P289-million worth of infrastructure projects are set for the provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) region under chief minister Ahod Ebrahim’s Support to Local Moral Governance (SLMG) program.
Public markets, barangay halls, a public terminal, and a legislative building among other plans comprised the memoranda of agreement (MOA) signed with Interior and local government minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo and 18 local government units in the region.
Two-storey barangay halls will be constructed at some villages in the towns of Balindong, Marantao, Pagayawan, Calanogas, Malabang, Kapai, and Tamparan in Lanao del Sur; Parang and Buldon in Maguindanao del Norte; and in Cotabato City.
Public markets will also rise in the towns of Albraka, Hadji Muhammad Ajul, and Lamitan City in Basilan; Sitangkai in Tawi-Tawi; Kapatagan in Lanao del Sur; and Sultan Mastura in Maguindanao del Norte. A public terminal in Malabang, Lanao del Sur and a legislative building in Kabuntalan, Maguindanao del Norte, will also be among the projects.
LGUs will implement the projects while the BARRM Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) will monitor their progress.
According to Minister Sinarimbo, MILG is currently implementing the construction of 250 barangays halls across the region, with another 100 next year. He said the goal is to complete 600 village halls by 2025 which the BARMM government promised to the LGUs of the region.
Meralco receives int’l recognition
The Manila Electric Co.(Meralco) has received recognition for its customer centric and data-driven digital transformation program at the 8th annual Talend Data Masters Awards.
Established in 2015, the awards program honors companies across the globe that share the goal of transforming data into quantifiable business value.
With a mission to provide the best value energy solutions for its customers, Meralco has ventured into a digital transformation journey in 2020 by implementing a holistic data management strategy that integrates governance, processes, people, and technology through the Meralco Data Platform (MDP). This allows Meralco to use data analytics and intelligence more broadly, efficiently, and effectively in making business decisions in a timely manner.
Harnessing the power of data led to tangible improvements in Meralco’s customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Responsible Meralco offices now have more visibility on ongoing customer service applications, enabling them to ensure timely energization with the help of actionable insights from operationalized dashboards.Aided by operationalized predictive analytics models, the company can now proactively identify distribution transformers in need of rehabilitation, thus sparing almost 200,000 customers from unplanned power outages in 2021.
Cebu Pacific ramps up flights to HK
Cebu Pacific has ramped up its flights to Hong Kong which has relaxed its restrictions for incoming travelers.
CEB now flies the Manila — Hong Kong — Manila route up to five times daily, starting December 11until Jan. 30, 2023.
Those interested to travel to Hong Kong must prepare the following:
Pre-departure, travelers need to submit health declaration form online via chp.gov.hk along with COVID-19 vaccination record (fully vaccinated)) and negative antigen test result conducted 24 hours before departure (may be self-administered or done by profession
To date, CEB flies to a total of 34 domestic and 19 international destinations.
Foot Locker opens 1st store in PH
Sneaker retailer Foot Locker opened its first Power Store in the Philippines through a partnership with PT Map AktifAdiperkasaTbk. in Glorietta, Makati City last December 16.
The 1,435 square-meter retail space features a Foot Locker for her lounge area and a dedicated Kids area.
Foot Locker will launch its official website footlocker.phfor the Philippine market to facilitate consumers’ access to online shopping.
Home for every heart at Novotel Araneta City
Novotel Manila embraces every heart yearning for true love and connection especially this Christmas season. Families, couples, and friends can enjoy and make themselves comfortable in their one and only home in the City of Firsts, thanks to all the festive deals planned by the hotel’s Heartists for this special season.
Enjoy the best time of the year with Merry Magical Stays to satisfy the needs of families seeking a joyous staycation. Bed, breakfast, and dinner packages in December start at PHP 8,000 nett for non-holiday dates, while stays during the holidays (December 24 and December 31) start from PHP 12,000 nett.
Food Exchange Manila offers festive buffet selections such as Roasted Tandoori Australian Lamb Leg, Roasted Turkey, Roasted Chimichurri Salmon, Singaporean Chili Crab, Glazed Christmas Ham and much more for only PHP 2,888 nett per person.
On December 31 from 7PM to 1AM, Monet Grand Ballroom offers memorable countdown celebration with lots of delicious food, sparkling drinks, great music, and merriment with family and friends.
