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Int’l retailers continue to flock to PHL

INTERNATIONAL RETAILERS continued to flock to the Philippines last year, eager to sate Filipinos’ appetite for new brands and restaurants, according to a report by the local unit of real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

In its January report entitled “How Global Brands are Shaping the Metro Manila Retailer Landscape,” Cushman & Wakefield Phils., Inc. said 34 new foreign brands entered the country between January and November 2019. This brought to 102 the total number of international brands that have set up shop in the Philippines since 2017.

“One of the segments that is directly benefiting from the sustained growth of the Philippine economy is the retail sector. Evidently, amidst slowdown in retail activities in other parts of the world,… foreign retailers continue to venture and thrive in the local retail scene,” it said.

Most of the new brand entries are mid-tier food and beverage (F&B) retailers, Cushman & Wakefield noted.

Among these are American brands such as Shake Shack, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Panda Express, as well as Japan’s Menya Kokoro, FRNK, and Shari Shari Kakigori House. Taiwan’s The Alley, Hong Kong’s Hui Lau Shan, and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Crab also recently set up shop in the country.

“With competition, reinforced by the advent of strong concepts… the food services market remains attractive to international brands attributable to the country’s ideal demographic make-up,” Cushman & Wakefield said.

Data from Cushman & Wakefield Research showed food and beverage brands accounted for 68% of new brands that entered the Philippines in January to November 2019, followed by clothing and apparel brands at 15%.

The Philippines has also attracted a growing number of Asian retailers, particularly from Japan (17 brands) and Singapore (12 brands).

“Asian brands are strengthening their grip in the food services industry as they focus on bringing F&B concepts in the market,” Cushman & Wakefield said.

MORE MALLS
International retailers are eager to take advantage of the Philippines’ continued economic growth, young population, growing middle class, improving ease of doing business and booming tourism, Cushman & Wakefield said.

Also, shopping mall space is projected to hit 9.8 million square meters (sq.m.) in 2022 through expansions in the so-called Bay Area that covers Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. As of fourth quarter of 2019, the supply of mid- to high-end malls in Metro Manila stood at 8.9 million sq.m.

“The expansion of shopping mall developments in Bay Area is also in response to the vibrant real estate activities brought about by the rapid growth of real estate demand coming from the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) and the IT-BPM sectors,” Cushman & Wakefield said.

Monthly rent in key malls in Metro Manila is also relatively cheaper than its regional peers at $48 (about P2,440) per sq.m., Cushman & Wakefield said. To compare, monthly mall space rent in Indonesia is $70 per sq.m.; $127 per sq.m. in Thailand; and $165 per sq.m. in Vietnam.

Moving forward, Cushman & Wakefield said it is important for retailers to continue innovating to remain relevant, offering various activities in shopping malls.

“The strong economic fundamentals of the Philippine economy are seen to sustain the growth trajectory of the major demand drivers of the retail sector. The local retail scene will also continue to defy the global retail headwinds… as the Filipinos see retail establishments to be more than a place to shop. Shopping centers in the country had become essential structures also for socialization, leisure, and entertainment,” it said.

“However, the challenge would be on how the retailers will be able keep up with the increasing competition with new concepts incessantly being introduced in the market and how they can satisfy the increasing complexity of consumer preferences,” it added. — Denise A. Valdez

Del Monte sells shares in local unit to Singaporean investor

DEL MONTE Pacific Ltd. is selling the shares of its Philippine unit Del Monte Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) to a Singapore-based investor for $130 million, it told the stock exchange on Monday.

In a disclosure, the canned fruits manufacturer said its indirect wholly owned subsidiaries DMPI and Central American Resources, Inc. had entered an agreement with Singapore’s SEA Diner Holdings Pte. Ltd. to dispose of the 363,651,600 existing ordinary shares of DMPI.

The total shares represent 13% of DMPI’s total issued and paid-up ordinary shares.

“Subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement including the fulfilment of certain conditions precedent, the company will sell to the investor, and the investor will acquire from the company, the DMPI Sale Shares,” it said.

The consideration for the transaction is $130 million (approximately P6.6 billion), based on the price earnings multiple ratio of about 15.7 times DMPI’s earnings in its fiscal year ending April 30, 2019.

The listed parent said the investor, SEA Diner, wants to focus on investments in food products, especially those that have a large market in China. SEA Diner has so far invested more than $1 billion in consumer businesses across the ASEAN and China to date, Del Monte said.

Aside from manufacturing canned fruits, Del Monte also produces juice drinks, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce and culinary mixes.

For Del Monte’s part, it said the sale will help it generate additional funding for its capital restructuring plans, given that DMPI’s previous plan to do a public offer in the country remains hazy amid “volatile market conditions that show no signs of improving.”

“As the proposed public offering was deferred, the group was unable to make prepayment/repayment of certain loan facility/ies to reduce the group’s debt to the extent planned,” it said.

“In addition, the funds raised from the proposed sale will also allow the company to free up certain credit lines so as to pursue other opportunities that the company may have,” it added.

Once the transaction is through, the company expects proceeds amounting to S$155.5 million (approximately P5.83 billion), which it will use to pay outstanding loans such as to local bank Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

In its six-month fiscal period ending October 2019, the company swung to an attributable net loss of $75.62 million from attributable earnings of $11.45 million in the previous year, pulled by one-off expenses from shutting down some of its United States facilities.

Shares in Del Monte at the stock exchange ended flat on Monday at P5 apiece. — Denise A. Valdez

Billie Eilish sweeps Grammys with top prizes

LOS ANGELES — Teen sensation Billie Eilish swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, winning all four top prizes — album, song, record of the year, and best new artist — in a rare feat at the music industry’s highest honors.

Eilish, an 18-year-old newcomer with a unique sound, won for her debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? while her hit single “Bad Guy” was named record of the year and song of the year. In all, she took home five awards.

She is only the second person, and the youngest, to win all four top Grammys on the same night.

Eilish, distinguished by her green hair and baggy clothes, recorded the album with her brother Finneas in the bedroom of their Los Angeles home. Finneas also won the Grammy for non classical producer of the year.

They seemed taken aback by their Grammy haul, which saw them triumph over established stars including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and rapper Post Malone.

“We didn’t make this album to win a Grammy. We wrote about depression and suicidal thoughts and environmental change,” Finneas said as the pair accepted the awards. “We stand up here confused and grateful.”

Asked backstage what she would do next, Eilish said, “Being in this moment is all I’m thinking about… I’m gonna do whatever I feel.”

The Grammy Awards show opened with a dedication to basketball star Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter accident earlier in the day and whose Los Angeles Lakers team has its home at the city’s Staples Center and Grammy venue.

“We are literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” said Grammy host Alicia Keys. “We never imagined in a million years we’d have to start the show like this.”

R&B star Lizzo won three of her eight nominations, while gay black country rapper Lil Nas X took two for his viral “Old Town Road” collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus.

Lil Nas X, 20, wearing a cowboy hat and silver lurex suit, and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus dazzled the house with a kitschy performance of their viral collaboration “Old Town Road,” with contributions from stars ranging from K-Pop band BTS to young yodeler Mason Ramsey.

“He told the world he was gay and overnight he became an inspiration and a role model for hundreds of young people around the world,” comedian Ellen DeGeneres, who is also gay, said as she introduced Lil Nas X.

Grande performed a medley of hits from her break-up album Thank u, Next, including “7 Rings” and “Imagine” but won none of the five Grammys for which she was nominated.

Slain rapper Nipsey Hussle, 33, who was gunned down in his Los Angeles neighborhood last year, won two Grammys and was honored in a tribute by John Legend, DJ Khaled, and rapper Meek Mill.

Blake Shelton and his fiancee Gwen Stefani held hands as they debuted their new romantic duet “Nobody But You,” while Camila Cabello sang her recent single “First Man” to her tearful father in the audience. Demi Lovato won a standing ovation in her first performance at a major awards show since a drugs overdose in 2018.

