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Cebu developer to build workspaces under IWG franchise

INTERNATIONAL Workplace Group (IWG) signed its first franchise partnership in Southeast Asia, teaming up with a Cebu-based company to develop workspace franchises in the Philippines.

In a statement, IWG said it signed the franchise partnership agreement with AppleOne Properties, Inc. (API) on Dec. 18.

Under the deal, API and IWG will develop eight workspace facilities in six cities in the Visayas, namely Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City (Mactan), Mandaue City, Dumaguete City, Iloilo City, and Bacolod City.

This will allow IWG to expand its network which covers 3,400 locations in 120 countries. In the Philippines, the company currently has 28 locations in 10 cities across Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Clark.

“This partnership with such a successful homegrown property developer will help us contribute to suburban economic growth… This will benefit the local economy in numerous ways, from creating jobs both inside and outside the center, stimulating businesses and services in the nearby area, improving productivity and opening new working opportunities for those who live locally,” Matthew James Kenley, IWG head of partnership growth APAC, was quoted as saying.

AppleOne Properties CEO and President Ray Manigsaca said the company is bullish on the growth of the serviced office market in the country.

“The serviced office market is one of the most exciting growth sectors in real estate, and we are excited to be involved in this next frontier. Our partnership with IWG will enable us to bring the many world-class benefits of flexible working to the professionals and businesses of Visayas,” Mr. Manigsaca said.

As a franchise partner of IWG, all of the workspaces developed by API will be part of the IWG network.

IWG’s brands include Regus and SPACES.

“We intend to continue developing the IWG network through strong franchise partnerships, and we are constantly searching for ambitious, experienced, entrepreneurial franchise partners so that we can have workspaces everywhere our customers need us to be,” Mr. Kenley said. — Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Police search for 80 more massacre suspects

PHILIPPINE police on Sunday sought the public’s help in the manhunt for at least 80 suspects in the massacre of more than 50 people, including 32 journalists in Maguindanao province a decade ago.

Authorities have failed to catch the suspects 10 years after the murders, which a trial court decided last week.

“Any information provided by the public will form the basis of operations to arrest the suspects,” police spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac told radio DZBB.

A Quezon City court sentenced two senior members of a powerful political clan in Maguindanao to life in prison for the massacre, which a global media watchdog has called the single deadliest attack on journalists.

The trial court convicted former Maguindanao Mayor Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr. and his brother Zaldy, who is a former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, along with 26 other principal accused for 57 counts of murder.

More than a dozen more people were convicted as accessories to the crime. Their other brother, Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, was acquitted along with more than 50 others.

Critics have said the guilty verdict should help provide justice to the families of the victims, and build toward greater accountability for rights abuses in the country.

The massacre took place when family members and the media were accompanying Esmael G. Mangudadatu to the Commission on Elections to file his certificate of candidacy on Nov. 23, 2009. Mr. Mangudadatu was then running for governor of the Mindanao autonomous region to end the 20-year rule of the Ampatuan family.

New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists called the attack the “worst single incident of journalist killing.”

Judge Jocelyn A. Solis-Reyes said the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the murders had been planned.

Among the 80 suspects who are still in hiding are 12 police officers, Mr. Banac said.

He said people were afraid to report the remaining suspects to the police. That should change since the Ampatuan family is no longer in power, the spokesman said.

Among the suspects who have evaded justice are former Salibo town Vice Mayor Kanor Ampatuan and Bahnarin Ampatuan, brother and nephew, respectively of the clan patriarch, former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr., also an accused who has since died.

Police deputy chief for operations Lieutenant General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan earlier said some of the remaining suspects, many of them close security detail for Andal Ampatuan Jr., had sought refuge in bailiwick areas.

Police are not discounting that some of the suspects may have escaped overseas through the backdoor, given strict measures enforced by the Immigration bureau, Mr. Banac said.

“We will search the entire Mindanao island,” he said in Filipino. “They might just be hiding in nearby provinces.”

The trial court heard 357 witnesses — 134 from the prosecution and 165 from the defense, aside from 58 private complainants.

