Independent singer, songwriter, producer, and pop visionary Lauv will return to Asia in May 2019 with a run of extensive dates throughout the region including a performance in Cebu on…
Independent singer, songwriter, producer, and pop visionary Lauv will return to Asia in May 2019 with a run of extensive dates throughout the region including a performance in Cebu on May 21.
Lauv is currently on a US headline tour and doing select dates opening for Ed Sheeran.
This will be Lauv’s third time returning to Asia, second run of headline dates after touring with Ed in the Fall of 2017.
The Philippine leg of the Lauv’s Asia Tour is produced by AEG Presents and Ovation Productions. Pre-sale of concert tickets starts Nov. 14 with general on-sale happening on Nov. 23.
Lauv has just released new single “There’s No Way” featuring Julia Michaels.
The single already has over 38 million streams and is featured on 32 Spotify New Music playlists. It has been added to the Hot Hits local Playlist across Spotify Asia and soaring up the local charts. The single has seen support from key international media, including MTV Global PUSH, Sirius Radio, Radio Disney, BBC Radio 1, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and countless others.
Lauv comes to Cebu in Philippine leg of Asian Tour 2019
The pair recently performed a stunning rendition of the single on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
This past summer, Lauv performed his hit single, “I Like Me Better,” on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as the 2018 Teen Choice Awards and 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
The single reached the Top 10 of Top 40 US radio, and top 10 airplay hits around the globe including Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and more.
A highlight of his 2018 project “I met you when I was 18, ” the song recently went double platinum in the US, triple platinum in Australia, and platinum in multiple other markets. He has now surpassed well over 1 billion cumulative streams worldwide.
Rough waters turn gentle and the cerulean deep gives way to aquamarine shallows as a speck in the distant horizon transforms into Sicogon Island. Our destination slowly appears as a…
Rough waters turn gentle and the cerulean deep gives way to aquamarine shallows as a speck in the distant horizon transforms into Sicogon Island.
Our destination slowly appears as a towering mass of green bordered by a strip of white that glistens under the noonday sun.
Nearer still, we can make out a gently sloping mountain with a curious peak that tapers down to an expanse of coastline with creamy sand.
HUNI SICOGON. The spring water swimming pool looks across the seas to Islas de Gigantes.
The tide was high enough to allow our motorized outrigger boat to dock on the beach right where the makings of a modern and upscale resort have taken shape.
Huni Sicogon
Huni Sicogon, our home for three activity-filled days, sits right before the coastline and where in the far distance a grouping of islands called Islas de Gigantes forms the shape of a sleeping giant.
From our spot on the beach, we can make out a huge pool with bar, open-air restaurant, and sprawling two-level building with rooms that look out either to the sea or the green foliage of Sicogon’s iconic Mt. Opao. Parched from the journey, we gladly downed the drinks offered by a resort welcoming party led by resident manager Bayon Abescola.
Our room in Huni Sicogon opens to the beach,
Huni currently testing out amenities, facilities, and services with half of the total of 52 rooms open in preparation for grand opening day sometime in the last quarter of 2018, according to Abescola. MyCebu.ph was among those invited to the resort’s soft opening.
We were billeted in spacious deluxe rooms that can accommodate a maximum of three and offer varying bed sizes. Family rooms are good for four and come even bigger at 53 square meters.
HUNI SICOGON will have 52 rooms when all phases are done. It sits on a beautiful beachfront looking across the Islas de Gigantes.
Tourism estate
Named for the humming sound of the sea, Huni is a central figure in the Sicogon Island Tourism Estate in Carles, Iloilo. The tourism estate is a development born out of a partnership between Ayala Land and the Sicogon Development Corp., said Jonah Villena, Marketing and PR supervisor of the Ayala Land subsidiary Ten Knots Development Corporation.
Soon enough, a fully completed airport on the 1,100-hectare Sicogon Island will welcome the first commercial flight from the capital while a jetty port will make it more accessible to seaborne visitors. Bayon said he expects two motorized outrigger boats for island transfers and e-jeeps for travel within Sicogon.
SCALING MT. OPAO. One of the fun activities you should try when in Sicogon Island is to scale Mt. Opao. Huni Sicogon arranges hikes to Mt. Opao and provides local guides.
Ayala Land will also bring in a four-storey Seda hotel as well as a 77-bed hostel called Dayon to be conveniently located right beside the Sicogon airport within the next three years. A resort town center with retail shops surrounding a 4.3-hectare lagoon is also in the pipeline.
For now, though, there is Huni Sicogon with its easy access to warm sea and unspoiled mountain.
Island activities
Imagine afternoon walks by the coast, a cool dip in the freshwater spring pool, cocktails and karaoke. There are also such activities as kayaking, stand up paddle, and snorkeling to satisfy a craving for more energetic sport.
A trek through the dense undergrowth up Mt. Opao is a must-try but be warned that it does require a certain fitness level. The nearby islet of Tumaquin offers the more challenging cliff jumping activity.
ISLAND-HOPPING TOUR. Huni Sicogon is the perfect jumpoff point to a tour of Islas de Gigantes, including to Antonia Beach, where you can eat scallops for P1 apiece.
Off site, there are the popular islands that make up the Gigantes group: the selfie island Cabugao Gamay, Bantigue Sandbar, and Antonia Island. Sicogon’s location makes it the perfect jump off point for hopping from one island to another.
Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the seafood in the islands. Whether you order it as part of resort fare or from a local community in a Gigantes island, you are always assured it is the freshest it can be.
More photos of our Huni Sicogon weekend
BEACHFRONT. Huni Sicogon has an expansive beachfront that looks across to Islas de Gigantes.
SOFT OPENING. Our group of writers from Cebu at the Huni Sicogon all-day dining restaurant.
HUNI SICOGON ROOM. Our room during the weekend stay.
SELFIE ISLAND. Rock formations on Cabugao Gamay, more known as the selfie island for its iconic spot for taking selfies.
1-PESO SCALLOPS. Feasting on scallops, sold by the tray at P1 apiece, on the Bantigue sandbar.
DINNER ON THE BEACH. First night’s dinner on a the beautiful Huni Sicogon beach.
FRESH SEAFOOD is always on the menu on Sicogon Island.
Gising gising
TO MT. OPAO. Our group heading to the summit of Mt. Opao.
AIRSTRIP. The airstrip and lagoon, which will have retail shops in the future, can be seen from the peak of Mt. Opao.
BALAY KOGON. The beachfront of nearby Balay Kogon, which is part of the tourism estate.
CHICKEN BINAKOL is chicken soup with coconut meat and water. We had this delicious dish in Balay Kogon.
PINA COLADA
THE WINNICK. This cocktail is named after Katheryn Winnick, an actress known for her role in Vikings. It’s her favorite drink and she requested the resort to make it during her stay. It has since become part of the drinks menu of Huni Sicogon.
HUNI SICOGON. The beachfront of Huni Sicogon and Mt. Opao on the background.
Technology solutions to monitor Cebu City’s free medicines program, facilitate and track donations for calamity-hit communities, teach speech to kids with cleft palate, support cancer patients deal with their disease,…
Technology solutions to monitor Cebu City’s free medicines program, facilitate and track donations for calamity-hit communities, teach speech to kids with cleft palate, support cancer patients deal with their disease, and help the blind read via conversion of text into Braille feedback topped Saturday’s Accenture Program The Future 2018 in Cebu.
The five student teams chosen from the 11 that joined the semifinals in Cebu will head to Manila on August 18 to compete in the national finals.
“Your solutions and apps prove that you can accomplish extraordinary things by combining talent, collaboration, technology, and compassion for others,” said Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in the Philippines Managing Director Arvin Yason during the awarding of winners.
“Help future-proof talent”
Program The Future: The Accenture Technology Campus Challenge, Yason explained in a press conference after the event, was started five years ago to reach out to the academe.
“Through Program the Future, Accenture is actively collaborating with the academe to help future- proof talent, equipping them with the necessary skills to succeed and lead in the digital age,” the company said in a briefing paper.
