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Philippine education spending trails behind region, PIDS study shows

Students attend class at Pedro Cruz Elementary School in San Juan City, Dec. 6. Photo by Michael Varcas, The Philippine Star

PHILIPPINE education spending still lags behind regional peers despite strong growth over more than two decades, contributing to poor international testing performance, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said.

In a discussion paper “Education Spending and Schooling Quality in the Philippines,” PIDS fellow Michael R.M. Abrigo found that education spending per person in the Philippines grew faster than the recorded gross domestic product (GDP) per person over the same period.

The large part of growth occurred more recently as total education spending increased by 6.4% over the last 15 years. By 2019, spending was at P1.2 trillion annually, from just half a trillion in 2005.

“During this period, households bear majority of the expense, reaching as high as 59.3% in 2005, although increasing government expenditures contributed to the decline in the household share, settling at 54.5% in 2019,” Mr. Abrigo said.

Education spending reached 7.5% of GDP by 2019 versus 5.8% in 2005.

Mr. Abrigo studied spending through basic education consumption. The Philippine cumulative basic education consumption almost tripled between 1990 and 2015, increasing by 3.3% year on year in the first decade then by 6.3% per year in the next five years.

“It is noteworthy that these rates are significantly larger than the annual growth in per capita GDP, which registered at 1.7% between 1990 and 2010 and 4.3% between 2010 and 2015,” he said.

The private sector spends about just as much to finance basic education as the government over the said period.

But the country’s education spending still lagged behind others in the Asia-Pacific region.

“While per student public spending appears to be strongly correlated with per capita income, the Philippines spends only about 60% and 72% of Indonesia’s per student public spending for primary and secondary levels, respectively, despite the Philippines’ per capita income being 84% of Indonesia for the years presented,” Mr. Abrigo said.

Mr. Abrigo said education spending does not necessarily lead to better school outcomes. But he also cited reports showing how average schooling quality increases with more basic education consumption.

“This observation is true for the science, mathematics, and reading scores. While this association may not be interpreted as causal, it is suggestive that greater resources may be needed to raise schooling quality, especially in resource-poor settings,” he said.

The Philippines received poor scores under the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It showed 15-year-old Filipino students ranked the lowest among 79 countries in mathematics, science, and reading.

Mr. Abrigo suggested policy responses based on cost-effective education for better schooling outcomes.

“Poor schooling quality need not be the necessary and only outcome of subpar education spending levels,” he said. “A more important and arguably more urgent challenge for government is to identify and to scale cost-effective education interventions that better translate resource inputs to desired education outcomes.” — Jenina P. Ibañez

Colliers expects real estate recovery next year

BW FILE PHOTO

Colliers Philippines expects a rebound for the country’s property market next year on the back of the country’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rate and improved consumer and business confidence, the real estate services firm said in a report on Monday.

“The Philippine property marketing is raring to roar back in 2022. In our view, office, residential, retail, and industrial sectors will benefit from a macroeconomic rebound,” Colliers Philippines Associate Director Joey Roi H. Bondoc said in the report.

“Landlords should prepare to capture pent-up demand, while tenants and investors should maximize opportunities as the market is on its way to recovery,” he said.

For the office market, Colliers expects the rebound to be supported by the country’s continued COVID-19 vaccination program. It also noted that some companies continued to look for office spaces despite work-from-home arrangements.

In 2022, Colliers expects new office supply to reach 723,400 square meters (sq.m.). It also expects “heightened preference” for sustainable office buildings, with features that allow its spaces to have natural lighting and optimized air quality.

For the residential market, Colliers anticipates increased interest in the northern-central part of Luzon thanks to the upcoming completion of major infrastructure projects and new township projects of property developers.

“Colliers also believes that Bulacan will most likely be an attractive residential investment destination as it will benefit from major infrastructure projects,” the real estate services firm said, citing the completion of the New Manila International Airport and MRT-7.

Meanwhile, Colliers expects consumers to continue shopping online beyond the pandemic and recommends retailers to design stores and spaces that would allow for flexible use, such as hosting COVID-19 vaccination sites, using spaces for pop-up stores, and having alternative dining options for shoppers.

