Steaks, freshly cooked right outside your house

August 19, 2021 | 12:03 am

PORTERHOUSE steak — PHOTO FROM CURBSIDE.WOLFGANGSSTEAKHOUSE.PH

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WITH restaurants still in limbo due to the reimposition of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ — only until Friday, but who knows?), it’s still possible to have a treat from Wolfgang’s Steakhouse.

At present, Wolfgang’s branches in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), The Podium, and Resorts World are only open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with operations restricted to delivery and pickup services — which brings us to their new program, Wolfgang’s Curbside.

The program allows customers to book a desired timeslot (from 10 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.), and the steaks are delivered at that time, cooked outside one’s home, and served (plated nicely too). The dinnerware will be collected either within the day or the next.

The service has a P10,000 minimum consumable on food and drink. The minimum isn’t as hard to attain when the set menu for four (grilled salmon, a one-kilo USDA prime dry-aged porterhouse steak, and a 900-gram USDA prime dry-aged ribeye steak as the star, with an appetizer, four sides, and two desserts) costs P20,988.

“We offer a similar version of our All-day Menu from appetizers to entrees to desserts. The curbside menu is more compact though since this is still a delivery service and we do not want to compromise the quality of our food,” said Paula Maravilla, Marketing Officer for Wolfgang’s in an e-mail to BusinessWorld. Other menu items available include seafood, sandwiches, and cocktails.

This follows on the tails of last year’s programs, which had steaks that you can prepare yourself, and even one where a chef comes up and cooks the steaks in your kitchen. These are still available, according to Ms. Maravilla. Another program costs P30,000 minimum, and is accompanied by table setting, dinnerware, and waitstaff (if one chooses, since no-contact, standard, and premium packages are available).

“The concept of curbside delivery comes from our ultimate desire to deliver freshly broiled steaks right at your doorstep. You don’t need a party nor an extra special occasion to have steak, our USDA prime dry-aged steaks are available anytime, any day,” said Ms. Maravilla. “We want to maintain the quality of the steaks, that they are able to have the same Wolfgang experience without having the need to go outside their homes.”

Ms. Maravilla reflects on what a year and a half has done to their restaurant — and how good steak serves as a balm during these times.

“It has been quite a challenging year and a half but we manage to keep moving forward because we believe being able to come together, to eat and share good food, is still one of the best things life has to offer,” she said. “While the pandemic continues to affect everyday life, our approach towards this is to give a sense of balance, comfort or normalcy during these trying times. And like any other Filipino family, we love and enjoy eating. We still want Filipino families to celebrate a momentous occasion, no matter big or small.”

To book a slot and for the complete menu, visit https://curbside.wolfgangssteakhouse.ph/. For same-day bookings, call the BGC branch at 0917-710-1682; the Podium branch at 0917-702-8913; and the Resorts World branch at 0999-842-7954. — Joseph L. Garcia

Beijing tightens tech scrutiny with rules on competition, data

August 19, 2021 | 12:03 am

SHANGHAI — China moved on Tuesday to tighten control of its technology sector, publishing detailed rules aimed at tackling unfair competition and companies’ handling of critical data.

Beijing has been firming its grip on internet platforms in recent months, citing the risk of abusing market power to stifle competition, misuse of consumers’ information and violation of consumer rights, in a reversal after years of a more laissez-faire approach.

The country issued hefty fines to companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and social media company Tencent Holdings as part of a widening crackdown and has vowed to draft new laws around technology innovation and monopolies.

On Tuesday, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) issued a set of draft regulations banning unfair competition and restricting the use of user data.

New York-listed shares of Alibaba, JD.com, Inc. and Baidu, Inc. fell between 2.9% and 3.5% in premarket trading. Tencent-backed online brokerage Futu Holdings slid 7% and was among the most actively traded stocks across US exchanges, while peer UP Fintech Holding slipped 3%.

Tencent Music Entertainment Group shed 3.8% and was set to extend losses for a sixth straight session despite reporting better-than-expected earnings.

“The proposed regulations’ specificity evidences a clear set of priorities in setting the ‘rules of engagement’ for online competition,” said Michael Norris, research and strategy manager at Shanghai-based consultancy AgencyChina.

“If promulgated, the regulations will likely increase compliance burdens for transaction platforms, including e-commerce marketplaces and shoppable short video apps.”

