Cathay Pacific to give away 80,000 air tickets in SEA for “Hello Hongkong” campaign

PHILIPPINES – Cathay Pacific is offering 80,000 round-trip air tickets to Hong Kong for residents across Southeast Asia and 20,400 of these are tickets for residents of the Philippines, as part of the “World of Winners” campaign sponsored by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) that is giving away 500,000 free tickets to global visitors.

According to AAHK that the initiative is in support of Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB’s) "Hello Hong Kong" campaign to welcome tourists back to the city, now that travel restrictions have been lifted.  

In Southeast Asia, the campaign will be launched in phases, beginning first with Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines on March 1, 2 and 3 respectively; and then Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia in stages two weeks later. 

The “Hello Hong Kong” promotional campaign is being rolled out worldwide to send the positive message that Hong Kong is back with signature and new exciting experiences awaiting visitors. An array of enticing welcoming offers from over 16,000 outlets across the city have been put together by the HKTB and the tourism and hospitality sectors to welcome back visitors.  

Among which, at the initial stage, at least 1 million “Hong Kong Goodies” visitor consumption vouchers will be given out, covering a complimentary welcome drink at participating bars, restaurants, and hotels, or a cash voucher to be redeemed in the transportation, culinary and retail sectors, as well as attractions.

 “World of Winners” Ticket Offers

To join the campaign, participants must be a Cathay member. They may sign up for a free membership on Cathay Pacific’s website.  The campaign will run from March 3, 2023 at 12:00 local Time to March 9, 2023 at 23:59 local Time. During this period, members must visit the campaign website, sign in using their Cathay membership details and answer three questions correctly. The prize will be awarded to the first 20,400 entrants with correct answers. 

Each member may submit one entry only. The winners will be announced on the campaign website on March 21, 2023, and they will also receive an email with details on how to redeem their prize.  A summary of key dates is highlighted below: 

Phase 1: Thailand, Singapore and Philippines Campaign start date March 1 at 12:00 local time; March 2 at 12:00 local time; March 3 at 12:00 local time.  Winners announcement will be on March 17, 20 and 21.

Phase 2: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia campaign start on March 15 at 12:00 local time; March 16 at 12:00 local time; March 17 at 12:00 local time; March 18 at 12:00 local time and winner announcement is on March 31, April 3, 4 and 5, 2023.

"As Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong emerge from the past three challenging years and markets begin to recover, we are excited to be rebuilding both our Company and our home hub. As a leading airline in the region, we are proud to be part of this campaign to promote Hong Kong in Southeast Asia, and we hope our customers experience all the rich offerings that Hong Kong has to offer the moment they board our flights," Dominic Perret, Cathay Pacific’s Regional General Manager for Southeast Asia said.

Raymond Chan, Regional Director, Southeast Asia of Hong Kong Tourism Board said, the Hong Kong Tourism Board is prepared to welcome visitors from Southeast Asia once again with great pleasure.  Hong Kong is extending its warmest welcome along with a variety of attractive offers through the launch of a global integrated campaign-Hello Hong Kong.

“I am confident that visitors will enjoy a unique and unforgettable travel experience when they return to this vibrant city with Hong Kong’s diverse culture and immersive tourism offerings,” Chan added.

Vivian Cheung, Chief Operation Officer of AAHK on the other hand said, As part of the relief package for Hong Kong’s aviation industry during the pandemic, AAHK provided liquidity support to the home-based carriers in 2020 by sponsoring air tickets in advance. The air tickets will be used to promote traffic recovery when the pandemic subsides.

“Hong Kong has opened up and we are eager to welcome visitors from different parts of the world. Various new services and facilities are ready at HKIA and we are looking forward to providing passengers a brand-new airport experience,” Cheung said.

 For more information on the “World of Winners” Ticket Offers campaign, please visit https://flights.cathaypacific.com/en_PH/offers/world-of-winners.html. (Photos: Cathay Pacific/Google Images)

NGCP may resort to power rationing due to damaged underground line, repairs ongoing

CEBU CITY – The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) may resort to power rationing in Cebu if the demand for power exceeds the remaining transmitting capacity of the Cebu-Mandaue 138KV lines 1 and 2 as NGCP continues to repair Line 2 of its Cebu-Mandaue 138-kiloVolt (kV) underground power line that was damaged during excavation activities by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Barangay  Umapad, Mandaue City on 21 January 2023.

Foreign experts are joining the NGCP team to examine the damage and determine the timeline for repairs.  Initial estimates by the technical teams, project a May 2023 completion for the repairs. NGCP will provide updates for any significant development.

