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News in the Philippines

Stay in the loop with your go-to source of blogs in the Philippines! Know the latest happenings and trending news in Manila and across the country.

December 28, 2015

Krispy Kreme’s Crafty Christmas

A melange of festive colours loaded with creativity and generosity came alive at Krispy Kreme’s flagship store in BGC High Street on December 12 at its Crafty Christmas event. The activity allowed Krispy Kreme customers to unleash their artistic side on Krispy Kreme’s Tin Can for a good cause. The participants were mainly families with kids who were so eager to embellish and personalize their purchased tin cans made available at the counter. The excitement didn’t end there as popular artist Kerby Rosanes doodled his own giant Kripsy Kreme tin can… live! And at the end of the day, the best decorated tin can was awarded with a year’s supply […]

December 22, 2015

Metro Manila Film Festival: A Showcase of Local Entertainment

It’s that time of the year when Filipino movies dominate the cinemas and foreign films have to give way to locally-produced films. The annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) happens every Christmas day until the first week of January. And although you might miss your Hollywood movie watching time, it is a good opportunity to get to know the local entertainment industry through movies that give you a glimpse of the local culture. Now on its 41st year, the MMFF advocates the patronage of Filipino films by showcasing only local movies during a two-week period. This year’s festival will run from December 25, 2015 to January 7, 2016. Here are […]

December 17, 2015

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa Cited as ‘Best Resort Hotel for Business Events’

Cebu, Philippines, December 8, 2015 – In the recently released CEI Readers’ Choice Awards 2015, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Cebu was named ‘Best Resort Hotel for Business Events’—a remarkable culmination to a year that had seen a series of high-profile events at the resort, including the historic ministerial meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference and the annual Asian Carriers’ Conference, among many others. The awarding body, CEI Asia, is an independent source of information for corporate events within the region. For the past 15 years, its annual industry survey has been a reputable list that showcases the best in MICE destinations as chosen by its readers. Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort […]

December 15, 2015

Get to Know the Country’s Presidential Candidates

Get to Know the Country’s Presidential Candidates The race is on for the country’s next leader. Curious about the men and women vying to be the country’s chief executive? As you may already know by now, election in the Philippines is not complete without controversies and drama. And since most of the info we have about them come from their own political ads or media reports, it’s good to know some basic important things about them on neutral ground. Let’s get to know some of them in this quick review of their background and career highlights. JEJOMAR BINAY Name: Jejomar “Jojo” Binay Current position: Vice President of the Philippines Career […]

December 15, 2015

AlDub: The TV Phenomenon That’s Been Sweeping the Nation

You see and hear them around through numerous billboards, TV commercials, radio commentaries, forum topics, and social media. This “AlDub” thing that is all the rage these days conquering all kinds of media may have made you feel curious and we can’t blame you. No one wants to feel left behind especially when something has become too big to ignore and almost everyone around you is talking about it. So what exactly is AlDub, and what makes it such a huge hit in the Philippines? Topping social media trends since July 2015, AlDub is now considered one of the most popular loveteams in the history of Philippine entertainment. AlDub is […]

December 29, 2015

Ride Your Way to Prizes: Cash Cab is Coming to Manila!

Want to get rich while stuck in traffic? The popular American game show Cash Cab is coming to Manila premiering on December 22, 2015 at 8:50 pm on AXN. Hosted by Ryan Agoncillo, the show will have its encore telecast on December 24, 9:15 pm. To play the game, Cash Cab Philippines will be using a regular taxi cab for disguise. It will traverse along Metro Manila, in search of unwary passengers, with the driver (host) asking them a series of trivia questions. Every correct answer guarantees P1000 as the game gets more difficult. Strike is the term used for every wrong answer, and three strikes will mean that the […]

December 28, 2015

Enderun Colleges lights up its first eco-friendly and sustainable Christmas tree

Enderun Colleges kicked off the holiday season with its first Christmas tree lighting ceremony called At First Light. The 22-foot structure features an eco-friendly Christmas tree made from bamboo and abundantly adorned with upcycled ornaments, LED lights and Liter of Light. The College collaborated with different groups to create its eco-friendly and sustainable Christmas tree. The ornaments were handcrafted by two communities – the newspaper ornaments were made by the talented women of Pook Galatia in Paranaque City, supported by Kabisig ng Kalahi Foundation; while the décor made from soda caps were assembled by the Gawad Kalinga Community of Sitio Pajo in Barangay Baesa in Quezon City. Enderun also partnered […]