The court ruling may still be appealed. — Emmanuel Tupas, Philippine Star

2-week ceasefire announced as gov’t, communist group prepare to resume peace talks

THE GOVERNMENT and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), the lead communist group in the country, have announced a ceasefire from December 23 to January 7 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays, and pave the way for the resumption of peace talks. “The ceasefires are intended to generate a positive environment conducive to the holding of informal talks preparatory to the formal meeting to resume the peace negotiations,” the two parties said in a joint statement released on Dec. 22. “The Parties shall separately issue the corresponding ceasefire orders. During the ceasefire period, the respective armed units and personnel of the Parties shall cease and desist from carrying out military offensive against the other,” reads part of the statement, a copy of which was released by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. The joint statement was signed last Dec. 21 in Utrecht, The Netherlands by Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, the government panel’s chief negotiator for peace talks, negotiator Hernani A. Braganza, NDFP Senior Adviser Luis G. Jalandoni, and NDFP Negotiating Panel Chair Roel V. Agcaoili.

POLICE
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said its forces will remain on full alert status, but will abide by the ceasefire order once issued by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. “Kung sakali man aprubahan ito ng Pangulo at isakatuparan ay susunod ang PNP (If this is approved by the President and enforced, the PNP will abide by it,)” PNP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard M. Banac said in a radio interview over dzBB yesterday. The PNP went on a 21-day nationwide full alert status starting Dec. 14 as part of its security measures during the Yuletide season. Police forces are on the lookout for possible attacks by the New People’s Army, the armed groups of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which is celebrating its founding anniversary on Dec. 26. — MSJ with a report from PHILSTAR/Emmanuel Tupas

Export body conservative for next year

By Jenina P. Ibañez

THE TRADE DEPARTMENT’S Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) has adopted a 2-4% growth forecast for overseas sales next year of the country’s goods and services, choosing to be conservative as global uncertainties persist.

“The forecast that we have for exports is still positive, although it’s just a single-digit range of total for goods and services, probably from two to four percent,” EMB Director Senen M. Perlada said in a telephone interview on Friday.

At the same time, he said the bureau is retaining the 2022 target detailed in the country’s export plan.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee on Dec. 11 adopted 2020 growth projections of four percent for merchandise exports and nine percent for overseas service sales.

The Philippine Export Development Plan 2018-2022 approved by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in July targets a compound annual growth rate of 8.89-9.96% for goods and service export revenues to $122-130.8 billion in total by 2022.

“The challenge to us now… what we need to do is to still meet the target in spite of the weighed-down forecast,” Mr. Perlada said.

He said that the bureau is “cautiously optimistic” about the first phase of the trade deal between the United States and China, which cuts US tariffs on China after an almost 18-month dispute between the two countries. “It’s good news in the sense that the first phase of the US-China trade (deal) naayos na (has been fixed),” he said, noting that he expects improved Philippine trade as a result.

This cautious optimism, however, will not boost 2020 expectations.

“May headwinds pa rin (There are still headwinds). We don’t know still what’s going to happen to (US President) Trump…may impact pa rin ’yan (that still has an impact). Brexit is still something that we don’t know. It dampens the (trade) sentiment — the uncertainties.”

“It’s the general sentiment for trade. People just want to play safe. They’re not going to be all out. The only thing I can say is medyo neutral to positive ’yung trade natin. (our trade is a bit neutral to positive),” he added.

US President Trump is currently going through impeachment proceedings and will face re-election next year. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised Britain’s exit from the European Union by the end of January 2020.

To boost Philippine export growth next year, the Trade department is looking at non-traditional trade partners, as well as promoting finished products instead of intermediate goods.

“The strategy is, we want to be protected from the effects of the global trade war by engaging more with high population density countries,” he said, noting that products directly sold to economies with bigger populations and high purchasing power will suffer less impact from global value chain shocks.

He said the department is studying possible exports to Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and Russia as part of diversification plans.

Although the Trade department will continue pushing priority sectors like electronics and business process outsourcing, in 2020 it will also promote aerospace manufacturing, including maintenance repair services as well as aircraft galley and toilet parts production.

Mr. Perlada said the department also targets partnerships with subcontractors of major aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Airbus. “(Philippine aircraft exports) is growing in the double digits… I think we can expect that to continue because travel is still a growth area.”

The department will also be focusing on promoting the country’s creative industries, including wearables such as bags and footwear, original content for animation and game design, and integrated circuit designs in the electronics industry.

Mr. Perlada also cited potential for more farm exports and the possibility of free trade agreements (FTA) being forged next year. The Philippines is currently looking at the possible signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership between Southeast Asian economies and major trade partners as well as a free trade agreement with South Korea. The Philippines may also begin FTA talks with the United States and the United Arab Emirates next year.

