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Term deposit yields inch down on slower inflation, Fed move

BW FILE PHOTO

YIELDS on the central bank’s term deposits inched down on Wednesday following slower inflation and the US Federal Reserve’s commitment to stay accommodative.

Demand for the term deposit facility (TDF) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) was at P560.497 billion on Wednesday, surpassing the P520-billion offering but failing to beat the P641.782 billion in bids a week earlier.

Broken down, the seven-day deposits fetched bids amounting to P204.327 billion, higher than the P180 billion on the auction block but lower than the P247.573 billion worth of tenders logged the previous week.

Accepted rates for the tenor ranged from 1.7% to 1.76%, a tad narrower than the 1.7% to 1.7716% band logged in last week’s auction. This caused the average rate of the paper to drop by 1 basis point (bp) to 1.7421% from 1.7521% previously.

Meanwhile, the 14-day papers saw bids amounting to P356.17 billion, surpassing the P340-billion offer but less than the P394.209 billion logged a week ago.

Banks asked for yields ranging from 1.74% to 1.85%, wider than the 1.75% to 1.7875% margin seen on Nov. 3. With this, the average rate of the two-week term deposits slipped by 0.6 bp to 1.7636% from 1.7696% a week ago.

The central bank has not offered 28-day term deposits for more than a year to give way to its weekly auctions of bills with the same tenor.

Yields on the term deposits declined on Wednesday after inflation eased in October, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

Headline inflation in October was at a three-month low at 4.6%, easing from the 4.8% in September. It was also slower than the 4.9% median estimate of 21 analysts in a BusinessWorld poll.

However, inflation remains beyond the 2-4% target set by the BSP. The October consumer price index outturn brought year-to-date inflation to 4.5%, also quicker than the 4.4% estimate of the BSP for the year.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said slower increase in food prices caused the slight easing in inflation last month.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno has said they are ready to keep an accommodative stance to support economic recovery as long as inflation remains manageable.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ricafort said the market also took into account the Fed’s policy announcements.

The Fed last week announced it will start reducing its monthly purchase of Treasury assets, but kept the policy rates near zero. Fed Chairman Jerome H. Powell said they will stay patient to support recovery while the labor market remains weak. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Facebook to expand climate science center in the country

FREEPIK

FACEBOOK on Tuesday announced the expansion of its climate science center to the Philippines, with the goal of connecting Filipinos with “factual resources” as part of its efforts to fight climate change.

“Facebook is committed to reducing our environmental footprint and elevating the latest climate science to our community while minimizing climate misinformation,” the social media platform said in an e-mailed statement.

The social media company said the climate science center will be expanded to more than 100 countries, including the Philippines.

“Through the climate science center, Facebook plays its part by helping people find accurate, science-led information, while also tackling misinformation,” it noted.

The center aims to connect Filipinos “with factual resources from the world’s leading climate organizations and actionable steps they can take in their everyday lives to combat climate change.”

Citing its recent survey with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, Facebook said 78% of the Filipino respondents considered climate change as an “extremely” or “very important” issue.

“More than eight in 10 Filipinos [said] they were ‘somewhat worried’ or ‘very worried’ about climate change,” it noted. Meanwhile, nearly nine in 10 wanted more information about climate change.

More than seven in 10 Filipinos said that climate change should be a “high” or “very high priority” for the government, while more than six in 10 said it should do more to address the problem.

At the same time, more than seven in 10 said the Philippines should use more renewable sources of energy.

“Seventy-six percent of Filipinos also think that action to reduce climate change will improve economic growth and provide new jobs,” Facebook noted.

At the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last week, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said financing from multilateral institutions is crucial to encourage private sector capital in clean energy transition projects in the country.

Mr. Dominguez has been pushing for more climate financing from wealthy economies that have not offered enough to help developing nations reduce their carbon footprint.

Such countries bear the most responsibility for their historic emissions, he said.

The Philippines has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% from 2020 to 2030.

Of the 75% target, just 2.71% can be achieved with internal resources, while the remaining 72.29% rests on international assistance.

The Finance department said extreme weather events have caused P506.1 billion in losses and damage to the Philippines over the past decade, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to the climate crisis even though it accounts for only 0.3% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Puregold net profit rises 13.6% even as sales drop

PUREGOLD Price Club, Inc. saw a 13.6% growth in its consolidated net income to P5.73 billion in the January-to-September period, higher than the P5.05 billion logged a year ago even as its sales went down as it kept its costs low.

In a disclosure to the exchange on Wednesday, the company said its consolidated net sales went down by 4.9% to P115.24 billion in the first nine months.

Majority or 72% of the company’s revenues is attributed to its Puregold Stores network, while its S&R Membership warehouse clubs and S&R New York Pizza Style stores account for 28%.