NGCP media release said that the incident triggered the line tripping at 10:00AM on the same date which forced NGCP to temporarily divert a maximum of 180MW of the affected loads to the remaining Line 1 to restore transmission services to parts of the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) and Mactan Electric Company (MECO) franchise areas.

The requirements of VECO and MECO are still being served through the remaining line. Given the limitations caused by the damage, NGCP said it might resort to power rationing.  Prior to the incident, the Cebu-Mandaue 138kV lines 1 and 2 transmitted 274MW to the two distribution utilities.

“We are coordinating with the DPWH on resolving this and other similar incidents, and preventing further occurrences. NGCP is currently assessing the exact nature and extent of the damage as this information is crucial in the repair of the said line. The availability of equipment, parts and technical experts are also limiting factors. Nevertheless, we are fast tracking restoration of the damaged line,” NGCP stated.

The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) meanwhile, is in-charge of the rates and cost recovery mechanisms regarding the additional costs incurred by the distribution utilities due to the damaged underground line. (Photos: NGCP FB)

 

 

DSWD to register 90,242 new 4Ps beneficiaries in Central Visayas soon

CEBU CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Field Office VII targets to register 90,242 new beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Central Visayas.

These are the replacements for those beneficiaries who graduated or exited from the program that are already at the self-sufficient level; 4Ps households with children who have finished their senior high school studies and have no monitored eligible children.

Cebu province has the highest number of new beneficiaries with 40,817; Negros Oriental with 31,625; Bohol with 16,971 and Siquijor with 829.  There are currently 288,841 4Ps households in the Central Visayas region. The posting of the master list of potential 4Ps beneficiaries begins in February and the lists are posted in the halls of barangays, cities and towns.

“We encourage the public to help us validate the master list to ensure that only eligible and deserving households become part of the program. After we post the master list in each area, the validation process will follow, which will be done through a community assembly or a house-to-house visit by our 4Ps staff,” DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said.

The potential 4Ps households are required to submit the marriage certificate, birth certificate, school enrollment certificate, health enrollment certificate, valid identification card (ID), or other alternate documents as part of the supporting documents during the registration.

The assigned 4Ps City and Municipal Links (C/MLs) will announce the registration schedule and the venue per barangay.  During the DSWD-7 staff orientation on the process of the registration of new 4Ps beneficiaries on January 31, 2023, held at the DSWD Field Office VII, Director Lucero emphasized the importance of teamwork in order to accomplish the task successfully.

“We will be registering a large number of beneficiaries in 4Ps, and this entails good planning and strategy to deliver the task ahead. We also need to have proper coordination with the local government units (LGUs) to ensure an orderly and organized registration of 4Ps households,” Lucero said 

She added that the agency will install a grievance help desk during the 4Ps registration to receive complaints from the potential beneficiaries and the public.

The DSWD implemented the program nationwide, covering 4.4 million households. It continues to reach more poor households by replacing those who exited the program. The 4Ps National Advisory Council (NAC) passed Resolution No. 43, institutionalizing the replacement policy of 4Ps households by those not yet covered by the program. (Photos: DSWD7-FB)

 

PLDT-Smart boosts connectivity at CCLEX Tropical Food Park

CORDOVA, Cebu -- PLDT Inc.’s wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has set up a femtocell at CCLEX’s food park to boost its internet connectivity to create and improve diners and customers overall experience at the roadside tropical food park.

Marylou Gocotano, PLDT and Smart Stakeholder Management Visayas Relations Head said, the femtocell at the CCLEX Tropical Food Park enables cashless transactions between merchants and buyers and to quickly spread the word about the opening of the food park for more people to come and feast at the newly established roadside food haven. 

“We would like to congratulate the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) for their initiative of providing a space that maximizes livelihood opportunities for food merchants, and for also creating a new place where locals and tourists can eat and enjoy a spectacular view of the CCLEX. Smart gives its all-out support to ensure we propagate the good news to everyone through our reliable connectivity,” Gocotano added.

The temporary food park is expected to run for six months while waiting for the CCLEC to complete the construction of a permanent “drive and dine” facility at the CCLEX area.

During the opening of the food park, CCLEC Vice President Herbert Laboy said that this initiative signals future developments for CCLEX all geared towards providing better services and new facilities to CCLEX road users. (Photos: PLDT/Smart)

 

 

 

 

 

MCIA wins ‘Routes Asia 2023 Marketing Award

CEBU CITY -- Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) bested more than 200 airports in Asia Pacific for Under 5 Million Passenger Category when it bagged the “Routes Asia 2023 Marketing Award” for Under 5 Million Passenger Category in Chiang Mai, Thailand held February 15, 2023.

The Routes Asia 2023 Marketing Award recognizes the remarkable efforts of airports, airlines, and destinations during their 2022 streak as they carry out their recovery strategies for 2023.

