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Taiwan and Singapore, COVID success stories, face threats

REUTERS
A man walks by a restaurant decorated with Taiwan flags in Taoyuan, Taiwan, May 13, 2021. — REUTERS/ANN WANG

SINGAPORE and Taiwan, success stories in containing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are both rapidly imposing aggressive restrictions at home — and tightening travel between each other.

In Taiwan, authorities encouraged people to stay at home this weekend after a record 180 new local cases were reported Saturday. Indoor family and social gatherings in Taipei will be limited to five people, while outdoor ones will be restricted to 10.

In Singapore, indoor dining has been banned, according to an announcement on Friday, and working from home will now be the default, as the city-state re-imposed lockdown-like measures it last ordered a year ago. Seven schools will switch to home-based learning to “ring-fence” those affected by infections, as the city-state makes plans to vaccinate those below 16 years old.

The outbreaks and virus-control measures also threatened the reopening progress of regional travel. Singapore had previously allowed travelers from Taiwan to enter without a quarantine. On Saturday, it announced a ban on the entry of short-term visitors with travel history to Taiwan in the past 21 days, while requiring citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders to quarantine when they arrive.

Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center also demoted Singapore, along with Vietnam, to “medium-risk” from a group of low-risk places that include New Zealand, Macau and Australia, pointing to a surge in infections.

Meanwhile, a long-awaited quarantine-free travel corridor between Hong Kong and Singapore, two of Asia’s biggest financial centers, may not kick off as planned later this month amid the recurrence of cases in island nation.

Singapore and Taiwan have been seen as the poster children of COVID control success, where locals have largely gone about everyday life without fear of infection as the virus ravaged most of the world.

Taiwan went without a single domestic coronavirus infection between April and December. In Singapore — the best place to be in the coronavirus era by Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking — people have attended concerts and gone on cruise trips.

The regression of COVID control progress shows the difficulty of sustaining a virus-free environment, especially when a low level of threat made locals reluctant to get vaccinated. In Taiwan, less than 1% people have been inoculated so far, according to the Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker.

As a sign of the unpredictability in containing the pandemic, authorities in mainland China, which has been free of locally transmitted cases for about a month, this week reported a handful of local cases in the provinces of Anhui and Liaoning. — Bloomberg

Bodies of COVID-19 victims among those dumped in India’s Ganges

NEW DELHI — Bodies of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) victims have been found dumped in some Indian rivers, a state government said in a letter seen by Reuters, the first official acknowledgement of an alarming practice it said may stem from poverty and fear of the disease in villages.

Images of corpses drifting down the Ganges river, which Hindus consider holy, have shocked a nation reeling under the world’s worst surge in infections.

Although media have linked the recent increase in the numbers of such bodies to the pandemic, the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 240 million people, has until now not publicly revealed the cause of the deaths.

“The administration has information that bodies of those who have succumbed to COVID-19 or any other disease are being thrown into rivers instead of being disposed of as per proper rituals,” a senior state official, Manoj Kumar Singh, said in a May 14 letter to district heads that was reviewed by Reuters.

“As a result, bodies have been recovered from rivers in many places.”

Mr. Singh confirmed the letter to Reuters but said autopsies on four to five bodies in the state’s district of Ghazipur had not revealed virus infection.

“The bodies are decomposed, so I am not sure in this state it can be found out about corona positive,” he said in a text message.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials on Saturday to beef up rural healthcare resources and boost surveillance as the virus spreads rapidly in those areas, after ravaging the cities.

Uttar Pradesh, home to more people than Brazil or Pakistan, has been badly hit by India’s dramatic second surge of COVID-19. Health experts say many cases are going undetected in the state’s villages, home to the bulk of its people.

In the memo, Mr. Singh said a lack of funds for materials such as firewood for cremation, religious beliefs in some communities, and families abandoning victims for fear of the disease were among the likely reasons for the surge in dumping.

He asked village-level officials to ensure no corpses were thrown into water and said the state government would pay poor families 5,000 rupees ($68) each to cremate or bury the bodies of the dead.

The state has also asked police to patrol rivers to stop the practice.

India has been officially reporting about 4,000 daily deaths from the disease for nearly two weeks, but health experts say the toll is probably much higher because of factors such as poor testing in rural areas.

