Duterte not attending ASEAN summit on Myanmar

April 22, 2021 | 1:48 pm

Duterte-6 — RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend a summit of leaders of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in Jakarta this weekend, his spokesman said on Thursday.

Duterte will be represented by the country’s foreign ministry and will not join because of the face-to-face requirements of the meeting, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a regular news conference. He did not elaborate on the issues.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been trying to guide Myanmar, a member, out of the bloody turmoil triggered by the military overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government on Feb. 1.

But the group’s principles of consensus and non-interference have restricted its ability to overcome members’ divergent views on how to respond to the army’s killing of hundreds of civilians. — Reuters

How South Korea turbocharged specialty syringe production for COVID-19 vaccines

April 22, 2021 | 1:02 pm

Poonglim-Syringe — Image via Poonglim Pharmatech

SEOUL — It was 7:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve when Cha Jung-hoon, South Korea’s deputy minister for small businesses, got a call from his boss to make an urgent three-hour car trip to visit syringe maker Poonglim Pharmatech.

The brief: work out how the government could convince and aid Poonglim, which had only about 80 employees, to rapidly scale up production of their low dead space (LDS) syringes, a type of syringe designed to minimize the amount of a drug left in the device after injection.

“It might help us get more vaccines,” Mr. Cha recalls then-minister Park Young-sun telling him.

Under fire in local media for not doing enough to secure COVID-19 vaccines, South Korea’s government had been reviewing options to accelerate shipments and gain more supply. Engineering a jump in LDS syringe output was an opportunity to be seized, it concluded.

The niche products were suddenly in huge demand globally after it became apparent they could be used to squeeze out a sixth dose from vials of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech’s newly approved coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to five doses with a standard syringe.

“It had come to our attention that Pfizer was looking for LDS syringes … using LDS syringes automatically boosts vaccine volume by 20%,” Ms. Park told Reuters.

Of South Korea’s LDS syringe manufacturers, Poonglim was singled out for special attention.

Its products are the easiest of domestic models to use, according to South Korean healthcare workers, comfortably drawing six doses from a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine vial and often seven by an experienced hand. Poonglim also had its own patents.

Thus was borne a strategy to tout Poonglim’s syringes, jack up production and in doing so help Pfizer increase supply of what had just weeks earlier become the first COVID-19 shot to be approved in Britain and the United States.

LDS syringes can also mean more profits for drugmakers as most contracts are based on a regulatory-approved number of doses to be extracted from each vial.

In the weeks that followed, government officials brought in the expertise of the country’s biggest conglomerate, Samsung, to help refit production lines, facilitate talks with Pfizer and guide Poonglim through regulatory procedures, Poonglim’s Vice-President Cho Mi-heui told Reuters in an interview. The ministry of small businesses also helped arrange loans for Poonglim.

It wasn’t the first time that South Korea had moved decisively in its fight against the coronavirus. Early on in the pandemic, the country had won plaudits for aggressive tracking and contact tracing.

The government also had faith in its strategy of recruiting big business to bring about rapid results for small firms, having used similar tactics to boost production of face masks and testing kits.

LDS syringes have helped Pfizer gain regulatory permission in some countries to relabel its vials as having six doses.

That new label, in tandem with an expansion of and improvements to production and the addition of more suppliers and contract manufacturers, allowed Pfizer in January to raise its projection for vaccine doses it can provide globally in 2021, from 1.3 billion to 2 billion. More recently it raised that forecast to nearly 2.5 billion.

Pfizer said in a statement to Reuters it had been able to accelerate shipments in the first quarter to South Korea and more than 30 other countries due to these improvements.

Seoul announced in late February that shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — of which it had ordered 26 million doses directly from Pfizer — would begin arriving in March, six months earlier than first scheduled.

