Ring in the New Year in Dubai

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Dubai has implemented safety measures at every touch point since its successful reopening in July, to ensure the health and safety of citizens, residents, and tourists. Escape to exquisite experiences and create new memories in Dubai and celebrate the New Year with a big bang from a range of dining experiences, special shopping offers, music and entertainment. The city truly has something for everyone.

Dining Experiences: 

Indulge in a culinary journey and travel across the globe through the gastronomic culture in Dubai. Enjoy authentic Thai flavors at Pai Thai in Jumeirah Al Qasr, one of the most beautiful floating restaurants in Dubai. Be mesmerized by the breathtaking views of the City's skyline as you feast on Mediterranean staples at the rooftop restaurant Paros at Jumeirah Lake towers. If you fancy modern American cuisine, then Chicago Meatpackers at The Pointe in Palm Jumeirah is the place to be.

For a taste of traditional Lebanese cuisine, complete with performances from a live Arabic band, head on over to Al Nafoorah at Jumeirah Emirates Towers. For a scenic view of the Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai, head on over to Hillside Brasserie or The Duck Hook, both at Dubai Hills Golf Club, and satisfy the meat lover in you with a great selection of meat dishes on New Year's Eve.

Wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and practicing hand hygiene are mandatory in public. While dining, masks can be removed and children below the age of six who struggle wearing a mask are exempted.

Shopping in Dubai: 

If shopping is on the agenda, Dubai is the city for you. The Dubai Shopping Festival commenced on December 17, 2020 and will run until January 20, 2021, offering concerts, cash prizes, and great retail deals across all malls such as The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates. If bargaining is more your forte, head to the souks and discover an array of gems at the Textile, Gold and Spice souk. Additionally, Global Village, which is part theme park and market has over 20 pavilions, offering traditional handicrafts from across the globe.

Music and Entertainment:

Do you want to sing your heart out or do you prefer dancing all night long? There are plenty of places to jam the night away! Atlantis, The Palm brings the legendary rock band KISS to perform live in Dubai. Enjoy a high-octane DJ set at Dubai Opera, or if you like being by the water, visit a laidback setting at QD’s at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, overlooking the Dubai Creek water and city skyline or the Barasti Lockdown Breakout.

Gearing up for the New Year won’t be complete without a spectacular firework display in Dubai. Expect a colorful and cheerful display from the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and the Palm fireworks. For a great vantage point to the pyrotechnics, pitch camp at Kite Beach or visit Souk Al Bahar and the Dubai Mall, to name a few, or tune in to a livestream of the Burj Khalifa celebration.

How to get there: 

Emirates operates 18 weekly flights to Dubai from 3 points in the Philippines including Manila, Cebu, and Clark, connecting Filipino travelers to Emirates' global hub and to the rest of the world. Passengers across all classes can enjoy the airline's world-renowned on-board offers and service, including its regionally inspired dishes and award-winning in-fight entertainment.

Emirates is the first airline to provide passengers multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover. This cover is offered by Emirates on all tickets purchased on or from 1 December 2020, at no cost to customers. In addition to COVID-19 medical cover, this latest offer from Emirates also has provisions for personal accidents during travel, winter sports cover, loss of personal belongings, and trip disruptions due to unexpected air space closure, travel recommendations or advisories, similar to other multi-risk travel insurance products. For more details on the policy visit here.

 

GCash drives PH digital transformation, hits over PHP 1 Trillion Transactions in 2020

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GCash, the undisputed leader and preferred mobile wallet in the Philippines, exceeded its 2020 business targets, one of which is hitting its PHP 1 trillion transaction commitment earlier this year -- an impressive 254% YoY growth -- while it continues to empower millions of Filipinos with digital financial tools and services that helped them adapt into the new normal. 

The service peaked at PHP 7.5 billion daily gross transaction value, and more than 6 million transactions a day. Meanwhile, its customer base ballooned to more than 33 million -- a third of the Philippines’ national population -- coming from 20 million in 2019.