NO HIJACKING OF TRAFFIC
Internet operators “must not implement or assist in the implementation of unfair competition on the Internet, disrupt the order of market competition, affect fair transactions in the market,” the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) wrote in the draft, which is open to public feedback before a Sept. 15 deadline.

Specifically, the regulator stated, business operators should not use data or algorithms to hijack traffic or influence users’ choices. They may also not use technical means to illegally capture or use other business operators’ data.

Companies would also be barred from fabricating or spreading misleading information to damage the reputation of competitors and need to stop marketing practices like fake reviews and coupons or “red envelopes” — cash incentives — used to entice positive ratings.

Soon after the draft tech rules were published, China’s cabinet announced it would also implement regulations on protecting critical information infrastructure operators from Sept. 1.

The State Council said operators must conduct security inspections and risk assessments once a year, and should give priority to purchasing “secure and credible network products and services,” marking an elaboration on the landmark Cybersecurity Law that passed in 2017.

The Chinese government has also taken ownership stakes in the domestic entities of social media giants ByteDance and Weibo, Reuters reported on Tuesday citing corporate filings. Shares of China’s Twitter-like Weibo dropped 2.6%. — Reuters

Hedcor re-syncs two units of hydro plant to Mindanao grid

August 19, 2021 | 12:03 am

ABOITIZ Power Corp. said its subsidiary Hedcor, Inc. was able to re-synchronize two units of its 45-megawatt (MW) Manolo Fortich 1 hydropower plant to the Mindanao grid, after completing restoration works that took about a year.

In a regulatory filing on Wednesday, AboitizPower said it had temporarily shut down units 3 and 4 of the Bukidnon-based plant for pipe repair works because of persistent rains, which caused erosion and mudslides in the area last year. The units have a combined gross capacity of 32 MW.

It added that it had completed restoration works for the affected units in 358 days.

“Hedcor Bukidnon is now generating at full gross capacity of 73.32 MW,” it said, referring to its Manolo Fortich 1 and 2 plants, which are now both fully operational.

The two plants generate Cleanergy, the firm’s brand for clean and renewable energy across Mindanao.

AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services.

Hedcor, a wholly owned subsidiary of AboitizPower, is focused on generating power from run-of-river hydropower systems.

AboitizPower aspires to reach a 50-50 power generation share in its Cleanergy and thermal capacities by 2030.

The firm’s second-quarter attributable net income rose by more than twofold to P3.96 billion after commissioning revenues from its new facility GNPower Dinginin’s unit 1, higher power demand and increased dispatch from the wholesale electricity spot market, among others.

Shares in AboitizPower at the local bourse ended 2.25% higher or 55 centavos to finish at P24.95 apiece on Wednesday. — Angelica Y. Yang

Bill easing Bank Secrecy Law included in Duterte’s list of legislative priorities

August 19, 2021 | 12:02 am

Diokno-BSP-do not reupload — Benjamin E. Diokno, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor — BLOOMBERG

A MEASURE that will relax the country’s Bank Secrecy Law has been included under the legislative priorities of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Wednesday.

Mr. Diokno, in a Viber message to reporters, said the Office of the President has referred the bill to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council for inclusion and prioritization.

“We are glad that the President [Duterte] has identified the Bank Deposits Secrecy Bill as a legislative priority. In view of this, the BSP will further step up its efforts to coordinate with Congress and other stakeholders for the immediate passage of the measure,” he said.

The central bank previously requested for the measure to be included in the list of priority bills and be certified as urgent by Mr. Duterte.

House Bill 8991 will allow the central bank to look into accounts of bank officials and employees when there are sufficient grounds for fraud. It has been approved at the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries.

“This will allow BSP to effectively fulfill its mandate and enable it to have a holistic examination of a banking institution so that certain risk areas will be considered in assessing a bank’s financial condition, risk management and corporate governance,” the central bank said.

Under the proposed measure, results of a BSP examination will not be disclosed and will be for exclusive use of the central bank. These findings may, however, be shared with courts and other regulators “if necessary to prevent or prosecute an offense or crime.”

In the Senate, there are five versions of the bill, including Senate Bill 1802 filed by Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, who chairs the Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries.