With family and friends, find the meaning of true‘’home’’ this holiday season at Novotel Manila, a home for every heart. For inquiries and reservations, please call (02) 8 990 7888 or email H7090@accor.com. More information about Novotel Manila Araneta City, its facilities and services are available atnovotelmanilaaranetacity.com.
Next big thing in global skincare trends
Bakuchiol, (buh·koo·chee·owl), or “Babchi”, a plant derived extract found in the leaves and seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant, is the vegan ingredient heralded as a retinol alternative for those looking for anti-aging benefits sans the irritation.
While Bakuchiol may appear new and unfamiliar, Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc. (EBCI) is the first Filipino cosmetics company to have introduced this innovative ingredient to the Philippines as early as two years ago. EBCI is the corporation behind household names like Ever Bilena and Hello Glow.
In 2020, Hello Glow released its best-selling Hello Glow Advanced Rejuvenating Set, a dermatologist recommended anti-aging kit which incorporates Bakuchiol into its Night Cream.
The confidence in Bakuchiol led to the creation of the Ever Bilena Plus Bakuchiol Lifting Night Serum, finally giving the ingredient its own spotlight. EB Plus’s Bakuchiol Serum, made in Korea, is only Php 395 each. EB Plus also integrated this superstar ingredient in its EB Plus Good Skin Day Serum Infused Skin Tint.
As gentle as Bakuchiol can be though, make sure to always patch test beforehand so to avoid potential allergic reactions. Hello Glow and Ever Bilena products are available in all leading department stores, Watsons, and online at their official flagship Tiktok, Shopee, and Lazada E-commerce stores.
AXA new prexy
SERRANO LOPEZ
Insurance leader AXA has appointed long-time industry trailblazer Bernardo Serrano López as president and chief executive officer (CEO)of its Philippines business.
Serrano Lopez joins AXA Philippines following his successful tenure as CEO of AXA Colpatria, which he built to become the third largest insurance provider in Colombia.
Serrano López is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of senior leadership experience.
He has a Master of Business Administration Degree from IESE Business School in Barcelona, and a bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from the University of Navarra, Spain.
Price freeze feature
Agoda introduces its new Price Freeze feature which allows travelers to lock in the best deals on Agoda, pay a marginal deposit, and freeze the price from at least one day to up to 14 days.
Throughout the price freeze period, consumers won’t pay any more than the agreed deal and in fact will enjoy additional savings should the price drop. If travelers choose not to book within the specified price freeze period, only their initial deposit is forfeited.
To mark the launch of this price freezing feature, available on desktop and mobile web at launch, and available globally and on all Agoda platforms in early 2023, Agoda has created a specially created augmented reality game on Instagram.
The rising dominance of chat apps
Chat apps such as WhatsApp are becoming crucial channels for customer communications, according to a new research firm Infobip showed.
Infobip’s data shows an 80 percent and 62 percent increase in WhatsApp and rich communication services interactions respectively in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
To help businesses understand changing habits, Infobip analyzed more than 153 billion communications interactions on its platform from the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
The analysis reveals several trends in customer communications. First, customer communications today are more digital than ever, with a 68 percent increase in interactions across all digital channels. Second, alongside the growth in chat app interactions, some 99percent of customer support and chatbot interactions are now on WhatsApp.
However, while newer channels are gaining momentum, the data shows continued growth in more traditional channels, such as SMS and email. Interactions on these channels increased by 75 percent and 91 percent, respectively, with Infobip seeing emerging uses around timely alerts and security solutions such as two-factor authentication.
Kasama Ka Bukas milestone
Four years into its mission of bridging the education gap in the country, Bukas hits a momentous milestone of funding over P500 million worth of tuition for Filipino students in hopes of a brighter future.
Bukas, a tech-enabled education financing platform by its parent company ErudiFi, visualizes building a better tomorrow for Filipino youth starting with affordable tuition loans. The student-first brand has helped over 15,000 students across 90 partner campuses nationwide.
Bukas broadens its reach to help more Filipino students withexpansions in Bacolod and Zamboanga. Partners in Metro Manila include De La Salle University, Centro Escolar University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, Adamson University, Mapua University, National Teachers College, Our Lady of Fatima University, Far Eastern University and FEU Tech among others.
