Friday, December 11, 2015

Love wins at 2015 MMFF

Love wins at the MMFF

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

Love is the name of the game at this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). This time around, the fantasies — and horror perennial Shake, Rattle, N’ Roll — which have dominated recent iterations of the film festival are taking a backseat. Instead, at the forefront are romantic comedies: My Bebe Love, Walang Forever, and All You Need is Pag-ibig(love).

Starring in romantic comedies at the 2015 Metro Manila Film Fest are (clockwise from top) Ai Ai delas Alas and Vic Sotto and Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza (*My Bebe Love*); Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales (*Walang Forever*); and Kim Chiu (*All You Need is Pag-ibig*).

And it seems that love isn’t found only in reel life, but in real life, too.

BEHIND THE SCREEN LOVE
Competing against each other — at least on screen — are directors and sweethearts Antoinette Jadaone and Dan Villegas, with their respective features All You Need is Pag-ibig and Walang Forever. But unlike their previous movie The Breakup Playlist (directed by Mr. Villegas and written by Ms. Jadaone), where the relationship between its characters (played by Sarah Geronimo and Piolo Pascual) deteriorates midway because of their careers, the real-life partners see no “professional competition.” They support each other.

Mr. Villegas (@dan_villegas) and his girlfriend (@tonet_jadaone) have been posting about each other’s movies on their respective social media accounts. (BusinessWorld failed to secure an interview with them as of press time because both were busy shooting their respective festival movies — Ms. Jadaone was in Coron, Palawan, while Mr. Villegas was in Taiwan.)

CYNICAL ABOUT LOVE
After the success of last year’s hit movie English Only Please, which was directed by Mr. Villegas and written by Ms. Jadaone, the director ups the ante with another romantic flick: Walang Forever. It is top-billed by Jericho Rosales and 2014 MMFF best actress Jennylyn Mercado. (JM de Guzman who starred in the hit That Thing Called Tadhana [directed by Ms. Jadaone and produced by Mr. Villegas] was supposed to star with Ms. Mercado, but was later replaced.)

As of press time, the official trailer of Walang Forever has already garnered more than two million views on the film’s Facebook fan page.

Based on the trailer, the love story between Mia (Ms. Mercado), a romantic comedy writer, and Ethan (Mr. Rosales), a software developer, started in high school as the usual love-hate relationship, and develops into a long-distance love affair, with the film asking if there really is “forever” when it comes to love.

The movie also stars award-winning actress Lorna Tolentino, together with Jerald Napoles, Nico Antonio, Pepe Herrera, Kim Molina, and Cai Cortez.

COMPLICATED ON SCREEN AND IN LIFE
Real life can, apparently, be as complicated as a rom-com plot. Ms. Jadaone’s MMFF entry has its share of twisted romantic tales.

Former lovebirds Kris Aquino and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista were supposed to star in Ms. Jadaone’s Star Cinema film. (The original title was Mr. and Mrs. Split, later changed to Pamilyang Love, Love, Love, before finally settling with All You Need is Pag-ibig.) According to reports, Mr. Bautista had to back out from the film in order to prepare for the 2016 national elections (he’s running for his last term as mayor). Prior to that, Ms. Aquino had announced that she would not be part of the film. She changed her mind when the final casting announcement, which said Mr. Bautista was no longer involved, was made.

It’s out with the Mayor and in with hunk Derek Ramsay, who happens to be the lead in English Only Please. He won the Best Actor award at the 2014 MMFF for his work in the film.

All You Need is Pag-ibig, according to Star Cinema, “promises to bring Valentines this Christmas Day.”

The recently uploaded movie official trailer — which has 260,197 views on YouTube so far — starts with an embittered Aquino, who appears to come from a fresh breakup. It deals with tales of love, its many faces and phases: puppy love, sibling love, “pag-ibig na umaasa pero nganga” (hopeless love), budding love, and familial love.

Also in cast are Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, Jodi Sta. Maria, Ian Veneracion, Nova Villa, Ronaldo Valdez, Pokwang, James “Bimby” Yap, and Julia and Talia Concio.

