PAMPANGA drubbed Bacoor, 71-58, to draw first blood in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) national finals over the weekend at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
Buoyed by a roaring home crowd, the Giant Lanterns uncorked a 21-4 rally and never looked back for a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five titular showdown between two first-time MPBL national finalists.
Game 2 is still in Pampangaon Tuesday as the Giant Lanterns look to move on the cusp of capturing the crown of the MPBL 5th season. Kurt Reyson, from Letran Knights after their NCAA campaign, provided an immediate impact with 22 points, four rebounds and an assist in only 20 minutes of play for the Best Player of the Game honors.
Most Valuable Player race frontrunner Justine Baltazar collared 13 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block to anchor Pampanga’s defensive clinic with JB Bahio (8), Archie Concepcion (7), John Lloyd Clemente (6) and Michael John Garcia (6) chipping in help.
Pampanga, which ruled the North Division and topped all teams in the prelims with an absurd 26-2 slate, hardly needed the eruption of another ace player in Encho Serrano with five points.
The Giant Lanterns’ win in the explosive series opener was marred by a bottle-throwing incident on the court from some fans following Lester Reyes’ hard foul on Mr. Baltazar late in the third quarter.
Mr. Reyes was slapped with a disqualifying foul as Pampanga head coach and governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda calmed the crowd and reminded them of self-restraint as the game proceeded with no more untoward incident the rest of the way.
JM Nermal and Jhaymo Eguilos scored 16 points each for the South Division champions, who are out to even the series in Game 2 heading into their homecourt in Bacoor in Game 3. — John Bryan Ulanday
UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help (UPHSD) and Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) topped the elimination round of the seniors and juniors division, respectively, and spearheaded the march to the NCAA Season 99 chess semifinals at Letran’s Intramuros, Manila campus over the weekend.
Powered by wins of Genesis Borromeo, Romeo Canino and Carl Zitex Sato, the Altas downed the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 3-1, to emerge as the best after the nine-round elimination with 28.5 points.
The Junior Pirates, for their part, dumped the San Sebastian Colegio-Recoletos Staglets, 3-1, on victories by Gio Troy Ventura, Ariel Santander and Eowyn Jullado in topping the high school side with 25 points.
UPHSD was battling No. 4 Jose Rizal University (19.5 points) while No. 2 San Beda University (25) and No. 3 and reigning titlist Lyceum of the Philippines University (24.5) were tackling each other in the semis at press time.
The finals are set next week.
LPU was clashing with No. 4 San Beda (16.5) while No. 2 UPHSD (22) was facing off with No. 3 Arellano University (19) in the juniors semis.
UPHSD is eyeing its second seniors’ crown after claiming its breakthrough title four years ago while LPU is aiming for its historic juniors championship. — Joey Villar
MALAGA, Spain — Italy returned to the Davis Cup final after a gap of 25 years as Jannik Sinner beats Novak Djokovic in both singles and doubles to secure a 2-1 victory over Serbia on Saturday that earned the 1976 champions a title clash with Australia.
Mr. Sinner and doubles partner Lorenzo Sonego beat the Serbian duo of Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanovic6-3 6-4 to secure a famous victory that sent the former champions packing and sparked wild celebrations at a heaving Martin Carpena Arena in Spain. Up next for Filippo Volandri’s side, who will be playing in an eighth final and seeking a second trophy, are 28-times champions Australia after Lleyton Hewitt’s team eased past giant-killers Finland on Friday.
Mr. Sinner earlier saved three matchpoints to stun Djokovic 6-2 2-6 7-5 in an extraordinary singles match to help Italy draw level with Serbia at 1-1 after Kecmanovic had put the 2010 champions ahead by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-7(7) 6-2 6-1.
Mr. Sinner was facing Djokovic for the third time in 11 days and the world number four, who beat the top-ranked Serbian early in the ATP Finals before losing to him in the title clash, made a quick start to ease through the opening set with two breaks. — Reuters
Russell Westbrook could not have been a happy camper heading into yesterday’s match. Since the Clippers acquired James Harden two and a half weeks ago, he had been performing poorly. In fact, the decision to relegate him to the bench after the Clippers went into a five-game swoon — publicly disclosed as his own choice — seemed to contribute even more to his inconsistency. Still, he was determined to find his place in the rotation — if for nothing else than because he had no other choice. His advancing age had slowly been robbing him of the athleticism that underpinned his effectiveness on the court, and he felt compelled to stay relevant by just doing what was asked of him.