The jump in deaths has led to backlogs at crematoriums in many places and multiplied the cost of last rites.

On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh spokesman Navneet Sehgal denied media reports that as many as 2,000 corpses of possible virus victims had been pulled from rivers in the state and neighboring Bihar in recent days.

“We keep recovering 10 to 20 bodies every now and then,” Mr. Sehgal told Reuters, adding that some riverside villages did not cremate their dead due to Hindu traditions during some periods of religious significance.

Bihar officials did not respond to requests for comment. — Reuters

U.S. fuel crisis eases as pipeline returns to normal after hack

Widespread gasoline shortages along the U.S. East Coast began to ease slightly on Saturday as the operator of the nation’s biggest fuel pipeline said it was back to delivering “millions of gallons per hour” following last week’s cyberattack.

Ships and trucks were deployed to fill up storage tanks after the six-day Colonial Pipeline shutdown, the most disruptive cyberattack on record, triggered widespread panic buying that left filling stations across the U.S. Southeast dry.

“We have returned the system to normal operations, delivering millions of gallons per hour to the markets we serve,” said the company, which had begun gradual restart of the pipeline on Wednesday.

More than 13,400 gas stations surveyed in the east and south by fuel tracking app GasBuddy were experiencing outages on Saturday, down from 16,200 early the previous day.

On Saturday evening, about 75% of gas stations in Washington, D.C. were still without fuel, an improvement from Friday’s figure of 88%, the app showed. Shortages also eased in North Carolina and Virginia, but were about the same in Georgia.

U.S. gasoline demand dropped 12.6% from the previous week, probably due to an easing of “crazed” panic buying just after the pipeline shut, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

The nationwide average for a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.04 on Saturday, from $2.96 a week ago, according to AAA.

The pipeline outage accelerated increases in gasoline prices that were “already rising due to higher crude prices and demand ahead of Memorial Day,” said AAA spokeswoman Ellen Edmonds.

She was referring to the May 31 holiday that traditionally kicks off the U.S. summer driving season.

Places served by the pipeline saw the biggest price jumps this week – with Georgia and the Carolinas up 20 cents per gallon or more – but they should also see prices decline again as supplies improve, Ms. Edmonds said.

Florence, South Carolina had the nation’s biggest price increase at 30 cents, while prices rose 9 cents in D.C.

Ships deployed under emergency waivers were also moving fuel from U.S. Gulf Coast refiners to the northeast, while 18-wheel tanker trunks were ferrying gasoline from Alabama to Virginia, helping to stem the shortages.

U.S. crude prices could edge higher as refiners process more oil to catch up from the gasoline storage that was drawn down while the pipeline was shuttered, said Robert Yawger, analyst at Mizuho Securities.

The approach of Memorial Day helps make “the sense of urgency supersized” for refiners, Yawger added.

In Washington, D.C., Dennis Li was stuck on Friday at a Sunoco gas station that was out of fuel. He had tried to find gas at four stations during the day, with no luck.

“I’m running on empty to the point where I don’t want to drive anymore,” said Mr. Li, who is from Annapolis, Maryland.

 

INITIAL BREACH UNKNOWN

The hacking group blamed for the attack, DarkSide, said it had hacked four other companies including a Toshiba subsidiary in Germany.

Colonial Pipeline has not determined how the initial breach occurred, a spokeswoman said this week. The 5,500-mile (8,900-km) pipeline carries 100 million gallons of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel each day to East Coast markets from Texas refineries.

Colonial has not revealed how much money the hackers were seeking or whether it paid. Bloomberg News and the New York Times said it paid nearly $5 million.

Colonial said it would resume on Monday its regular nomination process, in which shippers seek space on the line.

It released a revised schedule to shippers, with estimated delivery dates. The schedule suggested that diesel loaded in Atlanta on Friday would arrive at the northernmost point in Linden, New Jersey, 10 days later, as would gasoline.

Steve Boyd, a senior managing director at fuel delivery firm Sun Coast Resources, estimated that with gasoline moving on the pipeline at half Colonial’s normal speed, it could take 12 to 20 days for new deliveries from Gulf Coast refineries to reach Linden.

Sun Coast has 75 trucks taking supplies from terminals in Alabama and Georgia to retailers as far away as Virginia.