“It might be best to wait for the transmittal [of the bill] from the House where it is currently pending second reading. We shall consider the House [of Representatives] transmittal together with the five other versions in the Senate,” Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said in a text message. She added they will tackle the measure “as soon as the Committee calendar permits.”

The International Monetary Fund earlier called for the need to relax the country’s Bank Secrecy Law to boost the BSP’s supervision powers and strengthen the effectiveness of the country’s regulations against money laundering and terrorism financing and further improve ties with foreign authorities. — L.W.T. Noble

Spanish town takes unneighborly chats ‘al fresco’ to UNESCO

August 19, 2021 | 12:02 am

ALGAR, Spain — The town of Algar in southern Spain is seeking UNESCO world heritage status to protect and enliven its treasured custom of outdoor neighborly get-togethers on sweltering summer nights, which it believes Internet-based social networks threaten.

As sunset nears and cooler air from the mountains and a natural park nearby ease the day’s heat, villagers start bringing out chairs and tables to sit outside their homes and shoot the breeze, play cards or just chill out.

Children often join the adults, but there are few teenaged faces to be seen. Algar Mayor Jose Carlos Sanchez hopes that will change as his call for more villagers to join the outings in support of the UNESCO application gains support.

Two weeks after launching the call, and with temperatures approaching record high levels in southern Spain, he says he was surprised to find “nobody inside, everyone in the street, reinforcing this initiative and eager to make Algar an Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

The idea is to prevent social networks from ending a popular tradition, which Mr. Sanchez remembers from his childhood as a joyful pastime for Algar families and neighbors.

“When the social networks boom hit, everyone was on social networks. Now I think people are starting to leave that aside a bit to interact face to face, to talk in person… What we’re trying to achieve is to have harmony and conviviality and to get back to the traditional way,” he said.

Sitting outside also helps save energy, he added, an important factor in Spain where electricity prices have soared to record levels due in part to increased use of air conditioning amid a heat wave. — Reuters

Microsoft invests in software startup Rubrik, partners to protect customers from ransomware

August 19, 2021 | 12:02 am

MICROSOFT CORP. is investing in software startup Rubrik, Inc. and the two companies will combine on products that will help customers hit by ransomware recover their critical data without paying hackers.

The companies declined to specify the size of the investment. The funding totaled in the low tens of millions and valued Rubrik at about $4 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private terms. Rubrik was started with the idea of modernizing the market for data-backup software, taking on a previous generation of vendors like EMC, now part of Dell Technologies, Inc., and Veritas, now owned by the Carlyle Group.

The two companies will jointly sell software based on Microsoft’s Azure cloud to prevent, find and recover from ransomware attacks. The products also make sure backup copies of customer data and cloud software haven’t been compromised by the hackers, said Rubrik Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Bipul Sinha. The companies currently share 2,000 customers.

“When an attacker tells you they have control to the keys to your data and you can’t get it back without paying a ransom, this allows us to have an alternative source for that data in real time to be able to bring that company back to operational control,” Tyler Bryson, a Microsoft vice-president, said in an interview. “There’s a lot of backup solutions out there, but even those are vulnerable to having been compromised. If you didn’t design with the modern cloud architecture in mind, you may find you’ve just recovered to something already compromised.”

A spate of damaging ransomware attacks have occurred this year in which a hacker takes over networks and demands payment in order for a company or government agency to regain its data and control of its systems.

Ransomware attacks have accelerated during the pandemic as more companies use the cloud and their own corporate networks to deal with workforces split between home and an office, Mr. Sinha said. Microsoft and Rubrik have been working on combined products for a few years, but the need has become more critical.

“If somebody makes a mistake like clicking on an offer for a free cruise and ransomware gets in, we have the full assessment and mitigation solution,” he said. “What we are saying is you don’t have to pay the bad guys.”

Rubrik, founded in 2014, has raised a total of $553 million. The company’s last funding round was in 2019 at a valuation of $3.3 billion. Among the early investors was Microsoft Board Member and former Chairman John Thompson. Thompson is also a Rubrik director. — Bloomberg

Manila Mining board approves stock rights offering

August 19, 2021 | 12:02 am

MANILA MINING Corp. said its board of directors had approved the stock rights offering to fund its exploration program and settle liabilities.

Manila Mining said in a stock exchange disclosure on Wednesday that its board of directors, during a regular meeting on Aug. 17, cleared an offer to shareholders of one share for every five shares held at one centavo apiece.

