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The Low-Impact Lifestyle We Want for 2019

For some of us, there is no other way like ending the year with a “bang”, experiencing parties here and there and all the drop of drinks and food till we enter a food-coma. Despite the grandeur of how we end 2018, we can take a look at how we can spend the low- impact lifestyle for the New Year.

For some of us, there is no other way like ending the year with a “bang”, experiencing parties here and there and all the drinks and food till we enter a food-coma. Despite the grandeur of how we end 2018, we can take a look at how we can spend the low-impact lifestyle for the New Year.

Low-impact living has been around for a long time now; it is all about finding ways to reduce waste in everyday life and encouraging other people and businesses to do the same. The best part of a low-impact lifestyle is finding simplicity along the way, no longer will be burdened by useless items and constant clutter. Your belongings are re-purposed, carefully chosen by you, to produce the most use. This also goes with how we invest in products that are reusable or has as less plastic as possible.

What can we try out this New Year with Low Impact Living?

Sometimes we get used to purchase products that involve plastic that are mostly one-time use. A good example of this is bottled water. In the Philippines, we have two types of bottled drinking water—the regular bottled water you can buy from the grocery and convenience stores, and the 5 gallon refillable ones. If you’re often active on social media, we can see videos or photos that depict the various negative impacts of single-use PET bottles to the environment. To minimize this, you can actually store reuse the water bottle instead of just throwing it away. By choosing to stop buying “mineral water”, not only do we minimize trash, we also save a bit of money.

One thing we can also watch out for is the use of tissues; sometimes, when we eat out or visit a café, we are handed out free napkins or tissues. So instead of buying wet wipes, we can actually store and keep the unused napkins in a resealable bag and use them in case there is no hand towel for drying off when washing.

For those who are into skin care, cotton swabs or pads are the most vital things we get to use for products. Yes, cotton is 100% biodegradable, but most products—especially the commercial ones sold in the market today—uses a blend of synthetic fibers and bleached with chlorine. Pretty scary. We can change a skin care routine by opting to purchase multi-purpose products and trying out some items with zero-waste alternatives.

“What can I do more to support this advocacy?”

As mentioned, most people have been transitioning to the lesser yet practical way of living in the purpose of lessening the environmental impact/carbon foot print. When we were children, we were introduced to the 3 Rs of waste management—which are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. With low-impact living, we are introduced to additional R’s: Refuse, Re-purpose and Repair.

Making small changes like buying local products, commuting once in awhile, shopping at second-hand stores or transforming old things to something purposeful are just a few examples. It’s not just beneficial for the environment, but also for our community and society as a whole. Making a few changes could result in a happier and healthier New Year!

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Business

bai Hotel Cebu named 2024 PH’s Leading Business Hotel at World Travel Awards

bai Hotel Cebu VP Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes with World Travel Awards Founder and President Graham Cooke.

bai Hotel Cebu has emerged victorious as the Philippines’ Leading Business Hotel at this year’s prestigious World Travel Awards. Standing out among the nine other contenders from across the country, bai Hotel Cebu claimed the coveted title, solidifying its position as a premier business hospitality destination in Cebu.

The award was presented to VP Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Carlo Rivera in an awarding gala ceremony held last September 3, 2024 at City of Dreams Manila.

Held at the City of Dreams Manila, the award was handed over to VP-Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes and Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Carlo Rivera last September 3, 2024 at City of Dreams Manila.

This accolade, being the first of many this year, reaffirms bai Hotel Cebu’s steadfast commitment to providing world-class Filipino hospitality. “I would like to thank our guests for continuously supporting and for patronizing bai Hotel Cebu,” GM Alfred Reyes said. “This win is also yours as your loyalty inspires us to deliver the exceptional service bai Hotel Cebu is known for,” he continued.

bai Hotel Cebu’s department heads celebrating its accolade as PH’s Leading Business Hotel.

Operating since 2018 with 668 rooms, 8 restaurants, and over 13 function halls, bai Hotel Cebu has established its presence in the industry having just been awarded as Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Tourism Standard Awards – ASEAN MICE Venue (Meeting Room Category).