WIN-WIN

Mr. Cha, the deputy minister for small business, said Poonglim sent samples to Pfizer on Jan. 2 and the US company came back a week later with positive feedback. All in all, it took less than two months from the day that he was told to travel out to Poonglim to clearance for Poonglim’s syringes by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Pfizer said it does not have any commercial agreement with Poonglim and declined to comment on any interactions with the syringe maker.

In South Korea, the government’s quick action on LDS syringes is being touted by President Moon Jae-in as a major pandemic success story.

Poonglim’s annual production capacity has jumped more than seven times in less than four months to 360 million and the firm has become, according to the ministry of small businesses, one of the world’s largest makers of LDS syringes.

The South Korean firm also now has an informal relationship with Pfizer under which the US drugmaker introduces potential clients, allowing Poonglim to approach them and work out deals, according to Ms. Cho.

Poonglim this month signed a deal to provide Japan with 30 million syringes over the next six months, she added. Japanese government agencies overseeing the COVID-19 response declined to comment on their procurement policies.

Ms. Cho also said Poonglim is in talks with clients in Europe and the United States about supplying LDS syringes but declined to elaborate further.

Poonglim’s product is also among LDS syringes featured in an information pack for healthcare professionals prepared by BioNTech. Other products on the list include LDS syringes made by major manufacturers such as Becton Dickinson and B. Braun.

BioNTech said its list of LDS syringes was compiled for informational purposes and neither it nor Pfizer vouched for their quality or provided a warranty.

While South Korea’s vaccination drive is proceeding more slowly than campaigns in Britain or the United States due to access to vaccines, its relative abundance of LDS syringes has helped it give 1.77 million people or 3.4% of its population at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

By comparison, Japan has managed vaccinations for 1.39 million, or 1.1% of its population despite starting its inoculation campaign nine days earlier.

Seoul also this month recommended that LDS syringes be used for all COVID-19 vaccines, not just the Pfizer shot.

SAMSUNG’S BRAWN

Poonglim was initially reluctant to work with the government and Samsung when they offered help, fretting that the tech giant might steal proprietary technology, according to Poonglim’s Ms. Cho.

But the conglomerate had worked wonders, she said.

Samsung Bioepis, Samsung’s drug research arm, made introductions to Pfizer and helped Poonglim navigate the process to gain US FDA clearance.

Samsung Electronics helped Poonglim tweak the design of the syringe that made it not only easier to mass produce but reduced the amount of vaccine wasted and made it safer to use. It also helped retool Poonglim’s assembly lines, increasing automation to lift output capacity, she added.

Samsung Bioepis referred Reuters’ queries to Samsung Electronics which declined to comment.

Production capacity surged — from around 4 million LDS syringes per month in December to 10 million by February and then more recently with the construction of a new plant to 30 million a month.

Employee headcount has also jumped to some 400 people. — Sangmi Cha/Reuters

Caltex lets you power a future-ready business through partnership

April 22, 2021 | 8:57 am

Caltex ITC PR - photo 1 — Chevron remains one of the world's largest and most successful energy companies.

Make your mark in the fuel industry with the Caltex Advantage

While the pandemic prompted an economic slowdown, a recent report by Platts Analytics forecasts that oil demand in Asia will bounce back in 2021[1]. As the economy continues to reopen, Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of Caltex brand of fuel and lubricants, provides investors with an opportunity to build an edge in the market while being future-ready. With its strong portfolio, expertise, and drive for human progress, investors will surely be on the right track to success.

Strong retail network growth

CPI has been supplying world-class Caltex fuels in the Philippines for more than eight decades, contributing to the development of the energy and petroleum industry. The Department of Energy’s latest oil supply and demand report shows that Chevron remains a dominant player in the industry with its significant fuel market share.

Chevron’s local presence is strengthened by its ever-growing network of Caltex service stations nationwide with nearly 650 stations to date. In the Asia Pacific, Chevron operates a network of over 4,000 Caltex branded stations, a figure that is expected to increase as the company continues to grow its retail sites footprint in the region and beyond.

Retail partners can springboard their franchise investment with Chevron’s global network of resources.

