Towering exoskeleton structure soon to rise in Makati

The BDO Corporate Center in Makati is an engineering and architectural marvel, and a hallmark of sustainability.

BY CARLA MORTEL BARICAUA

Nov 18, 2024 05:31 PM

  

---

BDO Corporate Center Makati, the towering exoskeleton building (Artist's perspective)

Scheduled to be completed in 2028, the BDO Corporate Center Makati will stand as a landmark skyscraper in the heart of the Makati Central Business District (MCBD). On November 15, 2024, BDO Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson, and CEO Nestor V. Tan led the time-capsule ceremony, marking the start of the towering exoskeleton structure's construction. Key officers stored in the time capsule BDO Corporate Center floor plans, a copy of the 2023 BDO Annual Report, the latest issue of Wayfinder, BDO’s official newsletter, project document photos from 2019, and copies of newspapers from the country’s publications, including the Manila Bulletin. 

Lesley Villanueva, president, DATEM, Inc.; Lilit Tumbocon, partner, DATEM, Inc.; Liberito Espiritu, chairman and CEO, DATEM, Inc.; Nestor Tan, president and CEO, BDO Unibank; Teresita Sy, chairperson, BDO Unibank; Bubut Montejo, SVP of facilities, procurement, and logistics, BDO Unibank; and Jerome Guevara, chief of staff, Office of the President, BDO Unibank

Combining five separate plots into a unified business hub, the BDO Corporate Center Makati consists of two towers and an annex building. The third BDO main office complex joins the BDO Corporate Center Ortigas in Pasig City and the nearly completed structure of BDO Corporate Center Cebu in the Visayas, as the latest addition to the growing number of BDO main office buildings,

With its innovative exoskeleton structure, the BDO Corporate Center Makati towers will feature open, flexible spaces without the need for conventional pillars. Because of its lightweight structural system, the concrete content of the buildings will be dramatically reduced by over 65,000 tons, thus improving its performance with the country’s seismic environment. Embodied carbon and whole lifecycle carbon management have been integrated into the design. In addition, operational energy will be down by more than 40 percent, its radiant cooling systems will drastically reduce energy demands, and over 70 percent of potable water will be recycled and reused onsite, earning the structure the platinum certification from Green Mark on energy efficiency. Green Mark is a green building rating designed to evaluate a building’s environmental impact and performance. 

Bubut Montejo, SVP of facilities, procurement, and logistics, BDO Unibank stores documents in the time capsule.

The overall design includes 75 percent of its rooftops covered in greenery, an urban farm, an auditorium, and event areas.  

Inside the buildings, workspaces will encourage collaboration and interaction, with flexible office spaces, trading floors, and business hubs. The center also includes areas for client engagement to facilitate a more personalized approach – all of which contribute to making the business hub a positive and inclusive addition to the city. 

For Nestor Tan, president and CEO, BDO Unibank, the Makati office building complex is all about utility and comfort.

Tan, the new building complex is all about utility and comfort. “It incorporates spaces with minimal pillars, large open spaces, and full of natural light. It will be easy to navigate, and that adds to the productivity of whoever will use it. So more than the looks, which is the first thing that people notice, it’s actually the utility which we put a premium on, and that’s what we’re trying to build here. Because it would be the future home of BDO and other participants, and we hope that it will usher in the future of building technology.”

Designed by British architectural firm Foster + Partners, all the structural and environmental engineering, landscaping, and interiors support the vision of an environmentally sound structure that will be carried into the future. Construction is led by Datem, a Philippine firm known for its experience with green buildings. 

“The BDO corporate stands as a testament to our commitment to best design, best building practices, and sustainable development. This project marks one of Datem’s enduring legacies in its more than four decades of existence. Our talented project team is honored to have accepted this challenge to build this magnificent structure,” said Datem, Inc. Liberito V. Espiritu in his inspirational message.

Tapping into the Pinoy-style of tipping

To tip or not to tip

BY CARLA MORTEL BARICAUA

Aug 1, 2024 10:56 PM

  

---

Illustration by Ariana Maralit

For service workers living on minimum wage, tipping is a welcome gesture that could spell the difference between making ends meet and falling into debt days before payday. Far from being mandatory in the country, handing out tips has become common in some establishments or circumstances.

Tourists regularly practice tipping in areas they frequent, such as hotels, restaurants, and casinos, and when they use services like transportation and health and wellness, among others. Filipinos are generally not expected to give tips, but they have adapted the practice from Western culture, which has become more widespread, especially in commercial and urban areas.

