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Thursday, September 23, 2021

CITEM kicks off first digital food expo


Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A year before the pandemic hit in 2019, the Philippine agri-food sector turned in a strong showing, accounting for an estimated P6.1T to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The same year also saw the sector employ 42.7% of the national workforce.

In the new normal that changed our lives and livelihoods forever, The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM)  tries to recapture the same momentum for one of our country's most lucrative export sectors.

This is made possible through the first-ever digital iteration of its banner sourcing event for Philippine food, the IFEX Digital Expo 2021, from September 23-25.

“One of the many things that the pandemic brought forth is the need to connect—now more than ever. COVID changed the way we at CITEM worked, especially with heightened activity online. With borderless communication at our disposal, we present through this expo how we can conduct the business of food in the new normal,” CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan shares.

Leveraging its access to advanced digital tools, CITEM stages the IFEX Digital Expo 2021 to provide an avenue for Philippine food brands and businesses to showcase homegrown food products and ingredients to a wider audience.

Themed “Salu-salo,” IFEX Digital Expo brings together business owners, restaurateurs, hoteliers, farmers, food manufacturers and distributors, retailers, culinary professionals and foodies. The event serves as a medium for strengthening the food community through storytelling, knowledge sharing, and creating dialogue. This year’s show features over 200 exhibitors from all over the country. There are also invited industry experts from global organizations and local government agencies who will share their knowledge and insights on trends, opportunities, and techniques related to food. Networking and business-to-business matching sessions will also be part of the online event’s features.

 

A Three-Day Digital Celebration of Philippine Food

One of the highlights of the IFEX Digital Expo is the launch of two online platforms foodphilippines.com and www.ifexconnect.com, developed by CITEM. FOODPhilippines.com will be the website of the banner brand for all of CITEM’s events and initiatives for the Philippine food sector. Meanwhile, IFEXConnect.com will serve as the agency’s new promotion and lead generation platform for the country’s food export industry.

Expo delegates can look forward to a wide array of Philippine food product categories, including fine food and specialties, biscuits and confectionery, organic and natural food items and ingredients, and snacks and crispy savory food products.

In addition to the informative discussions, the expo is set to excite the palate through happy hour sessions such as coffee brewing. Take in the rich aromas and flavors of Philippine coffee on Day 1. Savor mouthwatering dishes as Chef Angelo Guison explores the flavorful gifts of coconut, from tree to plate, in Coco Pop on Day 2. Distinguish craft from draft with the Craft Beer Association of the Philippines and Philippine craft kings beer connoisseur Jazel Paraiso, as you sample a beer set and learn about beer-food pairing on Day 3.

 

Source From a Wide Array of Products at the Expo Section

The IFEX Digital Expo 2021 brings you an all-new digital sourcing experience through its Expo section on Hopin. Browse through a catalog of flavors harnessed from the Philippines’ distinct terroir and by Philippine food companies from all over the archipelago. In the three-day expo, you can also initiate business with food brands, export enablers, and business support organizations.

The IFEX Digital Expo 2021 is organized with the help of RAPID Growth, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Export Marketing Bureau-Halal (EMB-Halal), Philippine Coconut Authority, and DTI Regional Offices.

To join IFEX Digital Expo, register for free at https://bit.ly/IFEXDigitalExpo. 

Eco-friendly Millennial Resorts Pave the Way to Sustainability in Batangas


Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Inspired by Batangas’ coastal surroundings, the eco-friendly beach properties of Millennial Resorts feature designs focused on sustainability and provide guests with unconventional experiences and warmth of heartfelt Filipino hospitality.

For its resource efficiency design, this hospitality group which is a sister company of Landco Pacific Corp., is registered for the prestigious EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification.

“Ingrained in Landco’s DNA is our commitment to long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability in premium property developments for more than 30 years across the country. We do it, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do. This is evident in our latest Leisure Tourism Estates in Batangas – 15-hectare CaSoBÄ“ and 24-hectare Club Laiya, both of which are LEED Registered, and the management of Millennial Resorts which provide the leisure and hotel operations in these properties,” stated Erickson Y. Manzano, President and CEO, Landco.

