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Tuesday, April 4, 2017

DTI Secretary Mon Lopez Says P500 B New Investments Expected this Year


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Trade & Industry Secretary Ramon “Mon” Lopez on March 31 spoke to media to say that their “conservative estimate” is that the Philippine economy this year 2017 shall attract P500 billion pesos worth of new investments and will accelerate economic growth, he said all these at the Pandesal Forum of 78-year-old Kamuning Bakery CafĂ© in Quezon City.

Lopez said the Duterte administration’s goal is to ensure that Philippine economic growth shall be inclusive and sustainable, thus among its reform policies is releasing state funds to support microfinance entities in order to counter the controversial high-interest “5-6” usurious loan-sharks victimizing small traders and micro-entrepreneurs. The initial fund is P1 billion pesos, but he said Budget Secretary Diokno urged him to apply for additional P2 billion pesos. Lopez said President Duterte’s vision is to make P1 billion pesos funds for every region of the Philippines for micro-lending to smallest traders.

Secretary Lopez also said DTI and other government agencies are partnering with the private sector, malls, the business chambers in order to encourage and support small & medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) nationwide. DTI is also helping ensure stable consumer prices.

During the free-wheeling Pandesal Forum with local and international media, Secretary Mon Lopez extolled the country’s pro-Philippines “independent foreign policy” which has resulted in unprecedented warming diplomatic, economic and strategic ties between the Philippines and the world’s second largest economy China and global energy superpower Russia.

Get Ready Asia! Online Auditions for AXN’s Asia’s Got Talent Season 2 to Start on April 10


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Who will be Asia’s Next Superstar?

AXN will kick off its search for Asia’s next global superstar from April 10, as the leading general entertainment channel calls for online auditions for the highly anticipated second season of Asia’s Got Talent.

The record-breaking series, which crowned Filipino shadow dance group, El Gamma Penumbra, the grand winner in the first season with a cash prize of USD100,000, will once again unite Asia in a celebration of talent that transcends language, culture and borders.

“Asia’s Got Talent is the world’s biggest talent competition and we encourage people of any age and with any dream to come forward and take the spotlight. Following the outstanding success of season one on AXN, and the awe-inspiring talent that emerged from 15 countries, Asia’s Got Talent has established its place as the region’s most powerful platform to launch aspiring stars,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

Potential stars can visit www.AXN-Asia.com/AsiasGotTalent to submit an application and audition video, which should include a short introduction of the act, and the actual performance. The videos should be under two minutes’ in duration.

In addition to the online auditions, AXN will hold a series of open auditions in major cities across the region next month. Cities, dates and venues will be announced in the coming weeks via AXN’s TV channel, social platforms (@AXNAsia) and website.

“For season two, AXN is looking for a variety of acts that span everything from thrilling, surprising and breathtaking to funny and quirky…and sometimes bizarre. Asia’s Got Talent is captivating entertainment at its best and there’s no better place than Asia to discover to the next generation of superstars,” said Ms. Lim.


New Ratings Records in Asia

Season one of Asia’s Got Talent set new ratings records for the English general entertainment (GE) genre during its run, taking AXN to the number one spot in its timeslot among all regional pay-TV channels collectively across Southeast Asia and Taiwan.2

In Malaysia, Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated entertainment series on English language channels on Astro in the past two years. In the Philippines, the Grand Final Results episode of Asia’s Got Talent was the highest rated pay-TV program in the country since 2008, and commanded a 96 percent share among 22 English GE channels. 3


Got Talent Globally
The Got Talent franchise was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced and owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia. It is entered in the Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Reality Television Format in history with 70 local versions produced across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East, Africa and the Americas. Around the world, the Got Talent format airs in a total of 186 countries. 


AXN: A leader in original productions


AXN is a leader of regionally produced original content in Asia, with notable ratings successes including five seasons of the international Emmy-nominated The Amazing Race Asia; the Asian Television Award-winning Cash Cab Asia and Cash Cab Philippines; The Apprentice Asia; Cyril: Rio Magic; Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition; and the Asian Television Award-nominated Cyril: Simply Magic.

Tips to London Splurges You Can Afford


Wazzup Pilipinas!

There’s a saying that goes something like ‘when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’. The UK city just has it all – you can’t get bored in London, but you can get poor if you aren’t careful. To put it mildly, the city isn’t the cheapest of places to hang out in, but luckily, there are ways to enjoy London splurges without destroying the wallet. Here are the tips to keep in mind.


Use an Oyster Card

You need to travel around if you want to enjoy the great city to the full. But travelling in London is not cheap nor that fun (tube strikes, yack!). Luckily, the magnificent Oyster card scheme can cut down your travel cost and a monthly or an annual pass is a must-have for anyone looking to travel around the city.

Oyster cards are even useful for those visiting the city. Instead of spending money on the Travelcards, just get the Visitor Oyster Card. It’s 50% cheaper than using single tickets or the one-day Travelcard.


Enjoy the free attractions


While London has plenty of attractions that can cost a fortune, others are completely free. You can treat yourself to most London museums and galleries without spending a pound. Check out, for example, Tate Modern, the British Museum and the National Gallery. If you want to have a sophisticated walk around the city, the parks offer plenty to see. You can snap perfect Instagram photos at Hyde Park or Hampstead Heath.

Not to mention, you can splurge on all things royal without spending any money. Changing the Guard is a free event and you could wave to the Queen during the opening of the Parliament, for example.


Last-minute tickets

London is famous for its West End shows and you definitely want to splurge some money on a good show. However, you can be smart about your spending and shop for last-minute tickets at the official TKTS booth in Leicester Square. It’s the official booth so you won’t get ripped off and the tickets for the day’s shows are a lot cheaper than if you bought them beforehand. If you are sure of the show you want to see and you don’t mind queuing, you could just show up before the show and see if there are stand-by tickets and returns available.


Local theatre and shows

Now, London is a big city with thriving local communities. While the central London tends to have all the attention, there are plenty of stunning things happening on the other boroughs. If you want to enjoy theatre, comedy and cabaret, then just move further away from central London and find local shows in small theatres and pubs. These are not less worthy of your attention and they will help you save quite a bit of money.


Pass it out

Looking to explore the most famous London attractions? If you want to splurge on places like Madame Tussaud’s and the Buckingham Palace, you shouldn’t forget to buy the London Pass. After the initial payment of around £100, you get to visit all these popular destinations for free! Not to mention the pass gives you the power to skip the queues (in most instances), so it can definitely worth it if you have limited time available to hang out in the capital city. The pass occasionally runs extra savings campaigns so check out the offers from the website.


Wine and dine with discounts

Eating out in London offers tons of splurges and most are affordable with the help of discount schemes. Tastecard.co.uk offers the option to eat out at some of the city’s hottest restaurants without paying the full price! Indeed, you can often find offers that help you enjoy 2 for 1-deals or get starters and drinks for free.

Furthermore, wining and dining is super cheap if you are willing to skip the restaurant table. Street food is huge in London – some of the best eateries in the city are humble street food trucks in changing locations.


Booking online


Finally, the best way to finding splurges you can afford is going online. If you book your tickets online, you can cut the cost of your ticket and you don’t need to stand in a queue on the big day. For example, tickets to London Eye are almost 10% cheaper online than if you just showed up to buy the ticket in person. So, when you know what you want to do, check if the price is cheaper online.

So, think which attractions, restaurant and hotels you want to visit and book your spots online. Just make sure to leave room for getting from place A to B – London traffic can really be a pain.

Hopefully, with the above tips in mind, you are able to have a good time in London and splurge without breaking the budget.
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