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December 28, 2019

Nob Hill in Tagaytay Highlands: A Blend of Modernity and Nature

Tagaytay Highlands’ Nob Hill, a contemporary-themed community infused with nature-friendly living amenities, provides homeowners with a lush and serene haven without losing access to the convenient lifestyle the city has to offer.


Set against nature’s backdrop with an elevation of 250 to 256 meters above sea level, Nob Hill offers stunning views of the mystical Mt. Makiling and Mt. Maculot—and the rest of the Highlands. The elevation likewise enables Nob Hill residents to savor the cool mountain air in their cozy homes, thus providing homeowners a quick respite from the metro’s busy and hectic life. 

The tastefully designed homes of Nob Hill are spread across 7.7 hectares of land. The 127 lots, with sizes ranging from 300 to 634 square meters, offer expansive spaces to homeowners who seek refuge from the congestion of the metro. Meticulously designed, the minimalist and geometric lines evoke feelings of relaxation, while the metal and wood finishes exude sophistication and comfort. 




Homeowners in this exclusive enclave will enjoy proximity to the Driving Range, Pick n’ Pay, and the Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club. Easy access to Nobhill is via Suplang gate, through the SLEX Batino exit. 

Valuing environmental sustainability, Nob Hill boasts of an abundance of trees—providing a refreshing and clean atmosphere for the whole community. The entire community also has circuit pathways and fitness stations for jogging, running, and biking with lush greenery as a backdrop. A gazebo and central park complete the nature-centric facilities of the community. 

Other features in this posh and peaceful community include linear parks along the main road, trellises, a palm court, children’s sand play area, atriums, and pocket gardens. 

Harmonizing modern living in a natural setting, Nob Hill also invests on the safety, security and convenience of the homeowners. This exclusive community is also equipped with a 24-hour security, underground utilities, ample water supply, 100% emergency power supply, in-house landscaping and full housekeeping services, and 24-hour emergency medical and fire-fighting teams. 

Nob Hill homeowners also get to enjoy world-class amenities of the Country Club such as the country’s first and only Swiss-engineered cable car and funicular train system, sports amenities, entertainment, and recreational amenities, among others. 

Newly opened restaurants also provide gastronomic experience for Tagaytay Highlands members, guests, and homeowners. 

A sanctuary that’s easy to become a favorite weekend haven, Nob Hill is a place worth coming home to the Highlands.










About Tagaytay Highlands
Tagaytay Highlands is a leisure development of the SM Group of Companies. Nestled in the highest elevations of Tagaytay is a premier leisure destination that speaks of exclusivity and luxury, where stunning views and a breezy, cool climate come together to redefine relaxation. For more information on how to own a Highlands home, please call +632 75052422 and +63917 5150158, or visit www.tagaytayhighlands.com. Follow us on Facebook, Tagaytay Highlands, and Instagram @tagaytayhighlandsofficial.

December 27, 2019

SM Cinema showcases hand-painted MMFF movie posters during the holidays

SM Cinema makes the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) experience extra special for moviegoers this year with a one-of-a-kind exhibit that features hand-painted renditions of the featured movies’ official posters. 

SM Cinema takes the holiday season and the MMFF as another opportunity to showcase Filipino craftsmanship that manifest in art and in film. Through this installation where people can see film and art intersect and allow everyone to see their movies in a whole new perspective. 

Over the holidays beginning December 20 moviegoers can see the life-size handpainted versions of MMFF movie posters at SM Cinema Mall of Asia and SM Cinema Megamall. 

This year’s MMFF is featuring eight (8) movies that are sure to bring out laughs, trigger tears and get screams from moviegoers.

Comedy movie 3pol Trobol, Huli Ka Balbon features action star and primetime king, Coco Martin as Pol, a police officer blamed for the murder of his boss, the Executive Director of the National Defense Agency. He pretends to be an illegitimate daughter of his boss to get closer to his real daughter, Trina, played by Jennylyn Mercado, in order to pass on the secret without attracting attention. 

