Friday, January 22, 2021
Defying the pandemic’s scourge on tourism
Everybody knows how badly hit the tourism industry has been by this pandemic.
Although countries all over the world, including ours, have been trying hard to push for domestic tourism, as the initial phase for the industry’s recovery, still there are countless quarantine-related restrictions for travelers to adhere to, prompting many, who just want to have a leisurely and easy time, to either postpone or cancel their planned holidays.
Any business-minded individual in the tourism industry would definitely be more cautious in his financial exposure at a time like this when alarming uncertainties abound and so many factors beyond one’s control come into play. One really has to have consummate positivity to continue trudging along the seemingly hazy path to success which this pandemic has laid out for all of us in the industry.
You wouldn’t think we would find in our midst, at this time, a strategic optimist who would bravely carry on with his noble ideals, marching undeterred by naysayers towards the pinnacle of success.
Well, lo and behold, I am glad to be able to cite two entities definitely deserving of praise, unequivocal support, and utmost respect.
The Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world’s largest hotel chains, with nine distinctive hotel brands and more than 1,400 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The group’s portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn and Suites by Radisson, and Radisson Hotels.
In spite of the challenges brought about by the pandemic, the hotel group decided to rise above all the negativity, the fear and the feeling of hopelessness by adding 84 new hotels across the Asia Pacific region last year. This courageous growth forms part of the group’s ambitious five-year strategy to triple its portfolio in the next few years, according to Katerina Giannouka, president - Asia Pacific. Such fearless expansion covers its key markets—China, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
The group got even bigger in India with the signing of eight new hotels—in Mashobra Resort, Jabalpur, Prayagraj, Dehradun, Lonavala, Jaipur Malviya Nagar, Pondicherry Bay, and Katra.
In Vietnam, Radisson now has a resort in Phan Thiet and in Van Phong Bay.
In China, two new hotels were added in Nanjing—the Radisson Blu Hotel Nanjing South New Town and the Radisson Collection Resort Nanjing. It also partnered with Jin Jiang International and its subsidiaries, adding 72 new hotels and resorts to its roster of accommodations.
The Radisson Hotel Group will continue to banner its indomitable determination for growth this year and in the next few years.
Here at home, just like two peas in a pod, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., which owns all the Radisson hotels in the Philippines, is just as gung-ho as the Radisson Hotel Group. Its enthusiasm in being a major player in our country’s accommodations industry has not been diluted by this pandemic. SM Prime Holdings did not put any of its expansion plans on hold.
Managed by SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, SM Prime Holdings’ hotels in the country include the Radisson Blu in Cebu City, Park Inn by Radisson Davao, Park Inn by Radisson Clark, Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo, and Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa.
Even with the pandemic hanging over our tourism industry’s head like the sword of Damocles, the SM group has scheduled to open very soon Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod.
SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, led by its hardworking executive vice president Peggy Angeles, also manages the various SMX Convention Centers in the country—SMX Mall of Asia, SMX Aura, SMX Davao, SMX Bacolod, Mega Trade Hall at SM Megamall, Sky Hall in Cebu, and SMX Olongapo which is a joint venture with the local government unit, and which opened last year in spite of the pandemic.
Not at all discouraged by quarantine restrictions on person-to-person events, the SM group is set to open SMX Clark this summer. Now, that’s positivity to the max!
The Radisson Hotel Group and the tandem of SM Prime Holdings and SM Hotels and Conventions have shown us that difficulties and misfortunes don’t have to keep us from achieving our goals. They best exemplify what author Washington Irving said, “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune, but great minds rise above them.”
YOUR WEEKEND CHUCKLE
LIFE INSURANCE: A contract that keeps you poor all your life, so that you can die rich.
For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com.
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Protecting The Fragile Relationships Of Your Family
Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Amos 3:3-4, KJV
My son, Steve, is a rock climber, something that is much too much for me. I'm like Sir Francis Chichester, who said, "I will lift mine eyes unto the hills but I will not take my carcass thither." Anyway, Steve and two of his friends were climbing the highest peak in Switzerland when they stopped to catch their breath and noticed three climbers on the face of an incline a short distance from where they were. As they watched, the lead climber suddenly lost his footing and fell.
Climbers are joined to each other by a rope, and the way it's supposed to work is that if one falls, the other is anchored by pitons to the face of the rock, and he stops his fall. But that isn't the way it worked. The first one pulled the second one loose, and the two then pulled the third one loose, and the three of them tumbled over and over as they fell about 750 feet down the face of the snow and ice and landed in a heap below.
