Jan Daryl Doculan from Nueva Vizcaya emerged as the winner of the Region II leg of Solane Kitchen Chefs’ Edition, a nationwide cooking competition that aims to recognize a new generation of local talented chefs.
Doculan bested seven (7) other contestants from all over Region II with his winning dish, Dinakdakan. He garnished it with assorted atchara, ensalada, toasted shallot, and candied calamansi. He will have the chance to qualify for the national competition round with a grand prize of P100,000 and a culinary trip to Japan.
The Solane Kitchen Hero Chefs’ Edition is sponsored by Midea, Jolly Heartmate, Dona Elena Al Dente Pasta, Masflex Cookware, King Sue, Anvil Publishing, Ajinomoto, King Sue, Philtranco, Fastcat, and Chef Plus.
The photo shows Doculan (fourth from left) with Solane marketing manager Valeri Villano and (L-R) Solane Kitchen Hero ambassador chef Sau del Rosario, Solane Kitchen Hero director Nancy Reyes-Lumen, and Region II judges Herminia Baby Reyes, and Lilibeth Rillera.
Maxicare Healthcare Corporation, the country’s leading healthcare provider, recently established its newest health pod in Startek Philippines, Inc., a call center and BPO in Iloilo, to ensure better access to healthcare services for its employees.
The latest health pod is a fully automated system that manages patient-queuing and makes the gathering of initial vital signs quick, accurate, and hassle-free. It offers a convenient and time-saving way for employees to get their LOA (letter of authorization). The latest Maxicare health pod is located at Two Global Center, Megaworld Blvd, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
In the photo (L-R): Maxicare senior assistant vice president and group head of corporate sales Fiona Lava-Victoria, chief operating officer Nelissa Badal, president and CEO Christian Argos, Startek global COO Peter Martino, Startek Philippines COO Parikshat Nagpal, and Startek Philippines human resource vice president Ana Maria Magsaysay.
In this age of sharing and social media, lifestyle aspirations are driving consumer preferences in the real estate industry.
This is according to Tina Bautista, head of Property24, one of the most powerful online enablers for property buyers and sellers. Bautista cites, in particular, upper mid and luxury properties expected to be in high demand in 2019.
The Philippines continues to lead the world in social media usage, spending the most amount of time online, about four hours and 12 minutes a day. The number of social media users in the country grew by 13 percent, with more than 9 million users added since January 2018. Social media penetration is at 71 percent, which is above the worldwide average of 45 percent. As for mobile phone social media use, 67 percent of online Filipinos access social media on their phone, making social media an influential force. This is according to the latest digital report released by We Are Social and Hootsuite.
Property24, with Bautista at the helm, keeps a close tab on consumer digital behavior and trends in the real estate industry. Bautista has many years of experience working in the e-commerce industry. Before joining Property24, she led the overall online product strategy and channel expansion of Samsung, as online business demand management lead; served as vice president for the regional head of commercial planning for Ensogo Inc.; regional assistant brand manager for the low tier laundry detergent of Procter & Gamble Int’l Operations Pte Ltd, Singapore, and lead broadband planner for the product design and creation division of Globe Telecom.
Bautista, who has 12 years of experience in successfully creating strategies for online products and studying online consumer consumption, foresees a shift in buyer preferences, especially in the real estate industry, over the next five years.
“The major shift that may happen over the next five years is that technology will enable more than just searching and communication between property buyers and sellers. Technology will be able to change even how properties are bought and rented or financed by banks. We see this happening in more advanced markets. Generally as well, because of consumer preferences, we can also expect property developers to cater to emerging technology needs, such as high speed internet connectivity, online delivery and receiving hubs and smart home technologies,” Bautista says.
In the real estate industry, the speed of transactions and the expectations of potential property buyers are increasing rapidly, as the amount of information and influence that they receive online also grows. That is why Bautista advises companies to adapt swiftly to these developments.
