Fashion gala marks tourism’s golden year

Is SIM Registration mandatory for tourists and foreign nationals?

YES, both tourists and foreign nationals visiting the Philippines are required to register their SIM cards. This requirement is in accordance with Republic Act No. 11934, also known as the SIM Registration Act.

Last year, the Philippines implemented SIM Registration Act with the aim of curbing fraudulent and criminal activities associated with SIM cards such as phishing, scamming, and extortion. This law applies to all residents, visitors, including tourists and foreign nationals.

In a blog post on smart.com, the telco says that “It’s important to note that the registration process is different for Foreign Nationals residing in the country and tourists in the Philippines for a vacation.”

To register a prepaid SIM, you will need to provide essential documents and information, including your mobile number, full name, nationality, date of birth, and a selfie photo.

Tourism Secretary Frasco, at the end of the show, sharing the good news with the jampacked crowd of tourism stakeholders

In Celebration

Renee Salud with models (from left) PAL VP Ria Domingo, Okada Manila’s Cielo Reboredo, Megaworld’s Cleofe Albiso, Tourism Sec. Frasco, Deputy House Speaker Cong. Duke Frasco, Hotel 101 Group GM Gel Gomez, Chroma Hospitality’s Carmela Bocanegra, and PATA Philippines Chairperson Pat Alberto of Industry’s golden year through at

Tourists are required to present their passport, proof of address in the Philippines, and a return ticket or any document indicating their departure date. Non-tourist foreign nationals with other visa types must provide additional documents such as Alien Employment Permit or Alien Certificate of Registration Identification Card.

50 years of Philippine Tourism this month, the Industry’s stakeholders took a fashionable break from the daily grind and staged a glittering affair for a noble purpose.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) - Philippines Chapter came up with an attractive way to mark the Tourism Industry’s golden year through a dinner event, PATA GALA - A Fashion Show with a Heart the Ballroom of The Manila Hotel.

The event gathered together the leading tourism personalities and put up a dazzling show that drew in an overflow crowd.

The main objective of the milestone event was to raise funds for the organization’s dozens of tourism scholars currently enrolled in various universities in Metro Manila. Moreover, the boatmen of Pagsanjan Falls, who lost their livelihood during the pandemic, will also benefit from this golden anniversary celebration because part of the proceeds will fund PATA’s skills upgrading programs to accelerate the boatmen’s recovery from almost three years of zero earnings due to the pandemic.

The dinner fashion show highlighted the beautiful creations of young artists from the Fashion Institute of the Philippines, Wear Your Culture Boutique, and of celebrity designers Renee Salud and Philip Rodriguez. A total of twenty models, all leading personalities in our Tourism Industry, showcased our country’s beautiful textiles and weaves.

The show opened with Philip Rodriguez’s designs worn by Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga Nograles walking down the ramp in an elegant baro’t saya with a boldly striped tapis and a matching parasol, followed by Bluewater Resorts VP Sales & Marketing Margie Munsayac in a daintily embroidered patadyong. PAL COO & President Capt. Stanley Ng captivated the audience as he walked down the ramp in a meticulously

Nicole Ledesma and Conrad Manila Commercial Director Joanne

Gomez

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE: attire.

The next segment featured the creative designs of Wear Your Culture fashion boutique which has become a favorite of millennials who proudly wear native-inspired attire. The male models in this segment all looked dapper in their youthful jackets which proudly displayed local weaves and textiles: Hotel

Olimpiada Steve Dailisan, Salud Group VP for Sales & Marketing

101 Global Senior Sales Manager Philip , Air Asia Spokesperson DOT Undersecretary Shalimar Tamano, and Civil Service Commission Chairperson Karlo Nograles

The show’s last segment featured the grand masterpieces and stunning ternos of Renee worn by PATA Philippines Chapter Chairperson Pat Alberto, PAL VP for Marketing Ria Domingo, Chroma Hospitality Group VP for Sales & Marketing Carmela Bocanegra, Okada Manila VP for Sales & Marketing

Cielo Reboredo, Hotel 101 Global Group General Manager Geraldine Gomez, and Megaworld Hotels & Resorts Managing Director Cleofe Albiso

The show’s finale was the entrance of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco escorted by her husband Deputy House Speaker Congressman Duke Frasco, each in an elegant Filipino ensemble also by Renee Salud.

As a fitting end to a celebratory evening, Secretary Frasco shared with the audience how the Industry has successfully hurdled all challenges brought about by the pandemic and is, in fact, ahead of its targeted foreign arrivals for this year, She later told the jampacked crowd of stakeholders that we are well on our way to experiencing

After saying farewell to his congregation before moving on to a new parish, the priest was approached by one of his parishioners who said she was sure the replacement priest will not be as good as him. Feeling flattered, the priest said, “Nonsense.” But the parishioner insisted, “No, really! I’ve lived here under five different parish priests and each new one has been worse than the last!” once again the pre-pandemic volume of visitors that has made our Tourism Industry a major revenue source.