Colliers expects retail vacancy to rise to 17% as 523,700 sq.m. of new retail spaces are completed next year, and as demand remains muted due to changing pandemic restrictions.

“Colliers expects rents to recover slowly starting 2022 with an improved vaccination program and a government-projected economic recovery spurring an increase in consumer spending,” it said.

Meanwhile, Colliers noted that the Department of Tourism is expecting domestic trips to reach 84.8 million next year. The real estate services firm expects hotel demand to be spurred by local travelers, while “slow recovery” with foreign tourists is anticipated to begin in 2023.

On the other hand, the growth of the industrial property sector will be supported by the growing e-commerce market, logistics sector, and manufacturing sectors.

Colliers recommends developers to look into expanding via cold chain facilities as demand is expected to be maintained for the next three years.

Colliers said renovating existing warehouse facilities can help firms maximize opportunities seen for the upcoming year.

“We encourage developers to utilize advanced-technology such as facility automation, artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and cloud- managed IT solutions,” it said. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

The sound of Christmas

The Philippines is at No. 6 among countries with the most Christmas music streams on Spotify

CHRISTMAS tunes are very popular in the Philippines according to Spotify’s 2021 Holiday Music Listening Trends list, taking the 6th spot among countries with most Christmas songs played across the globe. The Philippines had over 216 mil-lion plays of holiday songs.

Using data gathered between Nov. 1 and Dec. 9, Spotify found that the most-streamed Christmas song on Spotify in the Philippines was “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey which recently hit 1 billion streams on the platform and is also the most popular Christmas song around the globe. In the Philippines, this was followed by “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande, “Christmas in Our Hearts” by Jose Mari Chan, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” by Michael Bublé (which is No. 3 worldwide), and “Last Christmas” by Wham!.

For more holiday music, listeners can check out Spotify’s Paskong Pinoy and Maligayang Pasko! playlists. . — MAPS

GLOBAL MARKETS WITH MOST CHRISTMAS SONGS PLAYED

1. USA
2. Germany
3. United Kingdom
4. Canada
5. Sweden
6. Philippines
7. Netherlands
8. Mexico
9. Australia
10. Norway

MOST-STREAMED CHRISTMAS SONGS ON SPOTIFY THIS SEASON
(NOV. 1 TO DEC. 9)
  Philippines

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
2. “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
3. “Christmas in Our Hearts” by Jose Mari Chan
4. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas” by Michael Bublé
5. “Last Christmas” by Wham!

  Global

1. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
2. “Last Christmas” by Wham!
3. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé
4. “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms
5. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

POPULAR NEWER HOLIDAY HITS
(the most-streamed Christmas songs on Spotify released within the past five years)

1 “Snowman” by Sia
2. “White Christmas” by Amy Grant
3. “Santa’s Coming for Us” by Sia
4. “Hallelujah” by Pentatonix
5.“Merry Christmas” by Ed Sheeran, Elton John

MOST-STREAMED CHRISTMAS SONGS OF ALL TIME ON SPOTIFY GLOBALLY

1. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
2. “Last Christmas” by Wham!
3. “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
4. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé
5.“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

MOST-REPEATED CHRISTMAS SONGS ON SPOTIFY IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
2. “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
3. “Last Christmas” by Wham!
4. “Snowman” by Sia
5.“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber

Telco DITO ending 2021 with over P2-billion revenue — Tamano

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter

DITO Telecommunity Corp. announced on Monday that it had generated P2 billion in revenue as of Dec. 18, and that it expects to reach up to P2.3 billion by the end of the year.

“We already have that as of Dec. 18; we already reached our P2-billion revenue mark,”  DITO Telecommunity Chief Administrative Officer Adel A. Tamano said during a virtual briefing.

“For next year, our ambitions are much bigger,” he noted. “I am not allowed to say that because we are still working on our budgets and our plans for next year.”

