The Philippines has detected its first case of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Wednesday.

In a statement, the DOH said the case involved a 52-year-old female traveler who arrived from Finland on April 2.

The agency said the patient was not required to undergo facility quarantine as she was fully vaccinated and arrived asymptomatic.

The patient went to a university in Quezon City and also proceeded to Baguio City, according to the DOH.

As of Today, April 28, 2022, up to 44 people were the close contact of the first recorded case of Omicron subvariant BA.2.12 in the Philippines, according to Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire.

Nine of them were in Quezon City, five in Benguet, while 30 were on a plane bound for Manila.

This new variant- Omicron BA.2.12.1, is also the reason behind the sudden spike in cases in the US.

New Omicron BA.2.12.1 Sub-Variant - All You Need To Know

1. The BA.2.12.1 sub-lineage of the highly virulent Omicron variant of COVID-19 is more contagious than the previous strains.
2. BA.2.12.1 is causing a surge in cases in the USA.
3. It has a growth advantage of about 30% to 90% per week over BA.2 (Omicron).
4. BA.2.12.1 has the L452Q mutation also seen in Delta but not in BA.2.

Earlier today the COCPO or the Cagayan de Oro Police Office released a number of crowd estimates for the Uniteam Grand Rally attendees. According to PCol. Aaron Mandia the Uniteam Grand Rally in CDO crowd estimate reaches to about 150,000 people.

According to Kakampink FB Page, the 150,000 crowd estimate at the CDO-Misamis Oriental BBM-Sara Uniteam Grand Rally was fake.

The Kakampink FB Page also posted that it needs 15 hectares to accomodate 150 thousand people standing side-by-side and Pelaez Sports Center's whole area is only around 1.2 hectares!

According to some Kakampinks, the Uniteam Grand Rally are consists of 3 provinces and 3 major cities who participated during the rally, that's why they've got an overwhelming number of people during the rally held at Pelaez Sports Complex yesterday, April 26, 2022. 

Buses were seen dropping off BBM and Sara supporters near the venue and parked at Rodelsa Circle area. And the Leni-Kiko Rally in CDO are purely Cagay-anons, according to kakampink supporters.

The BBM supporters defended that those buses were from nearby municipalities in Misamis Oriental, the province where Cagayan de Oro City is situated and is the center for business and trade of Mis.Or. province, and the passengers on thoses buses ride on it for free.

CDO is part of Misamis Oriental as it's province and people from nearby municipalities joined as part of CDO.

The CDO-Misamis Oriental BBM-SARA Uniteam Grand Rally crowd estimate held at Pelaez Sports Complex is about 150,000 according to the source: COCPO Police Office Director Pcol. Aaron Mandia.

When in Camiguin Island, stay at D&A Seaside Cottages to experience a paradise of tranquility and refuge of comfort. Indulge yourself in a perfect island paradise vacation that will truly connects you with the island. They are located in an accessible seaside cliff yet away from a crowded residential area. So, you will truly experience the island vibe vacation.

D&A offers different types of accommodations for different needs of the guests, they have beach view individual cottages, pool side cottages and group accommodation cottages that are good for large groups and families.

You'll surely love staying at D&A because the owners and the staff are friendly and ready to serve each guest with beautiful smile. You will surely feel that you are a family - a Camiguin Island way of service at D&A Seaside Cottages.

Here's our photo together with the friendly owner Maam Annie and the D&A Seaside Cottages Staff.

You have free breakfast meal included on your accommodation, and they serve tasty meals everyday from breakfast to dinner, including snacks for a very affordable prices. You must-try their Thin-crust Pizza and Fruit Shake.

Accessible from the resort are the natural spring that flows down the cliff side of the resort connecting the sea and the hidden paradise Blue Lagoon - a perfect place for snorkeling and swimming because it is a marine protected sanctuary with rich marine biodiversity. They also have a large swimming pool for all the guests, accessible from 9AM til 9PM, so you can still do that night swimming after an island tour.

They also have high-speed internet connection which is accessible all around the resort, so you don't have to worry about accessing your social media sites, read and send emails, and do your online jobs.

