• What are your thoughts on the war? (March 24, 2003)
• What makes a great company? (March 3, 2003)
• If you have one wish for business for 2003, what would it be? (January 6, 2003)
  

CAPTAIN JOVITO TAMAYO, Director II chief of staff, Maritime Industry Authority, Maritime Safety Office
"I'm particularly concerned with the shipping lines because war normally translates into a fuel price hike and we know that the price of fuel is among the primary costs of the transport sector."

RODOLFO ROBERTO, Human Resources Department, Philippine Ports Authority
"The imminent hike in fuel prices brought on by the war will eventually be passed on to the final consumers."

BOBIT C. AQUINO, Shipping Division chief operating officer, Euro-Asiatic Shipping, Inc.
"I don't think it would have tremendous effects on the industry because it would just be a short warÉ at least I hope. We must end all negative speculations because those wouldn't do any good either."

MARIO LACERONA, Corporate Affairs manager A.T.E. Freight Phils., Inc.
"This is a global issue. Just like what happened after the September 11 incident, local businesses could be affected in the form of fuel price escalation and other additional costs. There is presently much speculation and people are taking a wait-and-see attitude."

GERRY FULGENCIO, Customer Service senior vice president, Hanjin Shipping"The business sector obviously wants the war to end immediately."

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What makes for a great company? (March 3, 2003)

VIRGILIO ANGELES, COSCO Philippines Shipping Inc. general manager
"People make the company... good managers, good training. Because nowadays, it's people to people. If you don't know how to motivate and you don't know how to inject, well, you know what will happen. If you don't help the people from below and bring them up, how can you grow?"

ROBERTO A. UMALI, Philippine Petroleum Sea Transport Association chairman
"In our industry, product is created while it is being sold. The product is intangible so enterprises rely heavily on the track record and the credibility of the people that they have. The future of a company depends so much on these people - the more critical factor of the service industry. What we need is a 'can-do' management which never leaves problems unattended."

MINA M. BATO, Philippine Institute for Supply Management corporate secretary and Sara Lee Direct Selling-Phils. Operations manager
"In spite of the economic crisis, we have doubled our volume in the last three to four years, although we also had our hard times during the 1997 crisis. But we have been back on our feet and we've grown. The thing is we innovate and we find ways to improve the way we do things. And cost management played a very big role in that. If you don't innovate, you stagnate. And of course, there should be a very good and solid management team to take the company to where it wants to go."

SEUMAS GALLACHER, Negros Navigation chief adviser to the president
"IntegrityÉ and honest dealings with the constituents - from the suppliers to the customers - and those people you do business with. I.N.T.E.G.R.I.T.Y."

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"I believe that every individual can benefit greatly for the success of everyone and the more everyone is successful, the more we will be successful. In our plans, we need to stay really positive and optimistic. My resolution would be not to contribute to the negative energy that seems to hover our nation. Maybe if everyone speaks constructively and optimistically and works together, perhaps we will have a great nation that our people deserves."

"As far as my company is concerned, it's still close supervision and monitoring. Well, I have a very good team but I still have to find time to review statementsÖ things like that, which is very basic. Eventhough we are already highly computerized, still the best thing is to monitor all the basic processes in the companyÖ it's the way to succeed."

"We wish for more businessÖ because 2002 was not really a good year for our company. But definitely, you can not say that for the whole industry because there will always be those that did relatively better."

"For the business to growÖ for the Philippine economy to grow and it follows: all businesses will flourish."

"Business follows leadersÖ but we don't have leaders-business and political, so I wish for it. I wish that current leaders would be cognizant of the fact that they can not just work for their personal purposes but for the interest of the whole nation."

"I wish for our company to be continually known as a brokerage firm with good standing in the business community. I want for it to grow bigger to contribute to the Philippine economy in terms of employment. For the associations in the industry, I wish for them to be more proactiveÖ"

You are now in: In Their View Archive : 2003 Q2

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