by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 26, 2018 | Beauty
Careline, the Philippines’ go-to cosmetic brand, breaks stereotypes and celebrates diversity in race, gender, and culture with its genderless beauty campaign.
At a time when gender fluidity is rising, Careline encourages inclusion of everyone regardless of size, shape, gender, and color. What better way to promote beauty in diversity than by gathering seven influential millennials, the Careline Gang, who are confident in their own skin?
The Careline Gang
The Careline Gang consists of Seff Francisco, Mara Luz Smith, Rei Germar, Kenny Manalad, Margarita Gumabao, Emma Briones, and Brittany Rhodes. They are proud of who they are and embrace their flaws –that set them apart from the crowd.
With thousands of social media followers, these influencers are sure to make other Filipinos understand the real meaning of beauty. They, together with Careline, know no rules.
Make-up can boost self-confidence. Getting creative and playing around with cosmetics is one way of representing and celebrating your individuality. Through the Careline Gang, Careline aims to spread awareness of breaking gender barriers.
Be brave. Be real. Be confident. Be you. Love yourself.
For more information, visit their official website http://careline.com.ph, their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CarelineCosmetics, and their Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/carelineph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 24, 2018 | Awards and Competitions
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation are staging the Youth Co:Lab Regional Summit in Bangkok from March 26 to 28, 2018.
Launched in 2017 by UNDP with support from Citi Foundation, Youth Co:Lab is a regional program that aims to tackle social and unemployment challenges by harnessing youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Youth Co:Lab is Citi Foundation’s flagship Pathways to Progress program in the region.
Data released by the International Labor Organization states that the global youth unemployment rate is currently over 13 percent, translating to about 71 million young people, aged 15 to 24, worldwide. About half or 33 million of these people live in Asia-Pacific.
By engaging young people with policymakers and private sector partners, Youth Co:Lab serves as a platform for networking, idea-sharing, mentorship and collaboration through local National Dialogues and Social Innovation Challenges.
The inaugural Summit in Bangkok will comprise a Regional Dialogue on March 26 and a Regional Social Innovation on March 28. A total of 21 teams, including three from the Philippines, will pitch their social enterprise models at the Challenge for a chance at additional capacity-building opportunities.
Proudly representing the Philippines are Alex Austria of LawKo, a legal literacy initiative that aims to bridge the knowledge gap between a complicated legal system and the Filipino public; Pamela Nicole Mejia of Phinix, which upcycles old clothes and fabric scraps into footwear and accessories; and Samantha Sanchez of Arooga Health, which provides convenient access to emotional and wellness care providers.
Alex Austria of LawKo
Alex Austria of Lawko
“We feel quite lucky to be a part of the Summit,” says Alex. “Since we just got into the start-up scene less than 6 months ago, we’re overwhelmed and grateful because we didn’t even expect to end up here in the first place,” she added.
From its initial incarnation as a chatbot, LawKo has evolved into a legal literacy initiative thanks to the guidance of mentors from Rappler, QBO Philippines, and UNDP. It harnesses the power of technology and social media to help educate the public about government and legal processes.
Pamela Nicole Mejia of Phinix
Pamela Nicole Mejia of Phinix
For her part, Mejia feels just as honored to represent the country in the Youth Co:Lab Summit and is pleased with what Phinix has achieved thus far.
“We intend to employ economically vulnerable women such as out-of-school girls, single mothers, and unemployed women in our textile recycling facility,” Mejia says, adding that “we have partnered as well with a community of PWD weavers for our textile upcycling and weaving production.”
Phinix is a textile recycling center that collects textile wastes and transforms them into higher valued products such as footwear and accessories. It is packaged as a fashion social enterprise that aims for the triple bottom line – for the planet, for the people, and for profit.
Samantha Sanchez of Arooga Health
Samantha Sanchez of Arooga Health
Meanwhile, Samantha says that the positive response to Arooga Health “is an inspiring validation that mental health matters and seeking help for mental wellness is not a sign of weakness.”
Arooga Health is a platform that provides employees and companies convenient access to trusted care providers for their emotional and mental wellness and needs. Arooga Health matches a user with trusted care providers based on their objectives, preferred schedule, and mode of interaction.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 23, 2018 | Public Service
Update (10 Aug 2022): Did you know that you could reserve a parking slot in advance at the Parking Garage South? Click here for more details.
I spent a big chunk of my childhood roaming the Cubao shopping and leisure area before it was officially called the Araneta Center. We watched movies at Ali Mall or at New Frontier (now the Kia Theater), watched concerts at the Araneta Coliseum, shopped at SM Cubao, COD (now Save More), or at Isetann, and had fun at Fiesta Carnival (now the Shopwise Arcade). Since then this entertainment hub has evolved and with evolution comes new problems. The problem of this millennia — parking!
