San Miguel ready to go to battle for CURE - Ang

MANILA, Philippines - In the battle for one of the remaining available 3G frequencies, two of the largest conglomerates in the country are up against the other.

Ramon Ang, the president of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp., declared on Wednesday, May 23, that they, too, will bid for the 3G frequency originally assigned to Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprises Inc. (CURE) and which the Ayala-led Globe Telecom desperately wants.

"We will bid to win," Ang told reporters.

He said the 10-megahertz (Mhz) frequency in the 2100 bandwidth is the latest item on his acquisition wish-list.

The San Miguel group, which has been in an acquisition binge in the past years, is the newest entrant in the local telecommunication industry via units Liberty Telecommunication and Extelcom.

The country's biggest telecommunication firm, Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), has to give up all its rights and interests in CURE as part of the conditions set by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in approving PLDT's acquisition of third-ranked Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) in October 2011.

After delaying turning over the frequency, PLDT recently promised to surrender CURE to regulators in July. PLDT would then be left with 25 MHz total frequencies.

If San Miguel were to win CURE, it would have 10 MHz of total spectrum, putting it in equal footing as the 2nd largest telecommunications firm, Globe.

In an April press con, Globe said that it needs CURE to maintain its premium customer base. At the time Globe CEO Ernest Cu, said he would "bid aggressively" for CURE, which will be instrumental in helping the company gain market share from PLDT.

Cu has remained confident the company will beat out a possible bid from Ang's SMC. In April he pointed out that telecommunications requires massive infusions of capital and that Globe had already invested heavily in creating its network, so SMC would have to pour in more money now to compete.

Ang said his group will focus on broadband if they are not able to acquire CURE. “We would have to stay in mobile broadband which is not the biggest market in the telecoms industry. The biggest right now is SMS and voice."

"Very soon, maybe within one year, we will offer voice and SMS. We are just waiting for the auction of the 21MHz frequency band,” said Ang.

San Miguel’s telco is present in the broadband arena under the wi-tribe brand which offers WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology that runs on a 4G (fourth generation) platform.

Ang suggested he would be willing to follow in the footsteps of Digitel and use low prices to undercut the competition.

"There are only two business models here. Either come in and be a nice guy with hopes that they pity you and give you market share or come in with low prices and gain market share,” the executive said.

Asked about his chances to win the bid for CURE, Ang said, "We leave it up to God and through good luck for us to win...Timing is the key. But we will come to that.”

He explained that San Miguel's telco interests would be housed in one group but the details are still be ironed out. - Rappler.com

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On Baseball: Promising Catcher Appears Ready for Pinstripes

“There’s not many anywhere in baseball,” Mark Newman, the Yankees’ senior vice president for baseball operations, said that day. “When you have a chance to get one, you have to go get it.”

At the time, Jorge Posada was only 34, with a year left on his contract and a four-year extension to follow. But it pays to be prepared, and to be lucky. The Yankees had the foresight to identify Montero’s talent early, and the fortune to keep him after offering him to the Seattle Mariners in July for Cliff Lee.

The rest of the tale is well known: the Mariners held out for more prospects, the Yankees balked and Seattle shipped Lee to the Texas Rangers instead. Montero and Lee have been on the Yankees’ agenda again this week.

On Monday, General Manager Brian Cashman told Posada that Montero would have a chance to win the starting catching job in spring training. On Wednesday, Cashman was in Arkansas to meet with Lee, the first major step in Lee’s recruitment. Cashman and other executives have also met with Derek Jeter to discuss a new contract.

This is part of an inevitable transition for the Yankees, who have won so often with Posada and the free agents Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jeter, but now face the realities of time. All four may be back next season, but Posada’s role, at least, will be different.

Or will it? The reality is that Posada has already ceded the primary catcher’s role. In the first three years of his four-year, $52.4 million deal, he has started only 194 of 486 games at catcher — or 39.9 percent. He is proud and gritty and remains a tough out. But age brings down everyone, especially a player who has caught roughly another full season in October. Posada, who turns 40 in August, had surgery on his left knee Wednesday.

Montero turns 21 on Nov. 28. The Yankees have other promising catchers — notably Francisco Cervelli, Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez — but the jewel is Montero. He was ranked as the majors’ No. 4 prospect by Baseball America, and that was before his impressive 2010 season at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In 123 games, the right-handed Montero hit .289 with 21 homers, 75 runs batted in and a .353 on-base percentage. But the telling line is what he did in the 44 games after the All-Star break, when he batted .351 and hit 14 homers.

That coincided almost exactly with the trade talks for Lee, which took place the weekend before the break. Montero had a .229 average through the end of May, and he had already started to come around by July. But knowing he was expendable seemed to bring out his best.

