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Spurs’ deficiencies

Heading into the Spurs’ match against the Wizards yesterday, head coach Gregg Popovich expressed confidence his charges would break out of their worst losing run in nearly nine years. They seemed to have an alarming predilection to fall behind early, thus requiring them to expend energy just to get close, only to ultimately run out of time. “If we can cut out the former, maybe we can get back on the winning track,” he told the San Antonio Express-News. He didn’t say it, but he was, no doubt, buoyed by the fact that their opponents likewise had problems to contend with while sporting the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

As things turned out, the Spurs didn’t just manage to keep pace in the first quarter; in fact, they finished it three points ahead, as clear an indication as any that they listened to Popovich’s pleadings and resolved to hit the ground running. Unfortunately, the score still left much to be desired; they needed to put up 38 points in order to forge the slight lead, indicating both the pace of the contest and the need for them to continue puncturing the hoop. As much as they were producing numbers, they were likewise hemorrhaging them. And against the high-scoring Wizards, the situation spelled danger.

True enough, the Spurs wound up falling behind by as much as nine in a third quarter that had them turning a six-point advantage into a three-point deficit going into the payoff period. They did well to stay close from then on, but, unfortunately, not well enough to overcome the disadvantage — leading to their seventh consecutive loss, an ignominious streak not seen in 21 years. The last time the silver and black found themselves in a similar situation, they were in a tank job that subsequently netted them a certain would-be Hall of Famer named Tim Duncan.

Back then, Popovich was just new to pacing the sidelines. Now, he’s seen by conventional wisdom as the best of the best in the job. And yet, not even his proven skills applied to a complete roster devoid of injury have been close to adequate. The Spurs have been bad, not able to overcome their individual deficiencies on both ends of the floor by being better and more efficient as a group. And that they’re actually trying to get better speaks volumes of their fundamental frailties. Which is why even avid followers are suggesting that they work for draft position instead.

That’s not — or no longer — Popovich’s style, though, so observers should expect the Spurs to keep plodding on. Still, intrinsic infirmities look to limit their ceiling. Most tellingly, advanced statistics show that seemingly complementary top dogs DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge have yielded net negative results when they share the court. Which is to say the chips will fall where they may: The effort will stay elite, but the bottom line isn’t likely to be good.

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Puerto Princesa hosts 2019 National Young Leaders’ Conference

The National Young Leaders’ Conference (NYLC) kicks off tomorrow, running till Nov. 26 at the City Coliseum in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. 

Organized by the Global Institute for Youth Development, alongside with City Government of Puerto Princesa through its Youth Development Office, the flagship conference aims to equip next-generation grassroots leaders with practical knowledge and necessary competencies to effectively spearhead in sustainable development initiatives.

This year’s conference revolves around the theme: “#SDGeneration: Acting towards Social, Economic and Environmental Sustainability by 2030”, making Puerto Princesa, the “eco-tourism center of the Philippines” a fitting venue for conversations on maximizing the youth’s contribution to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of their respective communities. 

You can find out more about the program and register for NYLC 2019 at this link.

Voting for the Top 5 finalists of Anytime Fitness’ ‘Search for the Purple Champion’ starts

The world’s largest and fastest growing gym franchise, Anytime Fitness, is once again extending its efforts in leading and welcoming communities to start their fitness journeys with their current regional campaign “You’re Welcome.” With over 4,000 gyms spanning six continents and well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment, the industry leader has recently launched “The Search for the Purple Champion,” an initiative that takes inspiration from its club members and their journey to wellness.

This year’s competition further cements the brand’s “You’re Welcome” campaign as it celebrates different kinds of fitness journeys – whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. “Our mission, really, is to improve the self-esteem of Filipinos. It may sound ambitious, but we’re all about making the impossible possible. Our clubs across the country support the communities they belong—communities of individuals who are determined to enjoy healthier and happier lifestyles. Through our The Search for the Purple Champion, we hope to inspire other people to start their own stories and later on, share their stories too,” said Anytime Fitness Asia Regional Marketing Manager Jap Angeles.

Ride Like a Champion

As a supplement to the brand’s continuous efforts on educating Filipinos about healthier lifestyles, Anytime Fitness is launching an activation series dubbed as “Ride Like a Champion.” Converging ways to make “being fit” sound less rigorous and, instead, more entertaining for people, the ‘Ride Like a Champion’ is a sweat-powered fun ride that people can experience on the following dates: Nov. 16 to 17 at SM Seaside Cebu, Nov. 23 to 24 at SM Davao, and Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 at TriNoma.