At the same time, the EMB is looking for more funding to participate in international trade events and support small businesses, as well as additional supply for agriculture products. “The difficulty sometimes is we promote but there’s no supply, but for next year we should be able to,” he said. “To move the needle in this sector, we simply need supply.”

TRAIN collections top targets

TAX COLLECTIONS generated by higher rates under Republic Act No. 10963, or Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), exceeded targets as of end-September, the Department of Finance (DoF) said on Sunday.

A DoF statement quoted Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua as saying that TRAIN revenues totaled P91.3 billion in the nine months to September, 18% more than the projected P77.3 billion and 107% higher year on year.

Mr. Chua said the latest collection is 80.8% of the P113.1-billion full-year target.

“This means we are now closer to completing the 2019 estimates, compared to where we were last year when we were trying to reach the 2018 estimates. This is definitely welcome news, especially for the infrastructure and human development objectives of TRAIN,” Mr. Chua said.

Preliminary Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BoC) data showed they exceeded their targets by P9.4 billion and P4.7 billion, respectively.

Contributing to the overall increase, DoF said, was smaller foregone revenues from reduced personal income tax rates at P79.2 billion compared to the initial estimate of P96.4 billion. “This was a result of better compliance, higher employment rate resulting in an increase in registered taxpayers, and lower unemployment and underemployment rates,” he said.

Excise tax collections from imported petroleum products were above target by P14.3 billion on the back of bigger import volumes, particularly diesel and gasoline. “Overperformance is also evident in the overall BoC petroleum excise revenues for the first three quarters at P64.5 billion, which is more than double the P31.2 billion recorded in the same period last year,” DoF said.

Revenues from excise tax on sweetened beverages were slightly higher than target P1.9 billion while the tax take from tobacco products was P4.4 billion more than target.

Documentary stamp tax collections were also higher than the target at P4.7 billion due to “higher transaction value and better collection efficiency.”

Still, collection of excise tax on some products missed targets for the period, including those from automobiles and domestic petroleum products which nevertheless generated P25.2 billion in revenues.

With lower volume, excise tax on automobiles collected during the nine-month period were short by P11.3 billion. Automobile sales have been reeling from higher excise taxes since TRAIN took effect in January last year.

Collections from locally refined petroleum products also missed the target by P13.9 billion, due to “decline in the volume of removals, and the shift to imported finished products,” he said. — B. M. Laforga

Curbs to foreign investments still in Senate sights

THE SENATE can be expected to approve a measure easing foreign investment restrictions next year, a key lawmaker said.

Senator Imee R. Marcos, chairwoman of the Senate’s Economic Affairs committee, said the chamber will resume plenary deliberations of the bill when Congress resumes work on Jan. 20, 2020.

“Malamang next year na kasi ang daming nira-rush… (That bill will likely be approved next year because other priorities are being rushed…),” Ms. Marcos said on the sidelines of a Dec. 10 media event in Pasay City, particularly citing the measure further raising tax rates on alcohol products, electronic cigarettes and vapor products that was approved on Dec. 18, ahead of lawmakers’ Dec. 21, 2019-Jan. 19, 2020 Christmas-New Year break.

She cited the possibility that the measure may hurdle the bicameral conference committee before the first regular session ends on June 5 next year.

“I’m hopeful,” Ms. Marcos said when asked on that possibility. “Sa palagay ko papasok na dahil, unang-una, ’yung House natapos na; ikalawa, ilang beses na nabanggit ni Presidente doon sa kanyang SoNA at sa iba’t-ibang business chambers at foreign group (I would think it stands a chance of approval by then because, first of all it has been approved by the House and, secondly, it has been cited by the President in his State of the Nation Address and by various business chambers and foreign groups).”

Other Senate leaders would not respond to requests for comment on when this measure could be approved.

The proposed amendment to the decades-old Republic Act No. 7042, or the Foreign Investment Act of 1991, is among the administration’s legislative priorities for the first regular session of the 18th Congress. It is also on the list of bills that 14 local and foreign business groups submitted to Malacañang and Congress last July.

The measure, under House Bill No. 300, secured final-reading approval at the House of Representatives on Sept. 9.

The House version excludes “practice of profession” from the coverage of the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL), a provision absent in Senate Bill No. 1156.

Both versions also reduce the minimum employment requirement to 15 from 50 direct local hires for small- and medium-sized domestic enterprises that are established by foreign investors with paid-in capital of at least $100,000.

“Hindi naman (This measure is not) contentious as such pero siguro (but) there are divergent opinions on whether we should have a very basic scheme putting limits at $100,000 or 15 employees as opposed to the old much more demanding higher requirement,” Ms. Marcos said.