Meanwhile, Puregold’s consolidated income from operations grew 6.7% to P9.06 billion from last year’s P8.5 billion on the back of better gross margins and “strategic cost controls.”

As of end-September, Puregold has launched 19 new organic stores out of its targeted 30 new stores. S&R also launched two new warehouse clubs.

The Puregold group currently has 489 stores across the country, comprising 422 Puregold stores, 45 S&R New York Style QSRs (quick service restaurants), and 22 S&R membership shopping warehouses.

The company said it plans to continue its investments in e-commerce, logistics network for its last-mile delivery process, as well as investments for its marketing strategies.

“We continue to be optimistic that the Philippine economic recovery will improve going into the last quarter of 2021 as COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) cases continue to decline, quarantine restrictions are relaxed, and mobility of Filipinos increases as more people get vaccinated,” Puregold President Ferdinand Vincent P. Co said.

Puregold shares closed unchanged at P42.80 each on Wednesday. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Paul Rudd jokes about being named ‘sexiest man alive’ by People magazine

PAUL Rudd, the affable actor best known for playing Ant-Man, was named People magazine’s sexiest man alive on Wednesday, joining the likes of Idris Elba, George Clooney, and Bradley Cooper.

Mr. Rudd, 52, seemed taken aback at the honor, as was his wife. “I do have an awareness, enough to know that when people hear that I’d be picked for this, they would say, ‘What?’” he told People in a cover story for the magazine.

“She was stupefied,” he said of the reaction of Julie, his wife of 18 years. “After some giggling and shock, she said, ‘Oh, they got it right.’ And that was very sweet.”

Mr. Rudd’s career stretches back 30 years. He played the kind boyfriend of Lisa Kudrow’s wacky Phoebe on TV comedy Friends and later took larger roles in comedies like Knocked Up before playing Ant-Man in the Marvel superhero movie Captain America: Civil War and later seeing his character get his own film.

Mr. Rudd, who has two children, will next appear in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and in the TV series The Shrink Next Door.

Actor Michael B. Jordan was last year’s sexiest man alive pick, following John Legend and Idris Elba in 2019 and 2018.

Mr. Rudd joked that he expects his life to change radically now he has been awarded the annual title.

“I’m hoping now that I’ll finally be invited to some of those sexy dinners with Clooney and Pitt and B Jordan. And I figure I’ll be on a lot more yachts,” he said.

The special double issue of People magazine hits US newsstands on Friday. — Reuters

LANDBANK net income up 21.2% in first nine months

LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) posted a 21.2% growth in its net income in the first nine months of the year on the back of the lower cost of funds.

LANDBANK said in a statement on Wednesday that its net income rose to P16.72 billion at end-September from P13.8 billion in the same period last year, putting it on track to meet its P19.68-billion profit target by yearend.

The earnings growth can be attributed to the lower cost of funds and provisions for losses, the bank said.

“LANDBANK has shown remarkable resilience against the economic shocks of the pandemic,” LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Cecilia C. Borromeo said.

“As we continue to exceed our year-end targets in total assets and deposits, we are optimistic that the bank’s overall financial performance will keep in step with the country’s continuing recovery.”

The state-run bank’s net income at end-September translated to a return on equity of 10.74%, higher than the 6.48% industry average, it said.

LANDBANK’s capital increased by 25.77% to P208.17 billion in the nine-month period from P165.52 billion a year ago. The increase was due to the P27.5-billion equity infusion from the National Government in February and the net income from the year, the bank said.

Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan II) mandated the government to provide supplemental funding to LANDBANK and other key state-run financial institutions to help sectors recover from the pandemic.

The bank’s total outstanding loans to the agriculture sector reached P228.21 billion, while the total number of farmers and fishers assisted stood at 2.97 million. The year-end assistance target is three million.

Its assets rose by 13.6% to P2.564 trillion at the end of September from P2.257 trillion in the same period last year.

Deposits with the bank expanded by 14.68% to P2.267 trillion.

LANDBANK’s net income last year dropped by 7.57% to P17.1 billion amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Southeast Asia internet economy to surge to $363 billion by 2025

SOUTHEAST ASIA’s booming internet economy is set to double to $363 billion by 2025, eclipsing the previous forecast of $300 billion, research from Google, Temasek Holdings Pte and Bain & Co. shows.

E-commerce, travel, media, transport and food are driving the region’s digital growth, with online spending rising 49% in 2021 to $174 billion, the companies said in their latest annual report. The region added 60 million new internet users since the start of the pandemic, led by Thailand and the Philippines.

Southeast Asia, home to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Lazada and Tencent Holdings Ltd.-backed Sea Ltd., will see a 62% increase in e-commerce gross merchandise value (GMV) this year as homebound consumers pick up groceries and essentials from the likes of Lazada’s RedMart and Sea’s Shopee. Online shopping is now forecast to hit $234 billion in 2025 versus a previous $172-billion estimate, making up 64% of the region’s total estimated digital GMV of $363 billion, the research shows.

