Category: Business Mirror

Alternergy Holdings Corporation (Alternergy) is beefing up its wind portfolio by acquiring a 95-percent equity stake in MC Project Solutions Inc. (MCPSI), which is developing up to 80 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity in Cebu.

Alternergy’s wind investment holding company, Alternergy Wind Holdings Corp., (AWHC), will acquire a 95-percent equity stake in MCPSI, which had been awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Service Contract (WESC) No. 2024-05-402.

MCPSI was one of the winning bidders in the DOE’s Fourth Green Energy Auction (GEA-4) conducted last September 2, 2025.

MCPSI’s Alegria Cebu Wind Power Project is estimated to generate at least 56 MW up to 80 MW estimated capacity. It is already in the pre-development stage and has a committed delivery date in late 2028.

‘We are excited to develop our first wind project in Cebu which marks a significant step in expanding our renewable energy portfolio into the Visayas Grid,’ said Gerry P. Magbanua, president of Alternergy.

The acquisition of the Alegria Cebu Wind Project will contribute to accomplishing the company’s goal of reaching a total energy capacity of renewable energy projects of one gigawatt (1 GW) by 2030.

‘Given the track record of Alternergy in wind project development, we are pleased to collaborate with Alternergy in developing the first wind energy undertaking on the island of Cebu,’ said Pedro Pascual, MCPSI CEO.

Alternergy is engaged in different RE projects, particularly wind, run-of-river hydro, solar farm and commercial rooftop, battery storage and offshore wind projects. The company’s wind power projects that are operating and under construction have a capacity of 246 MW. There are 716 MW more of wind projects that are in the pre-development stage.

With robust expansion plans in the next two years, Alternergy aims to develop up to 500MW of additional wind, solar, and run of river hydro projects.

There are four projects are currently under advanced construction for completion in 4th quarter 2025 and first quarter 2026, namely: 4.6-MW Dupinga run-of-river, 28-MW Balsik Solana, 64-MW Alabat wind and 128-MW Tanay Rizal wind projects, as part of its Road to 500 MW by 2026.

IT’S no magic trick: The third installment in the thieving magician Now You See Me series beat the high-profile action pic The Running Man at the North American box office this weekend. Lionsgate’s Now You See Me: Now You Don’t pulled in $21.3 million, while Paramount’s The Running Man made $17 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which cost a reported $90 million to produce, comes almost 10 years after the second film.

Including ticket sales from 64 international territories, its worldwide opening is estimated to be around $75.5 million. Going into the weekend, it was expected to be a closer race between the two newcomers.

‘Honestly, I didn’t see us being No.1 for the weekend about 10 days ago,’ Kevin Grayson, the president of worldwide distribution for Lionsgate’s motion picture group, said on Sunday.

‘But as we started to get closer and ticket sale numbers started to pop, we saw that there was going to be a horse race. Then we pulled away Saturday morning.’

Grayson said it’s a testament not only to the franchise but the marketing and publicity strategies which ‘really helped us get into a position where we now can play all the way through the holiday corridor.’

The first two movies in the Now You See Me series, released in 2013 and 2016, earned over $686 million worldwide. This installment, directed by Ruben Fleischer, sees the return of the original ‘Four Horsemen,’ Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco, and introduces three younger magicians into the mix: Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt and Justice Smith. A fourth film is already in the works.

Reviews were mixed on Rotten Tomatoes, coming in at 59 percent. According to PostTrak polling, audiences were a bit more positive, with 63 percent saying they would definitely recommend.

Audience scores were slightly less for The Running Man, which had a 58 percent ‘definitely recommend.’ Both earned a ‘B+’ CinemaScore, but more people chose the franchise. One key difference is that women made up more of the Now You See Me audience (54 percent). They only accounted for 37 percent of The Running Man ticket buyers.

Edgar Wright directed and co-wrote The Running Man, the second adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, first published in 1982. The first film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and was released in 1987 to mixed reviews and a tepid box office, earning only $38 million against a $27 million budget. The new version stars Glen Powell, who has had a good track record starring in box office hits, from the romantic comedy Anyone But You to Twisters.

Paramount Pictures released The Running Man in 3,400 domestic locations and 58 international markets. Worldwide, it earned $28.2 million against a reported $110 million budget.

