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(VietnamPlus) Jollibee, one of fast food restaurant chains in Vietnam, has marked a new business journey with a commitment to speading endless culinary joy through launching its 150th store in Vietnam.

Hanoi (VNA) – Jollibee, one of fast food restaurant chains in Vietnam, has marked a new business journey with a commitment to speading endless culinary joy through launching its 150th store in Vietnam.

The new store was officially opened on March 19 at No. 254 Dong Da street, Thuan Phuoc ward, Hai Chau district, Da Nang city. It is also the seventh Jollibee store in the central city.

Jollibee is a world well-known famous brand for its product Chickenjoy with more than 1,500 stores operating in over 17 countries and territories around the world. It is a Filipino multinational chain of fast food restaurants owned by the Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC).

The launch of the 150th store is a memorable milestone, and it is also an important step for the journey to become the leading Quick Serving Restaurant (QSR) chain in Vietnam by 2025.

JFC CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong affirmed that Vietnam is among important markets and the largest international market of Jollibee outside the Philippines.

Despite challenges and difficulties brought by COVID-19, Jollibee Vietnam continued to post growth, and the inauguration of the new store demonstrates efforts by the company and the feelings of Vietnamese consumers, he added.

Vietnam is the first foreign market outside the Philippines housing a production plant of the JFC, which spans more than 10,000 sq.m in Can Giuoc district of the Mekong Delta province of Long An, said General Director of Jollibee Vietnam Lam Hong Nguyen.

Together with in-person and online activities in celebration of the newest store, various promotions are rolled out at all Jollibee stores across the country.

The first Jollibee store was opened in Vietnam in 2005. Since then, Jollibee has tried its best to bring Vietnamese families with delicious meals at reasonable prices.

Among the establishment’s best sellers are the house hamburger ‘Yumburger’; the fried chicken meal ‘Chickenjoy’ which comes in both regular and spicy versions; and ‘Jolly Spaghetti’, a sweet-style interpretation of spaghetti.. Read More

(Manila Bulletin) Foreign policy experts warned that China has the ability to use direct military force for its maritime claims, so the next administration must craft a national security strategy that prioritizes strengthening ties with like-minded countries.

“If China really wanted to reliably be able to coerce Manila, it would want the ability to use direct military force, and the reality is that China is going to have that ability,” said Elbridge Colby, former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development of the US Department of Defense.

“I think the Philippines should concentrate much more on the high-end military scenario rather than the South China Sea gray zone,” Colby added… Read More

(FreeMalaysiaToday) MANILA: Philippine presidential candidates on Saturday sounded the alarm over a possible new wave of coronavirus infections, as neighbours China and South Korea battle a resurgence in cases.

With other countries also detecting the new “Deltacron” coronavirus variant, presidential hopefuls called for aggressive vaccinations, intensified border controls and a stronger health care system during a debate organised by the Commission on Elections, the independent poll regulator.

In skipping one interview, Marcos accused a respected journalist, who previously asked him about human rights atrocities and corruption during his father’s autocratic rule, “biased” for being “anti-Marcos”.

Saturday’s debate covered the nine candidates’ economic agenda and pandemic response plan.

As Covid-19 cases have eased at home, the Philippines has moved to reopen the economy, lifting quarantine requirements for vaccinated foreign tourists and ordering over a million outsourcing employees to return to the office next month to generate business activity.

But Covid-19 flare-ups in other Asian countries such as China have prompted candidates to call for an improved pandemic response, even as their own campaign rallies, experts warned, could become superspreader events… Read More

(SunStar) DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to ignore retired military general Antonio Parlade Jr., who called for the establishment of a revolutionary government amid his claims of corruption in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies.

“Action taken: directed the AFP to ignore him, not listen to him,” Lorenzana said in a message to reporters when asked to comment on Parlade’s call, which he made in an event he and his supporters held at the Edsa People Power Monument on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

In a statement, AFP spokesperson Colonel Ramon Zagala said the 145,000-strong military personnel remains firm in their resolve to be loyal to the Constitution and the duly constituted authorities recognizing their responsibility to uphold integrity as they perform their duties and responsibilities as public servants.

“While the AFP respects the people’s freedom of expression, we do not and will not support extra legal means outside the constitution which we have sworn to protect including the sanctity of the electoral process,” said Zagala.