Here are the D&A Seaside Cottages Room Rates:

For reservations and other inquiries, call them at 09189931216 or 09362347521 or you can email them at dandaseasidecottages@gmail.com.

Visit their Facebook Page: D&A Seaside Cottages

Noong pumasok and COVID-19 virus sa bansa, karamihan sa mga nagkasakit ay hindi ready sa malaking gastusin dahil walang emergency fund. Ano nga ba ito at bakit importanteng magkaroon ng pondo para dito?

Ang emergency fund ay ang itinabing pera na maaaring gamitin anumang oras na kailanganinito. Ito ay tinatawag din na “contingency fund” kung saan ang kabuuang halaga ay maaaringpang-tawid gastos ng tatlong buwan hanggang isang taon. 

Ayon sa mga financial expert, mahalaga ang may emergency fund para hindi mahirapan kung saan kukuha ng pera pag nagkaroon ng hindi inaasahang pangyayari gaya ng pandemya. Mainam na may naitabing pondo para walang pag-aalala sa gastusin kung mayroon mangmagkasakit na isang miyembro ng pamilya, may nawalan ng trabaho, o masalanta ang bahayo tanim dahil sa mga natural disaster tulad ng bagyo, lindol, tagtuyot o pagbaha.  

Guide sa pagbuo ng emergency fund

Payo ni Albert O. Quiogue, first vice president ng BDO Network Bank (BDONB), “Mahalagangsimulan ang pag-iipon ngayon. Ang tamang pagba-budget ng pera o kita ay dapat ding matutunan. Kung nais magnegosyo, aralin munang maigi kung anong business angpapasukin.” 

Nais ng BDONB, ang community bank ng BDO Unibank, na maibahagi ang kahalagahan ng pag-iipon at pagbuo ng emergency fund para maging handa sa panahon ng pangangailangan. Maaari itong simulan sa pagkakaroon ng account sa bangko para masiguradong safe ang inipon. Ang perang inipon ay lumalago mula sa kitang interest lalo nakung hindi bababa sa Php500 ang savings kada buwan.

Simple lang ang proseso para magbukas ng account. Maghanda lamang ng valid I.D. at 100 pesos bilang initial deposit. Pumunta sa pinakamalapit na BDONB branch sa inyong lugar at i-submit ang mga requirements para magkaroon ng BDONB Kabayan savings account. 

Para naman sa nais magkaroon ng ATM card, kailangan lang maghanda ng Php100 at pwede ng maka-withdraw ng pera sa BDO and BDONB ATMs nationwide at Cash Agadpartner-agents. 

Para sa iba pang mga impormasyon tungkol sa produkto at serbisyo ng BDONB, bisitahinang www.bdonetworkbank.com.ph o ang official facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/BDONetworkBankPH.  

Planting seeds, harvesting progress

East-West Seed (EWS) is a global seed company that develops, produces, and markets hybrid tropical vegetable seeds to some 20 million smallholder farmers worldwide. Founded in 1982 in Lipa City, Batangas, Dutch seedsman Simon Groot and Filipino seed trader Benito Domingo had a vision to improve the income of smallholder farmers in the tropics through its high-quality seeds. But just like a seed that began seeking fertile ground to thrive in, EWS struggled at first to gain the confidence of the Filipino farmers. Irene Sion, Seed Production Operations Manager, first began her career in EWS as a seed production technician in 1984. She said that the company’s office in the Philippines spent years not only researching, developing, and producing hybrid seeds but also had to gradually convince Filipino farmers to switch to using hybrid seeds.

“As a farmer’s daughter, I know the mindset of Filipino farmers. For them, it’s a matter of “to see is to believe”. Most of them were used to planting one-parent traditional seeds as they were used to planting and growing them for decades.

EWS has since grown to become one of the 10 largest vegetable seed companies in the world. 

