Well, if there is one thing good that came out in this pandemic, it is the lowering of the skyrocketing population growth in the Philippines.
The year 2020 recorded 914,797 births which is a far cry from the 2021 data of 324,000 births. This means that the Philippines’ population increased only by 0.3 percent which is the lowest record in history since 1946 and 1947 which was 254,000 births, according to the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom).
Photo from Unsplash
Photo from Unsplash
Now PopCom says that the reason for this may be related to the economic crisis and covid-19 pandemic as Filipino continues to delay having children or form families. They also point out that the number of couples who avail of family planning commodities and services is also growing with 8 million users in 2020.
The annual “natural increase” data is from the computations based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) reports from January 2020 to August 2021.
Filipino population increase short timeline
2020: 914,797 births
2021: 324,000 births
2022: Estimate of 109,991,095 by the end of 2021
“If integrated population and development measures are sustained, we can look forward to a more stable population that can effectively support Philippine development. Smaller family sizes need to be supported by a national living wage structure that also allows parents to save for their households’ unmet needs in food, housing, and education. Uneven regional wage structures only lead to individuals falling further behind than those in progressive areas such as the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon,”
– – Dr. Juan Perez III, PopCom Chief
Photo from Unsplash
Though births sure are a blessing to the families, it is also a good thing that we have control over the population growth in our country. The recovery of each household and of the government from the pandemic will be greatly affected by the population as well.
When two titans joined forces, they can create a city within a city.
This is what to be expected as two of the country’s real estate giants, Ayala Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings, had partnered with each other in their newest property development venture in the South Road Properties of Cebu City – the South Coast City.
South Coast City, a P300-B project of the SM-Ayala consortium, is eyed to become the newest entertainment center of the Visayas region, boosting attraction, tourism and businesses within the area. It will highlight an Arena, Convention Center, and 1-hectare park, among many other mixed-use facilities, to support Cebu’s growing demand for convergence areas.
Moreover, the said project is to generate about two million jobs.
FEATURES
South Coast City sprawls a vast land area of 26 hectares, enough to house state-of-the art facilities, attractions and services that will give more vibrance to this part of the metro.
1. Seaside Arena and Convention Center
The Arena is set to be the preferred destination for major local and international entertainment and sporting events while the Convention Center will be one of the largest in Cebu once completed.
Official render
2. District Square
This is the progressive commercial district of South Coast City. This area is planned for mixed-use commercial offerings which will complement the entertainment and recreational facilities of the broader community. It offers investment opportunities through commercial lots.
3. 1-Hectare Park
This linear park will serve as a refreshing green oasis in the middle of the master-planned development.
Fronting the Cebu Strait, South Coast City will take pride of its spectacular waterside views and features. A pedestrian network will link the main areas of the development. Other amenities also include:
A 36-meter wide and 320meter long green space.
Road networks with primary street widths of 30 meter wide.
Underground utilities
Underground Telecommunications System duct banks with fiber optic cable capable to handle multiple service providers.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology-cable telecommunications.
Photo by Cedric Maquilan
THE SM-AYALA CONSORTIUM
A consortium led by ALI and SM Prime won the new landbank at SRP (lot number 8-B-1) with a winning bid of P10 billion.
This tactical alliance of the two largest developers in the country is a strategic move to unlock the full potential of the 26-hectare prime property they acquired at the South Road Properties.
In a report, top officials from Ayala Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings said that they decided to work together on this big project to hasten the development of this area, which the Cebu City government was grooming to be a new central business district.
Project Brief
Groundbreaking date: July 2019
Target completion date: Phase 1 on 3rd Quarter of 2025
Lot sizes: 1,777 – 2,601 sqm (11 commercial lots)
Developer: Ayala Land & Cebu Holdings
Location: South Coast City, South Road Properties (SRP), Cebu City
Transit Connectivity Map:
500m from SM Seaside, Cebu’s biggest mall
2km from South Bus Terminal
4km from Cebu Port
11km from Mactan Cebu International Airport
PROJECT UPDATES
As of January 2021, groundworks are still ongoing while the city is under community quarantine status. Bore piling works have already begun at the site of the convention center and arena.
