Globe commercially launches SEA-US cable system; connects Davao to US for enhanced PHL internet connectivity

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Globe Telecom commercially launched today the $250-million Southeast Asia-United States (SEA-US) submarine cable system which provides direct links between Davao and the United States for richer and enhanced international connectivity for businesses in Mindanao and the rest of the country.

“First world connection is more than just fast internet but is also about building a better nation that transcends borders and opens infinite possibilities for everyone. We are excited about this development because of the immense benefits that the undersea cable system will bring to the Philippines. For one, it will provide support for the expanding business requirement for data in the Mindanao region where the cable landing station is located and in the country as a whole. This will also ease our dependence on international cable systems and ensure the resiliency of the country’s internet connectivity,” said Ernest L. Cu, Globe President and CEO.

The SEA-US cable system is connected to the Globe cable landing station in Brgy. Talomo, Davao City which also houses the Power Feed Equipment necessary to run the system. Outside of Luzon, the undersea cable is the first direct connection of Globe to the United States via Guam, Hawaii, and California, offering faster transmission of data to the US.

The facility also completely bypasses the Taiwan earthquake zone to ensure continuity of service and greater resiliency. This is expected to prevent a repeat of a 2006 incident where major international cables were broken because of the Taiwan earthquake, resulting in the isolation of the Philippines for a few days in terms of internet connectivity.

“On behalf of the Philippine Government, we congratulate Globe Telecom for further improving the state of Internet connectivity in the Philippines. The launching of this SEA-US cable system underscores the importance of integrating ICT in the improvement of government service delivery. We look to this Globe and SEA-US project being of help to government in realizing its ICT roadmap,” said Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima.

Peter Maquera, Senior Vice President for Globe Enterprise Group, also commented that “the facility will be most beneficial to businesses which require higher bandwidth and network resiliency at cost-efficient rates.” “With the commercial operations, our customers can expect a more resilient network necessary for the continuity of their operations as well as greater route flexibility and better future support for bandwidth-dependent applications and services consistent with the growing trend of companies shifting their business critical operations to digital,” he added.

The 14,500-kilometer SEA-US international cable system, uses the latest 100 gigabits per second transmission technology to deliver an additional 20 terabits per second capacity. Such additional capacity will cater to the exponential growth of bandwidth between the two continents.

The system was built by a consortium of 7 international telecommunications companies and links five areas and territories that include Manado (Indonesia), Davao (Philippines), Piti (Guam), Oahu (Hawaii, United States), and Los Angeles (California, United States).

Aside from forming part of the SEA-US consortium, Globe is also a member of an international consortium of telecommunications and technology companies operating the Southeast Asia-Japan Cable (SJC) system. SJC is an 8,900-kilometer cable system linking seven territories that include Brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines, including the option to link with Thailand. The cable infrastructure is currently being upgraded to bring an increase of 6.5 Tb/s capacity with state of the art 100G technology.

Globe Telecom has also made investments in the East Asia Cable system (EAC), Asia Pacific Cable Network-2 (APCN2), Tata Global Network–Intra Asia cable system (TGN-IA), the City to City cable system (C2C), and is interconnected with major Trans-Pacific Cable systems that encompass the Unity, Tata Global Network-Pacific, (TGN-P) and the Japan-US Cable Network (J-US).

Cebu Pacific unveils flavors of the world in new inflight menu

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CEB partners with Miascor Catering for unique inflight meal selection

Cebu Pacific has teamed up with MIASCOR Catering - Gate Gourmet Philippines, a joint venture between Miascor Holdings and Gate Gourmet, the leading airline catering provider, to enhance passenger experience with the launch of its all-new inflight meal selection.

Starting September 2017, all domestic and international flights of Cebu Pacific will be offering a fresh selection of pre-ordered meals, including 12 new dishes up for grabs.

DELICIOUS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. Cebu Pacific Vice President for Corporate Affairs Atty. Paterno Mantaring, Jr. (center) and Executive Sous Chef Mark Javier Ledesma lead the unveiling of the airline's top-of-the-line dishes.

Ranging from rice meals, pasta and noodles, and premium sandwich packs, the new Cebu Pacific inflight menu was created exclusively by Miascor Catering to cater to the varied tastes and preferences of the CEB flier. 

