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Transpacific Broadband inks ‘managed service’ deal with int’l satellite operator

LISTED Transpacific Broadband Group Int’l., Inc. (TBGI) announced on Thursday that it had signed a three-year managed service agreement with international satellite operator ABS Global Ltd.

Under the agreement, which is extendable for another three years, TBGI will “provide collocation facilities and first level support for the development and maintenance of Low-Earth Orbit Satellite (LEOSAT) earth station in Clark, Pampanga for Starlink Holdings N.B.V.,” the listed company said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Starlink is a division within SpaceX, which is an American aerospace company.

“Although the managed service agreement executed by TBGI and ABS Global are specifically for LEOSAT earth stations of Starlink, the forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statements,” TBGI also said.

Known uncertainties include change in political climate, regulatory risk, foreign exchange risk, and project completion risk.

“We are excited in the unlimited prospects of empowering government units, businesses and millions of Filipino households with advanced satellite internet services to meet their growing requirements for fast and reliable connectivity,” TBGI said.

LEOSAT technology, the company said, offers a combination of affordability, speed, flexibility, ease-of-setup and a 27-millisecond low-latency bandwidth to deliver a “superior” online experience in the “next level” Internet of things.

The company’s first-half net income after tax leaped 466.7% to P6.8 million from P1.2 million in the same period in 2020.

Total revenues for the first half went up 50.8% to P29.1 million from P19.3 million last year.

Expenses for the period increased 25.1% to P21.9 million from P17.5 million previously. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Gun not thoroughly checked before Alec Baldwin fired fatal shot

TIMOTHY EBERLY/UNSPLASH

SANTA FE, N.M. — A .45-caliber Colt revolver used on the set of the film Rust was not thoroughly checked before being given to actor Alec Baldwin, who fired a live lead bullet in an accidental fatal shooting last week in New Mexico, according to officials and a new court filing.

New details about the incident emerged on Wednesday during a news conference by Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza and District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and in an affidavit filed by the sheriff’s department. Mendoza told reporters there was a complacent attitude toward safety on the set before last Thursday’s shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal.

Hannah Gutierrez, the crew member in charge of weapons on the set, told investigators she had checked guns there but found no “hot rounds” —  apparently meaning live ammunition — before the shooting, according to the affidavit.

Dave Halls, the film’s assistant director, told investigators he “should have checked all” the rounds in the gun before handing it to Mr. Baldwin but had not done so, according to the affidavit. Authorities said previously that Mr. Baldwin was handed what he thought was a “cold,” or safe, gun by Mr. Halls, who took it from a cart used by Ms. Gutierrez.

Mendoza and Carmack-Altwies said while no criminal charges have been filed, they are not ruling out that possibility.

“All options are on the table. … No one has been ruled out at this point,” Carmack-Altwies said of potential charges.

Ms. Gutierrez, whose job is formally called the film crew’s armorer, said ammunition was not secured on the set during a lunch break before the shooting, the affidavit showed. It quoted her as saying that firearms were secured inside a safe kept on a white truck during the break and that no live ammunition is ever kept on a movie set.

“Only a few people” had access to the safe and knew the combination to open it, Ms. Gutierrez said, according to the affidavit.

A judge approved a request by investigators to search the truck on Wednesday.

Authorities have collected 600 pieces of evidence including three firearms, 500 rounds of ammunition —  some believed to be live bullets —  and several pieces of clothing and accessories in the ongoing investigation, Mendoza said. Some evidence is being sent to an FBI crime lab for analysis, Mendoza added.

Authorities have the firearm used in the shooting and recovered the bullet from the shoulder of director Joel Souza, who was wounded but later released from the hospital, Mendoza said. It appears the same bullet struck Mr. Souza and Ms. Hutchins, Mendoza added.

Mendoza said the gun used by Mr. Baldwin was an Italian-made Pietta Long Colt revolver.

“We would consider it a live round —  a bullet, live —  because it did fire from the weapon and obviously caused the death of Ms. Hutchins and injured Mr. Souza,” Mendoza said.

Baldwin, 63, serves as a co-producer of Rust, a Western film set in 1880s Kansas. Production on the Bonanza Creek Ranch, near Santa Fe, has been halted.

Mendoza said Baldwin, Halls and Gutierrez all are cooperating with the investigation.

