January 2006 Lopez execs bag Excel awards ...p. 6 Lopez Group lalong tatatag sa susunod na 5 taon By Carla Paras-Sison Upang makamit ang katatagan at Media and communications paglago na inaasahan ni OML sa Para sa ABS-CBN Broadcasting “Though there are still daunting envi- susunod na limang taon, idinulog ng Corp., kailangang patatagin ang organ- ronmental imponderables and also ma- Benpres Holdings Corporation sa isasyon, mabawi ang pangunguna sa jor business problems in some of our bawa’t kumpanya ng mga kailangang Mega Manila TV ratings at ipagpatuloy companies, I am optimistic that we are mangyari sa taong 2006. ang paglago ng ABS-CBN Global. making definite progress toward group stability, growth and increased prof- Turn to page 2 Meralco Phase 4 itability in the next five years,” pa- hayag ni LopezGroup chairman Oscar refund ongoing...p. 2 M. Lopez(OML) sa nakaraang Strate- gic Planning Conference. Abangan ang ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ Season 2! ...p. 5 2 LOPEZLINK January 2006 Lopez Group lalong tatatag ... from page 1 Bagama’t nakapaglunsad ng mga mga bagong proyekto para sa strategic ings sa 2006 kung maaprubahan ang Para sa Manila North Tollways Property development bagong programa ang ABS-CBN growth. rate hike na hinihiling ng Meralco. Corp. (MNTC), nakatuon ang pansin Inaasahang mabebenta ng Rockwell noong 2005, hindi pa nito nababawi Sa Sky Cable, inaasahang magawa Walumpu’t dalawang porsiyento sa pagpapadami ng motoristang du- Land Corporation ang 100% ng Joya ang leadership sa Mega Manila TV ang pilot encryption ng Sky Cable ng kita ng First Holdings ay mangga- madaan sa North Luzon Expressway condominium sa taong ito. Tuloy rin ratings. Gayunpaman, inaasahang signal sa piling bahagi ng franchise galing pa rin sa First Gen Corp., na (NLE) ngayong 2006. Ang aktuwal ang pagbenta ng One Rockwell at magkakaroon ng magandang resulta area nito. Kasama nito ang na traffic volume sa NLE noong mababawasan nang husto ang mga ang bagong likhang integrated distri- mithiin na mabawasan ang ille- 2005 ay mas mababa ng 35% sa utang ng kumpanya. bution channels para sa news and cur- gal subscribers. “Nangangahulugan forecast ng traffic consultant. Inaasahan din ang full delivery ng rent affairs group kaakibat ng pag- Ang programming costs Mula 2002, pababa na nang Manansala sa Marso 2006. May bawas ng headcount noong 2005. para sa mga major channels tu- itong maaaring pababa ang traffic volume dahil plano ang Rockwell na pumasok sa Ang paglago ng ABS-CBN Global lad ng HBO, Star at AXN ay sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo mga bagong development projects na ang mag-aangat sa performance ng mapapababa na ng Sky Cable matapos na rin ang ng gasolina at ng toll rates. hindi gaanong kamahalan o less ABS-CBN dahil sa kasunduan nito sa para sa 2006 sa 42% ng rev- Noong 2002, ang average na risky. Kasama sa mga pinag-aaralang DirecTV. enues kumpara sa 54% noong debt restructuring presyo ng unleaded gas ay proyekto ang maliit na resort devel- Ang BayanTel ay kailangang 2005. Bumaba na rin ang head- P17.08 bawa’t litro kumpara sa opment sa Tagaytay, mga affordable pumusisyon sa mga bagong produk- count ng Sky Cable mula sa P32 bawa’t litro noong 2005. condominiums sa Makati o Ortigas at to, tulad ng VOIP (Voice over Inter- 704 noong end-2005 mula 972 negotiations ng Gayundin, ang toll rate noong sa properties ng Lopez Inc. sa Baguio net Protocol), WLL (wireless local noong end-2004 kaya 2002 ay P0.26 bawa’t kilometro City. loop) at WBB (wireless broadband). nakakatipid ito sa mga gas- Benpres Holdings sa kumpara sa kasalukuyang P2.48. Sumatotal, umaasa ang Benpres Noong 2005, nagtala ng 7% rev- tusin. Gayunpaman, laganap Naka-base ang pagpapadami ng Holdings na makakapagbigay ng enue growth ang BayanTel at bumuti ang pagnanakaw ng signal at susunod na 12 trapiko sa NLE sa mga sumusun- dibidendo ang MNTC, First Holdings rin ang EBITDA (earnings before in- lalo pang dumadami ang illegal od na plano ng MNTC: mataas at Rockwell, samantalang inaayos ng terest, taxes, depreciation and amorti- subscribers, bagay na dapat hanggang 24 na kalidad ng highway at ser- ABS-CBN, BayanTel at Sky Cable zation) margin nito. Dalawang taon na pagtuunan ng pansin sa bagong bisyo; mas mabuting access sa ang kani-kanilang mga operasyon. ring lumalaki ang revenues at EBIT- taon. buwan” NLE; patuloy na marketing cam- Nangangahulugan itong maaaring DA ng kumpanya kaya tama lamang Power and infrastructure paign; pinag-isang promotions matapos na rin ang debt restructuring na pumasok ito sa mga “disruptive Ang power generation and kasama ang mga travel destina- negotiations ng Benpres Holdings sa products” upang maging competitive distribution associates ng First inaasahang matatala sa Philippine tions; at pagtatayo ng mga motorist fa- susunod na 12 hanggang 24 buwan. sa larangan ng telecom. Ang hina- Philippine