“The intent really is through the months-long program, we want to help students rediscover their power to shape the future through technology,” Yason said. “We’re also helping them see that it’s not just about technology it’s also about creativity, imagination, teamwork–because we’re a very team-oriented organization–and the power of technology to make the world a better place.”
EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in the Philippines Managing Director Arvin Yason: “Your solutions and apps prove that you can accomplish extraordinary things by combining talent, collaboration, technology, and compassion for others.”
New technologies to solve social problems
This year, the competition’s theme is “Tech4Good.”
Accenture said the competition provides students the opportunity to learn about new technologies such as blockchain, cloud, Internet of things or IoT, extended reality, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.
The students underwent training and mentoring sessions by Accenture employees on design thinking and the new technologies that they should tap in building their solutions, Yason said.
He said the program received 132 submissions from 21 schools all over the country.
In Cebu, the following teams won and will compete in the national finals:
Team: A1 of Cebu Institute of Technology University
Project: Aeon
Team A1
Aeon is an app and platform that will help Cebu City Hall’s Long Life Program, a project that delivers maintenance medicines to residents with with hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The app aims to solve problems on the program such as manual recording by digitizing records. It uses GPS to verify and track deliveries. It also has a predictive stock ordering capability to make sure there is enough stocks for beneficiaries. The platform can also be used to gather health data of beneficiaries to evaluate potential health risks.
Team: Aid 2.0 of University of San Carlos
Project: Tactus: Tactile text to Braille glove for the blind
Team Aid 2.0
Tactus taps AI and IoT to transform text into Braille feedback on the fingertips of a glove. The team says it offers a “portable, wearable, and affordable” solution for the blind and visually-impaired to read.
Team: Amigos of University of San Jose Recoletos
Project: JUANation
Team Amigos
The project taps IBM Watson AI to analyze data from verified news sources about calamities and then generate assessments, based on location and population, on needs of the community for donations. It also taps the blockchain for monitoring of the donations.
Team: Repository Blues of University of the Philippines – Cebu
Project: Cancervive
Team Repository Blues
The project is a support platform for people with cancer deal with their ailment. It has a profile of the patient, a private diary to track the treatment, reminders and tracking of medications, and a community portal for interaction with other cancer patients and medical personnel.
Team Coop of Cebu Institute of Technology University
Project: Tingog
Team Coop
Tingog is an app that aims to teach speech to children with cleft palate. It is meant as a complement to professional speech therapy. During the presentation, team leader Fritz Hoyle said the team will be working with Smile Train Philippines to deploy the app, whatever the outcome of the contest.
Yason said the teams in this year’s edition of the event “pleasantly surprised us in terms of the readiness of their prototypes.”
Unlike in the previous staging of the events when they focused on specific technologies, Yason said this year is more open-ended in terms of solutions.
Integrate multiple technologies
“That actually mimics real life. In real life, we rarely deliver solutions just on one technology. When we build solutions for our clients, we integrate multiple technologies,” Yason said.
“The evolution this year is tech for good. We wanted these students to actually look at society’s problems and ask themselves how can we start solving these problems with new and emerging technologies,” he said.
The 10 finalists that made it to the national competition will get P20,000 cash each team. The team that deploys solutions closely aligned with Accenture’s Tech Vision will receive P50,000 cash. The grand champion will win P300,000 cash and the school will receive P50,000. The Accenture mentor of the winning team will get a gadget.
Easy to install and convenient to use, the CP Plus network camera line offers a great option for home and office security. With increasing incidents of theft and vandalism near…
Easy to install and convenient to use, the CP Plus network camera line offers a great option for home and office security.
With increasing incidents of theft and vandalism near where we live in Lapu-Lapu City, our family decided to install a security camera. We studied options for video surveillance including standard CCTV packages and decided that our best option was to use an IP camera system.
Unlike the old analog CCTV camera, IP or internet protocol cameras are digital video surveillance systems that connect to your home network and the internet. The digital capability allows you to remotely control the camera, store video footage, listen to and talk to people within audio range, and even set triggers such as movements to capture photos and video clips.
CONTROL. You can control and configure your ezykam cameras on your computer by accessing it using its IP address (example 102.168.1.17). To find out your camera’s IP address, you can use an app like Fing. Notice the REC notification to indicate that the camera is recording video. This was triggered by the motion detection system when the trisikad passed by.
We checked on a few options and decided on the Ezykam line of CP Plus. I had attended a company demo some months back and was familiar with the line.
Ezykam EP10, HC10
We got the Ezykam models EP10 and HC10 from CP Plus distributor RC Goldline. The EP10 retails for P3,490 while the HC10 sells for P2,490. The 2 units have basically the same functionalities except for a key difference: the EP10 allows 360-degree pan and tilt while the HC10 is fixed.
Installation and setup of the devices were easy. You just need to follow the manual on which parts to attach to which, download the app, and then go through the process of connecting to the devices. To connect, you just need to scan a QR code at the bottom or behind the unit. Not being a handyman, it took me longer to install the camera to the ceiling outside the house than to set the system up. You can then control or configure your ezykam camera through your desktop by entering its IP address (such as 192.168.1.4). To find out the IP address of your camera, you can use an app like Fing to scan your network.
CP PLUS EZYCAM EP10. This has pan and tilt capability.
Ezykam app for iOS, Android
The ezykam app for iOS and Android also makes it easy to monitor not just one camera but several others on your phone. That way, you can actually surround your house or office with different ezykam units and have a comprehensive video surveillance system that costs less than what CCTV systems used to sell for.
The ezykam cameras have a motion detection system with sensitivity settings that you can define. You can then set it to send you an email whenever it detects movement and provide app notifications. At the same time, it will also take photo snapshots and videos and save it to a microSD card for later retrieval via app download. You can also set it to send these files to a NAS or network attached storage via FTP if you have a home computer network.
CP PLUS EZYCAM HC10.
You can also set the ezykam cameras to record videos on certain days and hours. The system will just overwrite the data on your microSD if it needs the space.
The exykam also has excellent night vision capability of about 10 meters. The video and photos it takes at night are clear and people’s features are easily discernible.
Video monitoring
You can also define several preset views with ezykam for devices like the EP10 that supports pan and tilt. That way, you can let the camera pan to a certain view just by entering its preset number. You can even set it to do vertical and horizontal patrols.
We’ve used the cameras for several weeks now and are very happy with its performance. We’re now assured that if anything untoward happens within our immediate vicinity, we’ll be able to capture it on video. It also allows us to remotely check our home whenever we’re out for work or even traveling. The most important feature, however, is that all these capabilities and control are available on the phone.
MONITORING, CONTROL ON YOUR PHONE. You can monitor and control your network of CP Plus ezykam cameras on the phone via its iOS and Android apps. This makes home or office security mobile and convenient.
Cebu is the “perfect destination” for Chinese tourists because they are into diving and love the water and islands, said AirAsia China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan. AirAsia launched today…
Cebu is the “perfect destination” for Chinese tourists because they are into diving and love the water and islands, said AirAsia China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan.
AirAsia launched today its daily Cebu-Shanghai flights at the new Terminal 2 of Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
“Cebu has so much to offer. You have a rich culture and amazing, beautiful islands,” said Tan during the inaugural ceremonies. “The Chinese love to eat. Food is very important to them, and shopping.”
“Cebu,” Tan told those gathered at the event, “your city will never be the same again with China coming in.”
DAILY FLIGHTS TO SHANGHAI. AirAsia launches its daily flights to Shanghai with an inaugural at the newly-opened Terminal 2 of Mactan Cebu International Airport. Present during the event are (center stage, from left) AirAsia Philippines Chairperson Maan Hontiveros, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Antonio Chiu, Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, AirAsia China and North Asia President Kathleen Tan, Chinese Embassy Deputy Consul Wu Xiaomin, and AirAsia Philippines CEO Dexter Comendador.
Long-term growth
AirAsia Philippines CEO Capt. Dexter Comendador said the new terminal provides the airline “great capacity for long-term growth and expansion in Cebu as AirAsia’s hub.”
He said AirAsia now has 3 planes based in Cebu, which is the most outside Manila, ground equipment to support it, and about 200 employees.
