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Hundreds dead in Israel-Gaza war as Hezbollah launches attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned of a "long and difficult" war, as fighting with Hamas left hundreds dead on both sides after a surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group. The conflict's bloodiest escalation in decades saw Hamas carry out a massive rocket barrage and ground, air and sea offensive Saturday that Israel's army said had killed more than 200 Israelis and wounded 1,000, while soldiers and civilians were taken hostage. Gaza officials said intense Israeli air strikes on the coastal enclave had brought the Palestinian death toll to at least 256, with nearly 1,788 wounded. As fighting raged Sunday, Lebanon's powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said it had fired "large numbers of artillery shells and guided missiles" at Israeli positions in a contested border areas "in solidarity" with Hamas. Israel's army had earlier said it fired artillery on southern Lebanon in response to a shot from the area without identifying the attackers. "We are embarking on a long and difficult war that was forced on us by a murderous Hamas attack," Netanyahu said on X, formerly Twitter, early Sunday. "The first stage is ending at this time by the destruction of the vast majority of the enemy forces that infiltrated our territory," he added, pledging no "respite" until victory. Overnight Israel battered the Gaza Strip with air strikes as rockets from the blockaded Palestinians territory rained on Israel. Sunday morning gun still battles raged between Israeli forces and hundreds of Hamas fighters in multiple locations, including at the Sderot police station across the border from Gaza. Police and Israeli army special forces "neutralized 10 armed terrorists" who were holed up inside the station, a police statement said. The bloody air, sea and land attack launched Saturday by Hamas came half a century after the outbreak of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, taking Israel and the world by surprise. As the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting for Sunday, President Joe Biden voiced "rock solid and unwavering" support for the US ally and warned "against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation". - Hostages and 'so many bodies' - The Israeli army said overnight its forces were still engaged in gun battles in a string of Israel locations, in an operation labelled "Swords of Iron", as reservists were being called up. Hamas earlier released images of several Israelis taken captive, and another army spokesman, Daniel Hagari, confirmed that soldiers and civilians had been kidnapped. "I can't give figures about them at the moment," he said late Saturday, adding there was also a "severe hostage situation" in the Negev desert communities of Beeri and Ofakim east of Gaza. According to Ynet Israeli news website "dozens of Israeli captives, including numerous women, children and elders, are believed to have been taken into the Gaza Strip". The fighting prompted Israel to cut off Gaza's electricity, fuel and goods supplies, Netanyahu said. The Islamist group started the multi-pronged attack around 6:30 am (0330 GMT) on Saturday with thousands of rockets aimed as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some bypassing the Iron Dome defense system and hitting buildings. Hamas fighters -- traveling in ground vehicles, motorized paragliders and boats -- breached Gaza's security barrier and attacked nearby Israeli towns and military posts, opening fire on residents and passersby. "Send help, please!" one Israeli woman sheltering with her two-year-old child pleaded as militants outside opened fire and tried to break into their safe room, Israeli media reported. Bodies were strewn on the streets of the Israeli town of Sderot near Gaza and inside cars, the windscreens shattered by a hail of bullets. "I saw many bodies, of terrorists and civilians," one man told AFP, standing beside covered corpses on a road near Gevim Kibbutz in southern Israel. "So many bodies, so many bodies." AFP journalists witnessed Palestinian armed men gather around a burning Israeli tank, and others driving a seized Israeli military Humvee vehicle back into Gaza, where they were met by cheering crowds. - 'Gates of hell' - Israeli army Major General Ghasan Alyan warned Hamas had "opened the gates of hell". An AFP journalist in Gaza saw clouds of dust from the remains of bombed residential towers which Gaza's interior ministry said contained 100 apartments. Israel's military said it had warned residents to evacuate before targeting the multi-story buildings used by Hamas. The escalation follows months of rising violence, mostly in the occupied West Bank, and tensions around Gaza's border and at contested holy sites in Jerusalem. Before Saturday, at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis and two foreigners had been killed this year, including combatants and civilians, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. Hamas labeled its attack "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" and called on "resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as in "Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle. Its armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have fired more than 5,000 rockets, while Hecht said Israel had counted more than 3,000 incoming rockets. