IT Outsourcing and Business Process Outsourcing to China/Asia

With its centenary approaching, The University of Hong Kong continues building history – with a bold new campus that combines the teaching and learning needs of the 21st century with a respect for heritage, the environment and the local community.

This website enables you to take part in this historic project. Thank you for visiting us and do check in with us again soon for more updates.

http://www3.hku.hk/cecampus/eng/

Words from CEO> My personal experience as a HKU student is terrible.  Heavy traffic conjestion with no access to public transport such as MTR and even Taxi.   We recommends large and grand student residence halls to save time for research and development.

Click the link, to the official site of UNIPARK

www.unipark.net.cn

 

Promulgation of the outcome of the ‘Planning Study on the Co-ordinated Development of the Greater Pearl River Delta Townships’
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     The Development Bureau and Planning Department, today (October 28), held a joint seminar in Macao with Guangdong Provincial Department of Construction and the Secretariat for Transport and Public Works of Macao for the promulgation of the outcome of the “Planning Study on the Coordinated Development of the Greater Pearl River Delta Townships”.

     Officiating at the promulgation were Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, Ms Zhang Qin;  Director-General of Guangdong Provincial Department of Construction, Mr Fang Qing-fang; Permanent Secretary of Development Bureau of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr Thomas Chow; Secretary for Transport and Public Works of Macao SAR, Mr Lau Si-io; Vice Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhang Jian-jun; and Mr Li Chun-man of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR.  Other participants of the seminar included representatives of the planning authorities of the nine cities in Pearl River Delta and the experts, academics, representatives of concerned organisations and government officials from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

     A spokesman of Planning Department said, “The GPRD Study is the first strategic planning study undertaken jointly by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.  The objective of the study is to formulate a regional development strategy by taking a forward-looking perspective to consider the opportunities and constraints of the Greater Pearl River Delta region under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. Through better resource utilisation, environmental protection and development of transport infrastructure, the strategy would improve the environment, enhance living quality, ensure sustainable development, and strengthen the overall competitiveness of the region.”

     ”The study was undertaken by Peking University and Guangdong Urban and Regional Planning and Design Institute as appointed by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.  After a series of researches and analyses, the study raises that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao should work together towards an overall objective of building a system of co-ordinated and sustainable world-class townships which are vibrant, energetic and globally competitive.

     ”Regarding individual places, Hong Kong should continue to strengthen its position as an international metropolis in Asia and develop into one of the world’s most important centres of modern service industries and a global city with good living quality; Pearl River Delta should be developed into a world-class base of advanced manufacturing and modern service industries as well as an important economic centre of China; and Macao should be developed as the world’s most attractive tourism and recreation centre as well as commercial and trading services platform.”

     The spokesman said that to achieve these objectives, the study put forth a number of co-operation proposals and imminent major tasks in the aspects of cross-boundary transportation, development of cross-boundary areas, ecological/environmental protection, and co-ordination mechanisms, with a view to strengthening the co-ordinated development among the three places.”

     ”The outcome of the study will serve as an outline strategic analysis for the reference of the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in formulating regional co-operation and cross-boundary policies.  Given the different economic and political systems of the three places, the respective governments should carry out further study, assessment and public consultation and give due regard to the local circumstances before putting the recommendations into implementation.  At present, the governments of the three places have started discussion on some of the recommendations, with a view to progressing into the next stage of study,” the spokesman said.

     Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao also held an interflow session, inviting the representatives of the planning authorities of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Macao and the nine cities of Pearl River Delta to discuss the issues relating to the co-ordination and management of regional and urban planning in the co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.  Four experts and academics, Ms Zhang Qin of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, Professor Li Xun of the University of Zhongshan, Dr James Wang of the University of Hong Kong and Professor Ieong Tou-hong of Macao Polytechnic Institute, were also invited to speak on the issues relating to the co-ordinated development of Greater Pearl River Delta in the global and national context.