“It’s a huge investment for us but we’re very happy that we did the right thing in connecting with China. It’s the largest market.” Comendador said.
MUCH TO OFFER. Cebu has much to offer to tourists based in China, said AirAsia China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan.
Market doing very well
He said they initially only wanted to divert passengers from Boracay, with the closure of the island in April, but “we found out that the market is working very well.”
“It’s a good problem for me,” Comendador said, “because when Boracay opens, I will need to find other planes to fly that route because I cannot, I will not, pull out the routes that we have established as alternate to Boracay.”
Tan described the development as “very exciting” because the airline has been able to connect “Cebu to a very important market. China is now ranked as one of the biggest outbound travel market in the world.”
Encouraging response
She described the initial response as very encouraging, with the inaugural flight from Shanghai to Cebu set to arrive past midnight at 99% of load capacity with 179 passengers.
Tan said forward sales also show good booking rates. She said they are aiming to have at least 80% load factor for the routes.
She said the Chinese “now have a big appetite for travel.” It is a “lifestyle commodity” especially for travelers from Shanghai.
She also said that she learned from Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Antonio Chiu that after they opened their routes to China, there have been Chinese business people who expressed interest in investing in Cebu.
CEBU IS READY. Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said Cebu is ready for the influx of tourists from China with the new flights by AirAsia.
Young, independent travelers
Tan said many of their customers are those born in the 1980s and 1990s and they see more independent and young Chinese travelers. To engage them, she encouraged those in the industry to go digital, mobile, and social.
Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale welcomed the new routes as opportunities for Cebu to get more exposure to the Chinese market.
Magpale said that with the opening of Terminal 2, Cebu can accommodate more international flights.
EXPANSION. AirAsia Philippines CEO Capt. Dexter Comendador said the new Terminal 2 of MCIA provides the airline “great capacity for long-term growth and expansion in Cebu as AirAsia’s hub.”
Cebu is ready
“Cebu is really, really ready for more Chinese tourists,” she said during the event.
“With these added flights, we know that we will hit our 10 million mark for Cebu. We’ve asked the hotels, the resorts and they are really ready. The Provincial Government as well as the City Government are right behind the business community to make Cebu ready,” she added.
Chinese Embassy Deputy Consul Wu Xiaomin said that last year, the number of tourists from China to the Philippines increased 75%, the fastest growing among foreign markets.
“Tourism brings economic benefits both to the host country and the tourists’ home country,” he said. “I believe that improved relations between the Philippines and China is a key factor in the improved tourism market.”
Tick off that elusive dream destination in your bucket list as the Grand Travel Bazaar opens today at The Gallery in Ayala Center Cebu with the best deals on plane…
Tick off that elusive dream destination in your bucket list as the Grand Travel Bazaar opens today at The Gallery in Ayala Center Cebu with the best deals on plane fares and tour packages.
Book flights with such premier airlines as Cathay Pacific, SilkAir, EVA Air, Korean Air, Turkish Airlines, and Philippine Airlines at super discounted rates.
The Grand Travel Bazaar, which brings together Cebu’s top travel agencies and their premier airline partners, is an exclusive sale for BPI Cardholders and allow them to enjoy real zero percent interest rate for 3 months installment payments.
ZERO PERCENT INTEREST. The Grand Travel Bazaar, which brings together Cebu’s top travel agencies and their premier airline partners, is an exclusive sale for BPI Cardholders and allow them to enjoy real zero percent interest rate for 3 months installment payments.
Longer installments are also available with a little add-on interest rate, said BPI Cards Visayas Regional Marketing Head Fe Emlyn Boltron-Aleonar. She said flights booked during the event already include travel insurance.
Cathay Pacific bestsellers
For the 3-day event up to Sunday, July 8, 2018, Cathay Pacific offers travel deals out of Cebu on economy class to Hong Kong for as low as USD185, to Narita, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul, and Busan for as low as USD335, and to Taipei for as low as USD225.
Cathay Pacific District Sales and Marketing Manager Hazel Tagimacruz urged Cebuanos to take advantage of the really good deals offered up to Sunday.
North America destinations out of Cebu via Hong Kong start from USD695 while Australia flights start from USD460. Cathay Pacific fares to several European cities from Cebu are priced around USD700.
OPENING. Organizers cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the 3-day Grand Travel Bazaar in Ayala Center Cebu.
Extensive SilkAir network
Jake Jeow, SilkAir Country Manager, said they are offering discounted fare rates for economy, premium economy, and business class flights to more than 100 destinations in their network.
SilkAir flights to Singapore go for as low as USD168 for travel in 2018 and USD184 in 2019.
Promo fares to SilkAir’s Southeast Asian destinations like Phuket, Vientiane, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur is at USD237 for travel in 2018 and USD243 in 2019 for return trips.
Return flights to London, Frankfurt, Zurich, Barcelona, Paris, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan, Moscow, and Rome are at USD737 all-in for travel within 2018.
TRAVEL ESSENTIAL. Customers get discount coupons for Delsey products courtesy of the Primer Group.
More Europe destinations
Turkish Airlines joins the Grand Travel Bazaar with flights out of Manila to Europe and Asia.
Patricia Villagracia, airline sales executive, said they fly to more destinations in Europe and their extensive network even includes Belarus, Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, and other key European cities. Return fares on economy class range from USD600 to USD800. From Manila, flights to the Turkish Airlines hub in Istanbul is only about 12 hours with layover of 2-3 hours before proceeding to the final destinations.
Facebook Livestream of opening
International, local flights
EVA Air offers the lowest return flights to Taipei at USD200. Other airline destinations on sale include the US cities of Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Houston, and Chicago.
Direct return flights from Cebu to Narita, Osaka, Nagoya, and Incheon via Philippine Airlines go for as low as USD209. PAL’s Cebu-Bangkok round-trip fare is at USD149.
PAL is also offering discounted rates to 14 local destinations from Cebu, with one way-fares starting from P699.
Korean Air also joins the bazaar for the second year with flights to the West and East coasts going for as low as USD697 and USD789.
To mark American Independence Day, iconic Cebu hotel Marco Polo Plaza has prepared a sumptuous spread of classic American dishes on top of its regular international buffet spread for lunch…
To mark American Independence Day, iconic Cebu hotel Marco Polo Plaza has prepared a sumptuous spread of classic American dishes on top of its regular international buffet spread for lunch and dinner in Cafe Marco.
The latest of the hotel’s Culinary Journey, which highlights specific cuisines to time with a global celebration, will run from July 4 to 7.
At the Fried Bar, diners can get buffalo wings and potato mix fries. Those who want burgers can have their choice of beef, chicken, and lamb patties at the Burger Station. The café also has a Barbecue Corner and Mac and Cheese Bar.
BURGER. You have the choice of beef, chicken, and lamb patties.
Food choices
At the Carving Station, diners can have their fill of USDA grade roast beef, herb roast chicken, and a lot more options.
Cafe Marco also set up a DIY station for quesadillas, burritos, tacos, enchaladas, and nachos. A must-try is its chili con carne.
APPLE PIE.
Leave room for desserts and get a slice of All American favorites apple and pecan pie. You should also try the delicious star spangled ice cream cake.
On July 7, a Saturday, you can bring your friends and family to the hotel and avail yourselves of the Star Spangled Celebration Lunch Buffet, which includes free use of the swimming pool.
World Chocolate Day
Also on July 7, Cafe Marco will mark World Chocolate Day with an array of chocolate goodies.
“The dessert buffet will be overflowing with these bitter-sweet confections that will surely satisfy your sweet tooth,” the hotel said in a press release.
CHILI CON CARNE.
Cafe Marco will serve chocolate-infused dishes such as baked chocolate pasta, coffee and chili crusted barbeque back ribs with tablea sauce, dark chocolate corn tacos, chocolate salami, and many more.
Cafe Marco buffet rates are P1,230 nett per person for lunch and P1,520 nett per person for dinner.