According to the company, the offer will support the increase in its authorized capital to P4.6 billion from P2.6 billion.

“The proceeds of the offer, amounting to P519 million, will be utilized to fund the company’s exploration program, settlement of liabilities, and working capital,” Manila Mining said in the disclosure.

“Record and offer dates will be announced upon the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc.’s approval of the pertinent listing application,” it added.

In a separate regulatory filing, Manila Mining disclosed that the stockholders approved the amendment of Article 7 of the company’s articles of incorporation to increase its authorized capital stock to P4.6 billion from P2.6 billion, during its annual stockholders’ meeting on Aug. 17.

Manila Mining’s increased capital stock will be divided into 276 billion shares of common class “A” stock at a par value of one centavo apiece, and 184 billion shares of common class “B” stock also at one centavo per share.

According to its website, Manila Mining ceased operations in 2001 as a result of the non-renewal by the Environment department of the company’s permit to operate its tailings dam.

Shares of Manila Mining “A” and “B” were both flat at the end of Wednesday’s trading with the same trade price of P0.011 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Dining In/Out (08/19/21)

August 19, 2021 | 12:01 am

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Sheraton Manila Bay’s Lechonito Special

FILIPINO celebrations are never complete without a lechon — a roast pig. But since most celebrations are now confined at home with only a few family members and friends, lechonito or cochinillo — roast suckling pig — is a practical alternative. The Sheraton Manila Bay offers its own version, Lechonito Special, for P7,888 net, with each lechonito set including vegetable kare-kare (a peanut based stew), bringhe rice, ube (purple yam) leche flan, and a healthy fruit beverage. The package is good for sharing by up to four persons. To order for delivery, call 5318-0788, 0917-583-7294, 0917-583-7326 or e-mail sh.mnlsb.fnb@sheraton.com. Twenty-four hours advance order is required. For a full listing of the hotel’s gourmet takeaways menu, visit http://bit.ly/ccmnlsb.

Special edition bag for Conrad Manila’s mooncakes

THE CONRAD Manila celebrates the Mid-Autum Festival with restaurant China Blue by Jereme Leung’s selection of handmade mooncakes in four flavors, which come in limited edition Filipino-designed bags. The mooncake flavors include the new Baked fragrant pandan with taro black gold charcoal (embellished in black and gold edible paint, it has a smooth pandan paste and creamy taro center), along with Baked red bean single salted egg yolk, and Baked white lotus single egg yolk versions. The mooncakes come in special bags and boxes. There is the new Harvest Mooncake Bag, a collaboration with local fashion designer Zarah Juan, available in two limited editions and come in two colors, red and tan. The bag’s embroidery depicts traditional barong Tagalog fabric, with an intricate design of rice grains. Each bag is handcrafted from upcycled wood by artisans in Paete, Laguna. Then there are previous favorites, the Tropical Allure by Christy Ng bag in purple or red, the Pacific Allure bag, and the Pacific box. Each mooncake gift set comes in a box of four baked mooncakes, with options to mix and match flavors. The Harvest Mooncake Limited Edition bag containing four mooncakes costs P5,888 net, the Tropical Allure bag with four mooncakes is P3,888, the Pacific Pearl bag with four mooncakes is P2,888, and the Pacific box with four mooncakes is P2,588. The mooncake gift set are available for purchase until Sept. 21, with an early bird discount of 20% for pre-orders until Aug. 31. Orders can be placed at https://bit.ly/CBJLOrderForm. For more details on the mooncake offerings, call 8833-9999 or 0917-650-4043, e-mail conradmanila@conradhotels.com, or visit www.eatdrinkhilton.com.