This first-of-a-kind fashion celebration for and by our country’s tourism stakeholders is the Industry’s biggest social event this year, and was preceded by Cocktails which featured wines from Le Cellier and craft beer from the popular Engkanto Brewery. A silent auction of expensive jewelry, de luxe tour packages, and international airline tickets was also held during the Cocktails. Of course, the customary raffle of valuable luxury hotel packages, airline tickets, and lifestyle gadgets was conducted, much to the delight of the eager crowd.

PATA is currently the biggest travel organization in the world, with a membership of close to 10,000 coming from 55 chapters in different countries. It traces its history back to 1951 when it was first established in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Philippines Chapter, with approximately 100 carefully selected members, has existed since 1973 and lays claim to being the only tourism organization in the country that has tourism schools as members, in line with its advocacy of developing the culture of tourism among our youth. Membership to and additional information from PATA Philippines Chapter may be obtained through the Secretariat 09563409010.

The highly successful celebration was staged with the full support of the Department of Tourism, Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority, Tourism Promotions Board, Distileria Limtuaco, The Manila Hotel, Magical Gems, PAGCOR, Henann Resorts, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Wear Your Culture, Deluks Turizm, Engkanto Brewery, and Infinite Travel. For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

For non-tourist foreign nationals subscribed to Smart Postpaid plans, a simple text message with “YES” to 5858 will suffice, followed by a confirmation message.

Registered SIM cards for tourists are valid for 30 days only and will be deactivated automatically after this period. To extend your vacation and keep your SIM active, you must submit an approved visa extension while your SIM is still active.

To register your SIM, you can visit the SIM Registration Portal, which offers a quick and convenient process. Once you have completed the registration and submitted all necessary documents, wait for an SMS confirmation.

Note that the deadline for registration is July 25, 2023. Failure to register by this date will result in automatic deactivation of your SIM card. New SIM cards purchased in the country will also require registration before activation. Unregistered SIM cards will not function, preventing text messaging, calls, and mobile data access. –

Nickie Wang

Wear Your Culture’s Alvin Degamo (second from left) with his models (from left) Hotel 101’s Philip Olimpiada, Civil Service Commission Chair Karlo cards the City of Pasig (7th Revision), within the jurisdiction of Revenue District Office No. 43 – Pasig City, Revenue Region No. 7B – East NCR.

This Order is therefore issued to implement the revised schedules of zonal values of real properties for purposes of computation of any internal revenue tax due on sale/ transfer or any other disposition of real properties. The zonal values established herein shall apply provided the same is higher than (1) the fair market value as shown in the schedule of values of the provincial or city assessor and (2) the gross selling price/ consideration as shown in the duly notarized document of sale or transfer of real property. This Order shall take effect immediately.

BENJAMIN E. DIOKNO Secretary of Finance

RECOMMENDED BY:

ROMEO D. LUMAGUI, JR. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

DEFINITION OF TERMS RESIDENTIAL LAND/CONDOMINIUM PRINCIPALLY DEVOTED TO HABITATION.

COMMERCIAL LAND DEVOTED PRINCIPALLY TO COMMMERCIAL PURPOSES AND GENERALLY FOR THE OBJECT OF PROFIT.

INDUSTRIAL DEVOTED PRINCIPALLY TO INDUSTRY AS CAPITAL.

AGRICULTURAL DEVOTED PRINCIPALLY TO RAISING OF CROP SUCH AS RICE, CORN, SUGARCANE, TOBACCO, ETC. OR TO PASTURING, INLAND FISHING, SALT-MAKING, AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL USES INCLUDING TIMBERLAND AND FOREST LAND.

GENERAL PURPOSE RAWLAND, UNDEVELOPED AND UNDERDEVELOPED AREA WHICH HAS POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT INTO RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, ETC. MUST NOT BE LESS THAN 5,000 SQUARE METERS.

VICINITY MEANS AN AREA, LOCALITY, NEIGHBORHOOD OR DISTRICT ABOUT, NEAR, ADJACENT PROXIMATE OR CONTIGUOUS TO A STREET BEING LOCATED.

NOTES: identified hence, no values recommended.

(1) NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION In the absence of specific values per schedule, properties forming part of and/or members of neighborhood associations (Kapatiran, samahan, etc.) shall be valued based on the actual location of the property per issued TDCs.

(2) NEW - New road/property classification/condos/t’houses were introduced/added either due to the presence of newly constructed res/comml. establishments, newly identified streets, condos & t’houses and/or projects/streets inadvertently omitted in the previous revisions. PROVINCE: NCR thereto.

(4) PARKING SLOT (PS) - If no zonal value has been prescribed for parking slots, the value should be sixty percent (60%) of the established amount of the unit sold.

NCR