Photo exhibit in Cebu depicts China-PH friendship, cooperative achievements through the years

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – To celebrate the 73rd founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Embassy in Manila and the Consulate General in Cebu hold a photo exhibition at the Atrium of the SM-City Mall in Cebu from September 26 to October 1, depicting the mutually beneficial friendship between China and the Philippines through the years.

“The Photo Exhibition shows you the wonderful moments of China and the Philippines’ mutually-beneficial relationship. Among the areas of cooperation are economy and trade, as well as pandemic and disaster-relief response, which manifest the strong and deep friendship between our two countries,” Consul General Jai Li of the Cebu Consulate Office said in his message during the opening of the photo exhibit on Monday, September 26.

Li added that in recent years, the two countries have maintained a good relationship with excellent results, working hand in hand for the common development of both countries. At the outbreak of the pandemic, China was the first country to provide vaccines to the Philippines.

China’s sister provinces and cities also donated a considerable number of face masks, protective clothing and other pandemic-related materials, Li continued adding that after typhoon “Odette” last year, China donated 2.1 million kilograms of rice to the Visayas, benefitting about 400,000 families.

The “Photo Exhibition on the Achievements of China-Philippines Cooperation” showcases a number of select pictures to highlight the most significant moments of high-level exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, anti-pandemic cooperation and military exchanges between the two countries, vividly showing the millennium friendship of China and PH as good neighbors, good relatives and good partners, and looking forward to a brighter future of the China-PH relationship.

Li said that China and the Philippines’ bilateral relations stand at a new starting point. China is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines to advance development on agriculture, infrastructure, energy, education and tourism.

“I believe that through our common efforts, the friendship and cooperation between our two countries will move forward to greater heights. China is the Philippines’ good neighbor, good partner, and good friend,” Li added.

The photo exhibit also showed some of the pictures of the two countries’ highest leaders exchanging and developing bilateral relations with the present administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Cebu City mayor, Mike Rama and vice-mayor Raymond Garcia, in their respective messages lauded the mounting of the photo exhibit as a testimony of the long-lasting friendship between the two countries.  Both officials said, Cebu City looks forward to more economic cooperation and high-level exchanges with China in the future.

The Consul General of Korea Song Sewon, Consul General of Japan Yamaji Hideki, Cebu City officials led by mayor Mike Rama and Vice Mayor of Cebu City Raymond Alvin Garcia; Congresswoman of Lapulapu City Cindi Chan; Vice Mayor of Mandaue City Glenn Bercide and Marissa Fernan, Vice President of SM Prime Holdings graced the photo exhibit opening on September 26 with some members of Cebu media, bloggers and social media influencers in attendance.

DATCHE launches online ordering solution in WOFEX Manila

MANILA--With the F&B industry bouncing back already, DATCHE launched its online ordering solution at the World Food Expo (WOFEX) Manila held last August 3-6, 2022 at SMX Convention Center and World Trade Center in Pasay, Metro Manila.

"DATCHE eStore is our newest F&B solution that can provide restaurants, hotels, resorts and other food businesses an online ordering system through their very own branded mobile application. It can help businesses save on merchant fees, improve customer engagement and loyalty for the long-term, and ultimately increase bottom-line," said Johny Benjamin, Manila Branch Manager. 

WOFEX is dubbed as "The Ultimate Food Show Experience" with over 150 exhibitors and thousands of visitors, so it was best to introduce DATCHE eStore there, shared Benjamin.

Aside from the online ordering system, DATCHE eStore also features loyalty and rewards and precision marketing modules. DATCHE eStore is powered by Skoop! a mobile-driven marketing solutions provider from the United States.

Benjamin added, “After the pandemic hit, we see that many businesses have become more aggressive in improving their business operations through automation. DATCHE eStore was released in Cebu earlier this year also in a WOFEX show and has been well received by the local F&B industry."

As an introductory promo, first five sign-ups during WOFEX Manila received waived set-up fee and discounted monthly subscription fees with total savings of P53,000.

To avail the promo or to schedule a product demo, call 0923 469 6118 (Manila) / 0917 325 6453 (Cebu) or email inquiry@datchephils.com.

 

 

Tour de Cebu is back, 40 vintage sports cars joining the rally on Sept. 29-Oct. 2

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – Tour de Cebu (TDC), the country’s only 1000 km. touristic and historic rally is back on the road across the Visayas for its 7^th year, flagging from Cebu City to Bohol Province with some 40 vintage sports cars joining the rally on September 29 to October 2, this year.

