Maniolas

Pope Francis [via Papal Visit to the Philippines] The Pinoy jeepney has been converted into the first jeepney popemobile, the motor vehicle to be used by Pope Francis when the Vatican City leader visits the Philippines this January. The pope is known to forego luxury cars and is known to prefer and take public transport. The Filipino people’s offering to its state and apostolic visitor is in this line of preferences. The Manila road and cultural icon is itself a converted United States military transport turned into a public utility vehicle which can carry as much as 20 passengers. The newest popemobile converted its passenger side into a platform to allow the public a clear view of the Roman Catholic Church head as the papal ride moves along the designated papal public route. Although this version is painted white in stark contrast to its standard colours, the jeepney popemobile remains unmistakably a jeepney with its front long bumper and steel “bull bar”, the side stainless steel strips, and the rear checkered plates. The popemobile [via Twitter] The hood, roof and sides carry the papal coat of arms, the eight-pointed star emblem of the Society of Jesus symbolizing the Virgin Mary, and a spikenard symbol of St. Joseph. The jeepney popemobile’s sides are flanked by the papal insignia and a glass cross sculpted by artist Ramon Orlina. The passenger entrance remains at the rear, with the step that can be folded and unfurled with a red carpet. There are only three Read More …

Dumaguete [via Expat Philippines] Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental in Central Visayas, has been chosen as one of the most ideal places to retire around the world in the 2014 Retire Overseas Index. The study showed that Dumaguete was cited due to its cheap cost of living. Based on expenses such as rent, gas, electricity, water, cable, groceries, Internet, and entertainment, retirees living in Dumaguete will only need a monthly budget of US$910 or about P40,000. Dumaguete is also among the best places for retirees and among most expat-friendly destinations because of its beautiful beaches and its large English-speaking community. The 2014 Retire Overseas Index chose the locations based on 12 factors, namely climate, existing expat community, cost of living, health care, crime, infrastructure, English spoken, real estate, entertainment, residency options, environmental conditions and taxes. Aside from Dumaguete in the Philippines, rounding out the list of 21 best places to retire overseas are the following (in no particular order): Algarve, Portugal Ambergris Caye, Belize La Serena, Chile Buenos Aires, Argentina Medellin, Colombia Cayo, Belize Mendoza, Argentina City Beaches, Panama Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Cuenca, Ecuador Samana, Dominican Republic Granada, Nicaragua Abruzzo, Italy Istria, Croatia Pau, France Barcelona, Spain Chiang Mai, Thailand Istanbul, Turkey Nha Trang, Vietnam George Town, Malaysia The post Dumaguete one of the world’s best places to retire appeared first on Good News Pilipinas. Related posts: Phl jumps 6 places in global competitiveness ranking PHL jumps 8 places in Economic Freedom Index Huffington Post picks PHL as a Read More …

Consumers in the Philippines are among the most socially conscious shoppers in the world, a recent Nielsen study revealed. The Nielsen Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility showed that the Philippines has the most number of consumers who are more willing to pay extra for products and services that come from socially responsible and environment friendly companies. The Philippines ranked highest at 79 percent, followed by Vietnam and Thailand at 73 percent and 71 percent, respectively. “We see the strongest propensity to buy socially and environmentally responsible brands from consumers in emerging markets such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand where consumers face extreme levels of poverty and frequent encounters with natural and environmental disasters,” said Stuart Jamieson, Nielsen’s managing director in the Philippines. Jamieson urged brands “to act fast to address this rising demand,” noting that consumers in the Philippines and other emerging markets are looking for brands which are committed to supporting local communities and improving the state of the environment. The study also revealed that in the past six months, 76 percent of Filipinos bought at least one product or service because it was manufactured by a company committed to positive social and environmental impact. Vietnamese consumers again ranked second highest in the Asia Pacific (third highest globally) with 68 percent; Thais with 66 percent; and Indonesians with 61 percent. The Philippines also ranked highest globally in having consumers who check product packaging to ensure the brand is committed to positive social and environmental impact before deciding Read More …