“We seek to provide a friendly and supportive atmosphere in our clubs, and we want to extend that same feeling even to non-members. Through this “fitainment” series, we hope people can rethink about fitness as a daunting concept. Who says sweating can’t be fun, right?” added Mr. Angeles.

Voting for the Top 5 finalists of Anytime Fitness’ Search for the Purple Champion commenced on Nov. 17, 2019 via www.thepurplechampion.ph/vote.

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Mondelēz International releases first-ever State of Snacking Report

  • Study confirms global snacking on the rise as more consumers opt for snacks over meals to fulfill evolving needs
  • Snacking meeting needs of modern lifestyles, community connection and nourishing functional and emotional well being
  • Launched one year after Mondelēz International unveiled new long-term strategy and introduced new purpose to empower people to snack right

Mondelēz International today announced the launch of its first-ever State of Snacking™ report, a global consumer trends study examining the role snacking plays across the world in meeting consumers’ evolving needs: busy modern lifestyles, the growing desire for community connection and a more holistic sense of wellbeing. The study reveals the rise of global snacking, underscored by regional parallels demonstrating how snacks are helping lead the future of food by delivering on the spectrum of needs that exists in our day-to-day lives.

The State of Snacking report, developed in partnership with consumer polling specialist, The Harris Poll, complements Mondelēz International’s global snacking knowledge estate with new research conducted among thousands of consumers across twelve countries. The report sheds light on snacking as a growing behavior worldwide. Notably 6 in 10 adults worldwide say they prefer to eat many small meals throughout the day, as opposed to a few larger ones (59%), with younger consumers especially leaning into snacks over meals as that number rises to 7 in 10 among Millennials (70%).
Key findings from the 2019 State of Snacking report include: (full report available at www.stateofsnacking.com)

Our relationship with food is fundamentally changing.

For consumers around the world, the role food plays in health and wellbeing is increasingly top of mind; people are more commonly considering how smaller bites – snacks – effect their emotional wellbeing, as well as their physical health.

  • For more than 8 in 10 people, convenience (87%) and quality (85%) are among the top factors impacting snack choice.
  • 80% of consumers are looking for healthy, balanced bites.
  • 71% of adults say snacking helps them control their hunger and manage their calories throughout the day.
  • However, moments of indulgence continue to have an important place in daily routines.
  • 80% of adults worldwide acknowledge the need for balance by appreciating the option of both healthy and indulgent snacks depending on the moment of need.
  • 77% of consumers agree there is a time and a place for a healthy snack, and a time and a place for an indulgent one.
  • The majority of people say snacks are just as important to their mental (71%) and emotional (70%) wellbeing as their physical wellbeing.

Snacking is about so much more than what we eat.

Snacking is a key way for people around the world to connect to their culture and share their sense of identity with their communities and families.
  • 71% say snacking is a way to remind themselves of home.
  • 7 in 10 adults make an effort to share their favorite childhood snacks with others (70%).
  • Around the world, more than 8 in 10 parents use snack time as a small way to connect with their children (82%).
  • 76% of parents use snacks to pass cultural snacking rituals on to their children.
  • More than three out of four parents (78%) say the snacks they choose for their children reflect who they are as a parent.

“As the snacking market continues to grow globally, we’re living our purpose to empower people to snack right by constantly learning about the many different ways consumers around the world are snacking and evolving their relationship with food,” said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International. “We see that the average global adult now eats more snacks than meals on a given day, driven by a number of evolving demands largely associated with how we live today, including a growing need for convenience, yearning to share nostalgic and cultural experiences, expanded wellbeing preferences and the desire for choices that range from wholesome to indulgent.”

Mondelēz International launches the State of Snacking report a year after it announced a new business strategy and purpose. Over the last year, the company made strong progress on its mission to offer consumers the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. This includes developing an ever-deeper knowledge estate of the demands that motivate people to reach for snacks while continuing to meet people’s more holistic understanding of wellbeing by focusing on sustainably sourced essential ingredients, evolving its product portfolio to a broader range of options and inspiring mindful snacking habits.

