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Qatar Airways Deepens Its Code-Share Agreement with Bangkok Airways

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Qatar Airways has strengthened its relationship with Bangkok Airways with the addition of further code-share routes.

The new code-shares come after a year of rapid expansion for Qatar Airways across the globe, with the addition of 12 new destinations throughout the course of 2014, together with frequency and capacity increases across the network.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “It has been a period of rapid expansion for Qatar Airways, with new route launches around the globe. The addition of these code-share routes with Bangkok Airways further enhances our competitive offering, while providing our passengers with an unrivalled global network among the world’s leading airlines.”

The expansion of this agreement with Bangkok Airways will enhance Qatar Airways’ passengers’ options as it adds 10 additional sectors from Bangkok to Chiang Rai, Udon Thani, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Nay Pyi Taw and Siem Reap, together with Koh Samui to Singapore, Phuket and Kuala Lumpur and Phuket to Chiang Mai.

This will both strengthen and complement Qatar Airways’ current code-shares from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Lampang, Trat, Sukhothai, Samui, Mandalay, Yangon and Phnom Penh.

Those passengers travelling onto code-share destinations from Bangkok will also benefit from a superior travel experience on board Qatar Airways’ A380 aircraft, which commenced service to the city in December last year. Complementing the airline’s four-times daily service to Bangkok, this aircraft allows passengers the opportunity to experience the latest aircraft to join the Qatar Airways’ fleet.

Meanwhile, those travelling onwards from Phuket, will also benefit from the airline’s direct daily scheduled service from Doha, which commenced in 2014. The route was previously served from Doha via Kuala Lumpur.

Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operation, to the point where today it is flying a modern fleet of 147 aircraft to 146 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Iloilo historical treasure highlighted in Smart’s Doon Po Sa Amin

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Smart recently presented the winners of the 7th run of DPSA and at the awarding ceremonies, Smart Public Affairs Department Head for Community Partnerships Darwin Flores said that, “DPSA has revolutionized the way we look at our country. In the past years, students from over 300 partner schools highlighted local stories on destinations, delicacies, history, and heroes using multimedia tools, and online technologies.” For 2015, Smart opened the competition to all Filipinos from all walks of life.

Among the finalists for the Open Category was a group of college students hailing from Iloilo. Their entry is a documentary of Sampaw Bato in San Joaquin, Iloilo. The natural rock formation holds historical value, as it was used as a refuge by several villagers fleeing from the Japanese army during World War II. It was also a strategic hiding spot for arms gathered by Hukbalahap forces during the Occupation.

One of the members of the Iloilo group hails from San Joaquin and after several meetings, they decided that it was time to give Sampaw Bato its rightful place in Philippine history. The video that they presented included vignettes of their long, arduous, and somewhat dangerous journey.

Group leader Mary Hope L. Torrechante recounts their trip: “San Joaquin is located 53 kilometers away from the city and we had to take a two-hour road trip to get there. We started our climb to Sampaw Bato at 2 a.m., because we wanted to catch the sunrise, and it takes a three-hour trek to get there. It was dark, and the path was steep, but we forged ahead because it was our objective to show this hidden treasure to the rest of the world.”

Because it was dark, it was only when they saw their video recording that they were actually walking alongside a steep embankment, shares Mark Luis L. Sedicol. It was also while watching the video that their group mate, John Michael G. Londres, a native of San Joaquin, was able to appreciate his hometown with a fresh perspective. “It has a very scenic view. We ourselves could not believe that there are still places like these that are virtually untouched by civilization,” they chime.

“Iloilo has long been known for our food, such as Batchoy or for the Dinagyang Festival. But as we were discussing our topic proposals for this project, so many ideas came in on what we can feature. We have the Bahay na Bato, which houses antique porcelain items, the Paraw Regatta festival, and the artisans of San Joaquin. It made us very proud of our hometown,” Torrechante says. “There are so many other things that people need to know about Iloilo, and the residents that we interviewed for our video are very happy that finally, people can get to see this natural and historical wonder,” adds Sedicol.

Londres explains how technology today can touch lives. “Because of initiatives such as Smart’s Doon Po Sa Amin, we can trace back to our past and understand its significance to our lives. Through our group project, I learned that technology does not only connect people with other people. It also connects people with history and nature.”

Placing 1st runner-up under the open division of the competition, the group took home P30,000 which they decided to share with the community of Barangay Ginot-An Hid. “This is the barangay located nearest Sampaw Bato, and they are isolated up in the mountains. They have no means of transportation and no electricity. Their houses are still made of nipa materials. We would like to be able to help their community in any way we can, including bringing attention to Sampaw Bato as a possible tourist attraction,” Torrechante explains.

This group’s efforts encapsulate what Ramon R. Isberto, group head for Public Affairs at Smart announced at the DPSA opening ceremonies last year. “By engaging Pinoys to contribute stories about where they live through Internet and mobile technologies, they learn new things about their town that can make them feel proud of being a Filipino. Hopefully, this pride will translate to meaningful actions in helping their communities.”

Launched in 2008, DPSA is the biggest and longest-running online local content activity in the country generating more than 1,500 crowd-sourced local stories covering the history, traditions, festivals, destinations, notable people, unique plants and animals, special delicacies, and local products of different places in the Philippines.

DPSA is aligned with Smart’s Internet for all advocacy that aims to include more Pinoys in the digital conversation by making information available and accessible through web and mobile technologies.

To view all the DPSA entries, visit its website at www.doonposaamin.ph. You may also follow DPSA on Facebook, on Twitter, or subscribe to its Youtube channel for more Pinoy local stories.