At the core of its strong brand proposition, CPI takes pride in its quality world-class fuels and petroleum products, such as Caltex with Techron, Caltex Diesel with Techron D, CaltexHavoline engine lubricants and coolants, and Delo diesel engine oils, which are formulated to be reliable and cleaner engine oils to enable a smoother ride for motorists.

Delivering superior stakeholder value

CPI provides construction and building assistance to help its retailers lower their capital outlay and ensure a smooth-running gas station franchise. It also offers training courses tackling business management and fuel planning to equip them with crucial business development skills.

CPI also creates valuable opportunities for Caltex retailers and customers through loyalty programs and promotions with big brands. Programs such as Happyplus, Robinsons Rewards, and MVP Rewards, allow motorists to earn points when fueling up at Caltex stations. Since 2019, Caltex became the only fuel brand to extend reward offerings to utilities, telecoms, and toll roads, besides food and groceries. Motorists can also maximize their savings by enjoying exclusive discounts with their Caltex SavePlus card.

In 2009, CPI forged an alliance with Philippine Seven Corporation to have 7-Eleven convenience stores at Caltex stations, so customers can also shop for essentials during their pit stops.CPI also began to roll out Caltex Havoline autoPro workshops in 2019 to provide high-quality engine oils and vehicle maintenance service accessible to more motorists. CPI also continues to have its tie-up with HSBC Credit cards and Philippine National Bank for rebate programs for their credit cardholders. To ensure safe and streamlined transactions in its fuel stations, CPI also introduced its cashless payment option through its partnership with PayMaya.

Human energy as the core engine

Caltex is ready to provide its retail partners with valuable support, resources, and assistance to build the successful gas station franchise they envision.

Chevron believes that its wins are a result of its values combined with its people’s expertise founded on strong partnerships. To pay forward, it creates a chain of growth by investing in its people who will upskill its partners, who in turn will provide more opportunities for local communities to prosper.

Retail partners are guaranteed the right guidance to become successful retail site owners and operators with Caltex’s seasoned business consultants and sales managers who are equipped with operational and industry-specific knowledge and skills. They provide holistic support on Caltex’s end-to-end business to retail partners wherever they are located, allowing them to better provide a stable fuel supply even in far-flung communities across the country.

To empower local communities, Chevron also offers livelihood and capacity-building opportunities through its social investment programs such as Volunteer Week, Chevron Energy for Learning, Caltex Fuel Your School, and various disaster relief programs.

“Chevron’s continued growth in the Philippines is an attestation to its earned trust from its people and partners over the years. We are committed to emerge even stronger in 2021 with sustainable programs for our partners that reinforce the compelling Caltex value proposition to our customers. We welcome new partners to this growth journey that enables them to be successful SMEs and important contributors to the much-needed quality and reliable fuel supply chain to the Filipino people,” said CPI Country Chairman and General Manager Billy Liu.

All of Caltex’s feats are built on Chevron’s purpose – to provide the energy that will power progress among its people, partners, and communities. And with the right foundation comes a thriving business.

To partnerwith Caltex, visit www.Caltex.com.ph/investors.

[1]Restarting the engine: Asia, oil, and coronavirus

DoubleDragon to launch three Hotel 101 projects

April 22, 2021 | 12:10 am

Pre-selling of 2,251 new rooms set this year, with P11-B expected sales

DOUBLEDRAGON Properties Corp. will begin preselling for three new Hotel 101 hotel projects this year, which will add 2,251 new rooms to the company’s hotel portfolio.

In a statement disclosed to the exchange on Wednesday, DoubleDragon Properties said it will be launching Hotel 101-Cebu, Hotel 101 Resort-Boracay, and Hotel 101-Libis in the next three quarters.

“The completion of these new Hotel 101 projects will be perfectly timed with the full recovery and anticipated rebound in the tourism industry in the Philippines,” Hannah Yulo-Luccini, chief investment officer at DoubleDragon Properties, said.

