Ibong Adarna soars anew in Ballet Manila’s 25th season

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Lessons on love, forgiveness and the triumph of good over evil once again take center stage as Gerardo Francisco re-stages his award-winning Ibong Adarna on August 19 and 20, 2023 at the Aliw Theater to conclude Ballet Manila’s 25th performance season, “Of Hope and Homecoming”.

Ballet Manila closes 25th performance season with Ibong Adarna

“After a three-year hiatus, we’re so excited to let Ibong Adarna take flight once again and show Filipino audiences its captivating beauty as well as bring to fore valuable Filipino traits such as love for family, forgiveness, kindness, and good over evil,” said Lisa Macuja Elizalde, Ballet Manila’s founder, artistic director, and chief executive officer.

A classic 16th century Filipino epic poem, Ibong Adarna centers around the mythical bird whose magical voice can heal illnesses. Upon hearing of its powers, three princes embark on a perilous journey, where they encounter different challenges to catch the elusive bird that can cure their ailing father. In the end, only the prince with the purest heart can catch the legendary Adarna bird.

Premiered in August 2017, Ballet Manila’s re-telling of this Filipino classic, choreographed by Gerardo Francisco Jr., has already garnered many accolades over the years, including Best Outstanding Production at the 2017 30th Aliw Awards; and at the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards which honored it with multiple recognitions, including Outstanding Modern Dance Production, Outstanding Choreography for Modern Dance, Outstanding Ensemble for Modern Dance, Outstanding Music Composition, Outstanding Male Lead and Outstanding Female Lead.

With all the awards the show has earned, Francisco is all the more driven to live up to its standards to give audiences the best show. He shared, “The pressure is there. I need to stand by my standards, most especially to those who were able to watch the ballet during our world premiere. I need to exceed their expectations.”

The production was all set to go on a national tour in 2020 but the plan was halted due to the pandemic. According to Macuja Elizalde, the Ibong Adarna that will be staged in August will be the touring version where some dancers perform double or triple roles, and the production more streamlined.

Ibong Adarna will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City on August 19 at 8:00 p.m. and August 20 at 5:00 p.m. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call 8891 9999. To know more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph

TPB’s PHITEX program wins National Tourism Initiative of the Year

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The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), was recently honored with the National Tourism Initiative of the Year-Philippines award in recognition of its conduct of the 2022 Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX), the country's largest government-organized travel trade event. The Gov Media Awards, presented by Gov Media Magazine and held in Singapore, recognizes the most outstanding government projects and initiatives in the Asia Pacific region. This year’s entries were evaluated by an elite panel of experts, including leaders from World Bank and ADB.

Philippine Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Tourism Promotions Board COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles during the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2022

"We are one with the TPB in appreciation of this international recognition for PHITEX, which reflects the successful collaboration of government and the private sector under the shared tourism governance envisioned by the Marcos Administration," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who is also Chairman of the TPB Board said on the award received by the DOT's marketing arm.

“This recognition is an honor for us at the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and is a triumph that we dedicate to all tourism stakeholders who continually work hard to contribute to the growth of the tourism industry and economy. This will only spur us in our commitment to making the Philippines a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” said TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.

Gov Media stated that TPB’s remarkable organization of PHITEX was lauded for its role in promoting responsible tourism and driving growth in the Philippine tourism industry. The projects awarded serve as catalysts for transformative change and have significant implications for the well-being of billions of people living in Asia and beyond.

Since its establishment in 1996, PHITEX has played a vital role in fostering business partnerships and showcasing the diverse array of Philippine tourism destinations. In 2022, PHITEX adopted the theme "Embracing Responsible Tourism" to emphasize the significance of safe, smart, and sustainable travel practices. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, PHITEX successfully hosted over 116 foreign buyers, comprised of 53 physical attendees and 63 virtual participants from 32 countries that actively participated with 206 Philippine sellers composed of 96 physical attendees and 110 virtual participants during the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX).

Said participants represented travel agencies, tour operators, hotels and resorts, MICE operators, and airlines. Key markets such as Korea, Malaysia, and China were well-represented, with 77% of buyers coming from source markets and 39% from opportunity markets.