“In our case, we are constantly working with our Product and Engineering teams, including enhancing our chat and contact form features, to make communication easier and faster between buyers and sellers. We also fine tune our search algorithms and filters to be able to reflect better user behavior and preferences,” she says.
Property24’s willingness to adapt has paved the way for it to become one of the strongest and most influential online platforms in the country today.
“Buyers today have many options and resources at their fingertips,” says Bautista. “It’s best for them to compare across all of these to be able to make the best decision. At the same time, they also have to exercise caution and judgment to ensure they are transacting with trusted brokers and agents.”
The influence of social media and online marketing has made a significant impact on the real estate market. Brand identity is the most effective way to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Image and perception on social media and branding of property developers are the key factors for property buyers and investors.
Corregidor Island holds historical narratives of war that represents the fight for the country’s freedom. Known as the “Isle of Valor” or “The Rock”, the 358-kilometer island holds more treasures apart from the history carefully preserved in the island.
The Corregidor Foundation (CFI), the Department of Tourism (DOT) through its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), and the Tourism Infrastructure and Economic Zone Authority (TIEZA), unveils the new brand of Corregidor … Corregidor Now.
Corregidor Now
Corregidor Now seeks to entice tourists to live and experience Corregidor Island in more ways than one! It invites guests to learn the unique story of Corregidor Island and explore spots around the island that are waiting to be experienced, making it a unique and exciting tourism destination.
With the campaign, they seek to actively promote the island’s various attractions, such as:
middle-side barracks
battery grubs
Pacific war memorial complex
Cine Corregidor
Spanish lighthouse
Japanese garden of peace
Filipino heroes memorial
Malinta tunnel, and
Lorcha dock
Beyond historical relics, the island boasts of a multitude of opportunities for every type of traveler to enjoy biking, bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, island runabout, and kayaking are just some of the fun activities in the island.
President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Corregidor Foundation Inc. Chairperson and CEO Cynthia Carrion in spearheading the new strategic campaign, dubbed “Corregidor Now,” which aims to deliver a stronger and unified voice for the whole island, bringing it to greater heights as a tourist attraction.
“For years, Corregidor Island seemed to be perceived solely as a popular historical site, with its idyllic features unknown to many,” Carrion said. “With our campaign, we hope that it will usher in a new era for this eco-historical location, making it known as a place of sanctuary where one can enjoy a relaxing opportunity to revel in the past.”
This initiative, according to TPB Chief Operating Officer Marie Venus Tan aims to attract more domestic and international tourists to visit Corregidor Island.
In support of this endeavor. TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas said they greatly recognize the island’s historical value and strong tourism potential, which can make it a flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ).
TIEZA is developing a comprehensive master plan for the redevelopment of Corregidor and the proposed rehabilitation of the Corregidor South Dock Pier. Under the marketing campaign, they will implement more proactive promotional efforts in various forms of media to inform the public and entice target markets to visit the island.
With all the tourist destinations in the Philippines, Corregidor Island is the only one where you can truly dive deep into history while enjoying the best of tropical Philippines. it is the picture-perfect showcase of the variety of fun and adventure offered on its land, sea, and air. Carrion invites Filipinos to come together, enjoy, and explore the historical paradise that is the ultimate relaxation and fun adventure sanctuary.
AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurers, in partnership with The SM Store, awarded an all-expense paid trip for two to Hong Kong Disneyland to lucky e-raffle winners of the recent Shop and Fly Promo. The winners, including Jeremy Albert Na Diego (in photo), also received AXA Philippines Personal Accident Insurance coverage worth P50,000.
Among the stores that participated in the Shop and Fly promo, which was exclusive to SM Advantage Card holders, were The SM Store Pampanga, Clark (Pampanga), Baguio, Megacenter Cabanatuan (Nueva Ecija), Cauayan (Isabela), Rosales and Urdaneta (Pangasinan), Tarlac, Olongapo (Zambales), Marilao and Baliwag (Bulacan), Telabastagan, San Fernando (Pampanga), and Valenzuela.