To be sure, the Clippers had to have known Westbrook would be making yet another sacrifice. With only one ball to share between Harden, resident stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and him, he had been pegged from the get-go to step back the most. All of them were at their best as the fulcrum of the offense, but his noted inefficiency automatically put him last in the pecking order. Whether or not he was really the brains behind his demotion from starter to reserve, there can be no questioning the rationale behind it. And any doubts as to its viability were quashed by the result: four victories in the last five outings.
The good news is that Westbrook did well against the Mavericks yesterday. His relatively robust stat line of 14 points on nine shots, eight rebounds, and seven assists contributed to the Clippers’ triumph; his presence on the court while those in the First Five got some rest was at least able to keep them ahead. The bad news is that, for all his exertions, he could not do better than finish with smallest positive number in the plus-minus spectrum. And the jury’s still out as to whether he can stop riding the roller coaster for a more stable journey.
Head coach Tyron Lue is no stranger to getting big egos to subscribe to a collective objective, having led LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love to the championship in 2016 — and after being down one to three in the Finals. Then again, Westbrook is an altogether different breed. He’s one of a kind, and conventional tactics with him on the roster have been proven to fail. Just ask the Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, and Lakers. In other words, he’s a high-risk, high-reward type that legitimate contenders normally avoid. The Clippers are clearly desperate, however, and time will tell whether their gamble will pay off in the end.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
A PART of a mural is seen through a tent as displaced Palestinians stay at a camp amid a temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Nov. 25, 2023. — REUTERS
GAZA/JERUSALEM — Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals arrived in Israel on Sunday in the second release of hostages from Hamas captivity in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in a deal briefly endangered by a dispute about aid delivery into Gaza.
Although overcome by the mediation of Egypt and Qatar, the dispute that threatened the truce to free captives underscored the fragility of the pact meant to release 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant groups and 150 prisoners held in Israeli jails over four days.
Television images showed hostages on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing after leaving Gaza, as Hamas handed the captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross late on Saturday.
Six of the 13 Israelis released were women and seven were children and teenagers.
“The released hostages are on their way to hospitals in Israel, where they will re-unite with their families,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Israel released 39 Palestinians — six women and 33 minors —from two prisons, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said.
Some of the Palestinians arrived at Al-Bireh Municipality Square in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where thousands of citizens awaited them, a Reuters witness said.
A Palestinian official familiar with the diplomatic moves said Hamas would continue the truce, the first halt in fighting since Hamas fighters rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.
In response to that attack, Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas militants who run Gaza, raining bombs and shells on the enclave and launching a ground offensive in the north. Some 14,800 people, roughly 40% of them children, have been killed, Palestinian health authorities said on Saturday.
Saturday’s swap follows the previous day’s initial release of 13 Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, by Hamas in return for the release of 39 Palestinian women and young people from Israeli prisons.
On Friday Hamas also released a Philippine national and 10 Thai farm workers.
The four Thais released on Saturday “want a shower and to contact their relatives,” Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said a day later on social media platform X, adding that all were safe and showed few ill-effects.
Eighteen Thais remain captive, Thailand’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.
“I’m so happy, I’m so glad, I can’t describe my feeling at all,” Thongkoon Onkaew told Reuters by telephone, after news of the release of her 26-year-old son Natthaporn Onkaew, the family’s sole breadwinner.
The deal risked being derailed when Hamas’ armed wing said on Saturday it was delaying releases until Israel met all truce conditions, including committing to let aid trucks into northern Gaza.
Ensuring the deal did not collapse took a day of high-stakes diplomacy mediated by Qatar and Egypt, a process US President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. joined, calling Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said only 65 of 340 aid trucks that had entered Gaza since Friday had reached northern Gaza, which was “less than half of what Israel agreed on.”
Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas armed wing, also said Israel had failed to respect terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners that factored in their time in detention.