Parking at the Araneta Center is more affordable than most places in the Metro. Business and leisure hubs like Makati or BGC tend to charge an arm and a leg. This makes us grateful to find places like the Araneta Center that offer reasonable parking rates for their shoppers and workforce.
Here are the rates below as published on the Araneta Center website. Note that some are still empty. This means that I have not found any information on those places yet. However, I will update this page as soon as I discover more:
Note: Parking is free for Senior Citizens who are residents of Quezon City.
| PARKING | CAR | MOTORCYCLE | PWD DISCOUNT (20%) |
| Ali Mall | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Araneta Center Bus Station | | | |
| Aurora Tower | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Center Avenue (outdoor) | 60 - first 2 hours
15 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 48 - first 2 hours
12 - succeeding hours |
| Cyberpark Tower 1 | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Cyberpark Tower 2 | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Expo Centro (outdoor) | 60 - first 2 hours
15 - succeeding hours | | 48 - first 2 hours
12 - succeeding hours |
| Farmers Garden | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Farmers Plaza | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Gateway | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Manhattan Heights | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Manhattan Parkview | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Manhattan Parkway | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Parking South Gate | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Shopwise Arcade | FREE with minimum purchase at Shopwise
50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours
| | FREE with minimum purchase at Shopwise
40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Shopwise (outdoor) | 60 - first 2 hours
15 - succeeding hours | | 48 - first 5 hours
12 - succeeding hours |
| SM Cubao | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | | FREE - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours |
| Supercenter | 50 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 35 - first 5 hours
10 - succeeding hours | 40 - first 5 hours
8 - succeeding hours |
| Supercenter (outdoor) | 60 - first 2 hours
15 - succeeding hours | | 48 - first 5 hours
12 - succeeding hours |
- Lost ticket – P150
- Overnight parking – P200
- Truck/Delivery – P100/hour
Here is a map of the parking venues/spaces located at the Araneta Center for your reference.
Araneta Center parking map sourced from https://www.aranetacenter.net
From my experience, the best places to park are Gateway (which is below ground) and South Parking Garage (which has parking slots below and above ground). These two are more or less in the center of the Araneta Center which means that parking in either makes it close to just about any place you may want to go in the area.
Araneta Center Green & Go e-Shuttle
In case you want to go from Gateway Mall to Ali Mall or vice versa just take the Green & Go E-Shuttle … it is an electric open van and is a free service provided by the Araneta Center for its shoppers. Specific stations are marked in both malls for pickups and drop-offs.
In the past, senior citizens and PWD, and people with receipts of purchases made at the Araneta Center were given priority to ride the e-shuttle. Now, this privilege is limited to senior citizens and PWD.
Manhattan Parkway and Parkview (these are 2 separate parking structures) are located closer to Aurora Blvd. and are ideal for if you are going to any of the restaurants located in either building. My favorite eating spots at Manhattan are Four Season, Mister Kebab, and Burger King. 😀
If you haven’t yet, now may be a good time to explore the Araneta Center in Cubao. See you there soon!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 23, 2018 | Business
- Underlying earnings per share up 7% to Euro 2.40
- Dividend of Euro 1.26 per share, up 9% from FY16, to be proposed by the Board of Directors
- Solvency II ratio of 205%, up 8 points from December 31, 2016
“AXA delivered another year of strong operating performance, with a 7% increase in underlying earnings per share and our highest ever reported net income”, said Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer of AXA.
“AXA’s underlying earnings and net income both crossed the Euro 6 billion mark for the first time in the company’s history, with all major geographies contributing to this achievement. Our new business value was up 8%. Health was our fastest growing business in 2017, with revenues and earnings growing at 6% and 11% respectively.”
“In the context of the continued successful delivery of our Ambition 2020 plan and our balance sheet strength, the Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of Euro 1.26 per share, an increase of 9% from last year, which corresponds to a payout ratio of 49%.”
“In line with our vision to empower people to live a better life, we enhanced our Payer to Partner capabilities with the acquisition of Maestro Health. We continue to lead our industry in the fight against climate change, notably by quadrupling our 2020 green investments commitment.”
“I would like to thank our customers for their trust, and our teams and distributors for their commitment to our vision, as we strive together towards sustained long-term growth and continued value for all of our stakeholders.”
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 22, 2018 | Business
ASUS Philippines formally announced today the official opening of its three “concept stores” online namely – ASUS ZenFone Store, ASUS Republic of Gamers and ASUS Store which are all officially operated by ASUS Philippines together with its select key dealer partners.
The newly opened online stores will be ASUS’ gateway to its fans and other Filipinos end-users all over the country who want to purchase its whole range of product line from smartphone, notebooks, gaming laptops, motherboards, monitors, mini PCs, peripherals and all key devices conveniently through the hassle-free online shopping experience.
