Can a buffet be considered sustainable?

Novotel Manila's fresh approach to buffet dining

By Poch Eulalia

Published Oct 19, 2026 09:18 am

At A Glance

• Each station offers familiar favorites for Filipino diners, with cuisines coming from Japan, Italy, and India.

SUSTAINABLE BUFFET Food Exchange Manila's Freshfinity experience promises a new approach to buffet dining. (Photos: Novotel Manila)

Buffet dining, more often than not, focuses on the abundance of options.

Though for some, it leaves a lingering question regarding the sustainability of it all. Sure, most venues have a no-leftover policy to keep diners in check, but there’s still a curiosity regarding what happens to any food that goes untouched at a buffet. Enter Food Exchange Manila and its Freshfinity buffet experience, which is set to change the all-you-can-eat experience.

From left: Chef Angelique Llatanda, Chef Athena Tuble, and Chef Michael Ramos

Under the helm of Chef Athena Tuble, the Freshfinity experience opens up six culinary stations that follow a more focused culinary identity. Each station offers familiar favorites for Filipino diners, with cuisines coming from Japan, Italy, and India. Every serving is proportioned in a manner that ensures no food goes to waste. Ingredients are also certified fresh and sourced locally to ensure Filipino farmers and fishermen gain the proper support they need to maintain their livelihoods.

With all this in mind, indulging in the buffet’s offerings feels better knowing it’s all in good hands. Should you find yourself unsure of where to start, we recommend stopping by the fresh sushi station to request slices of your desired fish. Whether it’s tuna or salmon, the umami brought in each bite is sure to kickstart your meal with excitement. Afterwards, take it easy by picking out several different cheeses and cold cuts on display in the middle aisle, all arranged in a wonderful charcuterie-style arrangement. It’s best paired with the cocktail drinks on offer as well.

For the heavier side of things, you can never go wrong with the Butcher’s Block carving station. Opt for a generous serving of the premium roasted meats on offer and the chef-selected cuts. Then, there’s the Brasserie Maison station where you can request your grilled meat of choice or from the fresh catch of seafood on offer. Our personal favorites, however, are the freshly baked pizza offerings. Go for either the four-cheese pizza or the sisg pizza for a savory treat. We also recommend having a generous serving of Chicken Biryani from the Indian section of the buffet.

Once you’ve had your fill, there’s always room for a sweet treat to wrap it all up. Try the gelato if you’re looking to cool down from the heat. Or, if you’re looking for the opposite feeling, go for the Chili Cacao Truffle to get a literal bite of sweet and spicy. Of course, you can also never go wrong with a slice of cake, of which there are many different types to choose from.

Food Exchange Manila’s Freshfinity buffet can be experienced within Novotel Manila at Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City.

Pneumonic plague: Should we be worried?

 

By Dr. Edsel Salvana

Published Oct 19, 2026 12:05 am | Updated Oct 18, 2026 03:35 pm

CLINICAL MATTERS

The Russian government earlier this month reported the death of a 28-year-old laboratory researcher in Serbia from pneumonia. The researcher worked in the Irkutsk Research Anti-Plague Institute, and so naturally people were alarmed that she may have been infected by the plague bacteria that she was working on. Several co-workers have been quarantined even as Russian authorities sought to downplay any link between plague and the researcher’s pneumonia diagnosis.

Pneumonia can be caused by many kinds of bacteria and viruses. Some of these can be deadly even for a young 28-year-old, and we do not know if she had any underlying illnesses that would increase the risk of contracting pneumonia. At this time, there is no evidence that what the researcher had is pneumonic plague. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are understandably trying to obtain more information, and it remains to be seen if Russia will release the full results of its investigation.

What is plague, and can it cause pneumonia? What is the likelihood that this is what the researcher contracted? How probable is it that this will make it to the Philippines? Should we be worried or is this a false alarm?

Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It is usually transmitted to humans from the bite of the rat flea. It can also be transmitted from close contact with infected animals. There are several forms of plague: bubonic plague, septicemic plague, and pneumonic plague. The most common form is bubonic plague which predominantly affects the lymphatic system. Bubonic plague can be deadly, especially if it progresses to septicemic or pneumonic plague. Pneumonic plague is specific to the lungs and can be acquired by the inhalation of respiratory droplets from infected animals or humans. Septicemic and pneumonic plague is deadlier bubonic plague and can reach 100 percent fatality without treatment.