For delicately-flavored offerings, travelers can choose from Chicken Caesar Croissant, Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Baked Dory Tropicale, and Hazelnut Banana Croissant. Passengers who have a penchant for light and balanced flavors are sure to enjoy these meals under the Western Fusion series selection.

Executive Sous Chef Mark Javier Ledesma

The Filipino series, on the other hand, is a reinvention of local favorites like the Beef Tapa & Egg Burrito, Pancit Bam-I Guisado, Beef Laing, and Spicy Bangus Sisig. Asia’s winning flavors are also included in the menu with Beef Chelo Kebab, Chicken Satay with Cashew Nut Sauce, and CEB’s own spin to the salted egg craze—Salted Egg Glazed Chicken Rice and Salted Egg Chicken in Baguette.

SALTED EGG HIT.  The Salted Egg Glazed Chicken Rice is among the most sought-after flavors in Cebu Pacific’s new inflight menu.  

BLOGGERS' CHOICE.  Spicy Bangus Sisig is an easy favorite during the launch of Cebu Pacific's new pre-ordered meals. 

"Guests can easily pre-order the new CEB Meals during booking, or up to 24 hours before their flights. These new inflight dishes are prepared only when pre-ordered, to provide guests with fresh and delectable meals at 35,000 feet,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution.

Cebu Pacific’s new on-board pleasers are all Halal-certified, and adhere to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system for international food safety. Moreover, these dishes come with nutritional and product information, as reference for an increasing number of health-conscious passengers on CEB. 

Enjoy the full experience of travel with Cebu Pacific’s newest offering of flavors on board. Visit www.cebupacificair.com to learn more about the new inflight meals and the upgraded pre-ordering options. 

Respond to life emergencies and distress with the Cloudfone Senior Phone

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Cloudfone Lite Senior (Bar) and Cloudfone Lite Senior (Flip) phones deliver the awesome promise of peace of mind during times of emergency.

Countless times people would talk about stress, traffic rush, and all-day hassle around the metro. The nature of the recent safety issues is at the very least shocking especially if the ones close and dearest to us are concerned. At times, when an emergency threatens life and limb, it's critical that assistance be extended to the victim as swiftly as possible. No wonder, one of the things people long for in life is to have peace of mind.

Peace of mind is knowing that your loved ones are safe. Peace of mind is knowing that the people we hold dearly in our hearts are always within reach. Now, peace of mind can be in a button.

It is this fact that local mobile phone manufacturer Cloudfone recognizes as it launches its Cloudfone Lite Senior phones with S.O.S. Button. 

From L-R: Niño Mendoza-Cloudfone Chief Strategy Officer, Tess Tiu-Cloudfone Chief Finance Officer, Azer Villola- Cloudfone Chief Product Officer, Joey Oreta- Cloudfone Chief Marketing Officer, Jaime Alcantara- Cloudfone Chief Operating Officer, Bradford Martinez- Martinez Memorial Hospital Board Member, and Dr. Elizabeth Del Rio- Martinez Memorial Hospital Chief Operating Officer 

Recently, Cloudfone, the mobile and tablet brand of the Cellprime Group announced the availability of the Cloudfone Lite Senior (Bar) and Cloudfone Lite Senior (Flip) in all trade channels at PHP799 and PHP1,299 respectively. The newest devices to join the Cloudfone line delivers contents and features suitable for the older users aged 60 and above.

As part of the CSR Give-Back Project of Cloudfone, 20 senior patients from the Martinez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City were recently treated to free Lite Senior phones during the Cloudfone Peace of Mind Activity on the hospital grounds. During the event, CellPrime executives demonstrated how the ingenious S.O.S. Button in these new phones can help people seek help during medical emergencies and times of distress. 

“In a non-life threatening situation, you can always text or call someone,” explained CellPrime COO Jaime Alcantara. “But if the situation is life threatening, you may not have the time or even the ability to turn on your phone, unlock the screen and look for a number to call. You’re not even sure if those you call can respond fast enough to help you. The S.O.S. Button in the Cloudfone Lite Senior can take care of all that and more.” 

