2015 Forbes 50 Richest in the Philippines

Henry Sy topped the 50 richest person in the Philippines for the 8th straight year. He net worth is at $14.4 billion. Sy also ranked number 73 in Forbes’ “The Richest People in the Planet 2015 list.

The magazine said that his wealth increase because the value of his publicly traded conglomerates has gone up, SM Investments Corporation is up by 17% and SM Prime Holdings is up by 20%.

He also holds a stake in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a private firm supplying power to the country.

Here are the 10 individuals on top of the “Philippines’ 50 Richest” Forbes’ list with their estimated net worth for 2015:

1. Henry Sy    $14.4 B    90yo    diversified
2. John Gokongwei, Jr.    $5.5 B    88yo    diversified
3. Andrew Tan    $4.5 B    63yo    diversified
4. Lucio Tan    $4.3 B    81yo    diversified
5. Enrique Razon, Jr.    $4.1 B    55yo    ports
6. George Ty    $4 B    82yo    banking
7. Family Aboitiz    $3.6 B    -    Diversified
8. Jaime Zobel de Ayala    $3.5 B    81yo    Diversified
9. David Consunji    $3.2 B    93 yo   construction
10. Tony Tan Caktiong    $2.2 B    62yo    fast food
11. Lucio and Susan Co    $1.7 B    60yo   Retailing
12. Robert Coyiuto, Jr.  $1.6 B 62yo    power
13. Manuel Villar  $1.5 B    $1.5 B    65yo    Real estate   
14. Yap family $1.4 B     $1.4 B    89yo    Banking   
15. Alfredo Yao    $1.3 B    71yo    Diversified
16. Dean Lao    $1.1 B    56yo    chemicals
17. Oscar Lopez    $1 B    85yo    Media
18. Andrew Gotianun    $910 M    87yo    real estate
19. Betty Ang    $905 M    -    Food
20. Roberto Ongpin    $900 M    78yo    Diversified
21. Inigo & Mercedes Zobel    $870 M    59yo    Diversified
22. Vivian Que Azcona    $780 M    -    Retailing
23. Eduardo Cojuangco    $770 M    80yo    Food & drinks
24. Beatrice Campos    $740 M    -    Pharma
25. Ricardo Po family    $640 M    84yo    canned food
26. Jorge Araneta    $560 M    -    Real Estate
27. Carlos Chan    $550 M    74yo    Foods
28. Mariano Tan, Jr.    $520 M    53 yo   Pharmaceuticals
29. Ramon Ang    $510 M    61yo    Diversified
30. Alfonso Yuchengco    $500 M    92yo    Diversified
31. Bienvenido Tantoco, Sr.    $480 M    94 yo   Retailing
32. Manuel Zamora    $450 M    75yo    Mining
33. Concepcion family    $400 M    -    food
34. Edgar Sia    $390 M    38yo    Fast food
35. Frederick Dy    $310 M    60 yo   Banking
36. Jacinto Ng    $275 M    -    Diversified
37. Tomas Alcantara    $270 M    69yo    Diversified
38. Fred Elizalde    $260 M    74yo    media
39. Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Jr.    $255 M    53yo    Milk
40. Eric Recto    $240 M    52yo    Diversified
41. Philip Ang    $230 M    74yo    Mining
42. Luis Virata    $225 M    61    Mining
43. Jose Antonio    $220 M    68yo    Real estate
44. P.J. Lhuillier    $175 M    -    pawn shops
45. Gilberto Duavit    $170 M    80yo    Media
46. Menardo Jimenez    $165 M    83yo    Media
47. Juliette Romualdez    $160 M    -    Banking
48. Felipe Gozon    $155 M    75 yo   Media
49. Walter Brown    $140 M    76yo    Mining
50. Alfredo Ramos    $120 M    71 yo   Diversified

Source: http://www.forbes.com/philippines-billionaires/list/#tab:overall

OFW Funny Rant on Customs Plan For Strict Checking of Balikbayan Boxes

Dear custom, ito po ay para sa inyo isa po akong ofw na nag travaho sa maliit lang na sahod para lang sa aking pamilya.
Posted by Alpax Enad on Sunday, August 23, 2015

Bureau of Customs Commissioner (BOC) Bert Lina want to implement an stricter measure to check Balikbayan Boxes and tax those package that go above Php10,000. According to BOC, the content in the Balikbayan boxes should be less than P10,000 to be exempted from taxes.

OFWs work for hundred of hours, endure hardship, long hours of work, and abusive bosses just to be able to buy things for their love ones that they put in these boxes. Like Nike shoes for their kids, Spam and sausages, instant noodles, etc. So can understand why the social media light up upon hearing this news from the BOC.

Alpax Enad who is an OFW made a funny video packing goods addressed to the BOC. Check the video above.    

Video: Robin Padilla's wife Mariel Rodriguez Second miscarriage

This was heartbreaking, Robin Padilla uploaded the video of his wife Mariel Rodriguez on YouTube, which captures the moment when they learned that the babies in her womb had no heartbeat. Actress-TV host Mariel Rodriguez was seen having her scheduled ultrasound when the doctor informed her that she lost her triplet pregnancy due to miscarriage.

Her husband Robin Padilla asked the doctor if the babies indeed had no heartbeat. The doctor confirmed that the babies no longer had heartbeat.

