Booking Holdings and Grab Enter into Strategic Partnership

Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), the global leader in online accommodations and travel e-commerce, and Grab Holdings Inc. (Grab), the leading on-demand transportation and mobile services platform in Southeast Asia, today announced that the two parties have entered into a strategic partnership.

With the partnership, Booking Holdings’ brands will have the ability to offer on-demand transport services through their apps, powered by Grab, and Grab customers will be able to book accommodations across the globe powered by Booking.com and agoda. In addition, Booking Holdings has invested US$200 million in Grab, recognizing Grab as the leading online-to-offline mobile (O2O) mobile platform in Southeast Asia. Grab has raised over US$2 billion for its current round of financing and is on track to raise over US$3 billion by the end of this year.

Through this collaboration, the world’s largest online travel platform and Southeast Asia’s leading O2O mobile platform aim to broaden and simplify travel solutions for travelers in Southeast Asia and around the globe.

Todd Henrich, SVP and Head of Corporate Development for Booking Holdings, said, “Grab has scaled impressively across Southeast Asia over the last few years, establishing itself as a recognized leader in an increasingly competitive space, and we’re excited to partner with them to build even better travel experiences through technology.”

The partnership between Booking Holdings and Grab allows Grab users to book travel-related services through the app for the first time, and pay seamlessly using the region’s leading digital wallet, GrabPay. The partnership also highlights Grab’s commitment to becoming Southeast Asia’s leading everyday super app, offering ride-hailing, food delivery, parcel delivery and digital payments to millions in the region. Grab has a presence in 235 cities in 8 countries and enables 8 million micro-entrepreneurs through its platform.

Ming Maa, President of Grab said, “We are delighted to work with Booking Holdings to give our users even more everyday services to choose from when they open the Grab app. The online travel market in Southeast Asia is set to nearly triple by 2025[1] and we see numerous synergies between travel and transportation that will allow us to capitalize on this huge opportunity. As a global travel leader, Booking’s investment into Grab is a vote of confidence in our continued ability to execute and expand into different O2O verticals, and roll them out across the 235 cities in which we operate.”

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Spookingly cute Halloween at the White House

It was an afternoon of spookiness and cuteness as the White House Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge located inside the Camella Northpoint compound along Bajada, Davao City was invaded by cute monsters from the crypt.

Kids were dressed as the White Lady, The Skeleton, The Demon, while others were garbed in their superheroes and Disney characters like Spider Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Cinderella, fairy and many more as they joined the Halloween Trick or Treat party of the White House on October 28.

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Magical show and parlor games started off the afternoon party for kids before the much-awaited trick or treat where candies and goodies were given to the participating kids who clearly enjoyed the venue and the games.

Halloween Trick or Treat is going to be an annual event at the White House that serves the best European and Japanese fusion cuisine in the city.

On November 3, a Halloween dance party aptly dubbed as Bewitched 2.0 will in turn cater to the millenial and the yuppies.

Popular DJ’s like Supreme and dj Torch will be joining the party along with Jed Ignacio as the emcee of the said event. Party starts at 8 in the evening this Saturday.

Surigao hit by swarm of tremors Monday night

A swarm of earthquakes measuring to as high as 5.3 magnitude struck the town of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur Monday evening, October 29.

The initial strong tremor registering at magnitude 4.2 in the Richter scale happened around 8:55 in the evening.

This was followed by two milder tremors fifteen minutes apart at 2.7 and 3.3 magnitudes respectively.

Then at 9:41 p.m. a magnitude 5 quake struck followed by a stronger 5.3 an hour later.

At 10:51 p.m. another magnitude 5 quake struck Hinatuan.

There were no reported injuries or structural damages in the area so far.

Spot Report on Anti-Illegal Drugs Operation

DATE : 28 October 2018

CN : HMPSI-10-28-2018-144

Reference: PDEA RO XI Pre Operation Nuber 30004-102018-0253 dated 28 October 2018.
In connection with the above reference, please be informed that on October 28, 2018 at about 8:40 PM, elements of Davao del Sur PDEA Provincial Office led by IA III Mildred Driz-Romero, Davao Occidental PDEA Provincial Office led by IA III Julius Magdadaro, and elements of Hgaonoy Municipal Police Station led by PI Diego B Agustin, OIC COP conducted joint buy-bust operation at Purok 6, Sugbong, Brgy San Isidro, Davao del Sur which resulted in the arrest of Joynel Joaquin Solmeron alias “Joy-joy” (HVT).

Confiscated during the operation were MOL six (6) kilograms of suspected dried marijuana fruiting tops worth Php 36,000.00;

one (1) unit caliber .38 revolver; six (6) pieces live ammunition, and four (4) pieces empty shells.

Cases for violation of Section 5 and 11 of Article II of RA 9165 and RA 10591 are being readied for filing in court against the suspect.

STATEMENT OF PRESIDENTIAL PEACE ADVISER JESUS DUREZA ON THE SUPREME COURT CASE VS BOL

Every citizen is free to resort to judicial processes to question the constitutionality of laws. The case filed against the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) is not an exception.

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission that drafted the BOL complied with President Duterte’s directive that it will comply with all previously signed agreements in step with constitutional and legal reforms.

I am confident that the BOL can withstand the constitutionality test. Both chambers of Congress, the Senate and the House and their legal minds painstakingly worked on the law. They scrutinised its fine points and fine-tuned them taking into account the landmark decisions of the Supreme Court and drew from the lessons of the past. There was also due diligence done by the legal minds of the executive department before the President affixed his signature to RA 11054.

Hence, I am confident this petition will not stop on its tracks a new beginning for the Bangsamoro. If at all, the most this latest challenge on the new law will do is to affirm its constitutionality with finality for the benefit of all Bangsamoro and all citizens as well.

Ultimately, we leave the final determination entirely in the hands of the Supreme Court.