The Convention Center’s target opening date is on October 2024 while that of the 16,000-seater Arena will be on July 2025.
Photo from Cebu HoldingsPhoto from Cebu Holdings
There is always something more to look forward to in Cebu City even with the pandemic scare looming around us. South Coast City of the Ayala-SM Consortium is a proof that we are destined to achieve bigger and better things in the coming years, as it has always been for the last years.
You don’t have to have big capital to grow a successful business.
This is what this special homemade empanada business has proven as starting from its capital of just P250 it has grown to a full store earning over P10,000 a day or P70,000 a week.
Haydee Garin Cetro, owner of Empanada Ahuy in Cavite, started making empanadas for her family. From there she sold them online which the customers enjoyed so Haydee ventured into making bigger batches.
Empanada Ahuy has the filling and flavors that customers couldn’t get enough of. They have over nine flavors with each piece sold for P25 while a box of 15 at P300.
Savory empanadas: Ham and Cheese, Spicy Tuna ala King, Classic Chicken, Pork, and Beef w/ Mushroom
A rolling pin, which everyone who cooks knows is essential when you’re making empanada dough or even just dough wasn’t even available for her starting out but she didn’t let that stop her as she improvised and used a bottle to roll out her dough.
She said that you don’t need a big capital but a big serving of hard work and determination. break their record and sold over 750 pieces in one day. Haydee couldn’t help but be grateful.
“My husband and kids ang kauna-unahang naging fans ng aking empanada. Dati sila lang ang pinagluluto ko. Ngayon, buong Alfonso na. Isama na din natin ang tagaytay, Indang, Mendez, Bailen, Dasma, at Laguna. Marami pong salamat sa inyong lahat at sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa Empanada Ahuy since day one,”
– Haydee Garin Cetro, owner of Empanada Ahuy
Empanada Ahuy’s tagline goes “Tikman Ang nakakadik na sarap ng Empanada Ahuy! Masarap Ang dough, masarap ang fillings!”
On Monday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of January 24, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 634 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 966 new recoveries, and 16 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases declined to 13,754 (from 14,047).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 48,936 (+272 new) – Total recoveries: 40,415 (+263 new) – Total deaths: 1,553 (+6 new) – Active cases: 6,968
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 15,494 (+66 new) – Total recoveries: 13,545 (+88 new) – Total deaths: 475 (+2 new) – Active cases: 1,474
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 14,019 (+78 new) – Total recoveries: 12,193 (+258 new) – Total deaths: 448 (+2 new) – Active cases: 1,378
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 41,587 (+218 new) – Total recoveries: 35,056 (+357 new) – Total deaths: 2,597 (+6 new) – Active cases: 3,934
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 13,754 (from 14,047)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 120,036 (+634 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 101,209 (+966 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,073 (+16 new)
A total of 1,516 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
We all know spiderman’s sidekick Ned as an Asian but some of us just recently found out that he is a Filipino.
The Filipino representation was strong in the recently released ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ movie what with the introduction of Ned’s lola and the Filipino language spoken in the movie.
Now, you might be wondering who “Ned Leeds” really is in real life as he is a whole lot of charming and an awesome character as well.
Ned is actually a Filipino American actor named Jacob Batalon, born in Hawaii, to Filipino parents. His Filipina mother, who has always supported his dreams, is Eva Andres who is originally from Pangasinan here in the Philippines.
Jacob also has an interesting big family as he has seven half-siblings. He has a brother and a sister from his mother, and three brothers and two sisters from his father.
He had a drastic change in his body as well for Jacob lost 102 pounds (46 kg) in 2020. He decided to start a fitness journey after realizing how unhealthily he had been living.
“I felt like I could barely walk upstairs without being out of breath, and this one day I kind of just saw myself without a shirt on and it was just ridiculous. I could not believe I let myself get this far. That’s what sort of started it all.”
