September 2005 New BL@ST Cards for Gamers BL@ST Has New Variants for Internet Online Gamers and Budget Conscious Internet Users
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September 2005 New BL@ST cards for gamers BL@ST has new variants for Internet online gamers and budget conscious Internet users. The BL@ST Tantra Gaming card of- fers seven days of unlimited gaming time and direct game connection for only P150. BL@ST is also available in P50 cards for nine hours of fast Inter- net access. BL@ST Tantra and P50 cards are available at BayanCenters and official Sky Internet sales outlets in Metro Manila. A whole new Lopez Group NLE experience backs German By Lianne R. Padilla Month...p. 8 TRAVERSING the 84-kilometer stretch of the North Luzon Expressway (NLE) used to be every traveler's nightmare. Thanks to the Tollways Management Corpo- ration (TMC), traffic woes have become a thing of the past. Gone were the days when motorists had to wait for Ang ‘teleserye hours just to pass through the tollways. Now it's just a smooth and safe ride inside the NLE with motorists treated as real customers. ng totoong After taking over the NLE operations in February 2005, Anthony "Tony" M. Mabasa, president of TMC, buhay’...p. 5 now talks about the whole new NLE experience. He not- ed that the situation in the NLE has since dramatically improved—for the better. Challenges Of course, Mabasa affirmed, with every new devel- opment comes a new challenge. The TMC chief said that the motoring public is beginning to go through ad- justments now that the NLE has had a major road surgery. "Because the roads have become wider and smoother, we have realized that a substantial number of our drivers actually do not know how to drive properly. There are some who don't practice proper care before they make long trips and sometimes run out of gas in the middle of the tollway. "So, while this was not apparent in the old tollway be- cause everyone was going slow, we're beginning to see that some of our drivers have to relearn basic driving skills, techniques and road courtesy. This is something new not just for the motorists but also for us. We con- sider it a challenge to educate our users because, defi- nitely, we want everyone to have a safe, comfortable and convenient travel within the tollway," Mabasa said. TMC president Anthony M. On this note, Manila North Tollways Mabasa beams with pride Corporation (MNTC) and TMC over his team's performance launched the "NLE Motorist's Hand- at the NLE. Measures are in book" to give motorists practical place to ensure the public's satisfaction for the long term. Winners...p. 10 Turn to page 6 2 LOPEZLINK September 2005 Lopez Group companies' first half financial results BayanTel posts 6 quarters of EBITDA, net revenue growth BayanTel sustained its continuous earnings before interest, tax- First Holdings wagi es, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and net revenue UMABOT ng P25.181 bilyon ang unaudit- ong tubo noong 2004, patuloy na na- EPS noong parehong panahon ng 2004. growth posted since early 2004 and is poised to assume a ser- ed consolidated revenues ng First Philip- mayagpag ang flagship Channel 2 sa labas Tumaas naman ng 21.4% ang operating vice leadershippositionin the telecommunications industry. BayanTel chief executive consultant Tunde Fafunwa said: pine Holdings Corporation (FPHC) sa ng Mega Manila samantalang nag-stabilize revenues ng Meralco noong Enero hang- "With our solid performance in the first half of the year, we unang anim na buwan ng 2005, mas mala- na ang Mega Manila TV ratings noong gang Hunyo 2005 at umabot ng P83.064 have now seen six consecutive quarters of sustained growth in ki ng 23% kumpara sa P20.459 bilyon Abril hanggang Hunyo. bilyon mula P68.406 bilyon noong unang our business." noong Enero hanggang Hunyo 2004. Ang Halos hindi gumalaw ang total unaudit- anim na buwan ng 2004. Lumaki ng ba- From January to June 2005, BayanTel posted a 19% growth umakyat na revenues ay nagmula sa ben- ed consolidated revenues (+2%) sa P6.742 hagya ang bentahe ng kuryente (+0.8%) in EBITDA at P1.30 B compared to P1.09 B during the same tahe ng kuryente at sa pag-umpisa ng com- bilyon mula P6.614 bilyon noong dahil sa pagsigla ng commercial usage period in 2004. Net revenues also grew by 9% to P2.90 B as of June 2005 mercial operations ng bagong North Luzon nakaraang taon. Gayunpaman, humataw (+4.1%) kahit na bumaba ang residential compared to P2.66 B during the same period last year. This was Expressway noong Pebrero. ng husto ang ABS-CBN Global at buma- usage (-2.4%). on the back of a 17% hike in data services during the compar- Gayunpaman, lumaki rin