The Grammy winners are chosen by members of the Recording Academy, which is currently embroiled in a dispute over the departure of its new chief executive Deborah Dugan and her allegations of conflicts of interest in the nominations process. The Recording Academy has denied the allegations. — Reuters

MinDA pushes for Palafox plan as input to Metro Davao dev’t

DAVAO CITY — As the proclamation creating the Metro Davao Development Authority (MDDA) awaits the President’s signature, local governments can already start laying out programs aligned with the Metro Davao Urban Masterplan crafted by architect Felino A. Palafox, Jr., the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said.

“At least for certain elements, it [MDDA] may not be starting from scratch because meron ng na-umpisahan (we have already initiated something) and that is the Metro Davao Urban Masterplan,” MinDA Deputy Executive Director Romeo M. Montenegro said at a recent forum.

The masterplan, undertaken and completed last year by the founder and principal architect of Palafox Associates in partnership with MinDA and several local governments units (LGUs), is part of the Mindanao 2020 Peace and Development Framework Plan.

“We are happy that it is exactly moving in that direction right now… because the plan will remain a plan unless it is being translated into specific activities programs and get funded by the LGUs,” Mr. Montenegro said.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio of Davao City, the most urbanized area in the planned Metro Davao area, announced earlier this month that the draft of the Presidential Proclamation has been submitted and they are hoping that the MDDA will be organized by 2021 or 2022.

Mr. Montenegro said the LGU initiatives could later be integrated into a multi-city scheme with the MDDA in place.

“This is where the MDDA can definitely come in and pursue that particular direction,” he said.

Aside from Davao City, the Metro Davao area is envisioned to include the following: Digos City and Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur; cities of Tagum and Panabo, and Carmen in Davao del Norte; and Maco in Davao de Oro.

The proposed MDDA will be involved in the unified management of waste, traffic, disaster resiliency, and infrastructure as well as policy development. — Maya M. Padillo

SEC warns public against investing in 727-Tycoon

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a warning to the public not to invest in individuals or groups representing 727-Tycoon/1Tycoon as it is not registered.

“The public is advised not to invest or stop investing in any investment scheme being offered by any individual or group of persons allegedly for or on behalf of 727-Tycoon/1Tycoon and to exercise caution in dealing with any individuals or group of persons soliciting investments for and on behalf of it,” it said in an advisory on Monday.

The SEC said 727-Tycoon/1Tycoon is masking itself as a marketing company offering four investment packages, but its operations are not authorized by the commission as it is not registered as a corporation nor partnership and does not have a license to solicit investments.

In a publicity material attached on SEC’s advisory, “1Tycoon Online Shop” called itself a “hybrid and innovative multilevel marketing company” that offers investment packages for as low as P500 and as high as P16,888.

Under the scheme, investors are asked to register and then purchase an “Activation Package” for rewards. Some of the products included in the packages are whitening soap, perfume, alkaline drops and moringa products.

It promises investors passive income from the pool of investments it collects. If they are able to recruit others, it promises to provide bonuses such as mobile phones, laptop, motorcycle, travel and tour packages, car and house and lot.

“Per record of the Commission, 727-Tycoon/1Tycoon is not registered either as a corporation or partnership. Further, it is not authorized to solicit investments from the public since it has not secured prior registration and/or license from the Commission…,” it said.

Anyone who acted or is acting as salesman, broker, dealer or agent in behalf of 727-Tycoon/1Tycoon may be penalized with a maximum fine of P5 million or 21 years of imprisonment, or both. The SEC said they may also incur criminal liability. — Denise A. Valdez

Key winners at the 2020 Grammy awards

THE GRAMMY AWARDS were handed out on Sunday at a ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by Alicia Keys. Following is a list of winners in select categories:

• Record of the Year — “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish

• Album of the year — When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go, Billie Eilish

• Song of the year — “Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell

• Best new artist — Billie Eilish

• Best Country Solo Performance — “Ride Me Back Home,” Willie Nelson

• Best Country Duo/Group Performance — “Speechless,” Dan + Shay

• Best Country Song — “Bring My Flowers Now,” Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)

• Best country album — While I’m Livin’, Tanya Tucker

• Best rap album — Igor, Tyler, The Creator

• Best Rap Performance — “Racks in the Middle,” Nipsey Hussle Featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy

• Best Rap/Sung Performance — “Higher,” DJ Khaled Featuring Nipsey Hussle & John Legend

• Best Rap Song — “A Lot,” Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage Featuring J. Cole)

• Best R&B Performance — “Come Home,” Anderson .Paak & André 300

• Best Traditional R&B Performance — “Jerome,” Lizzo

• Best R&B Song — “Say So” — Pj Morton, Songwriter (Pj Morton Ft. Jojo)

• Best Urban Contemporary Album — Cuz I Love You (Deluxe), Lizzo

• Best R&B Album — Ventura, Anderson .Paak

• Best Pop Solo Performance — “Truth Hurts,” Lizzo

• Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

• Best Pop Vocal Album — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Billie Eilish

• Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album — Look Now, Elvis Costello & The Imposters

• Best Comedy Album — Sticks & Stones, Dave Chappelle

• Best Latin Pop Album — #ELDISCO, Alejandro Sanz

• Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album — El Mal Querer, Rosalía

• Best Rock Performance — “This Land,” Gary Clark Jr.

• Best Metal Performance — “7empest,” Tool

• Best Rock Song — “This Land,” Gary Clark Jr., Songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)

• Best Rock Album — Social Cues, Cage The Elephant

• Best Alternative Music Album — Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend

Home rental sector gets boost from Dinagyang Festival

By Emme Rose S. Santiagudo
Correspondent

ILOILO CITY — The demand for accommodations during this year’s Dinagyang Festival highlighted the growing vacation home rental sector in Iloilo City, and the local government will now be looking into the regulation of these types of accommodations.

“We monitored that there are a lot of condominium units full of guests already for Dinagyang,” City Tourism and Development Office (CTDO) head Junel Ann P. Divinagracia said in a press conference last week.

“We don’t have a record of these vacation home rental sectors so we cannot account them yet. That’s what we really want, to monitor them or regulate them,” she added.

Ms. Divinagracia noted that the home rental segment has been boosted by the rise of various online booking sites, with Airbnb, Inc. being the most popular.

“Right now, Airbnb is trending in the city,” she said.

The city currently has an inventory of about 5,000 hotel rooms, all of which were already fully booked more than week before the main Dinagyang festivities during the 4th Sunday of January.

Among the major hotels in the city are international chain Marriot, and local brands Seda, Richmonde, Hotel 101, and Go Hotels.

“We have more than 5,000 (registered) rooms all over the city and it is still increasing, but as of the moment, most huge hotels are overbooked while the rest are fully booked,” Ms. Divinagracia said.

The CTDO was expecting to draw around 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists during the Dinagyang week.

“Last year, we recorded close to 100,000 tourist arrivals, we are expecting to exceed the number this year,” she said.

The Dinagyang guests include returning Ilonggos who are either overseas Filipino workers or migrants, some of whom usually stay at relatives’ homes.

“There are a lot of family reunions and most of the OFWs are staying in their relatives and they don’t need to book in the hotels,” she said.

In terms of tourism receipts, CTDO data shows that during the Dinagyang season, foreign guests shell out an average of P12,000 a day, while domestic tourists spend around P3,000 to P4,000.

New Malabon exit seen to benefit 20,000 motorists

ABOUT 20,000 motorists are expected to benefit starting next month from the new Malabon exit, which is part of the 2.6-kilometer C3-R10 Section of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10.

“We estimate that about 20,000 vehicles will benefit from this alternative ramp,” Romulo S. Quimbo, Jr., NLEX Corp. senior vice-president for communication, said in a mobile phone message on Sunday.

The ramp from the new Caloocan Interchange, C3 Road, Caloocan City to Dagat-Dagatan Avenue will be partially operational next month. It will be called “Malabon exit,” Mr. Quimbo said.

The entire stretch of the C3-R10 Section from Caloocan City to Radial Road 10 (R10) in Navotas City will be opened to motorists in March. It will connect to the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10.

The 5.65-kilometer NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is an elevated toll road that passes through Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon City, and 5th Avenue/C3 Road, Caloocan City.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar was quoted as saying in a press release last Friday that the project is now “75% complete.”