“We embrace the fact that snacking habits around the world are as diverse as the consumers who enjoy them,” continued Van de Put. “However people snack, they should not have to choose between snacking and eating right, or to worry about the impact their choices have on the world and their communities. That’s why we’re committed to empowering people to snack right.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s new sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

HK protests lead to cancellation of global tech conference RISE

Amidst rampant security concerns and social unrest, the company behind global tech conference RISE cancels their flagship summit, slated for March 2020.

“Our number one priority is the well-being, safety, and security of attendees at our events,” the company said in a statement. “Given the uncertainty of the situation by early 2020, and after consulting with experts and advisers, we have decided to postpone RISE until March 2021.”

With the cancellation of RISE, Hong Kong adds yet another major event to a growing list of business losses now plaguing the city. According to the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council found a 20 percent drop in visitors to exhibitions held in October. This amounted to roughly HK$300 million in lost tourism-related revenues.

RISE is the first event on the city’s 2020 calendar to be cancelled due to security concerns, signalling that the protests may now be affecting long-term business planning. Experts have confirmed that Hong Kong is currently in a technical recession, and is expected to experience continued negative growth well into next year.

Bourse to tighten delisting rules

By Denise A. Valdez
Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE, Inc. (PSE) is preparing stricter rules for companies that want to delist, in order to protect minority shareholders.

PSE President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Monzon told reporters on Wednesday that the bourse operator has drafted proposed revisions of voluntary delisting rules.

This draft, he said, will have at least two significant changes: shareholders will need to approve any delisting plan of a company, and the tender offer price for delisting will consider the company’s highest price in the last six months.

Mr. Monzon said PSE’s existing rules require a delisting company to get the approval only of its board. The PSE wants to also require approval of all independent directors and 67-75% of a company’s shareholders.

On the tender offer valuation, Mr. Monzon said existing rules allow delisting companies to use the price given by a fairness opinion provider. Under the proposed amendment, the PSE will look at the highest price of the company for the last six months versus the fairness opinion price, and follow whichever is higher.

“We presented this to our board. Our board has approved it. But now we’ve brought it out to the stakeholders for public comments,” he said.

Once comments and suggestions are gathered, which the PSE expects by first week of December, the proposed amendment will be submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission for approval.

The PSE’s review of its delisting rules follows the delisting announcement of Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. in August and Melco Resorts & Entertainment (Philippines) Corp. last year. Analysts noted then that some small shareholders felt disenfranchised in these firms’ exit. In the former’s case, some cited a tender offer price that was higher than its volume weighted average price and lower than its initial public offering (IPO) price.

With the PSE’s proposed changes, Diversified Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Aniceto K. Pangan said small shareholders will be more protected from similar occurrences in the future.

“This would be a much better system wherein the minority shareholders get to participate in the delisting so they wouldn’t feel duped by majority owners, especially if (the tender offer) price is lower than the IPO,” he said in a mobile phone message.

“This is a much predictive pricing rather than the current means of valuation wherein it’s hard to accept how they arrive at the pricing,” he added, referring to the current practice of basing the tender offer price on fairness opinion.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said via text message: “That move would give a voice to small investors… Also most likely, even though they have a smaller pie in the company, they represent many individuals/corporations as well.”

The PSE also said on Wednesday it is looking at requiring a higher minimum capitalization for registered brokers amid the rogue clerk case that rocked R&L Investments, Inc.

“We are looking at some steps that hopefully will rationalize the broker industry some more,” he said. “We’re looking at some things, like increasing their capital, things like that.”

He said that, with this safeguard measure, brokerages “can afford to hire enough people to be able to have those correct internal controls,” noting that the R&L issue was caused by an employee that handled both the front and back end of transactions.

P1B collected so far with tax amnesty under way

taxpayer
BW FILE PHOTO

By Beatrice M. Laforga

EIGHT MONTHS into its implementation, the ongoing tax amnesty program has yielded over P1 billion in collections so far as more than 3,000 individuals have availed of the chance for a clean slate in their obligations, according to data from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay said in a mobile phone message on Monday that as of end-October, the BIR collected P887.07 million as 1,005 taxpayers availed the tax amnesty program for delinquent accounts.

For estate tax amnesty, Mr. Dulay said that 2,656 taxpayers have availed with P360.5 million in collections, as of Oct. 15.