“If customers need us for another week or three weeks, we’ll be there,” said Mr. Boyd. – Reuters

Israel destroys Gaza tower housing AP and Al Jazeera offices

GAZA – Israel destroyed a 12-storey tower block in Gaza housing the offices of the U.S.-based Associated Press and other news media on Saturday, saying the building was also used by the Islamist militant group Hamas.

The al-Jalaa building in Gaza City, which also houses the offices of Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera as well as other offices and apartments, had been evacuated after the owner received advanced warning of the strike.

A Palestinian journalist was wounded in the strike, Palestinian media reported, and debris and shrapnel flew dozens of yards away.

The Israeli military said its fighter jets struck a multi-storey building “which contained military assets belonging to the intelligence offices of the Hamas terror organization”. It said it had provided advance warning to civilians in the building, allowing them to get out.

AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt called the strike “an incredibly disturbing development.” He said a dozen AP journalists and freelancers had been in the building and had been evacuated in time.

“We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza,” he said in a statement.

“The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today.”

The U.S. government said it had told Israel to ensure the safety of journalists.

“We have communicated directly to the Israelis that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Pruitt on Saturday evening and “offered his unwavering support for independent journalists and media organizations around the world,” a State Department spokesman said in a statement.

The acting director general of Al Jazeera Media Network, Dr Mostefa Souag, called the strike “barbaric” and said Israel should be held accountable.

“The aim of this heinous crime is to silence the media and to hide the untold carnage and suffering of the people of Gaza,” he said in a statement.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus rejected the notion that Israel was seeking to silence the media. “That is totally false, the media is not the target,” he told Reuters.

Conricus called the building a legitimate military target, saying it contained Hamas military intelligence. He said Hamas might have calculated that by placing their “assets” inside a building with news media offices in it “they probably hoped that would keep them safe from Israeli attack.”

The Israeli military has said during nearly a week of intense conflict that its strikes on buildings in Gaza are aimed at hitting targets used by Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the enclave.

Hamas militants have fired more than 2,000 rockets at Israel during the latest violence. Palestinians medics say at least 140 people, including 39 children, have been killed in Gaza. Israel has reported 10 dead, including two children.

 

NETANYAHU CALL WITH BIDEN

The destruction of the building came the day after U.S. President Joe Biden’s envoy Hady Amr arrived in Israel amid diplomatic efforts to restore calm.

Asked why entire building was destroyed, Conricus said: “There was no way of taking down only the Hamas facilities that were in the building. They occupied several floors in the building and it was impossible only to take down those floors. It was deemed necessary to take down the whole building.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call that Israel is doing everything to avoid harming non-combatants in its fighting with Hamas and other groups in Gaza.

Netanyahu said proof of this was that during recent Israeli strikes on multi-storey towers “in which terrorist targets were attacked by the IDF (military), the non-combatants were evacuated”, a summary of the phone call released by Netanyahu’s office said.

The Washington-based National Press Club said Saturday’s strike on the Gaza tower had followed “bombing by Israeli warplanes of two other buildings housing more than a dozen media outlets” on May 11 and 12.

“This trend prompts the question of whether Israeli forces are attacking these facilities to impair independent and accurate coverage of the conflict,” the group said in a statement.

An Al Jazeera report on the strike on its English-language website quoted journalist Safwat al-Kahlout as saying: “I have been working here for 11 years. I have been covering many events from this building, we have lived personal professional experiences. Now everything, in two seconds, just vanished.” – Reuters

Taiwan urges no panic buying as new COVID-19 rules kick off

NATANAELGINTING-FREEPIK

TAIPEI – Taiwan appealed to people to avoid panic buying of items such as instant noodles and toilet paper as new curbs on gatherings and movement took effect to rein in the spread of COVID-19 during a spike in domestic infections.

Taiwan raised its coronavirus alert level in the capital, Taipei, and the surrounding city, on Saturday, imposing two weeks of restrictions that will shut many venues and limit gatherings.

While total infections since the pandemic began remain low at 1,475, the recent community transmissions have alarmed a population that had become accustomed to life staying close to normal, with no full lockdowns of the kind seen elsewhere.