The IDF said the United Nations (UN) and international organizations distribute aid inside the Gaza Strip. The UN said 61 trucks delivered aid to northern Gaza on Saturday, the most since the war began seven weeks ago. They included food, water and emergency medical supplies.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said there had been “a lot of discussion” on how and whom to prioritize for release and that a key criterion for the Palestinian side was the length of time spent in Israeli prisons.
“We are now hopeful that, with the second or the third day of this pause, we would be able to hash out a lot of these details that made this day so difficult,” he told CNN.
Israel has said the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continued to release at least 10 hostages a day. A Palestinian source has said up to 100 hostages could go free.
‘HEART IS SPLIT’ Saturday also brought hours of nail-biting waiting for the families of hostages, some of whose joy was tempered by the continued captivity of others.
“My heart is split because my son, Itay, is still in Hamas’ captivity in Gaza,” Mirit Regev, the mother of Maya Regev, one of those released late on Saturday, said in a statement from the Hostage and Missing Families Forum that represents the families.
Also released was nine-year-old Irish-Israeli hostage Emily Hand, who was initially thought to have been killed. She spent her ninth birthday in captivity and was released alongside 12-year-old Hila Rotem, whose mother remains in captivity.
“We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return,” Ms. Hand’s family said in a statement.
Palestinians’ joy at the release of prisoners from Israeli jails was tinged with bitterness.
“I feel like I am in a dream, but I hope that the war on Gaza will stop as soon as possible,” one of them, Shorouk Dwayyat, who had served half her term of 16 years, told Al Jazeera TV from her home, saying her joy was mixed with pain. — Reuters
BEIJING/SHANGHAI — China and the United States exchanged accusations at the weekend over the disputed South China Sea, after China’s military said it had driven away a US warship that the US Navy said was on a routine freedom of navigation operation.
According to a post on the official WeChat social media account of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command on Saturday, the Chinese military deployed its naval and air forces to “track, monitor and warn away” the US destroyer.
The US Navy said on Sunday that the Hopper had “asserted navigational rights in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law”.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis.
The Philippines and Australia began their first joint sea and air patrols in the sea on Saturday, days after Beijing accused Manila of enlisting foreign forces to patrol the South China Sea, referring to joint patrols by the Philippine and US militaries.
This weekend’s incident, China said, “proves that the United States is an out-and-out ‘security risk creator’ in the South China Sea.”
Lieutenant Kristina Weidemann, deputy spokesperson for the US 7th Fleet, said in an e-mailed statement: “The United States challenges excessive maritime claims around the world regardless of the identity of the claimant.
“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas.”
Earlier this month, the United States and China held talks on maritime issues, including the contested South China Sea, where the US underscored concerns about what it called “dangerous and unlawful” Chinese actions, the US State department said. — Reuters
BENGALURU — India’s government on Friday warned social media firms including Facebook and YouTube to repeatedly remind users that local laws prohibit them from posting deepfakes and content that spreads obscenity or misinformation, two sources told Reuters.
The warning was conveyed by deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a closed-door meeting where he said many companies had not updated their usage terms despite 2022 rules that prohibit content “harmful” to children, obscene or that “impersonates another person”.
It comes amid growing concerns over deepfakes — realistic yet fabricated videos created by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms trained on online footage — which a top minister this week said this week India is drawing up rules to address.
Mr. Chandrasekhar said the companies must raise awareness of the rules by reminding users every time they log in that they cannot post such content, or by issuing reminders.
He said otherwise he will issue directions forcing them to do so, said the two sources, who declined to be named as the meeting was private.
The minister described it as a “non-negotiable” demand of the Indian government during the meeting, said one of the sources.
India’s IT ministry said in a press statement all platforms had agreed to align their content guidelines with government rules.
Facebook and Mr. Chandrasekhar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alphabet, Inc’s Google, which owns YouTube, said in a statement it was committed to responsible AI development and has robust policies and systems to identify and remove harmful content across its products and platforms.
The Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have raised concerns over deepfakes in recent days.
During a virtual summit of G20 nations on Wednesday, Mr. Modi called on global leaders to jointly work towards regulating AI, and raised concerns over the negative impact of deepfakes on society.