 Cristina Santiago of Carmelo's Steakhouse

“In the US, tipping is mandatory. In Europe, some establishments have started to regard tips as mandatory. Here, it’s given out of consideration for a job well done,” shared Cristina Santiago, the restaurateur behind Carmelo’s Steakhouse. She suggests adopting the foreign practice of tipping “because our servers work so hard for their families. More than that, it’s to show that they are part of the business success; they should be able to get a portion of whatever amount the business earns for itself.”

Tipping Pinoy-style

While there are no hard and fast rules, Filipinos give tips to show appreciation for service well done, or products received beyond one’s expectations. Filipinos tip waiters, servers, taxi drivers, hotel and housekeeping staff, personal care technicians (barbers, hair stylists, masseuses), and even personal trainers or dance instructors.

“I give tips when I have extra money. I usually leave tips for the restaurant service crew, our neighborhood barber, and sometimes for a kind cab driver. I don’t see it as a requirement but as a form of gratitude for the great service. Of course, I wouldn’t feel obligated to leave a tip if I get served a soup with a fly,” said Mark Go, a long-time travel writer.

Mark Go, travel writer

From her experience, Santiago said, “Since it’s not mandatory, it acts like a motivator. Servers and waiters perform better because of the expectation of receiving a monetary reward for a job well done. On the guest side, it serves as a ‘quid pro quo’, you get what you deserve. But some guests are difficult to please, which is a disadvantage to our servers because their extra money is at the mercy of the customers.” 

For Jing Ordoñia, a travel writer and tour guide, tipping is a personal choice. Whether to tip big or small relies on the type and cost of products and services, and the number of years of good service. He also observed that just like him habitual tippers usually prepare loose change or bills in small denominations to be handed discreetly; slipped in a cash envelope, or dropped in a tip jar.

Jing Ordoñia, travel writer and tour guide

For public transport, Ordoñia feels “there is no need to give tips, in general. For taxi rides, I round off the bill since I don’t use my senior card. The same applies to delivery service and park attendants.” 

Inside establishments “a 100 pesos may be sufficient for a bellboy and staff in a 2- or 3-star hotel, higher in a 4- or 5-star hotel. Sometimes I give a bigger tip if I am there for business,” he added. 

Ordoñia's tips are based on 10 to 20 percent of his food bill, but if there is a service charge, he leaves no tips, "unless the service is extraordinary.”

Tips for equal sharing

Mc Wilson Corporation President and CEO Reagan Tan said that customers in his restaurants (Tatatito, Gringo, Honeybon, Tokyo Bubble Tea, and Kaokee) don’t feel obligated or pressured to give tips. “This makes them more appreciative which often results to giving generous tips. When there are no tips, it is not frowned upon since they know that good service is their duty and part of the day’s work.” 

Tips or no tips, Tan believes that “Filipinos are hospitality-oriented people; we give our best service whether or not customers leave a tip. A good service rendered always fetches a good tip. A returning customer will always leave a good tip for a reliable service and consistently good experience.” In some cases, tips are pooled together by the management and distributed among the service staff at the end of each month.

In their establishments, Tan shared that they practice pooling the tips to ensure that both the dining and kitchen staff get their fair share. He also finds this procedure prevents management or staff from tip pocketing, or keeping the tips to themselves.

“The management and distribution of tips is discussed among the staff. The common practice is to divide it equally. Some ‘outliers’ though push tips to be personalized. Servers get what is inside the bill jackets. A percentage is given to the non-servers, though,” shared Raymund Magdaluyo of the Red Crab Group and the SumoSam Group of Restaurants.

Service charge as tips

Some restaurants and service establishments automatically include a five to ten percent service charge on their bills based on their discretion. Its distribution, however, is regulated by law.

The Republic Act 11360 or the Service Charge Law was enacted on August 7, 2019, and defines service charge as “the amount added to the bill for work or service rendered when one dines in a restaurant or checks out of a hotel.” This law also provides for the full and equal distribution of the service charge among workers of hotels, restaurants, and other establishments. However, managers and supervisors are not entitled to service charges.

The revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) contained in the Labor Department Order 242, issued on February 1, 2024, specify the full and equal payment of service charges to all covered employees of service charge-collecting establishments, improving the distribution of tips to include those not directly hired by employers such as contractual, non-regular or agency workers.