Steve, much too far away to be of immediate help, held his breath wondering if any of the three were alive. But those three climbers who fell were lucky; they had landed in a pile of snow and were able to get up, dust the snow off and walk away.
You know, families are joined just that way ‑‑ they are all on the face of that mountain, joined by an invisible bond, and when one falls, everybody on that rope is affected. Have you ever heard anyone say, "Well, it's my life‑‑I can do with it whatever I please!"? Don't you believe it for a minute. Everything that takes place in a family affects everybody else.
Exhibit A: Here's a man who is 40 years old. He suffers from the 3 B's ‑‑ balding, bulges and bifocals. He is having a mid‑life crisis. He's got an assistant who's a pretty blond, 27 years old and a divorcee who is lonely. John just takes her to lunch ‑‑ nothing happens. Just talk! Before he ever touches her physically, he's committed emotional infidelity. He's taken the intimacy which belongs to his wife and he's given it to someone else.
Exhibit B: A teen sacks groceries at the local supermarket and he's been saving some money. He wants to buy a car, but Dad says, "No way! You save that for college." He says, "Dad doesn't have any right to tell me what to do with my money. I earned it!" Hold on for a minute. If that kid is driving a car and it plows through a freeway fence and smashes into three other cars, who do they come after? Dad! Right?
Everything that takes place in a family affects everybody else. That's why you've got to respect and protect the fragile relationships of family living. We are all out there together on the face of that mountain called life, and when one thinks he can exert his independence and do his own thing, every one is affected. When one member of the family falls, we all go down together.
Have you ever asked yourself, "What is it that really binds us together?" A legal document? The fact that our last names are all the same? Or is the bond an invisible one which we find is woven with the strands of love, commitment, compassion, and care? Surely, it is all of that plus a great deal more.
Today's commentary is not a moral homily or an attempt by the program director to fill time in between songs or the news and what follows; it is a direct reminder that relationships bring commitment and responsibility, and to remind you that your family is important.
Whether you are a dad, a teen‑ager, a wife, or a single parent, you are part of a family, and it's the quality of the relationship in your family which determines the quality of family living. Think about it.
Resource reading: Psalm 103
https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/protecting-the-fragile-relationships-of-your-family/
ABS-CBN shares slowly recovering from 2020's losses
ABS-CBN Corp. shares have started regaining momentum following talks on the revival of its legislative franchise and its efforts to seek dominance anew in the Philippine entertainment industry, analysts said Thursday.
The media giant's shares have already made "much progress," Philstocks Financial Inc. senior research analyst Japhet Tantiangco told CNN Philippines despite the fact that its closing price on Thursday remained weaker before it went off the air in May 2020.
Shares in ABS-CBN finished at ₱14.08 apiece on Thursday, still below its May 5, 2020 price of ₱17.50. Its franchise, which should allow it to operate its broadcast and radio businesses, expired on May 4.
But Tantiangco said the share price today already surged by 108.28 percent from its lowest on Sept. 2, 2020 of ₱6.76.
"The climb is seen to be caused by ABS-CBN’s entry into other platforms for its shows," he said.
ABS-CBN has long been banking its strong presence in the digital space, be it on Facebook or YouTube. In October of last year, some of its shows went back on TV screens as it sealed a deal with A2Z (formerly Zoe Broadcasting Network), which subsequently became available on SkyCable and MVP Group's Cignal.
On Thursday, the firm announced its longest running musical variety show "ASAP Natin 'To" and the collection of classic films of Fernando Poe Jr. in "FPJ: Da King" would be seen on TV5 beginning Sunday, Jan. 24.
"And then there are the renewed calls in Congress to provide ABS-CBN a franchise again," Tantiangco said. "Bills have been filed already both in the House of Representatives and the Senate for the media company’s franchise."
"And this has raised hopes that ABS-CBN could get back on air again," he added.
Tantiangco's statement was mirrored by Jervin de Celis, a trader at Timson Securities, Inc., saying ABS-CBN got a boost from the franchise renewal push of Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
But de Celis said investors are still on the wait-and-see mode as the push remains uncertain.
"While this is good news for the company, we still have to wait if the renewal will really push through and I guess this is the reason why the stock price is moving sideways for the past few days because investors are probably waiting for any development regarding ABS CBN's franchise," de Celis said.
A total of 70 lawmakers killed the franchise renewal application of ABS-CBN in July 2020, causing a negative domino effect in the company's operations.
ABS-CBN, which has been on the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte's ire on claims that the broadcast network was biased, was forced to cease some of its business operations, and lay off thousands of workers.
