TWICE’s Filipino fans, are you ready for the drop of the iconic K-pop group’s 12th mini album, READY TO BE!

Looks like TWICE’s Filipino fans are some of the most excited ONCE for the drop of the iconic K-pop group’s 12th mini album, READY TO BE. Latest data from Spotify revealed that the Philippines comes third as the country with the most monthly listeners streaming TWICE, only next to the United States and Japan who are at the first and second spots, respectively.

 

Timed to TWICE’s highly-anticipated comeback, Spotify has a special treat in store for the ONCE fandom as the iconic K-Pop girl group takes over Spotify's Idol Lounge. The Idol Lounge is one of Spotify’s many initiatives to bring fans closer to the artists they love by enabling the discovery of their idols’ music tastes.

 

Presented to fans in the form of a playlist, Idol Lounge gives the featured artist free rein to curate a selection of their favourite music and include special messages about their song choices. In addition to tracks from their discography, you can also enjoy a selection of their favorite songs by other artists. 

Exclusively available now until 19 March, be sure to tune in to Idol Lounge: TWICE on Spotify and listen to the 30–track curated playlist personally recommended by the nine-member girl group. Fans will discover:

●      The songs on the girls’ own playlists, including tracks by fellow female artists Sabrina Carpenter, Beyonce, Nelly Furtado, and electronic music duo HONNE. 

●      The girls’ favourite songs from their discography, such as LOVE FOOLISH from the 2019 Feel Special Album, and POP! by the group’s NAYEON

●      Their personal recommendations from the latest READY TO BE mini album, including CRAZY STUPID LOVE, which was co-written and selected by DAHYUN, and the title song SET ME FREE. 

●      Why they love the music. In an audio clip by NAYEON, who recommended the song SET ME FREE, she shared that the song is about “realizing the love and showing (an) enterprising self, to risk everything to protect the love.” 

 

Spotify’s Idol Lounge has previously featured boy groups NCT127 and Stray Kids who both  let fans in on their personal song choices. 

PLDT Home powers the much-awaited “Anilag” or “Ani ng Laguna” Festival

 

The country’s fastest broadband, PLDT Home, powers the much-awaited “Anilag” or “Ani ng Laguna” Festival happening on March 11 to 18, 2023, as it returns after three (3) years of pandemic pause. Lagunenses will be able to experience festivities all week long to celebrate the province’s history, agricultural bounty, cultural heritage, and tourism.

 

“This year’s Anilag Festival will be a historic celebration for Lagunenses as we showcase new and exciting activities for locals, tourists, and partners. The jam-packed festivities are made possible thanks to the support of our local government units and brand partners such as PLDT Home, which has always been a staunch supporter of our ‘Love Laguna’ tourism initiatives in the province,” says Governor Ramil L. Hernandez. 

PLDT Home treats Lagunenses with the newest Home Fiber Plans, exciting activities, and special offers. These include free installation and activation worth P3,600.00 for PLDT Home Fiber Plan 1699 and up untilMarch 19. Festival goers can also drop by the PLDT Home booth at the Anilag festival grounds to apply for a plan and receive a complimentary Lionsgate Play access, plus a chance to get more freebies including shopping vouchers, power banks, wireless charging docks, mini air purifiers, and more. To make things even better, new and existing PLDT Home subscribers can now enjoy unlimited calls to PLDT landline and five (5) Smart/TNT numbers.  

 

The Anilag Festival will open with the fluvial parade on March 11, followed by the opening of the Trade Fair Exhibit by 30 Laguna local government units (LGUs), land float parade competition, cultural shows, and more.  

 

On March 18, the Anilag Festival will conclude with a grand cultural show, awarding ceremonies, People’s Night Extreme show, and fireworks display at the festival grounds. 

 

Some of the activities that Lagunenses can look forward to are the Ginoo at Binibining Laguna, Landscape Competition, Himig Laguna Songwriting Competition, Arnis Exhibition, Culinary Arts Cooking Contest, Hot Air Balloon Exhibition, Philippine Marines Corps Silent Drill Platoon and Band Exhibition, ANILAG Got Talent, Rabbit Exhibit, and Cultural Show with the Embassies, among others.

