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| (Image Source: YouTube/Philippine Cycling Festival) |
Aimed at strengthening and immersing Filipinos in the culture and convenience of cycling, Neo Zigma Corporation in partnership with Interval Gear Events Management and Metro Ad-vantage Media Marketing is set to hold the second annual Philippine Cycling Festival on March 11-12, 2023 in Clark, Pampanga. The two-day immersive cycling event will gather more than 3,000 cycling enthusiasts and visitors from in and out of the country where they are expected to experience the world of Philippine Cycling. The event will consist of races, retail merchandise, mini bike shows, cycling talks, live performances, and more.
The event will take place at the Clark Parade Grounds as its main staging area for the expo and live concerts with sub-activities to be held in various venues across the Clark which includes the Criterium (March 11) at the Clark International Speedway, the Mountain Bike XC Race (March 12) at the Clark Paradise Trail beside Midori Hotel and The Villages, a night fun ride (March 11) around Clark and the Gravel Race (March 12) from Clark to New Clark City and back. The event will be supported by various partners and sponsors including One Lina Group of Companies, Booster C, Fitbar, Pru Life UK, NLEX, TCG, AXN and Filinvest among others. A few well-known influencers and athletes, namely Jermyn Prado and Ariana Evangelista, will be present as advocates for strengthening the cycling culture in the country. They will also provide entertainment and excitement for the attendees, witnessing how cycling has changed over the past years through the influence of these powerful riders.
The inaugural Philippine Cycling Festival raised enough funds to donate 60 bikes to PEACE CAMP at Brgy. Sapang-Uwak thru Neo Zigma's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Partner Metro Pacific Investment Foundation. The 2nd Philippine Cycling Festival will continue to raise funds and awareness on the cycling community in helping livelihood projects of the event's chosen CSR partner. Get to know the newest updates, including the 2nd Philippine Cycling Festival registration details, through its soon-to-be-relaunched official website www.philippinecyclingfestival.com.
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Maya Builds More 'Digi-Palengke' In Central Visayas
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| BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (center left), Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap (center right), Vice Mayor Adam Jala (3rd, back, from right), and former Mayor John Geesnell Yap (2nd, back, from right) visit Maya booth in the Tagbilaran City Public Market with Maya employees. (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Paymaya Philippines/Tagbilaran City LGU) |
Maya, the Philippines' premiere all-in-one digital banking and money app, is making cashless transactions a lot easier in public markets nationwide with the rollout of the Paleng-QR initiative in Central Visayas, starting with the province of Bohol. Maya has transformed the province's Tagbilaran City Public Market into a 'digi-palengke' in a simple ceremony held last January 11, 2023 led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap.
The Paleng-QR Ph initiative spearheaded by the BSP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) aims to empower the City Government of Tagbilaran to help public market vendors and tricycle drivers accept cashless payments from any customer via the QR Ph, the country’s standard for QR payments. “Small merchants and Filipino consumers are not only enjoying a hassle-free payment experience for their everyday transactions with Maya QR but also creating a financial footprint that allows them to access more advanced banking services offered by Maya,” said Maya Enterprise Business Head Mar Lazaro.
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| Basta QR Ph, pwede sa Maya. With just one Maya QR, public market vendors like Agnes Ycong (right) can now accept safe and instant payments from their sukis, even from those who use other e-wallets and bank apps. This is made possible with the launch of the Paleng-QR Ph in Bohol province, starting with Tagbilaran City. (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Paymaya Philippines/Tagbilaran City LGU) |
Since QR Ph’s launch in 2019 for person-to-person (P2P) payments and in 2021 for person-to-merchant (P2M) payments, Maya has led the charge among financial institutions in the rollout of the QR Ph national standard and now counts over 800,000 merchant touchpoints powered by QR Ph-capable Maya QR. “Basta QR Ph, pwede kami,” Lazaro added. Building ‘digi-palengkes’ nationwide is part of Maya’s own LGUs Embracing and Accelerating Digitalization (L.E.A.D). Through this program, local government units (LGUs) encourage local merchants and constituents to digitalize their transactions with Maya’s business-in-a-box payment solutions and disbursement tools. On top of digitalizing public markets, Maya has become the growth partner of choice of Philippine businesses. These enterprises include pharmacies, transportation, travel, retail stores, public utilities, food, hospitals, service providers, and schools.
