Over two years after discontinuing flights on the route, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will start operating flights again between Bangkok, Thailand, and Cebu on December 9, 2022.
Bangkok, Thailand | Photo form Unsplash
According to the PAL advisory released last week, flights will be provided twice weekly (every Monday and Friday).
The flight from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport will depart at 1:30 p.m., while the trip from Mactan-Cebu International Airport is set to depart at 9:30 a.m.
PAL President and COO Stanley Ng is pleased to provide nonstop links to other important markets in Asia since passengers from Cebu won’t have to fly via Manila or other airports anymore.
Photo from Philippine Airlines Facebook Page
A 199-seater Airbus A321ceo aircraft will be used for the 3-hour travel from Cebu to Thailand.
Through its hub in Cebu, PAL also offers flights to Bangkok, Tokyo-Narita, and a number of destinations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Beginning on October 1, 2022, South Korea will no longer need COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing for inbound travelers.
Seoul, South Korea | Photo form Unsplash
According to VisitKorea, Korea Tourism Organization’s official website, the percentage of confirmed cases among foreign tourists decreased from 1.3% in August to just 0.9% in September. With this, all COVID-19 limitations on incoming travelers will be lifted.
However, walk-ins are still not permitted in the South Korean embassy’s Taguig office. Applications submitted only through authorized travel agents will be taken into consideration.
Seoul, South Korea | Photo form Unsplash
The Korean Embassy accepts appointments for visa applications online, with fresh openings every two weeks.
IKEA, dubbed to be the ‘place of wonders’, is looking to open stores in Cebu, Baguio, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.
The Philippines is yet to say ‘hello’ to this gargantuan store as it is set to open their first store in the country in 2021 at the SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City. IKEA is filled with all the cute, but affordable furniture you could ever dream of owning. It is also famous for their meatballs, which you are about to devour. ‘Christmas in your mouth,’ as they say it.
If you have not been loving under a rock, you’ll know how online shopping has trended ever since quarantine. Hence, IKEA’s online shop is opening prior to its physical store.
According to a video posted on Facebook by Bloomberg TV Philippines in 2018, “IKEA is looking to open four to six locations in the country in the next five to 10 years, ranging in size from the traditional big-box stores to small retail outlets.”
However, the final locations are yet to be formally announced. IKEA Philippines’ Market Development Manager Georg Platzer notes that finding the right spot to put up the outlet is critical as the store would need “a very well-developed infrastructure, roads, public transport, and electricity supply” because they expect a lot of visitors. They would also need “a good logistics network” due to the large amount of goods being transported from overseas to the Philippines.
Though no exact location yet is set for its second store, we still couldn’t wait to see all these IKEA stores open in the country in the coming years, especially in our humble home, Cebu City.
Are you tired of the endless calculation when splitting bills among your friends?
GCash KKB Feature is here to the rescue. You can skip the math and automate your next bill with family or friends. It’s now easy to split the bills and never forget about collecting anymore.
New in GCash: KKB (“Kanyang-kanyang Bayad”) Feature lets this application automatically calculate the amount that will be divided when splitting the total cost of bills among peers and friends.
This feature has the following categories where you can split a total amount of money, such as food, entertainment, family, friends, gifts, shopping, transportation, travel, utilities, and other activities. Amounts requested to be split among the group are deducted exactly. It provides a seamless digital payment method.
Photo from Gcash Facebook Page
Perks You Can Make Most Out of the Feature
First, it lets you easily track payment history during the splitting of the total cost, aside from avoiding endless huddles of math calculations. You don’t have to worry if your friend will ditch you when the group is paying. You don’t have to pay an additional, “abono” as we say when your friend runs away that usually ends badly among the group.
Lastly, it also allows you to individually pay for your additional orders, especially when ordering food. However, we would like to clarify that this only works for quick splits only. Meaning, for complex divisions, such as: paying individual meals and service charges, and pitching for a group order — you will still have to do either some math outside the app or several KKB requests within the app.