“This recognition attests to our strong commitment to resume our pre-pandemic connectivity while we carry out our strategies in both airline and destination marketing. We also recognize the substantial contribution of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), our airline partners and other airport stakeholders that help sustain the demand and traffic for air connectivity in Cebu,” GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC) Director, Rafael Aboitiz said.

The addition of new airline partners and new destinations in 2022 significantly boosted the pre-pandemic traffic in Cebu, with domestic topping more than 80 percent of its pre-pandemic levels while international traffic also now kicking in as more countries ease restrictions.

“This is the perfect example of a successful public-private partnership between the MCIAA and GMCAC complemented by the strong leadership and direction of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, along with the exemplary work of our Department of Tourism headed by Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco, and great support from the Department of Transportation headed by Sec. Jaime J. Bautista. Congratulations Cebu! Proud of our airport! This is just the beginning. Let us keep it up!” MCIAA General Manager and CEO, Julius Neri, Jr. said.

Starlux recently joined the MCIA fleet in January 2023, stacking 10 international destinations and 26 domestic destinations, with 14 foreign and 4 Philippine-based airline partners. (PR/Photos: MCIA-FB)

mWell drives digital healthcare, supports GoDigital Pilipinas

MANILA -- Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s (MPIC) mWell drives digital healthcare in the country as it fully supported the government’s “GoDigitalPilipinas” (GDP) movement as the only healthcare app among the convener organizations and supporting companies in the GDP.

Chaye Cabal-Revilla, MPIC Chief Finance, Risk and Sustainability Officer and mWell CEO represented mWell in the GDP launch during the National Economic and Development Authority 2023-2028 Forum at the PICC convened by The Private Sector Advisory Council Digital Infrastructure (PSAC-DI).

“As the country’s healthcare mega app, mWell is honored to be part of GoDigital Pilipinas.              We shall collaborate with GDP to increase awareness and widen access to digital healthcare, especially for those in far-flung areas. Our innovative digital solutions are designed to respond to our countrymen’s needs, ensuring good health for economic productivity and nation-building.  We shall continue to bring healthcare closer to more Filipinos here and abroad through a fully integrated, sustainable and future-proof digital platform,” Cabal-Revilla said.

Since its launch, mWell has been harnessing the power of technology to provide access to quality digital healthcare in a country with an average 3.7 doctors per 10,000 population-- way below the World Health Organization-prescribed ratio of 10 per 10,000. It helps address the shortage of healthcare facilities and personnel in rural areas. Underprivileged sectors, including Indigenous Peoples (IP) in remote, mountainous areas who need to travel for a day to see a doctor are now able to consult using the mWell app.

"Working together, the public and private sectors will ensure that every Filipino has the tools and skills to thrive in our revitalized society,” Henry Aguda, PSAC Digital Infrastructure Sector Lead and Union Digital President and Chief Executive Officer said.

Aguda said the PSAC is grateful to have digital healthcare pacesetter mWell as one of the two GoDigital Pilipinas conveners from the MVP Group, alongside Gabay Guro. The Private Sector Advisory Council Digital Infrastructure (PSAC) is ready to support the nation’s development blueprint and digitalization agenda through the GoDigital Pilipinas (GDP) movement.

 mWell’s fully digital consultation journey

mWell provides a seamless end-to-end journey for patients-- from booking a video consult or seeing a doctor 24/7 with only three minutes of waiting time, paying for the consultation and even having their medicines delivered to their doorsteps. 

Free e-prescription, e-medical certificate and lab referral are loaded into the app after consultation. To empower users to keep track of their own personal health record, mWell was the first to provide a digital medical ID. Found on their mWell app, this allows patients to easily access their records stored in mWell’s secure platform.

mWell has over 500 Primary Care and Specialized partner doctors including Cardiologists, Dermatologists, Endocrinologists, Pediatricians, Neurologists, OB-GYNs, and Ophthalmologists available for online consultation 24/7. Mind health experts are also just a tap away.

Both a digital health service and an advocacy, launched the biggest nationwide digital medical mission where Filipinos can consult for free with hundreds of volunteer doctors and mind health experts during the mWellness Day.

mWell OnTheGo, are deployed portable mobile digital clinic for remote communities with each bag filled with foldable solar panels, a power station, and Smart pocket wifi, tablet/mobile phone preloaded with the mWell PH app containing a health passcode for online consultation is used to help bedridden patients and those living in areas without electricity.