The fruitful discussions in TRAVEX generated an estimated revenue of Php 190,143,651.00 (US$3.496m) based on the sales lead forms submitted by the Philippine sellers.

TPB has announced that the next PHITEX will be held in September this year in Cebu. This year's event will feature a two-day Face-to-Face Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), PHITEX Educational Program (PEP), and Pre and Post-Event Tours for Buyers, targeting quality buyers and sellers.

Much-awaited HONOR 90 5G with 200MP Flagship Camera to finally arrive in PH on August 15

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Joining HONOR’s critically acclaimed HONOR N Series, the HONOR 90 5G is confirmed to arrive in the Philippines on August 15, 2023! HONOR 90 5G will debut massive improvements across multiple key areas pertaining to the user experience, to deliver human-centric innovation that offers great value to consumers around the world.

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HONOR 90 5G with 200MP Flagship Camera confirmed to arrive in PH 

on August 15

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“We are very excited to bring HONOR 90 5G here in the Philippines! This newest HONOR smartphone is a copilot that can streamline the content development process to enable creators to share their vibe online effortlessly,” said HONOR Philippines Vice President Stephen Cheng.

Equipped with Flagship 200 MP Main Camera + 50 MP Selfie Camera

Further enhancing photography and videography capabilities, the HONOR 90 5G comes with a Flagship 200MP Main Camera with a large 1/1.4-inch Sensor, a 12MP Ultra Wide and Macro Camera, and a 2MP Depth Camera capturing incredible amounts of detail and recreating stylish bokeh effects. Revolutionizing shooting in Portrait mode, the HONOR 90 5G is also upgraded to support 2x zoom to generate portraits that are more homed in and make the key subject stand out more than ever before. You can also take better selfies with its 50 MP Front Camera.

World’s First Zero Flicker Display

Fusing aesthetics and technology, the HONOR 90 is equipped with a best-in-class 6.7-inch Quad-curved Floating Screen which supports HONOR’s industry-leading and TÜV Rheinland-certified eye protection technology. Supported with the industry’s highest Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Dimming frequency of 3840Hz, the device effectively minimizes the strain it puts on users’ eyes when it is set at low brightness. The display also supports a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and delivers up to 1.07 billion colors, bringing users stunning colors and visuals in vivid clarity.

Launching brand new AI technology for video capture, the HONOR 90 5G is equipped with AI Vlog Assistant and AI-powered noise reduction allowing for quick video production and the ability to capture clean voice recordings that are free of ambient background noises.

Catch the official Live Facebook Event here: https://bit.ly/200MPFlagshipCamera and stay tuned for more announcements via HONOR’s website www.hihonor.com or social media platforms: Facebook (Facebook.com/HonorPhilippines), Instagram (Instagram.com/honorph) and TikTok: (Tiktok.com/@honorphilippines). To check out HONOR’s complete list of retail stores, go to https://www.hihonor.com/ph/retailers/.

QC sets the pace of Smart, Digitalized City and other Takeaways at the KPMG Innovation Summit 2023

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The recently concluded KPMG Innovation Summit 2023 tagged “Making things happen: From Innovation to Execution” at the Fairmont Makati dove right into discussion on the promising state of technological innovation in the Philippines and launched two innovation milestones, the Global Tech Innovator and the KPMG Digital Government Center.

KPMG Philippines Chairman and CEO Sharon Dayoan 

KPMG in the Philippines Chairman and CEO Sharon Dayoan welcomed over a thousand participants, live and online, with eye-opening remarks: “In this era of unprecedented technology advancement, our world is undergoing a remarkable shi; and we are all privilege to have the chance to shape the world that we inhabit. Let us celebrate the power of innovation, technology and collaboration.”