Limited time offer from New World’s Jasmine

NEW World Makati Hotel’s guests can enjoy dim sum and an array of whole cakes while staying safe at home during the quarantine with limited-time offers until Aug. 31. Self-pick-up orders at Jasmine are 15% off while whole cakes from The Shop are at P1,000 net. For guests who prefer to have their Jasmine orders delivered, the restaurant is available on mobile food apps Grab, Food Panda, Pickaroo for added convenience. Jasmine recently added six new dim sums — shrimp with corn and Chinese parsley dumpling, minced chicken with truffle mushroom dumpling, shrimp with Pacific clam dumpling, curry bun with chicken, mushroom, carrots and corn, Youtiao shrimp mousse with wasabi sauce, and seafood cheese net spring roll — to its all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner, also available to enjoy at home. The six new items may only be ordered for self-pick-up for now and are not available yet on mobile food apps. Home celebrations are made more special with The Shop’s lineup of whole cakes available for P1,000 net. Choose from the Strawberry Shortcake (layers of butter sponge cake and sliced strawberries cooked in sugar syrup, topped with macarons, ganache frosting and fresh berries), Chocolate Truffle Crunch (dark chocolate cake with layers of moist sponge and a hint of crunch topped with a dark chocolate coating), Almond Praline Crunch (cream and soft cheese with a mixture of caramel hazelnut praline paste, finished with praline Chantilly cream and almond flakes), and Red Velvet (sponge cake layered with cream cheese frosting, topped with a mirror glaze). Orders are for self-pick-up and must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Order directly until end of August by calling 8811-6888 ext. 3679, e-mailing fb.reservations@newworldhotels.com or joining the Viber app community at www.tinyurl.com/NewWorldMKTViber.

Foodie photo workshop

LEARN how to snap the best photos of food with a smartphone at the Photo Foodie workshop with photographer Sandra Dans on Aug. 21, (10 a.m. to 12 noon). Ms. Dans has worked as a professional photographer since 2010. She also teaches photography education at a local university. She graduated with a BFA in Visual Communication from the College of Fine Arts at UP Diliman and has an MFA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. The program fee is at P500, open to participants aged 14 years and above. Prepare a smartphone and a dish or dishes to photograph. For more information and to register, visit www.bgcartscenter.org/summer-art-fun.

Del Monte Kitchenomics now an app

DEL Monte Kitchenomics keeps up with the times with a mobile app that makes easy-to-follow recipes more accessible to everyone. Launched in 1984 as a consumer culinary platform, Del Monte Kitchenomics started out as a direct mail-based customer relationship management program, where registered members were sent recipe cards and cooking tips, then it became a TV cooking show. Del Monte Kitchenomics solidified its presence in the digital space and social media with a mobile app version freely available at Google Play and Apple App Store. Beyond recipes and cooking tips, the app enables users to prepare a meal plan, generate a shopping list, and order their favorite Del Monte products through Shopee and Lazada. The platform also offers kitchen novices its Del Monte Kitchenomics University to level up their cooking skills with lessons to elevate their daily meals or jumpstart an entrepreneurial culinary journey.

Crimson Hotel offers free delivery

THE CRIMSON Hotel is offering free delivery within Muntinlupa City until Aug. 31 with a minimum order of P500 from Baker J, Firehouse Pizza, and Café Eight. Aside from Firehouse Pizza’s Signature, Classic, and Vegan pizzas, one can try out the Pizza of the Month and the Hungry Feast. Meanwhile, Café Eight adds spice and color to dining at home with its Thai-inspired food bundle, Thai’s the Limit, which includes Thai shrimp cake, Pomelo salad, Thai grilled chicken, Pad Thai, and Sticky mango rice (P1,500 net per order, good for four people). The Thai grilled chicken and Pad Thai are served in a self-heating portable hotbox. Order at least one day prior to date of pick-up. Message the hotel on Viber (0998-590-0428).

New restaurants added to GrabFood Signatures program

FOLLOWING the successful rollout of GrabFood Signatures in April, a new batch of restaurants and brands have joined the program. GrabFood Signatures is a collection of premium food brands only available for delivery on Grab. The newest roster of restaurants includes crowd favorites ranging from Papa John’s, Lugang Café, Yabu, Ippudo, and TGI Friday’s, to Botejyu, Paper Moon Café, and Pepi Cubano, and many more. To order, open the GrabFood tab on the Grab app, then look for the widget labeled “Only With GrabFood” to see all the restaurants under GrabFood Signatures. Consumers can also look forward to P100 off when they buy food items with a minimum spend of P550 from any of the new merchants under GrabFood Signatures. To do so they must type in the code SIGNATURES upon checkout. Merchants under GrabFood Signatures offer a long-distance delivery option. The initial roster of restaurants available under the GrabFood Signatures program includes brands like Angel’s Pizza, Frankies, New York Buffalo Wings, Andok’s, Kimono Ken, Mann Hann, Turks, Cibo, Sinangag Express, Wildflour Burger, and Popeyes. Customers can also order snacks, desserts, or drinks from restaurants like Big Al’s Cookie Jar, J.Co Doughnuts & Coffee, Banapple, Cake2Go, and Café Mary Grace.

