DOTr Inks Deal with San Miguel for Bulacan International Airport Project; Gives Green Light to Start Construction

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) today gave San Miguel Corporation (SMC) the green light to commence construction of the Bulacan International Airport.

DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade announced the issuance of the Notice to Proceed after he and SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang signed the concession agreement.

The agreement formally grants San Miguel Aerocity Inc., a company wholly owned by San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC), the task of handling the financing, design, construction, operations and maintenance of the Bulacan International Airport. The concession period spans 50 years after the completion of construction of the first phase.

Secretary Tugade emphasized that the construction of the new international gateway will boost connectivity and mobility for Filipinos, as this shall give them additional travel options.

"Ang mahalaga po diyan ay 'yung pasahero, 'yung riding public. Alam niyo 'ho kung bakit? ‘Pagkat kung meron nang Bulacan Airport, NAIA at Clark Airport, let it be a battle of commercial competitiveness. And if it becomes a battle of commercial competitiveness, who benefits? It is the riding public, because the riding public will be given a freedom of choice. Pwedeng mamili kung saang gustong paliparan. Pwedeng mamili kung saang comfort and convenience ang tutukuyin niya. Ito 'ho 'yung mahalaga dito,” Secretary Tugade expressed.

“It's all about comfort. It's all about convenience. It's all about putting life to the President's wish and desire for a comfortable life for Filipinos," he added.

During the signing ceremony, the transportation chief also lauded the SMC for ensuring that issues on right-of-way acquisition, “Material Adverse Government Action” (MAGA) or situations where the government deviates from contractual obligation that requires it to compensate a private entity, and subsidy are expeditiously resolved.

“Napadali ang dayalogo. Napadali ang agreement sapagkat kinuha ni Ramon Ang ang responsibilidad. Sa dahilang ito, umusad tayo,” Secretary Tugade said.

For his part, Ang touted the economic boost the new airport will bring especially to Central Luzon.

"This will really benefit our people and it will create a lot of business opportunities for Filipinos. It will bring so many foreign tourists," Ang said.

The SMC top honcho also averred the conducive conditions for business with government under the Duterte administration.

"Marami na akong experience in dealing with government officials for the past 30 years. Alam niyo, importante sa government official, 'yung matapat na tao at masipag. Matapat, masipag, at magaling. Itong administration na ito, ganun po sila,” Ang added.

The DOTr formally issued SMHC the Notice of Award on 14 August 2019, two weeks after the conclusion of the Swiss Challenge where SMHC’s unsolicited proposal went uncontested.

The Bulacan International Airport is envisioned to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and complement the operations of Clark International Airport (CRK), in order to serve the current and anticipated rapid growth in aviation traffic demand in the Greater Capital Region.

The new gateway will have four (4) parallel runways for faster turnover of aircraft, eight (8) taxiways, a Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) with a design capacity of 100 million to 200 million passengers per year, and airfield facilities and equipment.

Additionally, an eight-kilometer toll road connecting the Bulacan Airport to the North Luzon Expressway will be constructed to aid travelers to and from the airport.

Located in the municipality of Bulakan, the massive gateway is targeted for operations within four to six years.

RedDoorz to Provide Insurance for Hotel Employees, Announces Partnership with BIMA

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RedDoorz, Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest-growing hotel management and booking platform has today announced a strategic partnership with Swedish microinsurance company BIMA, to provide all of its hotel partner staff with life and personal accident insurance.

Speaking at the official contract signing ceremony in Makati City, RedDoorz Philippines Country Head, Stefanie Irma said, "We are delighted to be able to offer improved benefits for our valued hotel partners and their employees in the Philippines. We pride ourselves on having exceptional relationships with our hotel partners and have been searching for an insurance partner that matches our core values. BIMA is the right insurance partner to offer our RedDoorz hotel partner employees coverage in the Philippines.

The partnership was made official at a contract signing ceremony earlier this year in Makati City. The event was attended by guests from both companies including the RedDoorz Philippines Country Head and BIMA Country Manager Melvin Juruena.

Working with local insurance leader Pioneer Insurance, BIMA’s coverage of RedDoorz partner staff includes burial assistance, accidental medical expense and daily accident hospital benefit for the beneficiaries. Through its partner engagement program, RedDoorz has taken a holistic approach to the wellness of over 1,500 indirect hotel staff in over 10 cities across the Philippines.