Hesitant over innovation

Hybrid vegetable seeds are made by mixing the traits of two or more “parents” in order to produce a new generation of seeds that contain advantageous traits: the seeds produce crops that are more resistant to diseases, better suited to thrive in tough weather conditions, and also yielding bigger harvests that also have better quality in terms of taste, color, nutrition, etc.

While the science behind this has been around since the mid-1800s, many farmers were hesitant at first about using hybrid vegetable seeds; to them, it seemed risky and unproven. Furthermore, hybrid seeds cost a little bit more than traditional seeds. Irene said the company made the effort over many years to explain to farmers that even with the slightly higher cost, the assured returns of the bigger harvest provided by innovations like hybrid seeds make it more than worth it. 

Milestones and partnerships

As one of the pioneering employees, Irene saw how EWS evolved and grew by embracing technology and innovation to become an important partner to Filipino farmers.

“It’s very gratifying to hear from the farmers themselves how East-West Seed has become instrumental in uplifting the lives of their families. They were able to earn more from the bigger harvests of the hybrid seeds. They were able to send their children to college. They earned enough to buy farming supplies, farming equipment, and even brand new vehicles for the families to use. When I hear these stories, I feel the strong bond between East-

West Seed and the farmers, as our partnership improved the lives of these very important people in our countryside,” said Irene.

Using superior vegetable breeding combined with a carefully cultivated nurtured relationship with local farmers wherever it operates, East-West Seed has grown exponentially over the many years and holds market leader position in not just the Philippines but also Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, while also expanding its business activities in India, China, South America, and Africa.

Boosting cash management

Amid the pandemic, East-West Seed also hit a milestone on the financial side of things: the company recently switched to digital platforms in handling most of their financial transactions and processes.

According to Julius Sulit, Country Finance Head for East-West Seed Philippines (EWPH), the pandemic posed constraints on the way the company accesses its funds, collects payments, and issues checks. Before the pandemic, a lot of these processes were done manually by him and his team. But when the pandemic hit, many bank branches were closed; it was no longer possible to physically transact with banks.

“Then our treasurer and cashier had to work from home, so writing out checks and having these signed and sent out became a pain point—not only because of concerns over exposure to the virus but also because transportation was limited. Physically transporting checks, and having our farmers send their checks to us via courier, these all became difficult to do,” he explained

Like many other businesses, EWPH had to adapt to the new normal of virtual operations. This meant quickly switching to digital processes and improving the information technology infrastructure of financial operations. Julius and his team hit a snag in this area; with the uncertainty that came with the pandemic, they could not get an additional IT budget. “We could not invest a lot when it comes to expertise and equipment that would allow us to migrate our many manual financial and administrative tasks to a digital and virtual system,” said Julius.

Faced with this problem, Julius opened it up with their partner bank, BDO. “After a discussion with BDO, we decided to avail ourselves of some digital and non-digital cash management services provided by the bank,” he said.

Digital and non-digital support

The cash management services provided by BDO to East-West Seed Philippines included the automated check writing facility that allowed the company to hand over the tasks of check writing to BDO. “Without automated check writing, we would have had to require our treasurer or cashier to physically write and process checks at the office, which would have put them at risk for COVID,” said Julius.

Switching to automated check writing also meant that the record-keeping and access to financial information became digital as well. Julius said that this is more convenient since he could now quickly access the information he needs on his laptop with just a few clicks. Once the nominated authorizer of the company approves the transactions, the checks are printed by BDO and then picked up by the payees at a BDO branch, making for a convenient and stress-free customer experience. Additionally, not only check-writing but even processing of customer payments is made so much easier.

“Thanks to BDO’s cash management services, our customers also now have more options to send payments. They now have a choice to either physically send us their checks or to pay us through other channels including digital online payments using BDO’s platform. This is very useful during the pandemic and even moving forward as we adjust to the new normal. Overall, BDO cash management helped us become more efficient in terms of time and monetary cost for our financial operations. We save so much time, money, and effort now that many of these financial administrative tasks were integrated into a cash management system,” said Julius.

For more information about BDO’s cash management services, go to BDO’s official website or Facebook page. You may also call or visit the BDO branch nearest you.

