More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
According to Mayor Benitez Bacolod City has shown economic resiliency since the pandemic.
"This is a victory for all Bacolodnons as we continue to drive growth, innovation, and opportunities in our city."
This was stressed by Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez after Bacolod was recognized as the Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit (LGU) in the country emerging at the top of a select group of five cities—Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Mandaue on Wednesday, October 23.
The award was presented during the 2024 Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Awards held at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.
Benitez, who personally received the award, said the recognition was based on four critical areas of evaluation: fast-tracking sustainable local economic development, ease of doing business initiatives, investment promotion efforts, and enhancing sectoral competitiveness.
“We are honored to receive this recognition, which reflects the commitment of Bacolod to creating an environment where businesses can thrive," he said.
Bacolod’s rise to the top of the list reinforces its reputation as a hub for business and economic activity in the Visayas region.
Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairperson of the City Council committee on appropriation, said last week, that Bacolod also received an award for best in financial performance among local government units granted by the Department of Finance.
"With this award as the Most Business-Friendly LGU also tied up on the city's best in collection performance," he said.
He added the city's award was also based on the programs implemented by Mayor Benitez such as the online payments and the quick-response code.
The caption to the picture says:
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez says that the officials of SM Group and Nestle Philippines informed him that their revenues being generated have already reached the pre-pandemic levels.
SM Life which is SM Prime's employee development program, has won an award for People Program of the Year. Part of the review process is seeing how the program adapted before and after the pandemic.
SM Life is the flagship program for integrated talent management within SM Prime Group.Launched in 2018 under the leadership of Hans Sy, Chairman of the SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) Executive Committee, SM Life empowers employees to learn, grow, and give back. It focuses on improving the overall employee experience, which SM Prime sees as essential to the company's success.Under the Employee Experience and Engagement category of PMAP, the recognition highlights SM Prime's efforts to enhance employee development and create an inclusive workplace that promotes growth and empowerment."The SM Life program reflects our commitment to empowering our employees to get more out of life through their work and the advocacies we uphold at SM Prime," said SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim said after receiving the award.The award process involved a rigorous three-month review, which looked into how the program was developed over the last five years, how it adapted before and after the pandemic, and how it meets the company’s business and organizational needs.As part of the evaluation, assessors conducted onsite visits and interviews with randomly chosen employees from various levels and business units across SM Prime.There were over 90 entries submitted for the three award categories: People Program of the Year, People Manager of the Year, and Employer of the Year.SM Life emerged as one of ten finalists and was recognized for its innovative people management approach. This is SM's first time to join the PMAP Awards and the first-ever win for SM."Guided by the Sy family, our company champions the importance of developing our employees' potential and strives to collectively embody the work-life principles of our founder, Tatang, Henry Sy, Sr.," he added.The SM Life program prioritizes overall employee experience. From learning and development to employee recognitions, demonstrating employee appreciation through simple gestures like sharing kudos cards via the SM Life app.To date, over 100,000 online kudos cards have been given out across the company.Coaching and mentoring are also key leadership responsibilities at SM Prime, embedded in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of its leaders. This ensures employees receive ongoing guidance and support, driving both personal and professional growth."We are committed to continuously evolving the employee experience at SM Prime Group. We celebrate our wins and work harder on what we need to be better at," SM Supermalls Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Program Lead for SM Life Cheryll Agsaoay promised.
Apparently revenge travel is still a thing even though the pandemic is long over.
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| https://business.inquirer.net/486952/revenge-travel-going-strong-8-month-passenger-volume-up-11 |
Ahead of the holiday season, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) continues to see a surge in passenger volume as travel demand remains on the rise, beating prepandemic levels.
Manila International Airport Authority said that based on its latest monitoring, he country’s primary gateway accommodated 33.68 million passengers in January to August.
This is equivalent to a nearly 11-percent growth from the same period last year and exceeded the prepandemic level of 32.38 million recorded in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic that halted air travel struck in 2020.
More than half of the passengers as of August this year were accounted for by local travelers at 18.07 million while international passenger volume reached 15.61 million.
