Manila Vanilla: A Prelude to the Philippines

A live performance of Manila Vanilla

Manila Vanilla is a mini theatrical act at the Mabuhay Restop that tells about the uniqueness of the Filipinos to others culturally and socially.

The play, written by Nestor Torre and infused with the musical genius of Ryan Cayabyab, is a comedy-musical happening every Wednesday and weekends at the said Filipino restaurant.

Aside from the songs and the comedy skits, you will also be amazed with the Filipiniana dances by young performers.

To become more acquainted with the Filipino culture, a dinner buffet is also served featuring some of the well-known Filipino dishes.

Also, first-time guests can also have a chance to try doing the tinikling, a folk dance which was once the Philippines' national dance.

Manila Vanilla happens every Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday starting at 7:00 PM at the Mabuhay Restop along the intersection of T.M. Kalaw and Roxas Boulevards in Manila City just near the Manila Ocean Park. Everyone is welcome, especially the tourists.

For more information, please call (02)3597927 or 09178108194, visit its website at mabuhayrestops.com, or email at info@mabuhayrestops.com.

Murang Lipad Offers Help to Stranded Passengers

Here’s a great news for travelers! Murang Lipad, a division of Triplestar Travel & Tours, announced that it is offering flight reservation assistance to passengers affected by flight cancellations. It services ticket reservation of all major carriers in the Philippines, particularly Tiger Air, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Air Asia, and Jetstar.

To avail of specialized travel assistance, passengers may call the reservations hotline at 849-0100. They may also call Murang Lipad for free by visiting www.muranglipad.com and clicking the WebTalk Button. Office hours are extended from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily to accommodate travel needs of affected passengers.

Triplestar has 11 ticketing offices nationwide, particularly in Makati, Manila Domestic Airport, Quezon City, SM Clark, Cebu City, Cebu International Airport, Davao City, Davao International Airport, Puerto Princesa City, Tacloban City, and Bacolod City. All are strategically located to cater to passengers’ immediate travel requirements.

For more information about Murang Lipad, please like their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/muranglipad and follow their Twitter http://twitter.com/muranglipad for more updates.

New Plates Available by September

The newest car plates will now have four numbers on it, while the motorcy-
cle plates will have five numbers in it. The respective number of letters re-
main the same. LTO

The much-awaited issuance of modern license plates by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), containing several advanced security features and a new alphanumeric design, will finally push through before the end of next month, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

“The public can start enjoying the benefits of cutting-edge standardized license plates before the end of September. They need not wait much longer,” said DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal.  

The 5-year contracts for the supply of motor vehicle (MV) license plates, amounting to around PHP 1.989 billion, and the supply of motorcycle (MC) license plates, amounting to around PHP 1.196 billion, have been awarded to the joint venture of J. Knieriem B.V. Goes and Power Plates Development Concepts, Inc.

The DOTC will now have 10 days to finalize the supply contracts, after which a notice to proceed will be issued to the winning bidder. The consortium will then have 30 days to deliver the license plates to the LTO.

This means that by the end of September, vehicle owners will begin receiving plates with new alphanumeric designs: the MV plates will now have a 3-letter, 4-number combination, and the MC plates will have a 2-letter, 5-number combination. The private vehicle plates will also come in a black-and-white design, with a look similar to those in more advanced countries such as Singapore and parts of Europe.

The latest technologies adopted as multiple security features include laser-etched bar codes containing selective data inputs which will allow data verification with the LTO, reflective sheeting material with security images which cannot be removed by any known method without damaging the sheeting, which will allow license plate visibility even from wide-entrance angles and up to a distance of 100 feet, for both daytime and nighttime, and anodized bolt head screws and nuts with serial numbers, which will prevent tampering and removal of the license plates from the vehicle bodies once installed.

“The new security features will promote safety and reliability in accordance with international quality standards,” Sagcal added. “They will prevent the tampering, theft, and falsification of license plates, mitigating carnapping, colorum, and smuggling practices.”

With respect to various issues raised by losing bidders and other interested parties in connection with the bidding out of this project, the DOTC has already satisfactorily addressed their questions.

“What matters is that the DOTC conducted an open, fair, and transparent bidding in accordance with procurement laws,” remarked Sagcal.

Schick Man of Steel Promo Still On

Win a limited edition Man of Steel USB.

Join the Schick Man of Steel promo and win limited edition Man of Steel items. Just log on to www.schicktransform.com/manofsteel/ph and key in your contact details.You can win notebooks, flash drives, and other Man of Steel items. What are you waiting for? Join now. Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 1843 Series of 2013.

NAIA 3 to Go Full Blast by 2014

The NAIA Terminal 3 is nearing full completion. Jed Segovia

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with Takenaka Corporation of Japan for the latter to complete and integrate the systems works for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Under the terms of the agreement, Takenaka, the original subcontractor, will complete the works within 12 months, allowing Terminal 3 to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2014. These works include baggage handling, flight information displays, computer terminals, gate coordination, and fire protection systems, among others.

With this agreement in place, the DOTC commits to having Terminal 3 fully operational by August 2014.

The full operation of Terminal 3 will allow a faster and more pleasant experience for passengers flying in and out of Manila.  This will also boost the administration’s tourism efforts and make air travel more convenient and efficient, by doubling Terminal 3’s annual capacity to 13 million domestic and international passengers.

The rehabilitation and completion of works on Terminal 3 coincides with other DOTC projects that will further enhance the quality and safety of Philippine aviation.

These include the adoption of a world-class aviation system known as the CNS/ATM (Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management) System, which is now being implemented and will be fully operational by November 2015.

Other improvement projects for various airports across the country are the P 434.5 million Upgrading of Night Landing Operations Project and the P 258.9 million Installation/Upgrading of Airfield Lighting Systems and Upgrading of Power Supply Systems Project, both of which are currently being bid out by the transport agency.

IRRI Honors Women

IRRI Chairwoman Emerlinda Roman welcomed everyone who graced the Wo-
men in Rice Farming Event at IRRI.

The International Rice Research Institute paid tribute to the women who are making breakthroughs in rice farming in a major event at its headquarters in Los Baños.

Former U.P. President and IRRI Board of Trustees Chairwoman Emerlinda Roman and Agriculture Undersecretary Berna Puyat graced the event that served to honor the women of rice farming.

IRRI Deputy Dirctor General Bruce Tolentino gave a keynote speech on the current trends of rice production internationally.

The audience, mainly composed of lady farm workers from various parts of the country, were also given a tour to the IRRI complex. The Women in Rice Farming is part of the International Year of Rice celebration of IRRI.

Greenwich Launches PizzaThins

The new Greenwich PizzaThins Signature Special

Greenwich, the number one pizza chain in the Philippines, launched its newest addition, the PizzaThins. Various celebrities attended the launch event.

The PizzaThins have thinner crusts, making it crunchier than the other Greenwich pizzas. They also have more meat and more cheese than the others, so it's more flavorful.

Greenwich endorser John Lloyd Cruz also graced the event to formally welcome the PizzaThins to the menu. PizzaThins is available in Signature Special, Pepperoni, and Hawaiian flavors.