Diners are in for a treat this June. Every Wednesday during the month, 8 brands that are part of the Max’s Group, Inc. will be offering All-You-Can sets for P349…
Diners are in for a treat this June. Every Wednesday during the month, 8 brands that are part of the Max’s Group, Inc. will be offering All-You-Can sets for P349 per brand for 2 hours starting at 2 p.m. until closing time.
This is the first cross-branded promotion by the country’s biggest casual dining group, said Max’s Group Marketing Services Head Charlene Marie Sapina.
The Max’s Group All-You-Can Wednesdays promo will be available in more than 600 stores nationwide on June 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 2 pm until closing time. For 24-hour stores of Yellow Cab, its All-You-Can Pizza deal starts at 12 midnight. For other Yellow Cab outlets, the promo is available for the duration of its opening hours.
ALL-YOU-CAN WEDNESDAYS. Every Wednesday this June, get a dining treat in 6 Max’s Group brands with their all-you-can offerings.
Customers who sign up for the All-You-Can promo will be provided stickers for identification upon entry to the store. They will then have 2 hours to eat as much of the featured product as they could.
Senior Citizens or PWDs may choose to avail themselves either of the promotional discount or the 20% discount
The company said the cross-brand promotions allow them to “leverage their portfolio and store network to delight loyal customers.”
The different All-You-Can promos are:
Max’s All-You-Can Fried Chicken with 1 glass of Sago’t Gulaman
Yellow Cab’s All-You-Can Pizza in Hawaiian or #4 Cheese and Mountain Dew with 1 order of regular Salt & Pepper Hustlers
Pancake House’s All-You-Can Best Taco in Town and Iced Tea
Krispy Kreme’s All-You-Can Original Glazed Doughnut and Signature Coffee
Dencio’s All-You-Can Krispy Sisig (Regular) and Iced Tea
Teriyaki Boy’s All-You-Can Ebi Tempura and Iced Tea with 1 cup of Steamed Gohan
Sizzlin’ Steak’s All-You-Can Beef Belly Strips and Iced Tea with 1 cup of Plain Rice
Jamba Juice’s All-You-Can Banana Berry Smoothie with 1 Reusable Metal Straw.
Apart from the individual promos, the Max’s Group is also offering All-You-Can Bundles for barkadas and families. The packages start at P849.
The All-You-Can Bundles are:
Get Max’s 3 sets of All-You-Can Fried Chicken with 1 glass of Sago’t Gulaman + a free Plush Toy for P1,249
Yellow Cab’s 2 sets of All-You-Can Pizza in Hawaiian or #4 Cheese and Mountain Dew + 1 full order of Chicken Alfredo Pasta for P849
Pancake House’s 3 sets of All-You-Can Best Taco in Town and Iced Tea + 1 order of Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (Large) for P1,199
Krispy Kreme’s 3+1 All-You-Can Original Glazed Doughnut and Signature Coffee for P999
Dencio’s 3 sets of All-You-Can Krispy Sisig (Regular) and Iced Tea + 1 order of Hot & Spicy Tofulutan for P1,099
Teriyaki Boy’s 3 sets of All-You-Can Ebi Tempura and Iced Tea with 1 cup of Steamed Gohan for P999
Sizzlin’ Steak’s 3 sets of All-You-Can Beef Belly Strips and Iced Tea with 1 cup of Plain Rice + 1 order of Cheese Dip with Nachos for P999
Jamba Juice’s 3 sets of All-You-Can Banana Berry Smoothie with 1 Reusable Metal Straw for P999
All customers who avail themselves of an All-You-Cam officer will get Delivery Treat Vouchers. For Max’s, customers get a free Sizzling Tofu with a minimum delivery order of P1,500. For Yellow Cab, get a free Ice Cream for every order of Squad Stuff, Boom Bundles, or Hustle Bundles. Pancake House offers free 2-piece Classic Pancakes with a minimum delivery order of P800.
For Krispy Kreme, get a free box of 3 Original Glazed Doughnuts with a minimum delivery order of P1,000. Dencio’s offers free Lumpiang Shanghai with a minimum delivery order of P1,500. Get Teriyaki Boy’s 8-piece California Roll for free for every order of Kazoku Set Meal and for Sizzlin’ Steak, enjoy a free Cheese Dip with Nachos for every order of Platter of 3.
“Max’s Group’s very first All-You-Can promo is the result of a momentous synergy among MGI’s well-loved brands—all of which have become deeply ingrained in the lives of Filipinos,” Ariel Fermin, Group COO for Max’s Group, Inc. said in a press statement.
Getting a taxi is now easier in Cebu, thanks to ride-hailing platform Micab that was developed by a team of young entrepreneurs. If you haven’t installed it yet, download the…
Getting a taxi is now easier in Cebu, thanks to ride-hailing platform Micab that was developed by a team of young entrepreneurs.
If you haven’t installed it yet, download the Micab app from the Play Store or App Store to get access to 3,000 taxis enrolled in the platform for Cebu alone.
Micab Systems Corp. was granted accreditation as a transport network company (TNC) by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last April 30, said founder and CEO Eddie Ybañez.
What makes Micab different from transport networks like Grab and Uber is it doesn’t charge a booking fee when you hail a taxi using the app.
INTERVIEW. Micab founder and CEO Eddie Ybañez answers questions during an interview by Cebu journalists.
Taxi 2.0
Ybañez said taxis subscribed to the Micab platform pay P500 a month and the fee covers the tablet and data that drivers need to run the app.
Without the booking fee, Micab Systems Corp. plans to get its main revenues from MiAds advertising. It has partnered with ad agencies to get companies to advertise on the tablets in the taxis.
Ybañez said the Micab platform, which he co-founded with Kenneth Baylosis during the Startup Weekend Cebu in 2012, came about as a solution to the perennial difficulty of getting a taxi that he used to frequently experience.
The TNC accreditation is a step forward in the company’s vision of a Taxi 2.0, which will involve clean and modern cabs driven by polite and friendly drivers. Although drivers can see a passenger’s destination in the Micab app, they won’t be able to cancel a booking once they’ve accepted it.
Micab target
The Cebu-based Micab company also now covers Metro Manila, Baguio, Bacolod, and Iloilo. In Manila, taxi bookings through Micab now go as high as 10,000 per day.
Although 80 percent of taxis in Cebu are already covered by the Micab platform, it still has to catch up with Manila in terms of usage, said Ybañez.
He added that they will continue to work with LTFRB and other government agencies “to innovate how Filipinos commute across our cities” to reach a shared goal that is the convenience of the country’s riding public.
NO BOOKING FEE, NO SURGE PRICING. Micab founder and CEO Eddie Ybañez says their app does not charge a booking fee.
Digital hailing stations
Ybañez said they will also be soon deploying what he described as digital taxi hailing stations in major malls in Cebu City. Through these stations, commuters without the app can book a Micab unit.
The target for the year is to increase the number of taxi units enrolled in the Micab platform from 5,000 to 15,000.
Ybañez also said they will be building a system based on Micab for route-based units like buses, jeepneys, and vans-for-hire. He said this would likely be deployed early next year.
With enough room for a laptop, tablet, phones, portable drives, voice recorder, tripod, selfie stick, pocket WiFi, power cord extension, numerous data cables and several paper notebooks, the Millican roll…
With enough room for a laptop, tablet, phones, portable drives, voice recorder, tripod, selfie stick, pocket WiFi, power cord extension, numerous data cables and several paper notebooks, the Millican roll pack is the backpack for travelers and digital nomads.
I got a 25-liter Maverick roll pack during a sale by the Primer Group, the exclusive distributor of the brand in the country, and it is one of the best purchases I’ve ever had. I’ve used the Millican bag exclusively for weeks and can say that it is the best backpack that I’ve had in the decades of carrying one.
I’ve gone through all the usual brands – Hawk (my go-to brand for years), The North Face, Jansport, and Case Logic – but nothing comes close to Millican in utility, durability, and style.
For one, I finally have a bag that can fit all the stuff I carry around for work or leisure.
TRAVEL, WORK FROM ANYWHERE. The Millican 25-liter Maverick roll pack has room enough to carry all the things I need to work from anywhere.
