Fi360 CEO Blain Aikin Encourages Fund Managers, Fiduciaries in Manila and ASPAC to Step Up at PRIC 2011

Photo shows (L-R) Gerry Cruz, Chairman, APAFS and Blaine Aikin, Keynote Speaker, 11^th PRIC.

PRESS RELEASE

The Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies (APAFS) recently brought together almost 200 key decision makers and high level ranking officials from 12 countries during the biggest investment conference yet in the Asia Pacific region, the 11^th Annual Pacific Region Investment Conference (PRIC) back-to-back with the prestigious Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) Training held this October in New World Hotel, Makati City.

Leading the pack of fiduciaries, 11^th PRIC Keynote Speaker Blaine Aikin, shared his valuable insights and encouragement for attendees to step up in their respective responsibilities by emphasizing seven significant precepts in his talk: Know the rules; Diversify to a risk and return profile; Prepare an IPS (Investment Policy Statement); Use prudent experts and document due diligence; Control and Account for investment expenses; Monitor the activities of prudent experts; and Avoid conflicts of interests and prohibited transactions.

APAFS, through the 11^th PRIC, seeks to create the financial and investment arena into a progressive niche for world-class fiduciaries by bringing in the AIF® Training, one of the most sought-after designations in the field of investment, led by Fi360, the go-to global source of investment fiduciary insights. A number of key players in the financial industry also pledged their support in the conference: the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), the Trust Officers Association of the Philippines (TOAP), the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of the Philippines (CFA), the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

To learn more about APAFS and its events and conferences, log on to www.apafs.org.

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About APAFS: The Asia Pacific Association for Fiduciary Studies (APAFS) a non-profit educational association with the aim of providing educational forums for fiduciaries in the region. It was formed by a forward thinking group of fiduciaries throughout Asia in 2000.

Abenson’s Bayanihan Program in Bulacan

Rain. Floods. Broken electronics.

Regardless of who needs help--relative, friend, neighbor, and even strangers-- Filipinos come together to help their kababayans during times of calamities. So it comes as no surprise that when Bulacan experienced heavy rainfall and floods, Abenson stepped up to help Bulakeños in need.
 
Through its 'We Serve' program, the leading appliance store in the country will be offering free laundry services, free appliance cleaning, checkups, and discounts on spare parts for electronics. This bayanihan effort is in cooperation with Samsung, Sharp, LG, TCL, Kelvinator, Condura, Fujindenzo, and Whirlpool, though the help of the Bulacan provincial government.
 
Abenson will be offering its services in the following areas on these dates:

October 25 (Tuesday) : Sta. Monica Covered Court, Hagonoy
October 26 (Wednesday) : Municipal Covered Court, Paombong
October 27 (Thursday) : Sports Complex and Convention Center, Malolos
October 28 (Friday) : Poblacion Sports Complex, Calumpit


As expected, Abenson remains true to its commitment to giving Filipinos quality service and living up to the tenets of the bayanihan spirit by extending help to all in need.

BPI Family Savings Bank launches its first-ever Cebu Housing Madness

In photo from L-R:       Sidney Quimbo (Senior Manager and Area Head, Central Eastern Visayas Area); Erick Ramos (VP and Provincial Business Center Head); Carmel Durano(President of Dream Builders); Joseife Lim (Chairman, Colourfield Land); Loraine Boon (Relationship Manager, BPI); Elmer Ocaba (Relationship Manager, BPI Family Savings Bank); Marvin Sevilla (Senior Manager and Cebu Business Center Head) 

Cebu City— For the first time, BPI Family Savings Bank (BFSB) brings the Housing Madness to Cebu on October 14, 2011 at the Activity Area and Exhibit Area 1, Ayala Center Cebu. During the Madness, the bank offers low rates and flexible payment terms for people seeking to own their very own house or condominium.