DITO Telecommunity has already built more than 4,000 cell towers, the company said, up from 1,300 towers it ​reported in February this year. The telco, which began commercial operations in March this year, said in July that it was targeting to complete 4,500 cell towers by December as part of its nationwide expansion.

“Coupled with that is our milestone of achieving the 22,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cable,” DITO Telecommunity Chief Technology Officer Rodolfo D. Santiago said at the same briefing.

DITO Telecommunity now has more than five million subscribers in more than 500 areas, according to Mr. Tamano.

The company reached 52.75% of the national population in the second technical audit results released by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) recently. Its average broadband speeds were at 89.13 megabits per second (Mbps) for fourth-generation (4G) network and 853.96 Mbps for 5G.

DITO Telecommunity has committed to cover 51.01% of the national population and render a minimum average broadband speed of 55 Mbps in its second year of operations.

If it fails, the government must recall the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and frequencies awarded to it and keep its performance bond of P25 billion.

In its first technical audit earlier this year, the NTC declared DITO Telecommunity compliant with its requirement to cover 37.03% of the country’s population and provide a minimum average broadband speed of 27 Mbps in its first year of service. R.G. Manabat & Co. conducted the technical audit.

The third telco player’s listed parent company, DITO CME Holdings Corp., is set to conduct an P8-billion stock rights offering. The rights offer period will begin at 9 a.m. on Dec. 27 and conclude at 12 p.m. on Jan. 18. The price per share has been set at P4.88.

“The proceeds from the offer will be contributed by the company as additional capital into DITO Telecommunity to support a successful commercial rollout and for general corporate purposes,” DITO CME said in a disclosure to the stock exchange on Friday last week.

DITO CME shares closed 4.78% lower at P5.18 apiece on Monday.

Figaro Coffee Group ‘cautiously optimistic’ on growth plans

FIGARO.PH

By Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte, Reporter 

Figaro Coffee Group, Inc. is “cautiously optimistic” about its growth plans as it prepares for a P1.77-billion initial public offering (IPO) in January.

“We’re targeting about 150 system-wide stores across all our brands by the end of next year — that’s the target, that’s our goal. We’re working towards it, but we are cautiously optimistic,” Figaro Chairman and Director Justin T. Liu told BusinessWorld in a virtual call on Monday.

“We are closely monitoring the pandemic situation, the Omicron variant, how the government will be responding, we’re also monitoring the consumer confidence,” he said.

The company is behind food brands such as Figaro Coffee, Angel’s Pizza, TFG Express, and Tien Ma’s Taiwanese Cuisine.

Figaro will be offering to the public 1.26 billion primary shares for up to P1.28 apiece, with an overallotment option comprising 126 million common shares.

The company will put a price tag on its IPO shares this Wednesday, Dec. 22.

Figaro deferred the timetable of its IPO, with an offer period now expected to run from Jan. 10 to 14. Meanwhile, it will list on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange on Jan. 24, 2022, instead of a New Year’s Eve debut.

Mr. Liu said the company is “not very worried” that market sentiment on recent public offerings might spill over to its own. The company expects its IPO “to be successful either way.”

“We see that the market understands our growth story and the prospectus shows the excellent performance and I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with our products, so we basically trust that the market will price it in the right manner,” Mr. Liu said.

Figaro plans to use net proceeds from the P1.77-billion IPO to put up new stores and renovate existing branches, commissary expansion, debt repayment, information technology infrastructure developments, as well as for potential acquisitions.

The company aims to open 35 new Angel’s Pizza stores within the next three years, more than the planned 18 TFG Express kiosks, six new Figaro Coffee shops, and two Tien Ma’s Taiwanese Cuisine restaurants combined.

“Angel’s Pizza really is our growth driver and the growth of Angel’s Pizza was accelerated during the pandemic because of lockdowns,” Mr. Liu said, adding that the brand benefited from its availability through delivery services.

He added: “The major factor for choosing to allot more capital to Angel’s [Pizza] really is the market demand. We see a lot of our customers [always] clamoring for us to open in their hometowns or where they live so we took this into consideration.”