Asked about the use of real weapons on a movie set, the sheriff said, “I think the industry has had a record recently of being safe. I think there was some complacency on this set. And I think there are some safety issues that need to be addressed by the industry and possibly by the state of New Mexico.” The shooting has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, prompting a debate about safety protocols in film and television —  including whether certain types of guns used as props should be banned —  and working conditions on low-budget productions.

Before the incident, camera operators had walked off the set to protest working conditions.

Mr. Baldwin was drawing a revolver across his body and pointing it at a camera while rehearsing when the weapon fired, according to court documents. There is no video footage of the incident, Mendoza said. The film’s producers have hired the law firm Jenner & Block to investigate the shooting. In a letter sent to cast and crew, the film’s production team said Jenner “will have full discretion about who to interview and any conclusions they draw.” — Reuters

BSP processes more LGU loan review requests in 1st semester

BW FILE PHOTO
THE CENTRAL BANK received more loan review requests from local government units, which were mostly for infrastructure projects. — BW FILE PHOTO

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) assessed more loan review requests from local government units (LGU) worth P47.2 billion in the first half of 2021, with financing mostly meant for infrastructure development.

There were 198 opinion requests from the Monetary Board in the first half of the year, higher by 23.8% than the 160 borrowings that were brought for review in the second half of 2020, the BSP said in a statement.

By value, loans that needed to be reviewed in the January to June period increased by 10.3% from the P42.8 billion in the second semester last year.

The Monetary Board has issued 184 opinions on proposed LGU loans amounting to P44.8 billion. These include 157 requests for the first half of 2021 and 41 review proposals received in 2020.

The BSP said the opinions for the remaining 41 LGU requests submitted in the first semester will be processed after the concerned units complete the requirements.

The review requests came from 21 provinces (P13 billion), 18 cities (P15 billion), 157 municipalities (P19.1 billion), and two barangays (P25.5 million).

Metro Manila had the biggest amount of loans which were given opinions by the Monetary Board, as the BSP granted reviews for three LGUs with loans worth P6.183 billion.

Of these three, Mandaluyong’s P4.4-billion borrowing program was the biggest. It will finance pandemic response and infrastructure projects.

Regions that followed based on amount of loans with credit opinion from the Monetary Board were Cagayan Valley (P4.14 billion), Central Visayas (P4.062 billion), and Calabarzon (P3.49 billion).

Under Republic Act No. 11211 or the New Central Bank Act, LGUs and the National Government need to secure an opinion from the Monetary Board for their proposed borrowings, underscoring the role of the BSP as an advisor on official credit operations of the state. — L.W.T. Noble

Megaworld hotels to bank on hybrid meetings, face-to-face conferences

MEGAWORLD Corp.’s hotels and leisure arm is not expecting a rise in bookings during the upcoming national elections, but it will instead bank on bookings for hybrid meetings and in-person conferences.

“It may not be the same levels of the previous election in terms of being able to capture the business for the hotels that we have,” Megaworld Hotels and Resorts Group General Manager Cleofe C. Albiso said in a webinar on Thursday.

“During this election time and in the crisis that we are in, we are looking at being able to capture hybrid meetings like what we are doing now,” she said.

This is a stark contrast compared with previous elections when its hotels business was able to maximize bookings from candidates who were on their campaign trail. However, the segment remains optimistic.

The company said its virtual event management platform has been useful in steering business despite the pandemic.

“It’s given us a number of business, really substantial, to cover up for the business that we don’t have coming from our corporate accounts so the hybrid meetings, there will be requirements for food deliveries, there will be avenues for us to be able to capture business for face-to-face meetings as well,” Ms. Albiso said.

Megaworld’s hotels are currently divided into three, according to their purpose.

Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas Richmonde Hotel, and Hotel Lucky Chinatown currently serve as essential stays; Twin Lakes Hotel, Belmont Hotel Boracay, Savoy Hotel Boracay, and Richmonde Hotel Iloilo as “leisure hotels”; and mixed-use hotels such as Kingsford Hotel Manila, Belmont Hotel Manila, Savoy Hotel Manila and Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown.

Megaworld’s hotels and resorts segment is hoping that the next administration can address vaccine hesitancy to help the country achieve herd immunity, fast-track vaccinations for minors, and for calibrated transitions in easing travel restrictions in the country.

