Maniolas

Photo via Business News Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. Families get together for reunions, the weather is cooler and we receive our bonuses from work. Even then, we still have to budget properly as we have lots of people to give presents to. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? If you haven’t, there’s no better place to look for affordable gifts than Divisoria. Popular as a retail mecca, Divisoria has everything from clothes, shoes, toys, home decor, costumes, party needs and even food items. However, it can get really overwhelming, especially with the huge shopping crowd. If 2017 is your first time to shop in Divisoria, consider these 5 tips curated by Rappler and GNP to tide you over. Photo via Yahoo News Tip #1 Have a Plan and Stick to It Before going to Divisoria, make sure that you have your Christmas list ready. If possible, include some gift ideas for a particular person. Divisoria is huge and the choices are endless. Having this list will help you save time and keep yourself on track. The moment you set foot in Divisoria, you will be tempted to buy items you don’t need. Having a list will help you stick to your main objective: to shop for presents.   Photo via Rappler Tip #2 Keep Yourself and Your Belongings Safe Divisoria is not the place to go all out fashionista. Wear something comfortable and leave your valuables at home. There’s no need to bring Read More …

Image via Google The best ambassadors for a country is its citizens, so why not incentivize expats to “bring a tourist home” to their country? This is the rationale behind the “Bring Home a Friend” Program by the Department of Tourism (DOT), which was recently relaunched last month to help bolster tourism in the country. The program will give away lavish prizes to individuals who are able to invite their friends overseas to the Philippines. The DOT has spared no expense in the raffle prizes for the program: a condominium unit, a Toyota Vios and a 200K shopping spree are up for grabs for qualified entries. Registering for the program is easy: Filipino sponsors need only register their details at www.bringhomeafriend.online and fill out the invitation form to be sent to their friend. Their friend heading to the Philippines meanwhile will only need to upload proof of their trip to the website, like a boarding pass, for example. The number of entries in the raffle depends on the point of origin of the friend: Asian travelers net sponsors a single entry, while visitors from Australia and Oceania get two entries. Visitors from Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas get three entries. First launched in 1994, the program, which was spearheaded by then Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor, was aimed at encouraging Filipinos to invite their foreign friends to visit the country. “The success of this program lies in our ability to empower people and give them the opportunity to Read More …

The initial phase of the Japan-funded Mega Manila Subway Project (MMSP) now has an initial investment requirement of P355.6 billion (roughly $7 billion)Photo via Philstar Manila’s long awaited subway is one step closer to reality. The Philippines and Japan have exchanged notes on the gigantic infrastructure project on the sidelines of the two countries’ bilateral meeting late Monday, witnessed by both President Rodrigo Duterte and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The exchange of notes are a prelude to the signing of the loan agreement in January, which will see the Japanese government loan 104.53 billion yen (Php 46 billion) for the first phase of the Manila Subway project. The project, expected to move around 500,000 passengers by day come 2027, will run from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) in Taguig City, with a possible extension to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Aside from the subway project, the exchange of notes also covered the 9.4-billion yen (Php 4 billion) loan for the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway in Plaridel, Bulacan to Manila, as well as a 2.5 billion yen (Php 1 billion) grant to rebuild war-torn Marawi City. Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said these 3 projects were part of Tokyo’s financial support to the Philippines worth 1 trillion yen over the next 5 years. The post Manila Subway Closer To Reality As Japan, PH Sign Notes appeared first on Good News Pilipinas.