Holdings Corp. ang mag- Stock Exchange sa Pebrero. Gayun- cilities sa loob ng NLE. Dahil sa mga At tulad ng sinabi ni OML, ito ay harap ng BayanTel ay nakasalalay sa dadala sa kumpanya ng patuloy na paman, bababa na rin ang kita ng aksiyong ito, inaasahang maaabot ng bahagi ng daan tungo sa mas matatag maingat na paglagak ng mga limited paglago sa 2006. Inaasahang kikita First Gen dahil sa expiration ng in- MNTC ang traffic forecast sa loob ng at mas yumayabong na Lopez resources nito sa core business at sa ng halos P11 bilyon ang First Hold- come tax holidays nito. limang taon. Group. Statement of Meralco chairman Meralco refutes FPI, says and CEO Manuel M. Lopez Phase 4 refund ongoing MERALCO is com- ject to adjustment I AM making this statement in support alco and NPC officials have been on the viability of key industries and of plying with the based on actual of the official statement of the Meralco working together in presenting evi- publicly listed companies, particularly timetable set by the Meralco purchases Board of Directors. dence to the ERC these past few at a time when the country needs to Energy Regulatory from NPC from July For the past few days, there have months in support of the Settlement present a sober and attractive invest- Commission (ERC) 15, 2003 to Decem- been numerous news reports and me- Agreement. ment environment. with regard to the ber 31, 2004. dia coverage, primarily in the Philip- Last December 19, 2005, the press We are also distributing a point-by- processing of the re- “The adjusted pine Daily Inquirer, about an alleged relations officer of NPC, Mr. Dennis point rebuttal of the contents of the fund for Phase IV, net settlement P42 billion debt that Meralco owes the Gana, called up our VP for corporate memorandum. said Leonardo Ma- amount is P14.3 bil- National Power Corp. (NPC) arising communication and public affairs Elpi May I reiterate that we shall contin- bale,headofthe lion, representing from a “long standing dispute” on a Cuna Jr. to deny that Mr. Del Callar or ue to provide the best service possible Meralco Refund costs of power that 10-year contract of electricity from for that matter, NPC, was the author of to our customers, given our resources Management Task Force. is being charged through billings of the dis- 1994 to 2004. the cited memorandum or source of the and creditor constraints, and will coop- “Much as the decision on the refund had tribution utility. The Settlement Agreement Firstly, there is no such thing as a story. erate fully with every government ini- a substantial financial impact on Meralco, is being reviewed by the ERC. P42 billion debt of Meralco to NPC. If Mr. Del Callar denies authorship, tiative consistent with the EPIRA. the company implemented the refund of With the Settlement Agreement, there is Secondly, there is no such thing as a it is only the reporter of PDI who can On the other hand, we appeal to about P30 billion as ordered by the no longer any dispute between NPC and “long-standing dispute” between Mer- confirm if the source of the story and government officials, particularly in Supreme Court and the ERC. The refund Meralco on the CSE. There is no provision alco and NPC because the dispute was the memorandum we have are one and the energy sector, to be more forthright effectively wiped out our profits from 1994 in the Agreement for conversion to equity laid to rest by a Settlement Agreement the same. And it is also the PDI re- in their initiatives to address the prob- to 2002,” Mabale said. of Meralco of any amount to be paid to signed in July 2003, with former Jus- porter who can confirm, even as we re- lems of the industry and not to confuse At the same time, the utility poured NPC, the board stressed. tice Secretary Sedfrey Ordoñez and spect his right to protect his sources, if objectives and prescriptions or to mis- around P60 billion into its capital expendi- “... Efforts to subvert the Settlement and NPC-appointed mediator and former the memorandum, which he attributes lead the public with false solutions. tures program aimed at improving and up- talks of government takeover will have se- president of the World Energy council to a “top Malacanang official” was Proposals such as those contained in grading its system and service. vere repercussions on the general invest- Antonio del Rosario as Meralco-ap- properly verified before the story was the memorandum, or statements like “We finished sending out the letters to ment climate. We thus appeal for responsi- pointed mediator, which is now await- published. those attributed in the PDI to “consul- Phase IV-A active customers in November ble journalism and for the government and ing approval by the Energy Regulatory Be that as it may, we noted the tants” and administration officials in- 2005 and will continue to send them out to private sector to work together for a sus- Commission.