Top 25 Staycation Hotels in the Philippines with the Best Amenities

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Searching for a staycation destination with specific hotel amenities can be a daunting task. 

This is especially true for certain types of travelers: A decent room with a comfortable bed works for the on-the-go traveler. The picky eater needs mouthwatering buffets or a la carte dishes from flagship restaurants. A water baby prefers to stay under the sun in a cozy pool, while a socialite might look for a hip in-house bar. One can also require an impressive first impression from the reception area’s aesthetics. 

That said, Traveloka has rounded up a list of 25 staycation hotels with the best amenities to help those who are looking to have staycations in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao. The list features lodging luxuries such as swimming pools, breakfast buffet service, flagship restaurants, in-house bars, and even the lobby, as well as distinct activities.

For the hotels with best swimming pools, Richmonde Hotel and Mella Hotel in Ortigas and Las Pinas, respectively, start the list for Metro Manila. The Crimson Resort and Spa Cebu Mactan and Hotel Tropika Davao wraps up this portion with equally stunning swimming pool facilities. Apart from the structural design and appearance, the line-up also considered the perks guests can experience, like food and beverages to be consumed by the pool, among others.

Foodie travelers who can’t begin the day on an empty stomach, can refer to these hotels for the best, most extensive breakfast buffet options in town. Cafe Ilang Ilang of The Manila Hotel headlines this list, as well as Diamond Hotel’s Corniche for Metro Manila area. Waterfront Cebu Hotel and Casino’s UNO and Radisson Blu’s Feria are the go-to places in Cebu, while Waterfront Insular Davao’s equally delicious breakfast fare completes the list.

Continuing the eater’s guide to great food flagship restaurants offering hearty meals with quality ingredients and a wide selection of offerings. Essential Goodness, for the Pilgrims at Lub d Makati and Discovery Suites Manila’s Prime 22 are gastronomic havens in Metro Manila. Cafe Marco in Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and Radisson Blu Cebu’s Urban Table Events Plaza offer culinary masterpieces in the Queen City of the South. Bondi&Bourke at The Bourke Hotel is a new hotspot worth the visit in Davao.

Those in search of a good time need to be in these best hotel bars around the country. The Bayleaf Intramuros Sky Deck View Bar and I’M Hotel Makati’s Antidote Tapas & Bespoke Cocktails will intoxicate guests in Metro Manila. Maayo Hotel Cebu’s Dayun Lounge bar and Bai Hotel Cebu’s Twilight Roofdeck Lounge + Bar, as well as Marco Polo Davao’s Eagle Bar wrap up the socializer’s list for Cebu and Davao, respectively. These joints provide the best drinking ambiance accompanied by sumptuous chow and light or heavy libations for every traveler.

Traveler’s with a discerning visual palette can enjoy these hotels at first glance of the lobbies. The Manila Hotel and Nuwa Manila in The City of Dreams are Metro Manila’s finest. In Seda Ayala Center Cebu and The Henry Hotel Cebu, the lobbies are eye-catching, while Park Inn by Radisson Davao takes the cake for this list.

Special hotel amenities are features that make these hotels extra cool. In Metro Manila, The Henry Hotel Manila’s The Library is one of those gems. Hotel H2O Manila is also a unique amenity in itself as it’s housed by The Manila Ocean park. Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan has Crimzone for Kids and the Maayo Hotel Cebu has a refreshing rooftop garden. Dusit D2 Davao’s has special Namm Spa for a therapeutic experience like no other.

So, where will your next destination with the best hotel amenity be? 

Leave it to Traveloka to provide a convenient, hassle-free staycation! Visit https://www.traveloka.com/en-ph/hotel and book your desired hotel now!

LBC empowers MSMEs with Php 80 Pasabog Promo for Cash on Pick-Up Transactions

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As its way of empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises, LBC, the leading logistics service company in the Philippines, recently launched its Cash on Pick-up (COP) Php 80 Pasabog Promo. The increasing number of deliveries initiated by the flourishing eCommerce prompted LBC to offer a fixed rate of Php 80, which it will offer until Aug. 31, 2019. 

LBC COP Php 80 Pasabog Promo is, so far, the courier service's most affordable offering to allow online sellers and buyers to do as many transactions as they can.

LBC has been the most reliable logistics company in the country and is synonymous with better service. People who want to assure that their parcels will arrive on time in its destination rely heavily on LBC's courier service. The rates have always been competitive, even the smallest businesses will be able to avail themselves of.

The flat rate of Php 80 is applicable to deliveries or shipments within the Philippines of up to 3 kilograms. Anything that exceeds the weight will have an additional fee, which is commensurate to the given fixed rate. 