The ASUS ZenFone Store will be carrying the complete line-up of smartphones of the company and as well as their soon-to-be-launched devices which is dubbed as the “most intelligent ZenFone ever” the ZenFone 5 series. On a similar note, ASUS Republic of Gamers will be also offering its key gaming machines in the newly opened online store which brings ROG closer to its fans all over the country. ASUS store, on the other hand, will be more focused on selling ASUS’ entire consumer line-up from mainstream notebooks, ultra-books, 2-in-1s, convertible, all-in-one and mini-PCs and monitors.
“We started our business in the Philippines ten years ago and we have experienced a lot of changes in the business ecosystem locally. From just selling motherboards in our early days in the country now we have a full line-up of products that we share to Filipinos to meet their evolving demands,” shares, George Su, ASUS Philippines Country Manager for Systems Group.
Opening three concept stores online is our way to make our products easily accessible for our fans and all Filipinos who want premium yet value-for-money devices. There is no doubt that Lazada is the perfect online partner for us because they are the number-one online shopping website in the Philippines that offers effortless shopping experience, Su added.
Newest ASUS and ROG products available in Lazada
The ASUS x407 and X507
The ASUS X407 and X507 is a perfect device for people who are looking for a notebook that offers great performance, portability, premium design without hurting your wallet.
Both devices are powered by the latest Generation Intel® Core™ i3 processor with 1TB HHD and NVIDIA® GeForce® MX110 discrete graphics while the Pentium and Celeron are equipped with 500GB storage.
The X407 and X507 have a super thin NanoEdge display with a slim bezel for an immersive viewing experience. Both feature a fingerprint sensor for quick and easy logins with Windows Hello. Despite its large display, X507 is extremely portable, with an overall weight of just 1.68kg. The 14″ version, ASUS X407, weighs just 1.42kg.
Both X407 and X507 are designed for daily computing and entertainment. These Windows 10 laptops also support new and exciting Windows features including Cortana with voice recognition, allowing the user to wake the device from sleep mode simply by saying the “Hey, Cortana” command. For maximum convenience and compatibility, X507 includes a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port and a microSD card reader, as well as 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 4.2, despite coming in an ultrathin form factor.
Both laptops support fast charging, requiring only 49 minutes to charge a near-flat battery to 60%. In addition, ASUS SuperBattery technology ensures a 3X-longer battery lifespan compared to traditional laptop batteries.
ASUS AiMesh Whole-Home Wi-Fi Routers
AiMesh overcomes many of the limitations found in alternative off-the-shelf whole-home Wi-Fi systems, such as mesh-networking systems. Although these systems can be convenient all-in-one solutions, they are often only available in fixed bundles, with a limited choice of Wi-Fi speeds, hardware features and upgrade paths.
With AiMesh, users can create a completely flexible whole-home Wi-Fi system tailored to their needs, while continuing to enjoy all the functions of each individual ASUS router, such as extreme Wi-Fi performance and exclusive advanced networking features. AiMesh also offers convenient central management and control via either the ASUS Router mobile app or the ASUSWRT web interface.
Enabling AiMesh on a compatible ASUS router just requires an easy — and completely free — firmware update that allows it to be added to any AiMesh network, so users can mix and match models according to their budget and/or needs, and make good use of their old router when they upgrade.
AiMesh is an unbeatable solution for discerning users looking for the ultimate whole-home Wi-Fi system, adding yet another dimension to the award-winning family of fast and reliable ASUS routers.
The ROG Strix GL503 and GL703
All-around performers, the 15-inch ROG Strix GL503 and 17-inch ROG Strix GL703 are powered by the newest Intel Core i7 processor, and Windows 10, equipping the gamer to control the competition. Both laptops also offer up to 32GB of fast DDR4 2400MHz memory and include a VR-ready GeForce GTX 1060 GPU that delivers smooth and stutter-free gameplay for unforgettable virtual-reality experiences.
Strix GL503 and GL703 feature built-in Aura RGB illumination technology, so you can fully customize the backlighting to match your gaming style or mood! The newly designed four hotkeys are for in-game convenience and speedy control: With mute, volume up/down, and ROG Gaming Center buttons right where you need them, full control is at your fingertips.
The keyboard features a highlighted WASD key group and anti-ghosting technology with n-key rollover to ensure that your inputs are tracked precisely, no matter how many keys are pressed; and the 0.25mm-deep keycap curve is precisely shaped for typing accuracy.
Both the Strix GL503 and GL703 includes ROG Sonic Studio software with in-game noise cancellation and voice-volume stabilization technology, to deliver clearer, louder and more enjoyable audio and chat.
Sonic Radar helps gamers detect opponents through an on-screen overlay that shows the relative position of gunshots, footsteps and other in-game sound effects. With Sonic Studio and Sonic Radar, gamers enjoy high-quality in-game audio that provides a strategic advantage.