Countries across the world are racing to draw up rules to regulate AI. India has been tightening regulations of social media companies, which count the South Asian nation as a topgrowth market.
Last year, the government privately criticized the companies for not removing what it described as fake news on their sites, which it said had forced itto order content takedowns. — Reuters
THE MEXICAN FLAG flutters during the National Flag Day event in Iguala, Guerrero State, Mexico, Feb. 24, 2021. — REUTERS
ACAPULCO — One month since Hurricane Otis devastated Acapulco, fears for the local economy stalk the Mexican beach resort with businesses saying efforts to repair the damage have been too slow to save a vital part of the tourist season: December.
Otis, the strongest hurricane to ever hit Mexico’s Pacific coast, hammered Acapulco in the early hours of Oct. 25, killing at least 50 people, causing billions of dollars in damage, and sparking widespread looting.
Residents still searching for loved ones say the official death toll is likely significantly higher. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has rejected unconfirmed media reports suggesting fatalities may have gone well past 300.
Lopez Obrador has launched a $3.4-billion recovery plan and pledged to get Acapulco back on its feet quickly, but local businesses say time is fast running out for this year.
“Acapulco lives off just three seasons: December, which is the biggest for us, Easter, and a bit of summer. December is the most hotly anticipated and we’re not going to be up and running,” said Jesus Zamora, head of infrastructure for a local tourism body.
“By the December season we won’t even have 50% of hotels running, so even if we wanted to have more tourists, we couldn’t host them,” he added.
Business groups have estimated the damage at around $16 billion in Acapulco, which is the biggest city in Guerrero, one of Mexico’s poorest states.
The hurricane battered Acapulco’s airport, and international flights are not due to resume until next year. Some business leaders fear the city will not recover until 2025.
“People who work on social events, beach weddings and conventions have been unemployed since that day,” said Roberto Buenfil, who works for a company organizing events. “Everything there was for these last months of the year is no longer happening.”
Security forces are still struggling to clean up the rubbish engulfing some areas. Some 221,000 tons of trash have been collected so far.
Trash has been collected faster from central areas with hotels than in outlying neighborhoods like Renacimiento and Emiliano Zapata where the smell of rotting garbage has grown as it piles up, local residents say. — Reuters
BEIJING — Alibaba’s online shopping platforms Taobao and Tmall said on Friday they had cancelled their Dec. 12 shopping festival and will instead host another shopping spree called ‘year-end good price’ from Dec. 9.
“Compared with the 12.12 festival of previous years, the discount intensity, scale of merchants and the scale of commodities have all been greatly improved,” a written statement from Alibaba supplied to Reuters read in part. It did not specify how long the festival would run.
The 12.12 shopping festival, held annually on Dec. 12 since 2012, was the less-celebrated sister of November’s Singles Day sales festival, which traditionally fell on Nov. 11 but has in recent years ballooned into a multi-week event beginning in late October.
This year marked the second time Alibaba declined to release its sales results for the Singles Day festival period, but data provider Syntun estimated cumulative gross merchandising volume (GMV) sales across major e-commerce platforms rose 2.08% to 1.14 trillion yuan ($156.40 billion) compared with growth of 2.9% last year.
According to Alibaba, 80 million products were offered at their deepest discount of the year for Singles Day.
Analysts saw Alibaba’s focus on discounts this year as an attempt to fight rivals such as Douyin and PDD Holdings’ Pinduoduo that have changed the landscape of Chinese e-commerce in recent years by selling lower-cost and discounted items year-round.
Chinese consumers are in a thrifty mood, amid a deepening crisis in the country’s giant property sector, where most of the country’s household wealth is parked, spending cuts by highly indebted local governments, youth unemployment rates surpassing 20%, and falling wages in some sectors of the economy.
“Macroeconomic headwinds are causing consumers to be more value-conscious,” consultancy Bain said in a report released earlier this month focused on Singles Day sales. — Reuters
Sun Life Philippines is kickstarting the holiday season by mounting the brightest and grandest thanksgiving concert for Sun Life clients and guests at the World Trade Center Tent on Nov. 30.