The absence of advertising revenues it used to generate from its broadcasting and radio businesses also weighed down its financial performance in 2020.
https://cnnphilippines.com/business/2021/1/21/abs-cbn-shares-slowly-recovering-from-2020-losses.html
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
House approves creation of new legislative district in Caloocan City
The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that will create a new legislative district with the re-apportionment of the existing first district of Caloocan City under Rep. Dale “Along” Malapitan.
With 217 members voting in the affirmative and zero in the negative, House Bill No. 7700 was approved on final reading and sent to the Senate for approval.
Authored by Malapitan, the bill proposes to divide his congressional district into the First, Third and Fourth Legislative Districts of the city.
The second district under Rep. Edgar Erice retains its territorial jurisdiction.
Erice had opposed HB 7700 but failed to prevent its passage on Monday.
The House Committee on Local Government strongly endorsed plenary approval with its chairman, Tarlac Rep. Noel Villanueva even going to the extent of engaging Erice in a heated plenary debate to defend the panel’s decision.
Erice and Malapitan, son of incumbent Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan, are expected to square off for the mayoralty post when the incumbent mayor’s third and final term in office ends on June 30, 2022.
Villanueva said the bill seeks to divide the young Malapitan’s district in order to help guarantee development in far-flung barangays and extend government assistance to its residents.
“He possesses more knowledge than anybody else on the needs of his district,” Villanueva stated to the dismay of Erice.
Under the bill, the first district will be composed of the bigger portion of the original territory. Population in this area is estimated at less than 333,733 and will cover Barangays 1 to 4, 77 to 85 and 132 to 169.
With a population of just over 350,309, the third district will have Barangays 170 to 175 and 177 to 179; while the population of 401,781, the fourth district will have Barangays 176 and 180 to 188.
Villanueva said the bill is assured the support of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Caloocan and is backed by the Constitution and pertinent local government laws.
Rep. Malapitan noted that based on the latest census on population released by the Philippine Statistics Office, Caloocan City had 1,583,978 people in 2015, which is a “marked increase” from the 645,000 census result in 1986.
At least 75.34 percent or around 1,193,419 currently reside in the First District while at least 390,500 live in the Second District where Erice is congressman.
“Hence this proposed bill which seeks to re-apportion the 1st Legislative District of Caloocan City is designed to address this patent inequity of representation,” said Rep. Malapitan.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/20/house-approves-creation-of-new-legislative-district-in-caloocan-city/
Dare To Be A David
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 1 Samuel 17:50
"We took on Goliath!" advertises a small business whose product is overshadowed by a major manufacturer. The David versus Goliath syndrome means the little guy goes against the giant. There are times when the little guy goes against the big one and gets flattened like a steamroller does a stray cat. But what's the real story behind the confrontation of David with Goliath long ago?
To the west of Jerusalem lie the gentle rolling hills between the coastal area and the Jordan valley. On these, long ago, two armies were gathered who were bitter enemies. The Philistines, who were a fierce and savage people, wanted to drive out the Israelis. Instead of wasting a considerable number of men in battle, the Philistines sent out a giant of a man who would have made Magic Johnson look like a midget—well, almost a midget. Goliath never played basketball, but a slam-dunk for him would have been an underarm shot. According to the record he was at least nine feet tall.
If you know the story, you remember that a youth who had taken a break from taking care of his father's sheep, brought provisions to his brothers in the Israeli army. When David saw the giant and observed that the men who were defenders of Israel cowered in the safety of their camp, preferring the insults of the enemy to doing battle, he cried out, "Is there not a cause?" And David took the battle to the enemy and won!
Possibly there is a foolhardiness in youth who haven't learned that something cannot be accomplished, but perhaps there is great strength in not listening to the nay-sayers who want to tell you that something cannot be done. On a personal note, had I as a young man listened to the voices of those who told me that I could not broadcast, that there was no market for Guidelines, you would not be listening to or reading this commentary today.
David's remarkable feat was marked by four qualities, ones which we desperately need today: He was competent, he was courageous, he was committed, and he was confrontational. Focus on those four qualities.
Quality #1: Competence. Goliath wore heavy armor and carried a sword large enough to fell an oak tree in a single stroke, but David came against him on his own terms, exactly as he would face an animal who raided his father's flock. Simply put, he was his own man and refused to be like everyone else. For a weapon, David used a sling which held a stone or rock, and he hurled it with precise accuracy. Years of training helped, but David knew where his strength came from. "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD," he cried. Incompetence is never an asset which God reverses.
Quality #2: Courage. Others, no doubt, trusted the Lord but preferred to stay in the shade and pray. David had the intestinal fortitude to go for it. Real heroes are not individuals with superhuman courage but simply people who are confronted with a situation demanding action and then do what has to be done.