“We are very happy to bring Tour de Cebu back after a hiatus of two years. This is seven years in the making and most of these participating cars are 50-60 years old.  We will start via the CCLEX drive by, depart Cebu for Bohol by RORO and the official flag-off is in Bohol for the 1000 km. rally in three days,” Michael Lhuillier, one of the founding members of Tour de Cebu said in a press briefing recently.

Lhuiller shared that the event is managed and organized by Tradeshow International, Inc. (TSI) and it is open to sports cars manufactured in 1972 and older.  TDC is presented once more by the Performance and Classics Enthusiasts (PACE) of Cebu with the support of the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC).

PACE Founding Members, Michael Lhuillier, Jay Aldeguer and Kenneth Cobonpue are themselves motorsports enthusiasts, owners of some of the most expensive sports cars and are very passionate in refurbishing and taking care of their cars as all of them are.

Cobonpue said that this year, there are two ladies’ team from Manila joining Tour de Cebu.  “We would like to bring Cebu as a world class tour that is one of its kind and the TDC not only as a motorsport but a lifestyle and a rolling museum of vintage cars; man, and machine, you and the road must be an experience with TDC,” Cobonpue added.

Tour De Cebu was originally conceptualized as a celebration of a decade of friendships formed and shaped by the open road, but has blossomed into a major driver for road tourism, highlighting the beautiful roads and highways as well areas briefings the many scenic spots that the Visayan islands have to offer, according to Cobonpue.

TDC has captured the imagination of many classic car enthusiasts and fans and it was awarded the 2019 Sports Tourism Adventure Event of the Year by the Sports Tourism Awards Group in recognition of all the efforts of the sponsors and participants, the organizers said. 

According to Chris Tio, TDC Grand Marshall that the tour is inspired by the famed Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy and is a time management race that puts priority on accuracy and being “on time all the time.”

Tio bared that TDC follows the “Regularity Rally” or the time-speed-distance (TSD), a type of motorsport rally with the object of driving each segment of a course in a specified time at a specified average speed, usually conducted on public roads, sometimes include off-road and track sections.

Contestants usually compete in teams composed of an amateur driver and navigator and teams usually start a regularity rally at fixed intervals, creating a field that is spread along the course, as Wikipedia explains it.

 Highlights and itinerary of Tour De Cebu 2022

According to Tio, this year’s Tour De Cebu has a couple of special cars, newly refurbished vintage cars, sometimes there are many surprises along the route including the rain and the routes itself, these are the things the participants look forward to.

“Tour De Cebu is forming memories, it is a family, the regularity rally gives them the average time to reach every destination or check points and they are bonded for life with this sports car event.  What you put out, what you see is what you get and we are expecting some 40 to 44 or maximum 50 cars joining the rally,” Tio revealed.

TDC 2022 will also give the Roberto Aboitiz AWARDS, the most prestigious awards to cars with most repair and most raced.  This year has special classes and passes too supported by the oldest Manila Sportscar Club.

Tour De Cebu’s general itinerary begins on September 29 with the welcome event, drivers’ briefing and public viewing and photo shoots of cars at the NuStar Resort & Casino Canopy at 1:00 p.m.

On September 30, all participating cars gather at NuStar Resort for the ceremonial flag-off, CCLEX drive by and departure from Cebu for Bohol by RORO and official flag-off is in Bohol at Tubigon Port and a welcome ceremony at BE Resort, its official hotel in Bohol.

On October 1 is the second leg of the rally and fellowship dinner at BE Resort and by October 2 comes the last leg of the rally and departure from Bohol to Cebu via RORO and on October 3 will be awards and breakfast at NuStar Resort & Casino.

Some of this year’s entries which make #TourDeCebu a touristic rally and a rolling museum at the same time are: 1979 Opel GT, 1957 MGA, 1972 Porsche 914, 1868 Alfa Romeo Giulia, 1965 Porsche 912, 1970 Lancia Fulvia Zagato, 1968 Mercedes Benz 280 SL, 1960 Porsche 356B Cabriolet, 1974 MGB, 1961 Jaguar XKE, 1972 Datsun 240Z, 1968 Porsche Targa, 1963 Corvette, 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1966 Toyota Sports 800, 1966 Shelby Mustang, 1971 Lotus Europa, Michel Speedster, Michel Spyder, Kougar Jaguar, 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, 1969 BMW 2002. 