Ends/Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:30

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Bangalore (ˈbæŋɡəloːɾ), also known as Bengaḷūru (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು, [ˈbeŋɡəɭuːɾu]( listen)), is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India’s third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.

Though historical references to the city predate 900 CE, a modern written history of continuous settlement exists only from 1537, when Kempe Gowda I, who many regard as the architect of modern Bangalore, built a mud-brick fort at the site and established it as a province of the imperial Vijayanagara Empire. During the British Raj, it became a centre of colonial rule in South India. The establishment of the Bangalore Cantonment brought in large numbers of migrants from other parts of the country.

Today, as a large and growing metropolis, Bangalore is home to some of the most well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India. Numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and defence organisations are located in the city. Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of its position as the nation’s leading IT exporter. A demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major economic hub and the fastest growing major metropolis in India.

100 Small Business Tips and Tricks for Effectively Outsourcing to India
By HR World Editors on February 15, 2008

Do you think that just because your business is small you can’t outsource? There are ways to send your writing, IT tasks and other needs overseas to add efficiency to your enterprise. By doing some prior planning and following some pointers, you can get the quality help you need.

 
The HR World Outsourcing Buyer’s Guide
The HR World HR Outsourcing Comparison Guide
The HR World Outsourcing Checklist

HR Outsourcing FAQ

 
Starting Out

Here are some pointers for launching your outsourcing operation.

1. First, define your core: Don’t hand over the core functions of your business. Consider outsourcing other operations that are not as strategic.

2. Evaluate a service provider like you would a full-time employee: Ask questions, check references and ask for feedback from other clients who have used the provider’s services.

3. Clearly define the scope and schedule for your project: Be up front about your project requirements so that service providers know about schedules and deliverables.

4. Don’t choose a vendor based solely on price: Discard the highest-priced and lowest-priced bid. You want a balance of good value and quality results.

5. Review portfolios and samples: Consider asking the provider to do a quick mock-up or provide a basic outline of a work plan.

6. Look for specific experience fit: You want a company with specific experience with the type of project that your company is undertaking. This is important when outsourcing complex technical projects such as software development.

7. Tie compensation to clearly defined project milestones: Define a work plan for your outsourced project, with clearly defined milestones.

8. Negotiate ownership of the work up front: Make sure that you are clear about who owns the resulting work product and any important components of that product. Make sure that the service provider understands how you intend to use the deliverables that they are agreeing to provide.

9. Don’t forget about support after the project is complete: Draft a support clause that ensures you’ll get continuing support from the vendor after the project is complete.

10. Get it in writing: Keep a written record of project goals, pay schedules and any changes.

11. Start small: Start with a project that is relatively small and simple in scope to give you a better idea of the provider’s style and capabilities.

12. Move slowly and commit incrementally: Don’t sign a five-year contract before testing performance and the relationship. Move slowly and commit gradually.

13. Get specialized and expert help: Browse a site that provides access to professionals around the world in your business’s field.

Skills to Consider Outsourcing

You may be able to outsource these job functions to make your small business run more smoothly.

14. Public-relations services: Most small businesses cannot afford a full-time public-relations pro.

15. Virtual assistants: Virtual assistants, or independent entrepreneurs, provide administrative, creative or technical support by handling tasks like scheduling and filing.

16. Outsource brokers: These brokers, exchanges and networks can recruit, interview and manage the services your company needs.

17. E-commerce solutions: Hire a provider that can turn your business’s Web site into a cash cow.

18. E-mail marketing: Your contractor can be thousands of miles and seven time zones away, but they’ll market your business like they’re in the same room.

19. Writers: Writing can be done from anywhere.

20. IT Professionals:Consultants are cheaper than hiring someone in-house.

Outsourcing Dos and Don’ts

Keep these tips in mind as your orientate yourself to outsourcing.

21. Carefully evaluate what can really be outsourced: Self-contained tasks or projects are more suited to outsourcing, while team tasks are not.