The weekend’s other new opener, Keeper, the third feature from ‘Longlegs’ filmmaker Oz Perkins, cratered with $2.5 million and a ‘D+’ CinemaScore. But as an acquisition title for Neon, it’s also not a disaster.

Third place went to Predator: Badlands with $13 million in its second weekend, followed by Regretting You in fourth with $4 million. Black Phone 2 rounded out the top five with $2.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $74.7 million after five weeks in theaters.

In anticipation of the big budget musical Wicked: For Good, which opens next week, Universal Pictures put Wicked back in 2,195 theaters, where it made $1.2 million-barely missing a spot in the top 10.

The box office should pick up considerably when Wicked 2 blows into theaters, followed by Zootopia 2 before the Thanksgiving holiday. Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian said it could be one of the highest grossing five-day Thanksgiving frames of all time.

‘After a terrible October, the lowest grossing in decades, it’s just warming up,’ Dergarabedian said. ‘It’s never too late to get the momentum moving in the right direction.’

Expanding sanctions on Chinese ports and refiners are choking flows of Russian and Iranian oil to the world’s No. 1 importer, although emerging workarounds suggest the slowdown may be fleeting.

The big state-owned processors have paused purchases of ESPO, the crude that makes up the bulk of China’s imports from Russia, following US sanctions on producers Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC. Washington’s targeting of the Rizhao oil terminal, which handled about a 10th of China’s crude imports, is also crimping Iranian flows.

And some private refiners, which are typically more risk-tolerant when it comes to buying sensitive oil, are also avoiding the grade from Russia’s Far East. Their caution comes after the European Union and the UK’s blacklisting of Shandong Yulong Petrochemical Co., a so-called teapot that was a major buyer of Russian oil.

Taken together, all of this has created an unusual level of trepidation in the market.

The increased fear is what sets the latest US measures apart from previous Western curbs, according to Vandana Hari, founder of Singapore-based analysis firm Vanda Insights. ‘US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil could be a little bit of a game-changer.’

The nervousness among Chinese buyers comes as Indian refiners also scale back their purchases of Russian oil, showing that Western efforts to deprive the Kremlin of funds for its war in Ukraine are finally having an impact. However, the resilience of already-blacklisted ports, like Dongjiakou in Shandong province, suggests there could be a resurgence in flows without strict scrutiny and enforcement.

Chinese imports of seaborne Russian crude may drop by 500,000 to 800,000 barrels a day this month, or as much as two-thirds from normal levels, according to an estimate by industry analytics firm Rystad Energy AS. Inflows from Iran, meanwhile, could fall by 200,000 to 400,000 barrels a day, or as much as 30 percent.

There’s a growing glut of sensitive oil that’s struggling to find a home, said Emma Li, lead China market analyst at ship-tracking and intelligence firm Vortexa Ltd. China’s private refiners, or teapots, are running short of import quotas to bring in barrels, and sellers are desperate to get rid of them, which is pushing down prices, she said.

Chinese imports of Iranian oil, which Rizhao is a key gateway for, remain subdued after the port was sanctioned in October for its links to the Persian Gulf producer. Already-high stockpiles in Shandong and a lack of oil-import quotas among private refiners are also damping demand for those barrels, according to Vortexa.

That’s seen the amount of Iranian crude being stored at sea rise to almost 48 million barrels at the end of last week, the most in more than two years, according to Kpler. Around 40 percent of this oil is in the Singapore Strait, and a similar proportion is in the Yellow and South China Seas, the data intelligence firm said.

There’s now an overhang of ESPO, which is being offered at a $4 a barrel discount to benchmark prices for delivered sales to China, according to traders. That’s up from a 50 cent-gap at the end of October.

Those kinds of prices could be too tempting for some Chinese refiners, which may resort to the timeworn method of turning off transponders and doing ship-to-ship to mask the origin of the crude they are buying.

Dongjiakou port is also emerging as a conduit for sensitive crudes. It was sanctioned by the US in August, raising risks for any traders, shipowners and financiers found to be involved in using it. However, after a brief curtailment of flows, it’s now handling major volumes of Iranian crude again, suggesting that opportunity still outweighs the potential costs for some buyers.

