Skyscanner reveals the Best Time to Book for Filipinos

Tweet

Traveling takes a big chunk of the typical Filipino vacation. Families and barkadas make it a point to go out-of-town or out of the country on holidays. With all these free days pre-marked on their calendars, it is important that they strategize so that they can book their flights at the lowest possible prices.

Skyscanner, a leading global travel search site, did a study on the millions of flights purchased by their customers over the past three years to arrive with the best time to book. The study shows that on average, 3-4 weeks in advance is the optimal time to book flights. This suggestion, however, depends on the type of flight you book or the airlines you book with. When traveling with a budget airline, prices are likely to go up as the day of the flight approaches. If traveling on long haul flights or for more than 5 hours, prices are likely to fluctuate as the flight day grows near, and this does not guarantee the best seats.

In the Philippines, we have always loved the idea of discounts and because of this, booking early has always been a trend. Below are the top outbound destinations in the Philippines alongside the number of weeks you need to book in advance for maximum saving:

·       China. If you book 28 weeks in advance, you can save as much as PHP 7 000 per flight which means more money for shopping and buying souvenirs.

·       Malaysia. Because Malaysia is relatively near, it can be a go-to destination for last minute getaways and short vacations, but booking close to your departure date can be quite expensive. Consider booking 31 weeks in advance so you will only have to pay 46% of the actual flight cost.

·       Japan. Book a flight to the land of cherry blossoms 14 weeks in advance and you can save as much as PHP 6300. Like with Thailand, booking four tickets will make way for another friend or relative to tag along in your trip.

·       Thailand. Save as much as PHP 2990 if you book 16 weeks ahead. The discount you will get from booking four tickets is enough to get you another flight for free!

·       Singapore. This country is the most visited by Filipinos in 2013 according to a recent study by Skyscanner. The best time to book flights going to Singapore is 25 weeks in advance. By booking this early, you can save as much as PHP 1600. This is almost 24% less than the average flight cost.

According to the Best Time to Book study, on average, it is best to book 20 weeks in advance regardless of where you want to go. The study also suggests that the cheapest month to travel is in February and it is most expensive in April. This is for the reason that less people travel on February because they are making way for their summer travels which usually happens in April.

Booking flights during these suggested time frames enables you access to loads of discounts and the best seats possible. If you book early, you can save almost 18% less than what you will have to pay for the average ticket price. Moreover, you can skip the stress of looking for available flights at the last minute which are most likely to be overpriced. Booking your flights early will not just give you these perks but it will also help you focus on the other aspects of your vacation such as relaxation and educating yourself, which is ultimately the point of traveling.

Some simple rules to bear in mind to get the best price:

1.     Book smart: Avoiding peak season travel and flying at less popular hours of the day, can really help to lower costs.

2.     Be flexible:  Costs to different destinations can vary significantly depending on the airlines operating that route and the Thai airports offering these flights. If you are planning your next trip but are open to destinations, running a search to ‘everywhere’ can help find the countries that offer the best value flights at any time.

3.     Compare and contrast: Using a travel comparison site like Skyscanner allows you to compare the widest range of airlines and online travel agents, so you’ll be able to see where you can get the best deal.

4.     Track prices Skyscanner’s analysis has found that keeping an eye on the flight prices a few months in advance of travel, is the best way to find a good value flight. Using a flight tracker price alert service, either by email or via the app can help monitor when prices drop on a chosen route.

Skyscanner offers price alerts on all routes to enable flights to be monitored by email. The Skyscanner app offers widgets for Android, Live Tiles for Windows Phone and “watch” functionality for iOS, all of which allow customers to track the latest price changes on a chosen route.

About Skyscanner

·  Skyscanner is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights plus hotels and car hire.

·  Founded in 2003 by three IT professionals, Gareth Williams, Barry Smith and Bonamy Grimes, Skyscanner is the no.1 travel search website in Europe and no.3 worldwide, receiving over 50 million visits per month.

·  Skyscanner’s travel search site is available in 40 countries and in 30 languages.

·  Skyscanner’s highly-rated free mobile apps are available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Windows 8 devices and have been downloaded over 20 million time. Download the app at http://www.skyscanner.com.ph/mobile.html

·  The company employs over 200 staff and has its global headquarters in Edinburgh, with a second Scottish office in Glasgow. Skyscanner also has offices in Singapore and Beijing and plans to open a Miami office in 2013.

