Phinma earmarks P1.5B for UI rehab, upgrade
PHINMA Education Network (PEN), a unit of Phinma Group, will spend P1.5 billion over a five-year period for the rehabilitation and upgrading of University of Iloilo (UI).
Tharah Jane Lactao, PEN business development manager, said the investment will cover the hiring and training of faculty, improvement of infrastructure and acquisition of equipment.
“The rehabilitation and upgrading is part of our thrust to produce graduates who can become part of Phinma network or other industries,” Lactao said.
Lactao said: “Phinma will also make changes in course offerings of UI by scrapping the College of Mass Communication and put the College of Medicine. We will also offer accountancy course.”
Phinma will also put up a hospital to complement UI’s nursing and medicine courses.
PEN is comprised of Araullo University, Cagayan de Oro College, University of Pangasinan and UI.
Phinma acquired UI from the Lopez Group last April 2009 for P365 million.
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NEW CALL CENTERS IN ILOILO
ILOILO CITY — Two call centers are eyeing to expand here, according to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas. Mr. Treñas said call center executives would visit several schools to determine the availability of workers as well as look for possible locations.
The mayor said another call center firm would soon open a 1,600-seat facility in the city.
Iloilo is already hosting three call centers — Callbox, ePLDT Ventus, and TeleTech.
There are also six Philippine Economic Zone Authority-accredited site: Amigo Mall and Robinsons Place in Iloilo City proper; SM City in Mandurriao which hosts TeleTech; Gaisano City Mall in LaPaz district; and the Iloilo Commercial Development Corp. building which houses ePLDT Ventus in Molo district.
Mr. Treñas said Robinsons Place and Gaisano City are still open to new call centers.
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SEC TO TRANSMIT RAPS VS LEGACY
ILOILO CITY – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Western Visayas, will submit more than 300 complaint-affidavits filed by pre-need plan holders of the Legacy Financial Group.
Atty. Russel Ildesa, SEC regional director, said they have received and evaluated 350 complaints from Legacy plan holders based in Iloilo, Negros, Capiz and Antique.
Mr. Ildesa said they have yet to determine the claims of the complainants.
The deadline for the filling of complaints against Legacy group of Celso delos Angeles lapsed April 15, Mr. Ildesa said.
The deadline was earlier set March 31 but it was extended to accommodate more complainants.
Most of the complainants are holders of All Asia Plans, Legacy Scholarship Pension Plans and Philippine Scholarship Plans under the Legacy group.
“We will submit the complaints to our central office. The commission will then meet to discuss on what will be the action after the deadline,” Mr. Ildesa said.
The SEC official said their central office might come up with a decision on the complaints before the end of April. “Hopefully, the pre-need plan holders will be given what is due them.”
Mr. Ildesa said they will also accept complaints from individuals who invested in Legacy group’s “double-your-money” time deposit program scheme “but there is no assurance that they will get their investments back.”
“They can file their complaints with SEC but they will become witnesses instead of complainants, thus they might not recoup their money. And they will have to pay the corresponding fees with SEC. We advised them to sue Legacy before the Regional Trial Court if they intend to get back their money,” Mr. Ildesa said.
The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) earlier filed a second syndicated estafa against Legacy group for allegedly using funds of the now closed Nation Bank to buy a property.
The PDIC probe showed that Mr. delos Angeles made it appear that the heirs of the late owner of Hacienda Busay in Bago City, Negros Occidental loaned P56 million from the Nation Bank using the hacienda as collateral.
KPMG Manabat Sanagustin, the independent audit firm engaged by the PDIC to help speed up the pre-settlement examination of deposit accounts in the 12 Legacy-affiliated banks placed under PDIC receivership in December 2008, confirmed that bulk of the P6.05 billion doubtful accounts in said banks had incomplete documentation due to missing bank records and discrepancies in recording done by accountable officers.
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