In preparation for a tourism boom once pandemic guidelines allow, Megaworld aims to complete Belmont Hotel Mactan Newtown, Grand West Hotel, Chancellor Hotel Boracay by 2023.

On Thursday, shares of Megaworld at the stock market declined by 0.32% or one centavo to close at P3.08 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Marvel covers artworks starring Stan Lee go up for blockchain auction

TECHBULLION.COM

TEN artworks showing Stan Lee on the covers of his comic books and signed by the late Marvel superhero creator go up for blockchain auction on Wednesday, with winning bidders getting the physical as well as digital versions of the canvases.

Pop artist Rob Prior began working with the man behind, among others, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Black Panther in 2017 on The Legacy Collection: Portraits of Stan Lee, and depicts him as his famed characters or in cameo images.

Mr. Prior, who is ambidextrous, produced 95 large canvas paintings showing Mr. Lee, who also made walk-on appearances in film adaptations of his books, on covers from Marvel and the Golden Age of comics.

The works are each signed by Mr. Lee, who died in 2018, aged 95.

“Stan’s favorite thing in the world was cameos… and what better way to put a tribute together for him than have him be the cameos in all of his favorite comic books,” Mr. Prior told Reuters.

Mogul Productions, a film and entertainment marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), is putting 10 of the works up for auction as NFTs starting 5 p.m. PT Wednesday (0000 GMT Thursday). The sale will run for 48 hours.

“You can have the NFT right in front of you, display it and all of that but to have the original and then look at where he signed it, I think is important,” Mr. Prior said.

“So, I wanted to make sure that the buyer had both.”

Mr. Prior said Mr. Lee had also signed blank canvases for future characters. — Reuters

IC issues cease-and-desist order vs insurance firm

BW FILE PHOTO

THE INSURANCE COMMISSION (IC) has issued a cease-and-desist order against Holy Angels Health Management Services for selling insurance policies without the appropriate license.

The commission had received a complaint from an individual that obtained insurance policies from the organization but did not receive benefits when the products matured.

“(The) complainant learned from the IC’s Licensing Division that Holy Angels was not licensed as an insurance company or an insurance agency,” the commission said in a press release on Thursday.

Asked to explain, Holy Angels said the company operated as an insurance agency and the claims of the complainant have been settled.

The IC said the explanation is “misplaced” and issued the firm an order to stop business activity due to the absence of a license.

The order also directed Holy Angels to refund the money it received from the complainant and her family members.

“Bearing in mind that the sale of contracts of insurance is imbued with public interest, it is within this Commission’s mandate to safeguard the rights and interest of the insuring public against the deleterious effects of unsanctioned and unsupervised activities of unregistered entities,” Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said.

“The insuring public is thus warned not to transact with these unregistered entities and encouraged to report the same to the IC.”

Should the company fail to follow the order, the commission said in an e-mail that it can ask the appropriate government agencies to investigate and file charges against the erring officers of the company.

Holy Angels Health Management Services could not be reached for a response. — Jenina P. Ibañez

AREIT targets to be carbon neutral by yearend

AREIT, Inc., the real estate investment trust (REIT) sponsored by Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), said it is on track to be the “first carbon-neutral” REIT in the country by yearend.

“As a sustainable REIT, we believe that moving towards net-zero carbon operational emissions is the most impactful environmental initiative we can undertake,” AREIT President and Chief Executive Officer Carol T. Mills said in an e-mailed statement on Thursday.

“By using renewable energy in our buildings, we not only achieve AREIT’s ESG (environmental, social, and governance) objectives but also enable our building locators, many of whom are top multinational corporations, to achieve their own ESG standards,” she added.

By yearend, AREIT said it is on track to neutralizing Scope 1 emissions, which are greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fuel via generators and vehicles, and Scope 2 emissions, which refer to those from electricity consumptions in common areas controlled by AREIT.

Meanwhile, the company will focus on neutralizing Scope 3 emissions, or those emissions from AREIT’s value chain, and net-zero emissions from operations of existing buildings by the end of 2022.

AREIT said its Makati-based properties, Solaris One, Ayala North Exchange, and McKinley Exchange, as well as The 30th in Pasig have all converted from using coal to renewable energy resources.

The company aims to reduce 80% of its 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by using reusable energy. The balance of 20% will be offset through Ayala Land’s carbon forests.