The LBC COP Php 80 flat-rate offer is applicable for the following LBC parcels and boxes: N-Pack Small, N-Pack Large, KB Mini, KB Slim, and KB Small. A minimum charge of Php 15 will be added as a valuation fee and may increase depending on the declared value of the shipment. 

LBC continues to introduce innovations as its response to the changing business landscape in the country. Ecommerce has allowed individuals to operate businesses within the confines of their homes while buyers can purchase an item using the internet or through an app. 

These developments not only gives MSMEs the opportunity to expand their livelihood but it also contributes to the economy. 

LBC boasts 1,400 branches nationwide which also now serve as pick-up points especially in hard-to-reach areas where transportation is limited. With the introduction of "Kaliwaan System," buyers and sellers are assured of smooth and fast transactions. It eliminates the constant worry of whether the item was sent or received. This is one of the issues LBC's innovation is able to address.

LBC hopes to encourage more entrepreneurs to expand their business reach with COP Php 80 Pasabog Promo. 

For more information, visit https://lbcexpress.com/80-pesos-pasabog or any LBC branch near you.

*Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 10157 Series of 2019. Promo runs from June 1 to August 31, 2019.

About LBC

LBC is the Philippines’ market leader in retail and corporate courier & cargo, money remittance, and logistics services. With a growing network of over 6,400 branches, hubs & warehouses, partners, and agents in over 30 countries, LBC is committed to moving lives, businesses, and communities and delivering smiles around the world. Listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange through LBC Express Holdings, Inc., LBC aims to deliver value to all of its stakeholders, as it has for over 60 years. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most trusted logistics brand of the Global Filipino. LBC can move it for you: visit www.LBCexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999(Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), +632 9086 522 (Solutions) and follow LBCExpress(Facebook and Twitter).

The Philippines marks World Population Day on July 11: Half of the journey made since the 1994 Cairo Population and Development Meeting

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The Philippines joins the World Population Day on 11 July, with its theme, “25 Years of the ICPD,” looking back at the country’s gains and challenges since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt.

In 1994, Filipinos made up 1.21 percent of the world population. 25 years after, it increased to 1.40 percent. 1 With some 108 million people, the Philippines is now the 13th most populous country in the world. 2 Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicate that the country’s population continues to increase in numbers, approximately three babies born per minute, but the rate of growth has declined to 1.76% annually since the 2015 population census. Under this growth rate, the country’s population is expected to double in the next 39 years.

Significant progress has been made from 1994 for instance in- Total Fertility Rate (from 4.1 in 1993 to 2.7 in 2017) and Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (from 25% in 1993 to 40% in 2017).3 Gains were due to continued government efforts in advocating for Family Planning (FP) programs, despite hurdles from various groups.

Moreover, policies pursuant to the ICPD agenda in the country were also implemented, including the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law as one of the priority socioeconomic agenda; issuance of Executive Order No. 12 to achieve and sustain zero unmet need for modern family planning by 2022; and the approval by President Rodrigo Duterte of the intensified implementation of the National Program on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP).

25 years after ICPD, the country still needs to address sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including on gender-based violence. While significant strides have been made, particularly in the area of civil rights as girls acquire more education and enter the workforce, they continue to face challenges in the private sphere of their homes, where their decisions and actions are often questioned and sometimes met with coercion and violence. These are the stark inequalities that hold back women in realizing their full potential.

26 percent of ever-married women of reproductive age still experience violence from their husbands or partners, whether in the form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse (National Demographic and Health Survey, 2017). 

The 2019 State of the World Population (SWOP) Report placed emphasis on gender issues as one impediment in the advancement of SRHR. As Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Natalia Kanem stated, “We must push back against forces that would see us return to a time when women had little say in reproductive decisions or, for that matter, in any area of their lives. The fight for rights and choices must continue until they are a reality for all.” 

Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Undersecretary Dr. Juan Antonio A. Perez III believes that attitudes towards gender roles have consequences, on how individuals and couples form their families, perceive female employment, run the workplace and other institutions like church and school. “People-centered development where individuals are empowered has been the core of our advocacy — from educating girls, engaging men and women, and recognizing the role of the bigger society we all live in,” Usec. Perez said. 

The ICPD in Cairo, Egypt, set forth a Programme of Action signed by 179 countries, embarking on a long and difficult journey to reproductive health, including voluntary family planning and safe pregnancy; women empowerment and gender equality. 

“UNFPA congratulates the Philippine Government in its achievements and commitment to fulfill the promise of the ICPD Agenda,” said Iori Kato, UNFPA Representative in the Philippines.