– Jacob Batalon
Road to playing “Ned”
He was really studying for his dreams if his academic pursuit is taken into consideration as he attended Kapi’olani Community College to study music theory, but later dropped out and then took a two-year program to study acting at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.
He had his acting debut in the film North Woods playing the role of Cooper and was recently cast as the lead role of Reginald in Syfy’s dramedy series Reginald the Vampire.
Jacob Batalon to lead Syfy series ‘Reginald The Vampire’
He had cameos as Ned in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home so people have always associated Jacob as a permanent lead character in the MCU.
Now, without giving out any spoilers, he swings into action in a much bigger role and says that It’s been really fun.
Everyone knows this burger and when I say everyone, I mean everyone.
Angel’s Burger is so popular that anyone and everyone can see it everywhere. It has more than a thousand outlets all over the Philippines. A lot of roadside breaks and late-night snacks have been spent on these burgers.
Photo from Zomato
The very successful business known for its Buy 1, Take 1 Burger, had its humble beginnings. In fact, one of the owners was even an employee in a bank, Vicky Mojica.
This “Burger ng Bayan,” is the baby of Joseph and Vicky Mojica’s leap of faith. These two ‘regular’ employees quit their jobs during the ’90s, franchised a burger business and also ventured into several more businesses.
Joseph and Vicky Mojica, Angel’s Burger Owners | Photo from Angel’s BurgerVicky Mojica, Angel’s Burger Owner | Photo from My Puhunan via Twitter
Now, the couple made Angel’s Burger a household name and as one of the most popular food kiosks in the country.
Its name came from their daughter Angel. It was when she was born that they decided to stop franchising and start a burger business of their own.
Angel’s Burger Story Timeline:
1997: first burger shop built and named it after Angel with an initial capital of P20,000. Unfortunately, it was NOT successful.
After that, the couple decided to become Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Vicky won the jackpot in a slot machine in Las Vegas. She took home $10,000 or around P500,000 at that time.
With the lotto prize, Vicky and Joseph decided to come home and invest all of it in their burger business.
Their buy 1, take 1 strategy, which is what makes them famous, only profits a little when they were still starting but Vicky was positive that small profits are better as long as it is consistent.
“Konting kita basta dire-diretso ay okay na. Hindi kami naghangad ng sobra sobrang kita. Basta sigurado lang po na araw-araw may kita, masaya na po kami”
– Vicky Mojica, Angel’s Burger Owner
The namesake Angel, their daughter is now all grown up and is very proud of her parents and what they have achieved. This is one of those rare times where a win in luck was beneficial and actually made a family successful. But no matter the luck, it was hard work that made sure of their success.
It is already known to many that people visit the island of Cebu because of its great history, its churches, parks, but not known to many, people come to Cebu for the white beaches and beautiful nature.
Nestled 6.8km from the offshore of the northern coast of Cebu island is, Malapascua. Because of its rich marine sanctuary, Malapascua Island has attracted both local and foreign visitors, especially divers. It is best known for its world-famous diving sites, specifically the Monad Shoal where thresher sharks can be seen and observed regularly before sunrise.
The Best of Malapascua Island
As I was saying, the island of Malapascua is perfect for a
beach vacay. There are quite a number of beaches waiting for you to explore and
I have a list of some for you:
1. LIGHTHOUSE BEACH
If you are up for snorkelling, Lighthouse Beach is perfect
for you because of the Japanese wreck submerged in the shallows. The skeleton
of the ship is what remains, and became an artificial reef. Lighthouse beach is
accessible by foot or a short habal-habal ride from anywhere on the island.
Danica Anne Tubalado Judy-Anne Nulla Pacifico
2. GUIMBITAYAN BEACH
Situated fairly close to the Lighthouse Beach is Guimbitayan
Beach. Perfect for relaxation, this bach is hidden behind many fishermen houses
along the way.
