PAL Mabuhay Miles seals partnership with Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

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PAL Mabuhay Miles formalized its partnership with Holiday Inn and Suites Makati as part of the frequent flyer program's thrust to sustain engagement and patronage of its growing membership base of over 3.5 million members.

Dubbed 'Stay, Dine and Fly', the collaboration gives Mabuhay Miles members a chance to enrich their travel, hotel and airline experience and receive additional perks and privileges during their stay at Holiday Inn & Suites Makati.

Under this partnership which runs from September 15, 2016 to April 30, 2017, Mabuhay Miles members will earn a guaranteed 500 miles for every qualified night stay and 50% off on best available rates for every weekend stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites. Members are in for a treat as they are also qualified to earn 500 miles for spending a minimum of Php 2,000 on buffet lunch or dinner at the hotel's Flavors Restaurant. 

“We continuously think of ways to provide Mabuhay Miles members a more rewarding experience. Our card holders may now enjoy reaping the benefits of staying in a world-class hotel and earn Mabuhay Miles that can be used to redeem award tickets and service class upgrades,” said PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista. 

As the national carrier's frequent flyer program, Mabuhay Miles has forged partnerships with establishment representing the given pillars of the program – flying, shopping, dining, driving and unwinding. Holiday Inn & Suites Makati is the latest addition to the growing roster of luxury and chain hotel partners of Mabuhay Miles. The business and leisure hotel joins Holiday Inn Manila Galleria and Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria as an elite partner of PAL’s revamped loyalty program. 

PAL Loyalty Program AVP Marietta T. Casanova said, “The possibilities of earning Miles with Mabuhay Miles are endless. Mabuhay Miles constantly looks for ways to make the customer experience more engaging and rewarding. This latest tie up not only allows our loyal patrons to experience the lifestyle they desire but also to earn and redeem their miles."

Present in the contract signing were PAL President Jaime Bautista, PAL Assistant Vice President for Loyalty Program, Marietta T. Casanova; Area General Manager, Philippines, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and General Manager of Holiday Inn & Suites Makati Christian Pirodon, and Area Director of Sales & Marketing, Philippines, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Director of Sales & Marketing of Holiday Inn & Suites Makati Maricor Aquino.

For reservations and inquiries, members can book directly through Holiday Inn & Suites Reservations Office at +63 2 9090888, via email at hism.reservations@ihg.com or by simply clicking this link: http://bit.ly/PALxHolidayInn

To enroll and enjoy the rewarding experience with Mabuhay Miles, visit www.mabuhaymiles.com.

About Mabuhay Miles

Mabuhay Miles is the frequent flyer program of Philippine Airlines (PAL), the country's national flag carrier. Members can earn miles by engaging with Mabuhay Miles' program partners. More partnerships are slated to be forged with establishments representing the five pillars of the Mabuhay Miles Program – flying, shopping, dining, driving and unwinding. Among its innovations is the Mabuhay Miles Travel Card, the first Membership and Universal Prepaid Travel Card card in one. The Mabuhay Miles Travel Card can soon be used to redeem hotel stays, products , perks and services from our participating Program Partners. At Mabuhay Miles, Members are provided with award choices, specifically, with options to redeem their Miles according to their needs. There are no blackout dates for award travel. For more information, visit www.mabuhaymiles.com, www.facebook.com/MabuhayMiles and twitter.com/PALMabuhayMiles.

About Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Holiday Inn & Suites Makati is part of Intercontinental Hotels Group, the global hotel company that operates a broad portfolio of preferred hotel brands with more than 5,000 hotels in almost 100 countries. It is located in the heart of Ayala Center and offers a direct access to the renowned Glorietta shopping mall. Known for its genuine service, modern & spacious guest rooms, free Internet access, hip sky lounge, rooftop swimming pool and smart casual all-day dining restaurant, this hotel is the smart choice for both business and leisure travelers. Traveling with children will be a breeze with the hotel's weekend activities & family-friendly amenities under the Kids Stay and Eat Free Programme. All guest rooms are fully equipped with coffee & tea making facilities, 40" LED TV, IDD/NDD telephone, mini-bar, work desk with wired and wireless Internet access and a multimedia panel. For guest's business needs, other facilities include nine (9) meeting and function rooms, a boardroom, a business center, and an Executive Lounge. Holiday Inn & Suites Makati is your home away from home in the midst of the Makati Business District and a mere 20-minute drive from the Manila International Airport.