The bill also provided that the FINL be amended annually, instead of the current two-year interval. The 11th FINL was updated in October 2018, three years and five months since the last FINL was issued in May 2015, under then president Benigno S.C. Aquino III. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

More needed to open up biomass dev’t

THE MOVE by the Department of Energy (DoE) to allow full foreign ownership of biomass power plants has done little to attract more investments in projects involving the renewable energy technology, local developers said.

“Only if there is FiT (feed-in tariff),” Don Mario Y. Dia, president of Biomass Renewable Energy Alliance, Inc. (BREA), told reporters last week when asked on the impact of the DoE move.

FiT is the guaranteed rate awarded by the government agency to early movers in the renewable energy (RE) space.

Developers who build RE power plants within a set deadline receive the subsidized tariff for their output, which is usually higher than market rates.

“How can you attract foreign investors, ang titingnan nila (what they are looking for are) what are the incentives behind it,” said Mr. Dia, who is also vice-chairman of Negros Island Biomass Holdings, Inc.

The holding firm has lined up three biomass projects on Negros island for inclusion in the government’s FiT program.

Alberto R. Dalusung III, who has served as consultant for biomass projects, said foreign investors are looking for certainty.

“They look for a power supply agreement (PSA). The FiT is the power supply agreement,” he said.

PSAs are contracts between power plant developers and “off-takers” of their energy output, mostly power distribution companies. These contracts include their agreed rate for each kilowatt-hour sold.

“The companies are going elsewhere in Southeast Asia,” Mr. Dalusung added.

LOCALS LOOKING ELSEWHERE
Mr. Dia said even local companies are investing overseas in markets that are awarding feed-in tariff to developers such as Vietnam and Myanmar.

He described BREA as the most representative organization for the biomass industry.

In the Philippines, the FiT scheme for biomass has a capacity installation target of 250 megawatts. Developers were in a race to complete their projects before the end-2017 deadline to avail of the subsidized rate.

However, deadline came with the full subscription to the installation target.

This prompted the DoE to agree to the scheme’s extension to end-2019 or upon successful commissioning of projects covering the unsubscribed balance of the target, whichever comes first.

Mr. Dia said about 10 companies would go over the installation target set by the DoE.

In October, the DoE announced that it had opened biomass energy development to full foreign ownership to encourage the growth of the sector that has lured only a few investors even after the FiT scheme gave them a fixed and subsidized rate for their power output.

“In these new guidelines, we opened up the biomass sector to foreign corporations,” Marissa P. Cerezo, director at the department’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau, had said, adding that the DoE has done away with the previous 60%-40% ownership rule in favor of Filipinos.

She said the reason for allowing foreign ownership in biomass development is that the bureau believes this project does not use a natural resource, hence, no foreign ownership limit should apply.

Biomass energy projects use agricultural waste to produce energy. The DoE has also classified waste-to-energy projects under biomass development, thus widening the sector’s scope.

“We don’t have the local technology on biomass yet so with this policy opening up to foreign companies, we believe that a lot more foreign companies will engage in biomass development or waste-to-energy development,” she said. — Victor V. Saulon

How much do families spend on Noche Buena?

How much do families spend on Noche Buena?

Dichotomous luxe in all-new Bentley Flying Spur

Text and photos by Kap Maceda Aguila

SINGAPORE — Larger yet lighter, sporty yet luxurious, powerful yet fuel-efficient. The dichotomies come, well, fast and furious in the third generation of Bentley Flying Spur. First launched globally in June this year, the four-door Bentley is now poised to gradually roll out to the Asia-Pacific market as the UK car maker formalized its entry into the region with a launch in this city.

Riding on the same MSB platform as its Continental GT sibling and extended family member Porsche Panamera, the Flying Spur is touted to be vastly different from its outgoing precursor. In a release, Bentley declared that this new Flying Spur boasts about 2,000 changes — all perhaps leading to the vision of making it the epitome of “sports sedan agility and modern limousine refinement.”

In an interview with Velocity, Bentley Motors Communications Director Wayne Bruce, on hand for the launch, said that he thinks the four-door grand tourer “is the world’s fastest sedan,” while simultaneously not making much of it. Bentley claims an electronically governed top rate of 333kph. Now that goal was an important one, specific one. Mr. Bruce shares that 333kph is an important figure in Germany to be accepted in the super sedan class. With that, he comments, “I’ve been told by engineers it could go faster.”