ALDUB NATION
From director-partners and former lovebirds, the 2015 MMFF also happens to highlight the budding on- (and perhaps, off-?) screen love team of “Aldub” (Alden Richards and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza).

(According to Wikipedia, AlDub “is a fictional supercouple that appears in the kalyeserye portion of the ‘Juan for All, All for Juan’ segment of the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!.”)

All the film fest movies, most especially My Bebe Love (thanks to Aldub’s million fans) are expected to make money. In the words of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority executive director Naomi Ilagan, “As usual, inaasahan natin na every year ay mas magaganda at magagaling ang mga lumalahok na pelikula, palaki nang palaki ang gross sales,” (As usual, we are expecting the movies to be better, and the gross sales to grow bigger).

The trailer of My Bebe Love currently has 168,483 views and counting on its official Facebook fan page. It stars two of the industry’s biggest box-office draws: Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas, along with the Aldub love team and with special participation of Eat Bulaga! cast members like Jose Manalo and Joey de Leon.

Asked what makes his film different from formulaic movies, My Bebe Love’s director Joey Reyes told BusinessWorld in an e-mail interview that “Although it is a romantic comedy [which is] most favored by audiences regardless of season, My Bebe Love offers a reinvention of Vic Sotto over and above his Enteng characterization seen and loved for so many years. [Sotto has played the fantasy film character Enteng Cabisote on television and screen for decades. — Ed.]

“Moreover, Ai-Ai makes her bid to regain her stature as the true Comedy Queen of the country. And then, of course, there is Aldub, which is more than a love team that feeds fantasies, but rather a social phenomenon that tends to explain so much of how the Filipino feel and think in the here and now all over the world,” he said.

He added that his treatment is a far cry from the fantasy Mr. Sotto is known for, or Ms. delas Alas’ usual comedies. “It looks at love and relationship from two generations,” he said.

“Christmas is for the family — and who can turn away from the charms of romance? Rom-com has ceased to be mere staple fare of holiday season movie going. It has become a national addiction,” said Mr. Reyes.

MMFF 2015 Movies

While majority of the entries for the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival are romantic comedies, the annual film festival will also offer horror, suspense, and action flicks. The eight entries will be shown nationwide from Dec. 25 until Jan. 7. During this period, no foreign films will be screened.

The festival films are:

Beauty and the Bestie
ABS-CBN Film Production, Inc. and Viva Communications, Inc.
Director: Wenn Deramas
Starring: Vice Ganda and Coco Martin
Genre: Action-Comedy

While searching for the abducted daughter of a Prime Minister, policeman Coco Martin commissions his best friend Beauty (Vice Ganda) to temporarily pretend to be the missing woman while he completes his mission to bring the real one back.

Buy Now, Die Later
Quantum Films
Director: Randolph Longjas
Starring: Rayver Cruz, Jayson Gainza, John Lapus, Janine Gutierrez, and Lotlot de Leon
Genre: Suspense

An anthology of five suspense stories, each representing one of the five senses.

Nilalang (The Entity)
Haunted Towers Pictures, Inc.
Director: Pedring Lopez
Starring: Cesar Montano and Maria Ozawa
Genre: Action

After 14 women are stabbed to death, Japanese authorities realize the women were killed in a manner similar to a case in the Philippines. Brought to Japan to solve the crime, a Filipino policeman (Montano) seeks the help of a club owner (Ozawa).

Haunted Mansion
Regal Entertainment, Inc.
Director: Jun Lana
Starring: Marlo Mortel, Jerome Ponce, and Janella Salvador
Genre: Horror

The film is about a mission to free the restless souls that inhabit a haunted mansion.

Honor Thy Father
Reality Entertainment
Director: Erik Matti
Starring: John Lloyd Cruz and Meryll Soriano
Genre: Action-drama

A swindler couple find their lives threatened after getting involved in a get-rich-quick scheme.