Biodiversity Bazaar At Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center Opens October 15

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The Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) in partnership with EnPraxis, Inc. is organizing a Demonstration of Biodiversity-Friendly Bazaar to be held at Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center (NAPWC), Quezon City.

This is in line with one of the goals of BMB, to promote biodiversity-friendly practices such as the development of Biodiversity-friendly enterprise. These are economic activities and practices of micro, small and medium enterprises, local government units and people’s organizations that promote the sustainable use of biological resources, create wealth and value and open opportunities for the equitable sharing of benefits among stakeholders and in the protection of the environment.

EnPraxis (LUGAR Advocacy Cooperative) envisions creating Agro-Ecological Hubs that pilot, incubate and model Ecopreneurship towards inclusive land and enterprise development. 

The Bazaar will be held every weekends from October 15 to December 2016. The event shall be a venue for local producers and community partners within protected areas, Biodiversity Partnership Program (BPP) sites, among others to showcase their products.

As an enterprise engaged in activities that promote the sustainable use of biological resources, EnPraxis invites the public, individuals and organizations to join in promoting environment-friendly products.

For exhibitors of social enterprise, organic and /or environment-friendly products and enterprises, kindly email Ms. Maritess V. Agayatin of the Caves, Wetlands and other Ecoystems Division at (02) 925-8950 or at cawed@bmb.gov.ph. 

For visitors, the park fees apply: PhP8.00 for adults, PhP5.00 for students and free for Senior Citizens and PWDs.

McDonald's gives Chicken McDo to thousands of magkapangalan customers nationwide

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For FREE? Yes, for FREE!

McDonald’s held an in-store celebration of its best tasting chicken as it gave away FREE 1PC Chicken McDo to customers with the same name or similar sounding names during the #PaChickenMcDo para sa mga Magkapangalan event held yesterday.

This is McDonald's way of treating more customers with its best-tasting Chicken McDo that is marinated, breaded, and fried to a golden perfection! Magkapangalan customers who dined in select McDonald’s restaurants nationwide confessed that the juicier and tastier Chicken McDo is indeed"McMcMc-Masarap!"

In April this year, McDonald’s treated thousands of Joy to a FREE 1PC Chicken McDo in select stores in Metro Manila. Now, more customers like Carlo, Karlo, Mary, Marie, Jayson, Jason, Paulo, and Paolo, have enjoyed Chicken McDo not only within the metro but across the country!

Like them, you can try Chicken McDo anytime at McDonald's stores nationwide. You can also avail of it via Drive-Thru or McDelivery (86-2-36, www.mcdelivery.com.ph, or the McDo PH app).

Share your photos enjoying Chicken McDo on Facebook, facebook.com/McDo.ph or tag @McDo_PH.

McDonald's crew ready to serve!

Customers enjoying the best tasting Chicken McDo

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This group does the M sign as they enjoy their free Chicken McDo

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Customers enjoying #PaChickenMcDo in Cebu!

All smiles while in line for their Chicken McDo

Excited for their turn to dine-in!​​

Raising the Flag on Labor and Rights : Verité's free symposium on “Overseas Workers in Japan: Promises and Risks.”

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Manila, Philippines—In light of the plight of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), Verité is holding a free symposium on the recruitment process and working conditions of migrant Filipino workers in Japan, “Overseas Workers in Japan: Promises and Risks.” The symposium took place on September 12 from 2:00PM to 6:00PM at the GT Toyota Building, Asian Studies Center in UP Diliman.

The same symposium will also be held at the Kawasaki Hotel Nikko in Tokyo on September 28 for the OFW community, labor rights advocates, policymakers, and ethical employment practitioners in Japan. 

The symposium will begin with a viewing of the short documentary titled ”Ijū-sha: Reportage on Filipino Workers in Japan,” written and directed by Harris Guevarra, that features overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their stories of the hardships and opportunities they encountered abroad. 