“Continued shifts in consumer and merchant behavior, matched with strong investor confidence, have ushered Southeast Asia to its ‘digital decade’ — and the region is on its way towards $1-trillion GMV by 2030,” Google and its partners said in the report.

Deals for internet companies in Southeast Asia totaled $11.5 billion in the first half of this year, putting the region on track to surpass the $11.6-billion investment in all of 2020. Some of the region’s most valuable tech startups including Grab Holdings, Inc. and GoTo are preparing to go public to raise capital or allow early investors to monetize their holdings.

Indonesia is the region’s largest digital economy where online spending will probably double to $146 billion by 2025. Venture capital deals in the country in the first half of 2021 surpassed the full-year totals of each of the past four years, the report showed. Vietnam is expected to grow at the fastest rate among the six countries tracked by the study, nearly tripling in online GMV over the next four years. — Bloomberg

D&L earnings rebound in Q3

D&L INDUSTRIES, Inc. said it saw earnings “recover strongly” after its net income in the third quarter and in the first nine months of 2021 surpassed their pre-pandemic levels.

The company booked a net income of P768 million in the third quarter, 25% higher than the P617-million profit logged in 2019. Meanwhile, it gained 34% compared to its P573-million net income in the same period last year.

“We could end up with fourth quarter being very strong and even exceeding third quarter [results], it is possible,” Alvin D. Lao, president and chief executive officer of D&L, said in a media briefing on Wednesday.

Sales in the third quarter amounted to P7.63 billion, 33% higher from a year ago and 38% more than its pre-pandemic or 2019 sales.

For the first nine months, D&L posted a P2.16-billion profit, jumping 57% year on year from P1.37 billion and up by 7% from P2.03 billion in 2019.

The company said the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law “had a +4% impact” on its year-to-date net income.

“The nine months 2021 net income is now 83% of the full-year 2019 net income… We are on track to exceed the 2019 net income,” Mr. Lao said. D&L’s full-year income in 2019 amounted to P2.62 billion.

The company’s topline for the nine-month period totaled P21.53 billion, up by 35% from P15.92 billion a year ago and 30% more than the P16.56-billion sales seen in 2019.

D&L said “exports now account for 32%” of its nine-month revenues. The company aims to have its export sales make up for half of its total sales in the long term. D&L’s Batangas plant expansion will be “instrumental to its future growth” as it further develops coconut-based products and as the company targets new international markets.

“For the first nine months of the year, most business segments continued to post significant growth compared to 2020,” D&L said.

Net income for its food business surged by 105%, with volumes and sales improving by 4% and 39%, respectively. For its oleochemicals segment, Chemrez Technologies, Inc.’s profits grew 33% in the first nine months as its volume grew by 13%.

Meanwhile, its specialty plastics saw a year-on-year 46% income growth “driven by higher volume for both engineered polymers and colorants and additives.” D&L’s income from its consumer ODM products inched up to P206 million as total volume grew 30%.

D&L said it “remains optimistic” as holiday-induced spending, upcoming national elections and the country’s vaccination program are seen to aid its near to medium-term recovery.

D&L shares rose 1.18% or 10 centavos to close at P8.59 apiece on Wednesday. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Lady Gaga’s ‘9-month romance’ to bring Gucci tragedy to big screen

LONDON —  Lady Gaga brought her star power to London on Tuesday for the premiere of drama House of Gucci, her second major film role for which she said she stayed in character for nine months to play the wife of a murdered heir to the Italian fashion dynasty.

Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie, based on the book of the same name, features an all-star cast, including Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, and Jeremy Irons, in a retelling of the notorious murder case which shocked Italy and its fashion industry in the 1990s.

Donning an Italian accent, Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani who married into the Gucci family in 1972 when she wed heir Maurizio Gucci. They divorced in 1994. A year later Maurizio was shot dead by a hit man outside his Milan office. Reggiani spent 18 years in jail for orchestrating his murder and was released in 2016.

Asked about reports she had stayed in character for 18 months, Gaga said on the red carpet: “I really feel in some ways that my process has been sensationalized into something but I don’t like to lie about my work and my process. So, what I will say is this: I’m a romantic when it comes to art.

“I had a romantic relationship with my character, Patrizia. I had a romantic relationship with the script and I dove headfirst into this world because she’s nothing like me… I don’t know where 18 months came from. Nine months, yes, but double that, I do’t know.”

The role follows Gaga’s critically-acclaimed performance in A Star is Born, for which she won an Oscar for best original song “Shallow” and a best actress nomination.

House of Gucci begins its cinema rollout on Nov. 24. — Reuters

Rediscount window untapped in Oct.