                                         (Photos: MBCNewman/TDC Facebook)

 

 

PLDT, Global IT players wind up ACC 2022, look at insights in post-pandemic world

CEBU CITY – The Asian Carriers Conference (ACC) 2022 held in Boracay on September 17-23 wound up Friday with well-known futurist and CEO of Tomorrow, Mike Walsh as the keynote speaker that brought to the table discussions and looked at key insights and fresh perspectives of how businesses can unleash their potentials in a post-pandemic world.

Walsh talked about the “Metaverse as the next Universe” and how to uncover key insights and takeaways in the post-pandemic world; how to break down the essentials of how to integrate the Metaverse into business and providing the metaverse new decision-making toolkit.

PLDT and the organizers said, the ACC is the most awaited and sought-after telecommunications conference in Asia where top telecom and ICT professionals in the region come together to network, learn, and build stronger business partnerships to push innovation in the Asian telecommunications industry.

ACC 2022 welcomed over 600 delegates from various global companies on location, community of telecom operators, mobile service providers, and other tech companies to build stronger partnerships and push innovations in the regional telecoms industry.

The ACC made its comeback after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, debuting this year in the world-renowned beaches of Boracay, in Aklan, Philippines.

“Thank you to the event organizers, to PLDT and to our partners for bringing the ACC to the island – I am very grateful as it will help revive the economy in the island especially in our tourism industry. I hope there will be fruitful business transactions that will be consummated today and we hope you all have an enjoyable stay and vacation,” Malay, Aklan Mayor Frolibar Bautista said during the opening ceremonies.

Through the years, ACC has attracted 1,500+ delegates from 60+ countries with about 60 percent of attendees being senior decision-makers. Over 4000+ companies have attended ACC including wholesale and fixed mobile carriers, network and infrastructure providers, applications and service developers, cloud and data centers, equipment manufacturers, OTT and content distributors, PLDT bared in a media release, Friday.

Notable ACC delegates included officials from China Mobile International Regional Head of APAC Merrick Wang; FiberHome Marketing Director Spark Zhang, Huawei CTO and IT Director Arnie Alvare; Malay, Aklan Mayor Frolibar Bautista; PLDT Global President and CEO Albert Villa-Real, PLDT-Smart FVP and head of Enterprise Group Jojo Gendrano, and PCCW Global VP Mobility & Voice Services Yogesh Lulla.

ACC’s 5-day conference featured thought-leadership discussions and workshops, a unique combination of exhibits, networking opportunities, and entertaining social events to cap off every night with a bang!

According to the organizers, ACC 2022 was where innovation meets opportunity. It was the space where industry leaders learn to adapt to new trends, collaborate with top industry minds, and conquer new heights.

It was also the avenue to collaborate with professionals from top organizations in the telecoms and ICT industries; work together and build new business opportunities; meet with like-minded peers to develop new ideas and applications to drive the telecom industry forward.

From plenary keynotes, lunch symposia, workshops, and networking events, ACC 2022 pushed to discover the latest industry trends and innovations to power the most critical workloads.  The conference also listened to respected industry thought leaders and understand how they work and think to gain more valuable knowledge to help organizations move faster and reach further, the organizers said in its ACC 2022 Facebook posts. (Photos: PLDT/ACC 2022 FB)

 

Converge CEO pushes his FiberXers team ‘to compete to win’

CEBU CITY -- Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy has made the goal clear from the start: “We are here to compete to win” for the company’s FiberXers team that showcased its undying grit and a fighting spirit during its debut in the 48th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

“Converge is now present nationwide, and our goal is to become a household name. As we provide our consumers with top-notch broadband connectivity, we also want to showcase how much we value sportsmanship and competitiveness, and joining the PBA gives us the ability to do just that – to show off our brand,” Uy vouched for the team’s new brand of play this coming 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

As the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup takes off this week, the Converge FiberXers are more than ready to step up their game and make a starling comeback.  In its off-season preparations, the FiberXers have gone all out in shaping up and training to reach even greater heights this time around.

The team has since made significant additions and changes in its coaching staff and team lineup, and the CEO shares that he is excited to see how it all manifests on court.  With their eyes locked in on the prize, the Converge FiberXers exceeded expectations and concluded their very first conference by impressively landing a spot in the playoffs in the 2022 Philippine Cup.

The young team has stayed true to Uy’s vision in embodying the same drive and passion that has likewise turned the young company to one of the top players in the telecommunications industry.