Hotel 101 is a three-star hotel, which is said to generate revenue and income twice. The company earns from the preselling of the condotel units and from hotel operations revenues.

The company expects to earn P11.03 billion in sales revenues from the three new projects.

“The Hotel 101 model has proven to be truly resilient, even in these circumstances it was able to deliver as much as 6.72% gross annual yield to its original Hotel 101-Manila unit owners, which is much higher than most corporate bond yields last year,” Ms. Yulo-Luccini said.

The listed property developer said Hotel 101 maintained an occupancy rate of 80.11% even amid the pandemic, as it provided accommodation to employees of business process outsourcing companies. Inventory of Hotel 101-Fort was also fully sold out in 2020.

Rooms dubbed as “Happy Rooms” feature amenities of a studio unit, such as a kitchenettes.

Hotel rates depend on the supply and demand of a specific period, with prices varying multiple times everyday.

“As far as we are aware, Hotel 101 is the only hotel concept of its kind in the world, the Patent documents for Hotel 101’s unique and pioneering concept has already been filed,” DoubleDragon Properties Chairman Edgar “Injap” J. Sia II said.

DoubleDragon Properties plans to shift into an investment holding company with subsidiaries in multiple industries. It is seeking approval from regulatory authorities to change its corporate purpose and to rename itself as DoubleDragon Corp.

The company has multiple subsidiaries, which include Hotel of Asia, DDMP REIT, Inc., CityMall Commercial Centers, Inc., and CentralHub Industrial Centers, Inc. It plans to push subsidiaries to conduct initial public offerings “when the right time comes.”

“Hotel of Asia’s Hotel 101 will be one of the driving forces of DD’s core growth in real estate, which is the first industry leg it has formed,” Mr. Sia said.

Shares of DoubleDragon Properties at the stock exchange went down by 0.31% or P0.04 to close at P13.02 apiece. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Converge to invest over $100M in transpacific cable system

April 22, 2021 | 12:09 am

LISTED fiber internet provider Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it would invest more than $100 million in a new transpacific cable system aimed at increasing internet speeds and network diversity in the country.

“Our investment into one full fiber pair, connecting us to Singapore and the west coast of North America, will allow us to independently activate at will up to 15Tbps (terabits per second) of capacity to either country using the latest technology,” Converge Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony H. Uy said in an e-mailed statement.

Converge said it signed a binding term sheet with Keppel Midgard Holdings Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore’s Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation, to grant the Philippine fiber internet provider an “indefeasible right of use” or IRU for one fiber pair on the main trunk of Bifrost Cable System.

Bifrost Cable System is a transpacific cable system connecting Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam, and the west coast of the United States, according to the official website of Submarine Cable Networks, a provider of consulting services on the planning, construction, operation, and marketing of submarine optical. The cable system is a project of Facebook, PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia International, and Keppel Telecommunications & Transportation.

Spanning 15,000 kilometers, the new transpacific cable system is expected to be completed in 2024.

Converge will be working with Keppel Midgard to develop a branch on Bifrost Cable System that will land in Davao.

Converge and Keppel expect that the additional branch “will significantly increase internet speeds and network diversity for businesses and consumers in the Philippines.”

“Our ongoing construction of our National backbone spanning the whole country will allow Converge to distribute this capacity from Davao to any point in the Philippines. We look forward to a continued strong collaboration with Keppel to bring our countries closer together and further enhance the connection of the region to the rest of the world,” Mr. Uy noted.

Converge ICT shares closed 0.53% higher at P19.10 apiece on Wednesday. — Arjay L. Balinbin

San Miguel allots at least $1B for battery storage projects

April 22, 2021 | 12:08 am

SAN MIGUEL Corp. (SMC), through its power arm SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., is spending more than $1 billion to build new battery energy storage facilities with a rated capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW).

In a press release issued on Wednesday, SMC said that 31 new battery energy storage units are underway. The company said that some storage facilities are in the advanced stages of completion.