Bo’s Coffee marks 25 years

IN THE midst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the competitive market, homegrown brand Bo’s Coffee is celebrating its 25^th year with the rollout of new products and continuing expansion here and abroad. For its silver year, the famous café chain is returning to its roots by helping uplift the coffee farm communities. For every purchase of beans from Bo’s Coffee Philippine Coffee Origins line, 10% of the proceeds will go to its adopted farm in Atok, Benguet. Bo’s Coffee also recently launched its Cakes in Tubs, available in Carrot Cake, Deluxe Chocolate Cake, and Burnt Cheesecake flavors. Customers can also enjoy the classic Kapeng Barako in whole Coffee Beans and Single Drip Coffee. Beginning with a single store in Cebu City 25 years ago, Bo’s expanded rapidly across the archipelago and currently operates over 100 stores, making it the country’s largest homegrown brand. It also expanded globally, starting with a café in Doha, Qatar in the Middle East. Aside from coffee farmers, Bo’s Coffee has also championed startup businesses and social enterprises by selling farm merchandise and food in its stores. Even before the pandemic, it had an online ordering platform called “Bo’s Coffee Order Ahead” on Facebook Messenger. This allowed customers to skip the queue, pay online and pick up their orders from a nearby store or have them delivered home. In mid-2020, it launched its first digital coffee service, Bo’s Coffee Daily, as a new way for customers to enjoy the barista experience. The chain also unveiled two more digital brands, Urbanica Milk Coffee and S’Wich, in partnership with Foodpanda, ensuring that its beans and baked goods are available nationwide through the webstore.

Cooking suggestions from Midea

MIDEA offers five meal suggestions that can be made using its multifunctional air fryers. Best known as a way to fry food without oil, there are other things that can be cooked with it aside from fried dishes. Here are some tasty and healthy suggestions: Bacon-wrapped Asparagus, with the correct preset on the digital air fryer, the asparagus and bacon will come out crispy and delicious; Homemade chips, set the appropriate temperature and time on the Midea air fryer, and “fry” for 15 to 17 minutes, turning every five to seven minutes to make the chips crispy and golden brown; Roasted savory chicken; Grilled barbecue, broil meat and achieve that char finish in 15 minutes; Air Fryer Desserts like warm chocolate lava cake and classic bread pudding. Midea’s 5.5L Digital Air Fryer is available exclusively at www.mideaph.com, Midea’s official Lazada page (www.lazada.com.ph/midea) and at Midea’s official Shopee page (www.shopee.ph/mideaphilippines), and the Midea 3.5L Mechanical Air Fryer is at their e-commerce and leading appliance stores nationwide.

Chefs share recipes to try at home this lockdown

PINOY chefs Boy Logro and Aileen Conde are sharing a variety of easy-to-recreate recipes in cooking show Solane Kitchen Moments. They have recipes for the healthy eater, the sweet tooth, and even the kids, together with a handful of tips and tricks from these professional chefs. There is Mr. Logro’s Pinaisang Isda using fresh ingredients that can easily be found in the nearest palengke or supermarket. While maya maya is his fish of choice, any fish will do. For a kid-friendly recipe, have a go at Logro’s Omurice, a fun way to make the young ones eat their greens and proteins. Meanwhile, Ms. Conde, a pastry chef and cake shop Honey Glaze Cakes owner, shares easy recipes for Frozen Mango Chiffon Cake and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, and Double Dutch Cookies. The Solane Kitchen Moments can be found among the videos on Solane’s Facebook page.