ang finance gal ang paglaki ng mga gastusin kaya Benpres umangat ative period. DSL revenues also posted a 96% increase to P130 costs (+13%) at interest expense (+25%), nakapananabik ang tuluyang pagsigla ng Nagtala ang Benpres Holdings Corpora- M compared to P66 M in the first half of 2004. kaya bumaba ng 6% ang unaudited consol- ABS-CBN. tion ng unaudited historical revenues na Fafunwa attributed the growth in BayanTel's revenue and idated net income sa halagang P1.968 bil- Meralco bumabawi rin P5.193 bilyon sa unang anim na buwan ng cash flows and the increase in fixed line and DSL subscriber base to its approach of guaranteeing satisfaction to its cus- lion o P3.52 per share kumpara sa P2.090 Nakabawi na rin ng Meralco mula sa 2005, 37% na mas mataas kaysa P3.792 bi- tomers. He added that the implementation of debt restructur- billion o P3.82 per share noong isang P1.71 bilyong 2005 first quarter loss nito. lyon noong isang taon, dahil sa paglago ng ing allowed BayanTel to expand its core business and gener- taon. Bagama't kinailangan pa rin ng Meralco na negosyo ng Maynilad Water Services Inc. ate new revenue streams. ABS-CBN bumabawi magtabi ng P3.1 bilyong provision para sa (Maynilad). Lumaki rin ng 36% ang bahagi As of June 2005, BayanTel's fixed line subscribers reached Unti-unti nang nakakabawi ang ABS- possible losses para mapunan ang anu- ng Benpres sa tubo ng mga investees nito almost 280,000; DSL subscribers have also seen solid growth. CBN Broadcasting Corporation. Matapos mang pagkalugi dulot ng pagkatalo nito sa dahil sa magandang resulta ng First Hold- Customer satisfaction has increased, with 82% registering a favorable impression on BayanTel's service delivery com- magtala ng 2005 first quarter loss na P114 kaso ng rate unbundling sa Supreme Court, ings investment sa First Gen Corporation. pared to 77% in 2004. BayanTel further ensures customer sat- milyon, nagtala ng P185 milyong net profit nagtala ito ng P73.6 milyong net income, Ang net income ng Benpres para sa isfaction through a money-back guarantee for the residential ang kumpanya para sa unang anim na mas mababa ng 95% kaysa P1.4 bilyon unang kalahati ng 2005 ay P297 milyon market and an installation, repair and quality of service guar- buwan ng taon. Bagama't mas mababa ito noong isang taon. Pumatak ng P0.38 ang kumpara sa P191 milyon na net loss noong antee program for the corporate market. ng 67% kumpara sa naitalang P560 mily- earnings per share (EPS) kumpara sa P1.70 unang anim na buwan ng 2004. (CPS) "We are the only telcommunications provider that offers a 24-hour ‘Guaranteed Quick Service.’ The speed of our instal- lation and restoration are benchmarked against world-class January to June 2005 Financial Results (in pesos) standards," Fafunwa said. (John Rojo) Total Revenues Net Income/Loss 2004 2005 % Change 2004 2005 % Change ABS-CBN 6.614 B 6.742 B +2 559.998 M 185.09 M -67 ABS-CBN sa Benpres 3.792 B 5.193 B + 37 (191 M) 297 M +255 FPHC 20.459 B 25.181 B +23 2.090 B 1.968 B -6 kalagitnaan Meralco 68.406 B 83.064 B +21 1.416 B 73.583 M* -95 ng reorg *After providing for probable losses in the amount of P3.06 billion NASA kalagitnaan ng reorganization ang ABS-CBN Broad- casting Corporation ngayon bunsod ng three-point recovery plan na inaasahang magbabalik sa network giant sa numero unong posisyon sa industriya. Ayon sa pamunuan ng ABS-CBN, "We have been con- Healthier revenues, Global boost fronted with a new competitive landscape characterized by players obsessed with one goal: Dislodge the industry leader in broadcasting." Sa isang memo na pinirmahan nina ABS-CBN president ABS-CBN recovery in 1st half Luis Alejandro at chairman Eugenio Lopez III, kasama sa three-point recovery plan ang pagbawas ng general and ad- ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.'s financial Gross airtime and other broadcasting-re- increased by 12% to P1.2 billion in the first six ministrative expenses. Dahil dito, pinag-aralan ng kumpanya situation continues to reflect the impact of a lated revenues reached P5.2 billion, down months of 2005, lower than the 19% increase ang mga proseso nito at ang workload ng bawa't empleyado. lower ratings performance and a highly com- 6% year-on-year as Mega Manila Channel 2 of net sales and services. Non-cash expenses, Natunton ng kumpanya ang kinakailangang bilang ng emp- petitive environment, resulting in weaker air- household ratings fell to 14% in the first half on the other hand, went upby 14% to P1.2 bil- leyado upang ipagpatuloy ang agresibong pagsulong nito. time revenues and higher costs compared to from 16% in the same period last year. For lion due to higher amortization charges.