size.

Third, each bubble’s color indicates the sector with which that company belongs. Blue is to Conglomerate, as dark red is to Telecom. Orange is to Consumer, as purple is to Banks and Financial. Green is to Property, while black is to Power. Pink is to Commerce and Industrial, as blue green is to Gaming. Lastly, bright red is to Mining.

Here are some thoughts to ponder.

Figure 2. SM vs TEL vs ALI vs Bottom 10 (Kindly refer to this figure for bullets 1 and 2.)

1. The most valuable company by free float market capitalization in the list of top 30 companies (blue-chip stocks) that make up the PSE index (PSEi) is Henry Sy’s SM Investments Corp (SM). Its size is so huge it’s the only company that reached free float market cap of more than 300 billion PHP. It belongs to a class of its own – the 300-billion-peso-value active-market-traded companies. Its weight in the PSE index is more than 10 percent, big enough that if anything bad happens to SM’s stock price, it directly affects the whole of  PSEi.

SM’s free float market value is greater than the combined free float market cap of the 10 smallest companies included in the PSEi, namely Manila Electric Company (Meralco), Robinsons Land Corp, DMCI Holdings, LT Group, Semirara Mining and Power Corp, First Gen, Emperador Inc, Bloomberry Resorts Corp., San Miguel Corp., and Petron Corp. That’s how titanic SM Investment Corp is!

2. The runners-up almost reached SM’s size, but missed by several billions. It’s Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company or PLDT with ticker TEL and Sy’s SMPH competitor Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), valued at approximately 293 billion and 275 billion, respectively. Both companies have a huge influence on the trajectory of the PSEi for their respective 8.94% and 8% weight. Hence, if you see red in your portfolio, or if the PSEi falls, it may be related to stock price fluctuations in the three companies I mentioned, plus some of the other companies with huge impacts on the PSEi movement.

3. Here’s a complete list of the top 30 (blue chip) companies.

Figure 3. Top 15 Blue-chip Stocks by Free Float Market Valuation

Figure 4. Bottom 15 Blue-chip Stocks by Free Float Market Valuation

For the remaining bullets, refer to the figure below:

Figure 5. Influence of Companies in the PSEi by Industry/Sector

4. 33% of the PSEi, or 10 out of 30 blue-chip stocks, are represented by Conglomerates. These companies make up 36.6% of the total free float market cap, which means any rise or drop in the PSEi may be due to price movements in these stocks. These conglomerates, from largest to smallest, are SM Investments Corp (SM), Ayala Corp (AC), JG Summit Holdings (JGS), Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc (AEV), Alliance Global Group, Inc (AGI), GT Capital Holdings, Inc (GTCAP), Metro Pacific Investments Corp (MPI), DMCI Holdings, Inc (DMC),  LT Group, Inc (LTG), San Miguel Corp (SMC), and Petron Corp (PCOR).

5. Four (4) companies (or 13.33%) come from the Property sector and compose 16.63% of the total free float market cap of the PSEi, which could also have a big impact on the index’s performance. These property companies, from largest to smallest, are Ayala Land, Inc (ALI), SM Prime Holdings, Inc (SMPH), Megaworld Corp (MEG), and Robinsons Land Corp (RLC).

6. Another four (4) players come from the Power sector, but unlike the Property companies, they only make up 6.21% of the total free float market cap. These include Aboitiz Power Corp (APC), Energy Development Corp (EDC), Manila Electric Company (MER), and First Gen Corp (FGEN).

7. The Consumer, and Banking and Financial sectors each have three (3) companies in the list. The Consumer companies Universal Robina Corp (URC), Jollibee Foods Corp (JFC), and Emperador Inc (EMP) account for 9.03% of free float market cap, significantly higher than those Power companies. Though only three banks (BPI, BDO, and MetroBank) are included in the PSEi, their free float market cap combined is higher with 14.43% of total free float valuations in the PSEi

8. The duopoly in the Telecoms industry belongs to the PSE index as well. Globe and PLDT’s free float cap make up 11.28% of the PSEi’s total. 

9. The Commercial and Industrial sector also has two (2) companies in the list, which accounts for 3.86% of the PSEi’s total float-adjust market cap. These companies are International Container Terminal Services, Inc (ICT) and Petron Corp (PCOR).

10. Mining and Gambling sectors each have one (1) company in the PSEi. Gaming firm Bloomberry  Resorts Corp (BLOOM) contributes 0.77% to the PSEi’s total, while mining firm Semirara Mining and Power Corp (SCC) composes 1.14% of the total free float valuations. 

Figure 6. SM vs PCOR

11. The smallest company, in terms of free float market cap, included in the PSEi is Petron Corporation (PCOR), the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines with a value of 18.9 billion PHP. It has a weight of 0.58% in the index. Its free float market cap is only 5.507% that of SM Investments Corp. Just see Figure 6 to see the difference! :)

P.S. It pays to share knowledge to others hehe! Let your friends know about this post via the Share button floating on the left edge of this post. If you want to get updated about what I write, do like my page Spotlight Philippines. Salamat po!

#AlDub | Alden prepares for Lola Nidora's challenges to prove he's worthy for Yaya Dub, Eat Bulaga! registers historic 36.1% vs rival's 8.8%

The accidental loveteam #AlDub just doesn't lose steam! It just keeps on rolling! Rival Showtime has to think of something crazy to beat Eat Bulaga!


Image Courtesy: Instagram user aldenrichards02



Image Courtesy: Instagram user mainedcm

On August 12, Eat Bulaga! registered a historic high of 36.1% vs It's Showtime's 8.8%. Watch the report below.


Video Courtesy: GMA News and Public Affairs