The current lull in purchases of Russian and Iranian oil may also be partially down to a scarcity of import quota for private refiners as the end of the year approaches. This may them to ask the government for more.

Even if additional quotas are granted, some Chinese refiners will likely adopt a ‘wait-and-see approach’ to Russian purchases, to see how strictly the sanctions are enforced, said Jianan Sun, an analyst at industry consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. ‘Time will be needed to firm up new procurement channels and supply chains.’

ZUS Coffee roared back with purpose and resumed its charge for the top seed in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference quarterfinals with a 25-13, 25-21, 25-21 sweep of Nxled at the Ynares Center-Montalban in Rizal on Tuesday.

Needing just 78 minutes of controlled dominance, the Thunderbelles not only strengthened their bid for a more favorable knockout matchup but also sent a clear, emphatic message-to be counted among the league’s true title contenders.

Anna DeBeer finished with 16 points, while AC Miner delivered 15 points and Chinnie Arroyo and Kate Santiago added 10 and nine points, respectively.

‘It was a good win for us-just to get some confidence back after our last game,’ DeBeer said. ‘We came in, worked hard, and we’re getting ready for the quarterfinals.’

Miner called the bounce-back victory ‘great.’

‘I’m very happy for the team,’ she said. ‘It’s really great. Now we’re heading into the quarterfinals with a lot more confidence.’

The Thunderbelles outclassed the Chameleons in all scoring fronts-49 attack points to 36, six blocks to four, and three aces to two.

It was a performance sharp enough to restore their rhythm, rebuild momentum and regain confidence ahead of what promises to be a chaotic, four-game knockout quarterfinal round on Monday.

Setter Cloanne Mondonedo also tuned up for the bigger battles ahead with 23 excellent sets-nearly doubling the output of her counterpart Jaja Maraguinot, who tallied 13.

Santiago also held her own defensively with nine excellent digs and eight receptions, while DeBeer anchored the floor with 11 excellent digs, allowing Mondonedo to orchestrate the offense smoothly throughout the abbreviated contest.

Nxled, meanwhile, wrapped up its forgettable campaign with an 0-8 record, winning just five sets all tournament long.

Paola Martinez led the Chameleons with 15 points, Lyann de Guzman added 10 and Chiara Permentilla chipped in nine points.

De Guzman also impressed on defense with 11 excellent digs and 11 receptions, while Martinez and Permentilla tallied eight digs and 12 receptions, respectively.

HOLIDAY shoppers and gift-givers should stay vigilant as cybercriminals intensify fraudulent schemes during the Christmas season, exploiting Filipinos’ generosity and yearend spending.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Scam Watch Pilipinas, and anti-scam technology firm Gogolook have identified 12 prevalent fraud schemes that pose heightened risks to consumers during the holidays.

‘The list is ongoing, these are the modus we see all year round, it’s just that their prevalence is different by season,’ said CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso. ‘Every Filipino should now be aware about these types of scams, that’s why we are intensifying our education campaign.’

The top 12 scams are Online Shopping Scam, Fake Delivery Scam, Call Scam, Task/Job Scam, Investment Scam, Love Scam, Loan Scam, Impersonation Scam, Travel Scam, Charity Scam, Middleman Scam, and Online Gambling Scam.

Season of shopping

According to Scam Watch Pilipinas Convenor Jocel de Guzman, the number 1 scam to watch out for this holiday season is the online shopping scam. This type of scam now has ‘two phases’-fraudsters operating a fake Facebook account or page that mimic legitimate stores and cases of deceiving, wrong, or fake items.

Fake Delivery Scams no longer rely solely on phishing links. Fraudsters are now exploiting cash-on-delivery services, with some using ‘pabili’ services to victimize delivery riders, while other dishonest riders perpetrate scams themselves.

Unsolicited calls, messages

Call Scams are expected to surge, driven by ‘remnants’ of illegal online gambling operations dismantled in 2023. These well-trained groups of seven to 10 people typically offer unsolicited credit card updates or other financial services.

Task and Job Scams continue circulating on Viber and WhatsApp, offering easy money for simple tasks but ultimately stealing personal information or upfront payments from job seekers.