·  Follow Skyscanner on Twitter @SkyscannerPH

·  Like Skyscanner on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/SkyscannerPhilippines

·  Visit Skyscanner website at www.skyscanner.com.ph

Primetime TV's "The Legal Wife" tackles the real value of family

Tweet

"The Legal Wife” will not just heat up primetime TV with fierce confrontations but with real-life issues as well, according to top caliber directors Rory Quintos and Dado Lumibao.

“We want to make sure that our audience will follow our show not only because of the slapping scenes, but also because, through it, they learn how to deal with the problems of their own families, which they have been afraid to face,” said Direk Rory about the Primetime Bida series topbilled by Angel Locsin, Maja Salvador, JC de Vera, and Jericho Rosales

“Many viewers will be able to connect with the characters of Monica (Angel), Nicole (Maja), Max (JC), and Adrian (Jericho), because their personal battles are true-to-life. ‘Legal Wife’ is about the love and sacrifices that a person is willing to do for the sake of his family,” Direk Dado explained.

Meanwhile, Angel, Maja, JC, and Echo revealed that story of “The Legal Wife” also made them discover a lot about themselves.

“Everyone has already experienced to love and to make mistakes. Because of my character Monica, I realized that I need to be strong in order to face all the trials in my life, especially if my family is affected,” said Angel.

For Echo, the plot of “The Legal Wife” will serve as a huge eye-opener for Filipino families. “Infidelity is such a sensitive topic, but I believe that this is the right time to make everyone understand why this happens, and why people end up in this situation,” he said.

Maja added that while her character in the series is controversial, she believes that many people will be able to relate with Nicole.

“There are many kinds of love, but there is this kind where somebody accepts your whole personality despite of the things that you did in the past,” she shared.

“I appreciate love for my family and for others now more that I used to because of my character Max’s ability to give everything he has got without asking for anything in return,” JC said.

“The Legal Wife” features the story of Monica and Adrian, a married couple whose lives are about to turn around because of a huge mistake. How will Monica and Adrian be able to fulfill the promise of forever when the foundation of their relationship begins is already shattered?

Also part of “The Legal Wife” cast are some of the country’s best drama actors including Joem Bascon, Ahron Villena, Rio Locsin, Mark Gil, Maria Isabel Lopez, Bernard Palanca, and Christopher de Leon.

Also part of “The Legal Wife” cast are some of the country’s best drama actors including Joem Bascon, Ahron Villena, Rio Locsin, Mark Gil, Maria Isabel Lopez, Bernard Palanca, and Christopher de Leon.

Don’t miss the premiere of  ABS-CBN Primetime Bida.“The Legal Wife” on Monday (January 27) in ABS-CBN Primetime Bida.

Lifestyle Network : The Philippine's Newest Home for the Oscars

Tweet

Watch out for the 86^th Academy Awards, airing live on the Lifestyle Network on March 3, 2014 and on ABS-CBN.

What is considered to be the movie industry’s most prestigious award has found a new home for its annual ceremony’s broadcast on Philippine television, as the 86^th Academy Awards—popularly known as the Oscars—now reaches out to eager viewers via the Lifestyle Network, airing live as it happens.

From its historical introduction in 1929, the Academy Awards has since become known as the organization behind the world of film’s most prestigious honor, coming in the form of the Oscar statuette. This statuette has now reached the status of an internationally admired symbol that stands as proof and recognition of the very highest level of achievement in movies, bearing significance of a caliber entirely its own.

This 2014, the Academy Awards is set to mount its 86^th ceremony at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Chosen to take its audience and viewers alike through the star-studded event will be one of television’s favorite personalities, Ellen DeGeneres, who also previously hosted the event in 2007.

For this year’s Oscars awards, the nominees were recently announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science President Cheryle Boone Isaacs, who was joined by Heart of the Sea star Chris Hemsworth upon the declaration of the upcoming potential winners.

The nominees for the 86^th Academy Awards are as follows:

BEST PICTURE

·      American Hustle

·      Captain Phillips

·      Dallas Buyers Club

·      Gravity

·      Her

·      Nebraska

·      Philomena

·      12 Years a Slave

·      The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR

·      Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

·      Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave

·      Alexander Payne, Nebraska

·      David O. Russell, American Hustle

·      Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR

·      Christian Bale, American Hustle

·      Bruce Dern, Nebraska

·      Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

·      Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

·      Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS

·      Amy Adams, American Hustle

·      Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

·      Sandra Bullock, Gravity

·      Judi Dench, Philomena

·      Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

·      BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

·      David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer, American Hustle