 

Experience PLDT Home Fiber’s fastest broadband in the country. Visit pldthome.com to learn more and avail the special Anilag offers by visiting the PLDT Home booth from March 11-18 at the festival grounds.

Catch Oscar®-winning titles Everything Everywhere All At Once, CNN Films and HBO Max documentary Navalny and Top Gun: Maverick on HBO GO

The 95^th Academy® Awards have now come to a close but fans can catch Oscar®-winning titles Everything Everywhere All At Once, CNN Films and HBO Max documentary Navalny and Top Gun: Maverick on HBO GO.

 

Everything Everywhere All At Once, which had a ground-breaking awards season, took home seven awards at the 95^th Academy® Awards including; ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’ (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), ‘Best Actress’ (Michelle Yeoh), ‘Best Supporting Actor’ (Ke Huy Quan), ‘Best Supporting Actress’ (Jamie Lee Curtis), ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and ‘Best Film Editing’. Watch Everything Everywhere All At Once on HBO and HBO GO.

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once is an irreverent and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about Evelyn Wang, a flustered Chinese American mother who is contacted from a parallel universe and told that only she can save the world. The unlikely hero learns to channel her new-found powers and fight through the splintering timelines of the multiverse to save her home, family and herself. The global hit stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Awarded the Oscar® for ‘Best Documentary Feature’, CNN Films and HBO Max co-produced documentary thriller Navalny was directed by Daniel Roher and explores the life and work of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who, after years of campaigning against corruption, has developed powerful enemies. Navalny chronicles the politician and activist's brave stand against the government that tried to silence him - and his never-ending fight for democracy. The feature is available to stream on HBO GO. 

Top Gun: Maverick available on HBO and HBO GO took home the Oscar® for ‘Best Sound’. After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Maverick then finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission no living pilot has ever encountered. Stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Glen Powell. 

 

Subscribe to HBO GO online at https://www.hbogoasia.ph/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for only ₱1,190 on the new 12-month plan. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe and Skycable. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.

Today’s animated Google Doodle celebrates adobo

 

Every bite is tender, juicy, and soulful, bringing the taste of home and Filipino flavors. Today’s animated Google Doodle celebrates adobo, a way of cooking and a favorite Filipino dish! Adobo is the first Filipino food to be featured in Google Doodle. 

 

Adobo can be found far and wide, whether it’s at a five-star restaurant in Manila or inside the homes of Filipino families around the world. The word ‘adobo’ was first added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in December 2006 and was included on the word list of the next OED quarterly update, released on this day in 2007.

 

There are many different kinds of adobo but they all share the same basic elements: marinated meat or vegetables braised into a stew. Common ingredients include vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. The local flavors make Filipino adobo much sweeter, sourer, and saltier in taste compared to other versions.

 

Several areas within the Philippines give their adobo a regional twist. Locals in Visayas enjoy adobong puti (white adobo), considered by some to be the original indigenous style, which exclusively uses vinegar without any soy sauce. In places like Southern Luzon, where coconut milk is a food staple, creamier adobo recipes like adobong manok sa gata (chicken adobo with coconut milk) are extremely popular. Others substitute meat with seafood like squid, or locally available vegetables like kangkong (water spinach) or sitaw (string beans).

 

"Adobo is an important part of the story of Filipinos. It is an evolving, well-loved comfort food or way of cooking that crosses all economic boundaries. For adobo to be featured as a Google Doodle–the first Filipino dish at that–is a Pinoy Pride moment! It is an honor to launch this Doodle that celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of Filipino cuisine on such a global platform," said Mervin Wenke, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Google Philippines. 