Holiday romance

Consumers seeking companionship online face particular risks. Love Scams have become the entry point for investment fraud, with scammers building romantic relationships before requesting financial help or pitching bogus investment opportunities.

Victims are typically aged 45 and older, especially those who are widowed or separated. The red flags include requests for money and appeals to pity, with scammers often posing as foreigners.

Investment Scams have evolved from directly offering unlicensed cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, and gold trading platforms. Now, fraudsters use romance as a gateway, then target victims’ relatives, classmates, and social circles.

Financial traps

Loan Scams have graduated beyond simple processing fee schemes. Illegal online lending apps, often unavailable on legitimate app stores, now request access to borrowers’ contact lists and charge excessive interest rates.

These operations primarily target lower-income groups and online gambling addicts, often resorting to harassment for collection.

Impersonation Scams through Facebook account hijacking have created what De Guzman called a ‘scamdemic.’ Fraudsters contact victims’ Messenger friends, mimicking their writing style to request money.

Online Gambling Scams involve illegal gambling websites, which target those that want to make ‘easy’ money from placing bets. This has ‘declined by 93 percent’ but is still very much present.

Holiday-themed scams

The last few schemes are designed to specifically target the Filipino spirit of generosity.

Travel Scams lure bargain-hunters with fake promotional offers for holiday trips or fraudulent ticket sellers.

Charity Scams exploit Filipinos’ spirit of giving, with criminals posing as legitimate foundations or charitable organizations collecting donations.

Middleman Scams involve fraudsters pretending to be trusted intermediaries in legitimate transactions, typically stealing money from both buyers and sellers.

Be stingy, skeptical

Authorities are urging Filipinos to adopt the 4Ms of the #KontraScamAttitude this holiday season: be stingy with personal information and money (magdamot); be skeptical of offers (magduda); ignore and block suspicious messages (mang-isnab); and report scams to the CICC hotline at 1326 (magsumbong sa 1326).

Paraiso emphasized a whole-of-government approach to combat these threats, with partnerships between CICC, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, and the National Bureau of Investigation making it easier to apprehend perpetrators.

GMA Public Affairs’ The Atom Araullo Specials: PogoLand has been named Best Documentary under Domestic Affairs at the 2025 Association for International Broadcasting or AIB Awards held in London last November 14. This marks another global victory for the program, following its Gold Medal win at the 2025 New York Festivals TV and Film Awards earlier this year.

The multi-awarded documentary, hosted by Atom Araullo, investigated the underworld of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or Pogos that were used as scam hubs and human trafficking dens. The documentary exposed the horrifying realities behind the glossy façades of online gaming, where victims are lured by promises of legitimate work but end up trapped, tortured, and forced into scamming activity.

The episode also followed law enforcement operations that uncovered chilling evidence of torture, forced labor, and organized crime hidden in plain sight. PogoLand gave voice to victims who endured abuse and violence inside the tightly secured compounds before escaping to tell their stories. Offshore gaming was eventually banned in the Philippines.

Atom Araullo, who renewed his exclusive contract with GMA this November, shared his insights from his past seven years with the network: ‘As my contract renews, I’m reminded that this work is a privilege. The AIB recognition belongs to our entire team and the communities who trust us with their stories. We’ll keep pushing for journalism that is rigorous, compassionate, and fearless.’

This latest recognition from London underscores GMA Public Affairs’ commitment to truth-telling: mga kwentong tumatatak sa buong mundo.

SALES of vehicles powered by fuel continued to slightly decline in the last 10 months as electric vehicles continued to surge, driven by strong hybrid sales. This is according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA).

According to the Campi-TMA report, the auto industry sold 383,424 units of vehicles in the January to October 2025 period, a 0.2-percent decline from the 384,310 units sold in the 10-month period in 2024.

In a statement on Monday, the auto industry group said ‘Electrified vehicles surged, with 24,265 units sold year-to-date-9 percent of October’s market-driven by strong hybrid sales.’

In October 2025 alone, 40,014 units of traditional vehicles, or those powered by fuel, were sold. This is almost the same level as the volume in October 2024, when the auto industry sold 40,003 units.

However, the 40,014 units sold in October this year is 5.2 percent higher than the 38,029 vehicles sold in September 2025.

