These Three Food Concepts are Redefining Dining as an Experience

 

Kariton's

The local food scene has never been more exciting than in the past few years. With new concepts emerging and a constant demand for something fresh, business owners are constantly thinking about how to ensure they’re set for success.

The modern dining experience is holistic, and the most successful food entrepreneurs understand that every detail shapes how a brand is remembered. Today, it’s not just about what’s on the plate. It’s about every touchpoint before and after the meal – from how customers first discover a restaurant online, to how they’re welcomed, how efficiently they’re served.

Yet across today’s food scene, the experience is constantly challenged by a recurring issue: friction and delays in payment. For three food entrepreneurs, solving this has become central to building their businesses.

Designing the full experience with the customer in mind

For one of Manila’s coolest new gelato shops, Kariton, designing the experience begins with putting the customer first.

“The name Kariton comes from the street carts many of us grew up with, so when people walk in, I want them to feel an instant sense of warmth and curiosity. It should feel approachable, not intimidating, but once you taste our gelato, you’ll realize that it’s made with serious technique and high-quality, local ingredients,” Leon Taira, Global Partner of Kariton, explains.

Kariton blends Filipino culture and nostalgia with a fun, Australian-inspired charm to use gelato as a shareable way to introduce local ingredients and culture. But because gelato melts quickly, service speed is a priority. “Very early on, we realized that small details matter a lot. Things like queue flow, signage, temperature control, portioning, and how staff greet you. At the same time, we don’t want to rush the customer, and we want to make sure we have time to tell them our story and the stories in each scoop.”

This challenge of balancing convenience with staying true to their concept is something modern food businesses, including Mariell Chuateco-Tanchip and her team at Taste &Tell, are navigating, especially after expanding from their home business into their first physical store.

“We realized dining is about the entire journey — ambiance, service, speed, and even how customers pay. Even if the food is excellent, a slow or stressful checkout can change the entire experience,” she says. “Generosity is important to us. We never want guests to feel like they’re getting less. We want them to leave full, happy, and excited to come back,” she adds.

Nolita Joe's

This is echoed by Patrick Santos, owner of Nolita Joe’s, whose service philosophy marries the best of New York-style dining – which is fast-paced – without sacrificing quality. For him and his team, it’s about balancing efficiency with what guests expect and deserve.

“It’s not unusual for guests to either rave about or get annoyed at the small things, so everything should matter. Even something as seemingly minor as waiting a bit too long for the bill to be settled or having limited payment options can affect the whole experience,” she points out.

To address this friction, all three businesses have since integrated GCash for Business and tools like the new GCash SoundPay to improve both speed and service flow, especially at checkout. GCash SoundPay is a payment device that enables instant cashless transactions through QR payments with real-time voice confirmation, helping both staff and customers confirm payments instantly, without slowing down service.

“It’s made things a lot more seamless. Less friction, faster turnover, and less stress for the team. It really helps during peak hours. Faster transactions mean more turnover and better customer satisfaction,” he explains.

Embracing new tools as part of the experience

Across all three concepts, one shift is clear in modern dining: technology is an essential part of hospitality. For Leon, removing friction is key to repeat visits. “Before being able to provide cashless payment options, the common issues we would face included not having exact change and delays during peak hours. These small frictions add up and can slow down the entire service flow and ultimately affect the chances for return visits.”

For today’s young restaurateurs, success is no longer just about serving great food. It’s about the experience around it, which requires understanding customer behavior, mastering operations, and designing a seamless experience from start to finish. Throughout their journey, they have found support in solutions like GCash for Business.

If you’re a young business owner, getting started with GCash for Business is your first step into your easy era. Create an account on the GCash for Business Portal. You can get started as a merchant using just your verified GCash account of at least 12 months to qualify for a Starter Plan. Order a GCash SoundPay device, then wait for your email confirmation on your GCash SoundPay delivery. For more information on how GCash helps empower businesses and explore other products to help your business, visit GCash for Business.

How often do you go to the bathroom to pee?

 

Frequency in peeing is affected by several factors, including age, liquid intake, specific medical conditions, and bladder size.

