UNEXPLAINED COOKING CHARGES: DECEIVE CUSTOMERS AT DAMPA FOOD JOINTS MALL OF ASIA AREA www.allvoices.

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While at the Manila Film Center on September 17, 2011 on the occasion of the Bazaar of the Korean Community, natures call for lunch prompted SA Golden Gate Production Producer and SZTN Publisher Sonny B. Almazan and entourage composed of two office staffs, the driver for the day including this writer went to Dampa food joints at Mall of Asia area. After going through the whole length where the food joints are located while still on wheels, Aling Marshiya seemed enticing where the group settled for lunch. They were ushered to a room good for five (5) or more persons where one could see through the window the big waves of Manila Bay that splash and bang against the seawall. The restaurant staffs were quick to give the menu and waited to take orders. The orders good for five (5) persons consisted of Tanigue Belly Sinigang (450.00 pesos), one kilogram roasted Squid (350.00 pesos), rice, 1.5 liter pepsi. Asked how long to wait before meal would be served, the most was 20 minutes. Lunch was served at about 2:15 and the group would return to Manila Film Center at 3:00. When it was all-over, the bill amounting to two thousand pesos was served. It was big and too much for a simple meal like that. There was a friendly inquiry how it happened only to find out that a cooking fee was charged for every item which was not explained to the customer prior to ordering. Charging a fee for every item cooked is a modus operandi of deception. Under normal circumstances, price of each meal in the menu refers to the serving cost of the food already cooked because no food to be served uncooked. Despite of the discussion of the bill, it was paid as billed given only 100 peso discount as per application of senior citizens privilege. The group regretted going to Dampa at Mall of Asia area because of that experience of being deceived and/or swindled. CALLING THE ATTENTION OF THE BUSINESS DEPARTMENT OF PASAY CITY GOVERNMENT TO LOOK INTO THIS SCHEME OF DECEPTION BEING USED BY THE OPERATORS OF FOOD JOINTS IN THE SAID AREA. THEY WILL VICTIMIZE MORE PEOPLE WHEN SUCH SHAMLESS GREEDY FOR PROFIT OPERANDI WILL REMAIN UNCHECKED.

IMFreducesPhilippinegrowthforecast business..inquirer.net Ailing Western nations weigh down world economy By: Michelle V. Remo The International Monetary Fund has cut its 2011 and 2012 growth forecasts for the Philippinesand the rest of the world as problems of ailing industrialized countries continue to weigh down the global economy. The IMF now expects the Philippine economy to grow by 4.7 percent this year and 4.9 percent next year, compared with the previous forecast of 5 percent for 2011 and 2012. In the latest issue of the World Economic Outlook, one of the IMFs major publications, the multilateral agency said there were unexpected developments that dampened the performance of the global economy. These included the realization that the stimulus measures in the United States failed to achieve its desired impact, and the persistent problems in the eurozone. Another was the string of calamities that struck Japan earlier this year. The United States, Europe and Japan are some of Philippines biggest export markets and home to many Filipino workers, whose remittances largely fuel household consumption. In crisis-hit advanced economies, especially the United States, the handover from public to private demand is taking more time than anticipated, the IMF said. In addition, sovereign debt and banking sector problems in the Euro area have proven much more tenacious than expected. Dennis Botman, IMF country representative for the Philippines, said that in reducing the 2011 and 2012 growth forecasts for the Philippines, the multilateral agency took into account the countrys actual performance in the first half of 2011, which fell short of expectations. The revision is due to the weaker-than-expected second-quarter 2011 growth outturn, the downward revision to first-quarter growth, and less benign global growth outlook, Botman said in an e-mail to the Inquirer. According to the latest government report, the Philippine economy grew by 3.4 percent in the second quarter. The report likewise said that the countrys growth in the first quarter was actually only 4.6 percent and not 4.9 percent as earlier announced. With the resulting 4-percent average growth of the economy in the first half, the government would be hard pressed to meet its full-year target of 5 to 6 percent. The countrys less-than-expected performance in the first half was blamed on the slowdown in exports, as the fiscal crisis in the West dampened global demand for Philippine-made goods. The feeble first-half figure was also attributed to the governments weak spending. But the International Monetary Fund said that it also reduced the growth projections for other countries, apart from the Philippines. Average growth of Asean economies was reduced from 5.4 to 5.3 percent this year, and from 5.7 to 5.6 percent next year. Growth projection for the global economy had also been reduced from 4.3 to 4 percent in 2011, and from 4.5 to 4 percent in 2012. Last week, the Asian Development Bank likewise cut its growth projection for the Philippines. ADB now expects the country to grow by 4.7 percent this year, from an earlier forecast of 5 percent. Next year, the institution expects the economy to grow by 5.1 percent.