“We are on track to open the C3 to Dagat-Dagatan Avenue by February and the entire C3-R10 Section by March to help decongest major roads such as EDSA and C5,” he said.

“With the full completion of the project, we expect to reduce travel time from Port Area to NLEX to just 10 minutes,” Mr. Villar added.

NLEX said the project will likewise benefit the transport logistics industry, noting that cargo trucks will have “24/7 access from the port to NLEX, sparing them from truck ban and congested local roads.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

SM Cinema’s new direction: mores screens in smaller theaters

SM MALL of Asia’s (MOA) cinemas have been relaunched after months of renovations, increasing screens but keeping the same number of seats in a preview of what cinemas under the SM chain would turn into.

The 16 new cinemas are housed in a complex at the mall’s Entertainment mall section and include 11 regular cinemas, one IMAX screen, three Director’s Club screens, and one event cinema. This is an increase in the number of screens from the previous 10 screens: six regular cinemas, one Director’s Club, one IMAX screen, one Premier Cinema, and the Centerstage event cinema.

Despite the increase in the number of screens, the number of total seats remained the same as the company opted to build smaller capacity theaters to better fit what customers prefer.

“The regular cinemas usually house 400 to 500 seats which is actually too big, plus it can only house one movie so if you have too many blockbusters [it won’t fit in the number of screens]. So if you cut [the seats in half], you can service two movies at once,” Ruby Ann Reyes, SM Cinema Vice-President for marketing, told BusinessWorld during the launch on Jan. 24.

“The Filipino audience is not a quiet audience to begin with. If you have a 400-seat capacity, it’s too noisy and the people will not be able to enjoy the film anymore unlike in 144-seaters,” she added.

She said that having smaller theaters make the viewing experience “more intimate,” adding that the smallest cinema seating capacity at SM MOA is 80 while the biggest is 144.

“It’s more personal to the moviegoer — the screen is closer — plus it’s not so big anymore and the legroom is bigger right now,” she explained.

The smaller seating capacity allowed the company to install Opus Glide semi-recliner spectator seats which allow viewers in regular cinemas to recline for a more comfortable experience. The more premium Director’s Club cinemas meanwhile will have Verona full-recliner leather seats.

The screens also got a laser projection upgrade, with the regular cinemas having Standard 7.1 Surround Sound setup and RGB Laser Projection system, while the Director’s Club also has laser projection coupled with the Dolby Atmos Surround Sound system.

Aside from the renovation of SM Mall of Asia cinemas — which is the company’s largest cinema complex — cinemas at SM Olongapo and SM Fairview were also overhauled last year, and refurbished SM Southmall cinemas opening by the end of the month and SM Sta. Mesa’s opening by April.

Ms. Reyes said there are plans to renovate SM Baguio, SM North EDSA, and SM Megamall within the year.

“We are heavy with the expansion of new cinemas in the provincial areas,” she said, noting that plans are underway to renovate cinemas in Pampanga, among other provincial sites.

The aggressive pace of renovation is an indication that alternative viewing experiences like streaming services have not dampened the Filipino appetite for movie viewing, said Ms. Reyes.

“Filipinos go to the cinemas as a group in the Philippines… [there’s] also that concept of ‘fear of missing out,’ so people would rather watch their favorite films first in the cinemas than wait months for it to drop to other platforms,” she explained before adding that SM Cinemas add to the moviegoing experience by putting up film installations and activities. — Zsarlene B. Chua

Grocery operator MerryMart plans P1.6-B IPO

MERRYMART Consumer Corp. is doing a P1.6-billion public offer of its shares by the end of the quarter, it said in a statement yesterday.

The grocery operator owned by businessman Edgar “Injap” J. Sia II said it had filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to offer 1,594,936,709 primary shares. The application was received by the SEC on Jan. 27.

MerryMart is selling the shares at up to P1 each. The offer period is targeted to be on March 23 to 27, and listing at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on April 2.

“We would like to take advantage of our group’s knowhow in franchising, and our familiarity of the Philippine market terrain, just like in the rollout of Mang Inasal, CityMall, Hotel 101 and CentralHub network. We believe this step will further strengthen the market grip of all the industries that our group is involved in,” Mr. Sia was quoted in the statement as saying.