22. Consider management costs: Don’t end up squandering the savings in training and oversight costs.

23. Be prepared for challenges: Even from across an ocean, personalities can clash, and schedules can take a while to sync.

24. Don’t walk in blind: Get guidance in choosing a vendor and keep knowledgeable tabs on performance.

25. Consider having a staff employee(s) act as a liaison: Consider entrusting an in-house manager to oversee the outsourced help.

26. Watch out for hidden costs: Consider everything from layoff-related expenses and telecommunications costs for remote workers.

27. Know the outsourcing ABCs: Alignment: Is outsourcing the right move for your business? Business case: Have you taken all costs into consideration? Culture: Can you bridge the cultural difference between your company and the outsourcer?

Where to Find Outsourcing Candidates

Here are some sites that include professionals who can fill your small business’s needs.

28. Elance Inc.: You’ll find tons of freelance writers and designers on this site.

29. FreelancerNow.com: You’ll get services quickly on this site.

30. Guru.com: Post individual projects on this site and have professional bid on them.

31. SHARPSourcing.com: SHARPSourcing.com is an Indian HR outsourcing service that provides Web-development and Web-design outsourcing services to companies across the globe.

32. RentACoder: You can literally rent a Web coder from this site.

33. my pajamanation: Powered by an India-based blogger, this site offers insight into outsourcing, from events to related news from around the world.

34. ScriptLance: You can post a project on this site, which lists bids in a neatly organized list.

35. Integra Global Solutions:Outsource to this firm to expand your business.

36. GetAFreelancer.com: This site can help you find freelance programmers, Web designers and copywriters in India or any other country.

37. Kasamba: Find experts in a number of different fields on this site.

38. GoforFreelance.com: This site works for both freelancers and employees.

39. osLance.com: Post open-source projects here.

40. Sunday LLC: According to the company, “Sunday gives busy people the resources of a 24/7 personal assistant, travel agent, project assistant and tech-support pro, available via both telephone and Internet.”

41. oDesk Corp.: Outsource and manage programmers, Web designers and more.

42.Get Friday: A virtual-assistant resource that undertakes any task or business that does not require a physical presence.

43. DoMyStuff.com: This site is as simple as posting a task, selecting an assistant and getting stuff done.

44. Amazon Mechanical Turk: This Amazon.com-powered site offers companies ‘artificial’ artificial intelligence.

45. craigslist inc.: Post a job under “gigs” or any of the industry sections, and you can outsource work anywhere.

46. Workaholics4Hire.com: Find people 24/7 on this site people by “a team of workaholics who have a compulsive need to work at odd hours, drink too much coffee, and love meeting impossible deadlines.”

47. BrickworkINDIA: Get a remote executive assistant operating from an India to do your work through email.

48. iFreelance.com: Post your project for free to receive bids from hundreds of professional service providers.

49. Agents of Value: This Webmaster staffing company specializes in finding full-time programmers, graphic designers, journalists, researchers and link builders to help your business grow.

50. Netgear Solutions: Netgear Solutions is an IT-based solution organization with a strong crew of software professionals and Web professionals.

Tips for Outsourcing to a Personal Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants can do your grunt work without taking up office space.

51. Minimize the kickoff effort: Set up a single inbox where your tasks will be dropped for quick assigninment.

52. There’s no such thing as too small: Even five-minute tasks can become cumbersome when they add up. Your assistant can get them done by “batching” them in meaningful ways.

53. Set up recurring tasks: You can have your virtual assistant perform tasks like keeping tabs on the blogs and newsletters of your business’s fans and competitors.

54. Empower the assistant to take further action: Clearly lay out the next steps of tasks and projects.

55. Revisit the to-do list: Basically, hold on to important tasks that you should do and give the support and research tasks to the virtual assistant.
Tools for Tasks and Projects

f you want to keep track of exactly what work an employee needs to do and when they must do it, check out these task organizers.