Vice Ganda partners with Anne Curtis in comedy film M&M: The Mall, The Merrier about an epic battle over the ownership of Tamol Mall between Moira and Morisette. 

Romantic comedy Write About Love stars Miles Ocampo in her first leading role. A young writer teams up with a seasoned indie film writer (Rocco Nacino) to finish her story. As their relationship develops, the movie also shows the relationship of her characters (Joem Bascon and Yeng Constantino) in the love story they are finishing. 



The long-awaited Philippine remake of the hit Korean drama movie, Miracle in Cell No. 7 is about a mentally ill man (Aga Muhlach), who was wrongfully accused of the murder of a child. He befriends his inmates who smuggles his young daughter (Xia Vigor), inside their prison cell. In the present time, his daughter, now a lawyer (Bella Padilla), stands before a judge in court to prove his father’s innocence. 

Set in the 1940s, the historical drama movie Culion features three women played by Iza Calzado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Meryll Soriano, who are diagnosed with leprosy, which at the time is surrounded by multiple social stigmas. They are sent to Culion island, a place where people with their condition are sent to isolate them similar to being handed a life sentence.



Judy Ann Santos stars in Mindanao as a Muslim woman who needs to take care of her cancer-stricken daughter. Meanwhile, her husband (Allen Dizon), who is a combat medic is sent on a dangerous mission to Maguindanao.

Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity is about the heist performed by a team of talented criminals led by a classy master thief, Don Robert Fortun (Vic Sotto). They plan to steal the Pearl of the Orient, which owned by Don Robert’s brother who framed him for murder.

Lastly, Sunod, is about a mother (Carmina Villaroel) who takes on a demanding call center job in an old building in Manila so that she can pay for her terminally ill daughter’s medication. However, she soon experiences strange events in the call center and is forced to uncover the sinister mysteries hidden behind the office walls.

The Metro Manila Film Festival 2019 will be from December 25 to January 7 in all SM Cinema theatres nationwide! Book your tickets through the website, www.smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app. You may also follow /SMCinema on Facebook and @SM_Cinema on Instagram for updates! Satisfy your cravings at Snack Time, the official food concessionaire of SM Cinema, which offers a wide array of snack like popcorn, hotdogs and burgers to complement your movie watching experience. Follow /SnackTimeOfficial on Facebook for more information.


December 24, 2019

BDO Remit advocates financial education

Apart from annually doing the Pamaskong Handog to honor overseas Filipinos (OF) and their families, BDO Remit has another advocacy that espouses financial education zeroing on the value of saving and investing. 

Genie T. Gloria, senior vice president and head of remittance of BDO Unibank, Inc. said financial education is an invaluable gift to give the OF market and their beneficiaries because there will come a point where these workers abroad will return to their home country and choose to become entrepreneurs. 

“Raising their financial knowledge should start at the onset, meaning, we teach them what they can do with their hard-earned money by allocating a portion to savings and looking for investments which can serve their long-term goals,” said Gloria. 

BDO Remit visits universities to teach young adults, whose parents may be an OF, to take care of the money remitted to them. They also do financial education activities in various barangays to orient people, particularly the unbanked, about the importance of being a part of the formal banking system. 

“Apart from these efforts, we also continue to participate in the pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) done by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), by helping the departing OFs to have a better financial behavior,” noted Gloria. 

Since starting the financial education advocacy in 2014, she said BDO Remit has noticed a significant improvement in the saving approach of the OFs as indicated by the growth in their monthly savings. 

“They are saving more now and they know their priorities and goals. For us, this improvement is a testament that this advocacy of ours is working well for them,” added Gloria.

BDO Remit currently has two million BDO Kabayan Savings account holders, a product it introduced in 2006 to encourage OFs and their beneficiaries to save and eventually allow them to qualify for other banking products such as loans, as their lives flourish. 

Celebrating the OFs and families

Pamaskong Handog is BDO Remit’s way of giving back and recognizing OFs for their trust and loyalty as BDO Kabayan Savings account holders. 