“Our ongoing investment into battery energy storage facilities will greatly benefit power consumers all over the country, because this will mean that even faraway provinces or areas can have the same stable and good quality power supply as everywhere else,” SMC President Ramon S. Ang was quoted as saying.

The firm said that the immediate aim of the facilities is to address power quality issues, since the projects will be used as a regulating reserve type of ancillary service by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to mitigate grid frequency fluctuations and voltage issues.

With the new facilities, provinces and islands stand to have more opportunities for industrialization and economic growth, Mr. Ang said.

“If previously some areas could not attract investments because of unstable or poor power supply, battery energy storage will make power supply more stable and reliable,” he added.

He expects the relatively new technology to boost the flexibility of the country’s grid, and address the intermittency of renewables.

Earlier in January, the Department of Energy (DoE) identified 13 Luzon-based power projects with a combined capacity of 320 MW that have obtained financing and are supported by battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Based on DoE figures updated in October 2020, all the committed BESS projects in Luzon are by Universal Power Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned unit of SMC Global Power.

In 2018, SMC completed its first battery energy storage facility in its power plant located in Masinloc, Zambales.

Shares in SMC at the local bourse were unchanged at P116.80 apiece on Wednesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Ayala Land expects recovery to start in second half

April 22, 2021 | 12:07 am

LISTED property developer Ayala Land, Inc. is expecting to recover by the second half of the year and is preparing P100-billion worth of residential products in the pipeline.

“With the steady rollout of our ambitious national vaccination program, of which the Ayala Group and especially Ayala Land would play a critical role, I believe that we can start to show signs of recovery by the second half of this year,” Ayala Land Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala said at the virtual stockholders’ meeting on Wednesday morning.

However, the company believes it will take around two to three years to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“To set this recovery in motion, we allocated P88 billion in capital expenditures (capex) and P100-billion worth of residential products for launch in 2021,” Bernard Vincent O. Dy, president and chief executive officer of Ayala Land, said.

Around 44% of the company’s capex will be used for residential projects, some 26% for land acquisition, and 13% for estate development. The balance will be allocated for hotels and resorts, offices, malls, among others.

For residential products slated to launch this year, around 46% of the projects will be located in Metro Manila. The rest will be launched in Central and South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

“We are working towards a v-shaped recovery and I am confident that we have the institutional capability, required resources, and a strong balance sheet to achieve this objective,” Mr. Dy said.

The company currently has 30 estates across the Philippines and over 12,000 hectares of land in its land bank.

Meanwhile, the company’s logistics and warehousing business subsidiary AyalaLand Logistics Holdings Corp. is seeking to further expand its national footprint.

“We aim to be present in 10 key areas across the country, grow our warehouse [gross] leasable area to 500,000 square meters, and create new business platforms by the year 2025,” AyalaLand Logistics President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Rowena M. Tomeldan said during an online briefing on Wednesday afternoon.

The company is said to be present in five areas as of now. It also recently diversified its product offerings through the acquisition of a cold storage facility in Laguna Technopark.

Ayala Land shares at the stock exchange declined by 0.15% or P0.05 to close at P33 each on Wednesday, while stocks of AyalaLand Logistics improved by 1.47% to P3.46 apiece from P3.41. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Pancit: Chinese import but all-Filipino

April 22, 2021 | 12:07 am

fried-noodles-plate — NO party is complete without pancit. — TOPNTP26/FREEPIK

IN times of grief and strife such as these, we celebrate every little thing, and nothing says celebration at a Filipino table better than a platter of pancit. To be fair to this noodle dish, it has been a star for a long time, even and especially in times of plenty.

Filipino Food Month’s webinar series, Philippines on a Plate, presented a talk called “Untangling Pancit” last week, covered the bases like its origins and its spread.