·      Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine

·      Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, Dallas Buyers Club

·      Spike Jonze, Her

·      Bob Nelson, Nebraska

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

·      Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight

·      Billy Ray, Captain Philips

·      Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, Philomena

·      John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

·      Terence Winter, The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

·      The Croods

·      Despicable Me 2

·      Ernest & Celestine

·      Frozen

·      The Wind Rises

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

·      "Alone Not Alone," Alone Yet Not Alone

·      "Happy," Despicable Me 2

·      "Let It Go," Frozen

·      "The Moon Song," Her

·      "Ordinary Love," Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

·      BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

·      Philippe Le Sourd, The Grandmaster

·      Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

·      Bruno Delbonnel, Inside Llewyn Davis

·      Phedon Papamichael, Nebraska

·      Roger A. Deakins, Prisoners

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

·      Michael Wilkinson, American Hustle

·      William Chang Suk Ping, The Grandmaster

·      Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby

·      Michael O'Connor, The Invisible Woman

·      Patricia Norris, 12 Years a Slave

BEST DOCUMENTARY – SHORT SUBJECT

·      CaveDigger

·      Facing Fear

·      Karama Has No Walls

·      The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

·      Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

BEST FILM EDITING

·      Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten, American Hustle

·      Christopher Rouse, Captain Phillips

·      John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa, Dallas Buyers Club

·      Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger, Gravity

·      Joe Walker, 12 Years a Slave

·      BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

·      Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathew, Dallas Buyers Club

·      Stephen Prouty, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

·      Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny, The Lone Ranger

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

·      John Williams, The Book Thief

·      Steven Price, Gravity

·      William Butler and Owen Pallett, Her

·      Alexandre Desplat, Philomena

·      Thomas Newman, Saving Mr. Banks

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

·      Judy Becker (Production Design) and Heather Loeffler (Set Decoration), American Hustle

·      Andy Nicholson (Production Design); Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard (Set Decoration), Gravity

·      Catherine Martin (Production Design) and Beverley Dunn (Set Decoration), The Great Gatsby

·      K.K. Barrett (Production Design) and Gene Serdena (Set Decoration), Her

·      Adam Stockhausen (Production Design) and Alice Baker (Set Decoration), 12 Years a Slave

BEST SHORT FILM – ANIMATED

·      Feral

·      Get a Horse!

·      Mr. Hublot

·      Possessions

·      Room on the Broom

BEST SHORT FILM – LIVE ACTION

·      Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me), Esteban Crespo

·      Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything), Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras

·      Helium, Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson

·      Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?), Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari

·      The Voorman Problem, Mark Gill and Baldwin Li

BEST SOUND EDITING

·      Steve Boeddeker and Richard Hymns, All Is Lost

·      Oliver Tarney, Captain Phillips

·      Glenn Freemantle, Gravity

·      Brent Burge, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

·      Wylie Stateman, Lone Survivor

·      BEST SOUND MIXING

·     Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith and Chris Munro, Captain Phillips

·      "Gravity" Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro, Gravity

·    Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick and Tony Johnson, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

·      Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland, Inside Llewyn Davis

·      Andy Koyama, Beau Borders and David Brownlow, Lone Survivor

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

·      Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould, Gravity

·   Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

·      Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick, Iron Man 3

·      Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier, The Lone Ranger

·    Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann and Burt Dalton, Star Trek Into Darkness

Don’t miss out on the year’s most anticipated night in the international film industry, the 86^th Academy Awards, airing live on the Lifestyle Network on March 3, 2014 and on ABS-CBN.

For schedules and updates, visit and like the Lifestyle Network on Facebook (www.facebook.com/LifestyleNetwork).

Laguna AAA Water signs agreement with PEZA

Tweet

In Photo (L-R): Melvin John Tan, General Manager and COO of LAWC; Lilia de Lima, Director General of PEZA; and Barny Kim, Business Development Manager of LAWC.

Laguna AAA Water Corporation (LAWC) General Manager and COO Melvin John Tan signs its registration agreement with Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Lilia de Lima as an Ecozone Utilities Enterprise to operate and manage the water and sewerage system of the premier industrial park in Southern Luzon, Laguna Technopark, Inc. (LTI). Situated inside the concession area of LAWC, LTI is home to over 200 local and global light to medium companies in the electronics, automotive, home appliances, pharmaceutical and other industries. 

Laguna AAA Water Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manila Water. Its concession area covers the cities of Biñan, Santa Rosa and Cabuyao.

Private Sector Supports DOT's Bangon Tours

Tweet

Network of Independent Travel Agencies (Nitas) members have signified their continued support for the Bangon Tours program of the Department of Tourism (DOT), saying it will help boost tourism particularly in calamity-stricken areas.