“The remarkable growth GCash experienced this year shows that Filipinos have embraced financial technology. People have realized that fintech isn't just an option but a necessity, allowing them to fulfill their financial lifestyle conveniently,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash.

Sazon credits the exponential growth of the mobile wallet firm thanks to people’s readiness to shift to cashless, consumers finding fintech a necessity during the pandemic, and by providing consumers a great journey within the GCash ecosystem, making financial services as easy as messaging. The growth is driven by an unprecedented surge in usage in GCash to GCash money transfers, bank transfers, online and offline cash-in services, and bills payments, all of which have become necessities during the pandemic.

According to data from App Annie, a third-party global app ranking firm, GCash has been definitively the number one mobile wallet in the country for eleven consecutive months this year: It widened the gap further in active users, leading more than double than the next banking app, and almost three times the size of the next mobile wallet. Their data also showed that the GCash app also overtook popular streaming and social services such as Netflix, Twitter, Grab, and TikTok. This reflects the Filipinos’ growing reliance on digital finance to manage their personal finances and to carry on with their daily lives while also staying safe with contactless transactions provided by fintech apps like GCash.

“We observed that Filipinos rapidly adopted GCash while they adjusted to the stay-at-home lifestyle, and have meaningfully impacted their lives. Thanks to GCash's pivot to fulfill the needs of its customers during the new normal, our growth reached remarkable heights in a span of a few months,” added Sazon.

Part of the strategies driving the mobile wallet’s PHP 1 trillion transaction value growth further are its participation in popular culture and traditions, such as the global 12.12 online sales, and even replacing physical red envelopes -- ang paos -- with its very own digital version, prompting Filipinos to send money to their loved ones during the holiday season using the GCash app.

GCash is also leading the financial service sector, by inducing more than 3 million Filipinos to open their own savings accounts through GSave as of November 2020, and have extended over PHP 8 billion in much-needed credit through GCredit. The growth in these services demonstrate the positive disruption being provided by financial technology in the country, offering vast convenience to its customers.

“While we experienced unprecedented growth in GCash this year, our ultimate objective is to democratize finance to all Filipinos and further enable their financial lifestyles. We are positive that fintech services such as GCash will play a key role in the ongoing payment revolution in the Philippines in the coming years,” Sazon said.

GCash's performance in 2020 accelerates the fulfillment of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' Digital Transformation Roadmap, where the agency aims to shift at least 50 percent of retail payment transactions to digital and to have at least 70 percent of Filipinos have their own e-wallet by 2023.

Earlier this year, GCash hit a record PHP 100 billion transaction value during the first seven months of 2020, and has disbursed over PHP 16 billion SAP disbursements to 2 million Filipinos nationwide.

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.

GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.

UFC Gives Back to Families in Need With 50 Acts of Kindness

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The year 2020 has turned out to be a shining moment for UFC, which is celebrating their 50th anniversary as an essential part of the Filipino culinary experience. With deep gratitude for this major milestone, UFC chose to give back—to families in need—with their 50 Acts of Kindness campaign. As part of the event, UFC asked several celebrity endorsers to nominate families who have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic. 

Among the select celebrities were power couple Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli, who nominated 53-year-old Salvador R. Tiburcio as their beneficiary. Before the pandemic, Salvador had a regular income as a maintenance man. When the government instituted measures to curb the spread of the virus, Salvador found himself stranded at home, unable to travel to his job site. Since then, Salvador has been making ends meet by doing freelance maintenance work around his apartment building. 

“Apektado ang buong pamilya ko. Meron nga sila mga trabaho pero apektado pa rin sila sa sitwasyon ngayon,” Salvador laments as he recalls the debilitating effects of the pandemic. 

Last December 19 and 20, Salvador, along with five other families, received a Sama-samang Sarap ng Pamilya bundle from UFC. The bundle came with a sari-sari store package that included brand-new signage as well as various NurtiAsia products and grocery items. They also received a bicycle with a basket for groceries and a laptop with pocket Wi-Fi. These gifts sought to give the beneficiaries the means to sustain their families in the new year.