Here’s how to request their KKB Feature:
Open GCash. From the main page, tap the ‘Send’ icon.
Tap ‘Send KKB’.
Tap on ‘New KKB Request’.
Input the category and due date of your amount that will be requested to be paid.
For the due date, Today is the default. However, if you decide to pay on a specific date, you can set it accordingly.
Select how you wish to split the bill.
If you ordered your own meals individually, select ‘split by item’. If you ordered food as a group then you can select ‘split equally.
If you choose ‘Split by item’, the application will ask the initiator (who made the KKB request) to determine the amount to be paid per person. If the person ordered a meal and a drink, just tap the plus button to add. It will be added in the final breakdown. After finalizing the amount, a summary will be shown of how much each individual has to pay aside from the grand total.
If you choose ‘Split Equally’, the app will ask for the total cost then it will be automatically divided among the group.
Input the GCash registered mobile numbers of those you will be splitting the bill with and tap Next.
The application can let you add those who are in your contacts but you can also manually add them yourself. Also, you can create and save groups on the app for easier division of payments in the future.
Input the item names and their corresponding costs.
Review the details and click Send.
Once the requests have been successfully created, you will be able to see under the ‘Active Tab’ in the feature if it’s unpaid. If it’s taking them a while to pay, you can nudge them then GCash will send them a notification to pay.
In case your friends pay cash in person, you can manually mark the KKB request as paid. It will transfer to the ‘Completed’ tab.
If paid, the initiator of the request will receive the fund and notification of payment.
Photo from Gcash Website
With the rapid digitalization of this age and the slow transition of society including our country to digital – digital platforms continue to develop and provide innovations for a seamless digital experience. Ultimately, this is the main purpose why technologies are made: to make people’s lives easier.
Over the past few decades, there is an increasing exodus of professionals here in the Philippines – among them are nursing professionals.
Photo from Raffy Tulfo Facebook Page
Filipino nurses have long experienced harsh working conditions with an unprecedented nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:20. Instead of the 1:12 ratio that is originally set by the Department of Health (DOH). It resulted to further exhaustion while suffering from low salaries; aside from facing head-on their hazardous occupation. This led to their mass exodus in hopes of better living and working conditions, depleting the number of nurses present in our country. Given this long-standing issue, a lawmaker came to address this.
Last October 12, Lawmaker Sen. Raffy Tulfo proposed granting scholarships to qualified nursing students during the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Hearing. He proposed granting full scholarships in exchange for staying in the country after graduation. They are required to serve in government hospitals for up to five years.
Photo from Unsplash
Aside from that, he also asked representatives of the Department of Health (DOH) to address reports of discrimination faced by Filipino nurses in their workplaces. Including, the selective grant of benefits such as hazard pay. He learned that only nurses who were exposed to COVID-19 patients/those who were assigned to COVID-19 wards were eligible for hazard pay. He stressed the need for sensitivity to the needs of our nurses,
“We need to take care of them and treat them right. We should be fair. It’s important that we use common sense in addressing their needs.”
Lastly, the senator also asked DOH to submit records showing the list of individuals that were held accountable and are facing court charges for poor distribution of medicines that are left expired and undistributed in the previous years. Around 2 billion pesos in medicine were wasted between 2013 and 2021 because they were expired and near expiration. It was meant for impoverished citizens including, cancer patients, and senior citizens. He stressed the prosecution of accountable individuals for their negligence of duty.
Photo from Raffy Tulfo Facebook Page
One of the long-standing issues that we are facing in our country is the depletion of essential professionals. One of them is healthcare workers. They have been facing harsh working conditions with lesser compensation. This in turn sacrificed the quality of the existing healthcare systems we have in our country.
World’s leading streaming service Netflix recently announced the debut of subscriptions with ads in November in several countries.
Greg Peters, Netflix’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), said in a briefing that ‘Basic with Ads’ subscriptions will be priced at $6.99 (~P410) in the United States, which is $3 less than a basic option without ads.