Hidden laptop sleeve
The Millican has a hidden laptop sleeve at the back panel that’s perfect for my 13-inch Macbook Air. With its padded protection, I don’t need a separate laptop sleeve like I did with the other bags. The hidden pocket can hold a notebook of up to 15 inches. It is also lined with “100% waterproof recycled polyester,” according to the company.
There’s a separate hidden key pocket that can fit an iPad mini or a smaller Android tablet. It’s also perfect for phones and other gadgets.
The Maverick has a large front external pocket that can hold notebooks, phones, pocket WiFi, business cards, and even the 20,000mAh that powers my devices throughout the day. Behind this is an open pocket that is perfect for maps, brochures, or notebooks for easy access and inserts.
LAPTOP SLEEVE. The Maverick backpack has a hidden laptop sleeve at the back lined waterproof recycled polyester.
Holder for tripod, walking stick
It has 2 large side pockets that can hold a flask, more notebooks or other knickknacks. One side pocket has a holder for tripods or walking stick.
Inside the bag are several more pockets to fit even more things that you need to carry around. These pockets can fit clipboards, notebooks, and other important documents.
The roll top lid opening makes access to the stuff that you need easy. It also makes the backpack adjust to the amount of stuff you carry around. With the Maverick, I finally feel I have more room than things to stuff into it. With previous backpacks, I’d often have to carry a separate messenger bag to carry things that wouldn’t fit for longer trips or coverages that require use of more equipment.
TO THE BEACH. Millican bags are “made to last” and provide “a protective barrier to keep the wet weather out,” the company said.
Made to last
Millican bags, the company said in its website, “are made to last.” Its outer fabric is made of Bionic Cotton Canvas, a company exclusive that is 38% cotton, 57% recycled polyester, 5% HT polyester and impregnated with a paraffin wax and a C6 DWR or durable water resistant coating.
“This creates a protective barrier to keep the wet weather out. Your bag will continue to repel water droplets as long as the fabric is kept clean and nourished every few years with a protective treatment,” the company said.
All Maverick bags use aluminum buckles “tough enough to withstand an average force of around 122 kgf (kilogram force). The aluminium is anodized, which provides a weather resistant surface without tarnishing, and the anodized trims we use are non-toxic and contain no nickel.”
Kindred spirits
If the backpack feels it was made for traveling it is because it was made by hardcore travelers.
Millican was started by Jorrit and Nicky, who met while traveling in the early 90s on the border of Ecuador and Peru. They traveled together for 2 years before returning to regular life in the UK.
“It wasn’t long before we slipped into regular life. Jobs, family, a house and a routine out in the suburbs. But there was always a flicker of light, an ember that never quite went out,” they said on their website.
LARGE POCKETS. Millican’s Maverick backpack has large external pockets, including 2 in both sides large enough to carry a 600ml flask. One side pocket has an attachment to carry around a tripod and walking stick.
“Then one story changed our lives for good. The true story of Millican Dalton, a maverick from the 1900s who swapped his existence in London for an extraordinary life of adventure in the mountains of the Lake District.”
The co-founders said Dalton inspired them to take a leap of faith and follow their own path.
“In homage to Millican Dalton, who was known to make his own clothing and rucksacks, we decided to name our company after him. His teachings still influence our decisions today,” they said.
In Cebu, Millican bags are available in GRIND and Bratpack.
When you connect to a website, the first thing that happens is that your device queries for the location of the servers that host the content. When you type an…
When you connect to a website, the first thing that happens is that your device queries for the location of the servers that host the content.
When you type an address like Facebook.com, for example, your system needs to find the numeric address or the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the server that hosts the site, such as 31.13.72.36. This arrangement, called Domain Name System (DNS), is analogous to a phonebook.
That process is what technology company Cloudflare wants to speed up with its recent announcement on the availability of the 1.1.1.1 DNS service. The service is run in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre or APNIC, the regional registry that manages the allocation of IP addresses.
Here’s an explainer video on DNS
“Unfortunately, by default, DNS is usually slow and insecure. Your ISP, and anyone else listening in on the Internet, can see every site you visit and every app you use — even if their content is encrypted. Creepily, some DNS providers sell data about your Internet activity or use it target you with ads,” Cloudflare said in announcing the free service.
By default, your connection uses the DNS settings of your Internet Service Providers or ISP such as PLDT Home. To use the services of 1.1.1.1, you just need to adjust settings in your router, computer, or phone.
CHANGING ROUTER SETTING. To use the service, you need to change a setting in your router or device. The image shows the setting change for the PLDT DSL modem.
I switched our home connection for a couple of days now and there are discernible improvements in the speed of the loading of pages. Before 1.1.1.1, we used Google’s public DNS, which are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
Before Google’s public DNS, we used for some time OpenDNS, which are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. OpenDNS has the added functionality of blocking harmful locations such as phishing sites and filtering porn content.
FAST. DNSPerf ranks 1.1.1.1 as fastest DNS service globally.
DNSPerf data back up the service’s claim to being the fastest. It ranked 1.1.1.1 at number 1 with a query speed of 13.67 ms. OpenDNS ranked 2nd with a speed of 20.69 ms. Google’s public DNS had a speed of 34.46 ms.
SPEED, PRIVACY. The new DNS service by Cloudflare and APNIC offers speed and guarantees privacy, according to its announcement.
But a key draw to the 1.1.1.1 service is its guarantee on privacy.
“Frankly, we don’t want to know what you do on the Internet—it’s none of our business—and we’ve taken the technical steps to ensure we can’t,” the service announcement said.
The partners said the “will never log your IP address (the way other companies identify you).” To back their claim, the partners said they signed up KPMG to audit their systems to make sure they are doing what they promised.
To better cater to the growing local and tourist population, Mactan Doctors Hospital will undergo a three-phase expansion starting with the construction of a Medical Arts Building. Dr. Potenciano “Yong”…
To better cater to the growing local and tourist population, Mactan Doctors Hospital will undergo a three-phase expansion starting with the construction of a Medical Arts Building.
Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III, chairman and president of the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals, said it has been a longtime dream of the company to make Mactan Doctors in Lapu-Lapu City a major player in the health industry.
“One of the marching orders I’ve given down the line is don’t let the patients cross the bridge. For this to happen, the expansion must ensure that Mactan Doctors Hospital carry the complete facilities and offer affordable rates,” he added.
TIME CAPSULE. Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III, chairman and president of the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals, lead company officials and partners in laying down the time capsule to mark the groundbreaking of the Medical Arts Building at Mactan Doctors Hospital.
3-phase expansion
After the construction of a new Medical Arts building, the second phase of the expansion will be to transform the space currently occupied by the clinics into a two-storey structure that will house the emergency room with a 24-hour concierge.
Increasing hospital capacity from 160 to 300 beds will be the third phase of the expansion, added Larrazabal. He led the groundbreaking of the Medical Arts building last March 10. Once completed, the structure will have at least 50 shared clinics.
Mactan Doctors, which is part of a network of facilities under the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals, will spend from P150 to P175 million for the whole development. According to Larrazabal, each phase of the expansion will take about six months.
Healthcare demand
This will be the fourth expansion by Mactan Doctors since its opening in 1993, said Medical Director Dr. Joselito Montesclaros. He added that the move is necessary because the demand for healthcare in Mactan has risen exponentially with the increase in the number of residents and tourists.
CEREMONY. Mactan Doctors, which is part of a network of facilities under the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals, will spend from P150 to P175 million for the whole development.
Mactan Doctors will also be introducing medical procedures previously offered only in Cebu City hospitals, such as a dialysis treatment, laparoscopic surgery, hyperbaric medicine, and positron-emission tomography (PET) scan. It will soon offer residency training programs as well.
Other members of the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals are also scheduled for upgrades and expansion. These initiatives will include a trauma center in South General Hospital and Mother and Child Center in North Gen.
SIGNING. Officials led by Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III, chairman and president of the CebuDoc Group of Hospitals, sign building plans and documents to mark the groundbreaking.
A legacy of Cebuano flavors passed down through three generations of women continues on with the opening of Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Cebu City. Sisters Sarah A. Suizo and Alicia…
A legacy of Cebuano flavors passed down through three generations of women continues on with the opening of Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Cebu City.