56. Backpack: Backpack is an information-management and to-do list organizer that can help your outsourced talent get the job done.

57. Wiki.com: Wiki.com features project tracking; searchable discussions; shared calendars; Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF file support; and 256-Bit SSL encryption.

58. Ta-da Lists: Ta-da Lists is the “Web’s simplest and fastest to-do list maker,” and even works on the iPhone.

59. CellTell: Send voiceNotes from your outsourced help from any of your phones straight to your Backpack page

60. Jott: Jott will act like your own personal assistant by supplying free voice-to-text service.

61. Campfire: Especially great for remote teams, Campfire is like instant messaging optimized for groups.

62. VIP Task Manager: VIP Task Manager lets multiple users manage tasks and access the common database.

63. Task Manager: Track personal and shared tasks, jobs and projects with Task Manager, which lets you quickly view all of the duties so you can prevent missing deadlines.

64. Excel: The Multiple Daily Tasks Excel spreadsheet assigns up to 50 tasks, shifts or clients to up to 20 employees.

65. Employee Task Chaser: Develop the execution abilities of your work team and get things done with this tool.

66. Shift Schedules: This tool lets you assign your people to daily shifts, tasks or locations in 30 minute increments.

67. Employee Project Clock: Employee Project Clock is ideal for companies that are involved in control engineering, manufacturing and automation, as well as tool-and-die shops.

68. OfficeView: This Web application includes a messaging system and software to track consultant information.

69. Personnel Organizer Deluxe: Personnel Organizer Deluxe provides an easy way to gather, organize and manage information about all consultants in your company.

70. VIP Simple To Do List: Tell your consultants what they need to get done when with VIP Simple To Do List.

71. Project Tracker: This extensive database program contains suppliers and purchase and estimation modules.

72. Employee Planner: Plan consultant work, schedules, travel, events, vacations, projects or meetings with this easy-to-use tool.

Web Sites

Check out these Web sites, which feature time sheets and scheduling software for overseas employees.

73. Atlas Business Solutions Inc.: This site features inexpensive downloads for consultant scheduling, HR needs and business plans.

74. InTime Solutions Inc.: InTime Solutions provides software downloads, as well as information and news about the automation sphere.

75. i-Staff: This site provides Web-based employee scheduling software.

76. TimeFox: Web-based time- and project-tracking tools make this site a smart place to go.

77. WorkPlace Systems: This treasure trove of business solutions and services features free downloads for workplace management.

78. Kronos Inc.: Choose from a host of time and scheduling software on this site.

79. Celayix Inc.: Scheduling and attendance solutions are available on this site.

80. WorkBuddy Solutions Pyt. Ltd.: WorkBuddy Solutions is your pal for automated workforce-management solutions.

81. Valiant Solutions Inc.: According to the company’s Web site, “Valiant brings Web-enabled, real-time automation through a centralized database to every phase of your workforce management lifecycle.”

82. AceProject: This site provides project-management tools, Web-based time sheets and free time-sheet software.

83. Personnel Scheduling Software: You can choose from a plethora of scheduling software on this site.

84. Michael Greer’s Project Management Links: Michael has taken it upon himself to post dozens of project- management tools on his site.

85. Advanced Time Reports: This whole Web site devoted to time report software is a must-see.

86. Microsoft Office Project 2007: This site gives you the lowdown on Microsoft Office Project 2007 software.

87. Basecamp: Set up headquarters at Basecamp, which lets you log hours and keep track of projects.

88. activeCollab: This site’s motto is “Eliminate Stress. Manage Success.”

Information

These sites offer information about the Indian market and can help you navigate the outsourcing realm.

89. U.S. Department of State Background Note: The Bureau of South Asian Affairs provides information on India’s geography, people, economy and relations with the U.S.

90. The Outsourcing Weblog: Stay on the up-and-up on outsourcing news from around the globe.

91. Doing Business in India: Find information here on investing in India, the country’s economic policy, government and more.