MerryMart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Injap Investments Inc., Mr. Sia’s holding firm. It is also the founder of Mang Inasal Philippines, Inc. and has key shareholdings in listed DoubleDragon Properties Corp. in partnership with Tony Tan Caktiong’s Honeystar Holdings Corp.

It currently operates four full-size supermarkets and 27 branches are opening by the second quarter.

Proceeds from the initial public offering (IPO) will be used to support MerryMart’s expansion plans to cover various sizes of retail formats. These will be called MerryMart Store, MerryMart Market and MerryMart Grocery.

The company is targeting to have 600 branches by 2025 and 1,200 branches by 2030, which will rake P120 billion in systemwide sales revenue. It plans to build company-owned stores to establish its brand, but will also open the business to franchising.

“The 3-in-1 innovation and expansion through franchising is expected to bring in operational efficiencies and enable MerryMart to rapidly scale up and build up durable competitive advantage. Franchising also creates business opportunities for many budding entrepreneurs,” it said.

Other plans of the company are making its platform available online and setting up warehouses and distribution centers across the country.

“Our family initially had no plans to expand the retail business, but our recent experiences made us realize the need for us to be in the modern retail business, and we believe we will be in it while the transition from traditional retail to modern retail is still ongoing,” Mr. Sia said.

“Moreover there are undeniable synergies between the real estate and retail businesses. I will be glad to see both DoubleDragon and MerryMart to soon grow hand in hand and become formidable companies…,” he added.

PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon previously said he expects up to six IPOs this year from four IPOs in 2019.

The company tapped PNB Capital and Investment Corp. as lead underwriter, issue manager and bookrunner for the offering. — Denise A. Valdez

Online platform makes it easier to buy, sell, and lease properties

By Adrian Paul B. Conoza
Special Features Writer

PROPERTYACCESS Philippines recently launched its own online platform that aims to make buying, selling, and leasing real estate properties easier for Filipinos.

Founded in 2018 by real estate experts Hiroki Kazato and Shiela Baylon, PropertyAccess provides users with real estate multi-listings, intelligent data, and analysis. It also serves to connect real estate developers, agents, institutional/retail buyers and sellers, landlords, and tenants across Southeast Asia. Aside from the online platform, PropertyAccess’ businesses include consultancy, transactions, and events.

Mr. Kazato, chief executive officer of PropertyAccess, said the company was founded with the vision of “elevating the real estate experience through transparency of information and accessibility to a wider market.”

According Mr. Kazato, the “immense growth potential” foreseen in the Philippine market, with the country as one of PropertyAccess’ top market for transactions, pushed the company to build the PropertyAccess Philippines platform.

“With this website, property buyers will be able to access properties [easily]. At the same time, they will be able to look through key information and data that some websites and portals failed to provide,” Mr. Kazato said during the launch event in Makati City.

Ms. Baylon, chief revenue and partnership officer of PropertyAccess, said the main focus of PropertyAccess was to act as a bridge for Japanese investors interested in the Philippine market. Now, she said the company hopes to further tap into the Philippine market with this newly-launched platform.

“The Japanese [market] is using it. However, we also want the Filipinos to [use] it, and we want to make it more friendly too,” she said.

Modeled after innovative websites from leading markets in the region such as Singapore and Australia, the newly designed website has a new user interface that makes the platform easy to understand.

Not only is the website designed with the Filipino market in mind, but it also aims to bring real estate investment closer to a younger demographic.

“One of our goals is to bridge the gap between real estate and the younger generations,” Alyssa Narvasa, the company’s head of product, said while presenting the new website.

She added that with this new website, PropertyAccess wants to show Filipinos that real estate is not a scary venture, but rather a practical and sound investment. “We’re here to serve as a transactional environment that is safe, legitimate, intelligent, and credible,” she said.

The website’s home page has a search bar that conveniently guides users on what to look for based on their preferences. Featured listings are located underneath, while location tags are also provided below for users who prefer to search based on area. Tailored searches can be made through the website’s various search pages.