Another nominee of Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli was 47-year-old Myra B. Togalon. An experienced seamstress, Myra lost her sewing projects at schools when these shut down in response to the pandemic. With a husband, child, and a PWD sibling at home to support, Myra had to take on work as a cleaning lady around her neighborhood. 

The past year has left an unforgettable mark on Myra. “Hinding-hindi ko po malilimutan itong pandemya na ito,” said Myra. “Sunod-sunod po ang trahedya lalo na po nung nawala ang aking mother. Ilan po kami sa bahay na kumakain tapos kaming dalawa lang po mag-asawa ang nakayod."

Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli’s third and last nominee was Rowel Seranias, a 32-year-old company tailor who’s been struggling to feed his family ever since the pandemic hit. 

The famed Guerrero siblings also participated in this campaign. Together they nominated 48-year-old Vilma Sedaya, the Guerrero family’s longtime laundry lady who also works at a local market. 

Award-winning chef Tatung Sarthou also helped with UFC’s 50 Acts of Kindness. He nominated 35-year-old Billy Ray A. Pascual, a cook who prepared and sold kimchi to help support his family when he lost his job during the pandemic. Chef Tatung also nominated 31-year-old April Sioson, a sales clerk who toils to support her child’s education. 

Salvador and his fellow beneficiaries could barely contain their joy upon receiving UFC’s Sama-samang Sarap ng Pamilya packages. They are profoundly grateful to UFC for sharing their goodies with them this holiday season, as well as providing them with a sustainable source of income for the new year. 

These beneficiaries’ heartwarming stories give us a glimpse of the intrepid Filipino spirit which shines through even in the darkest times. UFC honors and celebrates these people who continue to embody the meaning of sama-samang sarap ng pamilya every day. 

GoWiFi gives frontline heroes the gift of connection this Christmas season

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This Yuletide season, GoWiFi shows its support for medical frontliners by giving free unlimited internet access to different hospitals nationwide, providing the hardworking staff the opportunity to connect with loved ones and to stay energized and positive throughout their long days and nights. 

Designed to help the modern-day heroes #StayConnected with their family and friends and bridge physical gaps between them during the holidays, GoWiFi’s free internet access lets them browse social media, check emails, watch videos and download files. 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 last March, GoWiFi has extended free, fast and reliable WiFi connectivity in hospitals in honor of frontliners and their sacrifices in order to save peoples’ lives. Throughout the holiday season, the joy of strong connections can still be felt in the following hospitals:

Metro Manila

Quezon City

Capitol Medical Center

Lung Center of the Philippines

National Kidney and Transplant Institute

Philippine Heart Center

St. Luke's Medical Center

Veterans Memorial Medical Center

World Citi Medical Center

Caritas Health Shield Inc.

National Government Center

Caloocan City

Caloocan City Medical Center

Jose N Rodriguez Memorial Hospital

Las Piñas

Las Piñas Doctors Hospital

Makati City

Ospital Ng Makati

Manila City

Chinese General Hospital

Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center

Manila Doctors Hospital

Metropolitan Medical Center

Ospital ng Maynila

Ospital ng Sampaloc

Ospital ng Tondo

Philippine General Hospital

Qualimed Manila - PGH area

San Lazaro Hospital

Santa Ana Hospital

Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc. - Quezon Institute

Quirino Memorial Medical Center

Parañaque

Ospital ng Parañaque District 1

Ospital ng Parañaque District 2

Pasig City

Pasig City General Hospital

Rizal Medical Center

The Medical City

San Juan City

Cardinal Santos Hospital

San Juan Medical Center

Taguig City

Manila Naval Hospital

St. Luke’s Medical Center

North Luzon

Bulacan

Bataan St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center Corp.