Food temperature tips from Samsung

KEEPING food at optimal storage temperature ensures that when you are ready to cook or eat, they are at their tastiest best. Samsung, which has a range of refrigerators and freezers, notes that most people tend to just put all their meat in the freezer when in reality, some of the steak can be stored in the temperature required for most vegetables to keep their quality. Certain steaks certain steaks like Wagyu can be kept at an optimal temperature of 2°C before cooking. (Samsung’s French Door Refrigerator has a FlexZone feature where one can store different foods and drinks depending on the desired temperature which can be easily changed to accommodate a different temperature storage.) For stocking up on additional steaks or steaks like Angus, place them at around -1°C to preserve their freshness while frozen. Store your cheese where the temperature is cold and stable: keep hard cheeses like Manchego at 4°C to 6°C, and soft cheeses like brie stored at a lower temperature of around 3°C to 4°C, away from other produce. Additionally, place the cold cuts in the same temperature mode as Fruits & Vegetables to preserve their deli-like quality. They can be stored right there for weeks. The newest Samsung French Door Refrigerator and other appliances can be had through Samsung’s FlexiDeals promo, which offers convenient payment options from straight cash discount up to 35% off. Get 12-month 0% installment plans, and a low monthly interest via Home Credit and In-house Financing. The promo runs until Aug. 31. For details on the Flexideal promo, visit https://www.samsung.com/ph/offer/offline/2021/flexideals/.

Manulife IM Philippines launches India-focused fund

August 19, 2021 | 12:01 am

MANULIFE INVESTMENT Management and Trust Corp. (Manulife IM Philippines) has launched a new equity feeder fund where majority of assets will be invested in India as it aims to capture the growth of the world’s sixth-biggest economy.

Manulife IM Philippines said in a press release on Wednesday that its India Equity Feeder Fund is an equity unit investment trust fund (UITF) that invests at least 70% of its net assets in listed companies and securities of firms across various sectors in India.

“India is an economic powerhouse offering investors attractive growth opportunities. With its large and young population, India is poised to deliver solid growth, supported by its domestic-driven economy and transformative reforms, especially as its vaccine manufacturing capacity has started ramping up amid the pandemic,” said Aira Gaspar, president and CEO of Manulife IM Philippines.

Ms. Gaspar said the Indian economy will likely benefit from faster digital transformation as it attracts global investments.

She added that the country’s low labor costs and policies on import substitution supporting the local market would also benefit its manufacturing sector amid disruptions in global trade.

The fund is available in either peso- and dollar-denominated share classes for minimum investments worth P5,000 and $100.

Manulife IM Philippines is the wealth and asset management arm of life insurer Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.), Inc.

In July, Manulife IM Philippines launched its global feeder fund that will invest 70% of its total assets in real estate investment trusts listed across international markets.

Ms. Gaspar had said the company will launch two new offshore funds this year to take advantage of the changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. — BML

Etaily raises $1.6M in seed funding, to expand services

August 19, 2021 | 12:01 am

E-COMMERCE solutions provider Etaily plans to develop additional services and expand its retail reach after raising $1.6 million in seed funding.

Etaily’s seed funding round was led by Ayala Ventures, Foxmont Capital and Magsaysay Logistics, while additional investments came from Boston Consulting Group Managing Director Anthony Oundjian, along with other angel investors.

“We plan to use the funds to develop more e-commerce solutions for our growing customer base of retailers, of vendors, of small, medium, and large enterprises on a local as well as a regional level,” Etaily Chief Executive Officer Alexander Friedhoff said in a virtual event on Tuesday.

“We are aiming to use those funds in the development of our proprietary end-to-end e-commerce operating ecosystem and to further build obviously on the success of digitizing the department stores and scaling this offline to online experience also with other offline retailers.”

Etaily works on mobile application and online store development, customer analytics, inventory management, and warehousing and fulfillment solutions for online transactions. Its legal structure is in Singapore, while its head office is in the Philippines.

Mr. Friedhoff said the company has generated more than a million transactions and made more than 50,000 unique products since it started last year.

“(We) managed more than 20 brands across all online channels, and even more importantly, we have activated more than 10 offline retailers for online capability,” he said.

The e-commerce sector could contribute P1.2 trillion to the economy by 2022, representing 5.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the government’s e-commerce roadmap. This projection is double the 2020 baseline of P599 billion, or 3.4% of the GDP. The government plans to increase the number of e-commerce businesses from 500,000 in 2020 to 750,000 by 2021 and one million by 2022. — Jenina P. Ibañez

FDC targets workplace herd immunity this year

August 19, 2021 | 12:01 am

GOTIANUN-LED Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) has expressed optimism about its prospects for the rest of 2021 as it aims to fully inoculate its work force before the year ends.