With Diego and his companion in the photo are (L-R) The SM Store Megacenter assistant branch manager Nelson D. Lutero, Jr., AXA Philippines financial partner Jessel Ladrillono, and AXA Philippines financial partner Michael Alamag.
Liverpool FC has announced that AXA, the world’s leading insurance brand, has been appointed Principal Partner and the club’s new Official Training Kit Partner for the 2019/20 season.
To launch the new partnership, Liverpool FC and New Balance have revealed the new collection of training apparel, which will feature AXA branding throughout the range.
The New Balance collection includes warm up jackets, hoodies and sweatshirts, amongst other products, and is available in both adult and children’s sizes. Designed in grey and red pepper and just like the 2019/20 home kit, each product has been inscribed with Bob Paisley’s iconic signature on the inside, paying homage to the Reds’ most successful manager in the year in which he would have turned 100.
The Reds will begin training in the new AXA training kit this summer ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Billy Hogan, Liverpool Football Club Managing Director
Billy Hogan, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer, Liverpool FC, said: “We’re delighted to be expanding our partnership with AXA to see them become a Principal Partner and new Official Training Kit Partner.”
“As a world-leader in its industry, AXA shares our ambitions and values, and we’ve already shared a lot of success since our partnership began in 2018. We look forward to building on our special relationship and continuing to bring to life fantastic experiences for our fans around the world.”
AXA will also continue working closely with the club’s men’s and women’s teams, managers, coaches and health professionals to support the shared goal of promoting healthy well-being and lifestyle. This is in line with AXA’s global tagline ‘Know You Can’ which symbolize AXA’s new promise to its customers, being an encouraging partner to help them feel more confident in achieving their goals and go further.
Thomas Buberl, AXA CEO
Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer at AXA added: “We’re excited by this new important step in our partnership with Liverpool Football Club that started in 2018. Featuring the AXA logo on the Liverpool FC training kit is a great symbol of our strong ambition to strengthen the AXA brand consideration globally.”
“By building on our similar values and vision with Liverpool FC, we will also be able to bring to life our new brand promise to our customers on self-belief with the tagline: ‘Know You Can’.”
In the photo are: AXA Asia CEO Gordon Watson (center) with (L-R) CEO of Liverpool Football Club Peter Moore, Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, AXA brand director Paul Bennett and Liverpool chief commercial director Billy Hogan
SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., will be conducting the 5th Emergency Preparedness Forum, in its continuing thrust to make persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens more resilient and better prepared in times of disasters. From what was an annual event held in a single venue, SM Cares now brings the forum across five SM malls nationwide from June 21 to July 12, 2019, in observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month.
Participating malls include:
SM City Clark (June 21)
SM City Marikina (July 2)
SM City Dasmariñas (July 5)
SM City Batangas (July 9)
SM Center Muntinlupa (July 12)
all happening from 10 AM to 12 Noon.
Facilitating the forum are DOST Undersecretary, PHIVOLCS director, and leading expert in geology and seismology, Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., joined by Dr. Ted Esguerra, who is an active member of numerous emergency preparedness and disaster response units around the globe. Both highly-regarded experts will impart knowledge about natural disasters and how to properly respond to them.
Bien Mateo, SM SVP for Operations
“We believe that there is a strong need to reach out to the communities that include persons with disabilities. They may either be out of reach from proper information, or they may have misconceptions on how to react to emergencies. And we are very fortunate to have Dr. Solidum and Dr. Esguerra, to help us understand and develop a more disaster-resilient way of living for PWDs,” said Bien Mateo, SM Cares program director for persons with disabilities.
“For our elderly, we have our undeniable limitations such as mobility and sensory capacities. They may know that there is an emergency but are unable to act upon it. We want to enlighten them that there are responses that they can do that best fits their situation. This is one way we want to strengthen the communities of our senior citizens,” added Danilo Chavez, SM Cares program director for senior citizens.