Walang Forever
Quantum Films
Director: Dan Villegas
Starring: Jericho Rosales and Jennylyn Mercado
Genre: Romantic comedy

Thanks to recent events in her life, a celebrated writer of romantic-comedy films finds herself unable to believe that love can last. Things come to a head when her ex returns — a cynic unable to believe in lasting love because she broke his heart.

My Bebe Love
Octoarts Films, MZET Productions, APT Ent., Inc.
Director: Jose Javier Reyes
Starring: Vic Sotto, Ai-Ai Delas Alas, Alden Richards, and Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza
Genre: Romantic comedy

A nerd under his aunt’s thumb and a rebelious girl seeking her father’s attention, meet, collide, then fall in love.

All You Need is Pag-ibig
ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc.
Director: Antoinette Jadaone
Starring: Kris Aquino, Derek Ramsay, Kim Chiu, Xian Lim, Ian Veneracion, and Jodi Sta. Maria
Genre: Romantic comedy

An ensemble film that looks at the different kinds of love.

Would you like to fly?

FOCUS

Would you like to fly?

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
Videography and photography by Sam Gonzales

Ten minutes is a short time, especially when you’re high on life — as in literally flying in a chopper.

A bird’s eye view of Manila from PhilJet’s helicopter.

While almost everyone flies these days thanks to cheap airfares, not everybody has experienced riding a helicopter around the city — but thanks to GrabTaxi, anyone can now fly high and in style — if they have the money.

The app-based taxi booking service’s newest baby is GrabHeli, a pre-booking helicopter service done in partnership with PhilJets, a charter and helicopter provider.

THAT IS SO FLY
Upon the invitation of PhilJets, BusinessWorld’s videographer and this writer were able to experience a bird’s eye view of the beauty (and ugliness) of Metro Manila without a filter (snap the QR code in this story for the video).

For P3,888 per person, the chopper hovers above Makati, Bonifacio Global City, and Pasay cities. With the chopper’s clear, clean, and bigger windows, one gets a good view of the metro.

An unusual view of the Coconut Palace at the CCP Complex.

The tours are available every Friday and Saturday. The best time to take a tour is around four or past five in the afternoon, just before the light starts to dim. It’s the perfect moment to see the sky as it changes colors from blue to the mix of pink, purple, and orange that make up the famed Manila sunset. It’s also the best time to escape the hellish five o’clock traffic jam.

From above, passengers can see the Metro Manila skyline and its skyscrapers — the cars and trucks below seem like little ants in a hurry (if they are moving at all, that is).

It isn’t scary at all. The pilots are trained and licensed. If you find the engine noise bothersome, wear the headphones. But who thinks about the noise when they are distracted by Manila Bay and its iconic sunset? It was half past five, and the city was aglow — its grime, temporarily veiled by the kaleidoscopic display of nature.

A GrabHeli chopper can accommodate six passengers plus the pilot. The best seats are besides the driver and the windows. But those sandwiched in the middle can also take their photos and videos because, again, the windows are huge.

Along with four other passengers, we were able to see how the city operates from a different angle. Alas, the 10-minute tour was so short it demands a repeat.

AT BETA STAGE
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just fly over the hellish traffic of Metro Manila to get to our destination? Unfortunately, this is just a dream — for now. While GrabHeli is undergoing a three-month trial, it is open to becoming part of the transport system. But there are still issues that need to be resolved, like having more public hangars available in Metro Manila so the chopper ride runs smooth. Currently, there are only four accredited GrabHeli helipads in Makati, Bonifacio Global City, Pasay, and the Ortigas area.

“GrabTaxi has been in the Philippines for a few years now and we’re launching GrabHeli as a way to thank the passengers who have always supported us and stood as witnesses to our growth. It has always been our goal to transform the way Filipinos travel and aviation is not an exception,” said PhilJets Group CEO Thierry Tea in a statement.

How to book:
Book via the app, then a GrabCar will pick you up anywhere you are and it will take you to the PhilJet’s hangar in Pasay.

Who can book:
Passengers registered with GrabPay, a cashless payment system, can take the aerial tour of Makati, BGC, and Pasay City.