Hosted in partnership with Wish 107.5, the Wish Upon a Sun: Sama-Sama sa Pasasalamat Concert will feature Sun Life’s very own brand ambassadors, Piolo Pascual, Sarah Geronimo, Matteo Guidicelli, and Donny Pangilinan. The concert will also have live performances from Belle Mariano, BGYO, BINI, and Imago.
1 of 2
As part of the festivities, Donny will be roaming around the venue with a ‘Partner for Life Cam,’ where chosen pairs among the crowd will be interviewed for a chance to take home a limited-edition Sunson plushie.
1 of 2
Meanwhile, concert attendees are all eligible to win exciting prizes, including holiday baskets and P5,000 and P10,000 gift certificates. An enchanting trip for two to Singapore along with a much-coveted pair of concert tickets to a global superstar’s concert in March will also be raffled off to one lucky Sun Life client during the event.
Pre-concert, early birds will be able to enjoy exciting games and activities, as well as food concessionaires from select Sun Life business owner clients at the Partner for LiFEST. A special lounge for eligible clients will be also available on a first-come, first- serve basis.
1 of 2
“We are immensely grateful to our clients for the honor of making Sun Life their guaranteed Partner for Life. We want to express our appreciation by giving them a fun- filled and memorable night with loved ones through this thanksgiving concert,” Sun Life Chief Client Experience and Marketing Officer Carla Gonzalez-Chong said.
Wish Upon a Sun: Sama-Sama sa Pasasalamat Concert also serves as a culminating event of the Kasa-Kasama sa Roadtrip, a roadshow that brought free live performances from local artists, as well as fun activities and games in Iloilo, Pampanga, Quezon, and Batangas in support of the Partner for Life campaign.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld website. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
RHK Land executives toast to the launch of The Velaris Residences North Tower, the second tower of the award-winning residential enclave The Velaris Residences. In photo are (from L-R) Chad Sotelo, RHK Land CEO and President; Nonette Notarte, RHK Land Technical Director; Martha Herrera-Subido, RHK Land Head of Marketing; Katherine Silva, RHK Land Chief Finance Officer; Rouen Abel Raz, RHK Land General Manager; Jeffrey Lun, Hongkong Land Philippines Country Head; and Ehryq Young, RHK Land Head of Sales.
RHK Land Corp., a joint venture between international property leader Hongkong Land (HKL) and Philippine real estate giant Robinsons Land (RLC), continues to elevate the benchmark for luxury real estate with the launch of The Velaris Residences North Tower, the second tower of The Velaris Residences, the award-winning three-tower residential enclave within the rising C5 megalopolis.
“Drawing from the success of the South Tower, we are pleased to announce the next chapter in the masterpiece that is The Velaris Residences: the North Tower, a beautiful expression of design and luxurious, contemporary living,” says Rouen Abel V. Raz, General Manager of RHK Land.
Among the event’s attendees were some influential names in Metro Manila’s sophisticated circles: content creator Mikaela Lagdameo, model-influencer Nicole Hernandez, model and entrepreneur Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, social media personality Camille Co, and TV host Kelly Misa.
Prominent families and influentialnames from Metro Manila’s most sophisticated circles graced the grand launch of The Velaris Residences North Tower. Among the guests were key opinion leaders Rissa Mananquil–Trillo, Nicole Hernandez, Kelly Misa, Camille Co, and Mikaela Lagdameo.
The event was hosted by voice artist Inka Magnaye.
Hosted by voice artist and multihyphenate Inka Magnaye, the festivities were held at The Velaris Residences Show Gallery which captivated guests with its stunning interiors. In each room, the property’s signature scent, Jo Malone’s Peony & Blush Suede, enveloped the senses, creating an unforgettable olfactory experience that complemented the visual splendor. As guests relished in a symphony of bespoke culinary delights and delightful company, they were serenaded by the Philippines’ Premier Crooner, Richard Poon, whose melodious performance added a touch of magic to the event.
Philippine Crooner Richard Poon gave a stellar performance during the launch event, adding to the magic of the evening.
The highlight of the launch was the unique tour of the show units, a groundbreaking concept never before seen in the Philippines. Inside these exquisite spaces, actors brought to life the vibrant lifestyle of The Velaris Residences, transforming the viewing experience into an immersive theatrical performance. Guests were transported into a world where they could envision themselves as residents, fully appreciating the beauty and functionality of the residences and catching a glimpse of the unparalleled lifestyle that awaits future homeowners.
