More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.
The Philippines swept all championships as Junior International Tennis Federation tournaments returned to the country for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The hosts locked out all top honors in Week 1 of the competition held at the Manila Polo Club.
Highlighting the Week 1 hostilities were singles champions Miguel Iglupas and Tennielle Madis, who ruled the boys’ and girls’ singles tournament, respectively, in the PHINMA-sponsored competition.
Previous winners of the juniors competition include Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala, and bemedalled national athlete Niño Alcantara.
Iglupas and Madis were the stars on Sunday, July 21, as they slayed their respective foes in the championship round.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to fast-track the full implementation of e-Visa system as it aims to reach 7.7 million tourists by the end of 2024.
“As far as arrivals are concerned, unless and until we are able to fully ease the convenience of coming into the Philippines, especially as far as e-visas are concerned, it does remain a challenge,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said at the 2024 post-State of the Nation Address discussions in Pasay City.
In his third SONA on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared that the implementation of the Philippine e-Visa would be next in his administration’s digital transformation agenda.
Frasco was positive that this directive would bring in more inbound tourists and make the Philippines “shoulder to shoulder” with neighboring states that have e-Visa systems.
The target market for the e-Visa is India, which has become one of the biggest outbound travel markets in the world.
“Other countries have seen this potential and have already eased their visa policies precisely for this reason. It is high time that the Philippines eases its visa policies, especially towards the Indian market,” Frasco said in a separate interview.
“They're ready, they're ready to come to the Philippines. There's very high demand for Philippine tourism from that side of the world,” she said.
The U.S. Defense Department admitted that it spread propaganda in the Philippines aimed at disparaging China’s Sinovac vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a June 25 document cited by a former top government official earlier this month.
The U.S. response to the Philippines was recounted in a podcast by Harry Roque, who served as spokesman for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Reuters subsequently reviewed the document, which hasn’t been publicly released by either government. The news agency was able to verify its contents with a source familiar with the U.S. response.
“It is true that the (Department of Defense) did message Philippines audiences questioning the safety and efficacy of Sinovac,” according to the document, which references information sent from the U.S. Defense Department to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of National Defense. According to the document, the Pentagon also conceded it had “made some missteps in our COVID related messaging” but assured the Philippines that the military “has vastly improved oversight and accountability of information operations” since 2022.
The U.S. admission followed a June 14 Reuters investigation that revealed how the Pentagon launched a secret psychological operation to discredit Chinese vaccines and other COVID aid in 2020 and 2021, at the height of the pandemic. As a result of the Reuters investigation, the Philippine Senate Foreign Relations Committee launched a hearing into the matter and sought a response from the U.S.
The Pentagon also conceded it had “made some missteps in our COVID related messaging” but assured the Philippines that the military “has vastly improved oversight and accountability of information operations” since 2022. That is hardly an apology. It was not a misstep it was deliberate and intentional.
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| https://bilyonaryo.com/2024/07/28/jessica-kienle-maxwells-jump-rope-journey-from-pandemic-hobby-to-mastery/social/ |
Jessica Kienle-Maxwell is now a jump rope expert.
Since sharing her jump rope videos on Instagram, she’s frequently asked about her journey to mastering the skill. Many are surprised to discover that it all began as a hobby during the pandemic.
So, how did she achieve this?
Jessica found a few coaches online, followed their guidance, and learned by watching their videos.
“Grateful for these coaches and discovering jump roping over two years ago—it has truly transformed my life!” Jessica shared.
Social media has become an effective and lucrative platform for content creators to collaborate with brands to foster consumer awareness and loyalty.
Content creators play an invaluable role in the expanding web of the creator economy, the software-facilitated ecosystem that allows content creators and influencers to turn their creations into income-generating activity.
It encompasses everything within the world of e-commerce and social media, digital advertising and marketing firms. It has gotten so big that Goldman Sachs expects it to double its size to $480 billion by 2027.
Karlos Naidas, the 34-year-old CEO of content aggregator platform PIXEL by Eplayment, says the growth of the creative economy in the Philippines gained more traction during the pandemic.
“The substantial growth in the Philippine creator economy has been evident in the sizable increase of content creators … Not only does this sector provide an avenue for creators to express themselves, but it is also a revenue-generating gig as there are many ways to earn in content creation,” he explains.