“We never stopped pushing our projects and growth initiatives forward despite the challenges borne out of the pandemic. With the light of vaccinated hope, we choose to be on the side of optimism. This confidence is borne out of our fast-moving vaccination program FilVax and our accelerated digital transformation,” said Lourdes Josephine T. Gotianun-Yap, FDC president and chief executive officer, in a statement.

To date, the group’s vaccinated population surged to 71%, with 65% fully vaccinated and 35% with their first dose. The inoculation goal covers employees and third-party service providers.

“We are looking forward to achieving herd immunity by the fourth quarter of the year, which will be a critical milestone in the group’s continued growth and recovery curve amid this pandemic. FilVax is only one of the entire group’s synergistic efforts in ensuring that we keep the Filinvest family safe and healthy as we continue to respond to the needs of our stakeholders,” Ms. Gotianun-Yap said.

FilVax is the Filinvest group’s free vaccination program for employees, drivers, messengers, utility workers, and security guards assigned to FDC properties and workspaces nationwide.

It kicked off on Aug. 4 at the Filinvest Mega Vaccination Center at Festival Mall, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa.

FDC has so far accelerated its digital transformation amid the pandemic and implemented measures to keep its employees, customers, and stakeholders safe.

Companies under FDC include Filinvest Land, Inc., EastWest Banking Corp., Filinvest REIT Corp., FDC Utilities, Inc., Filinvest Alabang, Inc., and Filinvest Supermall, Inc.

The Filinvest group also owns Crimson Resorts in Boracay, Mactan, and Alabang, and The Quest Hotels in Cebu, Clark, and Tagaytay.

DFNN incurs P35-M loss after gaming halt

August 19, 2021 | 12:01 am

DFNN Inc. recorded a P35.25-million attributable net loss during the second quarter, citing the temporary closure of its gaming operations due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The listed company said in a stock exchange disclosure on Wednesday that its bottom line for the April-to-June period is 45.4% lower than the previous year’s P64.5-million net loss attributable to parent firm equity holders.

DFNN’s total revenue for the quarter rose 104.1% to P112.42 million, of which commission income contributed P86.42 million, followed by service fees at P22.28 million, and sale of licenses at P3.71 million.

For the first half, DFNN reported a P63.25-million attributable net loss, 24.2% lower compared with the P83.49-million loss incurred in the same semester in 2020.

Total revenue for the six-month period fell 17.2% to P268.89 million from P324.88 million the previous year.

Of the total, commission income accounted for P213.14 million, followed by service fees at P45.85 million, and sale of licenses at P9.9 million.

“Total revenue during the first six months decreased by 17.2% compared to the same period of 2020 mainly due to the decrease in commission income. Total revenue derived from commission income amounted to P213.14 million compared to P243.53 million for the same period in 2020 attributable to the temporary shutdown of gaming operations due to the COVID-19 lockdown,” DFNN said.

DFNN President and Chief Executive Officer Calvin Lim said the positive result of the company in terms of revenue was due to InPlay.ph.

“It is an undeniable success as customers now opt to use the same for the reliability and convenience that it offers,” Mr. Lim said.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) of InPlay.ph, under DFNN’s subsidiary Inter-Active Entertainment Solutions Technologies Inc. (IEST), reached P113.9 million in the first half.

Consolidated costs and expenses of DFNN for the first half fell to P311.9 million due to the temporary closure of the gaming business sector amid lockdown measures.

Meanwhile, DFNN said its subsidiary, iWave, Inc., launched the Global Trade Exchange (GTX) platform under its Seychelles unit GlobalTradeX, Ltd., which allows the issuance, custody, and trading of digital assets across borders under the jurisdiction of the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan.

“iWave was awarded a license to operate the Digital Asset Exchange to serve exclusively non-Filipino clients and non-Filipino issuers,” DFNN said.

The company disclosed that GTX has over $2.9 billion in the pipeline from issuers that plan to list on the exchange before the end of 2021.

“iWave’s mandate allows for the operation of various financial and capital market services on the platform. This includes the trading and settlement of Digitized Securities, Futures, Commodities, and Derivatives. Currently, GTX has over 500 Digital Asset pairs available for Spot, Margin, and Futures trading via the web, iOS and Android. GTX also provides Fiat P2P, Lending and Staking as a service,” DFNN said.

On Wednesday, shares of DFNN at the stock exchange rose 6.10% or 23 centavos to end at P4 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave