Complete mobility and connectivity in the transport sector equates to convenience and comfort for Filipinos

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Convenience and comfort for Filipinos can only be achieved through complete mobility and connectivity in the transport sector, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said Thursday, 18 November 2021.Taking President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s marching orders to heart, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) continue to deliver on the administration’s promise to make the life of the Filipino convenient and comfortable as the Chief Executive and Secretary Tugade led the inauguration of eight integrated seaport development projects in the provinces of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the opening of the eight ports to make sure that there is mobility and connectivity in Mindoro. Pinapanganak ngayon at binibigyang buhay ang mandato ni President Duterte to make the life of the Filipino convenient and comfortable,” Secretary Tugade said during the inauguration ceremonies.

The simultaneous inauguration includes two (2) port projects in the Port of Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro, as well as port projects in the Ports of Calapan, Puerto Galera, Bulalacao, Mansalay, Bansud and Roxas.

Highlighting the simultaneous inauguration is the ongoing expansion and construction of the Port of Calapan’s passenger terminal building, which can accommodate 3,500 passengers at any given time.

Being the main gateway for the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the seaports in the provinces of Occidental and Oriental Mindoro play a significant role in boosting the country’s inter-island connectivity for passengers, tourists and facilitation of goods from various areas in the country.

Secretary Art Tugade assured President Duterte that additional transportation projects, including the expansion of the Calapan Airport will immediately start to ensure seamless mobility and connectivity in the province.

“Hindi lamang magiging community airport ang Calapan Airport, tataas ang antas ng airport to tourism airport kung saan magkakaroon ng scheduled commercial flights upang makatulong sa turismo, hindi lamang sa pagbyahe ng mga taga-Mindoro kundi sa paglago rin ng negosyo,” Secretary Tugade explained.

Coupled with the seaport projects, transport initiatives in the aviation and maritime sector will benefit Filipinos, Secretary Tugade stressed.

“Kung may development ka sa airport, kung may development ka sa walong puerto. Indeed, masasabi nating the platform for Occidental and Oriental Mindoro has been laid to form—ang makikinabang, ang tao at ang sambayanan,” he said.

Meanwhile, PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago said the DOTr and the PPA are slated to complete an additional 100 seaport projects before the end of President Duterte’s term. At present, the DOTr and PPA have completed a total of 484 seaport projects in a five-year span.

“Nasa mahigit isang daan pa po ang nakatakdang tapusin ng DOTr at PPA bago matapos ang inyong termino. Ito po ang ambag namin sa Build, Build, Build Program. Ito po ang aming bahagi sa Duterte Legacy,” GM Santiago said.

President Duterte commended Secretary Tugade and GM Santiago for the continued completion of transportation infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build Program.

“I’d like to thank also—it’s a two-way affair—si Art Tugade and the Department of Transportation as well as the Philippine Ports Authority for their work on the eight seaports to be inaugurated today. These accomplishments are made under the Build, Build, Build Program,” President Duterte said.

“These public infrastructures will improve public mobility and productivity and help boost economic activity in the area. Masaya ako na nakita ko yung development projects dito sa inyong lugar [Mindoro],” he added.

Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, for his part, said the seaport projects proves that the national government recognizes the strategic role of the provinces of Mindoro as the main gateway for the islands of Visayas and Mindanao.

“The simultaneous upgrades in the different ports will enhance ease and convenience of travel and will bolster the provinces’ bid as key destination for trade and tourism,” Governor Dolor said.

Spain's Salmon Guru Wins Michter's Art Of Hospitality Award In The World's 50 Best Bars Awards 2021

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Salmon Guru, Madrid, has been announced as the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, part of The World’s 50 Best Bars awards 2021. Created to recognise the importance of hospitality in the bar experience, this award is voted for by over 600 members of The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy. These industry experts are asked to name the bar where they received the single-best hospitality experience during the voting period. 