We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to the country’s Department of Tourism headed by Secretary Hon. Christina Garcia Frasco for being recognized as Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign award for its “Love the Philippines” campaign and as Transformation Leadership in Tourism Governance.

Based in London and established in 1993, the World Travel Awards is dubbed the Oscars of the travel industry that acknowledges, rewards, and celebrates excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. It is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Events

A Feast for the Senses

Crimson Chefs - Masahiro Kinoshita, Naoki Eguchi, Daniel Johnston, Javier Garcia, Allan Barios, Andrew Simpson

By Joanna Cuenco

June 8 – Mactan, Cebu | For one of its biggest dining events of the year as part of the highly anticipated Cebu Food and Wine Festival, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan curated an epicurean journey that brought guests on gastronomic flights of fancy, fine cuisine. A Feast for the Senses showcased the creativity and excellence of the resort’s culinary team through a dine-around event at its four dining destinations that invited guests to sample the best that each restaurant had to offer: international cuisine at Saffron, Spanish at Enye by Chele Gonzalez, Japanese at Aka by Naoki Eguchi, and desserts and more drinks at Azure Beach Club.

Maria Paz Perdices, Ambra Anzani, Ema Onda,Kate Anzani, Kumiko Onda, Daisy Barns

Tamsin Booth, Didier Belmonte, Frances Siao, Celeste Miranda, Bert Miranda, Bob Booth

Spirits were high and beverages flowed freely the whole evening, thanks to Philippine Wine Merchant, A Wine Company, The Wine Club, Don Revy, Sommelier Selection, Engkanto Brewery, M. Lhuillier Food Product Inc., Future Trade International, Happy Living Philippines, Equilibrium Intertrade Corporation, and Bauhinia Brewery.

Allan Barios at Saffron dessert station

Ulysse Jouanneaud

Margarette Lhuiller and Perl Jacalan

For the after-party and entertainment at Azure Beach Club, renowned mixologist Ulysse Jouanneaud took over the bar, crafting cocktails with Bacardi, Don Papa, Cointreau, and Sula Brands. Chef Allan Barrios presented a dessert spread that included key lime pralines, vanilla bourbon truffles, honey coconut cryos, and tiny flower-potted bamboo shoots that turned out to be made of pistachio. These little works of art were planted alongside vibrant green foliage, smooth stones, and a faux fog effect that created a tropical rainforest diorama out of the dessert table.

Lechon belly station at Saffron

Dessert display at Azure Beach Club

Yellowfin tuna tataki

Grilled mackerel with laksa boullabaise

The night sky and the distant lights of neighboring islands were the perfect backdrop for a high-energy LED dance performance and fantastic fireworks display that left guests in awe and applause.

Rose Hudson

Chele Gonzalez

Brava potato with chorizo at Enye

LED and Tron Dance

Aka Private Room

The Cebu Food and Wine Festival is supported by the Department of Tourism – Philippines, Visit Central Visayas, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Business Month, and Cebu Pacific Air.

Events

The First NUSTAR BALL

Janine Taylor, June Alegrado, Jackie Lotzof, Frances Siao, Ina Ronquillo and Christine Pelaez

The NUSTAR Ballroom, a magnificent venue at the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu, sets the stage for last night’s first-ever NUSTAR Ball.

Black was the color of night at the Zee table.

Glamorous guests from Manila and Cebu converged at the NUSTAR Ballroom, an exquisite venue within the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu. The evening unfolded with a seated 5-course dinner. The opulent feast started with Beetroot Salmon Gravlax, adorned with caper berries, caviar, set with delicate edible flowers; and a main course of Compressed Pork Belly with Crackling Skin and Baby Scallops. Another highlight was the auction of coveted items like Dior and YSL handbags, a limited-edition Bulgari watch, and an exclusive 2-night stay in Nustar’s opulent 3-bedroom villa—complete with a private pool and a dedicated butler. The charity evening benefited the Cameleon Association, an NGO based in Iloilo City created in 1997 that developed a global approach to act on the causes and effects of sexual violence against children.