92. Doing Business in India: A Cultural Perspective: Read up on cultural differences between the U.S. and India.

93. Outsourcing to India: Get your legal, logistical and practical questions about doing business in India answered.

94. Country Information About India: Read through reports, surveys, papers, publications, news and more information about India.

95. A Buyer’s Guide to Offshore Outsourcing: Browse a worldwide comparison of prices, risks and other factors you should consider before outsourcing overseas.

96. Center for Global Outsourcing: For $85 per year, you’ll get resources that underscore the benefits of global outsourcing to businesses.

97. Current Realities in Global IT initiatives: This research, conducted by Zinnov Management Consulting, looks at the issues associated with offshore IT initiatives.

98. Outsourcing FAQ: Get all of your outsourcing questions at this Everest Partners LP-sponsored site.

99. Outsourcing Center: Read white papers, articles and research about outsourcing.

100. Offshore Outsourcing: Making It Work: InformIT, a Pearson Education Informant subsidiary, provides you with eight points to consider before moving business operations offshore.

By keeping costs low and intensely evaluating the potential and the plan, you can outsource to help your small business thrive. In no time, your company will be competing with the delivery capabilities of larger organizations, but you’ll still be your own boss.

http://www.hrworld.com/features/100-tips-outsourcing-india-021508/

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/karnataka/bangalore-map.htm

Words from CEO>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tata Motors reports a profitable second quarter on a consolidated basis in 2009-10

 

Tata Motors today reported consolidated gross revenue of Rs.21,808.29 crores for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, compared with gross revenue of Rs.23,936.89 crores in the corresponding period of last year.

Consolidated Operating Profit is Rs.1,591.62 crores, an improvement of 106 basis points compared with the corresponding quarter of last year. Strong revival of the Indian operations, which reported Operating Profit of Rs. 1,065.71 crores for the second quarter of 2009-10, coupled with Operating Profit at the Jaguar Land Rover business, have aided the company’s consolidated performance.

Increase in depreciation and interest costs due to increased borrowing to support investments and new product development partly offset the operating profit. Consolidated Profit after Tax (post minority interest and profit in respect of investments in Associate companies) for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, is Rs.21.78 crores.

Highlight of the quarter was that the Jaguar Land Rover business posted strong Operating Profit of GBP 41.29 million (Rs. 325.27 crores), supported by a 23% growth of wholesale volumes over the previous quarter and aggressive cost reduction efforts. The business is witnessing some stability in the external environment with certain key markets showing signs of recovery. The new products launched by the business in the current year, the upgraded Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery 4, continue to receive strong market reception.

Tata Daewoo, the company’s subsidiary in South Korea, launched the Prima premium truck in September. The construction equipment subsidiary, Telcon, launched two indigenous excavators and is poised to benefit from increased infrastructure activities in the coming quarters. The other key subsidiaries of the company have also begun to see visible improvement in demand during the quarter.

Half Year

The company’s consolidated gross revenues were Rs.38,761.92 crores in the first half, compared to Rs.39,433.17 crores in the first half last year. The consolidated financial performance of the company is not comparable to 2008-09 on account of the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover in June 2008.

The Consolidated Operating Profit was Rs.2,187.55 crores, while Profit from Ordinary activities before Tax was Rs.17.41 crores. Tax expenses offset the profit from ordinary activities resulting in a Net Loss (post minority interest and profit in respect of investments in Associate companies) of Rs. 307.00 crores.

The unaudited consolidated financial results of the company for the quarter ended September 30, 2009, are enclosed.

 

Words from CEO> TATA Nano is the best car to be powered by Sony Car Battery.  The reason is simple.  India has the largest group of young people for Mini Electric Car powered by top class car battery (ie. huge battery storage facing the challenging of long and winding roads of rocky mountains across India).   Sony new hires in car battery shall study the pattern of car usages in India for target marketing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI

TOKYO—Sony Corp. expects new 3-D compatible televisions will account for up to half the TVs it sells in roughly three years, as it outlined details of its effort to prop up its slumping electronics business.