December 10, 2015

Japan’s apples and pears are now available in Metro Manila

Rustan’s marketplace in Metro Manila started the retailing of apples and pears from Yamagata Prefecture, Japan from December 5th, and will continue until January 2016. Shoppers can see and buy the Japanese apple varieties of “Sinano-Gold” and “Sinano-Sweet” and the popular pear variety “La-France” at the Rustan’s Marketplace outlets. A Japanese apple variety “Fuji” is also sold from the start of January. Japanese apple variety “Sinano-Sweet” French pear variety “La-France” Marketplace of Rustan’s Cental Square BGC Japanese apple variety “Sinano-Gold” Apples and pears are the only fruits, which are permitted for exports from Japan to the Philippines, in accordance with the agreement on plant quarantine between the two countries. Why […]

December 29, 2015

Dine and Donate, Shop and Share this Season and Beyond

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa In the Philippines, it has been a tradition for many companies to give back to the community before the year ends. They organize fund-raising events and outreach programs to spread the spirit of giving. Here’s a list of establishments that accept donations and pre-loved clothes, books, and toys: – Jollibee – Maaga ang Pasko Since 1994, the number one local fastfood chain in the country has collected over 2 million toys and books through this nationwide donation drive. In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of […]

December 06, 2015

Court Suspends Granting Permits to Uber, GrabCar

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Friday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to stop granting permits to app-based ride hailing services Uber and GrabCar and similar transport services operating under the Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS). The TRO includes the stopping of accepting, processing and approving of applications of private motor vehicles as public utility vehicles accredited and belonging to TNVS. QCRTC Judge Santiago Arenas clarified that the TRO does not apply to current operations of Uber and GrabCar, as it only disallows government offices from accepting and approving TNVS applications. […]

December 06, 2015

B Hotel Quezon City Grand Opening

Bellevue Hotels and Resorts opened its second B Hotel branch in Quezon City on Friday after the tremendous success of its first branch in Alabang. By sharing the B Hotel flavor in the metro, travelers will experience a sleek and stylish business hotel characterized by exquisite look complemented with the beautiful Filipino hospitality. As inspired by a modernist style way back in 1950s that showcases simplicity free from mystery and romanticism, B  Hotel Managing Director Ryan Chan expressed that the concept for this hotel is to have a touch of aesthetics. Managing Director Ryan Chan It has a unique industrial design with distinctly rugged texture that will definitely attract businessmen and locals. Here, they can […]

December 28, 2015

Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort & Spa Cebu Brings the Rush to Manila

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, Cebu joins the holiday rush in Manila as the premier resort stages its Pre-Christmas Sale at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall from Dec. 4 to 6. The three-day leisure sale exclusively offers jaw-dropping deals to shoppers who wish to enjoy the resort’s array of facilities and services, including room accommodation, dining, outdoor recreation and selected CHI, The Spa treatments. Shoppers dreaming of a getaway at the seaside resort can avail of a two-night stay with dinner buffet package that offers a discounted rate of up to 40 percent off. Starting at PHP22,000 net for a Deluxe Seaview Room accommodation, a family of two adults and two […]

December 02, 2015

Pope Francis is PETA Asia’s Person of the Year

PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has chosen His Holiness Pope Francis as PETA Asia’s Person of the Year. The first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of all animals, Pope Francis has been known as a church leader who cares for animal welfare. He urged the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics and all citizens of the world to reject domination over God’s creation, treat animals with kindness, and respect the environment. In his 2015 treatise, Laudato Si’, the charismatic pope stressed the importance of treating animals with kindness, writing, “Every act of cruelty towards any creature is ‘contrary to human dignity’” and “We […]

