Chokoleit passes away at age 46

Filipino comedian Chokoleit, passed away on Saturday at age 46.

He was known as a kapamilya star, who rose to stardom during  his portrayal in a TV series Marina (Fantaserye).

Chokoleit's  real name is Jonathan Garcia, originally from Davao City.

He appeared in Kapamilya television shows such as “Ang Probinsyano” and “Mara Clara”.

Star Magic, the comedian’s management, confirmed the news of Chokoleit’s passing.

According to the BS CBN report, the comedian had difficulty in breathing after a show in Abra.

Davao City on High Alert

DAVAO CITY, Philippines
—  A top official of the Public Safety and Command Center confirmed the alert level of Davao City and other cities in the country remains high due to the threat coming from the communist rebels and the terror groups.

Speaking in the AFP-PNP Press Corps briefing at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Retired Major General Benito De Leon, chief of the PSCC referred to the reports tackled in the recent Regional Peace and Order Council meeting where the issues pertaining the peace and order were tackled.

Sangguniang Panglungsod ng Dabaw | Photo: Ree Amante/Southern DC Blog

He said that just like a virus, terror threat is everywhere and when the body lowers its defense mechanism, it can be easily afflicted by illness and consequently, the society can be infected by it.

“I believe that the security arrangements in the city brought about by the coordination between the Armed Forces of the Philippines, through the Task Force Davao and three Army Battalions and the Philippine National Police deployed in Davao City under the Davao City Police Office, are able to provide very good security preparation,” De Leon said.

He cited threats coming from like the ISIS, Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, Abu Sayyaf Group, criminal groups and the front line organizations of the communist rebels.

He stressed that the city also has force multipliers like the Civil Security Units funded by the city government providing security for all schools and other government facilities and the police auxiliaries recruited by the city augmented in the DCPO and the City Transport and Traffic Management Office.

De Leon said all security forces are collaborating and coordinating in all security efforts.

He said the security in the city is very tight which is being copied by other places.

“Even then we need the support and cooperation of the local populace because of the city’s wide expanse and is very porous. Our mayor calls for all people to support the security arrangement,” De Leon said.

Senior Superintendent Nolasco Bathan, deputy director for administration of the Police Regional Office XI called for vigilance among the citizenry.

He said the threats from terror groups will not thrive once the residents and the security forces are united against them.


source: Philippine Information Agency X1 (PIA-X1)

Dusit Thani Residences Davao

 Strong Tourist Influx, Economic Growth Spur Serviced Apartment Developments.


DAVAO CITY, Davao
— The recent years have witnessed an upswing in the tourism industry. According to Colliers International’s Second Quarter 2015 Research and Forecast Report on the Philippines, the number of foreign arrivals to the country improved in the first five months of 2015, with year-to-date 2015 figures representing an 8.15% rise from the same period in 2014.

With this trend is the growing need to improve the quality of destinations and the availability of more accommodations in more parts of the country. Of particular note is the entry of a new kind of accommodation: the serviced apartment — a fully-furnished apartment with amenities usually available in hotels. It is a cheaper alternative to hotels, making it ideal for both short and long term stays.

“The booming economy equals new businesses, which equals to more executives looking for efficient places to live in the central business districts in the Philippines,” said
Andrew Sparrow, Development Director for Dusit Thani Residences Davao.

Dusit Thani Residences Davao is Dusit International’s bid to add to the serviced residences options in the Philippines. The international hotel brand has recently opened its showroom for Dusit Thani Residences Davao. This is the first Dusit Thani Residences in Asia-Pacific, as the company’s other serviced apartments are located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The property is scheduled for turnover in 2018.

He explained that the international executive traveler will most likely stay for a duration of at least a week to a few months, and tends to prefer accommodations that provide the comforts of home, easy access to luxurious amenities and are ideally located near their workplace.

For such sector of the tourism market, serviced apartments are fast becoming a viable alternative. The services and amenities of high-end serviced apartments are comparable to those of the hotel counterparts, with the added feature of being able to accommodate long-term stays.

“Serviced apartments are relatively new in the Philippines, and this presents an opportunity to establish this kind of accommodation, aside from hotels,” Sparrow noted.

Choosing to establish outside Manila is intentional. The Colliers report also notes that the prevalence of direct flights from international locations to provincial destinations such as Cebu and Davao make stopping in Metro Manila unnecessary. This trend caters to a unique sector of the tourism market.

Sparrow emphasized Davao’s increasing dominance as a key economic hub in the southern part of the Philippines. Being the country’s second largest and fastest growing city presents an opportunity for the entry of more international quality of accommodations and amenities.