Meah Ang See, advocate for Chinese-Filipino heritage and director of the Bahay Tsinoy Museum in Manila, gave a lesson on etymology. For example, the Hokkien word for rice is “bi,” and the spread of Chinese rice culture is reflected in our food’s names: biko, bigas, bihon, bilao, bilo-bilo (a glutinous rice and coconut treat, uncooked rice, a kind of rice noodle, a flat round tray used for winnowing rice and serving dishes, a desert made of small glutinous rice balls in coconut milk and sugar).

Pancit is another noun, borrowed again from the Chinese migrants — pian e sit, literally meaning food that is convenient to cook. “It’s the fastest. You boil some noodles, add some recado (other ingredients); you’re done.” It’s proto-fastfood nature came in useful in the 1700s, when it boomed due to the colonial tobacco monopoly policies in the Philippines. On breaks and after work, cigar-rollers and other factory workers would go to migrant Chinese vendors selling — what else? — the easy-to-cook pancit. The recipes became known to the locals, and soon, it was common to cook them at home. On the other hand, in a trickle-up story that took a century, the humble pancit that was once for toiling factory workers came to be placed on the tables of some of Manila’s restaurants, and hasn’t left since.

The talk had a broad definition of pancit, including noodle soups such as mami and lomi in the pancit lexicon. “It’s just really the Philippines that take all of these pancit and make it so rich. In every region, every barangay will say that they have the best pancit of their town; or their province. I would love to believe all of them,” said Ms. Ang See.

As a hybrid or transplant food, pancit becomes a symbol of cross-cultural and multicultural nature of the Philippines. “The Philippines is so diverse, and we’re so friendly to other cultures that we will take it, and make it our own,” she said.

PANCIT IN BACKSTREET, MOUNTAINS, SEASIDES
Marvin Gaerlan, a so-called “pancit nerd” and the man behind the pancit-focused Instagram @pancitlove, has travelled to various regions in the Philippines in the pursuit of the noodle dish. He documents the pancit he finds in backstreets, up in the mountains, or by the sea. During his segment of the talk, he not only explained why the Chinese transplant food was so readily adopted by Filipinos, but also thoroughly altered it to own it; and then spread it.

One, he says that it was easy to cook (as its Hokkien name would suggest), and it is relatively cheap and filling. “The ingredients are cheap, and they’re a cheap source of carbs,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “Pwede siyang extender sa handaan, na hindi ka sisimangutan ng mga bisita (It’s used as filler as banquets, one your guests won’t frown at you for).”

It’s also very versatile, a meal that can be eaten any time of the day, which meshes well with other dishes (again, like at a banquet). It can also be made with all sorts of ingredients: the pancit lusay of Laoag, Ilocos Norte being an example. It is made with scraps from cutting miki noodles, then cooked with longanisa (local sausage), bagoong (fermented fish paste), tomatoes, and broth. The noodles also mix well with ingredients that are found in the vicinity: an earlier version of the popular pancit Malabon was made with labong (bamboo shoots, which gave their name to the city) and the seafood found in the town’s surroundings. The recipe as it is known today, with the spongy noodles, was developed a few generations later.

It also has to do with social contexts: pancit that is dry, fried, or saucy is served at more celebratory occasions like birthdays. “A pancit-less birthday is a travesty for me,” declared Mr. Gaerlan. He then points out that noodle soups like lomi are served at wakes and more somber occasions. That’s just for mainstream pancit: in recent years, people like him have been opening eyes to regional pancit, thus increasing their popularity.

Due to the ubiquity of pancit, it forms a part of many memories, thus making the dish global but very personal. “Ang mga pinakamamahal na alaala ko ng pancit ay pasalubong ng daddy na miki bihon (One of my most precious memories of pancit was my daddy’s treat of miki bihon).” In fact, when asked what his favorite pancit was, from all the towns he had been to, he simply answered, with some obvious pride: “Luto ng nanay ko — miki. (My mother’s — her miki).”