Figaro launched 12 new Angel’s Pizza stores this year. The company aims to put up more stores in Metro Manila, as well as nearby provinces like Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite, and “potentially” major cities like Cebu.

Mr. Liu said the company also took into consideration the effects of the pandemic on dine-in businesses, noting that “coffee shops were really affected” because of restrictions.

Meanwhile, the TFG Express kiosks are “a play on the cloud kitchen model” located in gasoline stations. The current five outlets serve the best products from all of Figaro’s food brands.

“It costs lower to put one of those stores up and we can quickly ramp up the location base for delivery, which is connected to Grab Food so we’re able to play on the take out and also the delivery with multi-brands,” Mr. Liu said.

Figaro plans to work on its “future growth prospects,” with Mr. Liu noting that the company’s business model has been effective and resilient “whether in a pandemic or pre-pandemic times.”

One of Figaro’s advantages is having diversified sales channels, he said. The group has dine-in services, take-out and delivery systems, as well as streamlined e-commerce and logistics channels.

“Through this IPO we look to cement our brands and our company in the Philippine [food and beverage industry] for many more years to come,” Mr. Liu said.

PSE reclassifies 11 firms to new sectors, subsectors

BW FILE PHOTO

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) will reclassify 11 listed firms to new sectors and subsectors by next week, Dec. 27.

In a circular published on Monday, the local bourse said the reclassification “is in consideration of corporate developments disclosed to the exchange as well as the result of a review of the companies’ financial statements for the years 2018 to 2020 and the latest quarterly report for 2021.”

The PSE’s Sector Classification Guide provides that a company will be put under a sector and subsector that is closely related to at least 60% or more of its revenue-maker.

AyalaLand Logistics Holdings, Corp. (ALLHC) will be under Property from Holding Firms.

“Accordingly, ALLHC shall become a constituent of the Property index from the Holding Firms index,” the PSE said.

Berjaya Philippines, Inc. will be classified under Retail of the Services sector, coming from Casinos & Gaming. Meanwhile, Belle Corp. will be moved to the Services sector under Casinos & Gaming from Property.

Villar-led Golden MV Holdings, Inc. will be classified under the Property sector from Services. Jolliville Holdings Corp. will be classified under the Electricity, Energy, Power, & Water of the Industrial sector, instead of under Holding Firms.

The Keepers Holdings, Inc. will be moving to the Food, Beverage, & Tobacco subsector of Industrial, after being under the Construction, Infrastructure, & Allied Services subsector.

MJC Investments Corp. will be reclassified to Casinos & Gaming under the Services sector, after having been under the Holding Firms sector.

Omico Corp. will be moved to Property from Mining & Oil under the Mining subsector.

Synergy Grid & Development Phils, Inc. will be under the Electricity, Energy Power & Water subsector of Industrial, while SOCResources, Inc. will be reclassified to Property. Both firms were previously part of the Holding Firms sector.

Meanwhile, PhilWeb Corp. will remain with the Services sector under the Casinos & Gaming subsector, instead of Information Technology. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

MMFF launches short films by creators on Facebook

FERRY boats served as the floats for the entries to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival in the first-ever Fluvial Parade of Stars along the Pasig River.

THE METRO Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has partnered with Meta, formerly the Facebook company, to showcase short films by Filipino creators on Facebook.

The MMFF will feature five short films made by creators which will premiere on Dec. 25 at the creators’ respective Facebook pages. With the theme “Lockdown,” the short films run for 10 to 15 minutes.

The short films are: Let It Simmer by Erwan Heussaf of Featr (watch at www.facebook.com/featrmedia) which follows two young people who did not want to spend the first lockdown in Manila alone, so they decide to move in together. While living together, they explore each other’s tastes and learn about each other. Kandado by Pio Balbuena (watch at https://www.facebook.com/PioBalbuena) tells the story of Anghel who ends up in jail after failing to wear a mask. While in prison, he discovers a new power structure that he must carefully navigate to survive. Dito Ka Lang by Beverly Cumla (watch at https://www.facebook.com/BCumla) exposes the stories of those who are trapped, voiceless, powerless, and dealing with a situation more life-threating than the virus. Then and Now by Discover Mnl (watch at https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverMNL) is a rundown of how life was before and at present, and how one occurrence could mean a lot of different things all at the same time. Pepe sa Lockdown by Rayn Brizuela / PGAG (watch at https://www.facebook.com/myPGAG) follows a young man from the year 2080 who is sent back to the past to take on a mission of finding a solution to end the seemingly “eternal” lockdown.

