Connect with us

NEWS

Itching for a road trip? Here are your travel essentials

February 28, 2022 3:53 p.m.

With COVID-19 cases declining, various local government agencies have recommended that Metro Manila’s pandemic restrictions be downgraded to Alert Level 1 this March.

This means traveling, without regard for age and co-morbidities, will now be allowed. Dining in at restaurants, visiting tourist attractions and entertainment venues, and going for staycations are now possible at full on-site capacity. However, owners and organizers should ensure minimum health measures, like proper ventilation, wearing of face masks, and proper handwashing, are implemented.

When this happens, will you be ready to pack your bags and travel up north for a quick weekend getaway? Shake off the cabin fever – prepare for that long overdue road trip and enrich yourself with better countryside views, the fresh air, and local delicacies.

Here’s a quick guide to help you prepare for this much-needed break:

1. Bring your vaccination and booster cards.

To be sure, it is recommended that adults and vaccinated children have their vaccination and booster cards ready for inspection. Depending on where you’re coming from, some local government units (LGU) might check for Negative RT-PCR/Antigen tests. For example, Baguio City still requires this for children aged 12 to 17 years old.

2. Tourist passes

Depending on the LGU, there might be areas that still require tourist passes. Best to check for the latest updates on your destination’s websites before hitting the road.

3. Still observe health protocols

For your safety, especially when you are traveling with family and friends, it would still be recommended to always wear your face masks, observe social distancing, and always disinfect with isopropyl alcohol and disinfectants.

4. Pre-book your accommodations

If you’re planning to stay longer than a day, it is recommended that you confirm accommodation with establishments ahead of time. Check for their requirements and restrictions so you and your travel buddies will be ready. This saves you the hassle of looking for a place to stay when you are already at your destination. With everyone wanting for a break, these hotels and resorts might even be fully booked!

5. Prepare your vehicle

If you are planning to bring your own car, it would be best to have it checked by your suking mechanic. For those of us who stay and work at home, it is recommended to have our vehicles serviced first for good measure. If your car is in tip-top shape, checking for BLOWBAG (brakes, lights, oil, water, battery, air, and gasoline) is a necessity before going on that long drive. Have your back-up water, tools, and early warning device (EWD) on the ready for any incident.

6. Plan your trip

Aside from securing accommodations and preparing your itinerary, it is also important to plan your routes and stopovers. Program your destinations on Waze or Google Maps. For emergencies when travelling north or south, always keep the expressways’ hotline handy. Good thing that there is only one hotline for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), and Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX) at 1-35000.

7. Check and reload your Easytrip account

When the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) was mandated by the government in 2020, toll operators like NLEX improved their RFID services to ensure the safety and convenience of motorists. One of these providers, Easytrip Services Corp, continues to uphold this mandate through its improved RFID account management. As the innovation arm of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), MPT Mobility’s Easytrip now offers various services for its registered users under myeasytrip web. Through the myeasytrip Customer Account Management System (CAMS), registered users can now do the ff:

– Check their balance and passages

– Generate their statement of account (SOA)

– Get the latest updates and advisories from Easytrip

– Get a chance to participate and win in different promos

To register your Easytrip RFID or to check if you are already registered, try this link here. Once registered, you can create your myeasytrip CAMS account here.

Reloading is also much easier as most of the Easytrip’s reloading merchants credit the loads in quick-time. For a list of reloading merchants, please check here. If you still don’t have an Easytrip RFID, subscription and sign up are so easy, just click here.

MPT Mobility will soon launch a new mobility-related services app, MPT DriveHub. All of MPT Mobility’s services like Easytrip will be on this app. MPT DriveHub will be available for download on Google Play Store and Apple App Store on March 1. 

MPT Mobility president and general manager Raul Ignacio has announced, “The digital solutions our business units will offer are all about improving mobility for Filipinos, addressing a variety of customer needs and providing life conveniences via a digital interface.” This is something to look forward to, especially when planning for trips.

With these reminders, you and your loved ones can surely have a safe and relaxing trip. Always keep yourself healthy and safe travels.

NEWS

DITO delivers superior network performance, turning digital aspirations into possibilities

8:11 p.m. August 28, 2025

DITO Telecommunity showcased how superior connectivity transforms Filipino digital aspirations into achievable realities during the successful media launch of the telco’s latest campaign, Kaya DITO, held at Manila House, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. 

Built on True 5G standalone technology and as validated by a global leader in mobile analytics and insights, Opensignal, as the Philippines’ Fastest Mobile Network, DITO’s ecosystem proves that the Filipino telecommunity’s demand for seamless network connectivity, value-driven services and unified digital experience aren’t distant possibilities, but today’s basic expectations—this challenges what the telco industry has long normalized.

“For too long, outages, dropped calls, and overpriced data have been treated as normal. Let us say it bluntly: It is not normal. Every Filipino has limitless potential when equipped with the right tools, and the game is now changing since DITO has joined the fray and taken up the cause to disrupt the status quo—to deliver inclusive, next-gen technology to the  Filipino people. “Kaya DITO!” is our battle cry to symbolically break that cycle, because we truly believe that Filipinos deserve better,” shared by DITO Telecommunity President Eric Alberto in the event.

The Telco that Truly Takes Care of its Users 

DITO’s prepaid solutions eliminate the frustration of wasted data through Level-Up Packs with ViLTE technology, making DITO the primary telco offering unlimited DITO-to-DITO HD video calls and unli mobile calls. Combined with Viber and Prime Video inclusions and flexible data packages with longer validity periods, users can now maximize their every peso without worrying about abruptly expiring data allocations.