In terms of vehicle segments, the number of sold passenger cars continued to plummet, contracting by 23.2 percent, with this segment selling only 77,461 units compared to the 100,809 units sold in the ten-month period in 2024.

In the January to October 2025 period, passenger cars accounted for 20.20 percent share of the auto sales pie while commercial vehicles continued to dominate, cornering 79.80 percent of the cars sold in the 10-month period this year.

Under the commercial vehicle segment, Light Commercial Vehicles continued to occupy the larger chunk sales in the 10-month period with 305,963 units sold or 79.80 percent; followed by Asian Utility Vehicles with 70,544 units or 23.06 percent; Light-Duty Trucks and Buses with 5,753 units or 1.88 percent; Medium-Duty Trucks and Buses with 3,021 units sold or 0.99 percent, and Heavy-Duty Trucks and Buses with 825 units sold or 0.27 percent.

Across brands, Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the dominant market player, selling 185,201 units of cars in the 10-month period or a share of 48.30 percent; followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation with 72,734 units sold (18.97- percent share); Ford Group Philippines with 18,631 cars sold (4.86 percent); Suzuki Philippines, Inc. with 18,295 cars sold (4.77 percent) and Nissan Philippines, Inc. with 18,125 units sold (4.73 percent).

The Campi-TMA sales report showed that 24,265 units of electric vehicles were sold from January to October 2025. This can be translated to 6.33 percent of the total auto sales pie.

Of total EVs sold in the 10-month period, 19,379 units are Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV); 3,941 units are Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), and 945 are Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

Across Hybrid EV brands, Toyota led the sales with 14,794 units sold ; followed by Honda Cars Philippines Inc., with 1,527 units; KP Motors Corp., with 711 units.

As to the brands leading the sales of Battery EVs, Tesla Motors Philippines, Inc., led the pack with 2,165 units sold; followed by Nissan Philippines, Inc, with 832 units sold; Omoda and Jaecoo Motor Philippines, Inc. with 292 units sold.

For Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, United Asia Automotive Group, Inc. (Chery) led with 501 units sold; followed by Changan Auto (IC Automotive) with 158 units sold; and SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. (BMW) with 78 units sold.

FORMER Mayor of the Municipality of Mendez-Nuñez in Cavite Fredderick A. Vida formally assumed office as acting head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday.

This, after he took his oath of office before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang earlier that day.

He replaced former DOH Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla who was appointed Ombudsman in October.

Prior to his new designation, Vida served as assistant secretary of the DOJ since January 2023.

He also served as Mayor in Cavite from 2013 to 2022, President of the Mayor’s League of Cavite from 2019 to 2022.

Vida earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines and Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo School of Law. He passed the 1996 Philippine Bar Exam.

He is the latest government official, who was given a new designation by the President.

Last week, Marcos also named Finance Undersecretary Charlito Martin R. Mendoza as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

SinagLawaran celebrated yet again the creative eye and technical prowess of Filipino photographers this year, featuring an awarding ceremony and exhibition of the photo contest’s winning entries. The Isa sa Isla Photo Exhibit ran from November 7 to 9 on the third floor, East Wing of Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons in Pasig City.

The SinagLarawan Photo Contest is an annual program now in its third year, mounted by JTI Philippines Community Investment, which supports three focus areas: people, environment, and arts and culture. This year’s contest was themed ‘Isa sa Isla,’ or ‘a visual exploration of how our lives in the islands are linked by water in profound and complex ways,’ which help shape Filipino culture and identity.

‘[This year], we saw a significant increase in the number of photographers joining the contest, as well as good representation from photo clubs and communities from all over the country,’ said Guilherme Silva, JTI Philippines general manager, who also served as a judge in the photo contest.

SinagLarawan 2025 welcomed almost 500 entries from around the country. In the end, the Grand Prize or the SinagLarawan of the Year title was bestowed on the poetic photograph Patron Saint of the Mariners by Kurt Austin Garcia, also a member of the photo club Raw and Untitled PH. Meanwhile, Jessie Eno’s Harvest from the Crown Jewel was awarded first runner up, receiving P120,000 and a trophy, with P25,000 and a certificate for the photo club Putowalkers. Completing the podium was The Current’s Common Ground by Missy Keith Acbang, which also won a P100,000 cash prize and trophy, with the photo club Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal receiving P20,000 and a certificate.