Its official term is micturition, but to us, it’s simply urinating or peeing, a natural and necessary function of a healthy human body. “Urination helps cleanse the body of toxins, excess sodium and fluid, and metabolic waste,” says Rolando Guillermo O. Saulog, MD, a Urology Doctor at top hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed).

On average, a person pees between 6 to 7 times a day, but if you are taking more (or less) trips to the bathroom, there’s no real need to worry. “If you go only four times in a 24-hour span, it is fine. And if you go 10 times, that’s okay too.”

According to Dr. Saulog, the number of times you urinate per day depends on the following factors:

Age. “As we grow older, our bladder (which stores urine) does not expand as much, so it fills up faster, making our visits to the bathroom more frequent. Menopause and the decreasing production of the estrogen hormone can also affect bladder function.”

What and how much you drink. “Alcohol and caffeine are forms of diuretics, which prompt the kidneys to release extra fluid from the blood vessels. Consume copious amounts of coffee, tea, beer, or wine, and you can expect to spend a lot of time in the toilet.”

Pregnancy. “Mothers-to-be can chalk up peeing often to hormonal changes (an increase of progesterone relaxes the muscles, including those in the bladder), extra fluid and blood produced by the body, and weakened pelvic floor muscles due to an expanding uterus.”

Specific medical conditions. “If you need to urinate often, only yield small amounts each time, you may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Diabetes can also cause you to urinate frequently, as it is the body’s way of emptying the bloodstream of excess sugar. Low potassium, too much or too little calcium, an enlarged prostate, congestive heart failure, painful bladder syndrome, and kidney issues can also make you visit the bathroom several times.”

Medicines. “Diuretics in pill form are given to individuals with high blood pressure, heart failure, edema, kidney disease, and liver disease. Certain medicines for diabetes and mental health can also make you pee more than average.”

Bladder size. “A man’s bladder can hold as much as 700 ml of urine, while a woman’s bladder can store about 500 ml.”

On the flip side, MakatiMed says that oliguria or urinating only 1-2 times in 24 hours (that’s peeing less than 400-500 ml a day) could be due to dehydration, blockages in the urinary tract, or infection.

When should you see your doctor? “Definitely when your peeing includes pain or a burning sensation, or when pain is felt in your lower back, pelvis, or genitals,” says Dr. Saulog. “Blood in the urine is also a cause for concern, as is incontinence or difficulty controlling your pee.”

Other signs that a consultation with a health practitioner is in order: urine that is cloudy, dark, and foul- smelling.

Tests help pinpoint the cause of your tendency to pee often or not enough. Results from a urinalysis will give your doctor an idea of the color, appearance, and microscopic contents of your sample. A kidney functioning test, which relies on a blood test and urine sample, can gauge how well your kidneys are working. Imaging tests (x-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan) will reveal if peeing too much or too little comes from a pre-existing or newly discovered medical condition. A uroflowmetry test (available in MakatiMed) is a simple, non-invasive test used to evaluate how the bladder is working, often to detect why a patient has frequent or urge to urinate, a weak or slow urinary stream, difficulty starting urination, or a feeling that the bladder is not empty after urinating.

“Healthy living ensures efficient and natural urination,” reminds Dr. Saulog. “Stay hydrated. Eat fruits and vegetables and foods rich in probiotics; they may help address recurring UTI. Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol. Pee and cleanse using an unscented soap after sexual intercourse to lower your risk of developing UTI. Women can also reduce the risk of UTI by wiping from front to back after peeing.”

“Most important: Do not hold back your pee. Go when you feel like it.”

For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.88888 999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph. Follow @IamMakatiMed on Facebook and Twitter.

Starbucks Philippines Invites Everyone to be a Community Champion This Global Month of Good

 

As part of its annual Global Month of Good celebration, Starbucks Philippines is reinforcing its commitment to the communities it serves – while inviting more Filipinos to take part in their own way.

This year, Starbucks highlights a simple but powerful idea: anyone can be a Community Champion through small, everyday actions that create meaningful change for the environment, the community, and other people.

“Our local initiatives are grounded in the belief that meaningful change starts with strong community connections,” said Jamie Silva, senior manager for Marketing, Digital Customer Experience and Social Impact, Starbucks Philippines. “From education to disaster response initiatives and partner volunteerism, 2025 reflects how collective action can create lasting impact.”

