The Importance of Casinos in the Philippines' Travel Industry

While China remains the most visited Asian country, countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan are also trendy tourist destinations. Tourism in the Philippines makes one of the most essential parts of the country's economy.

The Philippines was visited by over eight million foreigners back in 2019, and the number of foreign tourists visiting the country is expected to reach ten million people in the years to come. The Philippine tourism industry was negatively affected by the Covid-19 restrictions, which is also the case with all other countries with the well-developed tourism industry.

Speaking of the Philippine tourism industry, the country is known for its spectacular beaches, natural beauty, delicious cuisine, and rich culture. At the same time, many tourists visit the Philippines to pay a visit to one of the many luxurious casino resorts that the Philippines has.

Casino Tourism as the Most Popular Travel Sector

The Philippines consists of over four thousand picturesque islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The country is gifted with miles of stunning beaches and pristine white sand. Its coastline is surrounded by clear waters. Philippine Islands, like Siargao, Palawan, and Boracay, have been named many times as the best tourist destinations in the world. At the same time, there is so much more to the Philippines than idyllic beaches.

The country is known for spectacular natural wonders, some of the most spectacular diving spots, friendly locals, uniquely delicious cuisine, and rich biodiversity. Cebu remains the country’s most visited tourist destination, followed by El Nido situated in Palawan province, Coron, famous for spectacular underground rivers, and the Balabac Islands, which house some of the best beach resorts in the world.

Another major factor that positively impacts the country's thriving travel industry is casino tourism. Casino tourism is a new trend in the tourism industry. There is a strong relationship between tourism and casino, and this is especially evident in the Philippines, which houses many casino resorts.

Casino tourism in the Philippines is highly beneficial to the country's economy as well as since casinos attract more foreigners and even more investors.

The Rise of Casino Tourism in the Philippines

Regarding casino tourism in the Philippines, the country's capital remains the most popular destination among casino tourists. This does not come up as a surprise, considering that Manila is home to many luxurious casino resorts, including the Okada Manila resort, Winford Manila Resort and Casino, and Solaire Resort and Casino.

Cebu is another major player in the Philippine casino tourism industry thanks to the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Radisson Blu Cebu, and other casino resorts. According to this Statista report, over 8.26 million tourists visited the country in 2019, while this number dropped to 1.48 million in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The entertainment and casino complexes in Entertainment City are the primary moneymakers in the country's casino tourism. These resorts are also significant hubs for tourists looking forward to enjoying some gambling fun, along with the many other fantastic hotels in the country. 

Land-based gaming revenues generate hefty profits for the Philippines government, while restaurants and hotels also benefit from an influx of tourists. The rise of casino tourism also creates more working opportunities for locals working in hospitality and other industries.

GLUPA: The Breakthrough POWER OF TWo in skin Whitening

Skin whitening won’t be the same again as two of the most powerful and proven effective skin whitening agents, Glutathione and Papaya come together in one breakthrough product, GLUPA. 

Check out Glupa soap which effectively cleans and brightens your skin without drying. Its Cucumber Melon scent leaves you feeling fresh as you glow. This cold processed soap is also formulated with Vitamins C, E, Grape Seed Extract and Virgin Coconut Oil to give you not just brighter but softer and younger-looking skin as well. With Glupa soap, gram for gram, you’re getting the power of two skin whiteners for less.

Famous Glutathione meets Popular Papaya in blockbuster skin whitening breakthrough, GLUPA!

When two of the super stars in skin whitening come together in one breakthrough product, it’s definitely a blockbuster hit! Use Glupa and be a super star!

Brighten your skin and instantly conceal imperfections with this non-greasy, instant skin whitening lotion, Glupa. This breakthrough product combines the skin whitening and anti aging power of Glutathione and Papaya plus Vitamins C and E, giving you twice the whitening results like never before. It takes two to have the healthy, beautiful, youthful and white skin. Only in Glupa… the power of two!

To know more about Glupa products , follow @IamGlupalicious on Instagram and IamGlupalicious  on Facebook. You may also visit Shopee , Lazada Official Stores in LazMall and ShopeeMall. Also available at Watsons , Mercury and Southstar.

37th Mall of WalterMart Opens at The Junction, Novaliches!

Shopping just got more exciting! Looking for a one-stop shop for all your needs? WalterMart The Junction is NOW OPEN to serve you! Head over now to the newly opened store and enjoy amazing deals and promos!