Through the app, 10 million migrant workers conveniently speak with Filipino doctors wherever they may be. They can also send their families the Healthsavers Plan—an affordable health pass with online consultation and accident insurance. Available for all app users, the Healthsavers Plan is ideal for sending the gift of health to friends and loved ones.

mWell has also partnered with global companies in digitalizing various patient care needs. To fortify its holistic approach to digital healthcare, mWell is working with global players in healthcare, wellness, technology, and research to promote far-reaching innovation centered solutions with its new Cancer Care Management initiative.

 Digitalizing healthcare for Local Government Units (LGUs)

mWell has made significant inroads in digitalizing LGUs including Bacoor, Quezon City and Bataan. Through mWell’s high-performing platform, LGUs were able to allow their constituents to consult online with Primary Care doctors, specialists, and mind health experts.

mWell, an accredited telemedicine partner of the Department of Health, empowers LGUs to go fully digital in delivering better healthcare to their constituents in support of the Universal Health Care (UHC). The UHC seeks to provide every Filipino with the highest possible quality of health care that is accessible, efficient, and equitably distributed.

With the health and wellbeing of Filipinos in mind, mWell promotes preventive healthcare. It has mWellness Score developed by data scientists, which measures physical health based on daily activities – exercise, light activity, steps, sleep.  This serves as a guide to achieving a healthy physical lifestyle for long-term health.

 mWell has also designed Wellness Wearables to democratize proactive healthcare and empower more Filipinos by making smart watches more affordable especially in regional areas. The wrist gadgets will allow anyone to easily track steps, physical activity, and sleep time through the mWellness Score on their watch.

Specialized fitness programs, including diabetes prevention and post-partum exercise designed to assist new moms to get back in shape safely and healthily are also found on the app.   Calorie-controlled recipes created by nutritionists are also easily accessible.

 Fully loaded mobile app for doctors

mWell provides innovative healthcare solutions not only for mWell app users but for partner-doctors as well. It empowers partner-doctors to go fully digital with the new mWellMD-- an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and clinic management system on mobile, designed by doctors, for doctors.

Recognizing their fast-paced lifestyle, mWellMD enables doctors to attend to patients on their mobile phone, wherever they may be, 24/7. Built with the doctor experience in mind, it provides a seamless experience from sign-up to consultation. Doctors were engaged to create the platform, test the system to make sure that the whole application is intuitive and user-friendly.

mWell by Metro Pacific Health Tech Corporation (MPHTC) has recently signed a Collaboration Agreement with Metro Pacific Health (MPH) to provide a digital front door to MPH’s network of integrated healthcare services delivered by its hospitals and other fulfillment centers.

MPH, the largest integrated healthcare network in the Philippines, shall roll out virtual care and online consultations via its digital platform mWell MPH allowing patients to access the outpatient services of MPH's nationwide network of 19 hospitals, 22 outpatient care centers (OCC), and its roster of thousands of doctors accredited within the MPH network.

 GoDigital Conveners from the MVP group

As part of the MPIC Group, GDP convener mWell is committed to working towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. It also supports the MVP Group’s “Gabay Kalusugan’ advocacy focusing on quality and affordable healthcare.

Gabay Guro’, another MVP Group advocacy is also among the convener organizations of GDP. Utilizing the power of digital technology, Gabay Guro provides programs designed to hone and improve the welfare of teachers nationwide.

The group created the first digital learning app for teachers and learners in collaboration with DepEd and other partners including Microsoft, LinkedIn, FrontLearners, PayMaya, PLDT/Smart. The Gabay Guro app which represents the digital innovation pillar of Gabay Guro, helps teachers through the integration of e-learning contents, and interactive resources. (Photos: mWell FB/Google Images)

 

Senator Marcos pushes to revive self-reliant defense program for PH

CEBU CITY –Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is pushing for the revival of the country’s self-reliant defense program as counterbalance to foreign military dependence after she had consultations with the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga Sibugay over the weekend.

Marcos’ initiative comes as the Philippine government prepares four new sites for U.S. military access in the country and an agreement for stronger defense cooperation with Japan. 

She said that the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program initiated in 1974 by her father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., must be revived to “scale down our dependence on foreign goodwill in the sticky web of geopolitics.”

“Thailand now customizes rifles that are slimmer and lighter for its soldiers, while Vietnam can now manufacture anti-surface warfare missiles. How far have we gone?” Marcos asked.

Marcos recalled that in the 70’s to early 80's, the country’s SRDP was already producing M-16 rifles under license, steel helmets, hand grenades and other ammunition, handheld radios, Jiffy jeeps. It also created jobs and minimized foreign spending.

She explained that Filipino manufacturers used local materials besides the imported parts from which technological know-how was gained, with the National Science Development Board supporting research and development.

“There’s no question about Filipino capability, but we must revive the SRDP now,” Marcos emphasized. (Photos: Sen. Marcos Office)