A GRAND AND GLITTERY CHRISTMAS AT GRAND HYATT MANILA

The luxury hotel begins the Christmas season with an exciting list of Yuletide activities bound to create memorable experiences.

Manila (December 2019) Grand Hyatt Manila celebrates the holidays with a glamorous staycation, whimsical treats to share with loved ones, and exciting festivities for the Yuletide season. This year, Grand Hyatt Manila has partnered with Negrense Volunteers for Change where discarded Nespresso capsules are beautifully-crafted into Christmas Ornaments by hardworking artisans in support of their livelihood program. All proceeds go to NVC’s sponsorship of Mingo Meals for undernourished children across 39 provinces. Decors are available for selling at Florentine.

A Grand Holiday Getaway

Go grand and treat your loved ones to a remarkable staycation. Take advantage of our holiday discount with 25% off on Grand Suites and Club rooms from 08 November - 29 December 2019. This includes exclusive access to the Grand Club where you can enjoy all-day refreshments and complimentary snacks. Stay active with a cardio regimen at the fitness center and outdoor pool, then calm the mind with rejuvenating treatments at Illume Spa. Take it easy with a month-long Fitness and Relaxation membership, including a 60-minute Swedish massage and an exfoliating body scrub. Unwind the senses with an ESPA Natural Beauty Inner Calm gift set and a gift certificate for a 60-minute Inner Calm massage, packages also includes a 100 ml ESPA body oil to remember the experience in your very home.

Christmas cannot be complete without the legendary jolly man in red. Capture a memorable experience for both young and old alike with Santa Clause on 22 and 25 December from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM; and 23 - 24 December 2019 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the lobby.

Christmas Eve Dining

If you’re planning for a Christmas feast, then look no further with our Christmas Eve deals. From a hearty spread to Cantonese favorites and everything in between, Grand Hyatt has offers to delight kith and kin

Expect a medley of traditional Christmas must-haves such as Christmas Turkey and Pineapple Glazed Ham at The Grand Kitchen. The restaurant has an exciting selection of show kitchens to fit every person’s cravings - from tempura and pasta risotto to its organic salad bar and cheese displays.

The Grand Kitchen always has something to offer. Christmas feasts are priced at Php 2,200 for lunch; Php 3,700 for dinner; and Php 2,600 for Noche Buena. Dinner rates include free-flowing red or white wines and local beers.

At No. 8 China House, flavorsome dishes are expertly prepared by our team of Chinese chefs led by Master Chef Carson Luo. Festive set menus include the signature Peking Duck, Homemade Dimsum, and Cantonese Seafood, all artfully placed in live cooking stations. Rates start at Php 6,352 for lunch for four persons from 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM; and Php 13,200 for dinner for four persons from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM.

For a merrier dining experience, satiate your appetite at The Peak Grill with a delicious five-course set menu passionately prepared by Chef de Cuisine, Andrew Dickie. Enjoy the breathtaking view while feasting on delicious Lobster Bisque and succulent Char-Grilled Australian Wagyu Beef. Dinner is priced at Php 4,800 per person from 6:00 PM - 10:30 PM on 24 and 25 December 2019.

A Gift for Loved Ones

Sweeten the holiday celebration with a customized hamper filled with exquisite treats and homemade savory items. Tailor-fit your Christmas hamper with homemade Christmas Cookies, Chocolate Yule Logs, and Chocolate Santa Claus for a minimum order of Php 2,500*. Make your gift truly unforgettable with your thoughts in mind. Savory dishes are available for pre-order 72 hours in advance.

From grand staycations, delicious feasts, to a wide array of choices of gifts for loved ones, Grand Hyatt Manila is prepared to ensure that your festivities will have a touch of something sparkling and something grand.

The hotel is home to a myriad of diverse food and beverage concepts. Call +632 8838 1234 or email manila.grand@hyatt.com for orders and inquiries. For updates on activities and offers, follow Grand Hyatt Manila at facebook.com/grandhyattmanilaph and instagram.com/grandhyattmanilaph.

About Grand Hyatt

Around the world, Grand Hyatt hotels bring travel dreams to life by celebrating the iconic in small details and magnificent moments. Located at the crossroads of local culture and global business within major gateway cities and resort destinations, each Grand Hyatt hotel is uniquely designed to be a captivating destination within a destination. Grand Hyatt hotels deliver welcoming and elevated service, first-class accommodations and an abundance of options within a multicultural backdrop of dramatic architecture and bold and vibrant design. Grand Hyatt properties boast inventive restaurants, luxury spas, fitness centers, and business and meeting facilities. For additional information or to make a reservation, please visit grandhyatt.com. Follow @GrandHyatt on Facebook and Instagram, and tag photos with #GrandHyatt.

*All prices are in Philippine Peso and are inclusive of government taxes and service charge.

Industry Policy Determines Trade Strategy – DTI Chief

MAKATI – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said that industry policy determines trade strategy and shared DTI’s unified approach to spurring trade and investments in DTI’s One Country, One Voice (OCOV) forum last 4 December.

“Essentially, the objective is to develop and strengthen our industries that will generate local employment. Our positions in trade negotiations have to be aligned with our plans in industry development,” Sec. Lopez said.

“What industry do we think will be strategic? What industry should be developed? Where do we have comparative advantage? Then we will put our minds, our support and our programs behind all these industries which we will be promoting” he added.

The trade chief also stressed the importance of trade agreements, since 93% of all exports go to countries with existing agreements with the Philippines.

“President Rodrigo Duterte’s independent foreign policy allowed the Philippines to pursue trade relations with both US and China and helped begin trade relations with non-traditional partners, like Russia and some countries in the Middle East. The Department of Trade and Industry is doing its part to assure that the Philippines is a friend to all,” said Secretary Lopez.