For more talks, videos, and seminar, visit the Filipino Food Month Facebook page at (5) Filipino Food Month | Facebook. — JL Garcia

PAL to trial IATA Travel Pass on LA, Singapore flights starting May

April 22, 2021 | 12:06 am

PHILIPPINE Airlines joins 27 participating airlines from 25 countries in conducting trial runs for the IATA Travel Pass. — PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM

FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Wednesday that it would soon begin a trial run of a travel pass mobile application developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The IATA Travel Pass application allows passengers to digitally manage their travel documents and share their coronavirus test results.

“PAL and IATA will conduct a trial run of the new digital technology on the Philippine flag carrier’s flights from Manila to Los Angeles and Singapore on select dates from May to June 2021,” PAL said in a statement.

PAL President and Chief Operating Officer Gilbert F. Santa Maria said the IATA Travel Pass app is intended to assist passengers in verifying that they are in compliance with health rules and coronavirus test requirements.

The IATA Travel Pass app allows passengers to upload their passports for digital biometrics. “During the trial, PAL passengers will also be able to add their itinerary in the app and review health rules and regulations of their destination, especially on the required coronavirus testing before their departure,” the flag carrier said.

“The Travel Pass also enables partner and accredited coronavirus testing centers to upload laboratory test results on the app. One of the flag carrier’s testing partners, Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, will be accredited by IATA during the trial to upload test results on the said app,” it added.

The Tourism department said the adoption of IATA’s Travel Pass should help the country safely reopen its tourist destinations.

“Once the country’s adoption of the IATA Travel Pass is put into motion, the [Department of Tourism] hopes to safely reopen our tourist destinations to international visitors and revive the tourism industry as a whole… when the time is right,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat was quoted as saying in the statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin

McDonald’s to offer BTS Meal in local restos in June

April 22, 2021 | 12:06 am

The “BTS Meal” of McDonald’s will arrive in the Philippines starting June 18.

POPULAR food chain McDonald’s has partnered with Korean supergroup BTS for a specially designed meal to be offered in participating restaurants nationwide in June.

In an announcement made on Monday night, McDonald’s said its “BTS Meal” will arrive in the Philippines starting June 18, part of a one-of-a-kind menu “tour” for the offering that will have the band’s signature order served in some 50 different countries in the world.

The BTS Meal includes a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, medium Coca-Cola, and sweet chili and Cajun dipping sauces inspired by popular recipes from McDonald’s South Korea.

The burger chain has seen its revenue outside the United States drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is tapping on promotional campaigns through celebrity endorsements and limited-time menu items to get customers back into restaurants as economies reopen with the roll-out of vaccines.

The BTS meal follows similar US-only deals with singers J Balvin and Travis Scott, which McDonald’s says boosted sales in the later half of last year.

The spike in demand during the Travis Scott promotion caused the company to temporarily run short of ingredients to assemble its signature Quarter Pounder burgers at some restaurants.

The BTS Meal, McDonald’s Philippines said, should be a hit in the local market as the band has a large following among Filipinos.

“This band is truly a global phenomenon with a fan base that knows no borders, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the BTS Meal to our customers in the Philippines starting June,” said Oliver Rabatan, McDonald’s Philippines Marketing & Channels Head, in a release.

For the management of BTS, the partnership is a welcome development since the group finds much affinity with the food chain.

“The band has great memories with McDonald’s. We’re excited about this collaboration and can’t wait to share the BTS Meal with the world,” said BIGHIT MUSIC, label of BTS.

BTS has had a steady presence in the global music scene in the last decade, churning out chart-topping hits like “DNA” (2017), “Boy with Luv” (2019) and “Dynamite” (2020).

For more information on the BTS Meal and other updates, follow McDonald’s social channels McDo.ph on Facebook and McDo_PH on Twitter and Instagram. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo with a Reuters report

Wine, noodles underperform as supermarkets oversupply

April 22, 2021 | 12:05 am

PHILIPPINE supermarkets are oversupplying products like instant noodles and wine, leading to a need to reassess product assortment, NielsenIQ said in a report on Wednesday.