In 2026, Starbucks Philippines is expanding its community impact initiatives through strengthened partnerships, improved access to essentials, and more opportunities for both partners (employees) and customers to take part in meaningful action.

Supporting Communities Where They Need the Most

Through its partnership with Planet Water Foundation and The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks Philippines provides clean water access and hygiene education to an estimated 42,400 people in various regions around the country. This April, a ninth AquaTower will be installed in Camarines Sur, extending access to safe drinking to around 7,000 more individuals.

Starbucks Philippines also continues its longstanding partnership with HOPE to support education. Each year, Starbucks partners (employees) come together to help build safe and inspiring learning spaces for underserved communities. This year marks the completion of a sixth public school classroom in Sarangani in April, helping provide safe and conducive learning spaces for students in the community.

Alongside its community initiatives, Starbucks Philippines is also strengthening its sustainability efforts within its store operations. Starbucks Philippines has partnered with MPower to supply electricity to around 60 Metro Manila stores under the Retail Aggregation Program. This partnership is expected to result in improved operational efficiency while supporting long-term sustainability goals.

Continuing Efforts Powered by Volunteerism

Starbucks’ commitment to being a Community Champion is also reflected through volunteerism and everyday participation.

Starbucks Community Stores in Abad Santos, Tondo, and Maysilo Circle continue to support education programs in partnership with AHA! Learning Center, Young Focus Foundation, and Mano Amiga Philippines. To date, more than 1,500 learners have benefited from after-school sessions, literacy development activities, and leadership-building programs that help them gain confidence and stay engaged in school.

Addressing food insecurity remains a key focus. Through its FoodShare program, Starbucks has redirected nearly 3 million rescuable food items from close to 300 stores nationwide. In partnership with The Philippine Food Bank Foundation and Grab Philippines, surplus food is distributed to various communities.

Beyond these organized programs, Starbucks encourages customers to take part in simple, everyday actions throughout Global Month of Good. In their own small way, store visits can become part of the impact. Customers can use for-here ware or bring their own tumblers for their coffee orders and enjoy a PHP 10 discount.

Simple actions, when done together, can create a meaningful impact over time. This Global Month of Good, everyone is invited to be a Community Champion. To learn more about the Global Month of Good, visit starbucks.ph/social-impact.

Araneta City, JAAF expand support for Filipino weavers through HIBLA

 

Araneta City and its corporate social responsibility arm, the J. Amado Araneta Foundation (JAAF), are launching HIBLA: Tradition Woven Forward, a reimagined cultural initiative that expands its annual trade fair into a broader, future‑forward program supporting Filipino weavers and preserving indigenous textile traditions.

from Habi Fiesta 2024 02

“Hibla, meaning ‘fiber’ or ‘strand,’ perfectly encapsulates the essence of what we aim to achieve,” said Diane Romero, Executive Director of JAAF. “Each thread tells a story—of our history, our communities, and our future.”

HIBLA builds on the legacy of Habi Fiesta!, which was held in 2024 and 2025 as a stand‑alone trade fair at Gateway Mall 1, Araneta City. For 2026, Araneta City and JAAF are expanding the initiative into a program that supports weavers beyond the marketplace.

The expanded program introduces capacity‑building opportunities, creative collaborations, and recognition platforms designed to help artisans sustain and grow their practice in a modern economy. This marks a strategic shift toward a holistic platform that strengthens artisan communities while bringing Philippine weaving to contemporary audiences.

from Habi Fiesta 2025 03

“HIBLA honors a legacy rooted in our founder, J. Amado Araneta, through the spirit of ‘Tradition Woven Forward,’” Romero said. “We are not only preserving heritage, but actively propelling it into modern relevance by opening market access, bringing indigenous textiles to the mainstream, and inspiring new applications that ensure their lasting impact.”

The centerpiece of HIBLA is the three‑day Weavers’ Fair, set from May 15 to 17, 2026, at the Quantum Skyview, Gateway Mall 2. Open to the public, the fair will showcase a diverse range of Filipino handwoven textiles and products directly from partner weaver communities.

