WE KNOW we have one of the, if not the longest Christmas celebration in the world. Beginning September, the Christmas season is ushered in in the Philippines with the playing of Christmas songs on radio, announcements of holiday sales in the malls, and Christmas bazaars or tiangges in villages and commercial areas.

This 2009, the Christmas season seems even longer. We haven’t had as many nonworking holidays as we have this December. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared December 26, 29, 31 and January 2 as nonworking holidays. December 25 (Christmas Day) and 30 (Rizal Day) are already legal holidays so that makes it an almost whole two-week holiday stretch from December 25 to January 4 for most people.

Most people are happy about it. One banker I spoke to says she is very happy about the long break. “I can have time to be with my family and cook,” she says. Although her bank has declared some branches open during the holidays, a system has been worked out such that employees only have to work for 1 to 2 days during the holidays (at holiday pay rate) since branches take turns being open. “In one area, there will always be a branch that is open to service the needs of the public,” she says. It’s a win-win situation. By keeping its branches open, the workload will not be that much on January 5 since some clients have been serviced during the holidays. Employees, by working for 1 to 2 days, get to earn more, yet still enjoy some days off.
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WITH Christmas literally just hours away, let’s have some fun. I stumbled on this post at stupidbusinessideas.com — stupid business ideas for Christmas:

1. Christmas present opening service. Great for those who want a calmer Christmas. No more ripping up gift wrappers and screaming in delight.

2. Christmas dinner eating service. Great for those who don’t want to gain weight this holiday season. Let others eat for you and devour the buffet spread.

Merry Christmas!

ON A LONG bus trip to Dagupan, Pangasinan from Manila last weekend, my friend and I noted how SM malls differ from one place to another. The new SM North EDSA Annex, which now makes SM City North EDSA the world’s third largest shopping mall complex, has six new floors and a basement.

Going farther north, we see SM City Pampanga in San Fernando occupying 31.6 hectares. It’s a very long two-storey mall, with open parking at ground level.

The newly opened SM City Rosales in Pangasinan looks smaller than SM City Pampanga, but it’s likewise a two-storey mall at most, with open parking at ground level. My friend tells me that it’s the same for SM City Clark, and from photos at the SM Prime Holdings website, the case too with SM City Marilao in Bulacan.
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YES YOU read it right. The level of outsourcing to the Philippines is growing faster than in any other country, according to the Global Outsourcing Statistics Report released last December 15 by oDesk, the leading marketplace for online workteams for employers outsourcing technology jobs to certified, freelance developers and programmers.

The report also states that the Philippines remains a popular destination for outsourcing work. Other popular countries include the U.S., India, Pakistan, Canada, Ukraine, and Russia.

The bulk of the outsourcing jobs received by the Philippines is in the Knowledge Processing Outsourcing (KPO) sector. This includes data entry and virtual assistants. India’s largest work category, on the other hand, is in the software and web development field.
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I GET awed whenever I meet successful entrepreneurs who tell me they’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug since they were young.

Ailene Co of fashion store U.R.U. was selling stationery and mechanical pencils when she was in grades 4 to 6. When she was in high school, she sold clips, headbands, hair spray, and key chains.

Ana Amigo-Antonio of Chocolate Clothing Co. recalls selling as early as five years old. “My parents were in interior design and our house would always be remodeled to reflect new trends. So there were always carpenters in the house. I would sell them candy and soft drinks,” says Ana.
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