This will be followed by speeches and remarks from known authorities and labor rights advocates. Among the speakers is Vice President Leni Robredo, known for her involvement in grassroots projects and community service, who will share her views on migration. 

After the speeches, the floor will be opened for the symposium, where guests will be encouraged to participate in a discussion of our OFWs’ respective situations and think of the ways they can help the OFWs through the Philippines’ and Japan’s labor laws. Experts from Verité and representatives from the government and NGOs will lead the discussion and lay down frameworks for improved systems. Refreshments will be served after the discussions and guests will have a chance to build networks and further discuss the topic.

The event is expected to be a milestone in the long battle to secure the rights of our fellow Filipinos working abroad and ensure that they are earning the due benefits they are working for. Key stakeholders and partners from the government, private sector, civil society, and academe are encouraged to attend the event and discuss ways to minimize risks and maximize benefits for our migrant workers. 

IJŪ-SHA: ABOUT THE FILM

Ijū-sha looks into the lives of our migrant Filipino workers in Japan through stories from returned worker, a jobseeker, and a currently employed OFW in Japan. The stories of Filipino migrant workers in Japan are told primarily by three women: Rose, Cecile, and Sugar. 

Their personalities and lives differ from each other, but their stories of life as workers and their aspirations and motivations for working abroad echo the same struggle for livelihood, challenges brought about by foreign culture and laws, and desire for a better future. Each storyteller shares her hardships, those of which we’ve come to associate with working abroad. But these sacrifices also come with hard-earned successes, unbridled happiness, and euphoric reunions. 

The documentary begins with the women sharing their reasons for wanting to work in Japan. Some of them want to experience snow, while some of them want to work with the Japanese because they know them to be kind and respectful people. Cecile cites the most common, yet most important reason: “Nung 18 po ako, kaya ko naisipan mag-Japan, dahil sa hirap ng buhay sa Pilipinas.” (When I was 18, I thought of going to Japan because life in the Philippines is really hard.) These women, like most OFWs, found Japan attractive because of the opportunities it presented. 

Cecile, who worked as an entertainer, recounts how she was always amazed at her friend who worked in Japan and always brought back to the Philippines many goods and expensive jewelry. It was this friend who suggested that Cecile apply as a performer in Japan. “Pagdating ko doon, excited akong maging singer, kinakanta ko si Whitney Houston!” (When I got there, I was so excited to become a singer—I kept singing Whitney Houston songs!) Cecile shared her excitement then. But this excitement is soon replaced by disappointment and apprehension when she realizes that the job and place was not what she expected. The contracts, which should have been theirs to read, were only read by their managers. 

The documentary investigates the exploitation of migrant workers and the unfair treatments and abusive employment they endure. The documentary also features key persons in the government and NGOs involved in the promotion of labor rights and OFW welfare, as well as authorities in Japan: Danilo Navarro, President of the Association of Philippine Licensed Agencies for Technical Internship Program, Inc. (APLATIP); Rose Otero-Yamanaka, Director of Batis Center for Women; Maria Luz Tolentino, Labor Attaché of the Philippine Embassy in Japan; Takeshi Yumoto, CSR Supply Chain General Manager of Teijin; Ellene Sana, Executive Director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy; Virgie Ishihara, Director of the Filipino Migrant Center in Nagoya, Japan; Marie Apostol, Director of FAIR Hiring Initiative and Founder of Verité Southeast Asia; and Takashi Ueno, entrepreneur and greenhorn in the recruitment business.

These social workers and government personnel illustrate the recruitment and migration process and share the loopholes being exploited by agencies and brokers. They also provide solutions and certain actions we can take to help protect our migrant workers from exploitation, such as policy advocacy and crisis intervention. Marie Apostol cites their projects “to demonstrate ethical recruitment standards based on the Verité Manpower Ethical Framework for cross-border recruitment.” All in all, they stress the important role of legislative bodies, lobbyists, policy watchers, and labor authorities in ensuring that our OFWs enjoy fair hiring processes, and safe and clear-cut employment.