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LENDERS left the central bank’s rediscount facility untouched in October as credit growth remained muted and as there continued to be ample liquidity in the financial system.

“For the period Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, total availments of banks against their rediscounting lines remain unchanged at P6.12 million for loans under the peso rediscount facility,” the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Exporters’ Dollar and Yen Rediscount Facility (EDYRF) was likewise untouched, it added.

The BSP’s rediscount window gives banks access to additional money supply by posting their collectibles from clients as collateral.

In turn, banks may use the cash — denominated in peso, dollar or yen — to extend more loans to their corporate or retail clients and service unexpected withdrawals.

Banks only tapped the central bank’s rediscount facility in June, July, and September this year.

In 2020, rediscount loans plummeted by 77.7% to P26.9 billion from 2019, with lenders only tapping the window in March, April, August and September, while the EDYRF was also left untouched.

Lenders likely saw reduced need for rediscount loans last month as credit growth remained subdued and as they had enough liquidity, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

“Regulatory relief measures that include alternative compliance for reserve requirements such as allowing new loans to MSMEs (micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises) in the computation for reserve requirements, lower risk weights for MSME loans, among others, also partly reduced the need for banks to tap the BSP’s rediscounting facilities,” Mr. Ricafort added.

Bank lending returned to growth in August after eight months of contraction.

Latest BSP data showed bank lending expanded for the second straight month by 2.7% year on year in September.

Meanwhile, M3 or the broadest measure of cash in an economy rose by 8.2% in September, faster than the 6.9% growth in August.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno last week said their policy measures amid the coronavirus crisis has infused about P2.23 trillion in liquidity into the financial system, equivalent to 12.5% of the country’s 2020 gross domestic product.

NOVEMBER RATES
For this month, the BSP said peso rediscount loans are priced at 2.5%, regardless of maturity.

Meanwhile, the rates for loans under the dollar and yen rediscounting lines, regardless of maturity, are set at 2.13225% and 1.917%. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

How Philippine MSMEs can leverage cloud-based services to remain competitive

MICRO, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) comprise 99.51% of Philippine businesses, forming the backbone of the country’s economy. However, the pandemic forced 73.1% to shut down, underlining the need for them to adapt to survive — especially through digitalization. Recognizing the importance of cloud adoption to business digital transformation, the Philippine government updated its “cloud-first” policies first introduced in 2017, paving the way for MSMEs to take the digital leap to become more competitive and resilient.

This effort is paying off. Some 51% of Philippine enterprises are adopting more cloud-based solutions, with national cloud spending projected to reach $2.6 billion by 2024. MSMEs who have yet to embrace the cloud risk being left behind; however, with governmental support and an increasingly cloud-conducive business environment, it is an opportune time for MSMEs to explore enhancing their businesses through cloud services.

Cloud benefits in cost savings, work efficiencies, and security.

With optimizing costs a foremost concern of Philippine MSMEs, the cloud can help by minimizing waste through its “pay as you use” model. By paying for only what is needed, MSMEs can scale their usage quickly as operations grow. The cloud also provides further savings opportunities by eliminating the need to purchase and maintain on-premises IT infrastructure, while programs and software are automatically and remotely updated so MSMEs always enjoy cutting-edge technology and protection.

The immense computing power of the cloud also enables large quantities of data to be processed at much higher speeds, greatly boosting operational efficiency and reducing manpower dependency. Acting as a central repository for critical applications and solutions, it delivers low-latency connectivity (which 26% of MSMEs consider a digitalization priority) to those resources. Management teams can streamline daily operations while maintaining oversight and control, while employees can stay productive even with more flexible, remote work arrangements.

With 57% of Philippine MSMEs suffering cyberattacks last year costing P50 million, the cloud’s enhanced cybersecurity is another key advantage. Large service providers can provide robust security at cost-effective prices due to economies of scale, and cloud computing solutions can offer security encryption protocols to protect transactions, prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and maintain compliance with local and international security regulations for future growth. Additionally, critical applications and data on the cloud are immune to natural disasters as no physical servers are involved.

CLOUD ADOPTION IS A LONG-TERM GROWTH STRATEGY
The potential of cloud adoption to boost Philippine gross domestic product by $28 billion by 2024 is a significant economic catalyst at both a micro and macro level. MSMEs can accelerate adoption by thoroughly evaluating business systems, then identifying and leveraging cloud services to plug these gaps.

Despite an undeniable learning curve, it is in the best interests of MSMEs to start the cloud adoption process early. Once it becomes the new business standard, MSMEs can unlock a whole new world of opportunity, growth, and resilience to benefit not just themselves, but all Filipinos.

 

Robert Flavius Dulce is the vice-president for sales at Cloud4C Services.

Phoenix Petroleum back to black with P170-M net income

PHOENIXFUELS.PH

PHOENIX PETROLEUM Philippines, Inc. posted a net income of P170 million from January to September 2021, a turnaround from its P95-million net loss in the same period last year.