Digitalized Government Services of Smart Cities

In support of emerging smart cities, KPMG in the Philippines launched during the summit its very own Digital Government Center, a one-stop shop that aims to help government agencies in their digital transformation journey.                                               

When it came to the first panel, Digital Government for Smart Cities, several panelists hailed the Quezon City local government as a trailblazer for automating government services and its immediate implementation of Presidential Executive Order 32 which streamlines the permit processing of telecommunication and Internet infrastructure in its city.                                       

According to panelist, Private Advisory Council on Digital Representative and City Savings Bank Head of Legal and Data Protection Officer for Private Sector Infrastructure Atty. Ernesto Herrera, “EO 32 reduces turnaround time of permit application for telecom and Internet Infrastructure requirements from the previous 2.5 years to 2.5 months enhancing bureaucratic efficiency by reducing red tape, streamlining processes across all government agencies.” 

QC City Administrator Michael Alimurung

QC City Administrator Michael Alimurung also explained in his keynote speech that the QC government spearheaded the execution of one of the EO 32’s feature which is the one-stop shop of permit applications, including that on construction permit applications which has spurred the development of telecommunication and Internet infrastructure in the country, crucial in the development of smart cites.                                       

How does having more access to data changed the capacity of local governments, given this opportunity to have wider digital highway that comes with this new EO? According to Aboitiz Chief Operating Officer for Smart Ci5es, Mr. Alvin Ng, “Data is the new oil.”

Having access to data fosters ci5zen engagement, eliminating citizen divide and driving efficiency. QC has been a great playbook in spurring ci5zen engagement and transforming the way we think about running smart ci5es in the future. It’s also about resource allocation. The more data you have, the more connected you are within any city. Governments can make decisions quicker.                 

ESG Technology is a Way of Life

ESG Technology panel discussion explored the world of existing and emerging technologies to address and monitor environmental impact, social responsibility and corporate governance. ESG Tech is all about thinking beyond profit. Not only does ESG give substantial returns on efficiency, it attracts and pays human capital especially the next generation. It practices inclusivity and diversity that goes beyond gender including age, socio-economic status and capability. ESG gives value to investors as well as the supply chain and brings in new markets.

AIM Graduate School of Business Head and Center for Sustainable Finance Executive Director Mr. Felipe Calderon says, “ESG is a way of life that goes beyond profitability. Incorporating ESG in corporate strategies enable companies to attract investors, employees, and customers. Even lenders will also be looking at ESG component of potential borrowers.”

For Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer, Ms. Yoly Crisanto, the main mo5va5on for ESG incorporation is its alignment with Globe’s main purpose of sustainability and aim to uplift Filipino lives. Crisanto says, “The country is in the cusp of digital transformation. Use tech to make life convenient for citizens. We also need to adopt global best practices into the country. We take into consideration all the things that are happening globally and introduce them to our single market – the Philippines. We use technology to innovate, that’s why in Globe we have GCash, the no. 1 financial technology in the country that is doing a lot of innovation.”                                                    

Intelligent Processes through Artificial Intelligence                       

At the third panel, the Next Wave of Automaton, Analytics Association of the Philippines, President Ms. Michelle Alarcon explained “AI has been around since the 70’s and not a wave per se. Revival of the hype surrounding AI is because of the technologies particularly on computing and storage.”                              

According to Alarcon, no one is an expert yet on Generative AI. “We can be ready. We started with RPA (Robotics Process Automaton), simple automation of task with rules that are well defined. You can think of AI as something that makes that process more intelligent. They can work with each other and go hand in hand,” says Alarcon.                                              

Concepcion Business Services President and COO, Mr. Eric Sarmiento delved on the key benefits of Robo5cs, “It forces you to re-think your existing processes which leads to more efficiency and cost avoidance of rework. Because of the relentless automation we were able to reduce repetitive work by a significant rate.”                           

Robotic Process Automation Philippines Founder and President, Mr. Allan Tan discussed how robo5cs can drive efficiency, savings and business growth. “When RPA started nobody understood the company but now companies are starting to understand its advantages. In the Philippines, 70% of processes still involve a lot of the repetitive work including data cleansing, downloading files, constructing data, and aggregating certain reports but more and more companies are starting to see the impact and cost effectiveness of Robotics.” 