“We continuously remind our troops to adhere to the rule of law and always obey the chain of command, whoever is seated as the commander-in-chief. The Armed Forces will remain a professional organization that will not engage in partisan politics and will at all times put the interest of the nation before personal views and opinions,” he added… Read More

(BusinessWorld) THE FAMILY of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos still owes the government billions of pesos in estate and income taxes, according to the agency tasked to recover ill-gotten wealth of Mr. Marcos and his cronies, as it debunked a claim that the tax case was still under litigation.

In a letter, the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on Tuesday noted that as early as 1993, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) had issued its final assessment when it levied and sold 11 Marcos properties in Tacloban City.

“As early as 1997, the judgment on the tax case had become final and executory,” PCGG Chairman John A. Agbayani said in the letter-reply to Aksyon Demokratiko Chairman Ernesto M. Ramel, Jr., who had sought clarification on the tax lawsuit.

Aksyon Demokratiko, the political party of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso, who is running against Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. in this year’s presidential race, provided reporters with a copy of the PCGG letter.

Mr. Ramel in a March 9 letter to PCGG earlier sought clarification whether the government had reached a deal on the taxes.

If there was indeed a deal, PCGG must disclose the details because these are a “matter of public interest,” he said. “If your answer is ‘No,’ then this is another proof that the camp of Marcos, Jr. has again lied as they always do in so many issues about their family, including their ill-gotten wealth.”.. Read More

(Gulf Times) After more than a year of planning and preparations, the filming of the first-ever Filipino full-length movie in Qatar, ‘The Eventologist’, is now underway.
Philippine celebrity actor J C Santos portrays the lead character, Oscar Yema. This biopic of one of Qatar’s noted Filipino entrepreneurs features 128 actors most of whom came from the local community acting as themselves.
The film, which showcases the realities and challenges of Filipino expatriate workers who venture into business, is also expected to feature the many scenic places and landmarks of Qatar, home to more than 280,000 Filipinos.
A veteran actor who started at a young age, Santos’s talents were well-honed with over 10 years in theatre. He also has a degree in theatre arts from the University of the Philippines.
During the first day on the sets, Santos was happy to share that he was equally thrilled to do a true-to-life film for the first time just as he’s happy to be on his first visit to the Middle East.
The main cast is delighted to be working with Santos as they find him professional and accommodating. “He is easy to work with and his vast experience in the industry has helped us, local talents, boost our skills and confidence,” said Zandz William, one of the local actors who plays the main villain.
Local music performer Vanessa Casador, who plays the role of the film’s leading lady, praised Santos for his calm, inspiring talent, which she also described as “impeccable beyond admiration”… Read More

(Bulatlat) MANILA – For a 52-year-old jeepney driver, the incessant oil price hikes may force them to stop operating. Worse, it will keep them from putting food on their table.

“For jeepney drivers with a large family, we can’t afford to sustain our family’s needs. Since the pandemic started, I barely even hand them money,” Resti Rocafort told Bulatlat in an interview.

For the past 15 years, Rocafort has been plying the Guadalupe to L.Guinto route, which covers the cities of Manila and Makati. In the past few months, however, more than two thirds of Rocafort’s income goes to his fuel and a daily boundary* of $5. And with the incessant price hikes of oil and other staples, Rocafort can only bring home about $4 a day.

This is a far cry from the daily P700 ($13) they used to bring home, according to independent think tank Ibon Foundation. They attributed this to the cumulative price increase of diesel since January 2021, which is at 18 ($0.34)… Read More

(Interaksyon PhilStar) An American singer sent goosebumps to her Filipino followers after she performed a cover of a Philippine folk song.

Singer Lauren Paley, known as the “Stairwell Siren” online, released a video of her version of the lullaby on her social media accounts on March 11. She currently has 936,000 subscribers on YouTube.

“Filipino*** (my bad) but this is for all of my amazing followers from the Philippines! This song is actually so beautiful. Hope I did it justice,” Lauren captioned her post.

As of writing, Lauren’s video on Facebook earned over 1.4 million views.

Her post also garnered 74,000 reactions and 1,600 comments.

The cover was requested by one of Lauren’s followers on TikTok.

“Sing ‘ili ili.’ It was the scariest song in the Philippines,” the online user requested on the video-sharing service.

The TikTok user was referring to a lullaby titled “Ili Ili Tulog Anay” from the Panay Island. According to a report by Nolisoli, the lyrics of the song translate to something along the lines “Sleep, little one. Your mother isn’t here because she is out buying bread.”

Lauren also added the text “Scaring my neighbors with a creepy Filipino folk song” before her cover of the song… Read More