“As part of its resource efficiency initiatives, the company reduced its carbon emissions continuously through significant shifts to renewable energy, and by allotting compensation for fuel consumption through ALI’s carbon forest stock,” AREIT said.

AREIT’s measured electricity intensity for buildings last year improved to 125.48 kilowatt-hours per square meter (kWh/sq.m.), said to be lower than the ASEAN benchmark of 160 kWh/sq.m.

Most of AREIT’s properties also have Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. These also feature district cooling systems, helping decrease energy consumption by 20% to 35%.

“With good governance guiding our value creation efforts for shareholders, our entire organization continues to strive for innovation, for exploring new ways to advance sustainably, to improve environmentally, and better adapt to our ever-changing climate,” Ms. Mills said.

On Thursday, AREIT shares at the stock exchange went up by 1.67% or 70 centavos to close at P42.70 each. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

BDO Leasing’s end-September net earnings down by 70%

BDO LEASING & Finance, Inc. (BLFI) posted a lower net income as of end-September despite gains from investments due to base effects following the company’s restructuring.

The leasing arm of BDO Unibank, Inc. registered a net profit of P39.8 million as of end-September, decreasing by 70% from the P134.6 million logged a year earlier, it said in a filing on Thursday.

“The first nine months of 2021 results were lower compared to P134.6 million earnings a year ago, as last year’s earnings were based on a balance sheet prior to the full implementation of the restructuring of BDO Unibank Group’s leasing business,” BLFI said.

“This entailed the sale of substantially all of BLFI’s assets to BDO, BDO Life, and BDO Finance Corp.,” it added.

BLFI ceased its operations as a leasing firm and finished the assignment and transfer of its leasing and financing business to affiliate BDO Finance on Oct. 19, 2020.

BLFI’s net income as of end-September was solely from fair value gains from its investments in unit trust investment funds (UITFs), it said.

Meanwhile, the firm’s assets as of end-September reached P6 billion, of which P5.9 billion were placed in UITFs.

BLFI’s parent BDO registered net earnings worth P11.033 billion in the third quarter, down 10.6% from P12.346 billion a year earlier due to increased expenses and lower interest rates. — L.W.T. Noble

International Labour Organization upgrades global estimate of pandemic job losses to 125M

THE International Labour Organization (ILO) said Thursday that it upgraded its global estimate of full-time job losses since the beginning of 2021 to 125 million, noting that developing countries are struggling with limited access to vaccines.

The upgraded estimate follows a June forecast of 100 million jobs.

“This represents a dramatic revision of the ILO’s June projection of 3.5% or 100 million full-time jobs,” the United Nations agency said.

The ILO said global hours worked in 2021 are expected to come in at 4.3% below pre-pandemic levels.

High-income countries posted losses of 3.6% in the third quarter, against the 5.7% for low-income countries, the ILO said.

Concrete financial and technical support can counter the “great divergence” in employment recovery trends between rich and poor countries, it said.

Vaccine inequity is partly to blame for the problematic trend, the ILO added, with poor countries holding the potential to address the gap “in just over a quarter” if given sufficient vaccine doses, it said. 

The Philippines, which scored poorly in a global index that measured the recovery of more than 100 countries from the coronavirus pandemic, is struggling to vaccinate its entire adult population amid delivery delays and logistical problems.

Last month, President Rodrigo R. Duterte criticized wealthy nations for hoarding coronavirus vaccines while poor countries struggle to secure shots for their people.

More businesses around the world have been prioritizing fully vaccinated job seekers. Critics have said that making employment conditions based on vaccination status is highly discriminatory. 

In the Philippines, business groups have been urging the government to allow the private sector to impose stricter requirements on unvaccinated employees and patrons, and to decline unvaccinated job applicants. Last month, Mr. Duterte said government workers who refuse to be vaccinated should resign. 

In the absence of vaccines, losses in hours worked around the world “would have stood at 6.0% in the second quarter of 2021, rather than the 4.8% actually recorded,” the ILO said.

“However, the highly uneven roll-out of vaccinations means that the positive effect was largest in high-income countries, negligible in lower-middle-income countries and almost zero in low-income countries,” it said.

Meanwhile, the ILO said the dearth of stimulus packages in poor countries also widened the gap. 