“We look forward to the Government renewing its commitment at the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25: Accelerating the promise, a high-level conference organized on 12-14 November 2019 to finish the unfinished agenda of the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action as an integral way for sustainable development,” he added.

POPCOM and UNFPA are proud to have been part of the 25 fruitful years of the ICPD, taking on extra significance this year when both agencies mark their 50th founding anniversary. Usec. Perez asserted, “We are only on the halfway point of our own journey. We must persevere to empower millions more Filipino families.”

We invite everyone to join us in this year’s World Population Day national celebration on 11 July 2019, 10 AM at the Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. This dissemination forum will be an avenue to present to the public the results of the ICPD@25 National Review.

1 Data from www.data.worldbank.org

2 Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates.

3 Data from 1993 and 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)

Panasonic scholarship for 2019

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Manila, Philippines - In its pursuit of “A Better Life, ABetter World,” Panasonic is now accepting candidates for its 2019 Panasonic Scholarship Asia Program (PSA).

In the Philippines, the said scholarship program is offered to promising state university students (graduating in 2 years’ time) in a bachelor’s degree program, and to newly-enrolled students in a vocational course program for the school year 2019~2020. 

PSA is administered by Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation in the country along with the support of Panasonic Industrial Devices Philippines Corporation, offering financial assistance to promising students, who have difficulty receiving higher education particularly for economic reasons, but highly-motivated to contribute to thecountry’s progress and development.

Applicants must be: a Filipino citizen, and a bona fide full time junior student in a state university enrolled in the fields of engineering, industrial design, accountancy, and economics; and those vocational students currently enrolled/accepted in a TESDA-accredited institution, specializing in the fields of electro-mechanics, consumer electronics, or refrigeration & air conditioning; financially challenged but academically deserving and of good character; determined to excel and make a difference…

Panasonic is founded on the basic objective to be a corporation devoted to the progress and development of society and the well-being of people, thereby contributing to the growth of human civilization. 

Interested parties may send e-mail to: jafanika.sibal@ph.panasonic.com orlorenzo.magsingit@ph.panasonic.com to request Official Application Form. 

Applications will be accepted until August 16, 2019. Documents submitted shall not be returned under any circumstances.

World Vision Inks Partnerships with Corporate Donors to Support Children’s Programs

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World Vision Philippines together with several corporations continues to help thousands of Filipino children in need through partnerships aimed to support the organization’s child-focused projects in the Philippines.

In line with the back-to-school season, World Vision and Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines launched the “Pag-asa sa Basura” campaign, a sustainable waste collection and recycling system targeting several areas in Metro Manila. The pilot implementation of the project will be done in 25 schools in Malabon and Quezon City.

The participating schools will be outfitted with school-based materials recovery facilities (MRF) for various solid waste materials including sachet packaging. The students who will be participating in the campaign are encouraged to bring a certain number of sachets to receive incentives such as school supplies. Furthermore, the profits that will be collected from the MRF will be used for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) programs like improvements in their handwashing facilities and WaSH education. 

This initiative will not only be benefiting the children but also saving the environment with the goal of preventing at least one million pieces of sachets going to the ocean. Educators and students will also be trained on the principles of solid waste management specifically recycling.

Earlier this month, World Vision together with Elev8 Media Inc., an out-of-home advertising company, signed an agreement to support the NGO’s (non-government organization) awareness drive for child sponsorship. Elev8 Media Inc. donated 90 lamp post banners in key areas of Makati City, Taguig City and Paranaque City featuring photos and testimonials from former sponsored children and donors of World Vision.

The partnership aims to increase public awareness about World Vision’s Child Sponsorship Program, an initiative where donors commit to give monthly sponsorship to provide the basic needs of a child supported by World Vision.

Another partnership forged by World Vision is with Domescape, a private glamping vacation home in Nasugbu, Batangas. They recently conducted the “A Star of Something Good”, a stargazing event for the benefit of World Vision. 

Domescape's willingness to support the children thru World Vision and the owners’ generosity as seen during the launch resulted to one child being sponsored by the corporate partner and two sponsorship pledges from the guests who attended the event. They look forward to doing more of these events that will help increase awareness and move people to support for World Vision’s children’s programs.

”World Vision Philippines is so blessed with the success of all of our initiatives with our partners and on behalf of our organization, I would like to thank them for their unwavering support to our advocacy. Let’s continue to work together for the Filipino children,” said World Vision Philippines Executive Director Rommel Fuerte.

To know more and support World Vision Philippines activities, visit www.worldvision.org.ph. You may also follow /worldvisionph on Facebook and @worldvisionphl on Instagram for updates.

About World Vision

World Vision is a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.