Yersinia pestis is found throughout the world, including the Philippines. Historical archives reveal bubonic plague outbreaks in the Philippines. A paper from the Journal of the American Medical Association from 1913 reported 55 cases of bubonic plague in Manila. 46 Filipinos, eight Chinese, and one Caucasian were infected. All cases were handled in San Lazaro Hospital.

While the infamous “Black Death” killed up to 200 million people in the Middle Ages, plague is no longer as deadly. The availability of effective antibiotics, improved diagnostics and modern hygienic practices make plague outbreaks more manageable. Sporadic cases from natural infection involving wild or feral animals do still occur, including a recent pneumonic plague case in the United States in 2025.

Antibiotics used for the treatment of plague include fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin), aminoglycosides and tetracyclines. Prompt diagnosis is essential and if treatment is started within 24 hours of symptom onset, there is a good chance of survival. While bubonic plague is not transmitted from person to person, pneumonic plague can be contagious. Contact tracing and quarantine should be initiated if this is suspected and close contacts offered antibiotic prophylaxis. A vaccine against plague exists but is not available locally.

Because of its inherent deadliness, plague is historically one of the diseases that have been weaponized. The Soviet Union and the United States had active programs to weaponize plague from the 1960s, until production was banned in the 1970s. Used as an aerosol, it can infect a significant number of people with pneumonic plague. Russia may possibly still have some leftover plague stocks from the Soviet Union, and this is why the US CDC and WHO are concerned about the recent pneumonia case and have called for greater transparency.

At the time of this writing, Russia has denied that plague is involved and has already evaluated most of the case’s close contacts. Even if this is found to be pneumonic plague, WHO has assessed the overall public health risk as low. It is working with Russian authorities to prevent any future potential exposures. In the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to be vigilant especially for those people in the vulnerable population. Consult only high-quality information sources for the latest updates. Don’t fall for fake news which, in a way, is a plague of its own.

ANOTHER FILIPINA ON THE VS RUNWAY

 Philippine Star

 

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PhilSTAR Life

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ANOTHER FILIPINA ON THE VS RUNWAY

Christina Nadin has just made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut, making her the second Filipina to walk the VS runway.

Classes in Metro Cebu suspended due to poor air quality By Calvin Cordova

By Calvin Cordova

The air quality in Metro Cebu as of 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, was ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups.’ (EMB-7)

CEBU CITY – Due to poor air quality, several areas in Metro Cebu suspended face-to-face classes on Monday, Oct. 12.

Among those that cancelled in-person classes for all levels were the local government units of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay cities and the towns of Consolacion, Minglanilla, Compostela, and Liloan.

These LGUs instructed schools to shift to online classes.

“This precautionary measure aims to protect the health and safety of our students, teachers, and school personnel amid unhealthy air quality,” Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said.

The suspension of physical classes came on the eve of the announcement of the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) that air quality in Metro Cebu deteriorated once again.

On Sunday, the air quality index (AQI) in Metro Cebu rached 180 which fell under the “very unhealthy” category. 

On Monday morning, Oct. 12, the AQI hit 156 which still fell within “very unhealthy levels.”

In its 4 p.m. advisory on Monday, the AQI improved to 140 but was still “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

With the poor air quality, children, elderly, and individuals with existing respiratory conditions are discouraged from going outdoors.

Wearing masks was also recommended for those venturing outdoors.

The EMB-7 attributed the poor air quality to local pollutants such as emissions from vehicles and industrial outputs.

The prevailing amihan (northeast monsoon) also contributed to the poor air quality, the agency said.

Useful Psychology Tricks

1. Lower your voice during arguments because calm energy changes the entire mood.

2. Stay quiet after excuses because silence often makes people say more than they planned.

3. Repeat their last few words softly because it encourages them to keep explaining.

4. Ask calm questions instead of fighting because questions break resistance faster than anger.

5. Keep your expression neutral because people respect what they cannot easily read.

6. Step away when emotions get high because self-control wins more battles than reactions.

7. Use simple and short sentences because powerful people rarely over-explain.

8. Change your environment when mentally stuck because new places create new thoughts.

9. Trust consistent actions more than sweet promises because patterns always reveal the truth.

If you are still reading this…I know you felt these lines somewhere deep inside you❤️.you saw your own story, didn’t you?

You gave too much… loved too deeply… and in return you got silence.