The aforementioned new platform allowed Bentley to move the front axle forward by 130 millimeters — extending the Flying Spur’s wheelbase. In turn, this made possible an increase in “Prestige Mass,” or what designers call the “visible area of sheet metal between the front-door shutline and the wheel — bestowing the new model with its unique, more dynamic character.”

The new Flying Spur sheds 38 kilos from the weight of the second generation, owing to all-aluminum exterior panels. In fact, the “rear body side panel is the largest superformed aluminum panel in any car you can buy today.” Bentley employs its own method to create the panels — involving heating sheets to more than 500 degrees Centigrade before each part is cut to shape by a high-power laser.

Bentley’s famous W12 engine — or, rather, the newest iteration of it — dwells under the hood. Even if the name is the same, Mr. Bruce maintains this is a “completely new design” which is 15% more efficient than its forebear. This is made possible as the system shuts off six cylinders when not needed.

The 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged heart delivers 635ps at 6,000rpm and 900Nm from 1,350 to 4,500rpm — enabling the Flying Spur to reach 100kph from standstill in 3.8 seconds. Here’s a bit of trivia from Mr. Bruce: Bentley guarantees the windshield wipers to work at 333kph.

For the first time, the all-wheel drive Flying Spur will now have all-wheel steering as well. Despite its 5.18 meters length, the vehicle will display a tighter turning circle in low speed as the rear wheels move opposite the front pair. Meanwhile, when at high speed the rears will turn in the same direction for “increased nimbleness.”

“There are certain characteristics that our customers and our future customers want and demand from a Bentley because it’s a Bentley. There’s the handcrafted-ness; there’s the beautiful, elegant, understated design. There’s power you just take for granted — effortless power when you want it. This car is not loud like a McLaren, for example,” Mr. Bruce shares with this writer. “Increasingly, because Bentley owners use their cars as a daily driver, they expect all the modern technology accessible to them, which is why one of the big differences between this car and its predecessor is driver assist systems (it has around a dozen).”

At the front, the Flying Spur exhibits undeniable heft and presence, and is unmistakably Bentley — aided by muscular lines “that sweep over the haunches and the full length of the car.” For the first time in the model, the Flying B hood ornament (which has been redesigned for the company’s centenary) is retractable. It is electronically deployed and illuminated — linked to the welcome lighting sequence and keyless entry system as the driver approaches the vehicle.

The grille bears a gloss-black finish with chrome surround and vertical vanes calling to mind the 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Flying Spur. Customers may choose either black or bright chrome in the lower grille.

Headlamps feature LED matrix lighting as standard. This allows the driver “to operate on main beam all the time, automatically cutting a hole in the beam around oncoming vehicles to avoid dazzling other drivers. Matrix headlights feature unique, cut-crystal effect detailing. A chrome sleeve was added behind the cut element, making them sparkle even when not lit.”

Again, owing to its vaunted “duality,” the Flying Spur promises that “passengers in the rear enjoy exactly the same standard and quality of experience as those in the front.” A multi-functional five-inch color touchscreen remote control is mounted in the rear atop the center console. It “integrates seamlessly into the console but can be removed at the touch of a button for remote use,” allowing backseat passengers control over many of the car’s features such as the window blinds, climate control, and rear seat massage function.

When unoccupied, the front seat can be moved forward by the rear passenger for more space. Key vehicle data can also be pulled up, and control to the audio system, mood lighting, and key sections of the navigation system is possible as well.

Customers will have their druthers from among three audio systems. The standard has 10 speakers and 650 watts of sound; a Bang & Olufsen steps it up with 16 speakers (with illuminated grilles) and 1,500 watts of sound; then the Naim for Bentley delivers 18 speakers (with two active bass transducers) and 2,200 watts of sound — in addition to a 21-channel amplifier, eight DSP sound modes, and illuminated speaker grilles.

All-new seats, covered in handstitched “3D leather,” offer heating and cooling, active bolsters, and top tilt to support the upper back. Impressive 14-way adjustment and five massaging modes, among other accoutrements, are available. Rear occupants also get entertainment tablets situated on the back of the front seats — giving them access to the Bentley Multimedia System. The devices can access the Google Play store and feature their own internal memory.

Of course, vehicles at this price point offer bespoke options. “We’ve also tried to broaden the breadth of how the car looks,” Mr. Bruce declares. There are 17 colors in the standard exterior palette. If that’s not enough, an extended palette offers an additional 40-something hues. There’s a so-called black-line trim, various color splits and even different-colored hides.