In messages late on Saturday, the president, premier and economy ministry took to Facebook to say there was no need to hoard or rush to the shops, after people scrambled to stock up on basic goods, mainly instant noodles and toilet paper.

“After more than a year of preparation, the country’s anti-pandemic materials, civilian goods and raw materials are sufficient, and the stores are also operating as usual to replenish goods,” President Tsai Ing-wen said.

French supermarket chain Carrefour said it was limiting purchases of items such as masks and instant noodles in its Taiwan stores, asking people to buy only what they need.

The economy ministry showed pictures of warehouses piled to the ceiling with boxes of instant noodles, saying supplies were “like a mountain” with plenty of toilet paper and canned food to go round as well.

Premier Su Tseng-chang made a similar appeal on his Facebook page. He triggered amusement early last year, during a previous rush for toilet paper, by saying people “only have one butthole” and should calm down.

While not ordering a total lockdown, the government is urging people to stay at home as much as possible.

The health ministry brought out its dog mascot, a shiba inu called Zongchai, to reinforce the message on social media.

“Study Zongchai and stay at home,” it said, showing pictures of the canine lying on the floor resting. – Reuters

Britain to treble tree planting by 2024 to fight climate change

STOCK PHOTO

LONDON – Britain said it planned to treble tree planting rates over the next three years to help reach its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as part of efforts to fight climate change.

The UK wants to push ahead with its environmental plans and encourage other nations to do the same ahead of its hosting of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, known as COP26, in November.

George Eustice, UK environment secretary, is set to announce on Tuesday that woodland creation rates will treble by May 2024, with around 7,000 hectares of woodlands planted per year.

“We will make sure that the right trees are planted in the right places and that more green jobs are created in the forestry sector,” Eustice is due to say, according to a government statement published on Sunday.

The statement gave no other details of the plan and did not say how many trees would be planted or where, and did not say how much the planting scheme would cost or how it would be funded. It also did not give a comparison figure for how many hectares of woodland had been planted previously.

Britain’s climate tsar and COP26 President Alok Sharma warned on Friday that world leaders must agree to end coal use at the November summit to prevent a climate catastrophe.

Ahead of COP26, the UK government said it was focused on four goals: securing global net zero, protecting communities and natural habitats from the impacts of climate change, mobilising finance, and nations working together to accelerate action. – Reuters

Trinidad and Tobago declares state of emergency as COVID-19 cases surge

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, May 15 (Reuters) – Trinidad and Tobago will impose a state of emergency from midnight to contain an increase of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, Prime Minister Keith Rowley said on Saturday.

Rowley also imposed a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time, with some exceptions to essential services including the energy sector, supermarkets, and pharmacies.

The twin island state was experiencing a third wave of COVID-19, Rowley said.

Seven hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients are at a critical stage of 73% overall occupancy, Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards added.

With a population of more than 1.3 million people, Trinidad and Tobago has registered 15,375 infections, 5,214 of them active, and 265 deaths, health ministry data showed.

Health officials have cited a highly transmissible Brazilian variant, first identified in a Venezuelan migrant, as a factor in the increase in cases.

Some 60,500 people have received their first vaccine dose but only 1,000 of these have received a second dose. – Reuters

Five-hour blaze hits Philippine hospital treating COVID-19 patients

Source: Wikipedia

MANILA – Firefighters put out a blaze early on Sunday at one of the Philippines’ largest hospitals that had prompted the evacuation of dozens of patients from the facility, which also treats coronavirus sufferers.

No casualties were reported in the fire at the government-run Philippine General Hospital in the capital, Manila, which was extinguished at dawn. Its cause is not known.

On Twitter, Vice President Leni Robredo made an appeal for “big, industrial fans” to clear the smoke caused by the fire.

Hospital authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.

Some patients were transferred to nearby hospitals, including two who needed surgery and 12 babies from the neonatal intensive care unit, CNN Philippines said, citing hospital officials.

Hospital staff said the fire started in an operating room supply area soon after midnight.

The hospital has more than 1,300 beds and treats 600,000 patients a year, it says on its website.

With more than 1.1 million infections and deaths in excess of 19,000, the Philippines ranks second in Southeast Asia in terms of COVID-19 cases. – Reuters

PAL mulls Chapter 11 filing in US

PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM

Philippine Airlines Inc. is in talks with plane lessors about reducing its fleet size and has told them it’s considering a Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. to carry out a restructuring, according to people familiar with the plan.