The Finance department (DoF) had estimated that the government could raise up to P21 billion from tax amnesty for delinquent accounts, while estate tax amnesty could yield P6 billion.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Marissa O. Cabreros said the relatively small number of those availing of the offer was expected since Filipinos are known for procrastination. “We all know na behavior ng taxpayer natin is always near deadline mag-comply,” Ms. Cabreros said in a texst message.

Republic Act No. 11213, signed into law in February, states that taxpayers have a two-year window to avail of estate tax amnesty while those who want to avail of amnesty for delinquent accounts have a year to do so. Those periods start from the months when the BIR released guidelines for these amnesty offers: April forRevenue Regulations (RR) No. 4-2019 on delinquent accounts up to 2017 and May for RR 6-2019 for estate tax amnesty.

For Maria Lourdes P. Lim, tax managing partner of Isla Lipana & Co., PwC Philippines, “[t]he BIR should continuously urge taxpayers to avail of the program and not wait for the deadline. There should be more information dissemination of the benefits of the amnesty so taxpayers will be encouraged to avail.

DoF data show there were 18 tax amnesty programs implemented between 1972 and 2008, with the last one yielding P4.913 billion in collections.

BSP sees no inflation impact from halt to rice importation

SUSPENSION of rice importation amid the ongoing harvest, as ordered by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, should have no impact on inflation, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno said on Wednesday.

“It will not [affect inflation]. Walang (There will be no) impact sa (on) inflation,” Mr. Diokno told reporters at the BSP headquarters in Manila City.

Mr. Duterte said in a late-night press conference on Tuesday that he had ordered the suspension of rice importation as farmers reeled from falling prices.

He clarified, however, that the suspension was only for the duration of the current harvest season that runs from late September to mid-December.

Mr. Duterte was to meet Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar on Wednesday to discuss specifics of his order.

Republic Act No. 11203 — which liberalized importation of the staple after it was enacted on Feb. 19 and came into effect early the following month — resulted in an estimated P8 per kilogram (/kg) drop in retail prices of the staple, as intended.

Average farmgate prices, however, have fallen by 16.26% to 17.17/kg as of September from P20.51/kg in 2018’s comparable nine months, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

A surge in prices of rice, which accounts for 9.6% of the theoretical basket of goods widely used by households that is the basis for computing year-on-year price changes, due to delayed importation caused headline inflation to hit successive multi-year peaks last year. Inflation has been on a general downtrend this year, falling back into the BSP’s 2-4% target range for 2019 at 2.6% in the 10 months to October after clocking in at a decade-high 5.2% in 2018.

On the flip side, however, farmers have been reeling from smaller incomes since the government was not able to adequately implement safeguards that came with RA 11203.

“Di naman nakaka-apekto kasi marami namang mga imports na darating pa lang e. Tapos ang concern nga is harvest season so baka lalong bumaba ang presyo. So temporary lang naman ’yun (It won’t affect inflation because there are still a lot of imports that have yet to arrive. Also, the concern is that it’s harvest season so prices might continue to go down. This is temporary),” Mr. Diokno explained.

For one farmers group, however, safeguard measures have more legal basis under RA 11203, which is otherwise silent on suspension of rice importation.

“Matagal na naming pinu-push ’yung (We have been pushing for the implementation of) general safeguard duties, kasi pag na-impose nga sana iyon (because if the higher rates were imposed), it becomes more expensive for importers to bring in more rice,” Federation of Free Farmers Chairman Leonardo Q. Montemayor said by phone.

“Ang isang problema dito (One problem) is how will the suspension of importation be carried out kasi under the law, free importation na,” he added.

“You cannot just say bawal na yung (say stop) importation. It’s against the law,” he said.

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. said imports could resume in January or February next year “to ensure that imports will not coincide with harvest by dry season in March-April 2020.”

Besides allowing a special safeguard duty to protect rice farmers sudden or extreme price fluctuations, RA 11203 also allows the president to increase, reduce, revise or adjust import duty rates when Congress is not in session.

If there is an expected shortage, or any event that may require intervention from the government, he is also authorized “for a limited period and/or a specified volume, to allow the importation at a lower applied tariff rate to address the situation.”

Mr. Duterte on Tuesday night also said he has ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to purchase all of farmers’ rice.