"Adobo is a source of Filipino pride and identity. The mere mention of the word 'adobo' to Filipinos wherever they are in the world will easily get them craving for the taste of home. Whether it's eaten with rice, pandesal or just on its own, there is nothing like our very own adobo," said renowned restaurateur and food writer Claude Tayag. "Celebrating adobo as the very first Filipino food Google Doodle is truly commendable. This is a great way to create meaningful conversations online about our rich and diverse food heritage."

Anthony Irwin, the Doodle artist from Google reflected on the process, “I ordered some southern-style chicken adobo from a local restaurant to stir up some memories while working on the art for this Doodle, and the first thing that hit me was the smell. It was so bright and nostalgic, and instantly filled my apartment with that familiar feeling: this is exactly how things are supposed to be. So I tried to capture that simple childhood joy of leaning in and savoring the kind of food that makes home feel like home. Kain nang mabuti!” 

After evolving throughout the centuries, this iconic dish is now enjoyed worldwide. It’s a symbol and expression of Filipino pride that varies from region to region, family to family, palate to palate. The history is rich, the taste is unmatched, and the aromas are enticing – the children in today’s artwork would definitely agree! Wherever and however it’s served, adobo leaves stomachs happy and mouths watering for more. 

 

Check out the adobo Google Doodle by visiting the Google homepage or go to https://www.google.com/doodles.

AirAsia Philippines continues to perform well with increased bookings for the month of March

AirAsia Philippines continues to perform well towards the end of Q1 2023 with increased forward bookings for the month of March.  

Seats sold for guests travelling from 1 to 31 March 2023 were recorded at 475,000 which is already a 95% increase from the same period during the previous year.  Top three destinations for domestic and international bookings include Cebu, Boracay, Tacloban, Taipei, Bangkok, and Seoul.

AirAsia Philippines Communications and Public Affairs Country Head Steve Dailisan said, ”AirAsia’s competitive pricing is still seen as among the top motivators for guests choosing to fly with us. Our effort of mounting different online and on-ground travel promos is our way of providing the best value for our guests’ hard-earned money.”     

To sustain this momentum and to excite more travelers to book their flights earlier, AirAsia Philippines is offering another round of P1SO Sale!

Available for booking from 13 to 19 March, guests can enjoy a PHP1 one-way base fare to Boracay, Bohol, Puerto Princesa, Bacolod, Davao, Kalibo, Cagayan de Oro, and Roxas from Manila, and Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro from Cebu-Mactan International Airport.

For PHP511 to PHP2,811, guests can enjoy international destinations such as Macao, Taipei, Bangkok, Bali, Tokyo, and Osaka for travels from 4 September 2023 to 13 August 2024.    

“We advise our guests to plan ahead and book their flights earlier to enjoy affordable rates. We also invite our guests to regularly visit our website and download the airasia SuperApp for exciting deals on hotels and activities,” Dailisan added.

The World’s Best Low-Cost Airline is also reminding its guests to allocate ample time before their estimated time of departure in NAIA to allow smooth check-in, security clearance, and immigration screening. It is also best to practice self-check-in via the airsia Super App or the AirAsia kiosks available at the airport. For more information on flight schedules and other important advisories, please visit the airasia fly safe page, airasia newsroom, and social media platforms Facebook and Twitter.         

Cebu Pacific strengthens its partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB)

Singapore Tourism Board Assistant Chief Executive Juliana Kua welcomes guests to the Cebu Pacific and STB MOU signing.

In her speech, Cebu Pacific Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Candice Iyog highlights the symbiotic partnership between the airline and Singapore Tourism Board, as well as the plans on how the carrier can ensure continued growth of its network and capacity.

Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), the Philippines’ leading airline, has strengthened its partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to help travelers reimagine the Lion City and visit Singapore.

CEB and STB previously signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in April 2022 to mark the reopening of Singapore’s borders. With the successes of the past year, both parties today renewed the MOUto intensify their collaboration to promote travel to Singapore, which is one of the top-of-mind destinations for visitors from the Philippines. Key projects in this 2023 MOU will include joint marketing and promotions, and joint business development in the areas of fly-cruise and meetings and incentive corporate groups.