Sisters Sarah A. Suizo and Alicia A. Daan said the family business of serving kinilaw and seafood dishes started as a single table in Tangke, Talisay with their grandmother Estel Labajo in the 1960s.
Hers was one of the first eateries to serve fish prepared through the “sutukil” or sinugba, tinola, and kinilaw method.
KINILAW or ceviche is a specialty of the eatery then known as Kilawan sa Talisay that started on a single table in Barangay Tangke in the 1960s.
Estel’s daughter Juling Abarquez took over the business that was known then by the generic name Kilawan sa Talisay together with a few other eateries that were serving similar fare.
New Kilawan branch
The small eatery grew and transformed into Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Tangke beginning in 1986, due in part to the family being able to buy the lot it was squatting on and build a more permanent structure.
Nilarang tasik.
Manang Juling’s Kilawan brings the experience closer to Cebuanos with the opening of a branch in Mango Square Mall (right across Century Plaza) in Cebu City.
Suizo said her promise to customers in both Manang Juling’s Kilawan branches is that they will be served the freshest seafood. The restaurant gets its supply of fish, shellfish, crabs, and shrimps directly from fishers immediately after they dock with the day’s catch in Tangke.
NEW BRANCH. Sisters Sarah A. Suizo and Alicia A. Daan at the new branch of Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Mango Square Mall in Cebu City.
Manang Juling’s menu
Manang Juling’s serves appetizers like kinilaw na tangigue, sinuglaw, kinilaw na sunlutan, kinilaw na lato, guso, or lukot. Soup orders include tinolang halaan or tangigue, sinigang na lapu-lapu or pasayan, and tinolang bug-atan.
Main courses range from seafood to sinugba as well as meat dishes. Diners can choose from inun-unan (tuna belly or tangigue), nukos adobao, steamed lambay, garlic shrimp, fried nukos, ginisang scallops, steamed bongcawil, and crispy ikog sa tuna.
Ginisang scallops.
There is also a wide selection of sinugba menu: tuna na panga, tuna belly, kitong, tasik, nukos, pork belly, and manok.
Restaurant hours
The main dining area in Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Mango Square Mall can seat around 50 people. There is additional space in the function room.
Suizo said they had refused partnership offers in the past for the opening of a branch in Cebu City. They were recently persuaded by members of the Yap family, who are also longtime customers of Manang Juling’s. This is why it took them 40 years to put up another branch, added Daan.
Manang Juling’s Kilawan also offers catering and packed meals. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations and catering inquiries, Manang Juling’s may be reached at +6332 254 2283. Get updates by following them on Facebook @manangjulingskilawan and Instagram @manangjulings.
More photos of Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Mango Square Mall
Garlic shrimp.
Crunchy delicious bagnet.
Sinugbang tuna belly.
Tinolang bug-atan
STEAMED BONGKAWIL. Sarah Suizo said her promise to customers in both Manang Juling’s Kilawan branches is that they will be served the freshest seafood. The restaurant gets its supply of fish, shellfish, crabs, and shrimps directly from fishers immediately after they dock with the day’s catch in Tangke.
Kinilaw na lato
Nukos adobao
More kinilaw and mini-turon.
The kinilaw was our favorite.
Sisters Sarah A. Suizo and Alicia A. Daan with their staff at Manang Juling’s Kilawan in Mango Square Mall. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Selling items online should be as easy as taking pictures. That is the key concept behind Carousell, an app-based online selling and classifieds platform that started in Singapore and is…
Selling items online should be as easy as taking pictures. That is the key concept behind Carousell, an app-based online selling and classifieds platform that started in Singapore and is now in Cebu.
“It started with three students from the National University of Singapore. Five years ago, buying and selling was difficult. There were a lot of steps, a lot of layers, and it was very inconvenient. They joined this hackathon in Singapore and that was the problem they were trying to solve, that selling should be as easy as taking a picture,” said Carousell marketing executive Marita Galvez.
Galvez said in an interview that the founders named the app after the Kodak carousel slide projector. She said they saw in the device the simplicity that they aspire for in their product.
BUY AND SELL ON MOBILE. Carousell marketing executive Marita Galvez demonstrates the app during an interview.
Strong Carousell growth in Philippines
Carousell started in Singapore and has branched out into 19 locations, including in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. They expanded to Manila and Cebu only last year.
Galvez said growth as measured in the number of listings has been robust in the Philippines. In 6 months, Carousell had 500,000 listings in the Philippines. It took the company 2 years to gather that number of listings in Singapore.
CAROUSELL allows you to filter listings by location.
“People really wanted a platform to easily buy and sell items. We also have celebrities selling inside the app. Most of the listings are fashion,” Galvez said. “It’s like a high-end online ukay ukay of pre-loved items.”
Growth in Cebu has also been robust, with the province now logging 500,000 listings and recording a transaction every 5 minutes.
Quick posting
She said they found in the app that “there’s art culture here.” She said there are artists in Cebu who sell paintings in the app.
Top searches in the app are for items related to fashion and parents and babies. Electronics is a growing category within the app, she said.
COMMUNITY. The app allows users to join community groups based on location, interests or schools.
She said it takes 30 seconds or less to take a picture and then list it in the app. She said they allow sellers to list as many items as they want for free. Carousell does not take a cut from the sale nor impose charges.
“In the Philippines we’re not monetizing, maybe in a few years. Our focus is to grow. Countries like Singapore and Hong Kong we do already. An example of how we monetize is to do a bump, where you pay and the listing goes up,” she said.
Young market
Galvez said what differentiates them from other platforms is that their market is young, largely millennials, and very active.
“We have a lot of students because they want a sideline to earn money,” she said.
RESPONSIVE, QUICK. We tried searching for items in the Carousell app and found the experience very responsive. Posting an item for sale is just as quick.
Users also group themselves into various communities within the app. There are communities by locations, shared hobbies, and schools. You can only join school-based communities if you have an official email address.
Carousell held a meetup with “power-sellers” in Cebu yesterday. These are users who are able to sell 50 to a hundred items a week. Galvez said they asked for comments about the app – feedback that will be sent to the product development team to improve Carousell.
As part of their drive to spur growth, Carousell gives away items within the app. These prizes are those that are of interest to millennials like Starbucks cards. Their last major giveaway was a trip to Singapore.
Through photos and imagination. That was how Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) students of Bantayan National High School learned some of their lessons, said Grade 12 student Mc Jemart Martinez….
Through photos and imagination. That was how Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) students of Bantayan National High School learned some of their lessons, said Grade 12 student Mc Jemart Martinez.
Not anymore. The students will soon start working with actual wires, pliers, and other electrical equipment after the Vivant Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Vivant Corporation, donated equipment to the school last Saturday.
The donation includes materials and equipment for EIM and the new solar power component that Vivant Foundation formulated with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Education (DEPED).
EXTRA ADVANTAGE. Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Garcia said the pioneering solar power track of the Electrical Installation and Management course in Bantayan National High School will give its students “that extra advantage that’s needed for the future.” Also shown in the photo are the equipment that the foundation donated to the school last Saturday.
Electrical course with solar component
“No school in the Philippines offers EIM with the solar component and we found that it was time that somebody did, especially considering that renewable energies are playing a bigger part of our power distribution and generation,” said Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Garcia. “Tomorrow’s electricians need to know how to handle solar power so together with TESDA and DEPED, we created a new curriculum that would be taught for the first time in the entire country here in Bantayan National High School.”
Garcia said that for Bantayan National High School, they are donating equipment listed by TESDA as requirements for teaching the EIM course. Before the donation, the school had to make do with the scant materials that were available, said teacher John Ray Tejero Tapales.
Tapales and Martinez said they were excited to be able to work with the equipment in their EIM classes. The school has 36 Grade 12 EIM students and only 15 Grade 11 EIM pupils. Tapales said sign-ups to the course dropped after students realized there were no equipment.
Training for teacher
During the summer break, Tapales will be going to Cebu City for training on the solar component, said Garcia. Vivant Foundation also donated solar panels, inverters, and batteries so they will learn to set the system up, he said.