THE NORTH TOWER: A BASTION OF TRUE ELEGANCE
Embodying RHK Land’s signature intentional design philosophy, the North Tower has been carefully conceived as a landmark residence for those with discriminating and erudite tastes. It caters to individuals for whom excellence is not an aspiration but a constant — masters of the well-appointed life whose every aspect has been shaped by their bold intentions and studious curation.
From its collection of beautifully crafted light-filled residences to its extensive line-up of exquisitely designed amenities and stunning architecture, the North Tower represents the pinnacle of modernity, sophistication, and luxury. While enveloping residents with the hallmarks of refinement with which they are familiar, it also provides everyday revelations that spark inspiration, excitement, and joy.
LIVING SPACES THAT INSPIRE AN INTENTIONAL LIFE
Nicole Hernandez touring the beautiful show units of The Velaris Residences North Tower
While rising to 40 storeys, the North Tower houses a limited collection of units, each masterfully designed to the minutest detail to reflect a first world lifestyle, one which melds together tasteful aesthetics, easy comfort, and quiet discretion.
All residences, which range from one- to four-bedroom units, are elegantly proportioned with generous floor plans. The four-bedroom, penthouse, and townhouse suites are of special note with their impressive double volume ceilings. This bold architectural detail imbues these units with an airy grandeur, transforming them into inviting spaces that lend themselves naturally to both restful retreats and graceful entertaining.
One- and one-and-a-half bedroom units are equipped with spacious indoor patios, which enable residents to bring the outside in and create indoor oases that both calm and reinvigorate. Meanwhile, the rest of the units feature balconies which bring the joys of outdoor living. Both provide inimitable views of the surrounding environs, which include two notable art and design landmarks: the Victor, a 200-feet lighting installation piece by globally recognized artist JEFRË, and Bridgetowne’s scenic bridge designed by the late national artist Francisco Mañosa. A thoughtful approach to layouts that maximizes natural light further brings a feeling of brightness and openness to every unit.
Smart home features utilize the latest technologies to supply the modern domestic niceties that define today’s connected home. Digital door locks with biometric fingerprint scan, PIN code, and RFID card access ensure security while light and air-conditioning systems that can be controlled remotely through smart devices deliver convenience and energy-efficiency. Smart mirrors, which are available in two-bedroom and larger units, kick-start mornings efficiently by delivering news, weather reports, and even personal calendars, among others, to help prepare for and organize the rest of the day.
Meanwhile, the private lifts for two-bedroom and bigger units and the two-units-to-one-elevator ratio of the typical floors provide North Tower residents with a high level of privacy, one of the remaining true luxuries in today’s world.
“Each residence was designed to resemble modern sky villas,” shares Martha Herrera-Subido, Head of Marketing, RHK Land. “We believe our homes are not merely spaces for habitation — they are reflections of the kind of life we want and choose to live. The North Tower provides residents with the perfect backdrop for the purposeful lives they lead.”
A MULTI-SENSORIAL JOURNEY OF INTENTION AND INSPIRATION
Kelly Misa inside one of the show units of The Velaris Residences
The Velaris Residences offers best-in-class amenities that are comparable to 5-star hotel facilities. “Each amenity was designed to become part of a multi-sensorial journey of intention and inspiration, following our vision to create an environment with the power to inspire people,” continues Herrera-Subido.
Some of the exciting amenities offered by the property include an indoor and outdoor Japanese sento, a sculpture garden, a garden lounge with floating daybeds, a lifestyle gym with a dance studio and cycling studio, a badminton and pickleball court, a golf simulator studio, an Olympic-length infinity pool, a treetop playground, and camping grounds.
The Velaris Residences North Tower also nods to recent shifts in how people live and work. The business lounge, which includes a meeting room, as well as the creative studio, furnish spaces geared for productivity, making them suitable for residents for whom hybrid work arrangements have become the norm.
Smart lockers and a secure mailroom allow for convenient package deliveries with limited interface. The residents’ portal, a companion app to access property management services and updates, takes this a step further by offering a contactless lifestyle option. With it, residents can settle dues, send requests for maintenance, coordinate deliveries, and book amenities with just a few taps on their smartphones.
