Welcome 2019 with the biggest New Year’s Countdown at BGC, Taguig

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Ring in the New Year with a massive year-end street party for a night of food, fun, fireworks, and world-class performances from Jessica Sanchez, KZ Tandingan, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, Lesha, Autotelic, Bret Jackson, Sofia Romualdez, Curtismith, Massiah, and Astro Kidd as Bonifacio Global City, in partnership with the City of Taguig, presents BGC X Taguig Pulse 2019: The Year-End Countdown.

The event will take place along 5th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street (between 28th and 30th Street) on December 31, 2018, starting with an anticipated New Year’s Mass at 6pm for the entire community. The festivities will then kick off with a musical performance inspired by the hit movie The Greatest Showman, leading up to a concert series that culminates with a heart-stopping countdown to 2019 featuring a state-of-the-art centerpiece with curved LED screens and intelligent lighting to mark the new year, followed by a spectacular 15-minute fireworks display.

Select Bonifacio High Street restaurants will be open past midnight while some Mercato Centrale merchants will also be setting up pop-up booths within the venue to serve the thousands of people expected to attend.

Co-presented by Angkas PH and Frontrow, with AXA Philippines and Jack Daniel’s as major sponsors, and CNN Philippines and GMA Network as official media partners, BGC X Taguig Pulse 2019: The Year-End Countdown is free and open for all. For more information, visit BGC’s official Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/bonifacioglobalcityph and https://www.facebook.com/BoniHighStreet.

#BGCTaguigPulse2019

15,000 Angkas supporters attended FREE Thanksgiving Concert

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Angkas has been getting overwhelming support from commuters, lawmakers, government officials, celebrities, and various other groups in light of the recent TRO issued by the Supreme Court in favor of the LTFRB.

Photo : Stanley Briz

https://www.facebook.com/AngkasPH/videos/321449912030054/

The massive support that Angkas has been getting was evident in a free concert with thousands of people – all Angkas customers and supporters join the free concert last Saturday held at the Quezon City Circle main stage with featured top celebrities such as Nadine Lustre, Sam Concepcion, Hale, Ella Cruz, Shanti Dope, Mayonnaise, Quest, Ex Battalion, Gab Valenciano, and Andrew E.

In short videos shown during the concert, other prominent stars expressed their support for Angkas including Dingdong Dantes, Yassi Presman, Matteo Guidicelli, Tim Yap, Rovilson Fernandez, Marc Nelson, Phoemela Barranda, Kim Atienza, Myrtle Sarasa, Sabbie Rodriguez, Shawn Yao, Fabio Ide, and Jinno Rufino.

Lawmakers and government officials threw in their support for Angkas. Congressmen Winston Castelo, Cristal Bagatsing, Rodel Batocabe, Johnny T. Pimental, Xavier Jesus Romualdo, and Cebu Mayor Tomas Osmeña all issued statements in favor of the continued operation of Angkas considering the sorry state of mass transport in the country today and the benefits that the service has been providing local commuters.

“Government is supposed to make the people’s lives better, not worse. Angkas was a cleaner, safer version of what is the only practical mode of transportation for many Cebuanos, especially those who live in remote barangays,” Osmeña said in a news interview.

Former LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez reiterated in his post that Angkas should be allowed to operate and that the LTFRB and the DOTr have the power to legitimize and regulate the ride-hailing service.

Congressman Castelo, Chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, likewise urged the DOTr to allow Angkas to continue its operation for the sake of public interests.

In a recent statement, Castelo said the DOTr can issue a Department Order to allow Angkas’ ride-hailing operations in the same manner that transportation network companies (TNC) or transport network vehicle services (TNVS) like Grab were allowed to do so.

“A mere DO can suffice to lessen the suffering of the commuting public. DOTr should realize this. If they cannot provide efficient and reliable mass transportation system as they are mandated to do, they should at least be creative and use modern technology. We should not be technical and legalistic on this while millions of Filipinos are suffering from traffic and losing PHP2 billion in lost opportunities,” Castelo said.

Rep. Johnny T. Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, in turn, decried the timing of the SC order. “Actually, the TRO is only temporary, however, the timing is not right considering the Christmas rush. Many commuters are having a hard time getting a ride. This will again be a big burden to our traveling public,” Pimentel said in a news report.

The Mobility Coalition, an alliance of organizations supporting commuter welfare, also recently issued a statement supporting Angkas. In the statement, the group said that they are disheartened by the recent Supreme Court decision and declared their support of the "regulation of motorcycle taxis as a public transport option"

Joining Angkas Public Affairs Head George Royeca and Angkas Operation Head David Medrana  in the media conference is Atty. Ariel Inton, President of the Lawyers For Commuters’ Safety and Protection group, who pledge his support to the #SaveAngkas initiative.