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said the group was on the "verge of a great victory", vowing to press ahead with "the battle to liberate our land and our prisoners languishing in occupation prisons must be completed". - 'Dangerous precipice' - Air raid sirens wailed across southern and central Israel, as well as in Jerusalem on Saturday, and there were major disruptions at Tel Aviv airport where many carriers canceled flights. Israel said schools would remain closed on Sunday which marks the start of the week. Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, leading to Israel's crippling blockade of the impoverished enclave of 2.3 million people. Israel and Hamas have since fought several wars. The last major military exchange, in May, killed 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. Violence also erupted across the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, with five Palestinians killed and 120 wounded in clashes with Israeli forces and settlers, Palestinian medical services said. Countries around the world condemned the wave of attacks by Hamas, which Israel, the United States and European Union consider a terrorist group. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attack "terrorism in its most despicable form". But Hamas drew support from other foes of Israel, with Iran's supreme leader declaring he was "proud". UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland warned of "a dangerous precipice" and called on all sides to "pull back from the brink". (Rosie Scammell with Adel Zaanoun in Gaza) az-rsc-jd/hkb © Agence France-Presse The post Hundreds dead in Israel-Gaza war as Hezbollah launches attacks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ACEN powers up JPMorgan RE shift
In support of its clean energy transition, ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions or ACEN RES will supply the Philippine office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. with renewable power. In a press statement late Monday, ACEN RES confirmed signing a Retail Electricity Supply Agreement with JPMorgan Chase, through its lessor Asia Affinity, to power up its 25-story office building in Taguig City. “Through this partnership and the shift to renewable energy solutions, we affirm our global commitment to environmental sustainability and our continued efforts to achieve a low carbon footprint for JPMorgan Chase in the Philippines,” JPMorgan senior country officer Carlos Ma. Mendoza said. Carbon emissions cut The deal will help JPMorgan Chase cut carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to around 4,700 cars off the road per year. The power supply involved in the tie-up will be sourced from ACEN Corp.’s portfolio of wind, solar and geothermal plants. During the first half, ACEN’s total attributable renewables output registered double-digit growth of 21 percent to 2,052 gigawatt-hour or GWh. ACEN’s local renewables generation also grew by 30 percent to 568 GWh driven by the company’s wind business and the recent commissioning of 160 MW Pagudpud Wind farm in Ilocos Norte and 44 MWdc second phase of the Arayat-Mexico Solar farm in Pampanga. ACEN’s International portfolio, on the other hand, generated 1,483 GWh, which was 17 percent higher than the recorded capacity in the same period last year. In total, ACEN currently operates a diversified portfolio of 4.3 GW in renewable energy, both operational and under construction. The post ACEN powers up JPMorgan RE shift appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ACEN powering up JPMorgan RE transition
ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions or ACEN RES will be supplying the Philippine office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. with renewable power from its local sources. In a press statement late Monday, ACEN RES confirmed that it has signed a Retail Electricity Supply Agreement with JPMorgan Chase, through its lessor Asia Affinity, to power up its 25-story office building in Taguig City. “Through this partnership and the shift to renewable energy solutions, we affirm our global commitment to environmental sustainability and our continued efforts to achieve a low carbon footprint for JPMorgan Chase in the Philippines,” JPMorgan senior country officer Carlos Ma. G. Mendoza said. The deal will help JPMorgan Chase cut carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to around 4,700 cars off the road per year. The power supply involved in the tie-up will be sourced from ACEN Corp.’s portfolio of wind, solar and geothermal plants. During