"Bangon Tours is an effective marketing program to lure tourists to come back to the Philippines, despite an earthquake and typhoon Yolanda last year," Robert Lim Joseph, founder and president of Nitas, said.

He said it’s high time that all tourism players worked together to recover from the losses incurred by the tourism sector during the calamities.

According to the Tourism Board Promotions (TBP) of the Philippines, the Bangon Tours Project supports the government’s recovery and rebuilding efforts for the survivors.

Tourism establishments and travel companies have signified their support for Bangon Tours by signing theMemorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing arm of theDepartment of Tourism. 

Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) is the latest to sign up by implementing the Bangon Tour Seat Sale with travel period until April 2014. CEB also promotes these tours through communication materials provided by TPB in all its organic ticket offices and partner GSAs and WH in the Philippines. CEB has likewise extended humanitarian flights for stranded passengers in Tacloban and undertaken rehabilitation efforts to aid victims of Typhoon Yolanda. 

According to Domingo Ramon Enerio III, TPB’s Chief Operating Officer, The Manila Hotel, Diamond Hotel Philippines and EDSA Shangri-La Hotel lead the industry’s hospitality sector supporters nationwide. Members of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) are also participating in Bangon Tours. These establishments prominently display the Bangon Tours poster with logo in their business premises and submit to the TPB updates related to the total amount donated to NGOs and foundations concerned. 

Other private companies, Agoda.com, one of the fastest-growing online hotel platforms worldwide, as well as government agencies like Duty-Free Philippines and local government units such as the Provincial Government of Capiz have signified their support. 

“While the affected tourist destinations in Eastern Visayas are being rebuilt, we invite everyone to travel more to the other 16 regions of the Philippines, visit as many of our fun destinations as possible and at the same contribute your share in our country’s recovery and rebuilding efforts through Bangon Tours. You also help increase domestic tourism, generate more livelihood for our fellow Filipinos, and draw us near the attainment of our target goal of 45 million domestic travellers for 2014,” says COO Enerio. 

The Bangon Tours Project is an initiative of the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board. This project is in line with the government’s recovery and rebuilding efforts for the victims and survivors of calamities through the promotion of domestic tourism. It is an invitation to the Filipino market to travel within the Philippines during the holiday period (December to February), visit our fun destinations, and participate in rebuilding efforts.

Initially, 16 areas are to be featured for Bangon Tours, as proposed by PTAA and PHILTOA: Ilocos, Tuguegarao, Baguio, Batangas-Puerto Galera, Manila-Tagaytay, Puerto Princesa, Baler, Bicol, Cebu, Davao, Bohol, Iloilo, Boracay, Siargao, CDO-Camiguin, and Batanes. However, Bangon Tour offerings will not be limited to these destinations.

Moreover, the project is geared towards encouraging the private sector to voluntarily share a percentage of their net income from the Bangon Tours to their chosen local foundation / NGO or any of the following charitable institutions—Gawad Kalinga, Philippine Red Cross, UNICEF and World Vision.

As much as practical, participating tourism establishments and companies will be featured in DOT/TPB’s website, social network accounts, online portals, print ads and other marketing communications.

According to the Tourism Board Promotions (TBP) of the Philippines, the Bangon Tours Project supports the government’s recovery and rebuilding efforts for the survivors.

The marketing arm of the DOT said it is an invitation to the Filipino market to travel within the Philippines during the holiday period from December to February, visit fun destinations and participate in rebuilding efforts.

Cebu and Bohol were among the 16 areas initially identified to be featured for Bangon Tours, as proposed by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and Philippine Tours Association (Philtoa).

With the tagline “Bakasyon Mo, May Meaning,” the Bangon Tours runs from December 1, 2013 until February 28, 2014 with the offering of specially designed domestic tour packages in collaboration with the Philippine tourism industry’s travel trade as well as non-tourism companies and public sector agencies. 

“Participating tourist establishments are initially offering special tour packages to 16 tourist destinations nationwide and more destinations will be added. These establishments are being asked to share at least five per cent of their net income from the tour packages / room nights sold via Bangon Tours. The percentage share will be directly given to the company’s chosen non-government organization (NGO) or charitable foundation involved with the disaster-affected communities.” 

The DOT, through the TPB, promotes and publicizes Bangon Tours – its featured destinations, products, packages and participating establishments – in communications materials including its official websites and other social media, traditional media, and through interpersonal communication activities. 

For details, please contact Ms. Lia L. Fernando of the TPB’s Bangon Tours Secretariat at telephones: 525-0372 / 525-9318 to 27 local 202 or through fax 521-6165 / 525-3314 and e-mail: bangontours@tpb.gov.ph.