NAIA 3 transit lounge opens

MANILA - Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Tuesday opens up a new transit lounge for passengers and non-passengers.

The Wings Transit Lounge, is located at the 4th floor of the airport terminal. The lounge is 200-sqm with 17 rooms that includes bunk and capsule rooms, spa and massage, and shower facilities. 

The lounge areas are divided by curtains, and one of them has a TV and can accommodate 6 people.

You can rent for 5 and 8 hours, and it include WiFi, electrical sockets, a light meal and bottled water. Prices are:

Capsules -  PHP880 and PHP1000
Twin rooms - PHP1,600 and PHP1,800
bunk rooms for three people - PHP2,100 and PHP2,600
family rooms - PHP2,600 and PHP3,200

8 hour stay get free use of the shower area; otherwise, that's an extra PHP300 per head.

2 computer 1 printer business center

TV lounge area, You can rent a chair for 2 hours (PHP300)

Kitchen Pantry

ladies' capsule room

capsule room

massage room

twin-room

Malacañang Palace Declared November 18 and 19 as Non-working Holidays in Metro Manila #WALANGPASOK

On Tuesday July 14, 2015 Malacañang Palace declared November 18 and 19 as special non-working days in Metro manila for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

According to the Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Herminio Coloma Jr. this was in Proclamation 1072 issued by President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday.

APEC is a regional economic forum established to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia Pacific.

The Philippines hosts the 2015 APEC Economic Leader’s Meeting, which will be attended by the leaders of the grouping’s 21 member economies that includes Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Malacañang Palace also declared February 25, 2016 as a special Non-Working Holiday all over the country for the 30th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Revolution.

July 27 is also a special national working holiday throughout the country based on Republic Act 9645 signed in 2009. RA 9645 declares July 27 of every year as a special national working holiday in recognition of the founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo in the Philippines.

The Palace earlier declared July 17, 2015 as a regular holiday throughout the country in observance of Eid'l Fitr.

Other Philippine holidays for 2015:

August 21, 2015, Friday – Ninoy Aquino Day (Special non-working day)
August 31, 2015, last Monday of August – National Heroes Day (Regular holiday)
November 1, 2015, Sunday – All Saints Day (Special non-working day)
November 30, 2015, Monday – Bonifacio Day (Regular holiday)
December 24, 2015, Thursday – Additional special non-working day (Special non-working day)
December 25, 2015, Friday – Christmas Day (Regular holiday)
December 30, 2015, Wednesday – Rizal Day (Regular holiday)
December 31, 2015, Thursday – Last day of the year (Special non-working day)

Added Holidays:

July 27, 2015, Monday - Special national working holiday founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo
November 18 and 19, 2015, Wednesday and Thursday - APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. (Special non-working)
February 25, 2016 - 30th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Revolution (Special non-working day)

15-year-old actress and daughter of Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino Dead due to suicide

Julia Louise Buencamino

Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino with Julia

15-year-old actress Julia Louise Buencamino was discovered by their house helper hanging from the ceiling last Tuesday evening July 7, 2015. She is the daughter of veteran actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino.

Julia followed the footsteps of her parents to become an actress and she is a part of ABS-CBN daytime series Oh My G! were she played as a friend of Janella Salvador.

According to the investigator assigned to the case PO3 Victorio Guerrero, she was found hanging from the ceiling of their house and was already dead at around 8:00 PM Tuesday July 7, 2015. She was declared dead or arrival at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center San Juan City.

Jay Bee, A Fraudster Who Scammed a Jollibee Delivery Boy

Jay Bee (Atenean doctor) claimed to be a graduate of Ateneo in his Facebook page and one his FB friend refer to him as Doc brag on his FB page that he duped a fastfood delivery man by intentionally delaying to answer the phone from the receptionist to get a hefty discount for his food delivery. He received a lot of flak from people who read his comment.

He further provoke the anger of more people by posting another message thanking his fans and giving them the finger. Even news personaly Ben Tulfo, posted a screencapture of "Jay Bee's" post with his message of disgust.

Napaka Tapang mong Hayop ka Pinag Malaki mo pa nagagawa mo itong putok sa buho na ito tamaan ng kidlat to!
Posted by Ben Tulfo on Saturday, 4 July 2015

According to a who knew "Jay Bee", he is not a graduate of Ateneo nor a doctor. He said that Jay Bee is an auditor who works for Philippine Airlines. He also said that he use to stay in hostel to meet up with foreigners to be his boyfriend. But Jay Bee failed to pay his bills and had to pay the hostel with his laptop.

The source also said that he was able to get a foreigner boyfriend named "Gaethan Tremblay" based on the picture from Facebook. His foreigner boyfriend supported him for 6 months until he caught Jay Bee with another man.

Another victim said that he was scammed by "Jay Bee". Jay Bee told him that he works in Philippine Airlines and sold him a travel ticket worth 24,000 pesos. The victim posted a blotter report signed by Baguio City police, the victim Frederick Belleza, 28, was promised by a plane ticket going to Hongkong in 2013.

The victim had paid a total of 24,000 pesos for processing fee, plane ticket, rebooking and late charge fee to certain Geoff Rodrigue or John Wayne H. Villanueva.

At the time of flight, the latter was nowhere to be found.

(Photos are taken from Facebook page and PEX forum)