the first half of the year, ACEN's total attributable renewables output registered double-digit growth of 21 percent to 2,052 gigawatt-hour or GWh. ACEN’s local renewables generation also grew by 30 percent to 568 GWh, driven by the company's wind business and the recent commissioning of the 160 MW Pagudpud wind farm in Ilocos Norte and 44 MWdc second phase of the Arayat-Mexico solar farm in Pampanga. ACEN’s international portfolio, on the other hand, generated 1,483 GWh, which was 17 percent higher than the recorded capacity in the same period last year. In total, ACEN currently operates a diversified portfolio of 4.3 GW in renewable energy, both operational and under construction. The post ACEN powering up JPMorgan RE transition appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Car parking near MRT-4 will decongest roads
Spanish construction firm IDOM is supporting the road decongestion proposal for car parking areas near the elevated Metro Manila Rail Transit System-Line 4 or MRT-4 with routes from Quezon City to Taytay in Rizal province which are expected to become operational in 2028. IDOM Philippines’ director and MRT-4 team leader Engr. Jose Ignacio Peñas García said the proposal will help discourage Filipinos from riding their cars to reach their destinations near MRT-4’s 10 train stations. “We also did a study of the map of the places along the routes of the MRT-4 and there are commercial areas there. There are around 400,000 people who are expected to use the MRT-4,” Garcia told Rotary Club of Makati officers and members in a recent RC Makati meeting at the Manila Peninsula in Makati City. Remove vehicles “It’s not the scope of our work but people can use the parking buildings in nearby malls because we want to remove cars and tricycles on the road,” he said. MRT-4 will have an entire railway spanning 12.7 kilometers and its stations will be linked to the MRT-3 through elevated walkways stretching 650 meters. Robinsons Malls and SM Malls in Pasig City are both located along the entire route of Its driverless trains passing by MRT-4’s stations in EDSA in Quezon City; Meralco, Tiendesitas, Rosario and Saint Joseph in Pasig City; Cainta and San Juan in Cainta; Tikling Junction, Manila East Road and Taytay in Rizal. As another environment-friendly measure, RC Makati member, noted architect and Palafox Associates urban planner Jun Palafox suggested to Garcia the provision of bike lanes which can be built a few steps beside the railway. “There’s a big opportunity here for bicycle highways because the stations have a lot of roofing and cyclists can be protected from the rain and sunlight,” Palafox said. MRT-4 will be 60 percent funded by the Asian Development Bank and 40 percent by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Construction plan thoroughly scrutinized Garcia said ADB has scrutinized thoroughly the construction plan to ensure minimal harm to the environment. “ADB manages our project and loans will not be given if we don’t follow rules on the environment. We want to remove cars, tricycles on the road also for air pollution because the MRT-4 uses electric lines and also removes noise pollution,” he said. The post Car parking near MRT-4 will decongest roads appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
25 dead after bus catches fire in India
At least 25 people were killed and eight others injured after a bus caught fire overnight on an expressway in western India on Saturday, police said. The bus was traveling to the city of Pune when it hit a pole and overturned after midnight, causing its diesel tank to catch fire, senior police officer Baburao Mahamuni told AFP. "There were about 30-35 people in the bus. Twenty-five people have died and eight others are injured," he said. The injured, including the bus driver, have been admitted to a hospital near the site of the crash in Maharashtra state, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of India's financial capital Mumbai. Police said they had launched an inquiry into the crash. "The priority at this moment is to identify the bodies and hand them over to their family members," local media quoted police superintendent Sunil Kadasane as saying. Images showed the bus engulfed in flames and later the charred remains of the vehicle overturned on the highway. Three children were among the dead, a police officer told reporters. "Deeply saddened by the devastating bus mishap in Buldhana," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. May the injured recover soon." Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he felt "deep grief" over the accident and pledged compensation of 500,000 rupees ($6,100) to the families of those killed. Accidents are common on India's vast network of roads, which are poorly maintained and notoriously dangerous. The main causes are excessive speed, not wearing helmets -- sales of two-wheelers far outstrip those of cars -- and not using seatbelts. India accounts for 11 percent of the global road death toll despite having just one percent of the world's vehicles, according to a World Bank report released in 2021. The same report estimated 150,000 car crash fatalities in India annually, or one person every four minutes. It added that road crashes cost the Indian economy around $75 billion each year, with medical expenses and loss of income driving many accident survivors into poverty. In May, at least 21 people died when a bus veered off a bridge in India, reportedly after the driver fell asleep at the wheel. And last October, at least 31 people were killed after a bus carrying wedding guests veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge in northern India. The post 25 dead after bus catches fire in India appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNR chief: P873-B Clark rail underway
Construction of the 147.26-kilometer or km North-South Commuter Railway Project from Clark in Pampanga to Metro Manila and then to Calamba City in Laguna has started, Michael Ted R. Macapagal, chairperson of the Philippine National Railways, said yesterday. The Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency are financing the P873.62-billion project. Acciona-DMCI and Leighton-First Balfor were awarded the contracts to undertake the construction of elevated rails for commuters and ground-level rails for freight. Three depots and 35 stations will be built along the way. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista attended the contract signing ceremony in Malacañang Palace on 27 April 2023. Two Japanese firms, Sumitomo Corporation and Japan Transport Engineering Company, will provide, initially, a fleet of 13 electric multiple units (trains) with 13 cars each for the train system. Once the project is completed, PNR will be able to ferry 800,000 passengers every day safely and in comfort. ‘Father of Phl railway’ Travel time on the entire length of the railway system will be cut in half, from four to two hours. That also applies to the movement of goods. Macapagal was appointed to his post on 2 May. After taking his oath of office before the DoTr chief, he remarked that Marcos will go down in history as “the father of the Philippine railway system.” Macapagal said he was grateful for having been given a role in the history-making process. The new PNR chair spent some time in the United States, where he worked for years as division president of Stewart Title Company of San Francisco Bay Area. The company is one of the largest underwriters in the world with offices all over the US and 80 other countries. The post PNR chief: P873-B Clark rail underway appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Israeli forces shoot 7 in West Bank raid
Seven Palestinians were injured in an Israeli army operation in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said Tuesday, hours after two Israeli men were injured by gunfire near a Jewish site in annexed east Jerusalem. The shooting comes amid a period of deadly attacks and military raids across the West Bank, along with killings in Israel. The Palestinian ministry reported six people with "minor injuries from live fire" had gone to Jenin governmental hospital, while another person shot had been admitted to a nearby hospital following the raid in the northern West Bank city. A statement from the Israeli military confirmed that an operation was underway in the Jenin refugee camp, without giving further details. Earlier Tuesday, Israeli authorities said a suspected Palestinian gunman had wounded two Israeli men in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of east Jerusalem after firing at their car. "Police officers are at the scene conducting searches for the suspect who fled," the police said in a statement. Israeli security forces closed off streets in the neighbourhood, where an AFP journalist saw officers entering a Palestinian home, with a drone and helicopter as well as police dogs aiding the search. Officers enforcing the shutdown prevented cars and people from moving in the centre of the neighborhood, as heavily armed forces combed the area. Police announced they had found the perpetrator's gun near the scene of the attack, which took place near the tomb of Simeon the Just -- Shimon Hatzadik in Hebrew -- a site frequented by religious Jews. The weapon was identified as a Carlo makeshift submachine gun, which Palestinians manufacture in the West Bank. Hadassah Hospital said they received a 48-year-old gunshot victim lightly wounded, and Shaare Zedek medical centre said it was treating a man in his 50s in moderate condition. The search was punctuated by the 10:00 am (0700 GMT) two-minute siren marking Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, honouring more than six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II. Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion, speaking at a city hall ceremony, said one of the Holocaust's main lessons was "to never be helpless in the face of those seeking to harm us". Later in the morning, most of the security forces had left Sheikh Jarrah, with roads reopened and traffic flowing as normal, the AFP journalist said. Sheikh Jarrah was the focal point of protests against the eviction of Palestinian residents by Israeli settler organisations in the build up to and during the May 2021 war between Israel and Gaza militants. It is also the site of a weekly Israeli demonstration against the occupation of the Palestinian territories. The attack took place a day after a Palestinian woman stabbed and moderately wounded an Israeli man at the Gush Etzion junction in the southern West Bank. The woman was shot by security forces and taken to hospital in moderate condition. The conflict has this year claimed the lives of at least 96 Palestinians, 19 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP count based on Israeli and Palestinian official sources. These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority. The post Israeli forces shoot 7 in West Bank raid appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
FastCat fleet adds 3 new vessels
Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation is expanding its FastCat fleet with the addition of three new roll-on roll-off catamarans this year. “We are now more than halfway in our dream to have a total of 30 vessels by 2030,” APFC chief operation officer Mary Ann Pastrana said in a press conference in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro. The APFC currently has 18 vessels in its fleet. Pastrana added that the additional vessels fulfill APFC’s promise to deliver farmer’s produce, goods, and people from island to island. Each of the new vessel costs $10 million and funded through soft loans from the Philippine National Bank, according to Pastrana. The acquisition of the additional vessels was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted travel and shipping businesses. Pastrana said the company is optimistic of doubling its 2022 gross revenue of P1.8 billion as people are back traveling. Moreover, APFC plans to tap the international market by sailing between Palawan and Malaysia, she added. FastCats can accommodate more than 300 passengers and has 300 lane meters for trucks, cars and other land vehicles. The catamarans’ twin-hull design make the vessels more stable and water-tight than typical single-hulled ro-ro ships as its center of buoyancy and gravity is wider than a monohull. FastCats also utilizes a pro-environment ferry engine, having passed the Tier 2 emission standards in sulfur and carbon dioxide. The post FastCat fleet adds 3 new vessels appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Braving Cebu’s Terrain: The New Honda BR-V Launched
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) launched the all-new Honda BR-V at SM City Cebu with the new BR-V owners, car club officers and bank and insurance partners. The latest BR-V features elevated comfort, superior safety and a fuel-efficient engine for confidence and peace of mind on the road. The new model highlights a higher […] The post Braving Cebu’s Terrain: The New Honda BR-V Launched appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
What’s in style? Safe shopping.
Rustan’s goes all out with safety measures, including the latest in disinfection and sanitation. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Rustan’s utilizes Spanish technology Sanivir, which contains active ingredients proven to kill bacteria, molds, and coronavirus These extraordinary times have completely shifted the definition of so many ordinary words. Take, for example, “weekends.” What does a weekend even mean, when everyone is living their weekends day in, day out? People cooped up inside their homes, Netflix and chilling (or pacing, depending on current anxiety levels), wearing their Natori Fortuna Mandarin all day, as governments all over the world caution to shelter in place. Or “homecooked.” Everything’s veritably homecooked now—whether it’s cooked in your home, by you, or cooked in somebody else’s home, by an upstart baker you support because she’s your niece, or by your favorite chef, who is left with no choice but to create his oeuvres from his home kitchen. Or “luxury.” Let’s be honest. Luxury—its BC (before Covid) definition—contained overused keywords like glamour, opulence, indulgence, lavishness. But times, they’ve changed. Fancy things now seem so unnecessary, so excessive, so out of touch, so…pointless—in a world that has hastily pivoted back to the basics. Sipping tea from a Royal Albert 1980 Roseblush cup doesn’t seem as luxurious as being able to score some actual, hard-to-acquire Gold Yen Zhen tea from TWG, even if you have to gulp it from those ubiquitous bamboo cups. The pandemic has changed what luxury meant. Now, luxury is the feeling of being safely ensconced in our cocoons, safe from the virus, safe from the madding crowds. Safety is luxury. To be more accurate: Luxury is being safe, while experiencing as few inconveniences as possible. One Home, One HopeMarketers and entrepreneurs