The MMFF jury will also award the Jury’s Choice Award for the short film that “goes beyond mere entertainment, demonstrates creative excellence, and elevates the Facebook viewing experience,” a press release stated.

“In the midst of a lockdown, we witnessed how the creative spirit of the Filipino shines through in the funny, heartwarming, and meaningful content we see online. Through our partnership with Meta, we hope to continue to support the diverse community of Filipino storytellers who share original, engaging, and meaningful content,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and MMFF concurrent Chairman Benhur Abalos said in a state-ment.

Content creation has transformed modern storytelling said Revie Sylviana, Entertainment Partnerships Director for the Philippines at Meta, said in a statement.

“In the past year and a half, countless Filipino creators have shared their stories with the world through Facebook, helping bring people together and stay connected through these trying times. By partnering with the Metro Ma-nila Film Festival, we celebrate the creativity and immense talent of these Filipino creators, who have shared original, engaging, and impactful stories that go beyond mere entertainment,” Ms. Sylviana said.

THE FULL-LENGTH FILMS

Unlike last year’s festival which went online, the 2021 festival will return to 300 cinemas, which are allowed to operate at 50% capacity, from Dec. 25 to Jan. 8, 2022.

This year’s eight full-length MMFF films are Lawrence Fajardo’s action drama A Hard Day, starring Dingdong Dantes and John Arcilla; Jun Robles Lana’s comedy Big Night, starring Christian Bables and John Arcilla; Louie Ignacio’s romance comedy Huling Ulan Sa Tag-Araw, starring Rita Daniela and Ken Chan; Adolf Alix, Jr.’s horror film Huwag Kang Lalabas, starring Kim Chiu, Jameson Blake, Beauty Gonzalez, and Aiko Melendez; Carlo Francisco Manatad’s drama Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine), starring Charo Santos and Daniel Padilla; Cathy Garcia-Molina’s romance comedy Love at First Stream, starring Kaori Oinuma, Jeremiah Lisbo, Daniella Stranner, and Anthony Jennings; Lester Dimaranan’s suspense drama Nelia, starring Wynwyn Marquez and Raymond Bagatsing; and Fifth Solomon’s comedy horror The Exorsis, starring Toni and Alex Gonzaga. — MAPS

Manila Water, MWSS again push back date for new concession deal

Water concessionaire Manila Water Co., Inc.  said on Monday that it would extend anew the effectivity period for its revised concessions agreement (RCA) with the government.

Manila Water and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) signed a third amendment to extend the start of the effectivity of the RCA to Feb. 16, 2022.

“This is to allow the parties more time to fulfill the remaining conditions to the effectivity of the RCA,” the company said in a stock exchange disclosure.

The RCA introduces a tariff freeze until Dec. 31, 2022 to help consumers recover from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

It also includes a tariff adjustment for inflation that will be two-thirds of the consumer price index (CPI) and the removal of the foreign currency difference adjustment to prevent tariff spikes.

Both parties signed an amendment in Sept. 30 that extended the period for effectivity to Nov. 18, and a second amendment in Nov. 18 that extended it to Dec. 18.

In November, Manila Water decided to waive its water rate increases for 2021 due to the MWSS’s rate-rebasing adjustment.

All debt and expenditures of the concessionaire will also be reviewed and approved by the regulatory office. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Spider-Man ignites pandemic box office with historic opening

A STILL from film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

LOS ANGELES — Spider-Man: No Way Home racked up a head-spinning $253 million in US and Canadian ticket sales over the weekend, setting a pandemic record and ranking as the third-biggest domestic debut in Hollywood history even as a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) variant spreads.