Hiroshi Yoshioka, Sony’s executive deputy president and the head of its consumer products and devices group, also said the company is holding talks with several auto makers to enter into the promising but crowded market for lithium-ion car batteries. He didn’t name the auto makers. Most of a $1 billion investment in battery technology over the next few years will go toward car battery development, he said, adding that Sony has also increased staffing in that area.

 
A Sony Corp. 3-D television and videogame demonstration in October.
The details offered Thursday help flesh out a broad strategic vision the Japanese company offered last week, when Sony outlined plans to rely heavily on 3-D technology and online content to reach an operating profit margin of 5% in the fiscal year ending in March 2013.

Sony has already said it targets revenue of more than one trillion yen (about $11.4 billion) from 3-D related products, including televisions, disk players and game consoles, in that fiscal year. The company plans to introduce a 3-D compatible television next year, and Mr. Yoshioka said Thursday those types of sets will account for between 30% and 50% of all televisions sold by the fiscal year ending in 2013. The technology lets viewers choose to watch in the current two-dimensional mode or three dimensions on their TVs while wearing special glasses.

Journal Communitydiscuss..“ As long as the “wearing special glasses” is there, I won’t be. If we are going to do it, let’s do it right, not through half-steps of obsolescence based “technology”.
”
.—Mark Bazemore.
 Sales results will depend on available 3-D content, Mr. Yoshioka said, adding that he sees strong potential in videogames. Sony said 3-D television models will be priced at a premium, but it says the glasses required for viewing would be the most costly part for Sony, not the actual production of the television.

In batteries, Sony plans to play up the products’ safety. Mr. Yoshioka said the batteries that the company developed after its battery problems of the past enabled Sony to create a safer product. Sony and a number of other companies were plagued in recent year by instances of batteries in consumer products like notebook computer catching fire.

Sony believes the market for batteries is big and promising enough for it to enter, even if it is currently lagging other manufacturers. “We have lots of room,” said Mr. Yoshioka. Sony says it currently has about 2,000 employees working in the battery business, but plans to increase that figure.

Under Chief Executive Howard Stringer, Sony is moving to shake up a company plagued by shortcoming in the content and software side of the business and high costs on its manufacturing side. It has forecast an operating loss of 60 billion yen (about $684 million) for the current fiscal year, but Mr. Stringer said the company is striving to break even through cost cuts and other initiatives.

Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at Daisuke.Wakabayashi@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703499404574559250877354862.html

Words from CEO> Please also read the blog content from McKinsey regarding Electric Car Market Segmentation.  Car battery is central to the Electric Car market competition.  The question is who will win the car battery manufacturing winners for all market segments.   My guess is BYD which is invested by Warren Buffett

Click the link, and read about the profile of Warren Buffett

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

Click the link, and read about the company that Warren put more than USD 1 billion

http://www.byd.com/

 Click the link, Enter the location name, Hyperlink to location map

Site A – Tuen Mun Lam Tei Fuk Hang Tsuen Road DD130 Lot PM1916

 

 

 

 

 

Site B – Tuen Mun Lam Tei Lai Wai  DD130 Lot PM1927

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site C – Tuen Mun Tsoi Yuen Tsuen DD130 Lot 1184

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Site C – Tuen Mun Tsoi Yuen Tsuen DD130 Lot 1184

Clan warfare blamed for Philippine killings 

The killing of dozens of people in the southern Philippines has been blamed on clan warfare, and analysts suggest punishment of the perpetrators will be difficult. The BBC’s Vaudine England reports.
 
This is the worst case of pre-poll violence the Philippines has seen
This part of Mindanao is ruled by clan warfare – local journalists describe the powers-that-be as warlords.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8374507.stm
Page last updated at 11:20 GMT, Tuesday, 24 November 2009

 

 

 

 

 

One of the men just made a widower by these killings, Ismael or Toto Mangudadatu, is vice-mayor of a small town in Maguindanao province called Buluan, but this underestimates his importance.