WalterMart brings its one-stop, convenient, fresh and safe shopping experience to the Novaliches Community with the opening of its 37th mall on May 26. With this, WalterMart continues to provide its signature heart-felt service and provides even more reasons for customers to love going to this newest community mall. 

• Love Choices

As the favorite go-to place of the community, WalterMart is a one-stop destination including a supermarket, home appliances, specialty stores, wellness services and food selections. The  Novaliches community will surely experience #MoreToLoveatWalterMart shopping all in one hub.

WalterMart Supermarket takes the grocery shopping experience a notch higher. From farm fresh to seafood and oriental produce, to International Flavors and Healthy Organic Sections – the widest assortment of essential goods are housed in this newest branch. With the increased demand on ready to cook meals, they partnered with restaurant brands to carry restaurant-quality food products such as Shakeys, Goldilocks etc. 

Abenson – the Philippines’ largest appliance store carries up to a thousand items from home appliance to work from home essentials. 

W Department Store, has a wide array of fashion and beauty brands like Penshoppe, Wrangler, Mr. Lee, Disney, Hawk, Mossimo, Dowell, Ever Bilena, and Casio alongside its home essentials sale of up to 50% off.

The mall also boasts a line-up of tenants to amp up its assortment – food selections like KFC, Dunkin Donuts, and Chatime, and a food court where friends and family can dine together at Potato Corner, TakoBros and Siomai House. Essentials stores carry branded and value items like Ace Hardware, and Watsons. Service lanes and Cyberzone open to cater a one-stop shop experience like BDO, Core Pacific Exchange, Samsung, Infinix and Cellstuff, and Metrofone. 

• Love Convenience

Customers can expect thoughtfully designed wide aisles, smooth parking and easy to access commute routes. Free Parking perks awaits the customers to celebrate its opening day. Free rides from Novaliches Balintawak Blumentritt Transport Cooperative (NOBABLUM), The New Sta. Quiteria Transport Cooperative (TNSQTC), at A. Doringo Transport Services Corporation for everyone.

Faster, easier and hassle-free options for customers to receive their orders thru designated pick-up points via the curb side pick-up program. WalterMart Supermarket has also grown its online ordering capability via its Grocery Delivery site, www.waltermart.com for a full omni-channel experience.

• Love Community

WalterMart is operated by the community, for the community. It takes pride in being part of each community that they serve. Providing local jobs and a space where local businesses can showcase their produce.

• Love Savings

Grand Opening Sale welcomes the Novaliches community with up to 50% off, Buy 1 Take 1 and promo bundles from your favorite branded stores. Followed by a 10-day Sale from May 27-June 5. 

WalterMart The Junction is located at Quirino Highway, Brgy. Talipapa, Novaliches, Quezon City and opens at 10am-9pm daily. Find WalterMart The Junction in Google Maps  https://bit.ly/WMTheJunction and Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hwdw59cnp7.

To get latest updates from WalterMart followtheir social media accounts at: Facebook, Instagram & Tiktok, Website: www.waltermart.com.ph.

Snatch Up These Rice Cooker and Food Bundles from Hanabishi, Mega Prime, and Gourmanok Until May 31

In celebration of Mother’s Day, Hanabishi Appliances teamed up with Mega Prime and Gourmanok for a month-long celebration featuring their latest line of quality rice cookers. 

These mom-favorite bundles are available until May 31 only. They include Hanabishi rice cookers paired with various Mega Prime and Gourmanok food products.

“With these bundles, we hope that we can help our customers in their search the best gifts to give their moms. Every day can be Mother’s Day. Show your love an appreciation for your mom as often as you can." ~Cherish Ong-Chua, Vice President for Marketing and Finance of Hanabishi Appliances

Available on LazMall and Shopee Mall

On Hanabishi Appliances’ official LazMall store and Shopee Mall store, you can find the following:

• Hanabishi Rice Cooker HHRC10WHT (1L 5 cups) with Free Mega Prime Products
• Hanabishi Rice Cooker HHRC18WHT (1.8L) with Free Mega Prime Products
• Hanabishi Low Sugar Rice Cooker HDESUGAR18MFRC with Free Mega Prime Products
• Hanabishi Rice Cooker HHRC10BLK (1L 5 cups) with Gourmanok Freebies
• Hanabishi Rice Cooker HHRC15BLK (1.5L 7 cups) with Gourmanok Freebies
• Hanabishi Rice Cooker HHRC18BLK (1.8L) with Gourmanok Freebies
• Hanabishi Rice Cooker HHRC28BLK (2.8L) with Free Mega Prime Products
• Hanabishi Low Sugar Rice Cooker HDESUGAR18MFRC with Free Mega Prime Products

For more information about this promotion, visit Hanabishi’s official store on LazMall and Shopee Mall. 