“Estimates show that on average, an increase in fiscal stimulus of 1% of annual GDP increased annual working hours by 0.3 percentage points relative to the last quarter of 2019,” the ILO said, noting that 86% of global stimulus measures were concentrated in high-income countries.

Earlier this year, the Philippine government was urged to back a proposed stimulus package worth P400 billion to help the economy recover from lengthy lockdowns.

Economic managers have said they can only find funding for a package of P173 billion this year. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

ERC to Ceneco: Comply with rules vs ineligible contracts

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has directed the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) to comply with rules on power generation costs from ineligible contracts after it found that the electricity provider imposed rates from two expired contracts.

In a news release on Thursday quoting a letter from ERC Chairperson Agnes VST Devanadera, she called on Ceneco and other distribution utilities to “strictly abide” by the commission’s rules to avoid unauthorized collection of electricity charges and, consequently, any sanction from the agency due to the expiration of relevant contracts.

After evaluating the submissions of Ceneco for the month of July this year, the ERC found that the power utility billed customers charges emanating from two expired power supply agreement contracts for the billing period of May 26 to June 2021 onwards.

Ms. Devanadera explained that the ERC’s policy is for generation costs from expired contracts to be pegged at whichever has a lower rate — the National Power Corp.’s time-of-use rates or the actual rate billed by the generation company.

Ceneco’s failure to follow the policy is a violation of ERC’s calculation of adjusted retail rates under ERC Resolution 16, Series of 2009 entitled, “A Resolution Adopting the Rules Governing the Automatic Cost Adjustment and True-Up Mechanisms and Corresponding Confirmation Process for Distribution Utilities.”

It also violates Article VI of the Guidelines for the Recovery of Cost for the Generation Component of the Distribution Utilities’ Rates which states that the ERC must first approve power supply contract costs before it is included in retail rates. 

The ERC added that although generation companies intend to extend the term of their contracts with Ceneco, the request was still unapproved upon the date of billing as the companies need to comply with the competitive selection process required by the Department of Energy (DoE) once the contracts expire.

Under the DoE’s Circular 2018-02-0003, generation companies whose contracts have expired must apply for a new power supply agreement and comply with the department’s guidelines for competitive selection processes.

“The term or duration of power supply contracts may not be renewed or extended by mere agreement between the Seller and the Buyer,” the ERC said.

“The ERC will always adhere to its mandate of protecting and promoting consumers’ interests by continuously monitoring the propriety of charges billed by the Distribution Utilities,” Ms. Devanadera added in the letter to Ceneco.

Ceneco has not responded to a request for comment on the matter as of deadline time. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Stuff to do (10/29/21)

ING x Krispy Kreme Birthday Blowout Promo

ING Philippines turned 31 this October and is partnering with Krispy Kreme on a limited-edition ING orange doughnut and the Birthday Blowout Promo. The ING x Krispy Kreme Birthday Blowout Promo is the bank’s way to extend the celebration to its customers. ING customers are eligible for two free Original Glazed doughnuts for a minimum P200 single-receipt purchase with their ING Pay Visa physical debit card at Krispy Kreme. Customers can get the promo from any of the 93 participating Krispy Kreme branches nationwide until Oct. 31. The ING x Krispy Kreme Birthday Blowout Promo is available for take-out and dine-in transactions only. Redemption must be done during the same visit as the purchase and splitting a single transaction into multiple ones in the same visit will not be allowed. Delivery services such as the Krispy Kreme website and food delivery platforms are not covered by this promo.

Araneta City celebrates Halloween

ARANETA City celebrates Halloween 2021 with the theme, “Horror in Color.”  There will be a Drive-thru Trick or Treat until Oct. 30 at the Gateway Mall Drive & Go pickup station where visitors get a free goodie bag for every single receipt purchase worth P1,000 at any establishment; a Community Fair which is ongoing until Oct. 30 at the 2F, New Frontier Theater Arcade; mall Goodie Bag giveaways at Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, and Farmers Plaza on Oct. 29 and 30; and the Horror in Color virtual Halloween show on Oct. 30, 3 p.m. via Facebook Live on the Araneta City official page. 

