AF Payments Signs Partnerships with Bus Operators for beep Card

Wazzup Pilipinas!

AF Payments Inc. announced that it has signed partnerships with three bus operators to accept payment through the contactless beep card. Agreements have been reached with Froehlich Tours, HM Transport, and Citylink Coach Services, marking the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp.-led consortium’s first venture into buses serving commuters within Metro Manila.

The partnerships cover the following routes: Trinoma to Makati and SM North EDSA to SM Megamall for Froehlich Tours; Airport Loop for HM Transport; and Eastwood City, Uptown Bonifacio, San Lorenzo Place, McKinley Hill, and Newport City for Citylink Coach Services.

AF Payments Inc. President and CEO Peter Maher said, “We are delighted to have forged partnerships with leading bus operators to offer the beep card to their riders. This is an important milestone for AF Payments and a welcome development for commuters who have long wished for a truly convenient travel card for journeys within the Metro area.”

At the moment, the group is testing the new system across all partner bus operators. They hope to bring the system online in the very near future.

“As soon as we go live, the 1.75 million beep cards in circulation will be accepted on those buses displaying the beep acceptance mark,” Maher said.

AF Payments is calling on other bus operators in the city to join the service and enjoy the many benefits of cashless ticketing, including considerable savings on operational expenses associated with ticket issuance and fare collection.

The beep card is a tap and go payment system accepted in all three elevated railways (LRT 1, 2 and MRT 3). It can be reloaded as much as Php 10,000 and is valid for four years. For more information about beep™, visit http://www.beeptopay.com/ or Like/Follow beep card on Facebook and Twitter.

Manila Pavilion Hotel Pampers All Moms

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Your mother is walking miracles to you. This Mother’s day show your appreciation and love for her by treating her to a lavish Sunday brunch, the Manila Pavilion Hotel crowns the queen of our hearts with awe-inspiring offerings that is sure to make her feel truly special. Reward your mom with genuine affection by allowing her to celebrate the joy of being a mother.

Indulge her appetite with a sumptuous Mother’s Day Special Buffet lunch on May 08 at Manila Pavilion Hotel's very own interactive lifestyle restaurant – Seasons. With a group of three or more and get special treats from Manila Pavilion Hotel's sponsors (Dermcare, Tony and Jackey, and Metro Dental.)

Start the gastronomic experience with (best seller dish that will be served on lunch). Make sure to order The Manhattan Whiskey Shower – a mixture of Bourbon whiskey, sweet Vermouth and Angostura Bitter.

To cap off the experience, give in to the heavenly goodness of Patisserie’s Mango Cheesecake.

Pamper moms with a relaxing and luxurious getaway by availing room packages for as low as Php 3,600 nett.

For inquiries and reservations visit the Manila Pavilion Hotel at United Nations Avenue corner Maria Orosa Street in Manila. Log on to www.waterfronthotels.com.ph or call 5261212, for inquiries and reservations; Like or Follow @WaterfrontMNL for regular updates.

2015 - A Strong Year for Philippine Real Estate

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The biggest real estate players in the Philippines recently released their respective income reports for the year 2015, and as expected, the overall financial trend is predominantly good for almost all real estate companies. Online real estate portal Lamudi Philippines has listed down and analyzed the performance indicator of the country’s top real estate developers for 2015.

The highest income for 2015 goes to Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) at Php17.6 billion, 19 percent higher from the real estate giant’s 2014 figure of Php14.8 billion. The jump in profit was attributed to ALI’s diverse offering of residential and commercial products, especially its master-planned estates all over the country. ALI also amplified its presence in key growth centers and introduced three new integrated mixed-use estates in 2015. These are the 11-hectare Cloverleaf project in Quezon City, the nine-hectare Capitol Central in Bacolod, and the 700-hectare Vermosa in Cavite. Also highly anticipated is its Arca South project in Taguig and Vertis North in Quezon City. Early this year, the Ayala group has gained control of land-rich Ortigas & Co., along with the Sy (of the SM group) and Ortigas families.

Also coming strong is property giant Megaworld Corp., whose net income soared 10.58 percent from 2014’s Php9.40 billion. The company breached the Php10 billion mark in net core income for 2015, at Php10.40 billion. True to its title as the builder of live-work-play developments in the Philippines, Megaworld launched five integrated townships in 2015, marking a total of 20 integrated township developments across the country. Adding to the company’s success is the exponential growth of their rental business, especially BPO offices, for the last five years. As early as now, Megaworld Chief Finance Officer Francis Canuto shares that they are confident that they will reach the Php11 billion target by end of this year.