LOCAL LITERATURE

Manulife Asset Management and Trust Corp. CEO Aira

Gaspar, Manulife Philippines CEO Ryan Charland and
Manulife Asia head of wealth and asset management
Michael Dommermuth at the launch of the Manulife Asset
Management and Trust Corp. on Sept. 20, 2017 Global
financial services provider Manulife Group has rolled
out an asset management unit in the Philippines, riding
on its international experience in wealth management to
expand its 110-year-old local franchise beyond its
traditional insurance businessThe group launched on
Wednesday Manulife Asset Management and Trust Co.,
touted as the first trust corporation in the Philippines
backed by a leading multinational financial services
group. The new company, which will serve both retail and
institutional clients, focuses on offering unit
investment trust funds (UITFs.)We are investing very,
very heavily within the ASEAN (Association of Southeast
Asian Nations) region. Were doing that because were
throwing the ball to where we think the receiver will
be rather than where they are today, Michael Dommermuth,
head of wealth and asset management at Manulife Asia,
said in a press briefing on Wednesday.Manulife believes
that ASEAN will be one of the fastest growing regions
of the world, eclipsing Japan and the European Union by
year 2050 to be the worlds fourth largest economy. ASEAN
countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines
will see a spectacular rise in terms of economic ranking,
Dommermuth said.Manulifes foray into Asean asset
management started 20 years ago and it has since then
built businesses in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand and Singapore. Its foray into the Philippine
asset management scene is thus the last piece needed to
complete a portfolio on ASEANs six largest
economies.Asked why it had taken Manulife 20 years to
enter the 100-million-people Philippine market,
Dommermuth said: Before, the regulations were really
not accommodative to that which we wanted to accomplish.
Its only been recently that foreign firms have been
allowed to establish trust companies such as what we have
now established.Trust corporations are entities duly
authorized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to engage
in funds management under either a trustor-trustee
arrangement or an agency type of agreement. Unlike
existing trust units of banks and non-bank financial
institutions, these entities are organized as a
corporation with its own capital and management
structure.Ryan Charland, president and chief executive
officer of Manulife Philippines, said the groups entry
into this business was meant to complement its suite of
offerings to include solutions which were free from
insurance. This is seen necessary to broaden its reach
to other clients, especially young people who are not
yet ready to buy insurance products or even older people
who had already preserved their wealth.Asked why
Manulife chose to focus on UITFs instead of mutual funds,
Charland explained: We do believe there are certain
advantages with unit investment trusts, as an example,
the (lower) charge structure for clients. Were also
able to offer fund of funds. We can offer feeder funds
that come from outside the Philippines and we also
believe that through this method, well be able to
license and get more of our financial investors to sell
UITFs faster.Dommermuth, for his part, noted that the
UITF industry in the Philippines was much bigger at $17
billion compared to the $5-billion mutual fund
market.Like mutual funds, UITFs are pooled from a number
of investors and are professionally managed to mitigate
risks and allow diversification. Unlike mutual funds
which are separately incorporated, however, these
instruments can be created as products of banks and trust
corporations.In the case of Manulife, the first three
new UITFs are as follows: Manulife stable income fund:
a bond fund that seeks to preserve capital and generate
income by investing in fixed income securities with
maximum remaining term to maturity of up to three years;
Manulife income builder fund: a bond fund that seeks to
achieve stable and long-term growth by investing in
government securities and/or high quality corporate
debt securities and other liquid fixed income
 instruments; and, Manulife equity wealth fund: an
equity fund that seeks to achieve long-term capital
appreciation by investing in stocks listed on the
Philippines Stock Exchange, fixed income securities and
other liquid fixed income instruments.Aira Gaspar,
president and chief executive officer at Manulife Asset
Management and Trust Corp. added: While the financial
markets are likely to be moved by external developments,
we believe that the Philippines strong economic growth
accompanied by relatively low inflation expectations
provides a favorable backdrop for the local bond and
equity markets. Over the short-term, the passage of the
tax reform package could provide the much-needed
catalyst for the local stock market to continue its
upward trend. The bond market on the other hand, is
expected to gain support from well-anchored inflation
expectations. Bonds remain an ideal investment option
for a diversified portfolio.

Satellite GPS Tracking and Asset Management System

Corporation zooms to Iloilo by John Castigador.Every day,
we aspire to execute small steps to realize our big dreams
and consequently to make the world a little better.
With this in mind, Satellite GPS Tracking and Asset Management
System Corporation, an Ilonggo-based Corporation, was founded.
It dares to create an exceptional impact to community,
locally and globally. Organized on August 28, 2012 (under
S.E.C. Registration No. CS201226753), the Company, among
others, offers Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking and
monitoring solutions for all public and private
transportation services, asset management of the businesses
engaged in hauling, distribution, sales and marketing and
mapping revolution, and the incorporation of Geographic
Information Systems in Government. It also aims to deliver
effective product at an affordable cost.Behind memories of
a son admiring his father that ended in tragic pain, comes
the conceptualization of founding Satellite GPS in 2011. He
proposed this idea for execution to his Co-founder OJ Garde,
a young and enthusiastic software engineer who finds coding
to be his passion. Presently, OJ is pursuing his Masters
degree in Business Administration.Buoyed by the idea that
success is driven by the talent, vision, and leadership
capabilities of the team, in 2012, a high-caliber team for
technical department was created.Angelo Kauffman and Joemar
Matulac from a big tech company have a wide experience as a
Software Engineer/Application Developers. Both are
increasingly involved in the design (high and low) level,
implementation and deployment of Java EE and mobile
application in various platforms.The same year, Jovanni
Belezza joined the team. He is the over-all In-charge of the
management of finances, taxes and corporate matters as well
as setting up Companys effective accounting system,
procedures and policies. He gained his five-year experience
and wide technical knowledge and trainings in accounting and
audit from one of the top four accounting/auditing firms in
the Philippines and widely recognized as the countrys
affiliate to one of the big four global auditing firms.
Alfredo Tayo is the Strategic and Financial Adviser. He is
gifted with highly successful and colorful profile that
involves the world of government and universal banking
during the last 25 years.In 2013, the development of product
version 1 and 2 was almost done. This was made possible
through efforts of the companys Technical Team and external
Technical Consultant DR. Bobby Gerardo. His skills and
capabilities lie in the field of Programming/Teaching using
C/C++, Java, Security system, Agent and Middleware,
Programming on CORBA, Web Services, Abstract Algebra,
Probability and Statistics, Calculus, Differential Equations,
Advanced Mathematics, Control and Fuzzy systems, Intelligent
systems and mobile communications. Series of functional tests
were undergone and the product was made available in the market
in small scale as part of external and finalt tests. With the
result applauded, the company earned loyal customers for a
short period of time.The core team was set and the product
was molded in an intense heat before its grand take off. In
March 2014, it signed the formal engagement with Wong and
Berstein Group a Strategic Consulting Group servicing ASEAN
organizations related to Strategic Leadership, Growth in
Asian Family Businesses, Organizational change and
Competitive Strategies. Vice Chairman of the Board of the
Company PROF. Enrique Soriano III was its appointed
representative at the signing.The opportunity ahead of the
company is vast, but to seize it, it must move faster, focus
and continue to transform. Its grand launching on JUNE 28,
2014 will be the day of an honest portrait of its minute steps
in making a history.Seeing the big picture and nailing the
details, the company is now ready to imprint a significant
story inspired by an Ilonggo!