ROG Strix XG32VQ and XG35VQ
The ROG Strix XG32VQ and ROG Strix XG35VQ are two impressive curved gaming monitors that deliver an immersive and comfortable viewing experience.
The 32-inch ROG Strix XG32VQ isversatile curved monitor that offers the perfect balance between smooth gaming and brilliant image quality, while the 35-inch ROG Strix XG35VQ is the largest curved monitor in the ROG family and offers unparalleled viewing immersion.
Both models feature Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync™) for extremely fluid gameplay without tearing and stuttering and include ASUS Aura Sync lighting that allows for seamless synchronization with other Aura-enabled components and peripherals.
The ASUS ZenFone “Battery King” Max Plus
ASUS ZenFone Max Plus (M1) is a smartphone designed to go the distance, to accompany you on all of life’s adventures, and to bring you the bigger picture. With its 5.7-inch full view display, high-capacity 4130mAh battery with advanced power management and 16MP dual cameras, ZenFone Max Plus keeps up with your active lifestyle and is always at the ready to capture every extraordinary moment.
With a full view 5.7-inch Full HD (2160 x 1080) resolution with its outstanding 80% screen-to-body ratio and 2.5D front glass design, allows you to dive in the immersive visual experience. ZenFone Max Plus makes photos, videos, and all your other content like you never experience before.
ZenFone Max Plus features an advanced dual-camera system designed to take your mobile photography to new heights. Its 16MP main camera is equipped with the wide, F2.0 aperture lens to capture clearer photos.
Its 120° wide-angle camera lets your fit more scenery and people in the frame for dramatic landscape shots, better group photos, and a more convenient photography experience in confined indoor spaces.
The 120° wide-angle camera on ZenFone Max Plus has a 200% larger field of view than standard smartphone cameras, so you can fit more scenery and people in the frame for dramatic photos and videos that capture a true sense of place.
When taking photos indoors, the wide-angle view makes it much easier to get the shot you want — especially in confined spaces where it may not be possible to take a few steps back to fit everyone and everything into the photo. The unique perspective of the wide-angle lens can also be used to stylistic effect, allowing you to exaggerate the sense of space in any setting to capture more dramatic scenes and stunning, expansive landscapes.
To know more about the activities of ASUS Philippines, head over to ASUS and ROG Philippines’ official social media pages. For hassle-free purchasing of ASUS and ROG products online please check out the official ASUS and ROG store in Lazada:
- ASUS Official Store
- ASUS Republic Of Gamers Official Store
- ASUS ZenFone Official Store
About ASUS
ASUS is one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired companies and is dedicated to creating products for today and tomorrow’s smart life. Our comprehensive portfolio includes Zenbo, ZenFone, ZenBook and a range of IT devices and components, along with AR, VR, and IoT. ASUS employs more than 16,000 people worldwide and over 5,000 world-class R&D talents. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, the company won 4,511 awards and earned approximately US$13 billion of revenue in 2017.
“We started our business in the Philippines ten years ago and we have experienced a lot of changes in the business ecosystem locally. From just selling motherboards in our early days in the country now we have a full line-up of products that we share to Filipinos to meet their evolving demands,” shares, George Su, ASUS Philippines Country Manager for Systems Group.
Both devices are powered by the latest Generation Intel® Core™ i3 processor with 1TB HHD and NVIDIA® GeForce® MX110 discrete graphics while the Pentium and Celeron are equipped with 500GB storage.
AiMesh overcomes many of the limitations found in alternative off-the-shelf whole-home Wi-Fi systems, such as mesh-networking systems. Although these systems can be convenient all-in-one solutions, they are often only available in fixed bundles, with a limited choice of Wi-Fi speeds, hardware features and upgrade paths.
Strix GL503 and GL703 feature built-in Aura RGB illumination technology, so you can fully customize the backlighting to match your gaming style or mood! The newly designed four hotkeys are for in-game convenience and speedy control: With mute, volume up/down, and ROG Gaming Center buttons right where you need them, full control is at your fingertips.
The ROG Strix XG32VQ and ROG Strix XG35VQ are two impressive curved gaming monitors that deliver an immersive and comfortable viewing experience.
With a full view 5.7-inch Full HD (2160 x 1080) resolution with its outstanding 80% screen-to-body ratio and 2.5D front glass design, allows you to dive in the immersive visual experience. ZenFone Max Plus makes photos, videos, and all your other content like you never experience before.
ASUS is one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired companies and is dedicated to creating products for today and tomorrow’s smart life. Our comprehensive portfolio includes Zenbo, ZenFone, ZenBook and a range of IT devices and components, along with AR, VR, and IoT. ASUS employs more than 16,000 people worldwide and over 5,000 world-class R&D talents. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, the company won 4,511 awards and earned approximately US$13 billion of revenue in 2017.
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