“The EDGE registration of Millennial Resorts along with our measures to reduce our ecological footprint demonstrate Landco’s leadership and advocacy in green hospitality. Our goal is to ensure the stewardship and sustainability of Batangas as one of the country’s prime tourist destinations,” emphasized Patrick C. Gregorio, Senior Consultant for Hospitality, Landco.






Millennial Resorts owns and operates experiential resort accommodations, Crusoe Cabins and Cocoons, which are situated in the master-planned Landco Beachtowns CaSoBÄ“ (Calatagan South Beach) and Club Laiya, Laiya, San Juan Batangas, both approximately a two-three-hour drive from Metro Manila.

CaSoBÄ“ offers a relaxed and intimate beachside destination, while Club Laiya is a vibrant hotspot for those who like to have an active beachside lifestyle; and socialize with friends and groups who share their interests.

Both properties highlight resource-efficient designs which include LED lighting fixtures and water-efficient showers and faucets. The rooms are airconditioned, have access to a strong WI-FI connection and provisions for modern comforts. Natural sunlight and air flow are also maximized for efficient use of lighting and air conditioning.

Situated in CaSoBÄ“ and Millennial Resorts’ flagship brand, Crusoe Cabins are contemporary rooms constructed from upcycled container vans and refreshed with rustic and beachy exteriors that blend in with the relaxing coastline of Calatagan.

Cocoons, located at CaSoBÄ“ and Club Laiya are refurbished giant concrete pipes built as pod-like rooms for an intimate and cozy overnight stay. It is iconic for its vibrantly painted murals on its exterior celebrating the diverse marine life of Calatagan and Laiya.

Millennial Resorts guests are also provided with the option to go paperless. Check-in and check-out, requests for housekeeping services and room service maybe be done through the hotel’s proprietary Milli App. With Millennial Resorts’ resource efficient design, water reduction measures are also undertaken at Aquaria, a water park with a giant three-story pool slide at CaSoBÄ“ and Laiya Beach Club near Club Laiya.

Exciting new facilities will soon open such as Captain Barbozza restaurant and bar, Canopy and The Isle -- venues for events, and Colony, a beachside co-working space.

As part of a broader community, adventure seekers and visitors at Cocoons and Crusoe Cabins can take part in the resorts’ initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint by utilizing the development’s pedestrian friendly tree-lined walkways and scenic bike lanes around the beachside properties.

Millennial Resorts is continuing its efforts for greater resource efficiency design in its operations to eventually qualify for EDGE certification.

EDGE is an innovation of International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. EDGE is an international green building registration and certification in about 160 countries and encourages solutions to reduce energy, water and the energy used to make building materials.

Landco Pacific Corp. is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation. For more information about Landco and its Millennial Resorts and Leisure Tourism Estates Club Laiya and CaSoBÄ“, visit https://www.landco.ph/ or FB page: https://www.facebook.com/LandcoPacificCorporation.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Signing of the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement for the Pasig River Expressway


Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The goal of inclusive growth for the country, easing Metro Manila traffic, and preserving major waterways will soon be realized as Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President Ramon Ang led the signing of the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) for the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX).
The signing of the STOA is a crucial part in the construction of the PAREX, a 19.4-kilometer, six-lane elevated expressway along the banks of the Pasig River.

Secretary Tugade and Ang were joined by officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC), Pasig River Expressway Corporation, and Skyway O&M Corporation during the signing ceremony today, 21 September 2021.

Secretary Tugade said that the game-changing project will trigger inclusive economic growth and recovery during the pandemic as this will further facilitate mobility and connectivity from north to south and east to west sides of Metro Manila. The transportation chief also stated that the PAREX attests to the solid partnership between the public and private sectors.




“Iyong mga proyektong ganito, ang buong sambayanan, ang buong ekonomiya ay makikinabang. Pagkat kung a-addressin mo ‘yung decongestion, kung aaddressin mo ‘yung pagpapaigsi ng biyahe at paglalakbay, hindi lang po ‘yung mga nagmamaneho, ‘yung mga gumagamit ng kalsada ang makikinabang kundi ang buong sambayanan,” Sec. Tugade said.