“We are delighted to renew our partnership with Cebu Pacific, which contributed greatly to Singapore’s strong tourism numbers for 2022,” said Ms. Juliana Kua, Assistant Chief Executive for International Group, Singapore Tourism Board (STB). “Philippines is a key market for Singapore, and the attractive promotions from Cebu Pacific will be complemented by STB’s ‘SingapoRewards’ programme, which offers a free experience for every eligible tourist to Singapore. 

SingapoRewards^[1] is a new programme that will provide international visitors with an opportunity to try one of nearly 40 new or “off-the-beaten-path” experiences in Singapore for free, across the whole of 2023. 

CEB provides strong connectivity to Singapore as it currently flies from Manila, Cebu, Davao, and starting in April, from Clark, Pampanga.

“We value this partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board. With recovery in place and our growth plans set in motion, our main goal now is to fly every Juan to exciting destination such as Singapore and enjoy all the offering in this beautiful destination that we missed doing during the pandemic,” said Candice Iyog, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of Cebu Pacific. 

CEB currently flies thrice daily between Manila and Singapore, providing passengers easy access to the Lion City, to experience its famous culinary scene, see its scenic spots, engage in thrill-seeking activities, or go shopping. 

Passengers from the Visayas may also conveniently reach Singapore through Cebu Pacific’s daily flights from Mactan Cebu International Airport.

CEB will also increase its Singapore flights from Davao up to 4x weekly starting on March 26, 2023.

Travelers from Northern Luzon will also have a new gateway as CEB starts its daily Clark – Singapore flight on April 28, 2023.

To spur travels to Singapore, CEB travelers can book their flights for as low as PHP499 one-way base fare, exclusive of surcharges and fees on March 13 until March 15, 2023. The travel period is from June 1 to November 30, 2023.

Passengers with existing Travel Funds may use these to pay for flights and other add-ons. Apart from the Travel Fund, other payment options such as payment centers, credit or debit cards, and e-wallets may also be used.

CEB now flies to 34 domestic and 25 international destinations, spanning across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

^[1] Redemptions and bookings can be made on the VisitSingapore app or SingapoRewards microsite at https://singaporewards.visitsingapore.com/. 

 

The Philippine's rank in the Ookla Speedtest Global index rose to fourth place in Southeast Asia

The Philippines’ rank in the Ookla Speedtest Global Index has risen one notch to fourth place, following closely behind Malaysia and besting Vietnam and other peers in Southeast Asia. 

 

The country’s largest integrated telco network PLDT continues to drive this development as it expands it fiber network, contributing to the consistent improvement of the Philippines in the rankings.

Country	Download Speeds  (Median)
Singapore	234.55 Mbps
Thailand	201.81 Mbps
Malaysia	92.69 Mbps
Philippines	88.13 Mbps
Vietnam	84.18 Mbps
Brunei	49.77 Mbps
Laos	29.22 Mbps
Indonesia	25.89 Mbps
Myanmar (Burma)	19.63 Mbps

Speedtest Global Index Median Country Speeds January 2023

 

The biggest cities in the Philippines also showed consistently improving internet speeds:

City	Download Speeds  (January 2022)	Download Speeds (January 2023)
Quezon City	49.37 Mbps	92.21 Mbps
Caloocan City	55.95 Mbps	91.03 Mbps
Manila City	51.40 Mbps	90.33 Mbps
Davao City	51.74 Mbps	89.29 Mbps
Cebu City	39.52 Mbps	82.73 Mbps

Source: Speedtest Intelligence® data for January 2022 and January 2023

 

Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index rankings are based on median download speed that reflects the most accurate internet speeds users are likely to achieve.

 

PLDT is the only telco provider in the Philippines that can provide a fiber-optic service with speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps, the fastest possible broadband connection available in the country.PLDT has the most extensive fiber network in the Philippines with over 1.09 million kilometers and 5.9 million ports passing 16.8 million homes in 67% of the country’s cities and municipalities as of end-September 2022.

 

Visit www.pldthome.com to know more.