Climb a mountain, take pics, and share

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Climb a mountain, take pics, and share in real time

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

MOST FILIPINOS are currently addicted to two things. One, the lure of travel and adventure thanks to promos and sales. Second is the penchant for blow-by-blow documentation and sharing of the travel experiences, whether here or abroad, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A tie-up between a tour company and a major communications company now makes both possible.

ADVENTURE
Thanks to our 7,107 islands filled with pristine forests, mountains, and beaches, nobody is short of adventure travel options.

Gido Sarreal, the founder of Trail AdvenTours, one of the country’s leading outdoor adventure providers, was just a boy in 1997 when he realized he had a passion for nature activities — he climbed Mt. Halcon in Mindoro together with his younger brother, Coby. Now 28, Mr. Sarreal’s most recent climb, done with his brother and some friends, was hiking through two of Taiwan’s highest peaks, the Jade and Snow Mountains.

In 2010, the Sarreal brothers started the Trail AdvenTours, with Mt. Pinatubo as its first climb. From three climbers, the team now has 40 professional climber-tour guides.

It is one of Trail AdvenTours’ main goals to promote the seemingly under-appreciated beauty of the country. As a senior climber and tour guide, Mr. Sarreal notes sadly that often groups of Filipino adventurers say things like: “Ang ganda naman, parang wala ka sa Pilipinas!” (It’s so beautiful it feels like you’re not in the Philippines.)

“While we don’t have winter, the Philippines is a beautiful and rich country. Everything you need is here,” he pointed out.

The group offers more than 40 expert-guided hikes and adventures in the country. The destinations include Pico de Loro in Cavite, Mt. Batulao in Batangas, Batad in Ifugao, Mt. Apo in Davao, and Mt. Daraitan in Rizal.

HASHTAG HEAVEN
Mr. Sarreal said that while mountain climbing is good exercise and the perfect excuse to bond with friends, perhaps more importantly it is an opportunity to be one with nature and appreciate its beauty amid the fast pace of modern life.

“We don’t want anyone worrying about their Internet connection when on the summit — and mostly likely there’s no signal up there. What we want is for the hikers to appreciate the beauty of the moment, the clouds, the rainbow. After all, you hiked for more than eight hours. Posting [on your social media accounts] could wait,” he said.

But most Filipino netizens want to share (or humble brag?) their adventures on their social media accounts in real time and not wait until they have gone down the mountain to get a signal. This is where Smart Communications comes in. These social media addicts can post their selfies and #unfiltered pictures on Instagram and Facebook in real time thanks to a tie-up between Smart and Trail AdvenTours — they get a 20% discount on all trails offered by Trail AdvenTours as long as they present their Smart Bro pocket Wi-Fi and prepaid 4G. The promo runs until November 2016.

Before securing their gadgets, however, Mr. Sarreal said that first-time hikers should prepare their other gear, food, and selves. He said the most important hiking tip is to check one’s fitness.

Day tours range from P1,600 to P2,100 per person while an overnight adventure costs around P4,100 per person, inclusive of transportation fee, tolls, and tour guide fee. Climbing gear and food, however, are not provided by the company.

From Micro to Major

Corporate News

Posted on November 30, 2015 11:02:00 AM

By Nickky F. P. de Guzman, Reporter

From micro to major

5 16 Google +0 0

JOSE MARI del Rosario was a nominee for this year’s Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines award. He is the president and chief executive officer of Microtel Inns and Suites (Pilipinas), Inc. (MISPI) and Microtel Development Corp, which provides no-frills hotels in the country, particularly targeting the middle market. His success story based on his determination and a keen eye.

JOSE MARI DEL ROSARIO -- BW FILE PHOTO

“Look at opportunities as keys, in the sense that you have your eyes wide open to seize them,” he told BusinessWorld at the sidelines of the Hotel Restaurant Cafe travel and tourism event for 2015, where he was the guest speaker.

With eyes open for business opportunities, Mr. del Rosario has been able to change the hotel landscape in the country. In 2001, he was able to put up the first international hotel under MISPI in Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac, after securing the master franchise of Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham -- an international hotel group with 7,670 hotels worldwide, including recognizable brands like Ramada, Travelodge, Baymont, Tryp, and Wingate, among others.