Benguet General Hospital

Rugay General Hospital

QualiMed Hospital Altaraza

Mendoza General Hospital

Ilocos Sur

Gov. Roque Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital

Gabriela Silang General Hospital

Quirino Stadium

Isabela

Isabela United Doctors Med Center

South Luzon 

Batangas

Lipa City District Hospital

Lipa Medix Medical Center

Mary Mediatrix Medical Center

San Antonio Medical Center

Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center

Cavite

EAC Medical Center Cavite

Laguna

HealthServ Los Banos Medical Center

San Pablo Medical Center

QualiMed Hospital Nuvali

The Medical City South Luzon

Mindoro

Medina Medical Center

Visayas 

Bohol

Ramiro Community Hospital

Cam Sur

NICC Doctors Hospital

Cebu

Cebu City Medical Center

Cebu Community Hospital

Cebu Doctors Hospital

Chong Hua Hospital Mandaue

The Doctor's Hospital-Visayas

Capiz

Capiz Emmanuel Hospital

Iloilo 

Medicus Medical Center

QualiMed Hospital Iloilo

The Medical City Iloilo

West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSU Hospital)

Dumaguete

Holy Child Hospital

Mindanao

Butuan

MJ Santos Hospital

Davao

Davao Doctors Hospital

Davao Limso Hospital

Davao Medical Center (Southern Philippines Medical Center)

Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc.

San Pedro Hospital

Davao Health City Office

CDO

Maria Reyna Xavier University Hospital Inc.

Polymedic Velez

Cotabato

Socsargen County Hospital

Zamboanga City

West Metro Medical Center

Free GoWiFi is open to all users with WiFi-enabled devices, regardless of network service provider (local or while roaming in the Philippines). To connect to free GoWiFi, just open the Wi-Fi-enabled device’s WiFi settings and connect to the “@FreeGoWiFi” hotspot, register, choose from the different WiFi package and start surfing. 

For more information, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/gowifi.html.

P&G continues to be a force for good for communities this Christmas

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MANILA PHILIPPINES – Procter & Gamble Philippines (P&G) is bringing comforts of home to communities by donating hygiene kits and products to thousands of families affected by Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. The leading health and hygiene products manufacturer partnered with the Philippine Red Cross, World Vision Philippines, and the local governments of Marikina, Cabuyao and Taguig to bring relief to communities for Christmas.

“P&G has always believed in becoming a force for good and growth for the country, and this is especially true during the holiday season and after what the Philippines and the world have been through. For P&G, our hygiene brands are our main contribution to sharing comforts and experience of home to Filipino families this Christmas,” says Raffy Fajardo, President and General Manager of P&G Philippines. 

P&G and its partners donated products to communities in Albay, Catanduanes, Cagayan, Isabela, and the cities of Marikina, Cabuyao, and Taguig. Philippine Red Cross will distribute 4,000 hygiene packs for families in Cagayan and Isabela, while World Vision hygiene gift packs will reach over 3,000 families in Albay and Catanduanes.

On top of providing relief for affected communities, P&G continues to extend this care for its employees, the company’s number one priority, amid the difficult times. The company launched the Alagang P&G program, which aims to care for its workforce. On top of ensuring their health and safety with various benefits, P&G’s Vibrant Living wellness program was redesigned to champion the new work-from-home lifestyle in the better normal. The program introduced online classes and programs on fitness, mental health, and even spiritual recollections.

For frontliners, P&G repurposed its manufacturing operations in Cabuyao, Laguna to fulfill its pledge with the DOH and partner health institutions to produce one million medical-grade face masks, which has now been doubled to benefit more medical frontliners who continue to need PPEs. The Safeguarding the Front-liners program gave hygiene kits to over 15,000 frontliners and 5,000 PPE suits to COVID-19 hospitals in Metro Manila and Laguna at the beginning of ECQ in March.

P&G also collaborated with the Department of Health (DOH) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch a nationwide education campaign for better health habits called BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19 which has also won P&G three special awards from PANAta Awards by the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA).

“Even before the pandemic, P&G has always been guided by our core principles of caring for our employees as our number one priority, serving our consumers with our trusted and essential health and hygiene brands and stepping up for communities in need. This is something we have strongly committed to and we will continue to do in the coming new year as a force for good and a force for growth for the country,” says Raffy.