Grab Great Deals on Premium Products and More at the Power Mac Center Expo

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Apple Premium Reseller Power Mac Center is celebrating its 22nd anniversary with a first-of-its-kind interactive sales event happening from August 17 to 21 at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall 3. Expect up to 90 percent off on premium items and special rates on Apple products, with major debit and credit cards (straight payment or installment) accepted.

The first few hours of the expo were exclusive to VIPs and Power Mac Center 1 Infinite Card members. The event is free of admission to the public from 6PM onwards on August 17 and during mall hours on August 18-21. Guests are asked to register at the reception booth or pre-register online at https://goo.gl/GjSUHn.

Select partner brands also have their own booths to showcase their products. To complete the experience, Power Mac Center’s Apple Authorized Training Center is holding a pop-up school providing free training and demonstrations on different topics specific to Mac apps. The Apple Authorized Service Provider booth gives free Mac cleaning and consultation.

Individuals may also explore career opportunities at the recruitment booth during the event, whereas local businesses, entrepreneurs, and academic institutions may discuss their proposals and offerings with Power Mac Center at the Corporate Business Group and Education Business Group booth.

“We’re inviting everyone to come to Megatrade Hall 3 because all deals are exclusively available at the event. This is the culmination of Power Mac Center’s month-long celebration. We want to give our guests the complete Apple experience all in one venue as thanksgiving for the past 22 years of unwavering support,” said Marketing Director Joey Alvarez.

Over the years, Power Mac Center has proven its position as a premium reseller of Apple products and accessories that enhance the Apple lifestyle. It has grown to a nationwide network of 26 retail branches, eight Apple Authorized Service Centers, and two Apple Authorized Training Centers. Power Mac Center has also partnered with countless schools, businesses, and other institutions that sought to implement the Apple ecosystem.

More information about products and services may be obtained from Power Mac Center’s website <www.powermaccenter.com> and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat accounts (@powermaccenter). The official hashtag for the event is #PMC22.

DOTr Takes Over Traffic Management in Metro Manila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Transportation will now be working together with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) in managing traffic along national roads in Metro Manila.

Upon the marching order of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, the MMDA, HPG, and DOTr attached agencies such as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will be solidifying traffic enforcement by coming up with just one chain of command.

Metro Manila will be split into at least 10 traffic sectors. Each will have a sectoral head.

“Kapag watak-watak tayo, mahihirapan ang mga tao on the ground. But if we will be given authority under one chain of command, we can now easily issue orders,” HPG Chief Supt. Antonio Gardiola said in a press conference earlier today.

Operating as one agency, the HPG and the MMDa will be sharing assets such as manpower and motorcyles. The HPG will also hook up with the MMDA command center for better traffic monitoring.

The agencies are also working on coming up with uniform penalties for traffic violations. Traffic personnel will also undergo joint training.

The inter-agency initiative is a necessary move to ease traffic congestion pending appeal for Emergency Powers.

“We are focusing on enforcement now while waiting for Congress to grant us emergency powers. We have to do what we can do now,” said Transportation spokesperson Cherie Mercado-Santos.

“Sumbungan Board” for Violators of Anti-Hospital Deposit Law

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros eyes the establishment of a “Sumbungan Board” where the public can report violations of Republic Act 8344, otherwise known as the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law.

Hontiveros, Chair of the Senate Committee on the Health and Demography, filed Senate Bill No. 216 that calls for the establishment of a Health Facilities Oversight Board that will be tasked to probe the claims of patients who were denied treatment and services during emergency situations due to their inability to pay hospital deposit.

The Board will be composed of a Department of Health (DoH) representative, who will act as Chair, and representatives from the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), private health institutions and non-government organizations working on public health and advocacy.

“We want to prioritize the needs of our patients especially during emergency situations. The Sumbungan Board will provide a clear channel for redress of grievances by patients and ensuring their rights and welfare. In our quest for equitable healthcare system, we should be more sensitive to the plight of our patients, especially the indigents. Gamutin muna saka na kumita,” Hontiveros said.

The bill likewise proposed for an increase in penalties for demanding, requesting, soliciting deposit or other forms of advance payment as pre-requisite for confinement or medical treatment. It recommends that penalties for violations of the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law should be from P20,000-P100,000 to P500,000-P1 million, exclusive of damages that may be rewarded to the patient-complainant.

The proposed legislation is also pushing for the revocation of the operating license of a health facility after three repeated violations. “We will not let our citizens denied emergency medical care just because they are poor. Despite inroads being made towards advancing universal health in the past decade, health care in the Philippines largely remains inaccessible to the poor,” Hontiveros said.

The Senator is set to call for a committee hearing on the said bill on August 23 (Tuesday) to “determine the loopholes in implementation and take into consideration the best and worst practices of the law."

The bill also expands the definition of medical care to include women in active labor and at risk of miscarriage or fetal distress.