Almost 15 years later, Microtel has now expanded to 13 hotels across the country, including in Metro Manila, Palawan, Boracay, Batangas, and General Santos City.

Many, however, thought that the now-57-year-old businessman wouldn’t stray from the five-star hotel business. After all, his working life revolved around the ins and outs of luxury hotels.

He started as a front desk receptionist at the Hotel Lausanne Palace in Switzerland then became a food and beverage coordinator at The Manila Peninsula Hotel. His hard work paid off; he eventually became the first Filipino general manager and chief operating officer of the iconic Manila Hotel.

But he deviated and chose the mid-market, which he thought was underserved.

“‘Sana’ (with hope) was the operative word. Sana may malamig na aircon. Sana okay ang kama. Sana may cable. Sana may fire exit (With hope, there’s cold air-conditioning. With hope, the bed is okay. With hope, there’s cable. With hope, there’s a fire exit). I want to answer the sana category,” he said.

Despite Microtel being a budget, no-frills hotel, Mr. del Rosario is quick to say that Microtel isn’t a motel.

“The quick answer is no. The brands you mentioned have a recognition [of being motels]. Let’s put it this way; as they call it in Japan, they are ‘love hotels.’ In terms of marketing and positioning, we don’t think there’s a direct competition. Even if you stay in our hotel for three hours, overnight pa din ang rate. Lugi ka. (The hotel rate is still overnight. You’re short-changed),” he said, smiling.

Microtel caters to what he calls the “road warriors” -- pharmaceutical agents, auditors, and businessmen who are always on the go. It is also home to families and barkadas(friends) on vacation and on a budget. The peak seasons are usually the first and last three months of the year.

But, how hard or easy is it to handle the Microtel franchise?

“It is straightforward. We sit down with the prospect. The franchise lasts for 20 years. It’s as if you’re going to marry. I want to know who am I going to bed for the next 20 years. That’s how long the franchise contract is,” he said.

The one-time franchise fee is $1,000 per room he also said. After that, there are royalties once you start operating.

Still, the real challenge is maintaining the franchise and keeping up with competitors.

“Keeping the momentum going is not an easy task. When we started, everybody was looking at five-star hotels. Now, people are looking midmarket, where we are. Robinsons, SM, and even Ayala have their own. All are of these are challenges,” said Mr. del Rosario.

To keep up with these challenges, Microtel banks on word of mouth. During the first quarter of 2014, Microtels in Baguio, Puerto Princesa, and Davao received certificates of excellence from TripAdvisor, an American Web site for room ratings, and reviews from travelers.

“Word of mouth is very important. TripAdvisor is a form of word of mouth. Patay na ’pag ’di maganda ang rate. (You’re dead if you don’t get a good rating),” he said.

“We engage replies immediately. I have instructed our managers to refund money if it [comes] to that,” he added.

Microtel sees no slowing down, especially now that, according to Mr. del Rosario, “there’s a growth of disposable income [among Filipino travelers], the infrastructure has improved albeit complaints, plus [there are] budget fares in airlines.”

Looking forward, Mr. del Rosario, a father of four, said his firm has also acquired the Philippine franchise of Tryp hotel, also under the Wyndham group.

“This time it is sexier,” he said, clarifying that it would have “more vibrant colors and [a] hip restaurant.” He plans to open at least five Tryp properties.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Miracle Stories

STAYING IN

Miracle stories

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

BOOK
Beyond All Barriers: Coincidence or Miracle?
By Flor Gozon-Tarriela and Butch Jimenez
Published by Conquest for Christ Foundation, Inc.

IT WASN’T PART of Alden Richards’ plans to become “The Pambansang Bae” (The National Babe) nor it was Tess E. Santos and Kim Atienza’s wish to get sick. But, despite troubles, there is always a reason to seek the good and to celebrate triumphs, no matter how small they are. This is the key reminder of the book Beyond All Barriers: Coincidence or Miracle, the fifth installment in the series which compiles people’s stories on the “miracles” of life.