The documentary closes with a reminder of why Filipinos seek jobs abroad. There are opportunities in migration and finding work overseas. Writer and Director Harris Guevarra, who followed and interviewed migrants in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka for the documentary, said, “Ijū-sha is a candid glimpse into the lives of our OFWs in Japan—a trunk line for our fellow Filipinos whose stories disappear into language barriers and the vast ocean separating them from home.”

VERITÉ, LABOR RIGHTS, AND FAIR EMPLOYMENT

Since its inception, Verité has been a staunch defender and promoter of labor rights. Child labor, slavery, employment and workplace discrimination, unfair and dangerous working conditions, and insufficient compensation or unpaid work—these span the vast range of labor issues that the organization seeks to solve. 

For this particular event, Verité wishes to shine a brighter light on the problems that OFWs encounter, specifically in Japan where many of our fellow Filipinos go to find work and experience their culture. The organization hopes that the closer and intimate look into the experiences and dreams of our migrant workers, as well as the discussions that will follow, will foster a deeper understanding of the issue and spur other organizations and the government to action. 

Ijū-sha, the documentary that will be shown at the start of the event, was also done in partnership with Verité. Daryll Delgado of Verité Southeast Asia believes that the documentary is not only a window to look into the lives of OFWs in Japan, but also a door of opportunity for us to take action on labor rights and migrant worker welfare: “We are imploring viewers to listen and take to heart the stories, lessons, and ideas imparted by the OFWs and labor rights advocates we interviewed. This documentary should serve as both an eye-opener and an inspiration for us to begin criticizing and improving our labor system.”

Lastly, the symposium is not just an avenue for raising awareness and inspiring action, but also for labor rights advocates to network and build partnerships with like-minded individuals and organizations. Through this event, Verité hopes that both Philippine and Japanese governments, along with other NGOs, recruitment agencies, and labor rights advocates, will begin to work together for the benefit of our OFWs today and in the future, as well as their families in the home country.

beep™ card expands usage to RRCG P2P buses

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Mega Manila commuters can count on their beep™ card for rides on another point-to-point (P2P) bus line. AF Payments Inc. announced that it has implemented its tap-and-go payment system in RRCG Transport’s P2P buses from Alabang Town Center (ATC) to Greenbelt 1 (Makati City) following a successful public trial last week.

The route operates from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM with a bus that leaves every 30 minutes. The promo fare (extended until further notice) is P50, while the one-way discounted fare for senior citizens, PWDs, and students is P40. For concessionary beep™ cardholders, the discount is automatically deducted while students who wish to avail of the discount will have to pay in cash. There will be selling booths stationed at the ATC and Greenbelt 1 terminals for those who want to purchase or reload their beep™ card.

“After our rollout in northern Metro Manila P2P buses, we’re catering now to commuters down south. The RRCG Transport P2P bus service is a welcome option for commuters from the south. We are pleased that riders can use the multi-purpose beep™ card to pay for their fares,” said Peter Maher, President and CEO of AF Payments Inc.

The RRCG Transport premium P2P service aims to provide a more convenient and reliable transportation system to residents of southern Metro Manila. These buses provide free Wi-Fi to passengers and are equipped with CCTV cameras for additional security. Compartments underneath have provisions for storing bikes, wheelchairs, and other equipment.

The P2P bus service system was created by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to help improve traffic as the buses travel nonstop from the terminal to the drop-off point. It also aims to ease commuter woes by cutting travel time compared to normal multi-stop buses. The P2P system currently has routes from Trinoma-Makati and Ortigas-Makati. More P2P routes will be added in the next few months.

The beep™ card is a tap-and-go payment system accepted in all three elevated railways (LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3), select bus lines and at the Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX). It can be purchased for P20, is reloadable and valid for four years. Offsite reloading partners are also now available. More information about beep™ may be obtained at the website and on Facebook (beep card) and Twitter (@beep_card).

About AF Payments Inc.

AF Payments Inc. is a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and Ayala Corp. that provides contactless payment solutions in the Philippines through its integrated product and service offerings, thereby enhancing the transaction experience of every Filipino.

Its tap-and-go payment system, the beep™ card, is available for use in all three elevated railways (LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3) and select bus lines.

Website and Social Media

www.beeptopay.com

www.facebook.com/beepcardph

www.twitter.com/beep_card