Hanabishi products are also available at www.myhanbishi.com and in leading appliance stores nationwide.

  

To learn more about their latest products and promotions, follow their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts. 

For more information about Hanabishi, please visit www.myhanabishi.com/shop/ and  like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MyHanabishiAppliances/.

About Hanabishi: 

Sa Bahay at sa Business Mo, Hanabishi!

Hanabishi is a Filipino household name for appliances for over 35 years. It is a brand engineered to fit the lifestyle of the Filipino both for homes and businesses.  Hardworking, durable and resilient, are the attributes that personify Hanabishi making it the brand of choice of every Filipino mom and businessman when it comes to value and practicality. Hanabishi is the mark of quality that grows with you through the years.  Built with passion and an impeccable desire to uphold the quality of life in every Filipino home, Hanabishi will remain to be the PRACTICAL choice and KAPARTNER, today and for the many years to come.

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Whenever the month of May steps in our calendar we instantly  think of summer and parade of beauties one of which is Flores De Mayo. Flores De Mayo is a Filipino festival that is celebrated as one of the May devotions, the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrated throughout the entire month of May. This celebration culminates with a religious and cultural beauty pageant the Santacruzan.

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Last May 22, 2022, Enchanted Kingdom brings back their own twist on the Filipino tradition, Flores De Laguna 2022, in partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP) - Laguna. Flores De Laguna is a celebration of our motherland and the Filipino creativity and beauty.

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

This event is an opportunity for 20 of the most promising local designers and loveliest ladies to showcase their passion for fashion as they sashay the catwalk, celebrating the meaningful religious tradition of flower offering and celebrating the culture of the Philippines.

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

Through its events, Enchanted Kingdom aims to promote not only its rides and attractions but also Filipino culture and build national pride, as the talented Filipino designers and models display their original creations.

Flores De Laguna 2022, in Partnership with The Designers Circle Philippines (DCP)

For more information on promos and ticket reservations and bookings, please visit Enchanted Kingdom’s official website www.enchantedkingdom.ph, online

store https://shop.enchantedkingdom.ph/ or official Facebook page www.facebook.com/enchantedkingdom.ph.

BPI Sinag evolves to achieve more inclusive and sustainable growth

“Evolution best represents the enhancements in our Sinag program over time to better address the needs of the broader SE ecosystem. Doing well by doing good as an economic and social imperative is more relevant now more than ever. This is the perfect time to increase our collective efforts to become more inclusive, responsible, and sustainable when doing business. This is the essence why we strongly support social enterprises.” ~Owen Cammayo, BPI Foundation Executive Director

BPI Foundation, the social development arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), officially launched the 8th iteration of its flagship program, BPI Sinag, which champions the social enterprise (SE) sector in the country. 

With this year’s theme: BPI Sinag Evolution, the program aims to elevate its impact and achieve inclusive and sustainable growth by implementing for the first time, a multi-stakeholder approach, highlighting three vital pillars: the social entrepreneurs, the educators, and the intervenors or sub-sectors. BPI Foundation has committed Php3 million worth of cash grants for these pillars this year.

BPI Foundation remains committed to be at the forefront of social entrepreneurship in the country through its Sinag program.

BPI Sinag Evolution is also aligned with the National Social Enterprise Development Roadmap, one of the accomplishments of Sinag Spark last year, translating the roadmap strategies into viable programs. 

Introduced in 2015, the BPI Sinag program was initially conceived as a business challenge for social enterprises (SEs). It has now evolved into a growing ecosystem that continues to bring together not just the country’s visionary entrepreneurs, but also mentors, investors, and other stakeholders with a collective goal of inclusive and sustainable growth through social entrepreneurship. 

Over the years, the program has supported 238 SEs nationwide and awarded over Php20 million cash grants to help them strengthen their enterprises, widen their reach, and further uplift the lives of their communities.