The airline could return at least two Airbus SE A350s to lessors and four of the 10 Boeing Co. 777s in its fleet, some of the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. Two A350s are in the process of being taken back by aircraft lessors and will be redeployed to other carriers, one person said. Prior to the negotiations, Philippine Airlines had six A350s.

One lessor reached an agreement with the airline for it to keep a 777 and an A330, a person involved in the discussions said, asking not to be identified. Work on restructuring lease contracts and reaffirming commitments is ongoing, another person said.

Philippine Airlines is working on documentation for a pre-packaged bankruptcy, people familiar said, with Seabury Capital advising on the restructuring. Cirium had previously reported that Seabury was an adviser on the Chapter 11 plan. Seabury didn’t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Founded in 1941, the airline said in a statement it is working with stakeholders “on a comprehensive restructuring plan” that will enable it to emerge from the global crisis financially stronger. Flights and operations won’t be affected in any restructuring, it said.

Representatives for Airbus said the company doesn’t comment on fleet planning at individual airlines. Boeing declined to comment. Philippine Airlines’ lessors include GE Capital Aviation Services and Goshawk Aviation Ltd., according to Cirium. Calls to GE Capital Aviation’s Singapore office and an email to Ireland-based Goshawk seeking comment weren’t immediately returned during Asia hours.

Philippine Airlines would join dozens of carriers and other aviation businesses, including Latam Airlines Group SA and lessor AeroCentury Corp., in being felled or forced to restructure after global travel was decimated by the pandemic.

The tourism industry accounted for nearly 13% of the Philippines’ gross domestic product in 2019 and employed 13.5% of its labor force. Then COVID-19 came, and international arrivals slumped 82% last year to less than 1.5 million.

While air travel within some countries is recovering as vaccination rollouts gather pace, a return to pre-pandemic levels of traffic could still take years as the virus mutates and governments take different approaches to opening borders. The International Air Transport Association has warned carriers globally will lose about $48 billion in 2021 amid setbacks in restarting travel.

PAL Holdings Inc., the holding company of Philippine Airlines, has reported losses since the first quarter of 2017, including nearly P29 billion ($607 million) in the first nine months of 2020, its latest published figures show.

The airline said in November it was working on a recovery and restructuring plan, without providing details. In February, it said that it would cut 2,300 jobs or about a third of its workforce by mid-March.

Philippines Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez has told private banks to take the lead in assisting airlines, saying the government didn’t want to take ownership. – Bloomberg

Philippines adjusts tariff rates for rice, pork

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the recommendation of his economic managers to temporarily adjust tariffs on imported rice and pork products for a year, according to the presidential palace.

Mr. Duterte approved the measures to “further support efforts in ensuring food security and protect consumers,” his spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement on Saturday night.

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 135, the President cut the “most-favored nation” tariff rates for rice to 35% for one year, from from 40% in-quota volume and 50% out-quota volume “to diversify the country’s market sources, augment rice supply, maintain prices affordable, and reduce pressures on inflation,” Mr. Roque said.

“The tariff reduction took into consideration the increase in global rice prices, and the uncertainties surrounding the steady supply of rice in the country,” he said.
At the same time, the President adjusted the previously-reduced tariff rates for imported pork “ in recognition of the plight of all concerned sectors and stakeholders, including the local hog industry.”

Under EO No. 134, the tariff rates for pork products will be at 10% for three months under the current minimum access volume and 20% outside the quota for the first three months. The tariffs will be at 15% for in-quota and 25% for out-quota pork imports from the fourth to 12th month.

Mr. Duterte in April signed an executive order that lowered the import duties on fresh, chilled or frozen pork to 5% from 30% under the MAV quota and 15% for out-quota purchases for three months. The rate was set to increase to 10% for the succeeding nine months.

“Given the continuing spread of African Swine Fever and its adverse effects, the adjusted tariff rates aim to strike a balance between the objective of making pork products available and affordable, and the concerns of all stakeholders, especially the recovery of the local hog industry,” he said.

Mr. Duterte last week signed an order increasing the MAV for pork imports to 254,210 metric tons (MT) from the previous 54,210 MT.