Robinsons Place Antipolo Pet Park

ROBINSONS Malls Happy Pets Club, in partnership with TopBreed, will officially launch its Pet Park on Oct. 30. This new amenity is located at the Upper Ground Al Fresco Area, which is accessible to the mall’s open parking area and Picnic Grounds. This pet playground is easy to spot with its vibrant fences and archway entry. The pet park is equipped with agility units such as miniature stairs, weave cones, ball pit, dog walk platform, an A-frame, and a resting platform. Over at the Picnic Grounds is a Community Pawntry where pet owners to get dog food, shampoo, and vitamins. Also at the picnic grounds, artists Pete Velasquez, Rico Aunzo, and Brando Limon Bati will be on hand to sketch and paint pets. To celebrate the opening of Robinsons Place Antipolo’s Pet Park, a series of activities will be held on Oct. 30 starting at 10 a.m., including a pet blessing, games, and a pet talk and meet and greet session with Topbreed ambassador and wildlife veterinarian Dr. Nielson Donato. There will also be a sampling area and selling booth where pet owners can stock up on pet essentials. For every purchase of one liter of shield+alcohol and five kilos of adult dogfood or two kilos puppy dogfood, pet owners are entitled to either free pet deworming or a free anti-rabies vaccination. Fill out the application form available at the Happy Pets Club booth near the Pet Park and submit two 1×1 ID photos of your pet and updated vaccination record. 

Spook Street at BGC

CELEBRATE another Halloween at the Spook Street: A Drive-by Halloween Experience on Oct. 30 and 31 at 9th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig. For a minimum purchase of P1,500 from any Bonifacio High Street merchant from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31, visitors can avail of loot bags with options for small children and tweens to choose from. After claiming the loot bags, visitors can enter a mystery tunnel with spine-chilling surprises and characters inside. For more information about BGC Spook Street, visit Bonifacio High Street on Facebook and Instagram. 

Marks and Spencer’s Halloween treats

HOST a spooktacular evening for Halloween with the help of Marks and Spencer (M&S). From eerie Zombie Eyeballs to Creepy Chocolate Lollipops, the British retailer has launched its Spooktacular Halloween lines. Customers will find a range of creepy chocolates and sweets, from spooky flavored gummies and jellies like the Sour Spiders, Milk Ghosts and Graveyard Festival to Spooky Ombles Choco Pops, Dragon Eggs, Bubbly Boo, Net of Ghoulish Gang and the ultimate Halloween party food: freshly extracted and extra cheesy Vampire Fangs. Marks and Spencer Halloween lines are only available in selected M&S stores. Follow Marks and Spencer at facebook.com/MarksandSpencerPH and Instagram @marksandspencerph to get the latest updates.

Pasig River Heritage Tour on Oct. 31

MANILA Girls and Renacimiento Manila will hold a Pasig River Heritage Tour on Oct. 31. This barter tour (the tour is free) will start at Plaza Lawton at 9:30 a.m. The route will pass Plaza Lawton, Jones Bridge, Plaza Moraga, Escolta, Santa Cruz (Bridge and Plaza Lacson/Goiti), ending at The Heritage Collective in Hub: Make Lab, Escolta where tour goers can participate in the Freedom Wall and buy some merch. To join the tour, go to Renacimiento Manila’s Facebook page and send a message.

Virtual tour of haunted Manila

AFTER the success of last year’s “One Night in Intramuros” online Halloween tour, the tour and experiential company WanderManila steps out of the walled city to uncover the darker history of Manila’s iconic areas. The tour, “One Night in Manila: an online Halloween tour” will be livestreamed for free on Oct. 30, 9 p.m., on the WanderManila Facebook page. Conducted by WanderManila’ head tour guide Benjamin Canapi, the one-hour tour will feature a mix of history and horror. Among the locations to be visited virtually are Escolta, Paco Park, Arroceros, the University of Santo Tomas, and Manila City Hall.

PPO holds Tricks and Musical Treats concert

THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP) will hold a family-friendly virtual Halloween concert titled Tricks and Musical Treats: A PPO Family Concert on Oct. 31, 4 p.m. via Zoom. With the theme “A Musical Voyage to Outer Space,” the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) and guest performers from the UST (University of Santo Tomas) Symphony Orchestra will introduce children to the basic concepts of music and present orchestral music in a fun memorable adventure package. Hosted by award-winning actress Liesl Batucan, families will also learn about the benefits of music in brain development, especially in language and reading skills, mathematical learning through playing of musical instruments, memory skills, and mind-and-body coordination. As a fun activity, kids will be taught how to “conduct” the orchestra. To make the event even more engaging, participants are encouraged to be in space-themed costumes made using their creativity, resourcefulness, and improvisational skills. Best in Costume Winners will receive recognition and prizes. Register at https://neon.ly/MusicalTreats2021_register.

Spotify’s Halloween is back from the dead

SPOTIFY is bringing back its Halloween extravaganza, a web of curated content to get listeners into the spirit of all things spooky. From music playlists like  Headbanger Halloween, Trick or Treat and Fright Fest to local podcasts, Stories After Dark, Creepsilog and Wag Kang Liligon, it’s meant to set listeners’ spines tingling. Stories After Dark is a narrative podcast on Philippine true-crime stories with each episode covering some of the country’s most jaw dropping mystery stories; Creepsilog tackles a range of chilling topics including paranormal events, strange phenomena, and true crime, delivered with light and twisted Pinoy humor; Wag Kang Liligon hosts Grace Marcellana and Mimai Cabugnason have an enduring fascination for the weird and strange, and tackle hair-raising and insomnia-inducing tales of horror, mystery, true crime, and suspense. Spotify noted that there was a nearly 100% jump in Halloween-themed streaming on the first day of the spookiest month, compared to the day before. There is also over 2.9 million user-generated Halloween playlists to choose from. All-time Halloween classics are back in action, with streams significantly spiking as compared to the previous month, like “Monster Mash” is up by 350% and “This is Halloween” up by 280%. Spotify has also seen some newcomers enter the Halloween scene. More popular songs added to Halloween playlists include: “Stranger Things” by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, “bad guy” by Billie Eilish, “Black Magic” by Little Mix, “Season of the Witch” by Lana Del Rey,  “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max, and “Get Ghost” by A$AP Ferg, Mark Ronson, and Passion Pit.

Online memorial festival

FOREST Lake, the largest memorial care brand in the Philippines, is holding an online memorial festival titled Music and Memories: A Celebration of Life Through Music on Nov. 1 to give its lot owners the opportunity to honor the lives of their late loved ones from home. The program will start at 2 p.m. with a Mass, followed by a memorial concert hosted by actress Giselle Sanchez, with performances from Cooky Chua, Bugoy Drilon, Ice Seguerra, Kuh Ledesma, and Wency Cornejo. Forest Lake lot owners will be eligible to participate in a raffle for a chance to win a Forest Lake Memorial Park Lot, while regular event attendees may win cash prizes. The deadline for entries is on Oct. 30. To register, visit https://lynxshort.com/concert. They can also submit their prayer requests for their late loved ones to Forest Lake’s Facebook page. Event registration and submission of prayer requests can be done until Nov. 1. Forest Lake is the Philippines’ largest memorial care brand with more than 30 parks nationwide.

Christmas shopping at Estancia

START your Christmas shopping at Estancia’s 4-Day Fab Sale from Oct. 29 and Nov. 1. Enjoy up to 70% off and score Buy 1 Get 1 deals from The SM Store, Unimart, and other food and retail tenants. One can also shop from multiple stores through a personal shopper with Estancia My Home Dashers. Call 0917-851-9262 to order. The mall is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Estancia has been given a Safety Seal by the Pasig LGU which is a declaration that it has complied with the city’s precautionary measures to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

Early Christmas with Araneta City’s Parolan 2021

ARANETA City’s Parolan is an annual destination for the budget-conscious holiday decorator. Visit Araneta City’s Parolan 2021 at the Farmers Garden Parking (along General MacArthur Ave.) daily from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.  On sale are capiz shell parol, Christmas lights that dance to carols, Christmas tree toppers, lights, garlands, ribbons, and other holiday ornaments. Parolan comes complete with food choices including traditional Filipino Christmas treats like puto bumbong and bibingka to street food like grilled meat and innards. To assure shoppers, health protocols are in place at Parolan. Face masks and face shields are strictly required, and temperature checks are done upon entry. Staff also make sure that high contact points are disinfected regularly.     

Entertainment News (10/29/21)

Tier One Entertainment launches group, expands in Japan

WITH its plans to discover local talents to sign and develop, Southeast Asia gaming and esports entertainment pioneer from Tier One Entertainment debuts its first “idol” group in Japan. The company announced that model and cosplayer Harry “harfie” Field is a member of Project 4, the unofficial name of the group. The rest of the members will be announced in a series of promotions over the next couple of months. The company also announced its first foray outside the region by expanding its footprint to Japan as part of its strategic move when it signed an investment deal with its investors, KAYAC, a Japan-based internet firm, and Warner Music Group, a global media company that has a strong market presence in Japan. “Japan is a country with a long history both in gaming and innovation in multimedia. With over 57% of its population being gamers, there’s a big opportunity for us to grow our brand,” said Tryke Gutierrez, CEO & co-founder of Tier One Entertainment, in a statement. Tier One Entertainment was founded in 2017 by Gutierrez, cosplay and gaming star Alodia Gosiengfiao, and entrepreneur Brian Lim.

ABS-CBN News launches Halalan 2022 podcast

ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs launches its very first election podcast, POV:XYZ. Hosted by Tony Velasquez and Danny Buenafe, the podcast offers a space for Filipino youth to express their views and exchange stories about politics with two veteran journalists who have covered multiple elections and administrations in their decades-long careers. The pilot episode, uploaded on Oct 28, titled “The Power of the Youth Vote,” features Robi Domingo, YouTuber and influencer Janina Vela, and ASEAN Youth Advocates Network founder Mirus Ponon. All three have been very active in using their platforms to encourage their fellow youths to register to vote and to educate themselves on issues surrounding the elections. POV:XYZ is available on Spotify, ABS-CBN News App, and ABS-CBN Radio Service App and will drop new episodes every other week.

Kemrie releases new single

OPM artist and TikTok star Kemrie has released her latest single, “Cruel House.” This song follows the release of “Impressions,” which came out last year. Lyrically, “Cruel House” is deep and emotional. Musically, it’s a very pop song that builds from easy-listening verses into a last song syndrome-inducing chorus. “Cruel House” is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer.

Syd Hartha’s latest song will be part of her upcoming EP

FILIPINO singer-songwriter Syd Hartha returns to her roots on the stripped-down single “kung nag-aatubili.” The folk-pop tune will be part of her upcoming five-track EP to be released in the first quarter of 2022, and serves as her first original material for 2021 after contributing vocals for Tokimeki Records’ city pop-inspired “Carnival” and participating in Coke Studio Season 4. According to the 19-year-old artist, “kung nag-aatubili” reflects her complicated attitude towards romantic relationships and intimacy, which stemmed from traumatic experiences in younger years. The song will be accompanied by a music video slated to be released in the coming weeks. The song is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.

The Steve McQueens releases 5th recording project

The Observer is The Steve McQueens’ 5th studio outing, and shows a mature unit performing at the peak of their eight-year journey together. The characteristic playful inventiveness, musical twists and surprises are all here. Released through Singapore-based indie label Umami Records, the band’s latest album features music performed from their 2020 Nerd Lounge tour of Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia. With the pandemic putting the brakes on to their live performance plans, the quartet went into the studio to record this collection of new music which simultaneously evokes alternative R&B, chill-pop, 60’s Motown and nu-soul. Having released three of the singles in the record —  “Mila Ascending,” “Eye,” and “Beginning” —  since July, the band is ready to drop the full album.

New drops, perks from Pokemon

THE POKÉMON Company recently announced the latest news about Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl and released its latest promotional video (https://youtu.be/Jk3YTHWRqsM). For the early purchase of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Pokémon Shining Pearl, the “Platinum Style” in-game outfit will be given as a perk. Fans can receive this gift by choosing Get via Internet from the Mystery Gifts function in the game on Feb. 21, 2022. Fans can also change their outfit at Metronome Style Shop in Veilstone City. By wearing the Platinum Style, fans can continue their adventure dressed like the protagonist of Pokémon Platinum. The Pokémon Company recently unveiled the Hisuian forms of Zorua and Zoroark in the Nintendo Switch software, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Fans can check out the latest trailer on this link: https://youtu.be/juuIljtu8vY. In addition to the early-purchase bonuses already announced, the Baneful Fox Mask will be gifted to early purchasers of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. They can receive this gift by choosing Get via Internet from the Mystery Gifts function in the game. And it’s available up until May 9, 2022. For more details about the early-purchase bonuses, visit https://pokemon-cojp.ent.box.com/file/877346817232.

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