“With many overseas Filipinos coming home during the holiday, we take the season as an opportunity to honor and pay tribute to their hard work and sacrifice to care for their families even if it means being away from them and taking on unique jobs in other countries,” said Gloria. 

Now on its 8th year, Pamaskong Handog will be held separately in Cebu, Davao, and Pampanga this month, with SM hosting the venues. 

“We are also grateful for our other partners Kultura, Miniso, Jollibee and Goldilocks, as well as WorldRemit, MoneyGram, Western Union, and Small World for being one with us in supporting our overseas Filipinos and their families through Pamaskong Handog,” she added.




































December 23, 2019

Unity gathering with over 30,000 Angkas bikers mount massive rally VS. LTFRB

New ruling on motorcycle taxis to displace 17k riders 

Over 30,000 Angkas bikers, most of whom may lose their jobs when the new year comes, have gathered to rally against the newest provision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to limit the number of riders per motorcycle taxi company.



Coming out in droves to do a "Unity Gathering" to express their dissent against the new government provisions, the Angkas bikers decry the unfair government policy that require over 17,000 of their colleagues in Angkas to lose their jobs.





Upon the recommendation of the "new" Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of only representatives from government agencies--excluding original civil society members and transport experts and advocates--the LTFRB passed a directive to put a cap of 10,000 riders per motorcycle taxi company participating in the test run extension which will start in January.




Angkas, the lone participant in the original six-month test run, currently has 27,000 biker-partners. The LTFRB provision will thus displace thousands of Angkas riders at the start of the year.

In a statement, Angkas' Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca said, "Coming into this pilot, 27,000 ang bikers namin, many of whom have been with us serving you the public since 2017. Sila ay ang mga beterano, mga magagaling na bayaning matagal niyo nang pinagkakatiwalaang itawid kayo sa pang-araw-araw na perwisyo ng traffic."

According to Royeca, instead of allowing them to onboard more bikers and serve more commuters, the LTFRB now wants to trim their fleet from 27,000 to 10,000.

"That’s a compromise to the quality of service you can expect, and a direct blow to over 17,000 Filipino families," he stressed. 

"The traffic in our thoroughfares is getting heavier each day and there are more and more commuters to serve as time goes by. So, bakit kailangang bawasan at tanggalan ng trabaho ang mga bikers natin?" Royeca noted. "Bakit kailangang parusahan ang mga bikers na nakapag-training at napatunayan na ang galing sa daan?"

Royeca also decried the sudden and suspicious changing of the composition of the TWG towards the end of the initial test run. “The composition of the TWG was sudddenly changed, easing out all civil society groups, the Senate, the House, and the MMDA and limited the membership to the DOTr, LTO, and other allied agencies,” Royeca revealed.

“It took several TWG meetings and almost six months including many Congress and Senate hearings for Angkas to be evaluated, while this TWG evaluated the new players in less than one month. How is that possible? Why was it rushed?” Royeca added.

In a strong message to government regulators, Royeca stated, “This isn’t competition. In fact, it is anti-competition to force our bikers to leave by regulation. That is not regulation, but corruption.” 

He added, “Why was the decision-making process not transparent? Why was it done in secrecy? May tinatago ba kayo?”

Several lawmakers also chimed in and called out the LTFRB on the new provisions, particularly the cap on the number of biker-partners for motorcycle taxi companies.

Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, wanted greater transparency in the process by which the TWG and the LTFRB arrived at their decisions regarding the test run extension and the new provisions.

"Nais nating malaman ang mga pamantayan at parametro na ginamit ng TWG sa kanilang pagpapasya," Poe stated. "Ano ang batayan ng 30,000 na bikers cap para sa Metro Manila at 9,000 para sa Cebu, na hahatiin nang pantay-pantay sa tatlong operator? Paano ang ang kasalukuyan ng bikers na lagpas sa alokasyon ng kanilang kumpaniya?" she added.