Game-changing innovators on disruptive technologies

The fourth and final panel discussed disruptive strategies and mindsets behind some of the most successful disruptors in the business today including Alliance of Tech Innovators for Nation Lead Convenor and DICT Former Undersecretary, Mr. Mon Ibrahim; Fuse Lending President and CEO Mr. Tony Isidro; Digital Pilipinas Convenor and GeiserMaclang Co-founder, Ms. Amor Maclang; Inpay Co-Founder and CEO Mr. Arivuvel Ramu; Angkas Co-founder and CEO, Mr. George Royeca; Mayani Co-founder and CEO JT Solis.

11th Regional Travel Fair surpasses pre-pandemic performance, hits over PHP 110M in sales

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The 11th Regional Travel Fair, organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, made a triumphant return to full onsite event since the COVID-19 pandemic, generating over PHP 110 million in actual and negotiated sales during its three-day event at the SM Seaside City Cebu from 21-23 July 2023. This surpassed the previous RTF sales figure by 32.97%.

Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines’ 11th Regional Travel Fair hits over P110 million actual and negotiated sales. Photo by Marky Ramone Go.

TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles expressed her elation over the resounding success of this year’s RTF, “We are thrilled to witness the overwhelming response and enthusiasm from exhibitors and visitors during the Regional Travel Fair. The outstanding sales leads signal a bright future for the tourism industry in the post-pandemic era and reaffirm travelers’ confidence in the safety of their travels.”

Present during the event were TPB COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles, Tourism Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination, and Resource Generation (TRCRG) Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, Intramuros Administrator Atty. Joan Padilla, Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno, DOT Calabarzon Regional Director Marites Castro, Director Judilyn Quiachon of the Tourism Coordination and Regional Operations, Cebu City Mayor Michael Lopez Rama, TPB Deputy Chief Operations Officer for Marketing and Promotions Atty. Charles Aames Bautista, and TPB Domestic Promotions Department Manager Teresita Landan.

The event was also attended by social media personalities Chuck Aquino and Joe Abad, popularly known as Chuck and Joe, and Marie Field Faith.

Lumad Basakanon's vibrant cultural performance wowed the crowd at the 11th Regional Travel Fair at SM Seaside City Cebu. Photo by Marky Ramone Go.

Aerial view of St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church, popularly known as Argao Church in Cebu. Photo by Marky Ramone Go.

TPB's Regional Travel Fair in Cebu offers participants an immersive experience of Southern Cebu's culture and culinary offerings. Photo by Marky Ramone Go.

With the theme #VisitCentralVisayas, the annual trade fair provided a platform for over 70 exhibitors nationwide to participate in the event. Industry professionals took the opportunity to share emerging trends and best practices, innovate travel-related business operations, and expand networks through its engaging Business-to-Business (B2B) sessions. Tourism offices from Central Visayas, including the Province of Cebu, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Siquijor, Boho, and Negros Oriental presented their tourism product updates during the B2B session.

The fair also opened its doors to enthusiastic travelers during its two-day Business-to-Consumer (B2C) session held on July 22-23. Among the offerings were discounted tour packages to famous and emerging local destinations, airline tickets, accommodation, delicacies, and pasalubong items.

“We desire and aim to play a major role in shaping the future of tourism by creating a one-stop shop venue for industry collaboration and partnerships,” said Tourism Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination, and Resource Generation (TRCRG) Shahlimar Hofer Tamano who delivered a keynote speech at the event on behalf of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

Meanwhile, TPB members, industry stakeholders, influencers, and media partners were also treated to a post-tour trip to the heritage towns of Argao and Carcar for an immersive experience of southern Cebu’s culture and culinary offerings.

The RTF was made possible with the support of the Department of Tourism Region VII, Provincial Government of Cebu, and City Government of Cebu. The event was also sponsored by partners from the private sector – SM Seaside City, 2GO, Jpark Island, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, Philippine Airlines, NUSTAR, Fili Hotel, CAVA, Bluewater Maribago Mactan, and Marco Polo Cebu.

TPB anticipates an even bigger and better Regional Travel Fair slated in October this year in Ilocos Region.