And if the plethora of choices prove overwhelming, Bentley comes to the rescue by offering “co-creation” through retailers. “You can meet with a Bentley designer to sit with you,” he explains. This designer will get a sense of what the customer wants through his or her lifestyle and choices. He might ask for the kind of hotel the customer goes for or even preferred food. “They’ll come up with what they think should be your Flying Spur.”

For now, the Flying Spur will get the storied W12, but talks are rife about it getting a V8 sometime in the future. When asked about it, the executive replies with a smile, “You could guess that a V8 could be in or plans; we haven’t said when. You could also guess that we’re working on a plug-in hybrid.”

What is sure is that every Bentley model (including the Flying Spur, of course) by 2023 will have an electrified variant, and that a pure EV will be released in 2025.

There’s no hard stop as of yet for the beloved W12 — and the internal combustion engine, for that matter — but Mr. Bruce did offer up valuable insight: “We can see the world is changing. We don’t want a luxury car to go the way of the fur coat.”

Bentley Manila shared with Velocity that Filipinos can expect the all-new Flying Spur in Manila “around March” next year, and the distributor is already taking reservations. And, yes, there are already names on that list.

Subaru Philippines kicks off Spot That Subie contest

MOTOR IMAGE PILIPINAS, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines, invites you to keep your eyes open from now until Dec. 31 for our zebra-striped Subaru Forester. Look for it online in Facebook or out on the city, then come visit BGC, C5 Pasig, Greenhills or Manila Bay to get exclusive gifts.

How? There are two easy ways:

Limited edition Subaru laptop bags await the first 10, while equally great merchandise are also up for grabs. Catch and spot that Subie! Available only at Subaru C5 Pasig, BGC, Greenhills or Manila Bay until the end of December.

Visit https://www.subaru.asia/ph/spotthatsubie for more details.

Naughty or Nice: Last minute gifts for the holiday rush

WELL, someone’s been naughty this year: you’re shopping for gifts the day before Christmas Eve! Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Our gift guide is arranged alphabetically, but it will be up to you to decide whether your gift will be “nice” (practical, affordable, and may or may not support an advocacy), or naughty (delectably luxurious to cover up for the guilt from not shopping earlier).

BEAUTY BAR
Beauty Bar becomes a one-stop-shop for the latest, most effective personal care essentials from all around the world for the holidays. Among its interesting products are:

Hurraw lip balm. Using organic, vegan, and raw products, this lip balm brand offers a variety of flavors and variants: Hazelnut Tinted Lip Balm, Baobab Banana, Papaya Pineapple, Mint, Almond, Licorice, Chai Spice, Earl Grey, and Chocolate.

Miss Kay, an international perfume brand, whose new limited-edition collection is inspired by the magical glow of a wintery night sky. Named The Star Collection, this set includes three exclusive scents: Shine Bright, Milky Way, and Enchanted, and packaged in a festive and gliterry holographic gift box. Then there is the Smashbox Holiday Collection 2019-Cosmic Celebration, a collection of makeup sets whose packaging was designed by California artist Jessica Weymouth.

For ladies who love to be pampered, Beauty Bar’s Somerset gift set includes bath and body products from the Somerset Toiletry Company. Its product offerings include luxury hand creams and body lotions to scented candles and room diffusers. It also includes a range of cute and quirky soaps in animal shapes which come in a deluxe presentation box. Extend the feeling of the holidays with Somerset’s all year-round gift collection, which includes Luxury Soap on a Rope, Scented Bath Salts, Mini Hand Care Sets, Bath Fizzer Bars and boxed Greeting Cards with a heart-shaped soap.

Beauty Bar has branches at Alabang Town Center, Power Plant Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, The Podium, Robinsons Galleria, Eastwood Mall, Trinoma Mall, Robinsons Place Midtown, Greenbelt 5, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Bonifacio High Street Central Square, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee Mall, Robinsons Place Magnolia, Glorietta, UP Town Center, and Estancia Mall.

IMONO JEWELRY
It’s non-tarnish, hypoallergenic, and it’s shiny. This yuletide season, Imono Jewelry introduces a new collection, Evolve and Shine, featuring a mix of gold, silver, and colorful stones, handpicked by actress and brand ambassador Lovi Poe. There are minimalist rings that can be stacked and modern bracelets with playful pendants and tiered necklaces that can be worn to the office, on a night out, or even when travelling. Check out the complete collection on www.imonojewelryph.com or follow @imonojewelry on Instagram and Facebook.