In a press release on Wednesday, the oil company said the growth was driven by higher revenues “as the sustained volume growth was compounded by sharply rising commodity prices and forex depreciation.”

Phoenix said its revenues for the first nine months grew by 81% from the period last year, while its per unit operating expense declined by 29% due to continued efficiency improvements, bringing its operating income up by 78% to P1.64 billion.

The oil firm’s overall volume from January to September 2021 rose by 33% from the previous year as its domestic volume increased by 29% with the company’s expansion of sales to business-to-business industries and with a rise in the demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Phoenix’s LPG sales also grew by 35% in the first nine months of 2021 due to high demand.

For overseas transactions, the company’s overseas volume also increased by 37% “driven by growth in the trading business.”

Meanwhile, Phoenix said its retail business “was set back” in the third quarter due to the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and in other major provinces and cities in the country in August and September.

The company said “momentum is expected to further pick up” in the fourth quarter due to the country’s acceleration of vaccinations, decline in the number of new coronavirus cases and further easing of pandemic restrictions.

“As quarantine restrictions are eased, and more economic activity is expected during the holidays, we are looking forward to capping off the year with an even more vigorous business performance,” Phoenix President Henry Albert R. Fadullon added.

Phoenix shares went down by 0.71% or eight centavos to close at P11.20 apiece on Wednesday. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Dining In/Out (11/11/21)

Spices Bridge

Spices offers Eat-all-you-can ‘Virtual Buffet’

METRO Manila may have it all, but what it hasn’t tried yet is The Peninsula Manila’s Spices restaurant’s “virtual buffet.” Spices is offering a 45th anniversary á la carte menu of eat-all-you-can classics that will have lovers of Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore traveling back in time, enjoying endless servings of Spices Timeless Classics. It’s one of the greatest hidden deals in the metro. Groups can reserve a table to eat endless platters of Seafood Laksa (Malaysian shrimp, egg noodles, seafood, and coconut soup), Gha Gio (Vietnamese fried spring rolls with pork, shrimp, and mushrooms), Green Chicken Curry (Thai boneless chicken thigh, eggplant, long beans, and coriander), Chili Crabs (Singaporean curacha crab in spicy scallion sauce, scallions), and more, all served for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday. The deal costs P1,976 (inclusive of taxes). For inquiries or further information on Spices’ 45th Anniversary Timeless, call 8887-2888 (trunk line), extension 7410 (Restaurant Reservations), e-mail diningpmn@peninsula.com, visit the website peninsula.com, or through PenChat, The Peninsula Manila’s 24-hour e-concierge by using this link: https://bit.ly/PenChatFacebook.

The Commissariat Manila brings Bacolod Christmas treats

GINO Asensio Lopez and Monique Lopez Ong opened The Commissariat Manila in July 2020 during the pandemic. It was established to fulfill people’s need for first-class goods from Visayas, particularly Bacolod City, the place that the siblings both know has unrivaled pastries, cakes, chorizos, and seafood. Many of their sought-after delicacies come from Negros Occidental’s Felicia’s Pastry Shop. These pastries are baked fresh, and will be air-flown from Bacolod to Manila every week beginning Nov. 13 to Dec. 18. The Commissariat Manila has prepared a lineup of limited-edition Christmas sets featuring Felicia’s ensaimadas, cheese roll, cookies in cans including Almond Crisps, Lemon Thins, Almondettes, and their pili products such as their Pili Crumble and Turron de Pili. Felicia’s also released its cake line in Metro Manila and Cebu. These cakes in cans include the heirloom Potato Cake, Sans Rival, Swiss Chocolate Cake, Classic Chocolate Cake, and Butter Cake. All are available on-hand at The Commissariat Manila which also carries other top-rated Bacolod brands such as Casa Carmela’s “Bacolod in a bottle” line, such as Crazy Rich Crabs, Sexy Squid, Chorizo Pudpu, and their signature Papa Daniel’s Bangus; the Ereñeta-Manaloto Chorizo Recado and Hamonado Bilog, and the newest addition to the Chorizo line, the Chorizo Mozzarella. The Commissariat Manila also offers its own products such as The Commissariat Flat Quillos, and, seasonally, The Commissariat Bantayan Bay half-shell scallops which are harvested from Bantayan Island and flown straight to The Commissariat freezers. Pre-order early to get on The Commissariat Manila’s delivery list. For advance placement of orders, refer to the social media links. For Felicia’s fresh air-flown pastries and limited-edition Christmas sets, the pre-order cut-off for each week is on Wednesdays by 7 p.m. All late pre-orders will carry over to the next available shipment date. Deliveries for Metro Manila begin every Saturday of each week from Nov. 13 to Dec. 18. All on-hand products such as Felicia’s Cakes in cans, Casa Carmela bottled goods, Ereñeta-Manaloto Chorizos and The Commissariat Flat Quillos will be available for delivery until Dec. 23, and will continue to be available from Dec. 27-31. Fresh air-flown Felicia’s Ensaimadas and Cheese Rolls will resume on Jan. 8. The Commissariat Manila serves NCR Plus (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal). Visit and order from the website www.thecommissariatmanila.com, its Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommissariatmanila/, and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thecommissariat/ pages.