His cousin is governor of neighbouring Sultan Kudarat province, where an uncle is congressman in the ruling party of President Gloria Arroyo.

He was hoping to register as a candidate for governor of Maguindanao province, considered a bold move by local commentators as Maguindanao has long been controlled by the Ampatuan clan.

A weak central government and deep-seated patronage politics … allows political families to thrive

Marites Vitug, Analyst
Datu Andal Sr, the patriarch of Ampatuan, has more than a dozen sons, each of whom, with related sons-in-law, have been given town mayorships in Maguindanao or other positions of power.

He is of the local nobility and gained power and influence by closely aligning his area to President Arroyo. About 90% of the votes in his district went to Mrs Arroyo in the previous presidential elections.

Philippine analysts believe the Mangudadatu bid for power in a second province was too much for the Ampatuan clan to handle, contributing to a dramatic rise in tension in the area in the run-up to the May 2010 elections.

Unprecedented

It is normal for clans to have large private armies of scores and in some cases hundreds of well-armed, ill-regulated men.

In Mindanao, this mix is made more dangerous by the decades of Muslim and communist insurgencies. This has given more power and budgets to local police and military operations, and led to the formation of volunteer squads intended to assist in counter-insurgency.

However, budgets are never enough and the local powers-that-be usually add their financial support thereby creating new groups of loyal, armed men.

“We’re a soft state, with a weak central government and deep-seated patronage politics,” says Marites Vitug, an analyst of Philippine politics and author of a book on Mindanao.

“This allows political families to thrive, and to accumulate the balance of terror in their favour,” she added.

However it is not known who was responsible for these killings – and for the reported mutilations.

Savagery

Election violence is not unusual, even including the assassination of rivals. But this incident has shocked all observers for its scale and apparent brutality.

“Even to our enemies, we don’t do this, not to women, not the mutilations. Even the most violent of our warlords, no-one can imagine this,” said Amina Rasul, director of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy.

It is believed the delegation led by Mr Mangudadatu’s wife included journalists and lawyers from rights groups to help ensure its safety.

According to long-standing unofficial rules of “rido”, the local term for clan war or vendetta, assassinations avoided women, and avoided non-relatives.

The Mangudadatu clan originates in Maguindanao, as does the Ampatuan clan, but moved earlier to nearby Sultan Kudarat province to build its own power base.

“No-one really knows what the clans are fighting over,” added Ms Rasul.

The rule of law has been supplanted by the rule of lawlessness

Amina Rasul, Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy
The area is described as resource-rich but underdeveloped, and analysts said it was a fair assumption that corruption was rife over aid and development funding.

Meanwhile, Mrs Arroyo has expressed her shock at the killings, and vowed to get to the bottom of them.

But both clans in this case are allied to Mrs Arroyo, limiting analysts’ expectations of any effective response from the central government.

The larger issue is the rule of law is dependent on powerful local interests – a fact that allows local violence to proliferate and means investigation of this crime will be extremely difficult.

“The rule of law has been supplanted by the rule of lawlessness,” said Ms Rasul.

Ms Vitug agrees that the judiciary has failed to tackle clan wars in various parts of the Philippines.

“There have been some attempts at mediation – until it becomes too dangerous,” she said.