Owen Cammayo, BPI Foundation Executive Director

Delighted to continue its long-time partnership with BPI Foundation in empowering social enterprises. 

Prof. Francisco “Jay” Bernardo, Bayan Academy President and Chairman

“BPI Foundation together with Bayan Academy and other program partners will contribute and make available suitable resources to assist social enterprises in their journey to evolve. The BPI Sinag Evolution program fully supports the promotion of an enabling environment so social enterprises cannot just merely survive, and it doesn’t stop at thriving, but also allowing them to evolve.” ~Prof. Francisco “Jay” Bernardo, Bayan Academy President and Chairman

During the virtual launch, four Sinag alumni, JT Solis of Mayani, Catherine Diquit of Likhang Maragondon, Cecille Virtucio of Batangas Egg Producers Cooperation, and Lorielinda Bella Rago-Marte of Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association also talked about their experiences on how the program helped grow their social enterprises.

Ms. Catherine Diquit of Likhang Maragondon

“Kami ay maliit na social enterprise lamang and we are only months-old noong sumali kami dito. Because of BPI Sinag, we had a better understanding kung ano ba ang social enterprise. We met so many inspiring people. Nagkaroon kami ng better connections and network. The funding that we got from BPI Sinag really help us kasi ngayon nakapagpagawa na kami ng manufacturing hub.” ~Ms. Catherine Diquit of Likhang Maragondon

Together with its main implementing partner, Bayan Academy, BPI Foundation will continue its partnerships with BPI’s microfinance arm, BPI BanKo, together with Ayala Land, Start Up Village, and Villgro Philippines. As part of the program’s evolution, the foundation also sealed a collaboration with Entrego to boost the market access of SEs by providing reliable logistic solutions for the safe and timely delivery of their products.

Business challenge for social enterprises

The “Sinag Evolution” business challenge will open its doors again to social enterprises. Of 60 SEs who will qualify for the bootcamps and mentoring sessions, the Top 25 will be shortlisted for the selection of the Top 10, who will receive as much as Php300,000 cash grant.

Aside from the cash grants, BPI Foundation will provide Sinag SEs with an MBA-like experience through virtual mentoring sessions, which will include sessions on business strategy and planning, marketing, operations, finance, organization & HR development, and social innovation, among others. Sinag SEs will also benefit from market access through the Sinag Sari-Sari Store in Ayala malls nationwide through its partnership with Alagang Ayala Land.

The business challenge is open to social entrepreneurs who are 18 years old and above leading a registered social enterprise that has been operating for at least six months. The application period will run until June 30, 2022. 

New offerings for the academe and sub-sectors

With the multi-stakeholder approach, the “Sinag Evolution” will also give opportunities to the members of the academe and the support intervenors of SEs through a customized management program and competition.

Aiming to encourage academic institutions to be at the active forefront of social entrepreneurship, BPI Foundation offers the BPI Sinag Social Entrepreneurship and Management Course for Educators. The course, which will focus on effective methodologies in teaching social entrepreneurship management, is open to the members of the academe, including school heads, administrators, and lead teachers who specialize in general entrepreneurship and business management. 

The deadline for applications is on June 10, 2022, while the training will be from June 13 to 17. The participating educators will then submit their proposals and present them to an esteemed panel of judges. Five educators with the best proposals will win a cash grant of Php100,000 each.

For the SE Intervenors and Subs-sectors, BPI Foundation aims to collaborate with various organizations, including corporate foundations, NGOs, civil society organizations, and other government agencies, in promulgating social entrepreneurship as part of their corporate social responsibility programs.

The participants will be given the chance to learn about social entrepreneurship management and frameworks that may be used as interventions in the community that they support. In addition, they will be asked to present proposals to integrate social entrepreneurship in their existing programs to achieve better social impact in the communities they serve. 

Interested participants may register until August 12, 2022, while the five-day bootcamp will be held from August 22 to 26. Five participants with the most viable proposals will win a cash grant of Php100,000 each.

To know more about Sinag Evolution, visit https://www.bpifoundation.org/page/bpi-sinag and follow BPI Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

ABOUT BPI FOUNDATION

The story of empowerment is at the center of BPI Foundation’s work. It is our commitment to enable underserved communities with financial knowledge and access to spur responsible and sustainable growth and progress for Filipinos.