Park and Dine at Diamond Hotel Philippines

DIAMOND Hotel Philippines offers Park & Dine, where guests can enjoy dining on the hotel’s sandwiches, pastas, Japanese and Chinese specialties, popular mains and bento combination sets in the comfort and safety of their own car, parked at the hotel’s front drive. Health protocols are in place for the diner’s safety and well-being. To keep the food hygienic, meals are placed in disposable packaging and each guest will receive his or her order wrapped along with single-use utensils, bottled water and sanitation kit. Lap tables will be provided so guests can dine with ease. Park & Dine is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and parking is subject to availability for walk-ins. For advanced reservations call 8528-3000 and 0975-792-1473 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. only), or e-mail restaurant_rsvn@diamondhotel.com. Pre-order is also available and the menu may be viewed at onlineshopping.diamondhotel.com.

Starbucks Traditions Promotion returns

STARBUCKS brings back the Starbucks Traditions Promotion this Christmas season. From Nov. 2 to Jan. 3, customers will earn a sticker for every purchase of a Tall, Grande, or Venti handcrafted beverage. Exclusive Starbucks Traditions merchandise may be redeemed for every 18 stickers collected. While staying true to a tradition of almost two decades, this year debuts a never-before-seen collection and new ways to join. The 2022 Starbucks Traditions Planner comes with a matching Organizer. This year’s edition comes with an embossed Siren and scale design. The organizer consists of built-in pockets to keep a pen, Starbucks Cards, and other essentials in one place. Inside the planner, there are 12 exclusive monthly artworks. New this year are the 2022 Starbucks Traditions Mug and Tumbler with Pouch. Each set includes a sleek stainless-steel matte black 12 oz tumbler or a classic white 12 oz ceramic mug, both paired with a pouch the customer can carry all day. Customers can now collect stickers digitally in two ways: 1.) get the new QR promo card in stores and collect a digital sticker every handcrafted beverage in store, or, 2.) use the Starbucks app by opting in to collecting e-Stickers for every handcrafted beverage purchased using a registered Starbucks Card. Starbucks has also made it easier to earn stickers from home. Customers can now earn digital stickers through their delivery app. Every purchase of four eligible handcrafted beverages on GrabFood or food panda will be issued a QR promo card loaded with its corresponding digital stickers. Stickers can now be collected at all Starbucks stores nationwide. To have a closer look of the 2022 Starbucks Traditions and for the full mechanics, visit https://starbuckstraditions.ph.

SaladStop! holiday favorite returns

SALADSTOP! brings back one of its most popular offerings — the White Christmas salad, a mix of romaine, kale, walnut snow, turkey ham, grapes, green apples, croutons, and a special Queso de Bola dressing. Unique to this salad is the walnut snow, a sweet meringue with walnuts and a hint of cinnamon. The Queso de Bola makes it feel like Christmas in every bite. White Christmas will be offered in party trays for the first time, available in both or wrap options. White Christmas salad, will be available in SaladStop! Metro Manila stores from Nov. 9 to Jan. 3.

Kenny Rogers Roasters serves new Truffle Roast

UNWRAP a luxurious holiday celebration with Kenny Rogers Roasters’ new Truffle Roast. Kenny’s Truffle Roast is soaked in a flavorful marinade of truffle and buttermilk extracts, then roasted to perfection. Drops of truffle oil are added on the chicken just before serving to further enhance the rich truffle aroma of the roast. A gold foil wrapping encloses each Truffle Roast. Each roast is served with the new buttermilk sauce. The Truffle Roast Group Meal — good for a group of four — comes with one whole roast, four side dishes, four cups of rice, muffins, and a 1.5L Coke for P1,105. The Truffle Roast Solo B Plate comes with a quarter chicken, the new buttermilk sauce on the side, two side dishes, rice and a muffin for P315. Meanwhile, Kenny Rogers Roasters’ signature mashed potatoes has been leveled up with the new Spinach Mashed Potato. Kenny’s Truffle Roast is also available as an upgrade in other Kenny Rogers menu offerings. It is available in all Kenny Rogers Roasters stores nationwide, available for dine-in, take-out, and delivery. Order these combos for delivery through www.kennyrogersdelivery.com.ph, the hotline 8-55-9000, or via Grab Food and Food Panda.