However, he added that trade relations should be fair to both countries: “We, the Philippines, are decent trading partners. We follow the rules and we expect partners to also treat us fairly. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to retaliate—but again still following the rules and procedures for negotiation.”

The Philippines has seven free trade agreements, two bilateral agreements, and 30 existing Joint Economic Cooperation agreements, and is benefiting from Generalized System of Preferences (GSPs) from 10 countries, namely US, EU, Australia, Belarus, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Russia, and Turkey.

Ambassador Ron Sorini, Former Chief Negotiator for the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), said that for the US, the only serious candidate for free trade agreement negotiations is the Philippines. Amb. Sorini gave a talk on the topic “Identifying the Policy Environment for New Generation FTAs in the New Era of Globalization.”

Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo explained DTI’s “Last Touch Strategy” with the vision for the Philippines to become a strategic manufacturing and export base. This strategy aims to integrate the Philippines into the regional value chain production networks and provide the country with the greatest local value addition and best market access for its products.

To reap the maximum benefits from this strategy, Usec. Rodolfo added that the country must first ensure deep industrial capability in basic industries and have the widest network of supplying industries.

The OCOV forum informed stakeholders about the latest developments in the country’s international trade and investment engagements and revolved around three topics: Philippine development and trade policy; rising global protectionism; and forging ahead through strategic economic partnerships.

The forum’s speakers include Senators Imee Marcos and Koko Pimentel, Albay Congressman Joey Salceda, Former DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo, DTI Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty, Former USTR Director Kellie Meiman Hock, Solar Philippines President Leandro Leviste, Luen Thai Executive Vice President Sunny Tan, former National Competitiveness Council Co-chair Guillermo Luz, and Ambassador Antonio Basilio.

ROG Phone 2 Ultimate Edition Pre-Orders Announced

The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has officially announced the arrival of the ROG Phone 2 Ultimate Edition (12GB/1TB), which was already declared at PHP 59,995.00 last October 11. The ROG Phone 2 Ultimate Edition will be available for pre-orders from December 7 to 13, 2019.

Furthermore, the pre-order campaign for this particular variant features two (2) bundling programs once more. First, Overdrive Gaming 2.O, which allows fans of the brand to purchase the ROG Phone 2 Ultimate Edition together with the ROG Kunai Gamepad, the Lighting Armor Case, and an ROG Exclusive Jacket for just the price of PHP 64,995.00. Second, Wear Victory 2.O, which reserves an ROG Exclusive Jacket for those who would like to pre-order the ROG Phone 2 Ultimate Edition only without added cost.

The full information has been unveiled on the ROG Philippines page and the mechanics can also be viewed through http://bit.ly/ROGPhone2UltimateEdMechanics. Meanwhile, the pre-order form is at https://forms.gle/PP7uVS9y93Bti9LD6.

FULL SPECIFICATIONS

ASUS ROG Phone 2 (ZS660KL)

Processor	2.96GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 855 Plus Mobile Platform with 7nm, 64-bit octa-core processor
GPU	Qualcomm® Adreno™ 640
UI	Android™ Pie™ with new ROG UI
Display	6.59-inch 19.5:9 (2340 x 1080) 120Hz/1ms AMOLED 10-bit HDR display 600nits outdoor readable brightness Delta E < 1 DCI-P3 support and 500,000:1 contrast ratio AMOLED display with Corning® Gorilla® 6 Glass Blue-light filter for eye care Supports Always On Capacitive touch panel with 10-point multitouch (supports glove touch)
Dimensions	170.99 x 77.6 x 9.48 mm
Weight	240g
Battery	6000mAh
Memory	LPDDR4X12GB RAM
Storage	UFS 3.0 512GB Ultimate Edition: UFS 3.0 1TB
Sensor	In-display fingerprint sensor, face recognition, accelerator, e-compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, ultrasonic sensors for AirTrigger II and grip press, dual vibrators
Wireless Technology	4G LTE up to 1.2Gbps downloads with integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X24 LTE modem Qualcomm Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi Direct WiGig® (802.11ad/60GHz Wi-Fi) wireless display support 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth® 5.0 (EDR + A2DP), supports Qualcomm® aptX™, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive NFC Ultimate Edition: as above, but with up to 2Gbps 4G LTE (Cat 20) downloads
GPS	Supports GPS(L1+L5), GLO, BDS, GAL(E1+E5a), QZSS(L1+L5)
I/O ports	Side: Custom USB-C™ Supports USB 3.1 Gen 1 / DP 1.4 (4K) / fast charging (PD 3.0) (30W) 30W ROG HyperCharge direct charging Bottom: USB-C™ Supports USB 2.0 / fast charging (PD3.0) (30W) / direct charging 3.5mm headphone jack
Front Camera	24MP
Main Camera	48MP + 13MP (125° ultrawide-angle)
Voice Wakeup	Yes
Speaker	Dual front-facing stereo speakers with DTS:X Ultra Stereo speaker with dual NXP TFA9874 smart amplifier for louder, deeper and less distorted sound effect
NFC	Supported
Colors	Black Glare Ultimate Edition: Matte Black
Inclusions	AeroActive Cooler II (PHP 2,995), Aero Case (PHP 995)

About ROG

Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software. Formed in 2006, ROG offers a complete line of innovative products known for performance and quality, including motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktops, monitors, audio equipment, routers and peripherals. ROG participates in and sponsors major international gaming events. ROG gear has been used to set hundreds of overclocking records and it continues to be the preferred choice of gamers and enthusiasts around the world. Learn more about the choice of champions at http://rog.asus.com.