JILL BY JOJIE LLOREN
For the Holiday season, Jill has come out with a collection called The Healing, inspired by crystals that are believed to have curative effects on the body, the soul, and presumably the world. Crystal prints liven up the pieces, and tied details suggest mending and healing. The general silhouette is loose and liberated. Fabrics are soft and refined. Colors range from restful pastels like rose quartz to vibrant jewel tones like turquoise. Crystal images are printed on some of the collection pieces. Jill by Jojie Lloren is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Gateway, Rustan’s Alabang, Rustan’s Cebu and Rustans.com.

MONTBLANC
With the new Meisterstück Calligraphy Collection, the brand highlights the Flex Nib, which allows for more elaborate and more expressive calligraphy, enabling a variety of writing styles and delivering a remarkable writing sensation (it’s also made of gold). Then there’s the StarWalker collection, which includes a Precious Resin edition in all black with contrasting metal fittings, a Doué edition with a black resin barrel paired with a metal cap or forepart, and a sleek full Metal edition. Each edition is available as a fountain pen, ballpoint and fineliner pen. Meanwhile, the Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Special Edition is on its second installment, and features The Aviator, a character from the well-loved novella.

Don’t forget the watches: Montblanc’s timepieces for the holidays include the smartwatch Summit 2, a digital interpretation of fine watchmaking. It features the Tiles on Wear OS by Google that provide quicker access to the information and actions most often checked with a simple swipe, and offering more ways to customize the information that matters the most to the watch’s owner. It also features the latest Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset by Qualcomm for enhanced performance, improved battery life and a weeklong time-only mode. Montblanc is available at Rustans Makati, Rustans Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu, Greenbelt 5, City of Dreams and Resorts World.

MUJI
Sober up from all the holiday frenzy with the visual silence of gifts from Muji. Whether for a student or a working professional, Muji Stationery gift sets are created to help anyone organize their thoughts, tasks, or schedules, and even help increase their efficiency and productivity. Some of these bundles include the brand’s popular gel ink pens, as well as the new 2020 planners and calendars.

The Muji Home Gift Bundles are composed of items that are not only lovely additions to anyone’s home but are also pieces that will make any space more comfortable to live in. Some of these bundles include the best-selling Aroma Diffuser, as well as soft room slippers that make each step at home a relaxing one.

The Muji Travel Gift Bundles are perfect for those who enjoy traveling whether for business or pleasure. One bundle includes the Portable Aroma Diffuser that allows anyone to relax anywhere, as it diffuses fragrant mist without the use of heat or water. Another bundle consists of the compact clear cases filled with PET Bottles that can be used to carry any travel essentials such as toiletries or skincare. The promo runs until Dec. 27.

PACSAFE
From the brand favored by safety-conscious travelers, comes the MetroSafe LS100 Econyl. It is lightweight and has security features such as anti-theft zipper and RFID blocking pockets which make this bag versatile and perfect for everyday use. This bag is also made from Econyl regenerated nylon fiber. The MetroSafe LS100 Econyl is available in all Pacsafe branches in Metro Manila.

POLAR
Italian eyewear Polar goes beyond a usual pair by giving high definition vision. The brand sports qualities that may want you to rethink your glasses for the next year: polarized filters in the lenses, for a crisp visual experience with more natural and vivid colors; anti-scratch, oil, and water-resistant coating; and finally, UVA, UVB, and UVC protection filters. Plus, did we mention they’re cute, with just the right amount of European flair? Polar is available at Sarabia Optical branches.

SAIBON
The Saibon shampoo bar is a gift that plants a tree. For every shampoo bar bought (P380) native tree seedlings such as narra, kamagong, and antipolo will be planted as part of the Forests for Life movement, a campaign to bring back Philippine forests. Hand-crafted by organic farmers in Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, the Saibon shampoo bar is made with natural ingredients good for both you and the environment. It comes in three variants: Calamansi, Cucumber, and Activated Charcoal. As for the trees your purchase will help plant, every seedling donation is maintained by local farmers. This covers seedling preparation, planting, and three years of protection and maintenance by partner communities. The shampoo bar’s biodegradable wrapper also serves as a ticket to one of Haribon’s tree planting activities in 2020. Saibon shampoo bars are available at http://bit.ly/saibon or on Shopee at http://bit.ly/saibonshopee.