The online community was abuzz with tremendous support for Angkas, acknowledging the help that the ride-hailing app has given commuters like them. In fact, the hashtag #SaveAngkas has trended on Twitter recently, and most tweets have been in support of moves to allow the operation of Angkas and to work for its regulation.

Moreover, around 130,000 netizens have signed an online petition calling on the government to “Save Angkas” and regulate motorcycle taxis instead of prohibiting them from operating. The number of signatories continue to increase for the change.org petition.

“We have received tremendous support from our customers and from the general public and we are truly grateful about this,” noted George Royeca, Angkas head of Regulatory and Public Affairs. “Rest assured that we will do our best to come up with a course of action that's within the bounds of law so that we can once again serve the Filipino commuters," he added.

Without the legitimate Angkas ride-hailing service, passengers are forced to use underground habal-habal services, according to Angkas Operations Head David Medrana.

"These habal-habals are riskier for our commuters because many of these bikers have no drivers' licenses, have had no training in proper motorcycle safety procedures and proper motorcycle regulations, and offer no insurance at all," he added.

The LTFRB continues to insist that motorcycles are unfit for passenger transport due to safety issues. Angkas officials stress, however, that the LTFRB has consistently ignored Angkas' safety record as well as proof of the precautions it takes to ensure passenger safety, including biker training and assessment, quality helmets, and accident insurance.

Angkas' safety record currently stands at 99.997%, above and beyond the rates cited by government agencies to claim otherwise. “Our safety record is a testament not only to the viability of using motorcycles for safe passenger services, but also of the massive improvements that a single committed organization can make to professionalize an industry,” stressed Royeca.

The Angkas petition can be found on this link: https://www.change.org/p/ltfrb-saveangkas-and-support-the-regulation-of-motorcycle-taxis-in-the-philippines.

Amaia Steps Pasig sells out 2 buildings; launches new building, Blanca

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Upon the success of the first two buildings of Amaia Steps Pasig, it now prepares to launch its newest building, Blanca, in early 2019. This positive development further motivates top-of-mind property developer Amaia Land Corp. to push its goal of providing quality yet affordable condo living to more residents in the metro. 

Amaia Steps Pasig prepares to launch its newest building, Blanca, which will start construction in the first quarter of 2019, and with a target turnover period in June 2021.
Amaia Steps Pasig has sold a total of 220 units in its Aria building and another 122 units in its Esperanza building. The new Amaia Steps Pasig Blanca will start construction in the first quarter of 2019, with a target turnover period in June 2021. 

Located at Eusebio St. in Brgy. San Miguel, Amaia Steps Pasig Blanca is a midrise condominium with support retail shops in the sprawling residential landscape of Pasig City. It will best exemplify contemporary living in its spacious and sleekly designed Studio, De Luxe, and Premier units. 

The property’s recreational facilities will feature a swimming pool, a courtyard garden, a children’s play area, jogging path, and a clubhouse which were completed on the early half of 2018. 

Amaia Steps Pasig Blanca will be easily accessed from major roads and will be less than six kilometers from the Ortigas Business District and four kilometers from C-5 Road suitable for working professionals such as engineers, accountants, consultants, officers and call center agents. The mid-rise condo will likewise be near retail establishments such as Tiendesitas, SM Supercenter Pasig, Robinsons Galleria, and the Pasig Public Market, as well as educational institutions, hospitals, and restaurants making everything within reach for everyone. 

Transportation will readily be available as shuttle services, jeepneys, tricycles, and ferries abound in the area. 

Amaia Land brings the dream of owning an affordable superior-quality home closer to hardworking Filipinos through easy payment options: cash, deferred cash, and bank financing. 

With its mission of serving aspiring Filipino homeowners with affordable yet quality homes, Amaia ensures comfortable lives for them today and in many years to come. Amaia CARES for life, the living, and the spaces around it. 

For inquiries about Amaia Steps Pasig Blanca and other Amaia developments, check out www.amaialand.com or follow www.facebook.com/AmaiaLand.

Leave nothing but your footprint: Reef makes a pledge for cleaner beaches

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Dedicated to making sure beaches stay clean and healthy, international beach apparel brand Reef pledges to use the fun, freedom and spirit of the beach to champion a better life for people and planet. 

To achieve this, Reef is targeting to accomplish 1,500 beach clean ups, remove 150,000 lbs of trash, and engage 30,000 volunteers around the world this year, in the hopes that their industry and communities play an equally big role in enacting meaningful change for the planet. 

Volunteers pick up trash from the shore of San Juan, La Union during Reef’s Free the Sea Movement 3. 

Globally, Reef partnered with Surfrider and has cleaned up 840 beaches and collected 206,871 lbs of trash which is beyond the target mentioned with the help of 30,654 volunteers as of this writing. 