Proceeds from the Weavers’ Fair will benefit the Gateway Gallery, the art museum of Araneta City, helping support its 2027 public programs and reinforcing the City’s commitment to accessible cultural spaces.

Beyond the retail fair, HIBLA also includes:

 Capacity‑building sessions and workshops offering training in branding and digital

storytelling

 HIBLA limited‑edition merchandise, translating traditional patterns into modern,

functional designs

 The HIBLA Awards, recognizing excellence in craftsmanship, storytelling, and visual

presentation

“Through HIBLA, we invite Filipinos to engage with Philippine textiles beyond simply shopping,” Romero said. “It is an invitation to be part of a living legacy—one that continues to evolve while remaining rooted in tradition.”

Training Institutes in Abu Dhabi: Nursing Assistant Courses & First Aid Training

 

Abu Dhabi has emerged as a leading hub for professional education and vocational training in the UAE. With the rapid growth of the healthcare sector, training institutes in the city offer a wide range of specialized programs, including nursing assistant courses and first aid training. These programs are designed to equip students with practical skills, internationally recognized certifications, and strong career opportunities in healthcare and safety.

Training Institutes in Abu Dhabi

Training institutes in Abu Dhabi provide diverse educational programs in healthcare, business, IT, and safety. Institutions such as Annex Training Institute are known for offering professional courses tailored to industry needs.

These institutes focus on:

 Hands-on practical learning

 Flexible class schedules (weekend and weekday options)

 Internationally accredited certifications

 Experienced trainers and modern facilities

Many institutes also collaborate with regulatory bodies and global organizations to ensure quality education and employability.

Nursing Assistant Course in Abu Dhabi

One of the most popular healthcare programs is the Certified Nursing Assistant course (CNA). Institutes like Al Manal Training Center and Annex Training Institute offer structured CNA programs designed for beginners entering the medical field.

Course Overview

A nursing assistant course prepares students to work alongside nurses and doctors in hospitals, clinics, and care homes. The curriculum typically includes:

 Patient care and hygiene

 Monitoring vital signs

 Infection control and safety

 Basic anatomy and physiology

 Emergency care and first aid

These programs usually last between 2 to 6 months, depending on the institute and training

level.

Skills Gained

Students develop essential healthcare skills such as:

 Assisting patients with daily activities

 Communication and teamwork in clinical environments

 Handling medical equipment

 Providing compassionate care

Career Opportunities

After completing the course, graduates can work as:

 Nursing assistants

 Patient care assistants

 Caregivers in hospitals or home care settings

The demand for nursing assistants in the UAE is increasing due to the expansion of healthcare services.

First Aid Training in Abu Dhabi

First aid training is another essential course offered by many training centers, including PrimeXperts Training & Consultancy and Onyx Education and Development Institute.

Course Content

First aid courses teach participants how to respond to emergencies effectively. Key topics

include:

 CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)

 Use of AED (Automated External Defibrillator)

 Treating wounds, burns, and bleeding

 Managing choking and breathing emergencies

 Basic life-saving techniques

These courses are typically short, ranging from 3 hours to one day, and provide certifications

valid for up to two years.

Who Should Take This Course?

First aid training is beneficial for:

 Healthcare workers

 Teachers and caregivers

 Corporate employees

 General public

Importance of First Aid Training

First aid knowledge can save lives in critical situations. It helps individuals respond quickly and confidently before professional medical help arrives.

Why Choose Abu Dhabi for Healthcare Training?

Abu Dhabi offers a strong educational environment with:

 Internationally recognized certifications

 Modern training facilities

 High demand for healthcare professionals

 Short-term courses with quick job entry

Healthcare training programs in Abu Dhabi emphasize both theoretical knowledge and real-

world practice, making graduates job-ready.

Conclusion

Training institutes in Abu Dhabi play a vital role in developing skilled professionals, especially

in the healthcare sector. Nursing assistant courses provide an excellent entry point into medical careers, while first aid training equips individuals with life-saving skills.

Whether you are looking to start a healthcare career or simply want to learn emergency response skills, Abu Dhabi offers high-quality training programs that combine education, certification, and practical experience.