NINE point six percent. That’s the inflation rate for the month of May, as announced by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). It’s the highest since January 1999 when the inflation rate then was 10.5 percent.

Already, we have been feeling the effects of this: the prices of gas, food, and other basic items have gone up steeply. Blame it on supply problems: With lesser rice supply available, its price has increased. With the price of oil running away at more than $130 per barrel, the prices of gasoline and other oil products have likewise hiked up. And as we know from experience, when gas goes up, everything else follows.

Consumers are expected to lower their spending to cope with the high prices of basic commodities. That may mean bad news to businessmen especially those whose products are considered nonessential.
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IT used to be that Sigel Inc. was raking in dollar sales as an exporter of hand crafted premium boxes for home accents and gift items such as chocolates, wines and dates. Over the years, sales have slowed down as companies abroad started ordering goods from China, where items are so much cheaper.

The fact that the peso has strengthened itself against the dollar has hurt the business too. Eugene Leyran says, “At a trade show, if a buyer is interested, I would send samples right away. By the time the buyer sends a purchase order, the peso-dollar exchange rate may have gone down by two pesos.” And with a 30-day credit term extended to clients, Sigel may find itself staring at an even leaner margin by the time the client pays if the exchange rate goes down again.

The cost of manufacturing has also gone up. “Our constraint is the price of our finished product. It’s too high because it’s labor intensive. Maski ako namamahalan,” says Eugene. At times, clients would set a price for their items, and won’t budge if Eugene explains that they can’t offer the goods at that price given the forex rate. “We still have active buyers but orders have gone down due to the price.”

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UPDATE: Editor’s note: Added video taken by INQUIRER.net business editor Ma. Salve Duplito.

COMTEQ COMPUTER & Business College is one growing enterprise in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Started in 1990 as an institution offering computer literacy courses to high school students, it has now become a full college offering bachelor’s degree courses in Computer Science, Information Technology, Accountancy, and Business Administration. It also offers shorter two- and three-year courses in computer programming, animation, and electronics technology, among others.

Hundreds of students now go to Comteq wanting to be equipped with the technological know-how needed in the marketplace. What attracts the students to Comteq is the school’s strong on-the-job (OJT) training program and affordable tuition fees. “We want our graduates na may alam na paglabas [ng school] because of OJT,” says John Bayarong, Comteq’s dean.

In fact, students have already done websites for organizations. The students have also been joining competitions and have in fact won in some contests already.

Here’s a video taken by INQUIRER.net business editor Ma. Salve Duplito. Bayarong and Ausbert Joaquin of Comteq Computer & Business College listen with Allan Cruz of Business Mentors Inc. to mentor Willy Arcilla (not in video) as Arcilla advises strengthening Comteq’s hold in the market first before venturing into franchising.

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AT THE DANGWA Flower Market, some 50-plus vendors sell an array of fresh cut flowers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This market has been there for more than 30 years. Retail buyers and those with floral businesses flock to this market for their floral needs.

Jay Domingo and his wife Gina run a branch of Pat’s Flowers & Supplies in Dangwa. The main outlet located in Quiapo was put up by Gina’s grandmother in the early ‘70s. It still exists today.

As the name suggests, Pat’s Flowers & Supplies does more than just provide flowers: They also make available to flower shops the supplies they need, from pots, ribbons, and other tools of the trade.

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UPDATE: Editor’s note: Added video taken by INQUIRER.net business editor Ma. Salve Duplito.

DELILAH GALANG is a retiree with a mission. Having seen how cancer can take away the lives of people dear to her, she has, since 2000, embarked on a personal mission to offer Filipinos an alternative way to treat and care for cancer patients.

This alternative way is the Gerson therapy introduced by the German physician Max Gerson in the 1920s. Gerson therapy is an all-natural non-toxic treatment program using organic foods, juices, coffee enemas, detoxification and natural supplements. Dr. Gerson founded the Gerson Institute based in San Diego, California to spread the word about Gerson therapy and to train caregivers to administer the therapy program.

How she got into Gerson therapy is interesting. Delilah’s nephew was just six years old when he was diagnosed with advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Doctors gave him only a 25-percent chance of survival. He was having chemotherapy every three weeks.

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