This is the first of a series of special pre-announced awards in the month leading up to the awards ceremony taking place at the Roundhouse in London, on 7th December 2021 at 8.30pm GMT. The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021, sponsored by Perrier, marks the return of the first in-person awards programme since 2019, representing an important milestone in the ongoing recovery of the bar sector.

Salmon Guru was founded in Madrid in 2016 by Diego Cabrera and is one of the most revolutionary concepts in the bar world, ranking highly at No.22 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2020 list. A cocktail laboratory managed by Cabrera, who is an icon and one of the most influential people in the bar sector, the stellar team creates curious concoctions to push the boundaries of what’s possible with cocktails. Expect quirky drinks bursting with flavour and served in eye-catching custom glassware. The interior runs the gamut from 1950s tropical to tropes extracted from comic books, and interesting plays on eccentric opium dens. The menu is split by the impact of the drink, be they powerful, fruity, or crazy.

Diego Cabrera, founder of Salmon Guru, says: “Being named the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award this year has a special relevance for Salmon Guru in a period as hard as the one we have gone through recently. The team, instead of surrendering, stepped forward, joined together, and doubled our efforts so that our guests can see the excellence we try to convey in the Salmon Guru service. We cried, we hugged and we enjoy the recognition of the industry and that, for us, is really special. It means that our five-year trajectory since opening Salmon Guru is the right one – the art of hospitality has always been one of our main pillars and it will continue to be going forward.”

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 list will be unveiled at an in-person ceremony at the Roundhouse, London, on 7th December, beginning at 8.30pm GMT. It will be live streamed on Facebook and the 50 Best Bars TV YouTube Channel.

SSS releases P869.99 million unemployment benefits in January to September 2021

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The Social Security System (SSS) granted P869.99 million worth of unemployment benefits to 67,937 members for the period of January to September 2021.

“We fully understand the plight of our private-sector workers who have been laid off from their jobs. With this milestone benefit, we remain committed in providing financial aid amid the pandemic. Also, with the inclusion of the unemployment benefit application in the E-Services Tab of the My.SSS portal, involuntary separated members have a more convenient option to submit their application online,” said SSS President and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio.


The unemployment benefit is an additional benefit to the SSS-administered programs as mandated under Republic Act No. 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018. This covers employees including Kasambahay and OFW members who were separated from their respective employments.


Members affected by involuntary separation due to installation of labor-saving devices, redundancy, retrenchment or downsizing, business closure or cessation of operation, and disease/illness of the employee whose continued employment is prohibited by law or is prejudicial to his or his co-employee’s health may apply for this benefit. Economic downturn and natural or human-induced calamities/ disaster such as the Covid-19 pandemic are also considered as involuntary separation.


The age of the member and the number of posted contributions are the key conditions for the grant of unemployment benefit. A member should not be over 60 years old at the time of involuntary separation. As for underground/surface mine workers and racehorse jockeys, they should not be over 50 years old and 55 years old, respectively.


As to the qualifying contributions, a member must have paid at least 36 monthly contributions, 12 months of which should be within the 18-month period immediately preceding the month of involuntary separation.


For instance, a member who has been involuntarily separated from his employment on September 15, 2021 must have at least 12 posted monthly contributions from March 2020 until August 2021 to qualify for the unemployment benefit, provided that he has at least 36 posted monthly contributions or at least three years in total as of September 2021.


To avail of the unemployment benefit, members can log in using their My.SSS account in the SSS website and submit the necessary information such as employment category, date of involuntary separation, the reason for involuntary separation, and the employer’s name where the member was separated. Member likewise will be asked to enroll a valid/active/correct disbursement account to ensure the proper crediting of their benefit proceeds once their claim is approved.

For inquiries and other information on unemployment benefit, please visit the official SSS accounts on Facebook and YouTube at “Philippine Social Security System,” Instagram at “mysssph,” and on Twitter at “PHLSSS,” USSSap Tayo Portal crms@sss.gov.ph and in the SSS Viber Community at “MYSSSPH Updates.”