“We’re not the first group to do solar panel electrification for off-grid areas like in mountain schools in Luzon and Mindanao and island schools in the Visayas,” Garcia said in an interview. “But what we have that’s unique is incorporating the idea of having a larger high school that offers EIM and updating their course to include solar. In exchange for them getting the equipment and the training, they’re gonna check in on the island school that’s being electrified to make sure that it’s maintained.”
Garcia said maintenance is important when it comes to solar power. Solar panels are designed to last up to 25 years but installations that are not maintained break down after just a few years.
The students who will be trained will be the ones to maintain the solar power rooftop installation that Vivant Foundation is donating to nearby Hilotongan Integrated School. The rooftop installation will power the school’s lighting and the batch of 100 computers that arrived last year but haven’t been turned on for lack of power, said Garcia.
TRAINING. Raji Roullo (left), planning and design engineer of Vivant, explains how solar panels work to a group of Electrical Installation and Maintenance students of Bantayan National High School.
Cheaper in the long run
The foundation will be spending P3.3 million for the solar power system and more in logistics cost to power the school in Hilotongan.
“It sounds like a lot but it comes out cheaper in the long run than paying fuel for the generator. And also, consider that their generator only did their light bulbs and their electric fans and they had a hundred computers that they couldn’t even turn on,” Garcia said. “The hundred computers arrived towards the end of last year but they haven’t put it on yet because they don’t have electricity.”
The system will be installed in Hilotongan from March to May, in time for the opening of the new school year.
After Tapales is trained, he will then handle the solar power component for the 2nd year of the EIM course.
Garcia said the instructor and the top students can then make quarterly trips to Hilotongan to check on the solar power setup. They will also be the ones to handle repair requests. This partnership will also give the students the needed hours of on-the-job training for their certification.
This training on solar, he said, will give students “that extra advantage that’s needed for the future.”
The students will have a lot of opportunities in a growing industry, said Provincial Board Member Horacio Franco.
AGREEMENT. Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Garcia signs the agreement that covers the donation and program. Seated at right is Provincial Board Member Horacio Franco. The donation was held last Saturday at the Bantayan National High School.
Increasing interest
Garcia said that with solar “getting cheaper” every year, they hope to encourage adoption in areas like Bantayan Island.
With heightened awareness on eco-tourism and environmental issues, “there would be increasing interest in solar and especially if businesses know that there are people who can do the maintenance and repair,” he said.
Garcia said their foundation decided to focus on technology and K to 12 education after going around the different communities in the Philippines to study the needs that they could address.
“At the same time, I also went to a symposium by PhilDev and USAID where they were talking about how we needed to increase our innovation in our country because we actually lag behind our other ASEAN neighbors in science education,” he said.
They started with donating science labs and equipment as well as training teachers in Palawan, where they have a power plants.
The Bantayan Island project, he said, is “a big part of our next step.” He said they intend to make it nationwide and would be assessing its impact, particularly of the solar power curriculum, for the needed improvements.
Self-sustaining program
He said the students in Bantayan who will be trained on solar power can potentially serve the community, including five other islet schools.
“That’s basically the idea – that it would be self-sustaining on the education side. It creates people that are skilled at jobs that are growing in demand. Solar is getting cheaper every year, so the demand has been increasing every year. And we think places like this are ideal to have people educated in solar because it is known for the beautiful beaches, the beautiful water,” Garcia said.
When Hilotongan Integrated School is energized with solar power, Garcia said they could do other side projects like putting up an adult learning program on computers during weekends, when there are no regular classes.
Cebu’s Sinulog Festival deserves a feast just as grand and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu obliges with the culinary experience “Sugbusog 2018: Gikan sa Bukid ug Dagat” at Cafe Marco. Up…
Cebu’s Sinulog Festival deserves a feast just as grand and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu obliges with the culinary experience “Sugbusog 2018: Gikan sa Bukid ug Dagat” at Cafe Marco.
Up until January 21, indulge in such local favorites as kinilaw na isda, puso sa saging, lato, and guto; ginamos and sinugba na buwad; manggang hilaw with hipon; monggos, humba and kaldereta na kanding; lechon belly and lechon kawali; inasal na manok and other Cebuano dishes raised to the level of a fine dining experience at Cebu City’s finest.
STARTERS. From chicharon or pork cracklings to itlog maalat salad, paliya salad, and manggang hilaw, Sugbusog 2018 at Cafe Marco in Marco Polo Plaza Cebu is a feast of Cebuano favorites.
Have your fill of Cebu street food like qwek-qwek, ginabot, ngohiong, balot and the local sweet staples for dessert. The Cafe Marco dessert station carries such delicacies as masareal, bokayo, leche flan, pichi-pichi, puto cheese, masi, kutsinta, and of course halo-halo.
Satisfy your craving for seafood like saang, pasayan, and sinugba na isda throughout Sugbusog 2018, which runs from January 12-21 at Cafe Marco.
The Cebuano favorites are served on top of the regular international buffet spread at Cafe Marco. Buffet prices are P1,150 net for lunch, P1,440 net for dinner, and P1,450 net for Sunday brunch.
Lato and guso.
The Sinulog-inspired decorations and creative food presentation add to the rich festival atmosphere at Cafe Marco and the rest of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
A replica of the popular Cebu attraction Magellan’s Cross with a Sto. Niño inside now decorates the hotel lobby. Sto. Niño patrons Helen Ynclino-Bucag, Val San Diego, Ben Chua, Ed Tan, and Josie Pereyra have loaned out their Sto. Niño image collections for exhibit at Marco Polo Cebu.
I ordered a pretzel and picked up a loaf of ciabatta to go yesterday at the Abaca Baking Company in Ayala Center Cebu. Instead of reaching for my wallet at…
I ordered a pretzel and picked up a loaf of ciabatta to go yesterday at the Abaca Baking Company in Ayala Center Cebu. Instead of reaching for my wallet at the cashier, however, I took out my phone.
I opened the GCash app, chose Pay QR and scanned a QR Code – some sort of barcode – placed near the cashier. The app then prompted me to enter the amount of my bill and after I did so, I was told that the transaction was successful and I got a digital “receipt.”
Just like that, I made my first QR code payment.
NO CASH. Using GCash, you can buy bread at the Abaca Baking Company and pay the exact amount it by scanning a QR code at the counter. The cafe is among the about 90 shops in Ayala Center Cebu accepting payments via the system.
Convenient payments
It was quick, convenient, and glitch-free. There were no more counting of bills and coins. The cashier did not need to ask whether I had change – a perennial holiday shopping rush problem in stores. I paid the exact amount in less time than it took for cashiers to perform regular transactions.
I also had an updated record of my GCash transactions right within the app: from purchases to receipt of money to cellphone loads.
And since my first GCash Scan To Pay transaction happened this weekend, I also had a 20% cashback on my purchase.
My first QR Code payment happened during GDay in Ayala Cener Cebu. The event, which closes today, was held as a way to promote use of GCash, said Lhen Pavia, VisMin Business Development Head for Mynt, the fintech arm of Globe.
GCash Scan To Pay merchants
GDay in Cebu is held at the Ayala Center Cebu. The mall is also the first in the province to use GCash Scan To Pay QR code payments. It launched with 50 merchant partners on November 29 and now has about 90 merchants toward a yearend goal of more than 100.
In Davao, GDay is held in Ayala Abreeza Davao.
During GDay, all participating merchants offer a 20% cashback on top of the Christmas sales discount when customers pay using GCash Scan To Pay. The 20% cashback offer is up to P500 per store, per day and will be credited within 3 days.
Moviegoers who use the GCash App to buy tickets at the Ayala Cinemas will also enjoy a P100 one-time cashback. The cashback is only applicable to one ticket per user per day.
GCash will also raffle off P10,000 GCash 3 times daily to customers who will scan to pay for their purchases on partner merchants during the promo period.
SCAN TO PAY. With GCash, you just scan a QR Code to pay the exact amount for your purchase or bill.
Cashless transactions
“The key is to build an ecosystem for cashless transactions,” said JM Aujero, Mynt Head for Merchant Solutions.