In Carmelo’s, “tips and service charges are shared equally by everyone, regardless of ranking. We are a team and as the saying goes ‘the success of one is the success of all’ and with that, everyone shares the blessings,” said Santiago. “Service charge somewhat works like a tip. It’s an extra amount they receive on top of their salaries which I feel they are also entitled to.”

Whatever the case, it is up to customers to tip, pay the bill with a service charge, or pay the bill and tip out of generosity, gratitude, and loyalty, and show sincere appreciation for the service workers’ hard work. 

The Philippine Book Festival is for teachers, librarians, and students too

Promoting a culture of reading while developing the publishing industry in the country.

BY CARLA MORTEL BARICAUA

Apr 11, 2024 08:31 PM

  

---

The second Philippine Book Festival welcomes book lovers of all ages but its doors are also wide open for educators and students in an effort by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) to promote a culture of reading while developing the publishing industry in the country.

(From feft): The prime movers of the 2nd Philippine Book Festival: Komiket president and co-founder Paolo Herras, Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA) president Paolo Sibal, Philippine Booksellers Association president Jovita De Jesus, Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP)Andrea Pasion Flores, NBDB Executive Director Charisse Tugade, NBDB chairperson Dante Francis Ang II, Sectoral Representative for Writers, Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) Luis Gatmaitan, host Sam Oh, and Key Visual illustrator Beth Parrocha

“The Philippine Book Festival specifically addresses the issue of access to quality Philippine books. We are bringing thousands of books and readers from all over the country in a single space while providing a revenue stream to the book industry. This encompasses our agency’s long-term plans: improve access for every Filipino reader, democratize distribution, and enable our publishers and authors to keep producing Philippine books,” said NBDB chairperson Dante Francis Ang II.

The four-day Philippine Book Festival (PBF) is designed to give ample time for teachers, librarians, and organizations to research the books they require for their schools. The NBDB and Department of Education (DepEd) are expecting more than 750 book evaluators and procurement officers to scope and evaluate books to purchase for public school libraries and library hubs. Evaluators from all over the country will fly in to source educational books for the students of their regions. 

The Philippine Book Festival “made room for local publishers, especially indie publishers, to showcase their books,” said Andrea Pasion-Flores, president of
Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP)

“The PBF is a recognition that there should be more Philippine books, more Philippine books in local libraries, more Philippine books for Filipino children. It made room for local publishers, especially indie publishers, to showcase their books to the Deped. That is what makes this book festival different,” said Andrea Pasion-Flores, President, Book Development Association of the Philippines. 

“Teachers needed a place to see the books. We don’t see them in the stores. Many of our books are relegated to one Filipiniana section. We needed a space to provide access to everyone, that’s inclusive to everyone. So we set up the PBF with four realms by working with different organizations,” said Charisse Aquino-Tugade, NBDB Executive Director.

From April 25 to 28, visitors are invited to the festival’s popular realms: Kid Lit, a land just for children, Komiks, which puts the spotlight on Pinoy komiks, Booktopia, home to an abundance of fiction and non-fiction titles, and Aral Aklat, which is devoted to textbooks and educational materials. There will be a Creators Lab, Main Stage, and Kids-at-Play that highlight exciting talks, activities, and workshops more specific to the interests of readers and fans of those genres. In addition to the extensive collection of published works and titles from the Philippines, this year's festival offers a diverse range of talks and workshops.

Not just a bookfair, the festival offers visitors to experience and participate in the following events: 

"A Day with Gwy Saludes," an exclusive book signing and meet-and-greet session with the author;

Historian and bestselling author Ambeth Ocampo will lead the “Ambeth Without the Overcoat" book signing session;

"Trip to Quiapo" presentation by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee;

"Dahling Nick: A Tribute to National Artist Nick Joaquin" will honor the renowned writer;

"Aklat Para Sa Accla: New Trends in Boys Love and Girls Love" forum; 

"Comics Can Change the World" with Patti Ramos; and 

"Zine-making 101," a workshop on crafting independently-produced  "fanzines" led by Komiket's Bunny Luz.

Attendees can also visit and check out:

Rare Book Collection by the National Library of the Philippines with rare manuscripts and facsimiles;

Book Bar, a library of sorts filled with award-winning books;

Cosplay Filipiniana, a cosplay competition allowing fans to portray their beloved Philippine literary characters;

Guhit Pambata, an exhibit highlighting the creations of some of our best children’s book illustrators; and the Tabuan Food Hall, wherein guests can feast in between pages.

The festival will be back from April 25 to 28 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.