Hungry Project Food Concepts Inc. faces pandemic the ‘smarter way’ with PLDT Enterprise

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted industries to rethink how they operate their businesses. Most of them were forced to rely heavily on technology given the mobility restrictions and strict implementation of health protocols.

To survive the economic crisis, Hungry Project Food Concepts Inc. is among those businesses which modified their approach to the challenges of the pandemic to manage their operations the ‘smarter way’. Despite the declining foot traffic in their dine-in stores, shorter operating hours, and declining sales, realizing how to effectively take on this crisis has been the biggest feat for the retailer.

“In terms of operations, we’ve become smarter in a way. We need less people to staff the stores for dine-in. In terms of operations, I think we learned from that. We don’t order a lot of ingredients for the time being,” said Zerline Chan Ortiz-Luis, General Manager of Hungry Project Food Concepts Inc.

Ortiz-Luis shared that they needed to be more discerning in terms of ordering inventory, reducing staff in branches, and negotiating rental rates.

She also noted that up to 80 percent of their sales were generated from online transactions and food delivery services. Given this, she stressed the importance of reliable internet connectivity which allowed them to receive orders from food delivery applications and customer service call centers.

The said food retailer has been subscribed to PLDT's fast and secure Enterprise broadband to optimize the receiving and delivery of orders to customers via a reliable connectivity. As the B2B arm of the largest fully integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines, PLDT Enterprise has been supporting small to medium businesses such as Hungry Project Food Concepts Inc. through innovative digital solutions suited for their changing needs.

“We at PLDT Enterprise are continuously strengthening our connectivity and communication services to support the changing requirements of our valued MSME customers like Hungry Project Food Concepts, especially as they strive to operate their businesses in these challenging times,” said Chito Franco, PLDT Enterprise Vice President for Small and MicroBiz. “Our aim is to make a positive impact on every single business and we seek to do that by providing them with tailor fit digital solutions.”

PLDT Enterprise recently formed an exclusive Customer Advisory Board (CAB), in which Hungry Project Food Concepts is a part of, where customers from different sectors engage in a meaningful discussion of topics that would impact businesses and industries as a whole.

Furthermore, vaccine rollout was said to help regain confidence in dine-in safety but the timing when this will happen is still early to tell.

Retail is among the industries hoping that the completion of vaccine rollout would help improve sales by increasing the people’s confidence in going out of their homes which is essential for better business operations and stable financial gains.

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com

City of Manila to Vaccinate 3,500 FDCP-Registered Film & AV Workers

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

As the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) continues to seek out collaborations to support the film and entertainment industry through the vaccination of its workers, the City of Manila through Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, an actor himself, approved the partnership between the FDCP’s National Registry (NR) and Manila’s “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” program.

 

In this collaboration between the FDCP’s National Registry and the Manila City Government, the national film agency will help facilitate the City of Manila’s vaccination of 3,500 registrants under the National Registry for Audiovisual Workers (NRAW), which has more than 5,000 registrants.

The FDCP NR will compile and submit the list of NRAW registrants with all their information and requirements to the City of Manila. NRAW registrants are advised to wait for a text message and email from the NR to know the next steps in getting vaccinated under Manila’s “Vaccine Nation is the Solution.”

The FDCP is closely coordinating with the Manila Health Department to finalize the details of the vaccination schedule for NR registrants. Additional information will be released as soon as possible.

“Vaccination is really the solution to restart the recovery of our sector. We express our gratitude to Mayor Isko Moreno for his kindness and generosity in supporting our workers with their vaccination process. Napakahalagang mabakunahan agad ang ating mga manggagawa sa pelikula at mga audiovisual content sector para unti-unting nating maibalik ang sigla ng industriya sa gitna ng pandemya,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

In addition, the FDCP expressed its utmost gratitude to Mayor Isko Moreno and the City of Manila for the vaccination of all FDCP employees at the Cinematheque Centre Manila. This aims to ensure the safety and health of FDCP employees as they have continued to render public service for film and AV industry stakeholders amid the pandemic. The FDCP Office, which houses Cinematheque Centre Manila, is located in the district of Ermita.

“The Film Development Council of the Philippines has been supporting our film and AV stakeholders through assistance and development programs as well as events even amid the pandemic. With a fully vaccinated workforce, the FDCP will be able to do more for the film and audiovisual industry, which needs all the support it can get as it strives to bounce back from the global health crisis,” added Diño.