菲 遊 行 抗 議 新 聞 工 作 者 遇 害 2009/11/25 01:46 

在 馬 尼 拉 ， 有 新 聞 工 作 者 遊 行 抗 議 南 部 屠 殺 事 件 中 ， 有 多 名 記 者 遇 害 。
大 約 一 百 名 新 聞 工 作 者 ， 拿 著 橫 額 及 叫 口 號 ， 遊 行 往 警 察 總 部 。 他 們 譴 責 武 裝 分 子 殺 害 記 者 ， 又 要 求 當 局 不 可 以 畏 懼 地 方 武 裝 勢 力 ， 並 要 迅 速 採 取 行 動 ， 將 兇 徒 繩 之 於 法 。

遊 行 人 士 又 舉 行 燭 光 晚 會 ， 悼 念 遇 害 記 者 。 有 業 界 代 表 指 ， 菲 律 賓 已 經 成 為 繼 伊 拉 克 後 ， 記 者 工 作 最 危 險 的 國 家 ， 包 括 東 南 亞 報 業 聯 盟 等 多 個 新 聞 工 作 者 組 織 ， 表 示 會 展 開 獨 立 調 查 ， 期 望 事 件 水 落 石 出 。

Words from CEO> We have to withdraw the investment plan in Philippines Software Development Centre due to unstable political envirnoment and killings in the Manila.

Tutor House is planning 28 branches in HKSAR.  The planning office will be opened at Dec 2010.  Close to Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Click the picture, hyperlink to the location map

 

Words from CEO> Tutor House will NOT be a profitable business as the major objectives to upgrade the talents in the communities.  This is rather a social enterprises than a business consideration.

Social enterprises are social mission driven organizations which apply market-based strategies to achieve a social purpose. The movement includes both non-profits that use business models to pursue their mission and for-profits whose primary purposes are social. Their aim – to accomplish targets that are social and or environmental as well as financial – is often referred to as the triple bottom line. Many commercial businesses would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social or environmental purpose remains central to their operation.

Rather than maximizing shareholder value, the main aim of social enterprises is to generate profit to further their social and or environmental goals. This can be accomplished through a variety of ways and depends on the structure of the social enterprise. The profit from a business could be used to support a social aim, such as funding the programming of a non-profit organization. Moreover, a business could accomplish its social aim through its operation by employing individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds or lending to micro-businesses that have difficulty in securing investment from mainstream lenders.

Many non-profit organizations see social enterprise as a way to reduce their dependence on charitable donations and grants while others view the business itself as the vehicle for social change. Whether structured as nonprofits or for-profits, social enterprises are simply launched by social entrepreneurs who want to improve the common good and solve a social problem in a new, more lasting and effective way than traditional approaches. They are conceived and operated by visionary entrepreneurs who recognize potential where others may not see it and who apply discipline, pragmatism, courage and creativity to pursue their solution in spite of all obstacles, toward a world that is more abundant, secure and inclusive for all.

Note: Social entrepreneurs are individuals who pursue opportunities to create pattern-breaking change in inequitable systems, whether through social enterprises or other means. Many social entrepreneurs have launched their ideas within nonprofits, since that organizational form is already set up to advance social value. However, there are an increasing number of social entrepreneurs launching social purpose businesses by building a social or environmental mission into the DNA of their company. By contrast, social enterprise refers to an organizational movement that applies market-based strategies to achieve social change. The underlying motivation is a growing awareness that the scale of the problems we are facing today cannot be adequately solved by the traditional non-profit and philanthropic approach.

For details about Tutor House Global Education Program, please email CEO at Tony@AnyChinaJob.com

We use advanced technologies such as

1/      www.iKnow.co.jp (for language learning)

2/       www.lingoes.net (for multilingual learning)

3/       www.visualthesaurus.com (for language advanced learning)

4/         www.netdimensions.com (for LMS implementation)

5/        www.intelladon.com/#Scene_1 (for overseas learning)

6/      www.fudan-ing.com/ (for financial subjects learning)

7/        http://users.smartlite.it/demo/admin (for quiz competition) login:txxyxa

8/       www.ehealthcareit.com/website/html/products_joint_commission.html

          (Age Specific Growth and Development: Birth through School Age)

9/      www.wondershare.com (for student project presentation)

10/    www.ImaginationBlog.com (for scientific subjects learning)

11/         www.LearnInMotion.Net (4G mobile learning, target launch 2011 Spring)

to enhance learning and enrich life experience .

 

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