Real estate giant to open new malls, commercial centers to meet growing retail demand in townships

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As it aggressively expands its township developments across the country, real estate giant Megaworld announces that the population in its various urban townships is expected to reach at least one million by 2020.

Speaking during the 18th Outstanding Filipino Retailers & Shopping Centers of the Year Award by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), Megaworld chairman and CEO Dr. Andrew L. Tan revealed its 20 townships across the country will be home to around 600,000 condominium and village residents and 400,000 business process outsourcing (BPO) and office workers.

“By 2020, we expect to increase our total population by 150% in all of our urban townships, which will reach at least 1-million,” Dr. Tan announced.

At present, Megaworld has around 250,000 residents and 150,000 BPO and office workers in all of its existing townships. The number of BPO workers comprises around 15% of the total BPO population in the country, which now stands at around 1.04 million.

Dr. Tan explained that the increase in population in its mixed-use communities “indicates the opportunities that await the company’s commercial and retail partners.”

Through the years, Megaworld has successfully built malls and commercial centers in each of its townships to primarily cater to the growing communities within its developments. Among its malls and commercial centers include Eastwood Mall, Citywalk 1 & 2 and Cyber & Fashion Mall in Eastwood City; Newport Mall in Newport City; Venice Piazza and Tuscany in McKinley Hill; and Lucky Chinatown in Binondo, Manila, among others. New malls in Uptown Bonifacio and McKinley Hill, both in Fort Bonifacio, are expected to open within the year.

“Condominium residents, for example, need not go far to buy groceries and gifts, or even watch movies. BPO workers, on the other hand, need not take public transportation just to buy food or eat in restaurants. In our communities, everything is just within reach,” said Dr. Tan.

Megaworld started its commercial and retail business when Eastwood City was established in 1999. Recognized as the Philippines’ first urban township and cyberpark, Eastwood City in Bagumbayan, Quezon City is now home to almost 25,000 condominium residents and around 70,000 BPO and office workers. It used to be a 16-hectare township but it expanded its land area last year to meet the growing demand for residential, office and commercial spaces. Today, the township houses more than 500 commercial and retail partners.

The company is replicating the LIVE-WORK-PLAY-LEARN model that it pioneered in Eastwood City to other areas around the country. At present, the Megaworld Group, which also includes its subsidiaries Suntrust Properties, Inc., Empire East Land Holdings, Inc. and Global-Estate Resorts, Inc., has integrated urban township developments in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao. The group has recently announced it is further expanding in five more areas: two in Luzon, two in the Visayas, and one in Mindanao within the year.

“More townships mean more jobs and opportunities. From construction to BPOs, from retail and food to small-and-medium enterprises and transportation, our townships help create economic clusters, which in turn, help boost purchasing power and consumerism among Filipinos,” Dr. Tan added.

The company is launching at least 20 new malls and commercial centers in its existing and new townships in the next 5 to 8 years.

“These malls and commercial centers will primarily cater to the residential and BPO communities inside our townships,” said Dr. Tan.

Last year, Megaworld announced that it is spending P230-billion to develop its various existing townships until 2019. This figure is exclusive of the development costs for the new five townships that the company is launching this year.

Recognized for his contribution in “giving retailers premium sites for expansion with ready markets coming from the residential and office components of Megaworld’s developments,” Dr. Tan was given the prestigious PRA President’s Award of the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) this year. The PRA Board unanimously decided to bestow upon Dr. Tan the title “Pillar of Mixed-Use Developments” as recognition for his pioneering effort in introducing the LIVE-WORK-PLAY-LEARN concept for integrated urban township developments in the Philippines.

Vit-D found to offset possible dangers of ‘poor’ eating

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With the New Year comes the opportunity to start getting ourselves together to work towards a healthier lifestyle. However, keeping with this resolution may prove challenging with the year-round presence of sinfully delicious food which accounts for rapidly increasing incidents of cardiovascular diseases.

People might have overlooked their splurge during the holidays, but studies show that a single meal composed mainly of saturated fats is detrimental to the health of one’s arteries. An accumulation of overindulgence in these, increases the cholesterol level and/or blood pressure in the body that eventually makes it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries, thus upping the chance of a blockage occurring sooner than people might think.

To avoid or lessen the probability of heart attacks, people are advised to keep their cholesterol level under control at all times. One way of helping ensure this is by maintaining a healthy level of Vitamin D in the body. In the study, Does vitamin d deficiency cause hypertension? Current evidence from clinical studies and potential mechanisms (2009), it was revealed that having higher levels of the said vitamin, reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol, supporting the claim that being Vitamin D-deficient increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

The study also shows that controlling cholesterol in the body is just one of the many benefits of having adequate levels of Vitamin D. However, maintaining sufficient Vitamin D levels may be rather difficult. The body primarily sources Vitamin D through sun exposure, but people’s increasingly indoor lifestyles make it hard for one to get enough sun.

In this regard, medical experts are highly recommending a daily supplement of this sunshine vitamin to help prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases. They also suggested taking the Vitamin D3 type of supplement because it is naturally occurring and easy for the body to process, making it the safer and preferred choice of Vitamin D supplement.

Generika Drugstore Supports ABS-CBN Tulong Center Medical Mission

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Generika Drugstore provided medicines and volunteers in a medical mission organized by ABS-CBN Tulong Center as part of its 1st anniversary celebration.

Held at the ABS-CBN compound in Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City, the medical mission was one of the event’s most highly anticipated and attended by the public. Generika donated medicines for cough and colds, antibiotics, pain relievers, gastrointestinal medications, anti-asthma, and maintenance medicines for hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol. Pharmacists from Generika and volunteers from the Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA) spearheaded the dispensing of medicines and conducted patient counseling to make the beneficiaries informed of their medications.