Overviews of every search result can be accessed without extra steps. By clicking on a listing, a comprehensive profile of the property can be viewed, together with vital information such as the price, size, description, details, location, and even the listing agent.

A key addition to the website is its Affordability Calculator, designed to make searching for properties less intimidating, especially for first-time buyers. It provides the expected monthly expense of a desired property based on the information given by the user.

“It gives the buyer a sense of empowerment, a sense of preparation, which makes them more confident to move forward with his investment,” Ms. Narvasa noted.

The website also caters to sellers, real estate agents, and brokers by helping them find customer leads for their property listings. For P999 a month, they can post an unlimited number of listings without any commission sharing with PropertyAccess Philippines.

The website also has a feature called Leads Filtering. With the help of trained professionals who use a criteria “based on logic and experience,” quality leads are filtered in and sent to agents or brokers.

It also has articles on real estate news, home care tips, and design trends, among others.

PropertyAccess is also holding regular events for the real estate industry, all of which are staged in Japan. For this year, the company will hold the International Property and Investment Conference in May, the third Japan International Property Awards, and the World Investment Fair, both in November.

K-pop star Tiffany Young’s new motto is becoming ‘brave’

TIFANNY YOUNG speaking at a press conference on Jan. 24 at Novotel in Quezon City.

AFTER MORE than 10 years in the South Korean pop industry (K-pop) as part of the country’s biggest girl group at the time, Tiffany Young is now making music that’s all her own: more personal and more intimate.

“My most recent songs are my most favorite to date, which would be ‘Run for Your Life,’ ‘Magnetic Moon,’ and ‘Born Again.’ Those three specifically because of just how those songs came to be. It was a time for me to come full motion when I wanted myself and my fans to open up and be themselves — like being okay with not being okay sometimes — it’s such an important message to share,” Ms. Young said during a press conference preceding her Manila concert on Jan. 24 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Hotel in Quezon City.

Ms. Young (real name Stephanie Young Hwang) was born in 1989 and raised in California. At the age of 15, she was discovered by South Korean talent agency SM Entertainment which prompted her to move and train in South Korea for two years. In 2007, she debuted as part of Girl’s Generation, arguably the biggest girl group in the country at the time.

The group, which originally had nine members, spawned several chart-topping hits in its home country including its debut single, “Into the New World.”

Some of the group’s hits include 2009’s “Gee” and “Genie,” and 2013’s “I Got A Boy” whose music video won Video of the Year at the inaugural YouTube Music Awards.

Ms. Young, as one of the group’s main vocalists, made her solo debut in 2016 with I Just Wanna Dance. The following year, she ended her contract with SM Entertainment to move back to Los Angeles to pursue acting and a solo music career.

She released her extended play (EP) album, Lips on Lips, in 2019 which included the singles “Born Again” and “Lips on Lips.” The album debuted at the 9th spot in Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and 30th on their Independent Albums chart. She is currently signed with Transparent Arts in the US.

Girls Generation is a group known for its radio-friendly dance songs and emotive ballads, two genres that Ms. Young continues to embrace, though adding a bit more synths (as in the case of “Born Again” and “Run for Your Life”) and R&B. Some of her fans commented that her music reminded them of Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

“When I was writing that song [“Born Again”] I remember being in so much pain and fear but the fact that I got to share this and open up with my fans… and the fact that we’re singing this song to each other over and over made it my happiest moment,” she said.

“Born Again” is her first single after moving to California and in its lyrics showed her uncertainty and hopefulness in having to build a career in a new place.

“Coming in this world fully naked, Feeling brand new so I’m your baby. Never felt this safe, in a foreign place. I used to feel so hollow, shallow, vacant,” she sings in the song’s first verse.

During the press conference, Ms. Young noted that much has changed in the past few years for her as she took the time to become an adult who “takes responsibilities fully and being accountable” while taking care of her mind, body, and soul (she mentioned going to therapy).

This year, she has as her motto becoming “brave,” in contrast to 2019’s motto of being “fearless.”

“Being fearless is like not knowing and going after it but being brave is willingly going for it… and being equipped and educating yourself… before you do something,” she said.

Ms. Young is currently on her Open Hearts Eve Part Two tour. — Zsarlene B. Chua

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