Photo from Unsplash
The ad-supported subscription was first rolled out in Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Spain, and the United States. Video ads are 15-30 seconds long. This is offered to provide cheaper subscriptions in light of soaring inflation.
“We are looking at a very light ad load with no more than four to five minutes of ads per hour, and including some very tight frequency caps so that members don’t see the same ad repeatedly,”
PETERS SAID.
Photo from Unsplash
However, even though Netflix offers cheaper subscriptions after adding ads on the platform, soon, there might be a tax added on these digital streaming services with the ongoing National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 (House Bill of 4122).
It is stated under the proposed bill that foreign or non-resident digital service providers (DSP) such as Netflix shall collect and remit vat on the transactions that pass through their platform.
How about you? Wouldn’t you mind watching ads for a lesser subscription price?
The “Gentle Giants” are perhaps the fitting description of whale sharks or as Filipinos call it the Butanding. These massive creatures with different hues of gray, blue and white frequently visit Oslob waters.
Have an extraordinary experience and immerse yourself with the #AweSM 3D Butanding live as it splashes through SM Seaside’s Hanging LED starting October 12 from 10 am to 9 pm with 30-minute intervals at the Mountain Wing Atrium.
Have you seen the first splash of the #3D Whale Shark at SM Seaside? 💦 Witness the gentle giant at the Hanging LED, Mountain Wing Atrium until December 31, 2022. Post a video and tag us if you have seen the Butanding 🧐 #fyp#animation
It’s official! The highly anticipated Disney+ is finally coming to the Philippines starting November 17, 2022 as announced on their official website.
Disney+ is a subscription video-on-demand streaming service where you can watch your favorite movies and TV shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.
Subscription for the streaming service starts at P159 per month.
Plans and Pricing
You can choose between the data-saving Mobile Plan or our up to 4K Ultra HD Premium Plan for selected content.
Starting on November 17, Disney+ will be available for download on compatible Apple and Android devices, Laptops, and Smart TVs. For the meantime, you can check their official pre-launch page: https://www.apps.disneyplus.com/ph/pre_launch
Ever heard of #Amanpulofeels? You can also feel #Tuscanyfeels at the highlands of Consolacion.
They don’t only boast terranes of mountains, a haven of cafés known in Cebu – a lone “White House by the Hill” is lurking behind their majestic hills. If you plan for a staycation like no other, then Villa Tuscany awaits you. This time, you don’t have to buy tickets to take you to a foreign place, bring this Tuscany feels with you right at their rolling hills.
Villa Tuscany: White House by the Hill
Villa Tuscany is known as the “White House by the Hill,” and it doesn’t disappoint. It got its name since it is a stone house that sits alone on the hill, with no neighbors. It sits on the highlands, so it reminded the owners of the landscape of Tuscany, Italy, and created a gated villa out of it.
It highlights an infinity pool where you’ll witness a panoramic view of the hills.
Cozy Contemporary and Modern
Villa Tuscany features a contemporary and modern design where you’ll get to live your dream life for a week while enjoying the seclusive exclusivity it offers.
First, it features a living room with a curved LCD smart television. Aside from it being cozy, and perfect for quality with your family – it features a complete package of entertainment.
Their kitchen doesn’t fall short on the overall contemporary feels it reflects with its grey ensemble and basaltic counters. Their dining room also has 8-seater wood-base furniture and a glass-top dining table. You are free to bring your own groceries and food with no corkage fee. Cooking is also allowed. The owner also advised buying your groceries and other necessities before going to the villa since nearby malls are a 15-minute drive away.
They have 4 bedrooms overall. On the first floor, a view from the pool can be admired and you’ll be able to watch your kids playing in the pool. While in the mountain room, aside from you get to relax under the luxurious and comfy feather duvet it offers, you’ll get to see a mountain view. Not a bad idea if you want to take a sabbatical.
