Sandy Daza hosts three food shows on TV and writes a column, making him one of the most recognizable chefs in the Philippines. He co-owns kiosks bearing his name that sell empanada and siopao in malls across Metro Manila. And he wears another hat: as a guide of culinary tours in Japan that he considers...
Author: Juan V. Sarmiento Jr. (Juan V. Sarmiento Jr.)
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Food, friendship and more on a tour with a chef
FUKUOKA, HIROSHIMA, OSAKA—We came here to savor food that popular Filipino chef Sandy Daza has taste-tested and pronounced “exceptional” (for him, “good” is simply “not enough”). But the “Daza Japan Food Tour” of the three cities and their namesake prefectures on Oct. 20-25 offered participants more than just food. It also included visits to fish...
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Theft of millions of Filipinos’ personal data eroding public trust
The series of data breaches at government agencies has resulted in the theft of millions of Filipinos’ personal information not only once but twice or even thrice, in gross violation of their right to privacy. Understandably, the theft is causing Filipinos to lose trust in the offices that keep their personal data even as the...
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Zonal values of residential land surging
Zonal values of residential land are rising by up to about 330% in Parañaque City effective Monday, Oct. 2, catching residents and property owners by surprise. The surge is triggering concerns that the high cost of real property in the city will hamper sales and further make homes unaffordable to most people, especially the Gen...
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Estate tax may now be paid in installments and online
Instead of a one-time payment that many find difficult to comply with, heirs may now pay in installments the estate tax due the property they inherited from relatives. They may also stagger the payments over a two-year period. Heirs even have the option to settle the amount online with an accredited bank of the Bureau...
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Green currency in the ‘era of global boiling’
Green currency serves as a means of exchange at a new park in the central business district (CBD) of Alabang, Muntinlupa City, to propagate trees and plants and promote recycling at the onset of what the United Nations chief calls “the era of global boiling.” UN Secretary General António Guterres’ declaration that “the era of...
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As amnesty deadline nears, many property heirs unaware of crucial regulation
It’s a race to the finish for heirs scrambling to settle the estate tax for properties they inherited from relatives who died in or before 2017 as the window of opportunity narrows. Heirs can pay the estate tax and beat the amnesty deadline even without a settlement of the estate if they can submit other...
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With amnesty, property heirs can save on costs, avoid aggravation
Those who inherited property from loved ones who died in or before 2017 better avail themselves of the estate tax amnesty while there is still time. The amnesty period is to end on June 14, unless the government extends the deadline anew. An estate tax is a levy on the privilege of transmitting property upon...
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The conglomerate that a ‘sari-sari’ store built
PANGLAO ISLAND, Bohol—A group of companies that grew from a sari-sari store in Bohol’s capital Tagbilaran City has been so dominant in the commercial center business that mall magnates like the Sys, Ayalas, Gokongweis, Gotianuns or Gaisanos have not gained a foothold in the province. Alturas Group of Companies (AGC) is the clear mall king...
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Going local and green to build 50-hectare, mixed-use ‘family dream’
PANGLAO ISLAND—Bohol’s homegrown conglomerate, the Alturas Group of Companies, began as a sari-sari store 50 years ago in the provincial capital of Tagbilaran. Now it is expanding its beach resort here into a 50-hectare, mixed-use estate at a cost of P25 billion. The expansion is a vote of confidence in the prospects of tourism on...