Around the globe, No Way Home generated an additional $334.2 million for a worldwide weekend total of $587.2 million, according to estimates from distributor Sony Corp.

The blockbuster returns delivered a much-needed jolt to US cinema companies such as AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, and Cineworld that have struggled to draw crowds during the pandemic. The emergence of the Omicron variant has sparked new concerns.

But as Broadway and New York City’s Rockettes canceled shows and the National Football League postponed games, theaters were abuzz. Fans packed auditoriums for No Way Home, a big-budget superhero spectacle co-produced by Sony and Walt Disney Co that is playing only in theaters.

The movie stars Tom Holland as Marvel’s web-slinging superhero and Zendaya, as his girlfriend MJ, in the third film in the Spider-Man trilogy. It also brings back stars of previous Spider-Man films.

“This weekend’s historic Spider-Man: No Way Home results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have,” Tom Rothman, the chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, said in a statement.

US and Canadian ticket sales crushed the most optimistic projections from last week, when analysts deemed $200 million a long shot. No Way Home finished just behind Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War and ahead of the Star Wars film The Force Awakens.

Cinemark said ticket sales for No Way Home were especially strong in the United States and Latin America and on large-format screens.

Mr. Holland offered gratitude to fans. “Thank you thank you thank you and if you haven’t seen Spider-Man No Way Home yet … merry Christmas and you know what to do,” he wrote on Instagram.

The fact that the film concluded a popular trilogy added to its appeal, said Jeff Bock, senior media analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co., and many fans wanted to see the new installment on the opening weekend before they read spoilers on social media.

SUPERHEROES

The success underscored the continuing pull of superhero-based films at cinemas, Mr. Bock added, particularly among young people who are used to streaming movies at home.

“It reinforces the fact that superheroes are number one, and everybody else is somewhere way down below,” he said. The previous pandemic record was set by Marvel superhero film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which took in $90 million domestically over its first three days in October. Marvel’s Black Widow opened with $80 million back in May.

Other genres have struggled to lure audiences. Steven Spielberg’s remake of classic musical West Side Story, which has earned rave reviews and Oscar nominations buzz, sold $3.4 million worth of tickets in the US and Canadian market over the weekend. Its global total stands at $27.1 million after two weekends in theaters. — Reuters

Summit Hotels expands in Camarines Sur

Summit Hotel Naga is set to open on Jan. 8, 2022.

SUMMIT HOTELS is expanding in Camarines Sur, with the opening of a new hotel in Naga City in January.

Summit Hotel Naga, the company’s seventh property, will open on Jan. 8, 2022. It is located in the heart of Naga City, and a one-minute walk away from Robinsons Place Naga.

“Our newest Summit Hotel offers 60 spacious guest rooms, a mix of 56 Deluxe Rooms and four Summit Suites,” Joy de Mesa, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts group director of sales and marketing, said in a statement.

The 32-square meter (sq.m.) deluxe room is furnished with a 42-inch flat screen LED television and ample desk space for business travelers.

The four Summit Suites are named Peñafrancia, Makusog, Magayon, and Voyadores, a nod to Bicolano culture. The suites have a floor area of 37.5 sq.m., including a receiving/living room area.

“The (Summit) Suites are tastefully decorated suites — from the wood-paneled floors to the furnishings in neutral tones, to the bath tub inside a spacious bathroom,” Angelo Ascue, associate director of sales at Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, said.

Guests can use the self-check-in kiosks at the hotel.

The hotel also has an all-day dining restaurant, the Cafe Summit. Among its signature dishes include Sorsi, a local version of scallops originated from Sorsogon, and a lava burger, featuring a house-made burger patty and topped with melted cheese and BBQ sauce.

Summit Hotel Naga is expected to be the newest business conference hotel in the city. It has a 46-sq.m. Asog function room, 566-sq.m. pillarless Isarog Ballroom, and 276-sq.m. outdoor patio.

“Summit Hotel Naga offers a complete banquet facilities portfolio best suited for both business and social events,” Mr. Ascue said.