When planning a getaway where you want to explore a foreign and unusual landscape, you don’t have to buy expensive plane tickets. You can visit our local spots that reflect the same vibes without the need of going far and behind. Admire how versatile our tourist spots can be while supporting local businesses in our country.
RATES & OTHER INFORMATION
ROOM RATES:
Whole House – P13,071/night
Extra hours overtime: up to 2 hours P1,000/hour
NOTE: 10 pax adult guest limit (kids who are 4 years old and below are exempted from the guest limit). Daytime visitors and extra guests are not allowed. Full names of all guests are required upon booking.
1 Full Bathroom (Hazy Glass Partition for the Toilet and Shower Area so 2 guests can use the bathroom simultaneously if needed)
Free parking outside or at the gated carport
Note: Master’s Bedroom on the 2nd floor is locked and restricted from guest access.
AMENITIES:
LCD Smart TV with cable tv channels, Youtube, Netflix
Bluetooth Philips Soundbar
Xbox360 with Kinect Games
Water heaters for Showers
Living Room Ceiling Fan
Prepaid Wi-Fi
Note: Fast Wi-Fi Connection can’t be expected since it is an uphill area.
Bedrooms
aircon
Orthopedic bed mattresses
hotel style white bed sheets and duvet covers
mattress and pillow protectors
wardrobe cabinets with hangers and a mirror
blackout curtains in all bedrooms for deep sleep
Kitchen
Gas range stove top and rice cooker
pots, pans, cutleries, mugs, and glasses are provided
cooking essentials (oil, salt, pepper, some spices) provided
Toilet and shower area
Water heaters for hot/cold showers
Grohe rain shower and faucet for the 2 bathrooms
hair styling kit and blow dryer
bidets
shampoo and body wash provided
FREE
1 complimentary free 5-gallon serving of mineral water provided per booking
Security:
1 CCTV facing the gate and street area
1 CCTV at the side of the villa facing the street side
village guards do regular roving in the area
House rules:
Check-out time is 1 PM. A late check out fee of P1,000 per hour applies. Maximum to 2 hours late check out to allow our staff to clean the unit for next guests
No loud music outside after 10pm daily as this is a residential area.
World-class infrastructure, efficient transportation system, beautiful city attractions, and a safe place to live. Singapore is truly the standard. Can Cebu really be like Singapore? Or something close, at least?
Cebu City Mayor Michael “Mike” Rama recently shared his vision for Cebu City to be Singapore-like during his inaugural speech on June 30, 2022. He further hastens in completing his plan within his term.
Photo from Cebu City News and Information
Plans for informal settlers
One of the occurring problems here in our country is informal settlers. In an effort to make Cebu City, “Singapore-like” – he plans to slowly lessen informal settlers who are also blocking the city’s rivers causing floods especially when we are experiencing severe rains brought by climate change.
He laid out his plan to build 200 medium-rise buildings (MRBs) to accommodate informal settlers, homeless individuals, city employees, and those who will be affected by the Government Projects of Easement of Rivers.
Safe place to live
One feature of Singapore is its beautiful and secure city. He wants to achieve such beauty by asphalting the city streets and landscaping empty spaces in the city, including center islands and spaces under the skyway for a greener city.
To the heights of its security, the modernization of the police forces along with its construction of new police stations.
He also announced the construction of a new City Hall that will be located in the South Road Properties (SRP).
Proposed Cebu City Hall Complex | Photo from CPDO
Mass transport systems
In the next three years, the Mayor vows to finish the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. He will also begin conducting studies for the light railway, monorail system, and cable cards to provide mass transport with its rapid growth of population in the city.
More programs for the people
His plans also include the installation of Public Wi-Fi and the roll-out of the ‘Let There Be Light’ project to provide quick and affordable electricity for qualified beneficiaries.
With the encroached manifestations of the visionary leader of Cebu City, deep inside us, we hope for the realization of these plans and long-overdue solutions to some problems faced right now in Cebu City.