are now realizing, after putting in all necessary work to convince their clients to come back, that a sense of safety is beyond physical, it is psychological. It’s Plexiglass with perception, masks coupled with marketing. Brands, to successfully ride out these challenging times, need to do more than just tick off government checklists—they need to bank on their legacies, their ethos, their abiding sense of connection to loyal clientele. AT YOUR SERVICE. Rustan’s opened up a Sanivir desk to allow its customers to avail of its method In the travel industry, as it is in the retail industry, it’s about leveraging on your loyal clientele’s sense of home. “Home” is no longer just their place of residence, but their familiar zones. It’s about “feeling at home.” As people start to nervously and grudgingly go out, they will only want to stay and explore sacred spaces where they’ve “felt at home.” Luxury retailer Rustan’s understands this well. “Our goal for the past 70 years has always been to serve the community with great service and to provide a safe environment that feels like home,” Nedy Tantoco, chairman of Rustan Commercial Corporation, says. “In this new chapter, we are committed to the idea of ‘One Home, One Hope.’ As an establishment that has been a second home for many shoppers, we will stay dedicated in implementing thorough safety protocols to ensure that our employees and shoppers are protected and can visit us with ease of mind.” And this is why higher-end businesses like Rustan’s will flourish, despite the financial challenges Covid-19 brings. They have the space, and they obviously can very well afford to put stringent safety measures in place. Precise precautions are in their DNA. These are establishments that cater to the VVIPs, whose exacting standards they’ve always tried to meet. And it’s not just loyal clients who will seek out these private spaces—the occasional and habitual shopper will gravitate toward businesses that offer them this hushed environment. Going inside cramped little boutiques have lost their novelty, and many will shirk away from places that tend to be crowd favorites. At Rustan’s, shoppers have always counted on the intimacy of the shopping experience. Unobtrusive but alert sales personnel have always kept their distance as you scan the racks, and there’s always a sense of quiet order—a serene retail floor space, backed by an efficient team who anticipate your needs and who move with the fluidity of a well-directed orchestra. This efficiency will be in full display when you visit the store again—that is if you still haven’t since it reopened in June. Opened after three months of closure, the luxury retailer has implemented, in compliance with government regulations, security measures like foot baths, thermal scans, hand sanitation, and mandatory wearing of masks. You’ll also see staff repeatedly disinfecting touchpoints like escalator rails and elevator buttons, and alcohol dispensers are going to be ubiquitous. RETAIL WONDER. Sanivir is perfect for retail spac-es as smoke is dry and won’t stick to clothing Managers, sales associates, security personnel, and cleaners are all wearing masks, face shields, and goggles. But it’s the little touches that will remind you how they’ve set the bar high—sanitation boxes are placed in fitting rooms for clothes that are not purchased, fitting rooms are sanitized after every use, and store personnel are required to steam the clothes before putting them back on display. At the payment counter, all credit cards will be sanitized, and packages will be disinfected before being handed to the customer. At the store’s East Café, tables are separated with plastic shields, and so are the wash basins in the restrooms, which will each have a sanitary officer, whose only job is it to disinfect the toilet after every use. And that’s just the stage. Backstage, it’s just as—if not more—exacting. Introducing Sanivir, the latest in disinfection technology “Even in our employees’ canteens we have placed plastic shields to protect each of our employees while they are having their lunch break,” Nedy says. The company has required all returning employees to be tested for Covid-19. Rustan’s is also continually disinfected using Sanivir, a technology introduced in the Philippines by chemist Pinky Tobiano of KPP Powers Commodities, who is also CEO of Qualibet Testing Services. “Sanivir is a smoke disinfectant from Spain, which contains glutaraldehyde and orthopenyl phenol—two active ingredients have been tested that can kill bacteria, molds, and viruses that have been proven against coronavirus by laboratories in EU.” PINKY’S PROMISE. Pinky Pe Tobiano, the chemistwho brought the technology to the Philippines “It was great timing and serendipitous that we found the product right before the pandemic escalated to the level it is now,” Pinky tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “Sanivir was both an innovative and unique product that addresses the problem we currently have—it is easy to