The pièce de résistance of The Velaris Residences’ amenities, however, is the Velaris SkyClub. Like a social club in the clouds, it contains multiple features where residents can immerse themselves in their interests and pastimes without having to take one step outside—a private theater and game room for entertainment aficionados, a wine gallery and casual and gourmet dining areas for gourmands, and a cigar room for tobacco connoisseurs. Moreover, it offers several options for hosting private gatherings with its SkyLounge, SkyBar and SkyDeck areas.
CAPTURING THE PULSE OF A NEW MEGALOPOLIS
The Velaris Residences North Tower residents are set to be advantageously placed right at the beating heart of the megalopolis rising along the 44-kilometer C5 growth corridor. Given this, residents have unparalleled access to several of Metro Manila’s major business hubs, including Makati City, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Ortigas Center. Planned and on-going infrastructure projects such as the MRT 4, Metro Manila Mega Subway Project, and C-6 Expressway, are slated to further enhance its connectivity.
Specifically, The Velaris Residences sits in a prime spot in Bridgetowne, a 31-hectare master-planned estate that stretches across Pasig City and Quezon City. Envisioned as a mixed-use community with grade A office buildings, an upscale mall, hotels, schools, a FIFA-preferred sports field, and the world’s biggest outdoor obstacle park, Bridgetowne offers The Velaris Residences residents the accoutrements of a truly cosmopolitan lifestyle. These are further complemented by the attractions and establishments in nearby townships.
“With its central location, The Velaris Residences not only allows owners to create the home they have always envisaged but it can also help them further build equity in the long term by being an attractive investment opportunity,” comments Raz. “The sizeable current economic activity in and around Bridgetowne and The Velaris Residences is expected to continue to soar in the foreseeable future, positioning residents to benefit immensely from this projected growth.”
AN ALLIANCE OF GIANTS
A true luxury real estate gamechanger, The Velaris Residences is the visionary collaboration between two well-respected real estate titans.
Hongkong Land, founded in 1889, is a major listed property investment, management, and development group. It owns and manages more than 850,000 square meters of prime office and luxury retail property in key Asian cities, principally Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Jakarta. A member of the Jardine Matheson Group, it has a number of high-quality residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects under development in cities across China and Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, its other notable projects include premium properties One Roxas Triangle and Two Roxas Triangle in Makati City and Mandani Bay in Cebu.
Meanwhile, RLC is one of the leading real estate companies in the Philippines and a subsidiary of one of the country’s largest conglomerates, JG Summit Holdings, Inc. RLC has a diversified portfolio that includes office buildings, full-service shopping malls, and varied class hotels across the Philippines.
Through RHK Land, HKL and RLC expertly melds local expertise and international award-winning design. This finds its initial expression in The Velaris Residences, a modernist concrete-and-glass embodiment of intentional design.
To own a piece of one of the city’s most coveted addresses, visit The Velaris Residences Show Gallery located in Bridgetowne. Visit their website at thevelarisresidences.com to learn more about the property.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld website. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will convene car executives with ministerial leaders, energy executives and unions on Monday to discuss how Germany can meet its target of 15 million electric cars on the road by 2030, a government spokesperson said.
The chancellor is convinced the goal could be reached if carmakers produced more cheaply priced and longer-range cars, spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said at a press conference on Friday.
A ruling last week by a German constitutional court that the re-allocation of 60 billion euros ($65.44 billion) towards climate and industry initiatives was unconstitutional has left the government scrambling for alternative sources of funds and cast doubt over planned projects, including expanding charging infrastructure.
Still, a spokesperson for the transport ministry said they were working at high speed to expand the charging network, with over 100,000 publicly available spots already built.
The coalition agreement of Germany’s government stated it aimed to have “at least 15 million fully-electric passenger vehicles in 2030“, but Transport Minister Volker Wissing loosened the terms last year to include both electric and hybrid cars.
The latest available data from German federal motor authority KBA showed there were 2.2 million cars with an electric motor on German roads by October this year, of which 1.3 million were fully-electric cars. – Reuters