“Initially it bothered him,” the Scranton hitting coach, Butch Wynegar, said Wednesday from his home in Orlando, Fla. “He didn’t come out and say it exactly, but I could tell it in his demeanor. He wants to be a Yankee, and I think that did motivate him a little bit, knowing that nobody’s untouchable around here. It kind of shook him up a little bit, like, ‘I’ll show them.’ ”

Wynegar raved about Montero’s opposite-field power — which should be an asset at Yankee Stadium — and said he had never seen a prospect use the whole field so well. That is saying something, since Wynegar coached in the Texas Rangers’ farm system when Mark Teixeira was developing.

“Monty was a joy to be around, and he’s still raw and growing,” said Wynegar, a former Yankees catcher who caught Dave Righetti’s 1983 no-hitter. “That’s why I call him a beast. That’s why I think he can be a monster.”

The Yankees are hopeful that the physical growing has ended. Montero is listed at 6 feet 4 inches, 225 pounds, big for a position that favors a more compact body type. The challenge for Montero, Wynegar said, is to shift quickly and to keep his body moving nimbly. He must also watch his diet.

Montero can be a star, Wynegar said, “if he keeps himself motivated like he did last year, staying in shape, working hard, keeping his body toned — because he is a big boy, and he is prone to putting some weight on.

“I think he did a fantastic job of keeping his body fat down last season.”

Montero comes along at a time when rookie catchers are in. The San Francisco Giants promoted Buster Posey in May, stashing him at first base until installing him behind the plate for good in July. Posey, who often batted cleanup, guided an overpowering pitching staff to a championship.

Before Montero can do that, he will have to show the Yankees he deserves to start. Wynegar expects him to seize the opportunity.

“I think he’ll come to spring training with fire in his eyes,” Wynegar said. “He’ll be ready to go. He doesn’t want to come back to Scranton. He thinks he’s ready for the big leagues right now, and I have to agree with him.”

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Are You Ready to Exit the Military? Seven Things You Must Do So You Have A Successful Transition

PRLog (Press Release) - Mar 18, 2012 -
Jacksonville, North Carolina – Retired United States Marine Jaynine Howard is the coach for the military and host of From Military to Mainstream http://webtalkradio.net/shows/from-military-to-mainstream/ .  In this episode she shares seven things that she did prior to making the transition from the military to the mainstream so that she had a successful retirement in 2002 from the United States Marine Corps.

Howard offers seven things that all veterans, regardless of branch of service, should do prior to leaving the military.

1. Be Debt Free.

2. Have a minimum of two years living expenses in an account you can access.

3. Research the industry you would like to work.

4. Network – networking should have taken place throughout your military career.

5. Be flexible and be willing to relocate.  

6. Have realistic expectations.

7. Know your options.

Coach Jaynine Howard is the owner of Dream Catcher – Business & Career Coaching. She is a member of the Carteret Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Leadership Carteret Class of 2011, Jacksonville - Onslow Chamber of Commerce, and the American Psychological Association. She is also a retired United States Marine and former psychotherapist who works with Veterans and those on Active Duty.  Dream Catcher is where your desire to succeed and your commitment to grow personally and professionally meet so you can turn your dreams into reality. You can start turning your dreams into reality by downloading this week’s episode or past episodes of From Military to Mainstream.  You can take her assessment to see if you are ready to make the transition at http://coachjaynine.com/blog

Coach Jaynine is a retired United States Marine and former psychotherapist who works with Veterans and those on Active Duty. She will teach you the systems and strategies needed to grow personally and professionally.

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Paul Soriano to Toni Gonzaga: ‘I Am Ready to Get Married’

Paul Soriano was interviewed by his girlfriend Toni Gonzaga on the Buzz last Sunday.

The interview was supposed to be about Soriano’s Indie film “Thelma” which stars Maja Salvador. But as the interview went on, the topic swerved to “marriage” and this time, the director is announcing on national television how happy and lucky he is with the trust and love given to him by Toni.

“When you gave me your heart four years ago, I don’t just don’t wanna listen to your heart, I wanna take good care of it. That means whatever makes you happy, makes me happy. Anything that makes you shine.” he said.

At the end of the interview, Paul popped a surprise question that made Toni blushed.

“Everyone’s asking me besides the film, ‘when are we getting married’, ‘when are we going up to the next level’. You know naman that I’m ready. I’m turning 30 this October. And I believe talaga in my 30s I’m all settled up. So what I’m trying to say here is….’Will you….’…” Paul declared.

“Kakaloka ka, tigilan mo yan. ‘Wag mong gagawin yan.” Toni interrupted.

“When will you be ready? ‘Coz I’m ready, I’m ready. Just let me know what time, where, when you wanna do it…you wanna get married…So when are you gonna be ready?” continued Paul.

“Later na lang. Pinagmamadali mo ko!” Toni said as she ended the interview.

Toni Gonzaga‘s movie, “pWedding Tayo, pWedding Hindi,” which is incidentally about wedding is set to premiere tonight at SM North Edsa The Block and Trinoma Mall.

Paul Soriano‘s indie film “Thelma,” on the other hand, is set to open in theaters on September 7.

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