In June, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte approved the vaccination of 1,500 NR registrants under the #QCProtekTODO program, and “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers” was held on June 24, July 1, and July 8 at the Quezon City Hall. The second dose schedules are on July 22, July 29, and August 5.

Meanwhile, NR registrants who wish to register with their respective local government units may present as proof of occupation their FDCP National Registry Certification, which can be downloaded from their MyFDCPRegistry Profile on the NR website (nationalregistry.fdcp.ph). This is useful for freelance workers without a company ID because they need to prove that they belong to the A4 Priority Group.

The FDCP, which has lobbied for the vaccination of film and AV workers since 2020, seeks to assist all NR registrants with their vaccination. For film and AV workers and freelancers who wish to register with the FDCP NR, they may visit the NR website to fill out the registration form.

For inquiries and other concerns, kindly email nationalregistry@fdcp.ph or visit https://nationalregistry.fdcp.ph.

Locarno Fest Features PH as Spotlight Country in Open Doors Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

One competing film, three non-competition titles, and six filmmakers comprise the strong Philippine Delegation to the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland from August 4 to 14.

Held every August since 1946, the Locarno, one of the world’s longest running annual festivals, focuses on auteur cinema where film fans and industry professionals come together to discover new inspiration and transform their passion into cinematic artistry.

For its 74th edition this year, set to compete is Carlo Francisco Manatad’s “Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine)” in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente (Filmmakers of the Present Competition), a section dedicated to emerging directors from all over the world. The selected feature films screening as world or international premieres, from documentary to fiction, will compete for the Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente.

The competing film starring Daniel Padilla, Rans Rifol, and Charo Santos-Concio tells the story of how a mother and her son struggled to survive the Typhoon Yolanda that devastated Tacloban, Leyte in 2013. The film participated in the 2019 Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Project Market and was awarded with a fund worth PHP 2.5 million through the Agency’s FilmPhilippines International Co-production Fund (ICOF) in 2021.

From 2019 until 2021, the Locarno Open Doors program chooses to spotlight film projects, talents, and producers from Mongolia and Southeast Asia, namely Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The Open Doors program consists of the Open Doors Hub, Open Doors Lab, and Open Doors Screenings to be held simultaneously from August 6 to 10.

The documentary film “Aswang” by Alyx Ayn Arumpac and short films “Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss” by Sonny Calvento and “Next Picture” by Cris Bringas will be part of the Open Doors Screenings, the non-competitive section that explores the diverse filmmaking of selected films from participating countries.

Director E Del Mundo and producer Pamela Reyes’ project “Sam” will be part of the Open Doors Hub, a co-production platform that has a six-day tailored program for the eight selected project teams that will help in the search for international collaborations by giving them access to group discussions and networking activities with industry decision makers and festival guests.

Producer Stelle Laguda will participate in the Open Doors Lab, a producer-centric six-day training program for the selected eight filmmakers to hone their skills and awareness in the international marketplace.

Last April, Locarno issued a call for entries for its Match Me! Program with FDCP as its Match Me! Partner. This is a three-day networking platform reserved for young producers to get the chance to introduce their companies' profile and projects to potential co-producers. Producers Sarah Brakensiek and her project “Kathoey,” Patti Lapus with “Goliath,” and Micah Tadena with “Inherit” are among the delegates.

“Filipiñana” director Rafael Manuel is part of the Locarno Filmmakers Academy, an intensive 10-day program for young directors to support their needs when facing challenges in production and distribution. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with internationally renowned figures of the film industry and have a chance to showcase their short films to the festival audience during the evening screenings of the Filmmakers Academy.

“The FDCP’s partnership with Locarno has opened countless doors for Filipino talents and projects. Through the Open Doors Program, our emerging talents have been given opportunities to enhance their skills, develop their projects, and build on their international network, all of which have successfully boosted the global competitiveness of Philippine Cinema,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

In 2020, Locarno opted to hold the festival online for its participants and viewers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Avid Liongoren’s “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X,” one of the projects that participated at the Open Doors, received the Locarno Development Support Grant worth 14,000 Swiss francs.

This year, Locarno will reconvene at the Piazza Grande, the very symbol of the festival, to safely bring back the magical festival experience to the viewers.

For more information on Locarno Film Festival 2021 and the participating films and projects, visit their official website at www.locarnofestival.ch.