Available in bar and flip versions, Cloudfone’s newest feature phones have an S.O.S. Button that automatically activates an alarm, sends emergency text messages and calls up to five (5) different emergency contacts with just one press. In the event of an emergency, a user simply presses on the S.O.S. Button on the Lite Senior. This first sends out a customized “cry for help” SMS message to the five emergency contacts. The button is placed in front of the flip variant and at the back for the bar variant. Once button is triggered, it will start making a loud alarm sound to signal that there’s an emergency. After which, the Cloudfone Lite Senior will start making emergency calls and texts continuously, switching one registered contact number to the next registered contact number just in case the first person failed to receive the call. It won’t stop alerting the pre-selected contacts unless the receiver answered the call.

“This is a very simple device that our elderly loved ones, people who are close to our hearts, can appreciate in times of emergency as well as for everyday use, with big fonts and screen display, and large buttons in its keypad. Although we had our seniors in mind when we were developing this, we can also see how this could help with children of school age and other members of the family who can also have peace of mind by having this phone,” said Alcantara.

Martinez Memorial Hospital’s COO Dr. Elizabeth Martinez Del Rio shared her excitement with the rest of the Cloudfone Lite Senior recipients. “When Cloudfone explained to me the features, I liked it. I explained to the recipients about the advantages in cases of accidents and distress. Ang galing. If I had that kind of phone when I had an accident, this phone could have helped. Maganda ito,” declared Dr. Martinez Del Rio.

A few recipients have already responded well to their new phones. 68-year old Cornelio Estrada, hospitalized for experiencing chest pains, has already planned to put in the contact numbers of his children and grandchildren in his new Cloudfone Lite Senior for future emergencies. 

Mrs. Dominga Martin, 71, recalled her difficulty in getting help when she accidentally slipped while at home. She also mentioned an instance when she was trying to ask for help when she was held up and robbed of her money during a trip in the city. She expressed her gratitude and happiness in receiving the phone. 

Ray Caguin, Cloudfone Group Brand Manager, explains how the S.O.S. Button works during emergencies. 

Cloudfone Lite Senior was diligently developed within a span of one and a half years before its launch in the country last June. CellPrime, makers of Cloudfone, took into account how they could take available technologies to make something awesome for seniors. 

“Here in the Philippines, a feature phone like the Cloudfone Lite Senior is a volume driver, meaning many people still look for this kind of phone. For every niche market, we want to develop something awesome for the Filipino customer and we make sure that the development of each feature in every phone is given enough time and thought, so we can reach that goal to be awesome. For the senior segment, we believe that the S.O.S. button is awesome because it serves as a lifeline to your family and loved ones,” expounded Ray Caguin, Cloudfone Group Brand Manager.

The Cloudfone brand aims to continue giving awesome things to people that they normally wouldn’t be able to enjoy. The company is steadfast in its commitment to the Cloudfone promise of providing better, quality, and awesome devices that Filipinos can afford. 

“The one thing we do is we look for the Filipino customers 'pain' and then find a way to take away that pain by offering them what they want and what is awesome. For smartphones, we have already started offering great selfie phones at affordable price points. As we always say, quality does not have to be too expensive. And then we will also continue to develop other products that will give awesome to the people, and if there are other things like this that we can involve ourselves with, then we go straight ahead,” concluded Cloudfone Chief Marketing Officer Joey Oreta. 

About Cloudfone

Cloudfone is one of the fastest rising mobile tech brands in the Philippines. It has proven its expertise in delivering tech innovation within its line-up of smartphone and tablet devices, enabling its users to enjoy a wide spectrum of products that offer awesome global craftsmanship that everyone can afford and be proud of. 

For more information about Cloudfone Lite Senior and other Cloudfone products, visit http://www.cloudfone.com.ph/  www.cloudfone.com.ph and at http://www.facebook.com/cloudfone www.facebook.com/cloudfone.

The 3rd Integrated Waste Management Expo and Environment Summit

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The 3rd Integrated Waste Management Expo and Environment Summit, an initiative of the DENR - Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is happening on August 10-12, 2017 at SMX Aura, Taguig City.