3. LANGUB BEACH
If you want the entire beach for yourself, Langub Beach is the place you should visit for it is a very quiet beach in the Northen part of Malapascua.
Charlene Mae AbellanaCharlene Mae Abellana
4. BOUNTY BEACH
With a long stretch of white sand beach, Bounty beach is a
home to bars and restaurants. It is the main beach of the island, and there is
no entrance fee. It is ideal for chilling around, having a meal or a snack, and
going for a leisurely swim. There are even hammocks hanging around that you can
lie in them and relax for free.
Thomas DietzOcean Vida Beach & Dive ResortMelvin Orofeo
Diving in Malapascua
Apart from beach-hopping, you can also go diving in
Malapascua. Malapascua is also very well known for macro diving (small
critters, yes it very confusing), and you will see seahorses, shrimps, crabs
and sea slugs in most of the dive sites. But ofc, thresher sharks – if you’re
in for some great adventure.
@bryanchu
Whale shark 2.0 at Monad Shoal, Malapascua!!! Yes, the lucky divers of Exotic had another unbelievable whale shark encounter again. And this time there were TWO whale sharks😱😱😱❤️❤️❤️Keep your eyes open when you go for the thresher shark dive—you never know what bonus will show up😜.Special thanks to Scott Lam who generously shared his awesome video with us for this amazing experience🙏#malapascuaexotic #whaleshark #whenoneofthemisnotenough #sharkdiving #itsmorefuninthephilippines
Monad Shoal is the 1# dive site in Malapascua, where
thresher sharks (not dangerous) come every early in the morning to bathe in the
depth of 30-40m. And since it’s the BER
months, they say that divers can usually spot manta rays there too.
Gato Island is known for the white tip sharks dwelling here.
There is an amazing tunnel dive here that ends with a small cave, and lots of
marine life. There are plenty more dive sites around Malapascua, and even in
Kalanggaman and Kemod shoal closer to Leyte, where you can see many interesting
things.
TRAVEL TIPS
Summer is the best time to visit the island
There is no pharmacy in the island so I suggest you bring your own medicine kit
As of November 2020, there are at least 3 ATMs in Malapscua.
There’s a decent mobile signal or data in the island.
UPDATE: In this time of pandemic, visitors are required to present a hotel/resort booking before you’re allowed to board from the port.
WHERE TO STAY?
You can book your resort/hotel room in Malapascua island by checking out the resorts indicated below:
Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort Starts at 2,500 PHP CHECK RATES
Hippocampus Beach Resort Starts at 1,400 PHP CHECK RATES
Exact Location: Bounty Beach, Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu — 4 hours away from Cebu City, and 30 minutes away from Maya Port.
BY BUS AND FERRY: From the Cebu North Bus Terminal, ride a bus going to Maya/Bagay. It will drop you off at Maya Port. Bus fare is around ₱150 per head, travel time is 3-4 hours.
From the port, ride a ferry boat going to Malapascua Island. Boat fare is ₱100 per head, travel time is around 45 minutes. Boats ply every 30 minutes from 6:30AM to 4:30PM only.
PARKING: If you’re bringing your own car, you have to leave it in the mainland near Maya Port. Look for ‘Sugbo Maya’ or any private property where you can park for ₱100-150 per day.
Note: If it’s low tide, you may need to transfer to a paddle boat going to the shore.
On Sunday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of January 23, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 1,247 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 281 new recoveries, and 4 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases jumped to 14,047 (from 13,085).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 48,672 (+523 new) – Total recoveries: 40,177 (+258 new) – Total deaths: 1,547 (+0 new) – Active cases: 6,948
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 15,430 (+220 new) – Total recoveries: 13,465 (+1 new) – Total deaths: 473 (+0 new) – Active cases: 1,492
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 13,944 (+161 new) – Total recoveries: 11,953 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 446 (+0 new) – Active cases: 1,545
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 41,370 (+343 new) – Total recoveries: 34,717 (+22 new) – Total deaths: 2,591 (+4 new) – Active cases: 4,062
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 14,047 (from 13,085)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 119,416 (+1,247 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 100,312 (+281 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,057 (+4 new)
A total of 2,929 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
The Internet has become a necessity in our daily life especially now that almost everyone is working from home. Cebuanos have also struggled with the effects of super typhoon Odette amidst the pandemic which makes it harder.