Such is the case of Juan Lorenzo Marco, 34, who started dabbling in content creation during the pandemic. As marketing and platforms manager at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, he was tasked to create a new space to share art even during lockdown.
As his research led him to the world of streaming, he got fascinated with the infinite possibilities. As an avid gamer, he started livestreaming while playing Mobile Legends. Over time, he built a community of followers.
Marco, who goes by the username Uncle Gu, is now a full-time content creator with nearly 70,000 followers across all social media platforms. He says that brand collaborations and events such as “shoutcasting” gaming tournaments have been a steady source of revenue.
He attributes his success to his participation in Project Upload, Eplayment’s first creator-centric event in 2023 that was designed to provide content creators insights into the industry.
“There were other creators who were also invited and they tackled other vital topics. It also became an avenue for creators like me to collaborate with others who share the same passion,” he recounts.
Moreover, Eplayment has played a major role in monetizing Marco’s online presence. He uses both platforms—Eplayment and PIXEL—to earn more from tips and donations from viewers and supporters.
You can feel the love for aspiring creators from this organization, he says. “They have been part of my milestones. They helped me grow my connections and made me believe that I have a future with this industry,” he adds.
The creator economy, Naidas explains, has led to unique opportunities for brands and consumers to build meaningful connections. “For brands, content creation is vital as it helps build their identity further by appearing more organic and personal through influencers or creators that engage with audiences on their behalf.”
“Quality content can influence purchases as they produce informative and engaging content that can assist potential customers in making informed decisions, ultimately leading to sales conversions for consumer brands,” he explains in an email interview.
According to Naidas, the most common source of income of creators is brand partnership, whereby they charge talent or posting fees.
As the ecosystem continues to thrive, Naidas identifies a pain point in the monetization process of content creation: creators often encounter a snag in accessing traditional financial services. An “organic and integrated platform that will serve as both the payment gateway and processor” is deemed necessary to help creators access their earnings in real time.
Eplayment seeks to fill the gap by developing a payment gateway for content creators. Eplayment was first established in 2019 for the e-sports community as a producer of small-scale content features for up-and-coming gamers. From an e-wallet tailored to the needs of gamers, it has become a channel for creators to thrive.
PIXEL now has a community of 3,873 creators. But Naidas wants to bring in more creators under his wing. “PIXEL seeks to accommodate both starting and veteran creators, ensuring that newbies can ease into content creation and more established creators continue to earn sufficient revenue,” he says.
Now Filipino online content creators can use an app created by a fellow Filipino to facilitate payment processing among other things.
Iloilo Airport has resumed international flights after a four year hiatus.
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| https://www.panaynews.net/travel-rebound-iloilo-airport-to-resume-intl-flights-this-october-after-4-year-hiatus/ |
What took them so long? Everywhere else has been back to normal since at least 2022.International flights from the Iloilo Airport will resume beginning this October 27, a significant development that is seen to energize the local economy after a hiatus of more than four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Flights to Hong Kong and Singapore would be reinstated, confirmed Cebu Pacific during the 33rd Visayas Area Business Conference held on Friday morning, July 26, at the Iloilo Convention Center.
Michelle Eve de Guzman, marketing director at Cebu Pacific, said daily flights between Iloilo and Hong Kong are set to commence on October 27, while the schedule for flights to and from Singapore has yet to be determined.
The flights to Hong Kong and Singapore are just a part of the daily direct international operations from Iloilo, which also includes multiple domestic routes such as Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Clark, Davao, General Santos, Manila, and Puerto Princesa.
Manuela Luisa Palma, the manager of Iloilo Airport, assured that the airport facilities have been ready to handle international traffic since last year.
She emphasized the readiness of the pre-departure area located in the main passenger terminal, which can accommodate 150 international passengers at Gate 3.
Additional capacity could be added if needed by placing more chairs to meet passenger demand, added Palma.
She noted that previously, the airport managed international flights on alternating days between Hong Kong and Singapore.
With the resumption of these flights, Palma expects a boost to the local economy by making Iloilo more accessible and affordable for international travel.
This would benefit, among others, the returning overseas Western Visayas workers. They need not drop by Metro Manila on their way home, thereby saving them time and money.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed gladness with the resumption of the international flights, highlighting their importance to, specifically, overseas Filipino worker (OFW) communities in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Treñas has long been in contact with Cebu Pacific management to advocate for these routes upon requests from the OFWs.
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