“Ang buong ekonomiya ay makikinabang pagkat kung may pasilidad na ganito, ‘yung pagpunta sa mga lugar ng inyong paghahanap buhay, ‘yung pagsasama-sama ng mga pamilya upang magkaroon ng family time, ‘yung pamamalengke, ‘yung pagpasok sa eskwelahan pati na po ‘yung pagpunta sa simbahan, ay mapapadali,” he added.

“This project will incorporate green design principle to benefit not just motorists but also the environment and the economy of the people. It will be inclusive because it will accommodate various modes of transportations. PAREX will complete the vision of seamless north-south, east-west connectivity in Metro Manila,” PAREX Corp. Chairman and SMC President Ramon Ang said for his part.

“This a landmark and monumental project, along with the Skyway, that will provide a long-term solution to the problem of traffic in the Metropolis. It will have many effects that will provide a lot of jobs and force business and economic activity,” said DPWH Undersecretary Cathy Cabral.

Once operational, PAREX will decongest Metro Manila traffic because it will connect toll roads and freeways of the capital - Road-10 in Manila, EDSA, and C5, and further to Rizal, Cainta, and Marikina. The infrastructure project is likewise set to provide faster and alternative access to several business districts, such as the Makati, Ortigas, and Bonifacio Global City.

According to SMC, the Project Road consists of 5.7-kilometer Segment I (from Radial Road No. 10 to Plaza Azul in Manila); 7.3-kilometer Segment II (from Pandacan, Manila to C-5, and 6.3-kilometer Segment III (from C-5 to C-6).
 Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade on Tuesday, 21 September 2021, assured motorists and other users of the country’s expressways that they need not worry about paying increased toll fees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tugade made the assurance after the signing of the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) for the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) between the DOTr and the San Miguel Corporation.

Secretary Tugade said that while he understands the clamor of tollway operators for increases in toll rates to generate needed revenue to sustain their operations, he also stressed that the DOTr, through the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) must uphold and protect the interest of the public, especially with pandemic’s economic effects.

“Nakikita natin ‘yung pangangailangan ng operators ng increases na ‘yan nang sa ganon, ‘yung mga funding requirements nila ay maasikaso. Pero kailangan din ‘ho ng tulong sa sambayanan, lalo’t higit tayo ay nasa pandemyang nangyayari ngayon,” said Secretary Tugade.

“We need to strike a good balance. Yung pangangailangan ng mga investors, ‘yung mga kakayanan ng publiko. Kailangan ‘ho ibalanse yan,” the Secretary added.

According to Secretary Tugade, considering the conditions imposed by the pandemic, the DOTr may approve toll rate hikes, but such will definitely be implemented at a later date.

“Are we expecting increases at this time? Kung ako ‘ho ang masusunod, maaaring apruban ‘yung increase, pero ‘wag i-implement ngayon. Pagka’t kailangang balansihin ‘yung pangangailangan ng publiko sa pangangailangan ng mga negosyante,” Tugade said.

A 19.4-kilometer, 6-lane elevated expressway to be built along the banks of the Pasig River, PAREX will connect the Radial Road-10 in Manila, EDSA, and C5, and will decongest traffic volume in Rizal, Cainta, and Marikina. It is also set to provide a faster and alternative access to Makati, Ortigas, and the Bonifacio Global City.

Signing the STOA were Secretary Tugade, San Miguel President and COO Ramon Ang, TRB Executive Director Alvin Carullo, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, and Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) Assistant Vice President for Legal Affairs Henry Salazar.

PAREX is based on green architecture principle. A hybrid transport infrastructure, the elevated expressway integrates various modes of transportation – a bus rapid transit system, dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and jogging paths.

The elevated expressway will be the country’s first sustainable infrastructure. Designed for multiple uses, it will have direct environmental, social, and economic benefits for Filipinos.
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