December 28, 2015

Dusit Thani Presents UMU’s Holiday Set Menu

This year, let UMU Japanese Restaurant make your holiday celebration even more festive with its delightful Christmas and New Year set dinner offerings. Start your feast with the Zouni Soup (grilled rice cake, chicken thigh and vegetables) or Nankin Tofu (hand-made pumpkin tofu topped with prawn, asparagus, wasabi and Japanese sauce) and indulge in our Wafu Steak (U.S. rib eye steak in wafu steak sauce) or Beef Teppan (with ebi, mixed vegetables and steak sauce). Cap off your meal with some vanilla ice cream with red beans and kinako or green tea ice cream with kinako and cherry. PHP 3,500 nett per person on December 24 for dinner and December […]

November 25, 2015

GrabTaxi Launches GrabHeli

Now you can beat the traffic by grabbing a chopper service in the metro! After giving teasers last week, the ride-hailing app GrabTaxi announced yesterday its launch of GrabHeli, its newest weekends-only chopper service made available to the public. In partnership with the helicopter and jets charter service PhilJets, the Malaysian-based company is offering it initially as a luxury service and as a forerunner to an Air Taxi service it plans to bring to the market in the future as an alternative travel mode. GrabHeli will cost PHP3,888 (US$82.53) per person for a 15-minute ride and all flights will take off and land on the PhilJets facility in Pasay City […]

November 22, 2015

Newest Dolphin Program: Dolphin Meet and Feed

One of the missions of the first open-water marine theme park in Southeast Asia, Ocean Adventure, is to empower communities to care for animals and to conserve and protect nature. In relation to this specific mission, Ocean Adventure will be launching its latest Dolphin Program at a very affordable price, for only P1,000 per person, park guests who will avail this program will be given access to the Dolphin Training Area where they will get to see where we, at Ocean Adventure, houses and train the dolphins. They will have an opportunity to feed the dolphins by sitting on the especially designed seat. A designated trainer will assist the guests […]

December 29, 2015

BGC gives the gift of family activities this holiday season

Bonifacio Global City (BGC) literally wraps up the development in holiday cheer with larger than life gift bows to mark the season. Colored in festive red and white, these bows transform several buildings and lampposts into eye catching attractions. And in Bonifacio High Street, monumental pieces are sprinkled along this outdoor mall, ready and waiting for eager shoppers to take their selfies and holiday photos. At the heart of all of this, are a series of activities and events geared towards the ever growing and thriving passionate community. The festivities kick into full swing starting December 5. Classic BGC programs and activities such as BGC Impromptu, BGC Art Mart and […]

November 20, 2015

President Aquino Thanks World Leaders and Filipino People for APEC 2015

MANILA, Philippines – His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III concluded the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2015 during a press conference held at the World Trade Center last November 19, 2015, Thursday afternoon. He graciously thanked the APEC leaders for their “collaborative efforts and positive spirit” in continuously working hard to achieve the goals they share to improve the economy. Photo from apec2015.ph As chairman and host of APEC 2015, he summarized what transpired during this week-long meeting and visit to Manila. APEC leaders have addressed the critical and regional global issues being faced by the Asia-Pacific region, such as terrorism, poverty, global economic growth and climate change, and talked […]

December 28, 2015

Ippudo’s New Menu: Beef Ishiyaki Rice

This ramen shop’s rich pork bone broth ramen has an enduring popularity among Japanese and now, among Filipinos. Piping hot Beef Ishiyaki Rice (P495) Aside from the ramen dishes, Ippudo’s side menus have also earned some rave reviews for Japanese food lovers. Their new menu offering, the Beef Ishiyaki Rice came out in August and quickly became a favorite among its patrons. The dish is eaten by mixing up rice, beef, corn, green beans, tomatoes, garlic with BBQ sauce in a piping hot stone bowl. The serving is generous and sure to satisfy. Wooden interior design gives warm ambience Ippudo releases a new menu every three months which makes customers […]

November 20, 2015

Ocean Adventure Welcomes New Celebrity Brand Ambassador

Ocean Adventure presented to the media its first-ever brand ambassador – local celebrity and one of the finest actors of his generation Gerald Anderson. The contract signing and press conference was held on November 17, 2015 Thursday at SEDA Hotel in Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Arthur Tai, President and CEO of Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium, Inc., company name of Ocean Adventure and Camayan Beach Resort and Hotel, Subic Bay led the team that welcomed their newest ambassador. Gerald expressed his pleasure and excitement over being chosen as the premiere ocean park’s endorser as he said he loves sea lions. “The photo shoot just felt so natural as I enjoyed posing […]