Aims to raise the bar of environmental awareness of consumers and beef up efforts in solving the rising problem of solid waste in Metro Manila and other urban areas in provinces across the country, the 3rd Integrated Waste Management Expo and Environment Summit is open to the public, including government agencies and non-government organizations. 

The Expo offers various activities like forums, talks and workshops that bear interesting topics on environmental protection, renewable energy, sustainable livelihood, and updates on consumer goods that help save the earth.

The Expo aspires to heighten a proactive awareness on issues that bear upon the environment and its ecological well-being. The ever-rising mountains of trash in our landfills, our rivers, waterways, and seas, is a serious matter of concern that has stared us in the eye for decades. 

Good laws have been passed, government efforts on alleviating garbage problems in Metro Manila and major urban centers across the country have seen improvements since R.A. 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act” was put in motion in 2000. Amazingly, seventeen years later, we are still in neck-deep sea of rubbish. Major gaps cry out to be filled because the solution lies not only on laws or government effort, but at the source of waste itself — the consumers. 

The Expo hopes to boost efforts in promoting a deeper commitment among Filipinos in every household, business establishments, and institutions in achieving positive social and environmental impact. Visitors will gain invaluable information, instruction, and insight on eco-friendly solutions that is practical, cost-efficient and sustainable.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — the global battle cry for the environment resonates. Redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are reused, imitating nature’s sustainable cycles, would mean no trash is sent to landfills and incinerators — no more air pollution, no more water contamination. Changing our consumer lifestyles and practices is the solution to making this vision possible. 

We can bring about positive change if we work together as a nation — for the environment, for the country, for every Filipino. We hold the key.

The 3rd Integrated Ecological Waste Management Expo and Environment Summit is organized by DENR - Environmental Management Bureau in partnership with Department of Interior and Local Government, Metro Manila Development Authority, Philippine Information Agency, Quezon City and Taguig City. 

Admission is free. For online registration, kindly visit environmentsummit.ph.

Mañosa: Beyond Architecture: Traveling Exhibit Puts Spotlight On Architecture Icon

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​Get access to projects never before seen by the public when you visit “Mañosa: Beyond Architecture”, a traveling exhibit featuring renowned Filipino architect Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa. 

The exhibit will be held from August 6 to 17 in Alabang Town Center and will move to TriNoma Mall from August 18 to September 9.

When everyone was focused on architectural feats in the great cities of the world and produced work to reflect these trends, Architect Bobby Mañosa used Philippine textiles, and building materials, championing Filipino architectural design through his work. 

“For him, it’s not just about finding what’s beautiful. He works to keep leveling up, to keep innovating, and have Filipinos take pride in our own world class designs” says Denise Mañosa, the celebrated architect’s wife.

As a treat for the next generation of creatives who draw inspiration from his work, the exhibit showcases original drawings, models, and snapshots that chart Mañosa’s prolific career as an architect. Aside from an archive of photographs, vernacular materials, furniture, and interior elements, the exhibition will also explores his other creative pursuits as a jazz musician, toy designer, and craftsman.

This exhibit was originally put up in the National Museum of the Philippines earlier this year. For those who missed it, now is your chance to get to know more about Architect Mañosa.

“Through this exhibit, we hope to keep not only Bobby’s legacy in the country’s architecture industry alive but also, every Filipino’s love for our own. As he always tells us, ‘Architecture must be true to itself, its land, and its people’”, adds Denise.

The exhibit is organized by Tukod Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the Mañosa Group of Companies, in partnership with Ayala Malls and Artkitektura. For more information on the exhibit, visit www.facebook.com/franciscomanosa.exhibit/.

Tukod Foundation started in 2000 with the publication of Architect Bobby’s first book “Designing Filipino: the Architecture of Bobby Mañosa” to serve as a resource material for students and architects alike. It offered scholarships to Architecture students as well. Over the years, Tukod Foundation went from publishing books and offering scholarships to championing Filipino pride.

To date, the foundation has community initiatives focusing on educating the youth about Filipino architecture and heritage. “Similar to Bobby and Mañosa Group of Companies’ aim of leveling things up, Tukod Foundation is all about leveling up the lives of Filipinos by sharing what the company and the family have in terms of expertise and resources,” says Denise.

For more information on the Tukod Foundation, visit http://tukodfoundation.org/.