“The housing madness is quite special for us because we are providing a venue for people to get deals easily and quickly which allows our customers to purchase their homes right away. We are proud to introduce our new housings loan variant, Pay Break—the first and only housing loan with Pay-Hinga-- through which we can make it easy for our clients to purchase their house in terms compatible with their lifestyle because BPI understands that there are months when we need a break from too much payables,” says Mr. Jose Teodoro Limcaoco, President, BPI Family Savings Bank.

The participating developers for the Cebu Housing Madness which  include: Aboitiz Land, AE International, Ayala Land Premier Corp., Alveo Land Corp., Avida Land Corp., Arcenas Properties, Crown Communities, Cebu Landmasters, CLS Properties, Colourfield Land, Innoland Development Corp., Lopzcom Development Corp., MLD Dream Builders, Nexland Estate, Primary Homes, Robinsonsland Inc., Taft Property

For more information about BPI Family Savings Bank Housing Loans, you may call their trunkline at 845-6888 or visit their website at www. http://www.bpihousingloans.com.

Japan! Japan!

A few days ago, I came across a link, in which to me, sounded too good to be true.  It stated, " Free tickets to Japan from the Japanese Government" - I couldn't believe my eyes!  Upon opening the link, I read and re-read the article over a number of times, searched the internet to catalyze what I have just discovered.  True enough, several articles were written about this.  I even had to Google Translate the Japanese article that I found regarding this wonderful news.

Here's the summary:  The Japan Tourism Agency proposed a budget of 1.1 Billion to sponsor 10,000 foreigners to visit Japan.  This is to cover a round trip airfare of the lucky ones who will be picked.  Application will start next year online.  Along hand with the application, the candidate should  prepare their travel itinerary for when in Japan.  Accommodation and meals will be shouldered by the traveler.  This initiative aims to kick-start the tourism industry back to the country, as it saw a big decline in the number of foreign tourists after the March 11 earthquake/tsunami and the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  The government has declared that Japan is safe for travel except for the immediate areas surrounding the power plant. :)    The Japan Tourism Agency expects the travelers to share their travel experiences in Japan thru social medias and hopefully convince the reading public that Japan is safe.

My thoughts were dashing through my head double time. " I want to go! I want to see Japan! I want to experience Japan! Now's my chance! OMG, Where will I go?".  Later that day, I couldn't wait to share the news with my good friend Kazuki, who is working and living in Tokyo, Japan.  The giddiness in me took over when I told him of what I have discovered, I'm not even sure he understood what I was trying to tell him during the first few minutes of our conversation since my thoughts and rate of speech were not coinciding with each other.   I kept on talking and raving about this fantastic initiative by the Japan Tourism Agency and asked him to verify the link that I sent him.

I, then appointed him to be my tour guide for if I do go to Japan, in which he very much obliged.  We spoke of how we are to construct my itinerary and how many days I plan to visit the country.   Through him, I found out that my initial plan to travel 6 days, might not be enough for me to soak in half of the essence of Japan.  Apparently, the places that I wanted to visit are all in different directions, like from North then to South, etc. 

I want to taste authentic sushi.  And when I say "authentic", I mean having a hard time ordering what you want to eat, this should entail hand gestures and enunciating syllables Ma-gu-ro, So-ya Sauce, Wa-sa-be.

I want to taste real miso soup.

I want to eat food that I do not know about (only sushi).

I want to spend time in a manga kissa and meido cafe.

I want to understand the concept of Pachinko.

I want to try the "onsen".

I want to go to Okinawa to see the old castles and beautiful beaches (so I heard).

I want to go to Kyushu Island and be where the Gods first stepped on the earth.

I want to breathe in  the sights and sounds of Tokyo. (cliche? I know).

When I was a little girl, for some reason, people whom I've met for the first time, thought I was Japanese, Haponesa.  I wonder what gave them that idea?  Hmmm... Anyway, it piqued my curiosity and so my curiosity then manifested (?) into a dream.  A dream to go to Japan. 

Until next year, I will cross my fingers in hopes to be one of the 10,000 lucky foreigner to visit "The Land of the Rising Sun".

To be continued...