Along with this, the number of flights serviced at Naia grew by almost 11 percent to 196,313 during the eight-month period from 177,398 last year.
A total of 119,490 flights were operated locally for the period. Airlines, meanwhile, flew 76,824 flights to international destinations from Naia in January to August.
The local carriers said the passenger volume was only expected to grow in the coming months due to the celebration of holidays.
Maybe this is just regular travel picking up and has nothing to do with revenge.
Perhaps some of these travelers are flying to Malaysia for affordable healthcare.
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| https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/indonesia-philippines-china-australia-india-and-bangladesh-boost-malaysia-medical-tourism-industry-for-its-affordability/ |
Malaysia medical tourism industry is making a remarkable comeback after the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as one of the top healthcare destinations globally. Known for its affordable and high-quality medical treatments, Malaysia is positioning itself as a leader in medical tourism, with patients from around the world seeking care in its state-of-the-art facilities. The industry, which had faced a significant downturn during the pandemic, is now seeing growth as healthcare travelers return in large numbers.
The country’s ability to provide top-tier healthcare services at competitive prices has made it a popular choice for patients from regions like Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Australia, and beyond. According to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), Malaysia is leveraging its reputation for quality healthcare to attract international patients, with particular emphasis on specialized treatments such as cardiology, orthopedics, cosmetic surgery, and cancer care.
In 2019, Malaysia generated over RM1.7 billion (approximately $406 million) from medical tourism, with key markets including Indonesia and China. While the pandemic slowed growth, Malaysia’s proactive efforts in public-private partnerships have helped the sector recover quickly. In 2022, the medical tourism industry nearly returned to its pre-pandemic levels, generating RM726 million by the third quarter alone, indicating robust recovery.
Penang and Melaka remain the top hotspots for medical tourists, particularly from Indonesia, who account for over 70% of healthcare arrivals in these regions. With their world-class hospitals and clinics, these cities offer a variety of treatments, including reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, and comprehensive wellness programs.
Penang is currently transforming into a global medical tourism hub, attracting significant investments to improve its healthcare infrastructure. The state’s focus on high-end treatments, such as robotic surgery, coupled with affordable pricing, has drawn patients from all over Southeast Asia and beyond.
Or perhaps they are flying to Switzerland and Monaco.
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| https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/travel-and-tourism/2024/10/30/2396172/switzerland-sees-600-growth-filipino-tourists-monaco-eyeing-more-pinoys-paris |
Two European countries are eyeing more Filipino tourist arrivals in the coming years, one of them in particular already seeing a huge boost in the post-pandemic era.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com during TravMedia's International Media Marketplace Asia 2024 in Singapore last October 22, Switzerland Tourism's Marketing & Communication Manager for Southeast Asia Nazrul Jumahat shared positive numbers about Filipino tourists.
He shared that in 2023, Switzerland saw a 600% growth in Filipino tourists compared to 2019 right before the pandemic, and this year so far is seeing a double-digit growth in arrivals.
Jumahat attributed the opening of a satellite office in the Philippines helping in the awareness of possible tourism opportunities in Switzerland, which go from food options like chocolates and cheeses, to experiences like mountain hikes and train rides.
Elsewhere during the International Media Marketplace Asia 2024, Benoit Badufle spoke to Philstar.com on behalf of the Promotion Bureau of the Principality of Monaco about the possibility of having more Filipinos visiting the world's second-smallest country.
Badufle said many maritime people visit Monaco during the summertime (June to August), though while it is a growing leisure market for Southeast Asia, there is still no huge incentive for visits.
He added that the return of Air France's direct flights between Manila and the French capital of Paris will be a huge boost to the possibilities of having more Filipinos in Monaco.
Additionally, Philippines Airlines' President and Chief Operating Officer Stanley Ng told Philstar.com in a separate inteview the country’s flag carrier airlines is studying whether to launch its own Manila-Paris route.
"Filipinos are aware of Monaco's possibilities, [there's] just really no flights," Badufle explained, adding his colleagues are working on bringing Tim Yap and Raymond Gutierrez to Monaco in order to boost awareness.
Well, maybe not Monaco since there are no direct flights yet.
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