The project is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Goal No. 11: to make cities and human settlements sustainable. It is projected that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities, making sustainability a critical priority. SM, together with national government agencies and community members, are collectively engaged in pursuing objectives to make cities safer, resource-efficient, resilient and inclusive.
SM continues to promote a barrier-free and disability-inclusive environment to ensure that SM becomes a place for all, and where everyone is cared for. More than these sectors of the community, this series of events also encourages everyone to make emergency preparedness more than just a vital piece of knowledge, but a way of life.
SM Cares is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Its advocacies include Environment Sustainability, Programs on Persons with Disabilities, Children and Youth, Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Senior Citizens, and Overseas Filipino Workers (SM Global Pinoy).
Filipinos who want to contribute to environmental preservation can now conveniently use an innovative mobile phone app to help plant trees and increase the Philippines’ forest cover.
Leading mobile wallet, GCash, Is introducing an exciting “green” feature on the app called GCash Forest, which lets subscribers plant virtual trees that will have real life counterparts. By the end of 365 days, GCash Forest aims to plant 365 thousand trees with the help of GCash subscribers.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Philippines is losing 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year. The FMB also reported the need to rehabilitate 1.2 million hectares of forest lands by 2022 to prevent landslides, ensure water availability, and preserve biodiversity.
Anthony Thomas, Mynt CEO
“GCash Forest is about making it easier, more convenient, and even rewarding for everyone to take care of our environment for the benefit of future generations,” said Mynt CEO Anthony Thomas.
“GCash is no longer just providing an excellent platform for accessible financial products and services but also enabling Filipinos to be more active in responding to real-life issues, such as climate change mitigation through reforestation.”
GCash considers GCash Forest as a last mile initiative that fully recognizes the emergence of an all-digital Filipino lifestyle.
To implement its tree-planting initiatives, GCash Forest partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN). The DENR will provide land resources in lpo Watershed, an essential component of the Angat-Umiray-Ipo watersheds system supplying 98 percent of Metro Manila’s water. WWF will be providing trees and manpower while BIOFIN will provide expertise on monitoring.
Thomas added that recent findings on the Philippines’ vulnerability to climate-related hazards call for greater collective action. Results of the Global Peace Index 2019 identified the Philippines as the most susceptible country to the adverse effects of climate change. By leveraging the GCash platform and scale, GCash Forest aims to rally a coalition of individuals, non-government organizations, and international organizations to meet its 2020 targets.
To plant trees through GCash Forest, GCash users need to collect “green energy” by frequently using the app. Users who get enough green energy can choose which species of trees they want to plant in a selected area at the lpo watershed. Once the trees are physically planted, users get to receive a certificate of ownership with a serial number, fun facts and updates on the growth of their trees on their GCash apps.
“Many Filipinos, especially the younger ones, care about the environment but a lot of them don’t know how they can actively take part in environmental protection. This is a barrier that GCash Forest addresses because they only need to use their smartphones-an already integral part of their daily lives-to make a difference,” concluded Thomas.
The new feature is inspired by Alipay Ant Forest, a product operates by Ant Financial, an Alibaba affiliate parent company of the world’s leading payments and lifestyle platform, Alipay. Via the mobile platform, more than 500 million users have planted 100 million real trees and advanced a shared vision of sustainable and inclusive development.
“The GCash Forest shows digital technology holds a huge power to mobilize people in support of sustainable development and the fight against climate change. And this power goes beyond border and is at our fingertips through our mobile devices,” said Yan Meng, Ant Financial’s Global Head of International Partnerships. “We’re more than happy to open up our technology and expertise to current and potential partners to make the world a better place.”
SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) signs a memorandum of understanding with Cagayan de Oro City (CDO) and the National Resilience Council (NRC), as part of NRC’s new Adopt-A-City campaign. By supporting NRC’s 3-year program, corporations can directly invest in reducing the city’s risk to old and new hazards and in the partnership’s long-term resilience. It implements a whole-of-society approach towards co-creating science and technology-based solutions and capacity building for evidence-informed risk governance.
This program can include structural interventions and projects to address specific social, economic, and environmental exposure and vulnerability. This campaign enables the city not just to bounce back after a hazard strikes, but to also prepare for and prevent a disaster so as to “bounce forward” together in ways to reduce future risk.
The NRC is co-chaired by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana representing the government, and sole Filipino ARISE Global board member Hans Sy representing the private sector. Witnessing the MOU signing was SM Supermalls Chief Operating Officer Steven Tan.
In photo: (standing L-R) SM Supermalls’ VP for corporate compliance Liza Silerio and COO Steven Tan, CDO local economic investment promotions officer Eileen San Juan, NRC executive director Malu Erni; (seated L-R) Hans Sy, CDO mayor Oscar Moreno, and NRC president Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.
To boost efforts in attracting Korean tourists to visit the Philippines, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, will be participating in two major travel fairs happening in South Korea —The Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) on 06 to 10 June 2019 and HanaTour International Travel Show on 07 to 09 June 2019.
KOTFA
KOTFA is the biggest international travel fair in Korea with the participation of both international and domestic tourism-related organizations. This year, KOTFA is expected to generate an attendance of approximately 500 companies and 70 countries. The Philippines reserved six (6) booth spaces to be shared with airlines, hotels and top Korean travel agents in Seoul.
HanaTour
Meanwhile, HanaTour is Korea’s largest tour wholesaler with 1,200 HanaTour exclusive sales offices selling 14,000 tourism products through its 7,000 partners across the globe. This year, the Philippines is the featured country, co-marketing and promoting with HanaTour from June to July 2019, with multiple online and offline activities. The Philippines will also have eight (8) booth spaces at the event to help retail agencies aggressively sell and promote Philippine tour products, and provide general information about the country to the public.
South Koreans make up a huge portion of tourists visiting the Philippines annually, sharing approximately 22.3% of 1,587,959 visitors in 2018. TPB aims to increase Korean visitor arrivals by 25.80% upon completion of all tourism development plans by 2022, which will highlight the natural wonders of the Philippines.
As the country strengthens its campaign “It’s more fun in the Philippines” Korean tourists will get to choose from many offerings such as its beautiful pristine beaches, expansive shopping centers, dozens of adventure-laden activities, and the renowned warm hospitality of the Filipinos.
President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Corregidor Foundation Inc. Chairperson and CEO Cynthia Carrion in spearheading the new strategic campaign, dubbed “Corregidor Now,” which aims to deliver a stronger and unified voice for the whole island, bringing it to greater heights as a tourist attraction.
Liverpool FC has announced that AXA, the world’s leading insurance brand, has been appointed Principal Partner and the club’s new Official Training Kit Partner for the 2019/20 season.
Leading mobile wallet, GCash, Is introducing an exciting “green” feature on the app called GCash Forest, which lets subscribers plant virtual trees that will have real life counterparts. By the end of 365 days, GCash Forest aims to plant 365 thousand trees with the help of GCash subscribers.
To boost efforts in attracting Korean tourists to visit the Philippines, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism, will be participating in two major travel fairs happening in South Korea —The Korea World Travel Fair (KOTFA) on 06 to 10 June 2019 and HanaTour International Travel Show on 07 to 09 June 2019.
Meanwhile, HanaTour is Korea’s largest tour wholesaler with 1,200 HanaTour exclusive sales offices selling 14,000 tourism products through its 7,000 partners across the globe. This year, the Philippines is the featured country, co-marketing and promoting with HanaTour from June to July 2019, with multiple online and offline activities. The Philippines will also have eight (8) booth spaces at the event to help retail agencies aggressively sell and promote Philippine tour products, and provide general information about the country to the public.
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