New Nespresso Boutique opens at Robinsons Magnolia

NESPRESSO’S third boutique in the country has opened in Robinsons Magnolia. The boutique’s interior has a muted coffee-inspired palette of rich brown and crema-inspired gold and floor tiles and lamps that echo what are found in coffee farms. Local flair comes from the use of capiz on a section of its walls. The table-tops were made from used coffee grounds and wood from reforestation programs. The boutique boasts a window-to-farm virtual view of coffee farms, and a Greenery Wall, a visual representation of local coffee plantations. The store will soon introduce an interactive Recycling Corner: drop a bag of used capsules in the bin which will show customers the weight on a screen, revealing what it can be recycled into — a pen, chopsticks, or Swiss army knife. Nespresso is at the Upper Ground Level of Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila, Quezon City. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monkey Shoulder pop-up bar at BGC

MONKEY Shoulder blended malt whisky has a newly launched festive pop-up bar at Bonifacio Global City. Located at the Monkey Shoulder Giving Tree along C1 in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the pop-up bar will be run in partnership with a lineup of watering holes throughout the festive season to serve up whisky cocktails. To give shoppers the chance to sample what Monkey Shoulder serves, every guest above the legal drinking age is entitled to one complimentary cocktail per weekend. In November, weekend visitors can look forward to cocktail creations by bartenders from 205 on Nov. 12 to 13, iDarts DASH on Nov. 19 to 20, Skye on Nov. 26 to 27, Fireside on Dec. 3 to 4, and Boozy on Dec. 24 and 25. For updates on the latest event happenings, as well as new additions to the featured bar line-up in December, follow Monkey Shoulder’s Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, the Monkey Shoulder Giving Tree and pop-up bar will be open till Dec. 31. All event personnel are fully vaccinated, and have been trained to observe and ensure health and safety protocols. There are also limited-edition Monkey Shoulder Twin Packs, made up of two 700ml Monkey Shoulder bottles and a Monkey Shoulder Bricks Game. The Monkey Shoulder Twin Packs are now available at selected S&R, The Marketplace, and Robinsons Supermarket stores, while stocks last. Visitors to the Monkey Shoulder pop-up bar can also get their hands on the pack from Nov. 19.

My Little Pony, Transformer toys now in Happy Meals

MCDONALD’S now has new My Little Pony and Transformers toys packed inside Christmas-themed Happy Meal boxes. As a bonus, the Add-on promo allows customers to have a Burger McDo Happy Meal by adding P50 to any McDonald’s meal. Kids can collect Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and the cast of characters from Equestria, or BumbleBee, Optimus Prime and the robots of the Cyberverse. Every Happy Meal purchase comes in festive, ready-to-gift, and limited-edition Christmas-themed Happy Meal Boxes. And with McDelivery Send to Many, it is easy to send to multiple addresses with one booking. To learn more, go to the McDelivery website or app and follow McDonald’s Philippines on Facebook.

Jollibee releases new Champ & Joy Super Meal

JOLLIBEE levels up its partnership with its newest endorser, Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz — who made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by winning the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medal — with a special Champ & Joy Super Meal. The Champ & Joy Super Meal combines Chickenjoy with the Champ, and comes with a free Go Large Coke drink. As an added treat, customers will also get special packaging featuring Hidilyn Diaz and a limited edition Hidilyn Diaz collectible card with every order of the Super Meal. Part of the proceeds of every Champ & Joy Super Meal will be donated to the Philippine Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission. The meal is available for P240 in select Jollibee stores nationwide (via the Jollibee Delivery App, JollibeeDelivery.com, #87000, GrabFood, and foodpanda, and also through dine-in, drive-through and take out) only until Nov. 30.

Food deliveries for a Pinoy Christmas

AS WE inch closer to another quarantined Christmas, unable again to celebrate together with friends and family under one roof, Grab is making it easier to “Padalove” gifts and happiness for a Pinoy Christmas. Grab hopes to close the gap between friends and family through 100+ Cities Delivery, a new feature with which customers can send anything from food and presents to loved ones living overseas. To be launched on Nov. 22, 100+ Cities Delivery will enable Filipinos to send their love with GrabFood and GrabMart to 148 cities throughout the Philippines and Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Grab also helps with the Christmas present shopping with its extensive catalog of holiday staples and gifting options available on GrabFood (from GrabFood Signatures to holiday-themed bundles), GrabMart (a selection of gadgets, toys, home essentials, and holiday baskets,  and holiday party staples like ham and queso de bola), and GrabExpress (GrabExpress Instant for quick deliveries, GrabExpress 4 Hours for affordable options, GrabExpress Multi-Stop Delivery to send gifts to multiple recipients, and GrabExpress Pabili). Get to support local businesses and MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) through GrabExpress’ Madiskarteng Boss Club Holiday Bazaar to be launched online soon, wherein Madiskarteng Boss Club members will showcase the best of their holiday offerings and unique gifting options. Grab’s Christmas-themed Holiday Saver Pack is a three-month bundle that consists of 41 GrabFood, GrabMart and GrabExpress vouchers, with a total of savings of up to P4,000. The Holiday Saver Pack is available for an early bird price of P49, from its original price of P249. Outside of the voucher bundle, Grab is also offering more discounts and offers across its services.

