Welcome to Cebu! 
 
Making Futures: Rethinking Craft Communities, Taking on Global Challenges is a three-day conference taking place from 6-8 March 2020 at the Quest Hotel. It explores contemporary craft and maker movements as ‘change agents’ in societies across the globe. It is a partnership between the British Council and Plymouth College of Art and supported through British Council’s Crafting Futures global programme, DTI-Design
 
We are trying to reduce paper use for this event. You may find all details, including the programme and post-conference materials here.   
 
Thank you for joining us. Should you need any help or have any problems, please reach out. 
 

Important contacts 

British Council 
Our office is in Manila, located at The Curve, 7th Floor, 32nd Street corner 3rd Avenue, Taguig 1634, Philippines 
Phone number: +63 (0)2 8 555 3000 

British Council

For general concerns and questions about the event, you may approach: 
 
Henri Palma
Programme Officer, Arts and Creative Industries
+63 917 810 7846 (WhatsApp) 
 
Randel Urbano
Arts Manager, East Asia
+63 917 722 2939 (WhatsApp)
 
Marc Ocampo
Arts Manager, Arts and Creative Industries
+1 323 963 4853 (WhatsApp)
 
Malaya Del Rosario
Head of Arts and Creative Industries
+63 936 936 9128 (WhatsApp) 
 

ASpace events team

For on site logistical concerns and questions, you may approach: 
 
Jeaun Tolsa
Project Manager
+63 977 815 12 26
 
Mia Jane Lora
Project Lead – Cebu 
+63 977 815 1196

 

Quest Hotel

This is the venue of the conference. Some of you may be staying here, too.  

Brian Delator 
Catering and Events Coordinator
+63 998 589 71 44

Emergency contact numbers in Cebu

Contact Name  Telephone number 
Cebu City Police Department 
Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City.
6000
 
 
 
Cebu City Tourist Police Unit 
Dial 166 from any landline
+63 32 233-6705;
+63 917-3057 699;
+63 906 390 3402
 
(Hotline) 
 
+63 32 412-3138 
Emergency Hotline 
+63 947-178-000;
+63 947-178-9999;
+63 32 262 1424 
Emergency Fire Department 
Dial 160 from any landline 
 
Fil-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade:
+63 32 254 0200;
+63 32 254 0300;
+63 32 918-909-9785 
 
Mandaue City, Cebu Fire Department:  
+63 32 344 4747;+63 32 344 3364 
Mactan Cebu International Airport  +63 2 494 7000  
Perpetual Succour Hospital
Gorordo Avenue, Cebu City, Cebu.
+63 32 233 8620 to 39 

Social networking sites

Follow these social media accounts: 

Twitter

Philippine Textile Research Institute 
 

Instagram

 

Facebook 

 

Please use #MakingFuturesPH and #CraftingFutures throughout the conference and tag @phbritish on all your social media posts. 

Pre-departure information

Travel and medical insurance 
All participants are strongly advised to have adequate personal insurance (medical, travel/cancellation, personal possessions, liability) for the duration of the event. The organisers cannot make any arrangements for this. 
 
It is recommended that guests take out health insurance with international coverage. Vaccinations are not required but guests are recommended to consult their institutions’ clinic before departure.  

 

On COVID-19 
At the British Council, the health and safety of all our visitors, staff and the communities in which we operate is our top priority. We support and cooperate with all local government agencies to put all necessary measures in place for the well-being of everyone we engage with in the course of our operations.   
The hotels can arrange for a doctor on call, if required. However, you are advised to carry medicines for basic ailments with you.  You are also advised to have your own travel/medical insurance.  The organisers will not be liable for any medical emergencies or travel accidents.  
 
We would like to remind our guests and participants of the following:  
  • If you are feeling unwell, have a cough, fever or flu or have recently visited Hubei Province, China, please seek immediate medical attention and advice on your suitability to attend. Inform the event organisers of the doctor’s advice.  
  • If you would like to bring and/or wear a mask, please feel free to do so.  
  • We recommend using hand sanitisers and regular handwashing as a basic safeguard. 
  • We are monitoring the Covid-19 situation very closely and will continue to take relevant measures in line with the advice of local government agencies. Participants and visitors are strongly encouraged to visit www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCov  for updated information on the country’s health advisory and precautionary measures. 
  • Additional resources and information on protection from Coronavirus Disease (Covid-2019) may be found on the WHO website: www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advicefor-public   
  • Should you require further assistance, please email Randel Urbano at  randel.urbano@britishcouncil.org.ph and Jeaun Tolsa at jeaun@aspace.team (onsite event manager). 
 

Personal spending money

You are advised to bring enough Philippine currency to cover your expected needs. There will be outlets at the Mactan Cebu International Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport where you will be able to change money. Once at the hotel, the opportunity to change money is much more limited, though there are ATMs near the hotels. 

Travel and transport

For those traveling internationally, upon arrival at the airport, you will need to go through immigration / passport control before collecting your baggage. This can take up to an hour and occasionally longer, so please factor this into your travel time. 
 