Travel Requirements for Camiguin:

1. CleanCamiguin QR Code

- Register at https://cleancamiguinqr.com, CleanCamiguinQR is the official contact tracing system of the Province of Camiguin. Their goal is to effectively manage the spread of COVID-19 to keep everyone safe.

2. Health Declaration Form (HDF)

- After registering for a CleanCamiguin QR code, go to HDF page located at the upper right menu of CleanCamiguin website and fill up the HDF Form.

3. Fully Vaccinated with Vaccination Card

- Make sure to bring your physical Vaccine Card for verification.

4. Traze Contact QR Code

- TRAZE is a nationwide and unified contact tracing app that automates manual contact tracing by using QR code scanning such that the tracing process done in several days can now be achieved in just few minutes.

This is the tracing app used on Philippine Ports so make sure to also register for Traze QR code. They will scan 2 QR's at the Balingoan Port, the CleanCamiguin and Traze QR codes. Download Traze app here: https://www.traze.ph/  

5. Booking Confirmation.

- If you are staying in residential homes of Relatives/friends, you need to secure a Acceptance letter from the home owner. If you are staying in a resort or hotel, you just need to show the Booking Confirmation.

CERTIFIED overseas Filipino ngang matatawag si Hidilyn Diaz dahil maraming beses na siyang umalis ng Pilipinas para mag-train ng weightlifting at lumaban ng competition sa iba’t ibang bansa. 

Sana All Yummy is having a Happy Hour promo everyday from 4PM until 9PM.

Aside from their regular menu, they will be serving Chicken Paa with Rice and Chicken Petso with Rice for a very affordable prices during the Happy Hour. 

You can order beer bucket of 5 or beer tower for the following prices:

Bucket of 5

• San Miguel Beer Pilsen - ₱270
• SMB Flavored Apple - ₱270
• SMB Lights - ₱290
• 2 Liters Beer Tower - ₱250

They also have Street Food Platter for a very affordable price of ₱75 only. 

There's more! With their Happy Hour Special Promo, you can sing all you want with their FREE VIDEOKE.

So, what are you waiting for? If you want to be happy, sa Sana All Yummy ka na, para Happy everyday! 

They also have new additions on their menu. The all-time Pinoy Favorites for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Salisbury Steak Solo ₱ 99.00

Fried Chicken Wings ₱ 89.00

Chicken Fingers ₱ 89.00

Boneless Fried Bangus ₱ 99.00

Chicken Longganisa ₱ 85.00

Lumpiang Shanghai ₱ 85.00

Chicken Cordon Bleu ₱ 99.00

They are located at Fiscal Amosin Building, Zone 4 Pasil, Villa Vicente, Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City.

For orders and inquiries, call or text at 0917 158 0018 and they deliver via Maxim and Grab Food App.

31 March 2022, Singapore – To further enhance Thai Vietjet’s regional connectivity, Thai Vietjet, a leading Thai low-cost airline based in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, is pleased to announce the launch of new international direct services from Singapore to Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok, from 28 April 2022, and from Singapore and Phuket from 2 June 2022.  

“We are thrilled to connect Thailand and Singapore through direct flights that will provide more leisure and business accessibility and opportunities for the citizens of both countries.  After a long period of disruption due to the pandemic, the services connecting Thailand and Singapore will play a critical role in assisting the two nations’ economic recovery while also serving the growing travel demand of individuals in the region,” says Mr Woranate Laprabang, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Vietjet. 

For a start, the new international service from Singapore to Bangkok (Suvranabhumi) will operate flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and direct flights from Singapore to Phuket will run every Thursday and Sunday.   Flight schedules are given in Appendix A.

Recently, Thai Vietjet successfully initiated its maiden flight from Bangkok to Phnom Penh and resumed its international flight service between Bangkok and Da Nang. It has also maintained a steady service and increased its flight frequency between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.

These recent developments come just in time as travel restrictions for international travellers to Thailand are lifted. From 1 April 2022, negative RT-PCR results before departure and RT-PCR tests on day 5 in Thailand will no longer be required. Instead, travellers entering Thailand will only be required to purchase COVID-19 insurance with a coverage of USD 20,000 (previously USD 50,000). 