Senators earlier said reducing the tariff rates on imported pork products for one year could kill the local hog industry. – Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Sanitation robot Santi beams down at SM

THE ROBOT HAS LANDED. Santi, the sanitation robot, arrives in SM to fulfill a new mission. He came down to earth to help with the task of making sure that shoppers are safe. Equipped with misting powers, Santi will be disinfecting areas around him with VirusDOC, an FDA-approved disinfectant that is 100% hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and non-corrosive.

FACE-TO-FACE. Sam, the country’s first in-mall smart robot, welcomes brother Santi as he answers his call for help. Equipped with a disinfectant that can kill 99.9% of microorganisms within seconds, Santi showcases his capabilities much to his brother’s delight.

OUT AND ABOUT. Sam tours Santi around SM to get him acquainted with his new workplace and playground.

HELLO THERE. Sam introduces Santi to the mall tenants as they go around SM. Santi also has an HD camera for face recognition, a touch-screen, and a microphone to greet shoppers, making their malling experience not only safe but also a little bit more fun.

QUIET MOMENT. Santi and Sam take a quick break and chat at SM’s lush and green dining areas before Santi starts with his mission.

SANTI ON DUTY. Sam accompanies Santi as he begins his task of making sure SM malls are safe and clean.

ASSEMBLE. Sams and Santis assemble to help ensure that shoppers will have a fun and #SafeMalingAtSM experience.

Santi is part of SM’s campaign, #SafeMallingAtSM, to help ensure malls are safe, clean and fun amid the pandemic. Shoppers can look forward to seeing Santi at SM Aura Premier and SM Megamall and in more SM malls soon.

For more information on #SafeMallingAtSM program, visit www.smsupermalls.com or check your favorite SM Mall on FB, IG and Twitter.

Another first for RLC Residences

RLC Residences launches new digital video featuring brand ambassador Heart Evangelista

Amidst the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic, Robinsons Land Corporation continues its hopeful and bright winning streak this year. After launching its new residential brand and its ambassador Heart Evangelista, RLC Residences today revealed its new digital video.

She expressed gratitude for RLC Residences’ trust in her and gushed about the physical event that was held to launch the event. “I felt so safe, and it was so good to see people in person.” The launch, held last February 2021, followed strict safety precautions and allowed the brand to fully introduce its offerings to the public. This launch highlighted RLC Residences’commitment to providing wonderful experiences for its customers and for the public—a tradition they continue with its virtual platform which allows interested customers to see the spaces of its different residential offerings.

The industry giant has shown its adaptability to the new normal with the new video and its virtual interview led by host and actress Issa Litton with Heart Evangelista. “I was shocked to see how big (the campaign) was,” Heart said in the interview. Issa quizzed Heart about her decision to partner with RLC Residences, above all other residential developers. “Selecting endorsement is a very personal experience for me,” Heart said. “If I see myself using it and enjoying (a product) if I delight in the experiences that a product gives me, that is a major thing.”

For Heart, learning about the brand and its credibility is another priority point in her selection process. “This is a brand that carries with it a lot of heritage,” she said, referring to RLC Residences’ mother company, Robinsons Land Corporation, and its 30-years-long foundation in-home and community building. “In a world full of uncertainties, you must always take into consideration the track record and stability of the business you are trusting your hard-earned money with,” Heart added.

When asked if what drove the choice home for Heart, she answered simply: “It’s all encapsulated in its tagline Raise, Live and Connect.” For Heart, RLC Residences Raised the game in the design and workmanship of their buildings. She loves how she can Live smart and productive in all the residential offerings, and lastly—and certainly not the least—Heart loves that each RLC Residences development allows its residents to Connect with their loved ones swiftly.

During the interview, Heart confessed that she’s quite used to seeing her face in magazine spreadsheets promoting fashion and beauty products. “But now, I see myself promoting ‘beauty’ pa din naman,” she said with a laugh. “But this time I’m promoting beautiful buildings.” Beauty and delightful experiences are at the core of Heart’s decision to choose to purchase her own unit in an RLC Residences development, which she teased to release soon. “For me, if you come home to beautiful and well-designed spaces if you have impressive and world-class amenities, spaces that let you live your passions, condos that have smart home features, and work from home spaces, what else could you ask for?”

 

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