For those travelling locally, you may immediately collect your luggage in the assigned conveyor belts before leaving the airport. 
 
For participants staying at Quest Hotel, a Quest Hotel booth is located at the baggage claim section for any transfer concerns. Your airport transfer will be provided by Quest Hotel and arranged by our event managers, ASpace Inc. c/o Bettina Solis, +63956 432 8287, bettina.aspace@gmail.com. 
 
Taxis 
 
Coupon (pre-paid) taxis are available at the airport. Rates are fixed and dependent on the destination. This is safer but generally more expensive compared to a metered taxi. Coupon taxi counters can be found immediately after exiting the Customs area. Expect to pay around 5001,000 pesos for destinations within Cebu. 
 
When riding a taxi, ensure that the meter is switched on and that you have small denomination bills.  
 
Using Grab is popular when you want to travel within Cebu. 
 
Please allot one-hour travel time from/ to the airport/ hotel. It is advisable, however, to allot an hour and a half to two when travelling during rush hour. 

 

 

Measures against COVID-19 virus

  1. All five hotel entrances (Main lobby entrance, Charlie 2 entrance, Grand Cenia lobby, Fourth floor entrance & Puso entrance) are provided with client screening tools such as thermal scanner & visual inspection of symptoms. 
  2. Screening for clients with history of travel in China. 
  3. Quest Hotel has a holding area /isolation rooms for suspected cases. 
  4. Hotel entrance, counters, elevators and function rooms are provided with hand sanitizers. 
  5. Counters are sanitized every 30 mins using alcohol. Luggage room and elevators are sanitized with hospital grade disinfectant every hour. 
  6. Function rooms are provided with sanitizers. Microphones are sanitized every after use. 
  7. All hotel staff, most especially those who are interacting with guests, are mandated to use personal protective equipment. Proper handwashing at all times is also being advised. 
  8. All housekeepers are equipped with alcohol bottles. 
 

Registration

Registration tables will be set-up at the seventh floor, Henson Room entrance. Please have a valid ID ready. Please proceed to the designated check-in line for: 
  1. British Council staff 
  2. Keynote speakers, presenters and moderators 
  3. British Council invited partners  
  4. DCP, PTRI and DTI delegates 
  5. General audience 
  6. Conference vendor

Conference materials

All information such as programme, bios of keynotes and presenters, session briefs and among others can be accessed through:

 www.britishcouncil.ph/programmes/arts/making-futures

What to wear and bring

Conference attire is smart casual. Dress for tropical weather but you may also bring a scarf/ sweater/ jacket for air-conditioned conference venues. 

Meals at the conference

Lunch and morning and afternoon snacks have been arranged by the organisers and will be served at the venue for three days of the event. There will be vegetarian options in the menu. Participants who are billeted at the hotel also have breakfast as part of their room accommodations.   
 
If you have any dietary requirements, please ensure that this has been communicated to event managers, ASpace Inc. Please contact Bettina Solis at +63956 432 8287 or email her at bettina.aspace@gmail.com. 

Smoking/non-smoking arrangements

Smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces everywhere in the Philippines – including hotels, bars, restaurants and workplaces. If you wish to smoke, be prepared to use designated outdoor area. Smoking areas at the Quest Hotel: Fourth floor, Seventh floor.

For participants staying at Quest Hotel

Check-in 
Check in time starts at 14.00. 
 
Check-out 
Check-out time is 12.00. 
 
Meals 
Breakfast is available at the hotel each morning of your stay. Outside of the conference, food will not be provided. There are many restaurants, convenience stores and malls near the hotel. 
 
If you have dietary requirements, please ensure that this has been communicated to our event managers, ASpace. If you have any concerns, please contact Bettina Solis at +63956 432 8287 or email her at bettina.aspace@gmail.com. 
 
Hotel costs 
Please note that you would need to pay to the hotel any additional expenses incurred (e.g. telephone calls, dry cleaning, mini bar, or room service) on departure. 
 

Communications 

Quest Hotel’s emergency hotline 
1. Dial 0 to reach the operator 
2. Dial 5000 and call will be registered as Emergency 

Internet connection 
There is WIFI internet access in all guest rooms of the hotel. 
 
Telephone calls 
If you want to make a phone call from your hotel room, it is best to check the costs beforehand as it can be quite expensive to call overseas from a hotel. All hotels have discretion to set their own unit charges and to decide the length of time of a unit. These vary depending on the time of day and the distance of the call. You will have to pay for these calls when you check out.  
 
Mobile phones 
Before you leave your home country, check with your mobile phone provider that the roaming function is activated on your phone or if your mobile phone can work with a different SIM card. If you expect to make a lot of local calls or to receive calls while in the Philippines, it might be advisable to buy a Philippines SIM card and install it in your mobile phone.  
 

 

Other useful documents

  • For international travellers – Visitors Notes  
  • For all participants – Conference Programme 
  • For all presenters – Speakers’ Guidelines 

 

See also

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