Quality #3: Commitment. This was not really his fight. He wasn't even a soldier, but his love for country and for God demanded he get into the battle. Edmund Burke once said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
Quality #4: Confrontation. Hand-to-hand combat was necessary. Going one-on-one with the enemy, whether he is a teacher who is off limits or a government official who is corrupt, is never pleasant; but apart from confrontation, evil is sure to triumph.
A final thought: David learned that one plus God is always a majority, no matter how big the enemy--something every generation must also learn.
Resource reading: 1 Samuel 17.
Makati Shangri-La closing operations
Makati Shangri-La, the Philippines foremost business hotel located at the heart of the Makati business district along Ayala Avenue, today announced the temporary closure of their 27-year operation due to uncertain business condition effective February 1, 2021.
“Despite our best efforts, the prolonged recovery timeline has resulted in increasing financial pressure on the company here in the Philippines,” said Makati Shangri-La in a statement.
“Owing to continued low business levels and having considered all viable options over weeks of consideration and deliberation, we unfortunately must now make the extremely difficult decision to reorganize our workforce and operations in the Philippines as we continue to navigate an uncertain business environment.”
It added that a number of their employees will be displaced as the hotel will temporarily close its operations.
Affected employees will be provided support through the transition, including providing a fair compensation package that is higher than local statutory guidelines and extending healthcare coverage and grocery support until December 31, 2021 to provide affected employees and their families peace of mind during these uncertain times. The hotel chain also vowed to providing colleagues with career transition assistance to help them get back on their feet.
The hotel said that that they have endured challenging times for the past 10 months to preserve as many jobs as possible, and provided assistance to its rank and file to get through the impact of the pandemic.
To mitigate the financial impact brought about by the pandemic, multiple cost management initiatives have been implemented including salary reductions at management level, implementing shorter work weeks, hiring freeze and cuts in non-essential spending.
The hotel cited its employees for taking tremendous pride in their work. “We greatly value their hard work, dedication, and contributions.”
“For close to 30 years, the Shangri-La Group has enjoyed strong support here in the Philippines. We are grateful for this and would like to assure everyone we remain deeply committed to our presence here in the market, and to the communities we are a part of. We continue to vigilantly monitor local and global developments and look forward to reopening of Makati Shangri-La, Manila at a later date when business conditions have improved,” the statement concluded.
In a phone interview hotel spokesperson Mica Cordero said that among the Shangri-La hotels in the Philippines, only Makati Shangri-La is closing operations. The luxury Shangri-La hotel chain brand operates five-star hotels At The Fort-Bonifacio Global City, EDSA, Mactan and Boracay.
“We will continue to closely monitor the business conditions both locally and globally and look to reopen Makati Shangri-La when business conditions improve,” said Cordero.
Cordero also said they could not disclose the number of affected colleagues out of respect to the colleagues concerned but assured that all employees are being assisted personally through this difficult transition.
There are a total of 696 rooms and suites in Makati Shangri-La Manila. During the hotel’s temporary closure period, it will retain a small core team to maintain and upkeep the hotel and its grounds.
Cordero said the Department of Tourism has been informed regarding the hotel’s chain’s reorganization efforts in the Philippines.
“While we have sadly decided to temporarily close Makati Shangri-La as part of our reorganization efforts in the Philippines, we remain deeply committed to this market having been present here for almost 30 years,” she said.
Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said he was saddened by the announcement by Shangri-La but expressed hope that the closure is just temporary. “Their brand and presence have been iconic in the industry. This just shows how bad the impact of pandemic is to their business and industry worldwide, that requires them to restructure globally their operations,” said Lopez.
Rumors of Shangri-La hotels closure surfaced in June last year amid strict lockdown protocols imposed by the Duterte administration.
The Shangri-La Hotel chain in the Philippines denied such rumor. At that time, Shangrila-La Makati told Manila Bulletin that they were operating according to the health and safety protocols of the government during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.
During the strict quarantine period, the hotel said were hosting overseas Filipino workers, embassy officials and their foreign nationals, and BPO personnel. Their kitchen was also open and they accepted delivery and take out.
Strategically located, Makati Shangri-La is within walking distance from some of the popular shopping malls in Manila, which include Glorietta, Greenbelt and SM Department Store.
This five-star luxury hotel in Makati is located just 20 minutes away from the airport and is a luxurious sanctuary for both business and leisure travellers. It has 696 hotel rooms and suites.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/20/makati-shangri-la-closing-operations-indefinitely/
Comelec to hold one-day Palawan division plebiscite in March
The plebiscite for the division of Palawan into three provinces will be held on a single day in March but with reduced precinct sizes to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez said Wednesday.