“NFA must procure them without condition and regardless of moisture content; especially in areas devastated by typhoons, monsoon floods and earthquakes — at P19/kg, just so our farmers will have something for their families this coming festive season,” Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura Chairman Rosendo O. So said in a statement. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang with LWTN

Canva looks to double workforce

By Zsarlene B. Chua
Reporter

THE local headquarters of graphic design company Canva is looking at doubling their workforce, especially their design and operations team, by 2020 as the country continues to be “design hub” for the company.

“Ninety-nine percent of the over 50,000 templates available on Canva is made in the Philippines,” Yani Hornilla-Donato, Canva PH country manager, said during the launch of their first Christmas campaign on Nov. 18 at their offices in Makati City.

From their 220 employees, Ms. Hornilla-Donato expects it will “double” by 2020 though she said they may reach it before long as “historically there’s a 20% increase in workforce by the end of the year.”

The company is looking for more designers especially with the introduction of their Canva for Enterprise tier and more customer service representatives because of the service’s growing number of users which Ms. Hornilla-Donato pegged at “over 20 million monthly active users.”

“When we launched [the enterprise package] one of the things that makes enterprise stand out is that we have a template service where we have dedicated designer to recreate the client’s existing templates,” she said.

The enterprise package was launched in October and is priced at $30 per team member per month for a team with a minimum of five members. No localized pricing is available for the Philippines just yet though Ms. Hornilla-Donato said they will introduce it soon.

As a freemium app, users can use Canva for free though more storage and a bigger selection on templates, stock photos, and fonts can be accessed for P505/month.

In 2020, aside from growing their design and customer service team, she said that they will be focusing on “increasing brand awareness in the Philippines.”

And that’s where its Christmas promotion comes in as Canva PH recently launched “Canva Pasko,” a design competition where five weekly winners will have their works on a billboard along the Guadalupe northbound part of EDSA.

“For times when words arent’s enough, we’re encouraging every Filipino…to mark the occasion with a very special tribute — design a beautiful card on Canva for free for a chance to see it displayed on a huge billboard in EDSA. Sitting in traffic has never been so meaningful,” Ms. Hornilla-Donato said in a release.

The campaign, open to Filipinos 13 years and above, runs until Dec. 18. Five entries per week starting Dec. 2 will see their Christmas cards on the digital billboard.

To enter, one must visit the contest homepage (www.canva.com/canvapasko) and register for a free Canva account to design the entry using pre-made Instagram portrait templates. Entries must be submitted on the website and register their contact details through the link provided. Entrants may also post their submissions on the Canva PH Facebook and Instagram accounts and include a caption about the entry.

To date, Ms. Hornilla-Donato said they have received over 300 entries which is more than the company’s projection.

Apple bans vaping apps from its App Store on growing health concerns

APPLE INC. said it is removing 181 vaping-related apps from its App Store amid growing health concerns about e-cigarettes.

The company said it never allowed apps that sell cartridges on the store, but other vape-related software, such as apps that control vaping pens or provided industry news or vape-focused games, were allowed.

Apple initially stopped approving such apps in June, and now it is pulling them from the App Store entirely. If a user has already downloaded one of these apps, the software will continue to work on iPhones, but it will no longer show up on the App Store for new customers to download.

“We take great care to curate the App Store as a trusted place for customers, particularly youth, to download apps,” Apple said in a statement. “We’re constantly evaluating apps, and consulting the latest evidence, to determine risks to users’ health and well-being.”

The company said it made the decision following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s determination that vaping products resulted in 42 deaths in the US and contributed to over 2,000 cases of lung injury.

Apple’s decision is already being praised by the American Heart Association, which said, “we are grateful that Apple is joining with us and others on this historic day to stand against big Vape and their lies by removing all vaping apps in the App Store.”

Removing an entire category of apps is a rarity for Apple, but it has an extensive set of review guidelines that bans apps that promote pornography, facilitate the sale of illegal substances, promote physical harm or defame other people. — Bloomberg

LRMC launches app for LRT-1

LIGHT RAIL Manila Corp. (LRMC) launched its free ikotMNL mobile app which gives commuters travel route information for the LRT-1 train line, LRMC said in a statement on Tuesday.

The app, which is available for both iOS and Android, allows users to plan trips ahead of time. It features real-time train arrivals, departures, fare information, crowd monitoring in twenty stations, information on tourist spots, safety reminders, passenger advisories, and announcements.

It also has a chat box for customer service assistance and a feedback form to help improve passenger experiences.