use, cost-friendly, effective, and safe.” It is a perfect disinfectant for a retail space—it only utilizes smoke, is dry, and won’t stick to clothing. “When Pinky introduced to me her disinfection program, I immediately asked her to do my father’s house and my own house,” Nedy shares. “I was so satisfied with the service that I asked her if she could open a service desk at Rustan’s to allow our customers the chance to avail of this disinfecting method. It’s so easy. Any housewife can do it. It allows us the ease of disinfecting without a fuss. It also works for our cars. The service desk has been open for two weeks at Rustan’s Ayala Avenue. And I am happy to say that it has met full acceptance with quite a number of Rustan’s customers.” Its ease of use is an advantage. “Just open the can, remove the plastic cover of the wick, set on a flat surface, light the wick, and leave for the next six to eight hours. The smoking process lasts for only one to two minutes, then disinfection takes place for the next six to eight hours,” Pinky says. “That’s good for 14 days.” And the cost? Surprisingly very minimal. “One can of Sanivir of 25 grams is P1,750 and it’s good for 14 days for a room of 30 to 50 square meters,” Pinky says. “The cost per day is only a P125 investment. If you have five people in the room, the investment per person per day is only P25.” But for those who are not in the mood to shop in-store, Rustan’s online service has amped up its service. Apart from its website, fortuitously launched a year ago, you can also tap the Personal Shoppers on Call Service, where sales associates respond to you on Viber, after which you can have your items delivered to you, or picked up by the curbside. Nedy shares, “And very soon, we will launch our Rustan’s Concierge Service, where customers can call a single number, and will be immediately assigned a personal shopper to attend to their needs.” Now, many ways words and concepts are redefined in these troubled times—but having your own personal shopper, one who’ll do your shopping for you as you leisurely read the latest Kevin Kwan Sex and Vanity book in the comfort of your home? We’re guessing that that’s a definition of luxury that won’t likely ever change—unprecedented crisis or not. .....»»
Philippines announces decisive measures amid tensions with China
Manila [Philippines], March 28 (ANI): Amid the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr has announced decisive measures to protect his country's sovereignty and maritime rights while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Marcos, known as Bongbong, said that the measures, aimed at addressing what he said is the "open, unabating, and illegal" actions by China's Coast.....»»
ED attaches asset worth Rs 70 lakh in bank fraud implicating Hyderabad-based Jasleen Enterprises
New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has attached an immovable property valued at Rs 70 lakh in a bank fraud case involving Jasleen Enterprises headquartered in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad division of the ED attached the fixed asset in accordance with the stipulations outlined in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002. ED initiated investigation on the basis of First Informati.....»»
Survey shows Cha-cha still unpopular with Filipinos — Senate leaders
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that the findings of the survey by private pollster Pulse Asia, which was released on Wednesday, show that Charter change is an "unpopular move.".....»»
UAAP volleyball enters break amid wide-open semis race
It’s the calm before the storm as teams embark on a much-needed pause ahead of an expected all-out race to the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments Final Four......»»
Paolo Contis happy for It s Showtime, open to guest in new GMA noontime show
Kapuso actor Paolo Contis is glad that ABS-CBN noontime show "It's Showtime" found a new home in GMA. .....»»
Talk to Papa Joe: Open minded ka ba?
Talk to Papa Joe: Open minded ka ba?.....»»
PSAC welcomes Blinken’s bid to deepen bilateral ties
Private sector leaders have extended their full support to President Marcos as he deepened ties with the United States during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s diplomatic visit to the country last March 19......»»
DOF: GFIs can seek extended relief after Maharlika infusion
Government financial institutions Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines will likely seek an extension of its regulatory relief following contributions to the country’s sovereign wealth fund......»»
Davao City s Paolo Miguel Labanon, Eirron Vibar top 2 in 8K open swim
Davao City s Paolo Miguel Labanon, Eirron Vibar top 2 in 8K open swim.....»»
Fishers lose Laguna lake share to private developers
The share of small fisherfolk in the 9,200-hectare Laguna de Bay has been lowered to 53 percent after the Laguna Lake Development Authority increased private operators’ allocation to 47 percent......»»