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AirAsia Philippines Named Safest Low-Cost Airline For 2023
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| (Image Source: AirAsia Philippines) |
Banking on its strong culture of safety, AirAsia Philippines humbly adds another feather to its cap as it receives a perfect 7 out of 7 rating for both Safety and COVID-19 compliance. Airlineratings.com, an international aviation rating organization recently named AirAsia Philippines as among the top 20 safest low-cost airlines in the world for 2023. AirAsia also bested other local and international low-cost airlines in terms of incident records over the past two years, positive results of audits conducted by the governing body of aviation, and fleet age.
“In AirAsia, we live and breathe safety. From the challenges brought by the pandemic to the most recent incident impairing the country’s communications and navigation facilities, our Allstar employees have demonstrated professionalism, tenacity, and resilience. This recognition from Airlineratings.com is both a reminder and a motivation for all of us to raise the bar even more in the service of all our dear guests,” AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla shares. AirAsia Philippines, already on its path to a strong recovery, opens 2023 with an overall load factor of 75% which was achieved in the first 10 days of January. Caticlan (Boracay) tops the list of most booked domestic destinations with an 85% load factor, followed by Tacloban (75%), and Cebu (70%).
Incheon in South Korea, meanwhile, still is the most preferred international destination among Filipino travelers with its flights originating from Cebu and Manila achieving a 97% and 95% load factor respectively. Another preferred travel destination Osaka, Japan is now at 75% load factor. Off to a strong Q1, AirAsia is also set to open its Tokyo (via Narita International Airport) route next month. With most international destinations now open for travelers, the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline is advising its guests to be at the airport at least four hours before their scheduled departure to allow smooth processing of documentary procedures.
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Cignal Connect Prepaid Brings More Flexible Satellite Broadband Internet To Remote Areas In The Philippines
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| (Image Source: Manila Bulletin/Cignal TV Inc.) |
The first-ever unlimited Postpaid Satellite Broadband service provider in the Philippines, Cignal Connect, now offers another game changer with its newest prepaid packages. With Cignal Connect Prepaid, users can enjoy convenient and efficient internet access wherever they are.
Cignal Connect Prepaid subscribers can choose from flexible data packs ranging from 10 GB up to 70 GB and enjoy internet connectivity on their own preferred terms. This prepaid option gives users the freedom to spend only for the data they need, easily top up their account through a self-service portal, and enjoy worry-free broadband without any lock-in period or monthly service fee. Unlike other data-capped satellite broadband services in the country, Cignal Connect Prepaid offers selected packs that do not reset monthly (the higher the data pack, the longer its validity period will be). But for those who prefer unlimited access per month, Cignal Connect Postpaid plans are still available. “In line with our commitment to make internet available to every Filipino home wherever they are in the country, we are providing a better and more accessible option for our subscribers. With our new Cignal Connect Prepaid product, internet connection, no matter how far, is made more flexible and available to everyone,” said Cignal President and CEO Robert P. Galang.
Cignal Connect Prepaid is best for subscribers with flexible lifestyles who are looking for reliable on-demand Internet access – i.e., rest houses, farms, resorts, or users that need a backup Internet service. With Cignal Connect Prepaid, subscribers can top-up their preferred data pack whenever they need it. Interested subscribers may visit their nearest Cignal dealer or call Cignal Sales at (02) 8888-5555 or e-mail sales@cignal.tv. For more information, visit cignal.tv/connect.
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Stargazer Bares Showbiz Predictions, A More Mysterious Disease And More For 2023
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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Corporation) |
Paranormal expert Stargazer shares her fearless predictions for 2023 that include controversies involving local showbiz personalities and a mysterious new disease. “Sudden death ng isang komedyante. Isang beteranong aktor dapat mag-ingat sa kanyang kinakain. . . . Si aktres G, mas dapat pag-ingatan na ang kanyang health," she said in the “2023 Predictions ni Stargazer” video uploaded on For Your Entertainment (FYE) Channel on YouTube. "Isang pamosong singer ang kailangan ding mag-ingat sa kanyang kalusugan. Isang former songstress ay magiging kontrobersyal dahil sa bisyo,” she added.