Along with its flight network expansion, the airline is introducing its official loyalty programme, SkyFUN, with a virtual “FUN Coin”, which aims to enhance passengers’ experience in three different member tiers: Silver, Gold and Platinum. This new loyalty programme will offer a whole new experience to the passengers with added benefits from the airline and its travel partners throughout the region.   Members will enjoy different privileges according to their membership tiers.

Thai Vietjet has a total of 16 aircraft in its fleet, including 10 Airbus A320-200s and 6 Airbus A321-200s and plans to add more by the end of the year.  The airline began operations with only 3 aircraft in 2016.  With the 433% increase in fleet size just 6 years, Thai Vietjet was awarded “The Fastest-Growing Low-Cost Carrier of the Year” award by the Global Business Outlook in 2020.

With an average age of 5 years. Thai Vietjet’s fleet has the world’s youngest and most modern commercial fleet, with an On-Time Performance Rate (OTP) of 97.29%, technical reliability of 99.73%. The airline has served 11 million total accumulated passengers to date.

Thai Vietjet is continuously expanding its flight network, both domestic and international, while increasing its young and modern fleet. The airline has also recently been awarded the “Most Passenger-Friendly Cabin Crew” in 2021 by the International Finance Magazine, emphasising its position as the “airline of hospitality”, and reinforcing its core value, “Friendly and Fun” together with “Safety”, “Punctuality” and “Affordable Price”. 

+++

Website: www.vietjetair.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/VietJetThailand

Instagram: www.instagram.com/vietjetskyfun

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/thaivietjet

Company Name: Thai Vietjet

Address: 999 Moo 1 Concourse A and G Departure Terminal Suvarnabhumi Airport Unit A1-062 and Unit G1-048, 1st floor, Nongprue, Bang phli, Samutprakarn, 10540, Thailand

Company Tel: +66 2089 1909

+++

About Thai Vietjet

Established in 2014, Thai Vietjet has been co-operating with Vietjet to extend its flight network and provide more opportunities for travellers to discover Thailand and many other countries with its hospitable and enjoyable service. With a focus on cost management ability, effective operations and performance, the airline offers flying opportunities with cost-saving and flexible fares as well as diversified services to meet customers’ demands.

Awarded 'The Fastest Growing Low-cost Carrier of the 2020' by Global Business Outlook Magazine, Thai Vietjet has been continuously expanding its young and modern fleet, featuring the Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. The airline has also recently been awarded the ‘Most Passenger-Friendly Cabin Crew - 2021’ airline from International Finance Magazine, emphasising its position as the ‘airline of hospitality’, reinforcing its core value of ‘Friendly & Fun’, together with ‘Safety’, ‘Punctuality, and ‘Affordable Price’.    

Currently, Thai Vietjet operates 14 domestic Thai routes, including flights from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ubon Ratchathani, and Surat Thani, cross-regional flights including from Phuket to Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Udon Thani, and direct flights from Hat Yai to Chiang Rai. The airline is also actively expanding its international flight network to many destinations across Asia-pacific, connecting Thailand with Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, and other top destinations in the region. 

For further information, visit www.vietjetair.com.

Zack-Guibs Floating Cottage is the newest Balsa in Tubajon, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.

A bigger, better and beautiful balsa that can accommodate of up to 40-50 people. Perfect for any family celebrations and weekend getaways. It is a 2-storey balsa, nice for party2x because you can extend the space at the 2nd floor for an elevated view of Tubajon, Laguindingan Seascapes.

📞 For bookings and reservations please call. 0906-108-2518 and/or 0935-677-8896.

They are locted at Purok 2, Tubajon, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. Beside Coral Beach Resort.

Inclusions:

✅grilling station

✅comfort room/dressing room

✅dirty kitchen

✅Mini pool

✅terrace

✅2nd Floor

✅40 to 50 persons

✅free pump boat

✅Life jackets