During a Senate hearing led by the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, Senator Imee Marcos asked if the plebiscite will be held in a two- to three-day period.
"Hindi po. 'Yung mismong election day starts at 7 in the morning and we will hold elections until 3 in the afternoon," Jimenez said in response to the senator.
"Ang adjustment natin sa Palawan, specifically, to increase the number of polling places and correspondingly lower the number of voters per polling place," he added.
Comelec has already expanded its timetable for the preparations and will start deploying personnel to Palawan as early as mid-February to adhere to some health and safety protocols.
"Middle of February a lot of our resources and personnel will be already on site kasi kailangan natin i-accomodate 'yung 14-day quarantine requirements," Jimenez said.
Personal protective equipment will also be included in the procurements of the poll body for this activity, according to the Comelec official.
"Itong buong proseso ng Palawan plebiscite was also planned out in coordination with the Department of Health and IATF," Jimenez said.
A previous resolution of the IATF in October has set a two-day voting schedule for this plebiscite.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11259 last April 2019, dividing Palawan into three provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.
The three provinces will be created upon approval by the majority of the votes cast by the voters of the affected areas in a plebiscite to be conducted and supervised by the Comelec.
Based on data from the Department of Health, there are 473 COVID-19 cases in Palawan as of January 19, of which 455 recovered and three died. Fifteen remain to be active cases. —KG, GMA News
PHILIPPINES: JOSEPH ESTRADA PROFILE
Manila/Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines - 19 January 2001/File
Manila, Philippines - January 19, 2001
1. Pan across chanting crowd
2. Various, people holding banners in crowd
3. People drumming and dancing
4. Close shot, anti-Estrada placard
5. Various, crowd chanting
6. SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Joseph Estrada, Philippine President
7. Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (in yellow) singing national anthem between Former President Fidel Ramos, and armed forces chief of staff General Angelo Reyes with Orlando Mercado, Estrada defense secretary (in black T-shirt)
8. Pan from Macapagal-Arroyo to Reyes
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Angelo Reyes, Armed forces chief of staff
10. People watching monitor with Estrada speaking
11. SOUNDBITE (Tagalog) Joseph Estrada, Philippine President
12. Tank and armoured car drive past
13. Tank drives toward palace
14. Armoured car reverses into position in front of palace gates
Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines - June 30, 1998
15. Various of Estrada taking presidential oath
Manila, Philippines - File
16. Vice President Estrada campaigning on train through slums
17. Estrada leaning out and touching hands
18. People waving from rail track
19. Still photos on Estrada's desk
20. Still of Estrada with Clinton
21. Still of Estrada with Pope John Paul II
Manila, Philippines - 12 October, 2000
22. President Estrada walking
23. Cutaway
24. Estrada during business conference
25. SOUNDBITE (Tagalog/English) Joseph Estrada, President of the Philippines
Malolos, Philippines - 30 June 1998
26. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo taking her oath as Vice President of the Philippines
Manila, Philippines - 12 October, 2000
27. Renato Corona holding Arroyo's resignation letter
28. Corona reading resignation letter of Arroyo
Manila, Philippines - August 29, 1999
29. Various of Estrada singing Kahit na Magtiis (Endure I Will)
30. Wife clapping from audience
31. Estrada walking offstage
Quezon City, Philippines - 18 October, 2000
32. Opposition Congressmen handing over impeachment case to Congress Secretary General
33. Congress Secretary General signing receipt of impeachment complaint
34. UPSOUND (English) Congressman Feliciano Belmonte
35. Various of protesters chanting and holding banners and streamers
Quezon City, Philippines - 4 November, 2000
36. Youths throwing eggs at dummy of Estrada
37. Various of protesters at rally
Manila, Philippines - 10 November, 2000
38. Estrada news conference
39. SOUNDBITE Estrada
Quezon City, Philippines - 13 November, 2000
40. Various of cheering in Congress Hall
Pasay and Quezon City, Philippines - 16 January
41. Senate session hall as senators get ready to cast votes
42. Side shot of same
43. UPSOUND (English) Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Presiding Officer of Impeachment hearings
44. Senators leave senate hall
45. Senator Loren Legarda hugs Pimentel as she cries
46. Protesters in cars go past, shouting "Erap Resign!"
47. Woman giving thumbs down to camera
48. Man waving flag in the air
49. Large university poster reading "Erap Resign"
Quezon City, Philippines - January 16
50. Candlelight protest at Edsa, the sight where people gathered in 1986 to oust the then president Marcos
51. Protesters chanting "Erap resign!"