LRMC President and CEO Juan F. Alfonso talked about innovation as a tool to improve customer experience.

“This is the first railway and tourism app in the Philippines. We constantly look for modern ways to change the way we move people and this ikotMNL app is an innovative tool to delight our passengers with a comfortable, safe, and convenient experience when riding the LRT-1,” he said.

For tourists, the app contains detailed directions to tourist spots close to LRT-1 stations and information about local tour operators.

LRMC Corporate Communications Head Jacqueline Gorospe said the organization has spent time and effort in making the app “the best it can be” in its early stages.

“We already have more features in mind to add to the app. It is our way to keep improving it so that those who have downloaded and yet to download the ikotMNL mobile app may continue to enjoy using it,” she said.

LRMC said the app is a unified urban mobility and transport app, and could be developed into a lifestyle app.

The company plans to further upgrade the app by including beep card and QR code options for fares as well as participating in tie-ups with merchants.

LRMC is a private joint venture company of Metro Pacific Investments Corp.’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., Ayala Corop.s AC Infrastructure and Holdings Corp., and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings.

LRMC took over operations of LRT-1 in September 2015, through a P65 billion three decade long concession agreement with the Department of Tourism and the Light Rail Transit Authority.

LRMC in Oct. acquired 90% of the right of way for the Phase 1 of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, a P64.9 billion public-private partnership. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Monga’s bird in the hand

TWO INCHES doesn’t sound so big, until we’re talking about the thickness of a chicken fillet.

That’s what Monga, a fried chicken fillet outlet from Taiwan, is boasting about. A press release says two inches, while other sources say it’s two centimeters, and that’s a big difference. Either way, BusinessWorld was quite full. Besides, we didn’t have time or tools to measure.

The chicken is handed to you on white paper, then you use your hands to consume the chicken. BusinessWorld didn’t immediately enjoy the experience of the bird in the hand (despite one being better than two in the bush), because it was steaming hot, a point I should have typed with an exclamation point. We got The King (P199 with rice), wrapped in a simple salt and pepper batter. Once you get past the steam and you’ve cooled your fingers and mouth down with the selection of teas (with the tea leaves coming straight from Taiwan), it really is a pleasurable experience. The bird is about as big as a face, and it has been marinated for 24 hours, according to Charles Lee, Marketing Director of the Vikings Group, which brought the franchise of Monga here from Taiwan (itself founded by Taiwanese comedian, Nono). The result is a fillet that’s juicy and tender, just the way any bit of poultry should be.

While there are other chicken patty places around, Mr. Lee emphasizes that with Monga, save for one tiny strip of bone, you’re mostly getting meat. No biting through batter there. Other items on the menu include the Hot Chick (chicken fillet seasoned with chili powder), Taiker (seasoned with Japanese sauce and seaweed powder), and the Nuggets and Crispy Chicken. Those familiar with the brand Monga (which opened in Megamall earlier this month) are looking forward to the Chee-Z Signature (P209), a few fillets tossed with cheese and tomato sauce or special chili.

As we’ve mentioned above, Monga was brought in from Taiwan by The Vikings Group, and based on Mr. Lee’s statements, the group is on a roll. Known for buffet restaurants (and the Vikings helmet birthday greeting), the group currently operates several branches of Vikings, the specialty Vikings Niu, Four Seasons Hotpot, and just last year it acquired the classic Tong Yang restaurants. But they are not all buffets — looking at their à la carte basis restaurants, they’ve opened an Italian restaurant called La Vita in The Podium, Monga, and on Nov. 15 they opened Putien, a Chinese cuisine concept from Singapore that earned one Michelin star in its home country.

“The market now is changing. People are now travelling more often,” said Mr. Lee about bringing in more foreign brands to the country. “On a business sense, it’s good, because it expands our portfolio.”

While one can say that the buffet experience in the Philippines was pioneered by the late Vicvic Villavicencio and his Dads group of restaurants, Vikings can be seen as a bit of a progenitor for a second (or third) buffet wave, mainstreaming buffet culture in the country and making it more accessible. “We always believe in customer experience. Besides putting up a restaurant for the sake of putting up a restaurant, we look at it as a whole, the overall customer experience: from waiting, to dining, until going home.”

Monga is located at the Lower Ground Level Mega A, SM Megamall. — Joseph L. Garcia

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