In the Philippines, Reef hosted their annual Free the Sea Movement, a fun-filled 3-day event and coastal clean-up that aims to promote responsible travel and environmental conservation. 

Now on its third year, Reef’s Free the Sea Movement 3 in San Juan, La Union was created in partnership with WWF-Philippines and aimed to encourage people to live a sustainable lifestyle by not using single-use plastics that are harmful to the environment, specifically oceans. 

100 volunteers participated in the clean-up during Free the Sea Movement 3 and the event also included Plastic Solutions’ talk on eco-brick making. Reef is also part of WWF-Philippines Ayoko ng Plastic Campaign, which seeks to lessen, and eventually eliminate, single-use plastics within the country by raising awareness of the issue of plastic pollution with the public. 

Single-use plastics are among the biggest pollutants found in our oceans today. In 2016, plastic production amounted to as much as 335 million metric tons, approximately half of that amount used for single-use purposes. A whopping 32% of plastic packaging being left to the environs, with 8 million tons of plastic packaging wind up in the ocean each year. 

Reef’s Music Festival Night at Free the Sea Movement 3 caps off the first day of the event with performances from different bands. 

The event also included free surfing clinics for the volunteers and a fun Music Festival Night graced by bands like Orange & Lemons, G2 & the Bundocks, Coeli, The Geeks PH, Rusty Machines, Eazyhead, We are Imaginary, Cheats. 

Aside from mounting coastal clean-ups, Reef is also committed to supporting environmental programs of local communities. Recently, Reef also donated cash and goods to the La Union Surfers Club to support the organization’s environmental efforts in the area. 

“A lot of our programs next year will be geared towards encouraging people to live a sustainable lifestyle,” says Reef Philippine Marketing Head Marnelli Gaerlan. 

“Most of our products are now PVC free and we even have sandals enhanced with Eco One as well which makes them 100% biodegradable.” 

Eco-One®, by Ecologic, LLC. Eco-One is an organic additive that enhances the biodegradation process through a series of chemical and biological processes when disposed of in a biologically active landfill. A normal plastic bag could take hundreds of years to breakdown, but with Eco-One, the material will biodegrade over a shorter period of time. 

Next year, Reef will also enhance their plastic packaging with Eco-One. 

Reef’s pledge for cleaner beaches is in line with their latest campaign Beach Freely, which encourages everyone who steps into the sand or into Reef products to experience the beach in their own way and take that fun spirit of the beach with them wherever they go. 

By committing to preserve and restore beaches, Reef aims to help ensure that everyone continues to have the opportunity to Beach Freely. 

Embrace the spirit of fun, freedom and the beach with Reef – watch the recap of Free the Sea Movement 3 in La Union by visiting https://bit.ly/2EcTPEw. 

For more updates on Beach Freely and Reef’s products and activities, follow www.facebook.com/reefphils/. 

ABOUT REEF® 

REEF is the global brand that encourages people everywhere to Beach Freely. United by the spirit of the beach since 1984, REEF designs innovative and comfort-driven products to celebrate the freedom and fun of the beach lifestyle. 

REEF® and Reef Beach Freely™ are trademarks of South Cone, Inc. 

Mang Inasal ushers in Christmas season with new Molo Soup

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Mang Inasal, the country’s leading Pinoy quick service restaurant that serves the No.1 Chicken Inasal, welcomes Christmas time with a new offering that is definitely suited for the festive season.

Believed to have originated from the town of Molo in Iloilo Province, Molo Soup has for its main ingredient, seasoned ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrapper. Also known as Pancit Molo, this Filipino pork dumpling soup has been an endearing comfort food for many Ilonggos, as well as Pinoys in other parts of the archipelago.

Made of chicken broth with molo dumplings, misua, minced garlic and spring onion, the Mang Inasal Molo Soup not only complements the cool Christmas weather, it is also goes perfectly with Mang Inasal’s 2-in-1 sa Laki, Nuot-sa-Ihaw Sarap Chicken Inasal. 

“Our Molo Soup is simply ‘bagay sa Chicken Inasal’ (goes well with Chicken Inasal), as it caps the meal with a hearty soup. We hope to further complete our customers’ dining experience with the introduction of this well-loved Pinoy comfort food,” said Brand Manager Mimi Mendoza.

It can be taken as a side dish to any of the Mang Inasal value meals or as a stand-alone dish. And it is even affordably priced.

There is one more reason to visit Mang Inasal store now – to dig into that hot bowl of Molo Soup, which is now available in Mang Inasal stores in Mega Manila and South Luzon, and will soon be available in other regions in the first quarter of 2019.

Try the delicious Mang Inasal Molo Soup now!