SPIRE JEWELRY
Online jewelry seller, Spire Jewelry, now brings high-quality, personalized jewelry to the Philippines. The Israel-based internet seller offers an array of customizable, high-quality necklaces and rings, made with special gemstones and gold-plated metals. Each piece is handcrafted by local artisans, and all the designs of the necklaces and rings are personalized with your (or your special someone’s) name. Items from Spire’s Heart Collection range in price from P1,450 to P2,200. Other collections include Monogram, Infinity, and Bar necklaces, all within the same price range. The Name Rings are priced at P1,550. All the custom jewelry products can be purchased online through Cash On Delivery (COD.) Spire Jewelry pieces are now available through https://spire.store/.

TIM TAM ONG
Intricate, sculptural and dazzling, each piece in designer Tim Tam Ong’s Flight of Fancy collection is inspired by the beauty and movement of winged creatures such as birds, bees, butterflies and dragonflies. Ever inspired by nature, the designer creates wearable statement jewelry with precious and semi-precious stones from around the world. The collection, available at Tim Tam Ong boutiques, captures the festive nature of the holidays through color, shine and larger-than-life design.

In Flights of Fancy, a golden peacock with a brilliant blue sapphire body grows a train embellished with semi-precious stones; an octagon-cut emerald becomes bejeweled bees; a dragonfly attaches itself to an amethyst. Each sculptural piece evokes movement and mimics the textures of nature, inspired by the designer’s recent trip to Bali. Her earrings, as in all of her collections, are made up of detachable pieces that can be worn separately and can be mixed and matched. Tim Tam Ong works with local goldsmiths in creating each necklace and earring that goes into her collections. Tim Tam Ong’s Flights of Fancy holiday collection is available at her boutiques in Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, and LRI Design Plaza, Makati City.

URBANIZE
One of Urbanize’s best-selling bags is the classic CabinZero 44L orange backpack. Its lightweight and compact design, with multiple internal compartments, makes it a perfect handcarry bag for different types of adventures.

The CabinZero 44L orange backpack is available in all Urbanize stores in Metro Manila.

For more safety features, U-Elements is offering the Defender 122 backpack. It is engineered to be theft-proof with its high-technology security identification lock system powered by a fingerprint scanner. It also features various outer and inner compartments and a card pocket on its straps to keep everything neat and sorted.

Also available at Urbanize is the K2 spill-proof tumbler from Santeco, a brand that promotes green and low-carbon lifestyles. It features double vacuum insulation to keep the liquid warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. With its entire body made of premium stainless steel (inside and out), the K2 is made for the adventurous type.

Urbanize branches are located at SM Megamall Atrium, SM North EDSA The Block, Robinsons Ermita, Lucky Chinatown Mall, UP Town Center, Gateway Mall, Edsa Shangri-La Mall, Glorietta 3, Uptown Mall BGC, Venice Grand Canal, The District-Imus, Ayala Serin — Tagaytay, Ayala Malls the 30th, SM Seaside City Cebu and SM Ecoland Davao, and online through www.urbanize.com.ph.

VIRLANIE FOUNDATION
The Virlanie Foundation’s holiday campaign is encouraging everyone to be the hero of at least one street child. The foundation’s holistic approach is embodied through its seven pillars of intervention, providing the most disadvantaged children with comprehensive services: basic needs, proper care, social support, education and opportunities for their families to generate income. This Christmas, give a gift that lasts in three ways: be a sponsor by upholding your chosen advocacy and create a unique relationship with your supported children; recruit sponsors and encourage friends and relatives to sponsor children and get a chance to win a round-trip ticket to France; or donate by support the holistic needs of the children for one day, one week or one month. Contact Ashley Venerable (Communication Manager) at ashley.venerable@virlanie.org. A countdown clock is available on the website, virlanie.org, to know how many are left to contribute to the Christmas campaign.

Toyota donates P2M to support Mindanao quake victims

IN THE TRUE SPIRIT of bayanihan, Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) assists earthquake victims in Mindanao through the “Helping Hands Mindanao Mission” of the Metrobank Foundation (MBFI).

TMP donated a total of P2 million to purchase 1,000 retractable tents to serve as temporary shelters for the affected families in the areas of North Cotabato and Davao del Sur where the damage was most severe.

TMP Vice-Chairman Dr. David Go (second from left) turned over the check donation to MBFI President Aniceto Sobrepeña. They are joined by TMP Foundation Assistant Vice-President Ronald Gaspar (left) and MBFI Executive Director Nicanor Torres.

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