"We are very excited to be in this journey with RedDoorz. Our strategic partnership is a true testament to the strength of BIMA’s products and services - that we can innovate in terms of our product offerings that are relevant for the needs of companies as well as for individuals, bringing us ever closer to our goal of insuring every life and every family," added Country Manager Juruena.

In addition to offering life and personal accident insurance to all hotel partner staff, RedDoorz provides a variety of initiatives including hospitality, etiquette and communication training courses, health and fitness activities and free lunch gatherings. These programs have been designed from the ground up with the purpose of elevating workplace wellness improving career growth and prospects, as well as strengthening the relationship with partners.

Earlier this year, RedDoorz gathered more than 100 staff from across the Philippines to participate in its first ever ‘Quality Training Workshop’ in the country. This was an opportunity for the company to impart key insights, learnings and best-in-class industry expertise in the hospitality industry amongst the participants.

Speaking about the various training initiatives, RedDoorz Front Desk Manager, Andrea Nicole Alvarez said, “It’s clear that RedDoorz cares for its employees in providing us all with life and personal accident insurance. It’s also nice to see that considers proper training a key priority for its employees to ensure that all guests are welcomed and feel at ease when they stay at a RedDoorz hotel. I would like to thank and salute RedDoorz management in helping us grow and for providing these important benefits.”

RedDoorz now has over 200+ hotels in 20-plus different cities in the Philippines. The company prides itself in creating meaningful and long-lasting relationships with its strong network of partner properties.

Customers can access RedDoorz by logging in to www.reddoorz.com to search for desired location, check-in date and type of room. Another option is to download the RedDoorz app from the Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reddoorz.app&hl=en) or the App Store (https://apps.apple.com/id/app/reddoorz-hotel-booking-app/id1260883343).

Filipino Student-Culinarians Train in Premier Italian Institution

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The prestigious Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners (ICIF) in Asti, Italy, once again hosted nine young Filipino culinarians from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (SHRIM) as they successfully finished their extensive and immersive three-month practicum training.

Through the nine-year partnership between DLS-CSB SHRIM and ICIF, a premier institution that highlights and promotes the value and excellence of authentic Italian cuisine, the year’s blessed students learned the traditional and modern techniques and applications from the experts.

They mastered the wide variety of Italian dishes from antipasti, soups, salads, pizza, fresh and dried pasta and risotto, to seafood and various meats. Not to mention they likewise honed their craft for pastries. Not only did they cook, they also had lessons through informative lectures, live demonstrations and food tasting sessions, plus an extensive one-on-one program where the protégés explored and executed their own plating styles through hands-on workshops.

The comprehensive learning experience was made possible with the support of ICIF Headquarter Referent and Educational Director Ilaria Scalet and ICIF Executive Chef Massimillano Careri.

To completely familiarize, understand and appreciate the rich heritage of the Italian cuisine, the culinary aspirants observed the process at the Grana Padano Cheese Factory, among several other places. They likewise engrossed themselves in a number of vineyards within the province of Asti, where they tasted the undiscovered old world wines.

The highlight of the trip was the actual internship, where the students were able to apply their new skillsets as they were deployed to top-tier restaurants in and around Italy, such as in Ristorante San Marco, Ristorante Il Grecale, Ristorante Manuelina, Ristorante Dolce Stil Novo, and Trattoria 1960.

The batch of trainees was comprised of Jaubrey Dranreb Bete, Frederick Paul Adrian Briones, Paulina Katrine Diaz, Danica Ingalla, Anne Marie Louise Macaraig, Rencez Clariss Nierva, Irvin Mathieu Pascua, Elijah Moses Uson, and alumnus Grant Mitchel Zuñiga.

“ICIF prepares students for the real world and the industry because through this program, the students learn to work independently, become more efficient, and acquire culinary techniques from Italian chefs,” DLS-CSB SHRIM Culinary Arts Chairperson Chef Margarita Marty noted. “This exposure will boost their careers in two ways: when applying for a job as chefs in the industry and when putting up their own businesses in the future as they can take with them the best practices they have learned.”

DLS-CSB SHRIM ensures that its students are trained to be future industry leaders. Through its several existing partnerships with global institutions, the College provides access to quality education in and outside the four walls of its lecture halls, hatcheries, and culinary laboratories through engagements in key culinary cities around the world.