Aujero said regular tasks – such as people buying things, paying for services or receiving their salaries – can be vastly improved if turned into digital operations.
He said merchants can easily and quickly accept digital payments by tapping the GCash platform. They don’t need to buy or rent expensive terminals, deal with certain documentary requirements, or sign up for high cost services and platforms. They just work with GCash, get a QR Code sticker, and start accepting payments, Aujero said.
He also said they are working to add basic analytics to the system so that their vendors would know their top times or highest earning products, among other important information.
Pavia said they are working with more merchants to quickly roll out GCash QR Code payments throughout the country. They are talking to malls and store chains first so that they can easily scale deployment, she said.
GCASH MERCHANTS. GCash is working to have more than 100 establishments in Ayala Center Cebu accept QR Code payments.
Enthusiastic response
She said response to the system has been very enthusiastic with merchants quickly signing up when they started inviting stores.
They are also deploying it to non-retail institutions like schools. GCash can be used not only in canteens but also in paying for school fees. Pavia recounted how a school in Mindanao has a pawnshop inside the campus because it was through it that parents sent money to pay tuition. She said the problem on sending money for school fees can be easily solved by GCash and they are currently working on how to simplify this via integration into the school’s existing system.
Aujero said they are working to expand use of the platforms and this year’s investment by global electronic payments leader Ant Financial of the Alibaba Group provides a strong boost to make this happen in the Philippines.
Alipay pioneered QR Code payments in China, where it has 520 million users. In India, it has 300 million users.
As a long-time PayMaya user and one who has experienced its many benefits especially in travel, I’m amazed at how this digital payment solution has gone one step further with…
Although I’ve known about this update for some time, I only found time today (a few minutes ago, actually) to link my existing PayMaya and Messenger accounts.
Linking PayMaya, Messenger accounts
I clicked on this link – m.me/PayMayaOfficial – that was provided by the official PayMaya Facebook account and followed the instructions. Pardon the cliche, but it really was a walk in the park.
Less than a minute after I put in the mobile number associated with my PayMaya account, I received notification that I would already be able to buy load, pay bills, send money, and deposit cash through PayMaya in Messenger.
BUY LOAD ON CHAT. With PayMaya, you can buy cellphone load, pay bills, and send money on Facebook Messenger.
PayMaya in Messenger transactions
I had a field day trying out the many options. I bought load and sent money to my husband just for the fun of trying the transactions out.
Stoked to find out I can actually now pay my PLDT bill and Pru Life UK premiums through PayMaya in Messenger. The Visayan Electric Company, NSO, Skycable, Manulife, Cignal were in the long list of billers, too.
SEND MONEY. You can send and receive money via PayMaya in Facebook Messenger.
PayMaya Refer and Earn Promo
What’s even more exciting? There is an ongoing PayMaya Refer and Earn Promo where you get to earn P50 when someone uses your referral link to open or link a PayMaya account on Messenger. Your friend gets P50, too.
Here’s how you refer and earn:
Go to your PayMaya account in Messenger by clicking on this link: http://pymy.co/get50
Click on the promo notification or go to “Promos” in the menu and select “Refer Friends, Get P50” and share the promo message with your Messenger contacts (open to both Smart and Globe subscribers)
Get a maximum of 25 successful referrals, and earn a maximum of P1,250 worth of incentives
When you click on the link to PayMaya in Messenger, you actually have two options: link your PayMaya and Messenger accounts or open a PayMaya account in Messenger if you still don’t have one.
#PayMayaInMessenger Contest
Wait! There’s more. If share this post and tag 5 of your friends to create or link a PayMaya account on Messenger as a comment, you get a chance to be one of five people to win P1,000 each in PayMaya credits. So what are you waiting for? #PayMayaMoNow.
You are twice as likely to die if you don’t wear a seatbelt, Cebu drivers and traffic enforcers were told during the Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) of Ford Philippines…
You are twice as likely to die if you don’t wear a seatbelt, Cebu drivers and traffic enforcers were told during the Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) of Ford Philippines in SM City Cebu earlier today.
Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in an accident by 50% for front seat passengers and up to 75% for rear passengers, the instructor told the packed room. Everyone has to wear seatbelts because those who don’t are usually thrown off their seats during accidents and can injure or even kill those who buckled up, he said.
DON’T USE PHONES, GADGETS WHILE DRIVING. Ford Philippines AVP for Communications EJ Francisco taks about the #ParkYourPhone social media campaign to remind people not to use phones and other gadgets while driving.
Philippine situation
The DSFL “is a global program aimed at teaching drivers the necessary skills for safe and smart driving beyond what is learned in standard driver education programs,” said Ford Philippines AVP for Communications EJ Francisco.
Many Filipino drivers and even enforcers do not know existing traffic laws, fail to practice basic road courtesy, and disobey traffic signs, leading to accidents and traffic congestion, Francisco said.
Although the DSFL is a global program, it is customized to the driving environment and road condition of the Philippines. It’s long-time partner in the country is the Tuason Racing School.
BLURRED VISION. A volunteer struggles to walk straight while wearing beer googles, which simulates the effect of drinking 4 bottles of beer, during a demonstration to show the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Dangers of distracted driving
The DSFL has classroom sessions and actual driving time to teach attendees safe and fuel-efficient driving. This year, the program added modules on the danger of distracted driving. This is partly to support the implementation of the Anti-Distracted Driving Law in the country, Francisco said.
Ford Philippines is also doing a #ParkYourPhone social media campaign to remind people not to use phones and other gadgets while driving.
“At Ford, we want drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel at all times because nothing is worth losing that special connection for,” the company said.
Since its launch in 2008, more than 20,000 Filipinos have joined DSFL sessions, Francisco said.
WHEN TO CHANGE TIRES. Driving Skills for Life Instructors show how to spot indicators on when to change your tires.
2017 program targets
For 2017, Ford Philippines is targeting to cover at least 1,500 participants with specific focus on public utility drivers like those for buses, jeepneys, taxis, and transport network vehicle services, “recognising their critical role as motorists in ensuring that roads and passenger journeys are safe.”
The program is also expanding to more areas outside Manila.
“We have always valued road safety at Ford, so we’re happy to bring our DSFL program to Cebu, mindful of the fact that there is a growing need to install to drivers the importance of safe driving,” Francisco said. “We are hopeful that through this program, drivers will be able to understand the critical role they play in ensuring that our roads are safe.”
Quality products for a “very affordable price,” that’s what Miniso offers in its store, a company official said during the opening of its first branch in Cebu. Miniso opened in…
Quality products for a “very affordable price,” that’s what Miniso offers in its store, a company official said during the opening of its first branch in Cebu.
Miniso opened in SM City Cebu on November 3. The store has been packed with shoppers since then.
Filipinos have taken to the store brand and response has been very good, said Miniso Philippines Inc. president Michael Hong in an interview during the opening.
ELECTRONICS like these headphones are a popular category in Miniso.
Miniso branches in Philippines
Hong said Filipinos are amazed with their product offerings. “Wow. A lot of wows. A lot of suprises,” he said.
The SM City Cebu branched is the 36th in the country. They opened in the Philippine in June 2016, said Hong. Miniso will be opening 10 more by yearend, he said.
OPENING. Miniso and SM officials lead the opening of the store.
He said they’ve always wanted to open in Cebu, being a major city, but had to wait for space to be available. They will soon open in SM Consolacion and SM Seaside City.
Hong said they are also considering a store in Ayala Center Cebu.
NOW IN CEBU. Miniso has opened in SM City Cebu. It will soon be in SM Consolacion and SM Seaside City.
Wide range of products
Miniso sells a wide range of items from gadgets, stationery, kitchenware, toys, bags, cosmetics, among its many categories.
“What’s important is the value for money. We offer good quality but at a very affordable price. It’s not cheap – it’s really the value for the money,” said Hong.
MINISO pens.
He said Miniso is a Japanese brand and the Japanese take pride in quality control, he said.
“Good quality, unique style, trendy, reliable and low price. These are the features of Miniso’s products,” the company said in its website.