He added, “The location is strategic in two ways. First, the Residences are located in a major business hub south of the Philippines, which we see will help contribute to local investments and economic opportunities. Secondly, being situated within city limits allows our residents to create a productive and enjoyable work-life balance.”

Sparrow further explained the uniqueness of Dusit Thani Residences Davao: “The units are actually for sale. This means that prospective buyers can, firstly, enjoy the luxurious services and amenities of the property and, secondly, earn from it through short term leasing if ever they are not using the unit. Davao has a market that is ready for more high-end investments and accommodations, and we are confident that Dusit Thani’s experience and reputation will meet these discriminating expectations.”

The presence of a globally-recognized brand such as Dusit Thani will not only encourage international traveler to stay longer, but also help address the influx of travelers by increasing and diversifying the accommodation options in the province.

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About the developers of Dusit Thani Residences

Torre Lorenzo
Headquartered in Makati City, Torre Lorenzo first made a name in the real estate market through its highly successful Premium University Residences located well within Manila’s school district. The firm all the more solidified its reputation in the property industry with the development of its first township venture in Davao, Ciudades.


Dusit International
Dusit International is a leader in hotel management and education and comprises a unique international portfolio of distinctive hotels and resorts. Rooted in Thai culture and tradition, Dusit International creates a personalised welcome for all guests, fulfilling its brand promise of delivering an ‘experience that enlivens the individual spirit no matter the journey’.


check the source here

World Bank commended the PH cash transfer program among world’s best.

Photo credit to Blogs.ADB.org | The beneficiaries of conditinal cash transfer

The World Bank gave the country’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program high marks, saying it was one of the “largest and best-targeted social safety net programs in the world.”

Ruslan Yemstov, World Bank’s leading economist on social protection and labor, presented on Wednesday the results of the bank’s “The State of Social Safety Nets 2015” report which showed that 82 percent of the benefits of the Philippines’ CCT program went to the bottom 40 percent of the population and noted that it was “way superior” to previous social programs.

“The poor and vulnerable in the Philippines benefit from what is today one of the largest and best-targeted social safety net programs in the world,” said Yemstov, who led the team that prepared the WB report, said.

Protecting families

Social safety net programs include cash and in-kind transfers to poor households with the goal of protecting families from the impact of economic shocks, natural disasters, and other crises; ensuring that children grow up healthy, well-fed and stay in school; empowering women and girls, and creating jobs.

According to the World Bank report, more than 1.9 billion people in 136 low- and middle-income countries benefit from social safety net programs.

Across the world, CCT programs account for over 50 percent of social safety net programs, and are being implemented in 64 countries—a dramatic increase from two countries in 1997.

The report also noted that CCT had positive spillover effects on the local economy of target communities. Every dollar transferred to beneficiaries generates income ranging from $1.34 to $2.52 in local communities (“multiplier effects”).

Cash transfers boost school enrollment and attendance, increase live births in safer facilities, improve prenatal and postnatal care, promote regular growth monitoring of children during critically important early ages, and enhance food security, the report said.

In the Philippines, almost 4.5 million households are enrolled in the CCT, or Pantawid Pamilya program, from only 360,000 households in 2008.

“CCT grants account for an average of 11 percent of the income of the poorest recipient households,” noted World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi.

Keep kids healthy and in school

Evaluation studies, according to Konishi, also show that CCT in the Philippines is delivering on its objectives: keeping poor children healthy and in school.

The program increased prenatal and postnatal care by 10 percentage points and increased the delivery of babies in health facilities by skilled health professionals by 20 percentage points. Children benefited by receiving higher intake of vitamin A and iron supplementation by around 12 percentage points and by increased weight monitoring visits to health facilities by 18 percentage points.

Aleksandra Posarac, program leader of the World Bank in Manila, said the Philippines has developed a system “way superior” to previous ones.

She lauded the government’s information management system, called Listahanan,” that identifies who and where the poor are in the country.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, whose agency is the lead implementor of the social safety net program, said the data base, “in a way, makes it corruption-proof.”

Check the source here: PH Cash Transfer Program

Status of Davao Occidental also up in Brgy. polls

SDC News | Davao 

Davao del Sur Provincial Capitol (screengrab from their Facebook page)

Update, Davao Occidental:

DAVAO CITY, Davao
-- Aside from casting votes in the barangay elections, voters in Davao del Sur also voted for or against the proposed creation of the new province of Davao Occidental on Monday.

If Davao Occidental comes into being, the province of Davao del Sur, which previously had two legislative districts, will be reduced to one legislative district encompassing nine municipalities and one city.

The plebiscite is expected to yield a positive result, as all political clans in the province supported the proposal to create of Davao Occidental by virtue of Republic Act 10360 passed and approved into law last January 21, 2013. (Ben O. Tesiorna)



source: Solarnews.ph / Regional Wrap