San Miguel kickstarts Oktoberfest

THIS year, San Miguel is giving away up to P100 million in prizes via the new Instant GCashPanalo Under-the-Crown Promo as part of its Oktoberfest celebration. Beer lovers can win GCash rewards of up to P5,000 simply by buying participating San Miguel Beers until Dec. 31. To join buy any participating San Miguel Beer, look for the eight-digit alphanumeric code under the crown or beer cap and scan the promo QR code in stores or San Miguel Oktoberfest Facebook page. From there, the buyer will be directed to the GCash app page, where they must enter their mobile number, promo code, and the CAPTCHA code to claim a GCash reward. There is no redemption limit. The following San Miguel Beers are part of this promo: San Miguel Pale Pilsen 320ml and 1000ml, Red Horse Beer 330ml, 500ml and 1000ml, San Mig Light 330ml, San Miguel Flavored Beer Apple 330ml, San Miguel Flavored Beer Lemon 330ml, San Miguel Flavored Beer Lychee 330ml, San Mig Zero 330ml or Gold Eagle Beer 320ml and 1000 ml. This promo is available in areas where allowed.

Restaurant 101 takes over Manila Golf & Country Club’s F&B operations

ENDERUN’S Restaurant 101 officially took over the F&B operations of Manila Golf & Country Club (MGCC) in October. According to 101’s Managing Director, chef Thomas Wenger, “we were looking for an opportunity to bring 101 to a different market and feel that we have found the right place by taking this opportunity at Manila Golf & Country Club. We hope that with the recovery into full operations within the foreseeable time, the MGCC operations will open up banquet and catering opportunities for 101.” It will be handling food and beverages (F&B) services for the concessionaires of the Verandah restaurant, the Sand Trap Bar, and banqueting as well as outside catering, all golf teahouses, and kiosks. The majority of the Manila Golf & Country Club’s staff has been retained, and while the menu will remain mostly unchanged, 101 will introduce additional seasonal menus and special events for the club’s members.

Master third wave specialty coffee with Breville’s Bambino Plus

THIRD wave coffee is a concept that considers the drink as artisanal, and also gives importance to a deeper understanding of coffee and its origins — how it is grown, where it is sourced, how it is prepared.  Breville Philippines, a lifestyle home brand offering premium kitchen appliances, is known for its high-quality espresso models like the Breville Barista Express and the Breville Dual Broiler. Recently the brand released a friendlier appliance for the home: the new Bambino Plus. It combines the ideal dose, proper temperature, optimal pressure, and sufficient steam for a serving that can challenge brews from coffee shops. The model also uses an innovative ThermoJet heating system, adjustable milk temperature setting, and a hands-free automatic steam wand. Follow Breville’s social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and visit their website to learn more about the coffee makers.

XTREME Appliances’ discounts on Lazada 11.11 Sale

XTREME Appliances offers up to 52% off during the Lazada 11.11 Sale. This includes the XTREME Cool Combo Washer & Dryer with 10 kilo washer capacity and 7 kilo dryer capacity and an inverter motor that can save up to 70% on electricity consumption. There are aircons like a 1.5HP XTREME Cool Split Type Inverter Aircon, 1.0HP X-Series Split Type Non-Inverter Aircon (XACST10X), and the Non-Inverter Aircon with Remote (XACWT10RX), and gas ranges like the 50CM X-Series Gas Range which has four-burners and a stainless steel cooktop, and an Ultra HD Android TV like the 43” XTREME Android TV with its 4K resolution and Doly Audio feature, plus a Google Voice Assistant for voice control. For the full list of products and exclusive discounts, please visit XTREME on Website, Lazada, and Shopee e-commerce.

Japan-PHL 65th anniversary online cooking contest winner

THE EMBASSY of Japan in the Philippines hosted a prize dinner for Ana Liezl Quibrantar for winning the Food and Friendship: The Japan-Philippines 65th Anniversary Online Cooking Contest, at the Ambassador’s residence. Ms. Quibrantar received a Certificate of Appreciation for her victory in the competition and praised her winning dish named Shirashi in Tempura Taco Nori. Inspired by Japanese and Filipino cuisines, the dish combines elements of the classic Japanese dish chirashi and prepared with marinated fish similar to the Filipino kinilaw. The online competition featured photo and video submissions from Filipino contestants that focus on Japanese cuisine and/or Filipino-Japanese fusion cooking.

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