“Life isn’t always sunny, but we can always look forward to rainbows,” said Flor Gozon Tarriela, a BusinessWorld columnist and one of the book’s two authors — the other is Butch Jimenez, senior vice-president of PLDT — during its launch on Nov. 25 at the Manila Polo Club in Makati.

From tales of struggles in love and health to career and business, the paperback has 100 stories, all with various versions of a happy ending.

Among the stories told are those of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, theater and TV personality Isay Alvarez Seña, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Nix Nolledo, and urban planner Felino “Jun” Palafox, Jr., who wrote about how they turned barriers into blessings.

SUCCESS STORIES
Among the storytellers is 22-year-old actor Alden Richards (a.k.a. Richard Reyes Faulkerson, Jr.), who is currently celebrating his newfound A-list celebrity status, thanks to his Eat Bulaga stint and his AlDub (Alden and Yaya Dub) fans. But the road to becoming a household name was not easy. Entering showbiz wasn’t even part of his plans. “I wanted to be a pilot when I was growing up and my mom was very supportive of me,” he is quoted as saying in the book. But his mother would always tell him that she wanted to see him on television. “I would meekly say ‘yes’ to appease her,” he said.

When his mother died when he was only 16 years old, he realized he wanted to fulfill her wish. And so he auditioned countless times, and was rejected. Then GMA network saw his potential in 2010. He started acting. Early this year, however, his career had reached a plateau and he felt “restless and empty inside.” That was when he started to yearn for a deeper spiritual life. It was only when he surrendered himself to God that he was able to achieve his dreams and his mother’s wish.

The turning point for Kim Atienza also came when he sought spiritual healing. His story, called “The Ironman,” tells how he battled Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a disorder that attacks the peripheral nervous system, weakening and paralyzing the limbs. Before developing GBS, he already had a stroke that led him to change his lifestyle. He started joining marathons. It was only when he got GBS that his spiritual side grow stronger and deeper.

Actress Isay Alvarez-Seña has a similar story, called “My Heart Full with Every Curtain Call.”

It was the last quarter of 2012, and she was busy with corporate shows, TV series, and rehearsals for the production of the musical Katy! where she was the lead star. In between rehearsals, she would feel uncomfortable. “In one rehearsal, I felt faint and was having a hyper-acidic attack. One time, as I was lying down, I felt a big lump on my left side,” she is quoted as saying in the book. She was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

She did not question God — her illness prompted her to strengthen her spiritual relationship with Him. She also helped herself by eating organic food and living a healthier lifestyle.

She said in the book: “I was not only prepping myself physically but spiritually, too.”

It has been two years since she got sick, and she said she is enjoying life to the fullest.

The book has tales of love especially for the hopeless romantic. Cynical about love and the concept of “forever?” Read “Single No More” about Tin-Tin Uy-Enriquez, director of Trans World Trading Co. Her story proves that there is a happy ever after, no matter one’s age is.

“When I was in my fifties, I had given up hope of ever getting married,” she says, while she may have been alone, she was not lonely. She was happy being single — until her friends set her up on a date. As you may have guessed, the date worked out, but the struggles of the romantic relationship are up to the reader to learn.

“To the single ladies who are still hoping for God’s best, continue to honor and serve your parents; serve the people,” she says in the book, “and the Lord will give you the desires of your heart.”

The book is not available in bookstores. For orders call 847-0522 to 25 or e-mail ccfionline.mission.ymail.com.

Have diabetes, hypertension, or lung disease? Get a pneumonia vaccination

SMOKERS and people with chronic respiratory illness, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases have a greater risk of catching pneumonia.

Adults with diabetes have two to six times more at risk than healthy adults of catching the serious lung infection; those with cardiovascular diseases are three to 10 times more at risk; and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are five to 17 times more at risk, said Dr. Rontgene Solante, chairman of Adult Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Section in San Lazaro Hospital, at a recent forum marking the World Pneumonia Awareness Day.

“Cigarette smoking is the strongest independent risk factor for pneumonia in immune-compromised adults aged 18 to 64,” he pointed out.