Aside from the top 3, SinagLarawan 2025 also recognized eight outstanding photos for its Circle of Excellence, each awarded a cash prize of P80,000 and a trophy, while their respective clubs received P10,000 and a certificate each. The Circle of Excellence winners included Mark Kevin Badayos and Salvador Toong III of the Photographers Club of Cebu Inc., Nathaniel Carampatana of Putowalkers, Reu Dawner Flores of the Samahan ng mga Litratista sa Rizal, John Kimwell Laluma and Alfred Immanuel Sa-onoy of the Camera Club of Negros, Brian Roldan of Raw and Untitled PH, and Lord Aeron Salem of the Philippine Society for Photography.

There were also 13 winners of SinagLarawan 2025 Special Awards, who each received P50,000 and a certificate. Arturo De Vera Jr. bagged the JTI Employee Choice Award, while the Rehiyon Awards featured three winners per region. These were Jose Revoli Cortez, Sean Jhayzeith Cortez, and Fionna Pelayo for Metro Manila; Arnold Mark Ian Cacanindin, Michael Angelo Luna, and Zarah Jane Ngo for Luzon; Catherine Angeles, Redante Auxilian, and Carlito So for Visayas; and Gale David Davad, Glenn Magallano, and Wyndell ‘Dell’ Supremo for Mindanao.

Moreover, SinagLarawan 2025 named 76 finalists as part of its top 100 roster, each receiving P10,000 in cash and a certificate. This year, the photo contest awarded over P2.5 million in total cash prizes. All 100 winning photographs will be featured in a coffee table book. SinagLarawan is also featuring the Top 24 photos in its special edition JTI Philippines calendar for 2026. Aside from the recognition and prizes, the winning images were also featured in the Isa sa Isla Photo Exhibit at Estancia Mall. The photographs further underlined how the Filipino’s connection with water in all aspects has given rise to communal aspects of our culture.

‘SinagLarawan’ is derived from the Filipino words ‘sinag’ which means ray of light, and ‘larawan,’ which means image. The SinagLarawan Photo Contest aims to highlight the values, traits, culture, and traditions that shape the Filipino identity through evocative photographs. The mission is to allow these photographs ‘to drive and inspire us to be better, do better, and take pride in all that it means to be Filipino.’

Campos-led Del Monte Pacific Ltd. on Monday said its income for its fiscal second quarter ending October 31 jumped sevenfold to $16.8 million from the previous year’s $2.3 million, on strong operational efficiency and market demand.

Total sales expanded by 10 percent to $234.9 million driven by both the Philippines and international businesses, particularly by fresh pineapple exports.

The performance drove sales for its fiscal first half to rise by 11 percent to $438.6 million on the back of a 16-percent surge in fresh pineapple sales and a 10-percent growth in the Philippines.

Net profit jumped to $22.3 million from $2.7 million last year as a result of higher sales and strong margin expansion.

Sales in the Philippines in the second quarter alone rose 9 percent in peso terms to $121.7 million on higher volume and better pricing. Strong demand for packaged pineapple and the expanded year-round use of mixed fruits led the Philippine growth.

‘Nutrition-led initiatives positioning pineapple as an everyday superfruit further strengthened consumer preference for natural, immunity-building options,’ the company said.

International sales in the second quarter went up by 7 percent to $90.6 million with increased volume of fresh pineapple, juice and frozen pineapple.

The fresh fruit business fueled growth with a 23-percent expansion from continued higher sales of the deluxe variety improving sales mix, coupled with strong pricing.

The juice segment grew by 49 percent primarily due to higher sales in China and Europe.

Frozen pineapple sales rose 21 percent from favorable product mix and strong pricing.

The company said it launched the Del Monte Halo-Halo Mix in Australia last September.

It said Del Monte increased market share in North Asia to 51 percent for imported pineapples, cementing its leading position as the preferred fresh pineapple supplier.

Last July, Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI), the local unit of Campos-led Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL), said its sales for its fiscal year ending on April 30 rose by 14 percent to P44.2 billion from the previous year’s P36.23 billion on strong demand for its key products.

The company said it had positive cash flow from its operations amounting to $226 million.