The Telco that Offers Value-Packed Postpaid Plans

DITOFlexPlan 888 redefines what postpaid should offer—comprehensive inclusions and generous data at prices that make sense for Filipino budgets. Whether you choose SIM-only or device bundles, these plans prove that premium network performance doesn’t have to break the bank, empowering users to pursue their goals without connectivity compromises.

The Telco that Brings True 5G Home Internet Convenience 

DITO WoWFi Pro 365 makes home connectivity effortless with a year-long unlimited connection that works when you need it. Families enjoy the convenience of reliable internet for work, study, and entertainment without the inconvenience of data top-ups and complicated installations; just network performance that simplifies your digital life at home.  Just ask any of your relatives and friends who have already ditched ordinary WiFi and jumped onto WoWFi— they will tell you what you’ve been missing out on.

The Telco that Built Everything You Need in One App

The DITO App represents one of the industry’s most comprehensive digital platforms, built from the ground up to handle the entire customer journey. From SIM and load purchase to account management and a wide range of OTT apps, users enjoy complete digital control with custom special offers, DITO Rewards points, and 24/7 customer support—managing everything while earning exclusive benefits.

Continue Reading

NEWS

Pay with GCash and turn daily payments into big wins

11:39 a.m. August 27, 2025

GCash, the country’s leading finance super app, is making everyday payments more rewarding with “Pay It, Win It”, where every ₱50 spent on GCash builds your chances to win over ₱20 million worth of exciting rewards.

With “Pay It, Win It”, everyday payments turn into extraordinary wins with prizes designed to match the passion and lifestyle of all GCash users. Every two weeks, new and bigger rewards drop, bringing you closer to the life upgrade you’ve been dreaming of.
GCash takes it further by listening to what its users truly value and showing up where they are. Whether it’s in the daily grind, their fandoms, or their passions, rewards don’t just excite, but they resonate in everyday life.

Upgrade Your Everyday
Every peso spent gives users a chance to win must-have prizes that can upgrade their everyday lives– from driving home a brand-new BYD Seal 5 DM-i Dynamic or zipping through the city on a Yamaha NMAX, to bringing homea Samsung Smart TV.

A Trip to the K-Land 
For all dedicated and passionate K-pop fans, you can turn your bills and shopping receipts into plane tickets, taking you a step closer to your bias.  Win a trip for two to Seoul or Busan and make your ultimate K-dream a reality.

Level Up Your Play
For PC and console gamers, leveling up has never been this thrilling. Win the latest gaming console (PlayStation™ 5), a high-performance gaming laptop (ASUS ROG Strix G16), and the ultimate gaming phone (ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro), because every gamer knows that better gear leads to better performance.

Joining is simple; just head over to the “Pay It, Win It” page by clicking the “Tap for Promos” banner on your GCash app and choosing a prize to register. Every ₱50 spent instantly counts as a raffle entry.

Pay any way you like, whether it’s scanning or generating a QR code, paying with your GCash Card, paying online, buying load or paying bills inside the GCash app, paying with GCash Tap to Pay, or generating a QR with your Huawei Watch. No extra forms, no fuss, just keep using GCash everyday.

Winners are drawn weekly and announced every Friday through the official social media channels of GCash and in-app promo page. All winners will be notified via email, and in-app alerts.

With “Pay It, Win It,” GCash proves that every payment isn’t just a flow of funds from users’ wallets; it’s a step toward progress, a connection to your passion, and a chance to unlock rewards that truly matter.  For more information about GCash, visit www.new.gcash.com.

Continue Reading

NEWS

‘Gender dimension’ will make urban spaces more inclusive, useful — expert

11:12 a.m. August 26, 2025

Urban planners must consider the “gender dimension” to make public spaces more inclusive and allow better use of infrastructures designed to make users move comfortably, according to a US-based expert supporting movements for greater public mobility.

Benjie de la Peña, CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) and chair of the Global Network for Popular Transportation, said buildings, walkways or sidewalks, and transport terminals should not be mere infrastructures as they must be public spaces where people should be able to move comfortably.

Engineers tend to think of efficiency and movement alone and they don’t think about the waiting part, right? … It’s always about the moving and not about the waiting. But in a good system, you think about how it is to wait and dwell,” De la Peña told participants of the Philippine Mobility Series 2025’s “Mobility Chat” recently.

For instance, De la Peña said, women and caregivers have different trip patterns from men and regular office workers, hence, the significance to create mobility hubs for women, as well as caregivers.

In their analysis, De la Peña noted that in most cities, available public transport services go to the employment areas and serves particular times, but that’s not how women and caregivers move. 

“They sometimes have to stop over at school to drop off the kids, or on the way home, stop over and pick up a grocery, or if they’re caring for someone older, they have to take them to the doctor or to the pharmacy. And so, none of the public transportation systems are particularly friendly to that,” said the Filipino urban transport expert.

“This is precisely why Grab in the Philippines is supporting the Philippine Mobility Series 2025. We need to hear more civilian voices. We need a platform to allow exchanges of ideas to flow in order to improve mobility in the country,” according to Booey Bonifacio of Grab.

After interviewing 100 women aged 11 to 95 on their transportation needs and challenges, De la Peña noted how the framework they designed had radically changed when gender dimension was added.

If we design for the people with the most challenges, it works better for everyone else,” De la Peña told the “Mobility Chat” organized by AltMobility PH and co-presented by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and in partnership with Grab and the Move As One Coalition.

Continue Reading