Sen. Ralph Recto, in turn, stressed that Christmas is the season of giving, not taking away; of spreading cheer and not sowing unhappiness. “By all means—in the interest of competition, and in the spirit of may-the-best-service-provider-with principle—open up the motorcycle-taxi-ride-hailing service to new players,” Recto stressed. “But this should not be at the expense of firing those already in the business, those who have invested their life savings in motorcycles, those who have logged safety records, those who have cultivated sukis who rely on them for their daily ride,” he added.

Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, who has a pending motorcycle taxi bill in the House, said in a social media post, "As the public struggles with the mobility crisis that affects their daily life and productivity, this action by the LTFRB regarding an option that has proven to be effective and viable will surely impact not just the Angkas riders but the commuters. [I] will move for an inquiry into this," he declared.

Rep Precious H. Castelo, vice chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, also chimed in and said in a post, "Angkas provided income opportunities to 27k riders. It provided relief to thousands of commuters suffering from daily traffic. Why make 27k people jobless now? Why allow people to suffer again? Why experiment the lives of other people who are now 99% safe with Angkas?"

QC Rep. Cristal Bagatsing, in her own statement, said, "This is not okay! Bakit natin ipe-penalize ang isang tried and tested na serbisyo para sa ibang mga susubok pa lang? Angkas has done their part and did each step to assure the riding public that they would be cared for."

Bagatsing also called on the DOTr to review their stand. "While we support competition and the extension of the Motor Taxi Pilot Implementation, we also believe that there should have been transparency in choosing these two new companies," Bagatsing stressed. "We need more competition so that the riding public can have more choices, but new players should go through the right process, which includes going through House and Senate scrutiny," she added.

Former senator JV Ejercito also issued a statement in his social media page supporting Angkas, saying, "LTFRB should let the 27k Angkas Riders continue because they are already trained and have a 99.9% safety record. While we wait for the modern railways to become a reality, Angkas is a viable alternative transport. Would rather have the 27k under the system than return to Habal-habal."

Netizens also slammed the LTFRB ruling as unfair and insensitive to the public's needs. Thousands of posts by commuters in various social media have come to support Angkas and state that the LTFRB provision not only unfairly displaces thousands of riders, it comes at a time when the riders need the job the most.

After LTFRB's announcement of the test run's extension, addition of two new players, and the capping of the number of riders, Angkas submitted an appeal to the head of the new TWG Antonio N. Gardiola Jr., citing critical safety concerns that may endanger the commuting public.

The appeal cited several problematic provisions in the new LTFRB ruling, which included the arbitrary cap of 30,000 bikers for Metro Manila and 9,000 bikers for Metro Cebu, split evenly among three motorcycle companies, including Angkas.

The appeal noted, "Other players should be allowed, but must ramp up at a more steady pace until they can properly prove both their operational teams and app platforms are truly functional at scale. Angkas took three years to learn how to manage 27,000 bikers, yet the new players are expected to handle 10,000 in three months."

The appeal also stated that the TWG omitted several Angkas proposals, such as requiring participating companies to have dedicated Emergency Response Teams with proper qualifications. "Angkas’ own 24/7 team has 48 members guarantees a response of 20 minutes to any location in Metro Manila and Cebu," the appeal stated, emphasizing that the Angkas response team members underwent a week-long course certified by a member of the Philippine College of Emergency Medicine and a veteran emergency response trainer with certifications from official medical organizations.


Other Angkas proposals that were ignored by the TWG are: for participants to build their network of partner hospitals and doctors; and for them to set up a fund to advance accident payments and the need to shift to working with insurance consortium for PUVs to financially support accidents. The appeal also called out the TWG's recommendation to put a cap of 150cc on motorcycle engines.

Many of the issues pertaining to the above provisions were already tackled extensively by Angkas, with specific corresponding proposals using a combination of its track record data and expertise to back them up. 

Angkas also flagged many of the above critical safety issues to the TWG but was ignored and its suggestions were not included in the new guidelines. "If left unresolved, the host of above issues could pose a possible danger to the commuting public," the appeal underscored.

It may be noted that last week, original TWG members issued a statement decrying the new TWG's move to meet and decide on the motorcycle taxi test run without involving or even consulting them, citing the move as highly irregular and suspicious.