The host of “Pinoy Vibes” on kumu’s FYE Channel and “Pinoy Paranormal Mysteries” on FYE YouTube channel also encouraged viewers to be open about these predictions and consider them as warnings to make lives better. “Ang attitude natin is keep an open mind. Wala naman masama po na ikaw ay mag-iingat. Kaya po nabigyan ng gifts na ito is to warn ang make our lives better,” she said. She likewise talked about her visions covering various parts of the world, mentioning the possibility of riots and strikes, calamities such as an earthquake, volcanic eruption, and tsunami, a mysterious new disease, and an animal species discovery in the Amazon.
Aside from detailing her 2023 predictions, the former DZMM anchor also shared the process she goes through in capturing her annual predictions which includes prayer, focus, and meditation, and she revealed that sometimes, visions do come unexpectedly. “Hindi po lahat dumarating in one sitting. May mga pagkakataon na even in my dreams pupunta po yan at paggising ko maaaala ko at isusulat ko. Minsan nanahimik po ako dumadating ang vision. Or even pag may kausap ako nagko-cross po ang vision.”
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CCP Partners With TikTok In Championing Philippine Arts And Culture, Presents Philippine Madrigal Singers Live In Lipa City
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| (Seated from left): CCP were CCP Board Trustee and Vice Chair Michelle Nikki Junia, TikTok Philiplines Community Operations Manager for Entertainment Alexis Soon, TikTok Philippines Public Policy Head Kristoffer “Toff” Rada, CCP President Margie Moran-Floirendo, CCP Board Trustee Junie del Mundo, CCP Board Trustee Atty. Lorna Kapunan; (Standing from left): CCP Legal Office's Atty. Krischelle Matas, CCP Technical Advisor for Artistic Matters Alexander Cortez, CCP Board Trustee Benedict Carandang, CCP Board Trustee Marivic del Pilar, and CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan (Image Source: ClickTheCity.com/Cultural Center of the Philippines) |
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) collaborates with TikTok through a partnership to pursue opportunities to champion the best of Filipino arts and culture. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), both CCP and TikTok aim to create a digital innovation for audience reach, interaction, and appreciation in keeping up with the times, as well as pave the way for CCP to become relatable to the youth, and serve as a medium in flourishing the youth in preserving Filipino arts and culture. TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to create and share short-form videos on any topic. It is mainly mobile-based, although one can still watch TikTok videos using the web app. The platform allows users to get creative with their content using filters, stickers, voiceovers, sound effects, and background music.
Present at the MOU signing held last December 14, 2022 at the CCP were CCP Board Trustee and Vice Chair Michelle Nikki Junia, TikTok Philiplines Community Operations Manager for Entertainment Alexis Soon, TikTok Philippines Public Policy Head Kristoffer “Toff” Rada, CCP President Margie Moran-Floirendo, CCP Board Trustee Junie del Mundo, CCP Board Trustee Atty. Lorna Kapunan, CCP Legal Office's Atty. Krischelle Matas, CCP Technical Advisor for Artistic Matters Alexander Cortez, CCP Board Trustee Benedict Carandang, CCP Board Trustee Marivic del Pilar, and CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan. On the other hand, The Cultural Center of the Philippines is proud to present the Philippine Madrigal Singers in cooperation with the City Government of Lipa in a night of beautiful and uplifting choral music on January 18, 2023, Wednesday, 7:00 pm at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, Lipa City, as part of this year's celebration of its Fiesta in honor of the city's patron saint Saint Sebastian.
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| (Image Source: ClickTheCity.com/Cultural Center of the Philippines) |
Together with the “Madz’” choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio, the concert features crossover violinist Jobry Cimafranca. This special outreach concert is a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines that aims to cultivate and enhance public interest and appreciation for the arts and culture, bringing them closer to the people, especially to the regions. Tickets are free and are open to the public. It will also simultaneously be live-streamed via the Cultural Center of the Philippines Facebook page.