Dr. Solante said getting a vaccination is important for people with pneumonia and those with the high-risk medical conditions mentioned. But it isn’t cheap. It costs at least P2,000 to P3,000 per vaccine and one must get two pneumonia vaccinations, and it isn’t covered by most health maintenance organizations.

INFECTION
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by bacteria, virus, fungi, or parasitea. It is a common form of pneumococcal disease, which refers to a group of illnesses caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumonia. Symptoms include cough, fever, shaking, chills, and difficulty in breathing.

People at both ends of age spectrum are most at risk. According to the 2009 Center for Disease and Control Prevention report, the highest incidences of pneumonia occur on people ages five and below and 55 and above.

“People get [pneumonia] by inhalation of microbes via direct person to person contact,” said Dr. Katrina Florcruz of The Medical City and a member of the Philippine Pediatric Society.

Air pollution and overcrowding are also factors.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.6 million people die annually because of pneumonia. While it isn’t in the top 10 death-causing diseases in the world, according to WHO data in 2012, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and COPD, are included in the top 10 list.

According to the Philippine Health Statistics data in 2013, in public hospitals, pneumonia is the fourth leading cause of death among aged Filipinos. It is the top cause of mortality among children ages one to 14. — Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

Going to Boracay? Read This.

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Going to Boracay? Read this.

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

THE BORACAY of simple nipa huts and backpackers’ dreams is long gone.

While Boracay is still a consistent top choice among the world’s best beaches — the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents voted it as the “Favorite Beach Destination in 2015,” while TripAdvisor called Boracay the world’s seventh best beach this year for its clear waters and white powdery sand — it has transformed into a party town with a vibrant nightlife that saw the travel-dating site MissTravel.com ranking it as the most popular destination for Millennials who want to skip the usual family get-togethers especially on holidays.

“Boracay has changed now. It’s primarily a party town. You don’t go to chill or relax anymore, especially in Station 2,” said Annabella Wisniewski, president of Raintree Hospitality Group (RHG), during the launch of Boracay’s newest hotel on Nov. 12. “The market is young. The Millennials are very active, they have high energy,”

Tapping the energy of the Millennials, who are a growing market of Boracay-bound vacationers, RHG, in partnership with Cyrus and Luisa Sta. Maria’s Beach Design Hotel Group, Inc., will open a 71-room “Millennial-friendly” hotel called Coast at Station 2 in the first quarter of 2016.

“It’s a ‘new-gen’ resort that has a lot of energy, but in an organized chaos,” said Ms. Wisniewski. But she was quick to add that it can be family-oriented, too. The room rate averages between P6,000 and P8,000.

Setting it apart from the rest of party-ready hotels in Station 2 — it is located at the middle of the bustling beach, just a few steps away from the restaurants, bars, and pasalubong (souvenir) stores of the D’Mall — its beach butler service which comes at no extra charge. And it has cotton candy and popcorn available at the lobby (“Just to add something unique.”).

Food is also a focus at The Coast — after all, RHG owns Metro Manila eateries like the Museum Café and Kabila at the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt 4, and the Japanese restaurant Saboten, among many others. At Coast, vacationers can choose from a rooftop bar and lounge (The Coconut Club), or a pica-pica (finger food) food truck, a grill (Cafecito), or an all-day dining restaurant (Cha Cha).

“We don’t need to be high-end [to have a superb service.] My mission is to improve the standard of service. The Filipinos have this gaya-gaya(copycat) mentality, which has a good side. We have to uplift the standard — while we’re not five-star hotel, we have to be good. We have to represent the country, and Boracay is a showcase,” Ms. Wisniewski said.

The gaya-gaya mentality was in reference to the air-conditioned boats that HSAI-Raintree — which developed and managed Discovery Suites, Shores, and Country Suites from 1999 to 2012 — started offering to transport tourists from Aklan to Boracay. Soon the rest of the island’s hotels started offering their own comfy boats.

Now, she said Coast hotel wants to lead by example, as a budget hotel with five-star hotel-like service.