“Right now, our team’s chemistry is looking good,” said Uy. Coach Aldin really is a tough coach. He is very detailed, and I trust in his system. The boys have been training hard nearly every day. Nakita ko 'yung training nila, may sistema yung pag-training. From shooting to building up the strength of the players, I see it all, and I think this is going to be a very exciting season for us,” Uy added.

He noted that he intended to look for a coach whose training veered away from the traditional and could instead align with the players in bringing out the best of their youth. This upcoming conference, the FiberXers intend to show a new brand of basketball: faster, tougher and more exciting.

Uy believed the team’s capability to reach the top for the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup and “Yung mag-champion na ganun does not happen overnight,” he added but with top notch training, the right formula, the right chemistry, and if they continue to play at the speed they’ve been practicing,  he is excited to see them having an even better competition this coming season.

The CEO shares that as long as time allows, he will continue to watch the games and give his full support to the Converge FiberXers in their second conference.

With the rigorous training of new Head Coach Aldin Ayo and the additions to Converge’s talented lineup of young players such as Aljun Melecio and first-time import and former NBA player Quincy Miller, the FiberXers continue to shape up and work hard as they enter the Commissioner's Cup in their first game against Terrafirma Dyip on Friday, September 23 at 3:00 p.m. in the Philsports Arena. (Photos: Converge FB)

Embraer, GMV from Portugal sign MoU for tech dev't

LISBON, Portugal -– Embraer and GMV from Portugal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 22 for a cooperation in the field of systems development and integration for defense products and services, mainly regarding the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft program.

The MoU also includes a potential joint research, technology development, and innovation process, intending to extend and increase long-term business relations between the companies during the concept, design, development, production, and support phases.

New businesses, development and integration of navigation systems, Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) development, and software development are also under discussion between the two companies, which intend to exchange and disclose certain information regarding their experiences, capabilities, products, systems, and services. In the specific area of R&D focused on IMA, the relationship has been ongoing for more than 15 years, including projects under the scope of the European Union’s research framework.

Embraer has a long-term strategic commitment with Portugal in the development of its aerospace and defense ecosystem. It remains the country where the company continues its most significant industrial capacity investment outside of Brazil.

The most recent example has been an investment of 74 million euros in OGMA S.A., allowing the company to become certified for the maintenance of Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines used by the new generation of commercial aircraft.

This agreement will create 300 jobs and could triple the annual turnover of OGMA to 600 million euros. It also reflects Embraer’s interest in expanding the scope of its activities in Portugal thus, adding value to the country’s economy.

In line with this strategy, several initiatives were put in place earlier in the year, including the signing of MOU with idD Portugal Defense and ETI for cooperation in technology development in the respective areas of expertise.

With the projects under development, Embraer will work with its partners to address strategic priorities of Portugal in Defense, including advanced training, development of dual-use technologies and digitization transformation.

Meanwhile, Embraer's C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft unveiled at the NATO Days event, September 17 to 18 in Ostrava, Czech Republic with also the disclosure of Embraer’s complete portfolio for the defense and security markets with innovative products and solutions that are present in more than 60 countries.

Recently, Embraer successfully completed flight testing of the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS II) certification campaign, which provides the C-390 Millennium with the required capability to perform firefighting missions.

According to Embraer, the C-390 Millennium and its aerial refueling configuration, the KC-390, are the new generation of multi-mission military transport delivering unrivaled mobility and cargo capacity, rapid reconfiguration, high availability, enhanced comfort, as well as optimal management of reduced operational costs throughout its lifecycle, all on a single platform.

Since the first delivery to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the KC-390 Millennium has proven its capability, reliability, and performance. FAB's current fleet of KC-390 stands at five units.

The fleet has already exceeded 6,800 flight hours in operation with a 99 percent mission completion rate and more than 80 percent of operational availability, demonstrating excellent availability and productivity in its category.

In June 2022, the Netherlands Ministry of Defense announced the selection of the C-390 Millennium to replace the current fleet of C-130 Hercules. The Netherlands, which will have a fleet of five C-390s, highlighted the aircraft’s performance and operational output in the selection.

The Portuguese Armed Forces and the Hungarian Defense Forces will begin operations with the KC-390 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The two countries' fleets will be capable of performing aerial refueling and be fully NATO compatible, not only in terms of hardware, but also in avionics and communications.

The Hungarian Defense Forces fleet will be the first in the world to have the Intensive Care Unit configuration, an essential feature for carrying out humanitarian missions.

Embraer is global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. (Photos: Embraer/Google Images)