Around 79% of the stock-keeping units, or distinct inventory items, of instant noodles, and wine and spirits contribute to less than 2% of overall category sales in Philippine supermarkets, the consumer intelligence firm said.

This data points to a “glut in nonperforming products that exist within just this one category alone.”

The trend can be seen across other products, including coffee mixes (72%), carbonated soft drinks (71%), dishwashing aids (67%), hair conditioner (67%), and toilet soap (65%).

Didem Şekerel Erdoğan, NielsenIQ senior vice-president and analytics leader in Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said that products have proliferated in the market over the years as manufacturers compete amid consumer appetite for new variations.

“Finding and maintaining an optimal assortment has always been a challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic as well as intensifying competition have elevated this test to a new level,” she said.

Globally, 75% of stock-keeping units contribute to less than 2% of category sales. Drinks, instant noodles, chocolate, and detergent are some of the most underperforming categories, NielsenIQ said.

“More is not more, but rather the opposite as manufacturers end up investing in production and in-store shelf space for products that do not drive any incremental value, thereby eating into their profit margins,” Ms. Erdoğan said.

The NielsenIQ report said that supermarket assortment should be rationalized. But such rationalization does not just mean cutting low-sales products, but also a “sophisticated data-driven approach.”

“By correctly identifying which products to retire and keep, manufacturers can focus production and supply chain efforts on incremental products, but at the same time, eliminate waste, increase profitability and reinvest profits into new product development, which will ultimately capture new shoppers,” NielsenIQ Philippines Analytics Leader Lou-Ann Navalta said. — Jenina P. Ibañez

A royal drink without the royal price tag

April 22, 2021 | 12:05 am

By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter

Drink Review
The Famous Grouse

I’D buy anything with a Royal Warrant, and this brand has had one since 1984. When I found this bottle of The Famous Grouse on Boozy.ph, I immediately sprung for it. This was, after all, the favored tipple of Queen Elizabeth II’s late younger sister, Princess Margaret. It’s a surprising choice. For someone who’d always had the best of everything (except when it came to birth order and marriage), she favored this blended Scotch, which costs a flat P999. It’s possible, then, to get drunk like a royal, without the royal price tag.

The Royal Warrant on the label (basically an endorsement by the Royal Family) as well as its ownership by the Edrington Group (behind more prestigious brands Highland Park and The Macallan) gives some heft to its impressions, despite the very approachable price tag. The brand was founded by grocer Matthew Gloag in 1896 as The Grouse, then renamed The Famous Grouse in 1906.

The taste reflects this accessibility, considering the different world occupied by its most famous customer. It smells transparently floral (like a reliable one-note perfume), but with notes of blond wood and vanilla. Its amber color reminds one of pancake syrup, and a taste of it is reflected in a sip’s opening note. This one has a very mild heat, and minimal spice. The taste is easy and approachable (not much like the grand princess who drank it), and drinking it is far from a meditative or even intellectual experience. It’s what one imagines a whisky would taste like if one took tasting notes literally (the company’s website lists them as dried fruit, soft spices namely cinnamon and ginger, and a hint of oak). It is, then, at least, honest and straightforward. One drinks this when they don’t want to think; or if they need something to either fuel their talking or give some life to a poker face. It really is a perfect fit for its most famous drinker, one of the most famous party girls of her era. I will say that if it hadn’t been for its Royal Warrant, I’d imagine this to be the drink of choice for a man whose idea of fun is to shoot squirrels.

Would I drink this again? Definitely, and gladly. It’s for people who wouldn’t really want to paint themselves as serious whisky people, but wouldn’t want to look too gauche with a more mainstream choice. It’s a drink with an offhand, reverse-snob cool: “Me? I’m just here to drink.”

The Famous Grouse is available in most stores, but also online on Boozy.ph, and distributed in the Philippines by Future Trade, Inc.