Meanwhile, a new Go Hotels Plus will open in Naga in the second quarter of 2022. The 68-room hotel is next to the Summit Hotel Naga.

Ms. De Mesa said Go Hotels Plus is an “upgraded essential value brand” with many “Instagrammable” areas.

Summit Hotel Naga and Go Hotels Plus Naga are located within the Robinsons Place Naga Complex, along Almeda Highway, Brgy. Triangulo, Naga City, Camarines Sur. — Cathy Rose A. Garcia

NLEX, LRMC outline measures for holidays

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

NLEX Corp. on Monday said it is ready to implement additional measures to manage the expected increase in traffic volume on its toll roads during the holidays.

NLEX, a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), plans to boost its operations along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)-Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).

The company will “field 1,200 patrol crews, traffic marshals, security teams, and toll lane personnel to assist motorists and ensure efficient traffic flow,” NLEX Corp. said in an e-mailed statement.

There will also be close monitoring of Balintawak, Mindanao, Karuhatan, Bocaue, San Simon, San Fernando, Tarlac, and Tipo toll plazas.

“High volume of vehicles is anticipated in these areas,” the company noted. “Emergency medical services and incident response teams will be prepositioned at strategic areas for immediate deployment.”

Meanwhile, Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), announced on Monday that it would implement shortened operating hours on Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve) and Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve).

This means that train commuters should plan their trips ahead of time.

“On Dec. 24, the last trip from Baclaran Station will leave at 8 p.m., while the last train from Balintawak Station will leave at 8:15 p.m. from the previous 9:15 p.m. departure on regular weekends/holiday schedule,” the company said.

“While on Dec. 31, the last trip from Baclaran Station will leave at 7 p.m. and the last train from Balintawak Station will depart 7:15 p.m.,” it also said. “The first trains on the said dates will still leave both ends of the train line at 4:30 a.m.”

The Roosevelt Station will still be temporarily closed due the ongoing construction of the Unified Grand Central Station, which will connect LRT-1, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), and MRT-7.

LRMC is the joint venture of Ayala Corp., MPIC, and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte. Ltd. It holds the P65-billion, 32-year Public-Private Partnership contract to operate LRT-1 and build its extension to Cavite.

Meanwhile, MPCALA Holdings, Inc., which is also an MPTC unit, unveiled on Monday the first fully electric security vehicle of its Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

“As part of its goal of becoming a green highway, the toll road company will transition its entire fleet of traffic and security vehicles in CALAX into environment-friendly electric vehicles (EV),” it said in an e-mailed statement.

MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of First Pacific, the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

NCCC starts building new mall

THE new NCCC Mall in Ma-a is expected to be completed by 2024.

DAVAO CITY — Homegrown retail chain New City Commercial Corp. (NCCC) has started construction of a P4-billion shopping mall at the site where an old one was burned down in 2017.

NCCC Malls Assistant Vice-President for Operations Rodolfo Saturos said they are targeting 2024 for the completion of the four-storey building in Davao City with a Philippine eagle motif by architectural firm Asya Design.

He also assured that the mall is compliant with the latest building code and will have the latest technology on fire suppression.

“As you see in the designs, there are presentations of the availability of fire ducts, hydrants, automatic fire alarm detectors. These are the latest technology as of the moment. These are the additional features that the designer put into consideration for this mall,” he said during the project launch last week.

Althea Lucas, vice-president for NCCC Malls, said the project will be funded by a combination of bank loans and internal sources.

The three-hectare area at the corner of MacArthur Highway and Ma-a Road will be developed into a mixed-use complex that will include sports facilities and a condominium project in partnership with DMCI Project Developers, Inc. (DMCI Homes).

“It’s a separate project (the condominium), but in terms of developing the area, we have worked with DMCI to ensure that it would be very friendly for the residents of the condominium and it will be convenient for the shoppers of the mall,” Ms. Lucas said.

Under the approved vehicular traffic impact study of the project, part of the complex will be used as access road to minimize congestion along the two busy main roads. — Maya M. Padillo