So, having an internet service that has the initiative to disconnect during those times when everyone cannot access the net due to lack of electricity is something to be praised indeed.
Mars Catiquista shared on Facebook that her internet bill is only 149 Pesos which were far from its original usual bill of P1,499.
Screenshot from Mars Catiquista
Flexing her internet provider, Cine Cebu Television Network Incorporated (CCTNi) which is a newcomer in the internet provider services, she shared her gratefulness to the company’s initiative.
“Good day our dearest Subscriber: The bill (SOA) that was sent to you was already adjusted since Cince Cebu Management decided to disconnect all the subscriber’s account that was effective last Dec. 16, 2021.”- Cine Cebu Billing Staff
Screenshot from Mars Catiquista
Yes. We sure don’t need to be fined for those days that we don’t even have access to. It was a state of calamity and still, most of those telecoms have not considered this. The internet bills that came were still intact, just like that.
“I’m so thankful. Gaan ra kaayo sa bulsa. And dali ra kaayo na restore ako internet connection because their customer service rep was so responsive and paspas molihok sa imo request. I just wanna appreciate them. Because of them, I immediately went back working from home.”
– Mars
Though not yet as popular as Globe and PLDT, she claims they’re worth the price.
Rusty old white satellite dishes on blue sky background
Cine Cebu (CCTN) Internet Plans
10Mbps – P999 per month
20Mbps – P1,499 per month
30Mbps – P1,799 per month
50Mbps – P3,000 per month
Plan Inclusions (All Bundles):
Unlimited Fiber internet. No data capping.
Complimentary premium TV channels.
Branches:
FCT Building (Unit 6), Poblacion, Minglanilla, Cebu
Rey & Lucy Alison Bldg., Pajo, Lapu-lapu City
LMPC Bldg., Lamac, Pinamungahan, Cebu
JDS Bldg., S. Osmeña St., Luray 1, Poblacion, Toledo City
If you wish to apply, you can visit any of their branch or their official website. Installation usually takes 3 to 5 days.
These were the exact words of Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer, as he confirms the second season of Netflix’s breakout hit of 2021.
‘Squid Game’ premiered on Netflix in September 2021 and the South Korean survival film quickly soared to the top of the charts, racking up 1.65 billion viewing hours in less than a month.
Previously, ‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk also confirmed that the hit series would be renewed for a second season.
“There’s been so much pressure, so much demand and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice!” Hwang told the Associated Press last November 2021.
Lee Jung-jae, the lead actor portraying Seong Gi-hun, is reportedly coming back for the new season. The last time we saw Player 456, he won the games and took home the golden prize of ₩45.6 billion prize pool (about $38.5 million). Instead of flying to see his daughter, Gi-Hun appears to be on the lookout for the game’s mastermind as he tries to “do something for the world.”
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun
The Netflix series is truly remarkable as it made history by becoming the first non-English-language series and the first Korean series to be nominated at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards for cast in a drama series, actor in a drama series (Lee Jung-jae), actress in a drama series (Jung Ho-yeon), and stunt ensemble.
In addition, “Squid Game” took home three Golden Globe Awards, including best TV drama and a supporting actor award for O Yeong-su. The show was also nominated for three Critics’ Choice Awards and won the Gotham Award for Best Breakthrough Series.
According to confidential corporate data released to Bloomberg, Netflix spent $21.4 million for the first season of “Squid Game” and estimates the series will generate $891 million in “impact value.”
Release Date
The first season took two years to complete so it’s unlikely to see the second one until 2023. Hopefully, we get to see the new season sometime in 2024 or 2025.
